Moniek Bloks's Blog, page 126

Margaret of Navarre – Medieval Sicily’s most powerful Queen (Part three)

Read part two here.

Margaret’s Later Regency

Margaret’s power did not outlast Stephen’s departure for very long. Soon afterwards, ten men of her court, including Henry, Bishop Gentile, Matthew of Aiello, and Caid Richard formed a regency council. One of the council’s first acts was to expel Margaret’s cousin, Gilbert, from the kingdom, despite her opposition. During this time, Margaret exchanged letters with Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury. She also welcomed his nephews to her court.

In February 1169, a catastrophic earthquake hit eastern Sicily, causing much damage and death. Margaret and her sons traveled to Catania, close to where the epicenter was. There, William gave his first public speech to his subjects. The exiled Stephen of Perche died in Jerusalem that summer. Even though her power was now limited, Margaret appears to have remained in charge of the royal court, and peace and stability was restored to Sicily.

By 1170, Margaret was negotiating with the English king, Henry II, for the marriage of William to Henry’s daughter, Joanna. However, the murder of Thomas Becket in December 1170 temporarily stopped these plans, since Margaret supported Becket. Instead, Margaret looked back at an earlier proposal, the marriage of William with Maria, the daughter of Byzantium Emperor Manuel I Komnenos. In 1171, William, at seventeen was considered old enough to began his personal rule. Therefore, Margaret’s regency ended in 1171.

Overall, Margaret was considered to be a successful regent. Her regency was not easy, but the revolts she faced were rebellions started by power-seeking aristocrats rather than popular revolts motivated by injustice. Margaret was successfully able to stop these revolts and kept her son on his throne.

William’s Marriage  Arrangements

In May 1172, William and his younger brother Henry left for Taranto, in southern Italy, to meet William’s chosen bride, the Byzantine princess Maria. It was the first time William and Henry were away from Margaret for more than a day or two. Maria was expected to arrive in Taranto with a large entourage. William waited for about ten days, but no one came. Leaving some of his nobles and prelates in Taranto, William went on to make a pilgrimage to the Sanctuary of Saint Michael on Mount Gargano, and then he spent a few days in the city of Barletta.

There was still no arrival of William’s bride. It soon became clear that Maria was not going to arrive. The Byzantine Emperor Manuel had broken of the betrothal without letting William or his mother know. This angered William and Margaret.

Eventually, William and Henry began to head back to Sicily. On the way, twelve-year-old Henry fell ill. William sent Henry to Salerno, where there were good physicians. Henry soon returned to Palermo, Sicily, but only got sicker on the way. Unfortunately Henry died in June 1172. Margaret and William did not take his death well. Out of the four children Margaret had, only William remained.

Henry’s death left William without an obvious heir. The closest legitimate heir was his young, unmarried aunt, Constance. Since the Byzantine proposal fell through, it was now very important to find William a bride. Holy Roman Emperor Frederick I Barbarossa, offered William the hand of his daughter, Beatrice. This match was considered for some time, but ultimately, Margaret and William decided on the English proposal. The canonization of Thomas Becket in 1173 seems to have revived Margaret’s interests in ties with England.

Later Years

After her regency ended, Margaret spent much of her time sponsoring and building monasteries and churches. One of her biggest projects was assisting William in founding a Benedictine abbey at Monreale. Margaret also seems to have continued being one of her son’s best advisors.

In 1176, the betrothal between William and Joanna of England was confirmed. They were married in Palermo early the next year. Around this time, a small gold reliquary pendant was gifted to Margaret. The pendant contained some relics of Thomas Becket. On the front of the pendant is the only known image of Margaret, although it may be just a symbolic depiction. The image shows the queen being blessed by a bishop. The pendant came from England, and there is debate on whether the bishop depicted is Beckett or Reginald, Bishop of Bath, who gifted her the pendant.

