February 2, 1882: Birth of Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark.

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Duke of Edinburgh, Grand Duchess Olga Constantinovna, House of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg, King Charles III of the United Kingdom, King George I of the Hellenes, Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark, Prince Philip, Princess Alice of Battenberg, Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom

Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark (February 2, 1882 – December 3, 1944) of the House of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg, was the seventh child and fourth son of King George I of the Hellenes and He was a grandson of Christian IX of Denmark, and the father of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. He was a prince of both Denmark and Greece by virtue of his patrilineal descent.

Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark

Prince Andrew was born at the Tatoi Palace just north of Athens on February 2, 1882, the fourth son of George I of the Hellenes and Grand Duchess Olga Constantinovna of Russia, the oldest daughter of Grand Duke Constantine Nikolaievich and his wife, Princess Alexandra of Saxe-Altenburg.

Grand Duke Constantine Nikolaievich was the son of Emperor Nicholas I of Russia and Princess Charlotte of Prussia, the eldest surviving daughter and fourth child of King Friedrich Wilhelm III of Prussia, and Duchess Louise of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, and a sister of King Friedrich Wilhelm IV and of German Emperor Wilhelm I, King of Prussia.

King George I of the Hellenes

Prince Andrew was a member of the House of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg, he was a Prince of both Greece and Denmark, as his father, King George I of the Hellenes a younger son of Christian IX of Denmark and his wife Prince Louise of Hesse-Cassel. Prince Andrew was in the line of succession to the Greek and more distantly to the Danish throne.

A career soldier, he began military training at an early age, and was commissioned as an officer in the Greek army. His command positions were substantive appointments rather than honorary, and he saw service in the Balkan Wars.

Grand Duchess Olga Constantinovna

In 1913, his father was assassinated and Andrew’s elder brother, Constantine, became king. The king’s neutrality policy during World War I led to his abdication, and most of the royal family, including Andrew, was exiled. On their return a few years later, Andrew saw service as Major General in the Greco-Turkish War (1919–1922), but the war went badly for Greece, and Andrew was blamed, in part, for the loss of Greek territory. He was exiled for a second time in 1922, and spent most of the rest of his life in France.

Grand Duchess Olga Constantinovna

Marriage

In 1902, Prince Andrew met Princess Alice of Battenberg during his stay in London on the occasion of the coronation of King Edward VII of the United Kingdom who was his uncle-by-marriage and her grand-uncle.

Princess Alice was a daughter of Prince Louis of Battenberg and Princess Victoria of Hesse and by Rhine, King Edward VII’s niece. They fell in love, and the following year, on October 6, 1903, Andrew married Alice in a civil wedding at Darmstadt.

Princess Alice of Battenberg

The following day two religious wedding services were performed: one Lutheran in the Evangelical Castle Church, and another Greek Orthodox in the Russian Chapel on the Mathildenhöhe. Prince and Princess Andrew had five children, all of whom later had children of their own.

Princess Alice of Battenberg

During their time in exile the family became more and more dispersed. Alice suffered a nervous breakdown and was institutionalized in Switzerland. Philip was sent to school in Britain, where he was brought up by his mother’s British relatives. Andrew went to live in the South of France.

Prince and Princess Andrew of Greece and Denmark

By 1930, he was estranged from his wife, Princess Alice of Battenberg. His only son, Prince Philip, served in the British navy during World War II, while all four of his daughters were married to German Royals, three of whom had Nazi connections.

On the French Riviera, Andrew lived in a small apartment, or hotel rooms, or on board a yacht with Countess Andrée de La Bigne. His marriage to Alice was effectively over, and after her recovery and release, she returned to Greece.

In 1936, his sentence of exile was quashed by emergency laws, which also restored land and annuities to the King. Andrew returned to Greece for a brief visit that May.

The following year, his pregnant daughter Cecilie, his son-in-law and two of his grandchildren were killed in an air accident at Ostend; he met Alice for the first time in six years at the funeral, which was also attended by Andrew’s sixteen-year-old son Prince Philip.

During World War II, he found himself essentially trapped in Vichy France, while his son, Prince Philip, fought on the side of the British. They were unable to see or even correspond with one another.

Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark

Andrew’s three surviving sons-in-law fought on the German side: Prince Christoph of Hesse was a member of the Nazi Party and the Waffen-SS; Berthold, Margrave of Baden, was invalided out of the Wehrmacht in 1940 after an injury in France; Prince Gottfried of Hohenlohe-Langenburg served on the Eastern Front and was dismissed after the July 20 plot. For five years, Andrew saw neither his wife nor his son.

Death and burial

He died on December 3, 1944 in the Hotel Metropole, Monte Carlo, Monaco, of heart failure and arteriosclerosis in the closing months of the war in Europe.

Andrew was at first buried in the Russian Orthodox church in Nice, but in 1946 his remains were transferred, by the Greek cruiser Averof, to the royal cemetery at Tatoi Palace, near Athens.

Prince Philip and then-private secretary, Mike Parker, traveled to Monte Carlo to collect items belonging to his father from Andrée de La Bigne; among these items: a signet ring which the Prince wore from then onwards, an ivory shaving brush he took to using, and some clothes he had adapted to fit him.

Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark, Duke of Edinburgh

Prince Andrew left to his only son seven-tenths of his estate, but he also left behind a debt of £17,500, leading Philip’s maternal grandmother, Victoria, Marchioness of Milford Haven, to complain bitterly of the extravagance the Greek prince had been led into by his French mistress.

His only son, Prince Philip married Princess Elizabeth on November 20, 1947, the daughter of King George VI of the United Kingdom and his wife Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon. Prince Philip was created Duke of Edinburgh by the King. Princess Elizabeth succeeded to the throne in 1952 as Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom. This makes Prince Andrew the paternal grandfather of King Charles III of the United Kingdom.

King, Constantine II of the Hellenes, Has Died.

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Anne-Marie of Denmark, Athens, Duke of Edinburgh, King Charles III of the United Kingdom, King Constantine II of the Hellenes, Kingdom of Greece, Prince Philip, Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, Queen Margrethe II of Denmark.

King Constantine II of the Hellenes, whose reigned for nine years from March 6, 1964 until the abolition of the Greek monarchy on June 1, 1973, has died at a private hospital in Athens, late on Tuesday. He was 82.

Constantine II (June 2, 1940 – January 10, 2023) was the last King of the Hellenes (Greece).

King Constantine II was a second cousin of British monarch King Charles III. For most of his years in exile, Constantine lived in Hampstead Garden Suburb in north London.

His older sister, Queen Sophia of Spain, is the wife of former King Juan Carlos I of Spain. The current King Felipe VI of Spain is his nephew. Constantine II was also the cousin of Greek-Danish Prince Philip, the late Duke of Edinburgh and the husband of the late Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom.

Christian IX of Denmark’s second son, Vilhelm of Denmark, was elected King George I of the Hellenes in 1863, a few months before his father ascended the Danish throne.

Christian IX was of the House of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg and this family ruled in Greece from 1863 – until the monarchy was abolished in 1974. There was also a period of time when Greece was a Republic, 1922 and 1935, until the monarchy was restored under King George II of the Hellenes.

Constantine was the only son of King Pavlos of Greece and Friederike, Princess of Hanover, Princess of Great Britain and Ireland, and Princess of Brunswick-Lüneburg, the only daughter and third child of Ernst August of Hanover, then reigning Duke of Brunswick, and his wife Princess Viktoria Luise of Prussia, herself the only daughter of the German Emperor Wilhelm II.

The Greek Royal Family was forced into exile after the First World War and then again during the Second World War. Constantine returned to Greece with his family in 1946 during the Greek Civil War. King George II died in 1947, and Constantine’s father became King Pavlos I, making Constantine the Crown Prince.

Constantine became king in 1964 following the death of his father, King Pavlos I. During the same year the new Greek King married his cousin Princess of Denmark with whom he eventually had five children.

Princess Anne-Marie of Denmark, is the youngest daughter of King Frederick IX of Denmark and his wife Ingrid of Sweden. Ingrid of Sweden was the daughter of King Gustaf VI Adolf of Sweden and his first wife, Princess Margaret of Connaught (a granddaughter of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom).

Anne-Marie’s sister is Queen Margrethe II of Denmark.

King Constantine II, continued to style himself King of Greece and his children as princes and princesses even though Greece no longer recognised titles of nobility. This is not unusual for former Royal Families. The Greek Royal Family are still Prince and Princesses of Denmark. Constantine travelled with a Danish passport, as a Danish prince.

It took Constantine 14 years to return to his country, briefly, to bury his mother, Queen Frederica in 1981, but he eventually moved back permanently.

His five children are Princess Alexia, Crown Prince Pavlos, Prince Nikolaos, Princess Theodora and Prince Philippos; and nine grandchildren.

If the Greek monarchy remained extant King Constantine II would have reigned for 59 years and his son, Crown Prince Pavlos, would now be King Pavlos II of the Hellenes.

St. Edward’s Crown Removed From The Tower of London For Modifications.

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coronation, Imperial State Crown., King Charles III of the United Kingdom, St. Edward's Crown, Tower of London

Buckingham Palace: St Edward’s Crown, the historic centrepiece of the Crown Jewels, has been removed from the Tower of London to allow for modification work to begin ahead of the Coronation on Saturday 6th May 2023.

I was wondering if King Charles III would use the St. Edward’s Crown. I had been thinking it was too large. I had forgotten that it could be modified just like the Imperial State Crown!

Modification of the Imperial State Crown: The arches were lowered for Queen Elizabeth II

November 15, 1863: Death of King Frederik VII of Denmark and the succession of King Christian IX.

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Emperor Nicholas I of Russia, Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg, House of Oldenburg, King Charles III of the United Kingdom, King Christian IX of Denmark, King Constantine II of Greece, King Felipe VI of Spain, King Frederik VII of Denmark, King Harald V of Norway, King Philippe of Belgium, London Protocol, Louise of Hesse-Cassel, Queen Margrethe II of Denmark.