In 1183, William visited the mainland part of his domains, and Margaret and Joanna were left in charge of Palermo during his absence. Unfortunately, we do not know anything about the relationship between Margaret and Joanna. Margaret died that summer, on the night of 31 July-1 August. She was buried in Monreale Cathedral.

Even though Margaret is not well-known today, she was one of the most powerful women of her time. She was also the most powerful queen consort and regent in Medieval Sicily. During her regency, she faced much opposition, yet she managed to keep her son in his position as king.1

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Princess Birgitta of Sweden at 85: The second Haga Princess

Princess Birgitta of Sweden was born on 19 January 1937 as the second child of Prince Gustaf Adolf, Duke of Västerbotten and Princess Sibylla of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. Her elder sister is Princess Margaretha (born 1934), and her younger siblings are Princess Désirée (born 1938), Princess Christina (born 1943) and King Carl XVI Gustaf (born 1946).

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Birgitta and her sisters have no succession rights in Sweden. Sweden introduced absolute primogeniture in 1970, but only for the descendants of King Carl XVI Gustaf. When Birgitta’s father died in an aeroplane crash in 1947, her younger brother Carl Gustaf became Crown Prince at just nine months old. The four so-called Haga Princesses, after the palace where they lived, were initially educated privately. Birgitta later went on to study at the Gymnastics Central Institute, from which she graduated in 1958. During a language trip to Munich, she met her future husband, Prince Johann Georg of Hohenzollern, the third son of Frederick, Prince of Hohenzollern.

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In late 1960, Birgitta and her sister Désirée visited the United States on the occasion of the first transatlantic flight by Scandinavian Airlines. The 10-day visit was widely covered by the press. Barely a month after their return to Sweden, the engagement between Prince Johann Georg and Princess Birgitta was announced. On 25 May 1961, the Lutheran Princess wed her Catholic prince in a civil ceremony in the Rikshall at Stockholm Palace. Despite it being a civil ceremony, Birgitta wore a wedding gown with a thirteen-foot train, a floor-length tulle veil and the Cameo tiara. The entire ceremony lasted just three minutes, and the newlyweds then went on a ride in an open carriage through Stockholm.1

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On 30 May 1961, a Catholic ceremony was performed in Sigmaringen, where she was given away by her uncle Prince Bertil. This time she wore a white wedding dress with a diamond tiara from the Hohenzollern family.

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The newlyweds settled in Munich, where Birgitta gave birth to three children: Carl Christian (born 1962), Désirée (born 1963) and Hubertus (born 1966). They separated in 1990 but continued to attend family events together. Birgitta ended up moving to Mallorca, Spain, where she still lives today. She told Expressen that she spends a lot of time playing golf. About whether she would return to live in Sweden, she said, “No, it’s too dark and cold. Here the sun shines all the time, and if you have the opportunity to choose where you can live, it is definitely not stupid to be here. What should I do in the cold?”2

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Prince Johann Georg died in 2016, but Birgitta is still going strong in the Spanish sunshine.

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A future Queen turns 18 – New photos of Princess Ingrid Alexandra

Princess Ingrid Alexandra of Norway will turn 18 years old on 21 January 2022, and the Norwegian royal court has released two new photos of the future Queen in her own right, in the new office set up for her.

Photo: Ida Bjørvik, The Royal Court

The new office won’t be used extensively at first, as the Princess will continue to focus on her studies for the years to come. Norway introduced absolutely primogeniture in 1990, and so, Ingrid Alexandra is currently second in line to the Norwegian throne, behind her father. She was not overtaken by her younger brother Sverre Magnus, who was born in 2005. Ingrid Alexandra also has an elder half-brother named Marius from her mother’s previous relationship.

Ingrid Alexandra is expected to become Norway’s first Queen regnant since Queen Margaret, who ruled over Norway, Denmark and Sweden 500 years ago. She is also distantly in line to the British throne as a descendant of Maud of Wales, but she is preceded by her brother as the United Kingdom still practised male-preference primogeniture at the time of their births.