King Frederik VII (October 6, 1808 – November 15, 1863) was King of Denmark from 1848 to 1863. He was the last Danish monarch of the older Royal branch of the House of Oldenburg and the last king of Denmark to rule as an absolute monarch. During his reign, he signed a constitution that established a Danish parliament and made the country a constitutional monarchy.

Marriages

King Frederik VII’s first two marriages both ended in scandal and divorce. He was first married in Copenhagen on November 1, 1828 to his second cousin Princess Wilhelmine Marie of Denmark, a daughter of King Frederik VI of Denmark by his wife and first cousin Princess Marie Sophie of Hesse-Cassel. Her father Frederik VI was the only son of King Christian VII of Denmark.

They separated in 1834 and divorced in 1837. On June 10, 1841 he married for a second time to Duchess Caroline Charlotte Mariane of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, the daughter of Georg, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, and his consort Princess Marie of Hesse-Cassel.

King Frederik VII of Denmark

Very early on, the marriage proved to be a very unhappy one, due in large part to The Crown Prince (as Frederik VI was then) displayed a very bad temperament, excessive drinking and shameless womanizing. Princess Caroline Mariane, who was described as incurably shy and nervous, lacked the ability to serve as a calming influence over her consort. After a visit to her parents in Germany in 1844, Caroline Mariane refused to return to Denmark. The divorce was completed in 1846.

On August 7, 1850 in Frederiksborg Palace, he morganatically married Louise Christina Rasmussen, whom he created Landgravine Danner in 1850 a milliner and former ballet dancer who had for many years been his acquaintance or mistress, the natural daughter of Gotthilf L. Køppen and of Juliane Caroline Rasmussen. This marriage seems to have been happy, although it aroused great moral indignation among the nobility and the bourgeoisie.

After three marriages without any issue it created a succession crisis as there was no clear heir to succeed King Frederik VII.

Also at stake was the future of the duchies of Schleswig (a Danish fief) and of Holstein and Lauenburg (German fiefs) which were joined by personal union with the Kingdom of Denmark. However, since Frederik VII of Denmark was childless, a change in dynasty was imminent and the lines of succession for the duchies and Denmark diverged.

London Protocol.

On May 8, 1852, after the First War of Schleswig, an agreement called the London Protocol was signed. This international treaty was the revision of an earlier protocol, which had been ratified on August 2, 1850, by the major German powers of Austria and Prussia.

The second London Protocol was recognised by the five major European powers—Austria, France, Prussia, Russia, and the United Kingdom—as well as by the Baltic Sea powers of Denmark and Sweden. The aim of this Protocol was to determine the future of the Schleswig-Holstein duchies and find a suitable heir to the Danish throne.

The Protocol affirmed the integrity of the Danish federation as a “European necessity and standing principle”.

That meant that, contrary to the Protocol, the new king of Denmark would not also be the new Duke of Holstein and Lauenburg. So for this purpose, the line of succession to the duchies was modified. Further, it was affirmed that the duchies were to remain as independent entities, and that Schleswig would have no greater constitutional affinity to Denmark than Holstein did.

In 1851, Russian Emperor Nicholas I had recommended that Prince Christian of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg (born 1818) should be advanced in the Danish succession.

Prince Christian was a younger son of Friedrich Wilhelm, Duke of Glücksburg.

Christian grew up in the Duchy of Schleswig as a Prince of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg, a junior branch of the House of Oldenburg which had ruled Denmark since 1448. Following the early death of the father in 1831, Christian grew up in Denmark and was educated at the Military Academy of Copenhagen. After unsuccessfully seeking the hand of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom in marriage, he married his double second cousin, Princess Louise of Hesse-Cassel, in 1842.

Prince Christian of Glücksburg had also been a foster grandson of the royal couple King Frederik VI and Queen Marie Sophie, and thus was well known at the royal court. Prince Christian was a nephew of Queen Marie Sophie and descended from a first cousin of Frederik VI. He was brought up as a Dane, having lived in Danish-speaking lands of the royal dynasty and never bore arms for German interests against Denmark, as had other princes of the House of Glücksburg and the House of Augustenburg.

King Christian IX of Denmark

A further justification for this choice was Christian’s marriage in 1842 to Louise of Hesse-Cassel, who was a daughter of the closest female relative of Frederik VII. Louise’s mother and elder siblings renounced their rights to the Danish throne in favor of Louise and her husband.

Being of the House of Glücksburg made him a relatively attractive royal candidate from the Danish viewpoint since, as a descendant of Frederik III, he was eligible to succeed in Denmark, although not first-in-line. He was also, but separately, eligible to inherit the dual duchies, but was not first-in-line

This proposal to have Prince Christian was confirmed by the London Protocol on 8 May 1852, when Prince Christian was chosen to follow Frederik VII’s aging uncle Ferdinand in the line of succession.

The decision of the London Protocol was implemented by the Danish Law of Succession of July 15, 1853 entitled Royal Ordinance settling the Succession to the Crown on Prince Christian of Glücksburg. This designated him as second-in-line to the Danish throne, following the elderly Prince Ferdinand. Consequently, Prince Christian and his family were granted the titles of Prince and Princess of Denmark and the style of Highness.