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Maria Luisa of Spain – An unsurvivable tragedy (Part two)

Read part one here.

Maria Theresa was especially fond of Leopold and Maria Luisa’s children and was kept informed of the tiniest details, including their height. But her life was coming to an end, and she found no joy in life anymore. As she lay dying in 1780, she wrote to Leopold and Maria Luisa, “You are Christians and virtuous, this comforts me… God receives you. I give you both and your dear ten children my blessing.”1 She died on 29 November 1780 in the arms of her son Joseph. Between 1774 and 1780, Maria Luisa had given birth to four more children: Joseph (born 1776), Maria Clementina (born 1777), Anton (1779) and Maria Amalia (1780).

By 1781, her brother-in-law, who had taken a particular interest in her eldest son Francis as he was his heir, had taken it upon himself to find a bride for his 14-year-old nephew. He found the bride in the court of Württemberg – her name was Elisabeth. He wrote to Leopold, “She is not beautiful and will never be pretty. She is tall for her age, slender, well-formed, has pretty enough eyes, is blond, has a large mouth and possesses a sweet and alert expression.”2 Her elder sister Sophie Dorothea was the wife of Catherine the Great’s son. After six months of the King of Prussia trying to prevent the match, Joseph wrote to Leopold that the wedding was set to go ahead. Leopold wrote back on his and Maria Luisa’s behalf, “We feel that our children are also yours and the state’s, and that consequently, it is for you to dispose of them in a manner that seems to you useful and advantageous to the Monarchy.”3 It would be a while before the wedding could take place.

Meanwhile, Maria Luisa gave birth to four more children, Johann (born 1782), Rainer (born 1783), Louis (born 1784) and lastly, Rudolph (born 1788). She had a total of 16 children, of which two did not survive to adulthood. Some of the children were showing signs of suffering from epilepsy, but Leopold and Maria Luisa kept this to themselves as it could be a hereditary disease.

In 1784, Francis and Joseph travelled to Vienna, where Francis was to receive further education. They arrived in late June, and on 1 July, Francis met his future wife, Elisabeth, who had been living in Vienna for the past two years. Apparently, it was love at first sight. However, Leopold’s presence was required at home, and so he left Francis in Vienna. On 6 January 1788, Francis and Elisabeth were married at last. Their wedding took place with just a few close relatives in attendance. Leopold and Maria Luisa had been unable to attend. Francis’s elder sister Maria Theresa also married that year. She had fallen in love with Prince Anthony of Saxony, and Leopold considered it to be a suitable match. He had little prospect of ruling Saxony, which suited the quiet Maria Theresa just fine. Many years later, they would become Saxony’s King and Queen. On 8 September 1787, Anthony and Maria Theresa were married in Florence, with a vow renewal taking place a month later in Dresden.

Meanwhile, Leopold’s brother Joseph’s health was deteriorating quickly. He pleaded for Leopold to come to Vienna and Leopold promised to come as soon as the affairs in Florence were settled. But Leopold himself was not well at all either as he suffered from a terrible flu. Leopold wrote to his sister, “HM is must worse, and it is even feared that I will not arrive in time to see him. I am in Florence, where a strong cold has stopped me and forced me to take a couple of days before leaving… I will leave as soon as I can… I embrace you.”4

In the end, it was his nephew Francis that was with the dying Emperor. He gifted Francis a diamond-studded dagger to remember him by. During the last week of Joseph’s life, Francis’s wife Elisabeth went into labour and gave birth to a daughter, whom Joseph named Ludovica. The delivery had been extremely difficult, and forceps had to be used. Elizabeth appeared to recover, but she died suddenly in the middle of the night of 18 February 1790 of a haemorrhage. Joseph broke down in tears when he was informed and cried, “Throw me on top of her!”5 Maria Luisa’s first grandchild would live for just one year. Just two days after Elisabeth’s death, Joseph II, Holy Roman Emperor, died. Five days later, the news arrived in Florence that Leopold was now King of Hungary and Bohemia and presumptive Holy Roman Emperor. He was elected Holy Roman Emperor the following September.

In March, Leopold departed for Vienna, initially leaving his family behind. He was terribly lonely in Vienna and still quite ill. He was very happy to be reunited with his family two months later. On 16 May, Maria Luisa and their younger children arrived in Vienna. The rest of the children followed in June. Even Maria Theresa and her husband Anthony were asked to come to Vienna so that the family would be complete.

One of Leopold’s first tasks was to find a new wife for Francis. He settled on Maria Teresa of Naples and Sicily, who was Francis’s double first cousin and the daughter of his sister Maria Carolina. Two more marriages were arranged between their families. His son Ferdinand was to marry Maria Teresa’s sister Luisa, and his daughter Maria Clementina was to marry Maria Teresa’s brother – the future King Francis I of the Two Sicilies. At the end of September, news arrived that Leopold had been elected Holy Roman Emperor, and his and Maria Luisa’s coronation took place on 9 October in Frankfurt. In November, the coronation as King of Hungary followed. Their son Alexander was appointed as Palatine of Hungary. Their son Ferdinand was appointed as the new Grand Duke of Tuscany, while their eldest son Francis became regent in Vienna as Leopold travelled his empire.

Leopold and Maria Luisa would not reign for long. At the end of February 1792, Leopold was suffering from excruciating pain in his stomach, and he often vomited. He was bled several times but was soon “seized with convulsions.”6 On 1 March 1792, Leopold died in the arms of his devoted wife, Maria Luisa. Maria Luisa was devastated and would follow her husband to the grave just two months later. She died on 15 May 1792 after having declared that “she could not survive [without] the husband she had always loved passionately.”7 She was still only 46 years old.

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Maria Luisa of Spain – A blue-eyed beauty (Part one)

Maria Luisa of Spain was born on 24 November 1745 as the daughter of King Charles III of Spain (at the time King of Naples and Sicily) and Maria Amalia of Saxony. She was their second surviving daughter. Her parents had a total of 13 children, though only seven survived to adulthood. Her younger brother Prince Felipe was excluded from the line of succession due to his mental disability.

In 1765, Maria Luisa married Archduke Leopold, the second surviving son of Maria Theresa of Austria and the intended heir of the Grand Duchy of Tuscany. The wedding was held in Innsbruck in a break with tradition. Her father had worried that if his daughter was married in the splendour of Vienna, she would “acquire a distaste for the comparatively quiet life of Florence.”1 Leopold and his father Francis travelled to Bozen in northern Italy to meet Maria Luisa, while Maria Theresa and the rest of the wedding party travelled immediately to Innsbruck.

Maria Luisa had been escorted from Barcelona to Genoa by a fleet of Spanish ships. At that time, Maria Luisa was described as “a blue-eyed beauty of great liveliness and charm.”2 She was known to be warm and kind.

However, the wedding almost didn’t happen. Leopold fell ill on the way to Bozen, and by the time the family was reunited in Innsbruck, he was suffering from pleurisy. On 4 August 1765, Maria Luisa and Leopold were married in the Hofkirche in Innsbruck, but Leopold was struggling to breathe and sweat rolled down his face as he recited his wedding vows. As soon as they were officially married, Leopold was rushed to bed. Maria Luisa received the support of her new mother-in-law, but both were worried sick. Leopold was even worse the following day, and he had a severe fever. Maria Luisa joined her new in-laws in a silent vigil by his bedside. It took nearly two weeks before Leopold began to improve.

In the middle of August, he was well enough that some of the delayed celebrations for the wedding should go ahead. Maria Theresa held a dinner party for the archduchesses while Francis and Leopold’s elder brother Joseph went to the opera. Suddenly, Francis became unwell and suffered a massive stroke. He died that day – 18 August 1765. Leopold’s brother Joseph now became Joseph II, Holy Roman Emperor, but he had just one surviving daughter by his late first wife Isabella of Parma, and tragically, the young girl would die in 1770. Joseph’s second marriage to Maria Josepha of Bavaria would remain childless.