Frederick VII died in Glücksburg on November 15, 1863 following an attack of erysipelas and was interred in Roskilde Cathedral. Prince Christian took the throne as King Christian IX.

In November 1863, Friedrich of Augustenborg claimed the twin-duchies in succession to Frederik VII of Denmark, who also was the last king of Denmark who, by primogeniture, was also sovereign Duke of Schleswig and Holstein, but whose death extinguished the patriline of Denmark’s hereditary Oldenburg kings. The resulting divergence of hereditary claims to the duchies eventually developed into the Second War of Schleswig.

Christian IX’s six children with Louise married into other European royal families, earning him the sobriquet “the father-in-law of Europe”. Among his descendants are Queen Margrethe II of Denmark, King Philippe of Belgium, King Harald V of Norway, Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg, King Charles III of the United Kingdom, former King Constantine II of Greece, and King Felipe VI of Spain.

Are Diana Supporters Stuck In the Past?

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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.

Royal Dukedom: Addendum Part I

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Cambridge, Cornwall, Gloucester, Kent, King Charles III of the United Kingdom, Letters Patent, Prince Edward, Prince Richard, Rothesay, Royal Dukedom, Royal Titles, Sussex, the prince of Wales, York

This is an addendum of my previous post on Dukes within the British Monarchy. In this instance the future of Royal Dukedoms.

The current Royal Dukedoms that are extant are:

Cambridge

Cornwall

Rothesay*

York

Sussex

Gloucester

Kent

* The Dukedoms of Cambridge, Cornwall and Rothesay are currently held by HRH the Prince of Wales.

The current Duke of York lacks a make heir so when he passes away the title will revert back to the crown. The most likely scenario is that a future King William V of the United Kingdom will grant the title Duke of York to his second son Prince Louis of Wales.

The Dukedom of Sussex is currently held by Prince Harry. His heir is his son Archie Mountbatten-Windsor. Archie does not use his father’s courtesy title Earl of Dumbarton and whether or not Archie is a Prince with the style HRH is up for debate. If Archie is not an HRH and Prince the Dukedom of Sussex would cease to be a royal one on him succeeding to that title.

The Dukedoms of Gloucester and Kent are held by Prince Richard and Prince Edward respectively.

HRH Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester, (August 26, 1944) is a member of the British royal family. He is the second son of Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester and Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester, as well as the youngest of the nine grandchildren of King George V and Queen Mary (notice I didn’t call her Queen Consort?).

The Duke is currently 30th in line of succession to the British throne, and the highest person on the list who is not a descendant of George VI, who was his uncle. At the time of his birth, he was 5th in line to the throne, behind his first cousins Princess Elizabeth (later Queen Elizabeth II) and Princess Margaret, his father, and his elder brother Prince William of Gloucester.

Richard ended his architectural career in 1972, after the death of his elder brother Prince William, who crashed his plane in a flying competition. Richard became heir apparent to his father’s dukedom and had to take on additional family obligations and royal duties on behalf of the Queen. He became the second Duke of Gloucester (in the fifth creation of that title) upon the death of his father on June 10, 1974.

The heir to the Dukedom of Gloucester is Alexander Windsor, Earl of Ulster (born October 24, 1974) the only son of Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester, and Birgitte, Duchess of Gloucester.

Since the Earl of Ulster is a great grandson of the monarch, in this case King George V of the United Kingdom, and therefore under the terms of Letters Patent of 1917 as a male line great-grand son of the sovereign he does not carry a royal title.

Therefore, when he inherits the Dukedom of Gloucester it will cease to be a royal dukedom and instead will be an “ordinary” Dukedom and he will be styled His Grace the Duke of Gloucester as opposed to his Royal Highness.

The Earl of Ulster married Claire Alexandra Booth (born December 29, 1977), a physician, on June 22, 2002 at the Queen’s Chapel, St. James’s Palace.

Lord and Lady Ulster have two children:

Xan Richard Anders Windsor, (born March 12, 2007).
Lady Cosima Windsor (born May 20, 2010)

Xan Windsor, as a future Duke of Gloucester himself, carries the courtesy title of Lord Culloden.

~~~~~~

HRH Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, (October 9, 1935) is a member of the British royal family. Queen Elizabeth II and Edward were first cousins through their fathers, King George VI, and Prince George, Duke of Kent.

Edward’s mother Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark was also a first cousin of the Queen’s husband Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, making him both a second cousin and first cousin once removed to King Charles III.

Prince Edward has held the title of Duke of Kent for more than 80 years, since the age of six, after the death of his father in a plane crash in 1942.

At York Minster on June 8, 1961 the Duke of Kent married Katharine Worsley, the only daughter of Sir William Arthington Worsley, 4th Baronet by his wife Joyce Morgan Brunner.

The heir to the Dukedom of Kent is the Duke of Kent’s son George Windsor, Earl of St Andrews (June 26, 1962) He is styled Earl of St Andrews, one of his father’s subsidiary titles, which he uses by courtesy as heir apparent to the Dukedom of Kent.

On January 9, 1988, George Windsor married Sylvana Tomaselli, a Canadian-born academic and a member of the Tomaselli family, at Leith Registrar Office near Edinburgh. The couple have three children:

The eldest son of the Earl of St. Andrews is Edward Edmund Windsor, Lord Downpatrick (December 2, 1988) As second-in-line to the Dukedom of Kent, he uses one of his grandfather’s subsidiary titles, Baron Downpatrick, by courtesy.

Therefore, when he inherits the Dukedom of Kent it will cease to be a royal dukedom and instead it will be an “ordinary” Dukedom and he will be styled His Grace the Duke of Kent as opposed to his Royal Highness.

Speculating About The Coronation

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coronation, Crown of Queen Mary, Cullinan II, Gold State Coach, Imperial State Crown., King Charles III of the United Kingdom, Koh-i-Noor Diamond, St. Edward's Crown, Star of Africa

I hope it’s not too soon to talk about the Coronation of King Charles III.
So far the date for the Coronation has not been set but it will be sometime next year.
I heard that this will be more low key than his mother’s coronation.

HM The King

With that in mind I have some questions…

1. Do you think the gold State Coach of George III will be used? I hear it’s a rather bumpy ride and that might be too much for the King who will be 74 by then.

Golden State Coach

The Gold State Coach is an enclosed, eight-horse-drawn carriage used by the British Royal Family. Commissioned in 1760 by King George III, it was built in the London workshops of Samuel Butler. It was commissioned for £7,562 (£3.54 million = US$4.188 million in 2022, adjusted for inflation). It was completed in 1762.

This coach has been used at the coronation of every British monarch since George IV. The coach’s great age, weight, and lack of manoeuvrability have limited its use to grand state occasions such as coronations, royal weddings, and the jubilees of a monarch. Until the Second World War, the coach was the monarch’s usual transport to and from State Opening of Parliament.

2. Because of his age do you think the Crown of St. Edward may be too large and he’ll use the Imperial State Crown instead?

Crown of St. Edward

St Edward’s Crown is the centrepiece of the Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom. Named after Saint Edward the Confessor, versions of the crown have been traditionally used to crown English and British monarchs at their coronations since the 13th century.

The original crown was a holy relic kept at Westminster Abbey, Edward’s burial place, until the regalia was either sold or melted down when Parliament abolished the monarchy in 1649, during the English Civil War.

This St Edward’s Crown was made for Charles II in 1661. It is solid gold, 30 centimetres (12 in) tall, weighs 2.23 kilograms (4.9 lb), and is decorated with 444 precious and semi-precious stones. The crown is similar in weight and overall appearance to the original, but its arches are Baroque.

After 1689, it was not used to crown a monarch for over 200 years. In 1911, the tradition was revived by George V, and subsequent monarchs (except Edward VIII, who was not crowned at all) have been crowned using St Edward’s Crown. A stylised image of this crown is used on coats of arms, badges, logos and various other insignia in the Commonwealth realms to symbolise the royal authority of the monarch.

When not in use, St Edward’s Crown is on public display in the Jewel House at the Tower of London.

Imperial State Crown

3. Speaking of the Imperial State Crown… Do you think the Imperial State Crown will be modified for the King other than size?

The Imperial State Crown made for Queen Victoria in 1838 is the basis for today’s crown. Made by Rundell and Bridge in 1838 using old and new jewels, it had a crimson velvet cap with ermine border and a lining of white silk. It weighed 39.25 troy ounces (43.06 oz; 1,221 g) and was decorated with 1,363 brilliant-cut, 1,273 rose-cut and 147 table-cut diamonds, 277 pearls, 17 sapphires, 11 emeralds, 4 rubies, and the Black Prince’s Ruby (a spinel).

At the State Opening of Parliament in 1845, the Duke of Argyll was carrying the crown before Queen Victoria when it fell off the cushion and broke. Victoria wrote in her diary, “it was all crushed and squashed like a pudding that had sat down”. The empty frame of Victoria’s imperial state crown survives in the Royal Collection.

A new crown was made for the coronation of George VI in 1937 by Garrard & Co. The crown was adjusted for Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation in 1953, with the head size reduced and the arches lowered by 25 mm (1 inch) to give it a more feminine appearance.

King George VI wearing the Imperial State Crown with the higher arches.

Queen Elizabeth II wearing the Imperial State Crown with the lowered arches.