While Joseph became the new Holy Roman Emperor, Leopold became the new Grand Duke of Tuscany, with Maria Luisa becoming Grand Duchess. After two long weeks of travelling, they arrived in Florence on 13 September. Their new home was to be the Pitti Palace. The following day, Maria Luisa and Leopold appeared on the balcony of the palace to greet the welcoming crowds.

On 14 January 1767, Maria Luisa gave birth to her first child – a daughter named Maria Theresa for her formidable grandmother. In February the following year, she was nine months pregnant with her second child when she ventured out of confinement to attend a masquerade ball with a checkered mask. She went into labour that very same night, and early the next morning, she gave birth to a “healthy, well-formed” son.3 The baby was named Francis, and he too would one day be Holy Roman Emperor. Baby Francis was baptised later that same day with the name “Francis Joseph Charles.” His uncle and godfather Joseph would take an immense interest in his life as he would be the eventual heir. The date was considered to be an especially good omen too as it was the wedding anniversary of Maria Theresa and Francis. Maria Theresa was reportedly so excited that she ran into the imperial theatre shouting, “My Poldy’s got a boy!”4

With the family now settled and blessed with an heir, it was time for their coronation. She was not crowned with him, but she sat in a special box by the altar. The following year, a second son was born. He was named Ferdinand and would eventually become the next Grand Duke of Tuscany. Leopold had been reigning for nearly five years in Tuscany, but he felt suffocated by his mother’s constant advice and he and Maria Luisa – by then again pregnant – travelled to Vienna in April 1770 to talk to her. Leopold and Maria Theresa spoke for hours, and both emerged exhausted, though the outcome seemed to please both. Just before dawn on 21 April 1770, Maria Luisa gave birth to her fourth child – a daughter named Maria Anna. The family stayed in Austria for the following spring and summer as the delivery had been difficult, and Maria Luisa needed time to recover.

Nevertheless, more children would follow. Archduke Charles was born in 1771, Alexander in 1772, Albert in 1773 and Maximilian in 1774. The children received a simple upbringing and “were not brought up in a palace, but in a home.”5 Above all, they were taught that they, as royalty, were there to serve the people. Maria Luisa and Leopold love to take their growing brood on vacations to the countryside or to the beach.

Part two coming soon.

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Imperial Consort Ban Jieyu – The concubine who longed for the Emperor after losing favour

Imperial Consort Ban Jieyu’s sorrowful tale has wrenched the hearts of readers for centuries. Her longing for an emperor who abandoned her for younger women has made her story seem very relatable to many women. She has been seen as a feminist icon who is known for being virtuous and is able to find peace with her tragic circumstances. Her story has been the inspiration for many countless female writers in China.[1] Imperial Consort Ban Jieyu is also known as an accomplished poet. She is the only woman to have written in the rhapsody genre (a popular genre in Western Han).[2] Thus, Imperial Consort Ban Jieyu should not be remembered for losing the Emperor’s favour, but also her literary talents.

Imperial Consort Ban Jieyu’s name is unknown. Her surname was Ban, and Jieyu was the rank that Emperor Cheng bestowed upon her.[3] She was born around 48 B.C.E. in Loufan (modern-day Su county in Shanxi province).[4] She was the daughter of Ban Kuang, who was an officer in the military.[5] Ban Jieyu was educated and was said to possess great literary talent.[6] She was selected to work as a librarian in the palace during the beginning of Emperor Cheng’s reign.[7] Emperor Cheng noticed her, and she quickly became his favourite. He gave her the title of Jieyu, which was the third rank in the harem (two ranks below the empress).[8] She gave him a son, who sadly died in infancy.[9] Imperial Consort Ban Jieyu was also well-liked by Empress Zhengjun because of her modesty, her Confucian principles, and her advice to Emperor Cheng to be more frugal.[10]