4. What crown will be used for Queen Camilla?

Consort crowns

After the Restoration, wives of kings – queens consort – traditionally wore the State Crown of Mary of Modena, wife of James II-VII who first wore it at their coronation in 1685. Originally set with 561 hired diamonds and 129 pearls, it is now set with crystals and cultured pearls for display in the Jewel House along with a matching diadem that consorts wore in procession to the Abbey. The diadem once held 177 diamonds, 1 ruby, 1 sapphire, and 1 emerald. By the 19th century, that crown was judged to be too theatrical and in a poor state of repair, so in 1831 the Crown of Queen Adelaide was made for Queen Adelaide, wife of William IV, using gemstones from her private jewellery.

Queen Mary’s Crown

Thus began a tradition of each queen consort having a crown made specially for their use. In 1902 the Crown of Queen Alexandra, a European-style crown – flatter and with eight half-arches instead of the typical four – was made for Queen Alexandra, wife of Edward VII, to wear at their coronation. Set with over 3,000 diamonds, it was the first consort crown to include the Koh-i-Noor diamond presented to Queen Victoria in 1850 following the British conquest of the Punjab. Originally 191 carats (38 g) and set in an armlet, it was cut down to an oval brilliant weighing 105 carats (21 g), which Victoria mounted in a brooch and circlet.

The second was the Crown of Queen Mary; also unusual for a British crown owing to its eight half-arches, it was made in 1911 for Queen Mary, wife of George V. Mary paid for the Art Deco-inspired crown out of her own pocket and had originally hoped it would become the one traditionally used by future consorts. Altogether, it is adorned with 2,200 diamonds, and once contained the 94.4-carat (19 g) Cullinan III and 63.4-carat (13 g) Cullinan IV diamonds. Its arches were made detachable in 1914 allowing it to be worn as an open crown or circlet.

After George V’s death, Mary continued wearing the crown (without its arches) as a queen mother, so the Crown of Queen Elizabeth was created for Queen Elizabeth, wife of George VI, and later known as the Queen Mother, to wear at their coronation in 1937. It is the only British crown made entirely out of platinum, and was modelled on Queen Mary’s Crown, but has four half-arches instead of eight.

The crown is decorated with about 2,800 diamonds, most notably the Koh-i-Noor in the middle of the front cross. It also contains a replica of the 22.5-carat (5 g) Lahore Diamond given to Queen Victoria by the East India Company in 1851, and a 17.3-carat (3 g) diamond given to her by Abdülmecid I, Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, in 1856. The crown was laid on top of the Queen Mother’s coffin in 2002 during her lying in state and funeral. The crowns of Queen Alexandra and Queen Mary now feature crystal replicas of the Koh-i-Noor, which has been the subject of repeated controversy, with governments of both India and Pakistan claiming to be the diamond’s rightful owners and demanding its return ever since gaining independence from the UK.

Love to hear your thoughts!

It is Inorrect To Call The Princess of Wales “Princess Catherine.”

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Catherine Middleton, Duchess of Cambridge, HRH The Princess of Wales, King Charles III of the United Kingdom, Peerage title, Prince William, Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, Royal Family, Style

Like yesterday’s post concerning how is a Queen Consort is refered to, I will look at how a Princess of Wales is addressed.

I do want to stress that the Princess of Wales is a Princess of the United Kingdom by virtue of her marriage to Prince William. In British Law the wife of a British Prince takes on the feminine form of her husband’s titles. Therefore, when Catherine Middleton married Prince William she became a Princess of the United Kingdom, also Duchess of Cambridge. Now she is the Princess of Wales.

However, she was not born royal and that does matter in how she is addressed and referenced.

Princess of Wales (Welsh: Tywysoges Cymru) is a courtesy title first held by the wife of a native Prince of Wales. Since the 14th century, it has been used by the wife of the heir apparent to the English and later British throne. The current title-holder is Catherine, wife of William, Prince of Wales.

From 1301 onward, the eldest sons of the Kings of England (and later Great Britain and the United Kingdom) have generally been created Prince of Wales and Earl of Chester, and their wives have been titled Princess of Wales.

HRH The Princess of Wales

Although not granted the title in her own right, the future Queen Mary I was, during her youth, invested by her father, King Henry VIII, with many of the rights and properties traditionally given to the Prince of Wales, including use of the official seal of Wales for correspondence.

For most of her childhood, Mary was her father’s only legitimate heir, and for this reason, she was often referred to as “the Princess of Wales”, although Henry VIII never formally created her as such. For example, Spanish scholar Juan Luis Vives dedicated his Satellitium Animi to “Dominæ Mariæ Cambriæ Principi, Henrici Octavi Angliæ Regis Filiæ”.

In modern times Welsh politicians suggested Princess Elizabeth (future Elizabeth II) be made Princess of Wales on her 18th birthday, but King George VI rejected the idea because he felt such a title belonged solely to the wife of a Prince of Wales and the Prince of Wales had always been the heir apparent.

Camilla, Charles III’s second wife, was the Princess of Wales from 2005 to 2022 but did not use the title due to its popular association with her husband’s first wife, Lady Diana Spencer.

Queen Elizabeth II of United Kingdom issued Letters Patent dated 21 August 1996, stating that any woman divorced from a Prince of the United Kingdom would no longer be entitled to the style “Royal Highness”. This has so far applied to Diana, Princess of Wales, and Sarah, Duchess of York. No longer being married to a Prince of the United Kingdom they are no longer

Thier Royal Highnesses The Prince and Princess of Wales

When a British prince marries, his wife also becomes a British princess; however, she is addressed by the feminine version of the husband’s most senior title on his behalf.

For example, William, was created Duke of Cambridge by the Queen on the day of his marriage to Catherine Middleton. Upon the wedding she was called HRH The Duchess of Cambridge.

And as mentioned above when a British prince marries, his wife also becomes a British princess.

Then once Charles became King his eldest son was (briefly) officially styled His Royal Highness The Duke of Cornwall and Cambridge while his wife Catherine became Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cornwall and Cambridge, omitting both the ‘prince’ and ‘princess’ titles and their first names.

When addressing a person with a peerage title, whether they be royal or a member of the aristocracy, first names are omitted and replaced with their Style (form of address) in this case His/Her Royal Highness. That is followed by thier title.

The next day when William was then created Prince of Wales, that became the senior title held in his own right, and he and Catherine are styled His/Her Royal Highness The Prince/Princess of Wales.

However, despite being a Princess of the United Kingdom as the wife of a British Prince, a wife is not to be called Princess in front of her first name. That privilege is for members who are Prince/Princess of the Blood. In other words, those born into the Royal Family who are a Princess of the United Kingdom from birth.

Examples of this are: Princess Anne, the Princess Royal (HRH The Princess Royal), Princess Eugenie of York, Princess Beatrice of York and Princess Alexandra of Kent. These women were born members of the Royal Family.

If William, or his brother Harry, had not been elevated to a peerage title then thier wives would have gone by thier husband’s first names. In this case, Princess William and Princess Harry respectively. Remember the wife of a British Prince is addressed by the feminine version of the husband’s most senior title on his behalf.

Another example of this case is Princess Michael of Kent, the wife of the King’s first cousin once removed, Prince Michael of Kent. Although she is a Princess by virtue of her marriage to a British Prince, since he does not have a peerage title she is called Princess Michael of Kent. This is much like how a wife will be known by her husband’s name. Technically my wife could be known as Mrs Liam Foley.

HRH The Princess of Wales

There is also the case when a princess of blood royal marries a British prince. She also becomes a princess by marriage and will be addressed in the same way; an example of this situation was the late Princess Alexandra, Duchess of Fife: when she married the cousin of her mother, Prince Arthur of Connaught, she became Princess Arthur of Connaught, Duchess of Fife.

Therefore in conclusion the current Princess of Wales is simply addressed simply as HRH The Princess of Wales. Since she was not born a Princess of the blood royal it is incorrect to refer to her as “Princess Catherine” just as it was incorrect to refer to Diana as “Princess Diana” despite how she was called by the Press.

Incidentally, calling her Catherine, Princess of Wales is also incorrect because, as we have seen, that would indicate that she was divorced.

Queen Consort: What Does The Title Mean?

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Her Majesty the Queen, King Charles III of the United Kingdom, King Felipe II of Spain, Queen Camilla, Queen Consort, Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, Queen Regnant

With accession of HM King Charles III of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland there is some confusion as to the title of his wife, the former Duchess of Cornwall.

His Majesty the King

The late Queen, Elizabeth II, in a statement marking her platinum jubilee, said she wants Prince Charles’ wife, Camilla, to be known as the “Queen Consort” when he takes the throne.

Previously, when Charles, as Prince of Wales, married Camilla in 2005 she took the title Duchess of Cornwall (Duke of Cornwall being one of her husband’s secondary titles) instead of Princess of Wales, which she legally had but did not use out of respect for the late Diana, Princess of Wales.

It was also stated at the time that when Charles became King his wife would adopt the title Princess Consort instead of Queen. So the late Queen Elizabeth II stating her wish that the Duchess of Cornwall should be Queen Consort did pave the way for accepting Camilla as Queen.

Her Majesty the Queen

However, now that Camilla is Queen there seems to be mass confusion about her title. Both British and American Press are calling her “Queen Consort.” Heck, even the website for the British Monarchy is calling Camilla, Queen Consort.

It really is unnecessary.

Simply, A Queen Consort is the wife of a reigning king. Let me state further, all wives of reigning Kings in British history have been a Queen Consort.

A Queen Consort usually shares her spouse’s social rank and status. She holds the feminine equivalent of the king’s monarchical titles and may be crowned and anointed, but historically she does not formally share the regnant’s political and military powers, unless on occasion acting as regent.

There is another type Queen. This type of Queen is called a Queen Regnant. A Queen Regnant is a female monarch who rules in her own right and usually becomes queen by inheriting the throne upon the death of the previous monarch.

Some examples of Queen Regnants are: Queen Elizabeth II (1952 – 2022), Queen Victoria (1837 – 1991) and Queen Mary II (1689 – 1694).

Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother

A Queen Dowager is the widow of a king, and a queen mother is a former Queen Consort who is the mother of the current monarch. Queen Elizabeth II’s mother was a former Queen Consort who didn’t care for the title Queen Dowager and instead took the title of Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother.

Let me state again that Camilla is a Queen Consort as opposed to a Queen Regnant. That is not part of the debate or question.

But what is at issue is how to address her or how to reference her...

The truth is that when it comes to addressing either a Queen Consort or a Queen Regnant there is absolutely no difference, no distinction, whatsoever and both are simply refered to as “Her Majesty the Queen” despite the differences.

I’m going to repeat this for emphasis: The truth is that when it comes to addressing either a Queen Consort or a Queen Regnant there is absolutely no difference, no distinction, whatsoever and both are simply refered to as “Her Majesty the Queen” despite the differences.

Many online seem to believe that the title “Queen Consort” has been created specially for Camilla and that this is something new. It is not. Camilla is one of a long line of Queen Consorts as the wife of British Kings.

These include: Queen Alexandra, wife of King Edward VII, Queen Mary, wife of King George V, just to name a few.

I believe however, calling Camilla “Queen Consort” may serve two purposes. The first is to differentiate her from Queen Elizabeth II and not to confuse people. Second, using the title Queen Consort may help people get used to her having this new title.

King Felipe II of Spain, King of England and Ireland

Incidentally there are also King Regnants and King Consorts. However, England has had only one King Consort. King Felipe II of Spain who was a King Consort during his marriage to Queen Mary I, daughter of King Henry VIII.

In Scotland there have been two King Consorts. Both were husband’s of Queen Mary I of Scotland. Her first husband was King François II of France and the second was Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley.

Longest Reigning British Monarchs

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King Charles III of the United Kingdom, Kingdom of England, Kingdom of England and Scotland, Kingdom of Great Britain, Kingdom of Scotland, Kingdom of the Anglo-Saxons, Longest Reigning British Monarch, Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

Longest Reigning Monarchs of the British Isles. This list begins with Alfred the Great as King of the Anglo-Saxons and combines the Kingdoms of England and Scotland and Great Britain and the United Kingdom together to list the longest reigning monarchs.

1. Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom ~ 70 years
2. Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom ~ 63 years
3. King George III of the United Kingdom ~ 59 years
4. King James VI of Scotland ~ 57 years*
5. King Henry III of England ~ 56 years
6. King Edward III of England ~ 50 years
7. King William I of Scotland ~ 48 years
8. Queen Elizabeth I of England ~ 44 years
9. King David II of Scotland ~ 41 years
10. King Henry VI of England ~ 38 years
11. King Æthelred II of England ~ 37 years
12. King Henry VIII of England ~ 37 years
13. King Alexander III of Scotland ~ 36 years
14. King Malcolm III of Scotland ~ 35 years
15. King Henry I of England ~ 35 years
16. King Henry II of England ~ 34 years
17. King Edward I of England~ 34 years
18. King Alexander II of Scotland ~ 34 years
19. King George II of Great Britain ~ 33 years
20. King James I of Scotland ~ 30 years
21. King James V of Scotland ~ 29 years
22. King David I of Scotland ~ 29 years
23. King Alfred of the Anglo-Saxons ~ 28 years
24. King James III of Scotland ~ 27 years
25. King George V of the United Kingdom ~ 25 years
26. King James IV of Scotland ~ 25 years
27. King Edward the Elder of the Anglo-Saxons ~ 24 years
28. King Charles II of England and Scotland ~ 24 years
29. Queen Mary I of Scotland ~ 24 years
30. King Charles I of England and Scotland ~ 23 years
31. King Henry VII of England ~ 23 years
32. King Edward the Confessor of England ~ 23 years
33. King James II of Scotland ~ 23 years
34. King Robert I of Scotland ~ 23 years
35. King Richard II of England ~ 22 years
36. King James I of England and Scotland ~ 22 years*
37. King Edward IV of England ~ 21 years
38. King William I of England ~ 20 years
39. King Edward II of England ~ 19 years
40. King Robert II of Scotland ~ 19 years
41. King Canute of Denmark and England ~ 18 years
42. King John of England ~ 17 years
43. King Alexander I of Scotland ~ 17 years
44. King Stephen of England ~ 17 years
45. King Robert III of Scotland ~ 15 years
46. King Edgar I of England ~ 15 years
47. King Æthelstan of England ~ 15 years
48. King George VI of the United Kingdom ~ 15 years
49. King Henry IV of England ~ 13 years
50. King William III of England and Scotland ~ 13 years
51. King George I of Great Britain ~ 12 years
52. King William II of England ~ 12 years
53. King Malcolm IV of Scotland ~ 12 years
54. Queen Anne of Great Britain ~ 12 years
55. King George IV of the United Kingdom ~ 10 years
56. King Ædred of England ~ 09 years
57. King Henry V of England ~ 09 years
58. King Edward VII of the United Kingdom ~ 09 years
59. King William IV of the United Kingdom ~ 06 years
60. King Edmund I of England 06 years
61. King Edward VI of England ~ 06 years
62. Queen Mary II of England and Scotland ~ 05 years
63. Queen Mary I of England ~ 05 years
64. King James II-VII of England and Scotland ~ 03 years
65. King John Balliol of Scotland ~ 03 years
66. King Ædwig of England ~ 02 years
67. King Ædward the Martyr of England ~ 02 years
68. King Harold I of England ~ 02 years
69. King Hardicanute, (Canute III) of England and Denmark ~ 02 years
70. King Richard III of England ~ 02 years
71. King Edward VIII of the United Kingdom ~ 326 days
72. King Harold II Godwinson of England ~ 282 days
73. King Edmund II of England ~ 221 days
74. King Edward V of England ~ 78 days
75. King Edgar II of England ~ 63 days
76. King Charles III of the United Kingdom ~ 3 days

* James VI-I of England and Scotland. As King James VI of Scotland he ruled Scotland for 57 years. As King James I of England he ruled for 22 years.