Over time, Emperor Cheng began to lose interest in her and favoured younger women in his court.[11] Yet, it was not until the arrival of the notorious Zhao sisters that trouble was brought upon Imperial Consort Ban Jieyu.[12] They accused her of cursing the Emperor in witchcraft.[13] Imperial Consort Ban Jieyu lost her position. Since then, the Emperor made very few attempts to see her.[14] Because of her loss of favour, she decided to stay out of trouble by moving into Empress Dowager Wang Zhengjun’s palace.

It was in Empress Dowager Wang Zhengjun’s palace that she began to live in seclusion, where she often reflected back upon her life.[15] She began to spend her time writing poetry.[16] In her poem Elegy for Myself, she writes about her sorrow at losing the Emperor’s favour and how she is still longing for him.[17] An excerpt of her poem is:

“I reflect that man born into this world,

Passes as swiftly as though floating on a stream,

Already I’ve known fame and eminence,

The finest gifts the living can enjoy.

I will strive to please my spirit, taste every delight,

Since true happiness cannot be counted on.

‘Green Robe’–’White Flower’–in ancient times as now.”[18]

Even though Imperial Consort Ban Jieyu lost the Emperor’s favour, she served at the imperial tomb after he died in 7 B.C.E.[19] When she died in 6 B.C.E., she was buried in the funerary park.[20] Yet, Imperial Consort Ban Jieyu’s legacy continues to live on. Her great-nephew Ban Gu wrote a biography of her in History of the Han Dynasty, where she is a model for female virtue.[21] Imperial Consort Ban Jieyu has also been known as a feminist icon. Over the centuries, countless female writers have written poems about her praising her virtue and her modesty.[22] Thus, Imperial Consort Ban Jieyu’s tragic story will continue to inspire future female writers for countless generations.

Sources:

Ban, G. (1974). Courtier and Commoner in Ancient China. Selections from the “History of the Former Han” by Pan Ku. (B. Watson, Trans.). NY: Columbia University Press.

Bijun, Z. (2015). Biographical Dictionary of Chinese Women: Antiquity Through Sui, 1600 B.C.E. – 618 C.E. (L. X. H. Lee, Ed.; A. D. Stefanowska, Ed.; S. Wiles, Ed.). NY: Routledge.

McMahon, K. (2013). Women Shall Not Rule: Imperial Wives and Concubines in China from Han to Liao. NY: Rowman and Littlefield.

Milburn, O.(2021). The Empress in the Pepper Chamber: Zhao Feiyan in History and Fiction. Seattle: University of Washington Press.

Xiaoming, Z. (2015). Notable Women of China: Shang Dynasty to the Early Twentieth Century. (B. B. Peterson, Ed.; X. Kaicheng, Trans.). London: Routledge.

[1] Milburn, p. 123

[2] Bijun, p. 101

[3] Xiaoming, p. 82

[4] Xiaoming, p. 82

[5] Xiaoming, p. 82

[6] Bijun, p. 101

[7] Xiaoming, p. 82

[8] Xiaoming, p. 82; Milburn, p. 133

[9] McMahon, p. 77

[10] Xiaoming, p. 82

[11] Xiaoming, p. 82

[12] McMahon, p. 77

[13] Xiaoming, p. 82

[14] Bijun, p. 102

[15] Xiaoming, p. 82

[16] Xiaoming, p. 82

[17] Bijun, p. 103

[18] Watson, p. 264

[19] Bijun, p. 103

[20] Bijun, p. 103

[21] Xiaoming, p. 82

[22] Milburn, pp.122-123

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A curtsey for a King – Queen Margrethe remembers her father

As Queen Margrethe II of Denmark celebrated the 50th anniversary of her accession to the throne, the day was also be tinged with sadness for her as it also marked the anniversary of the loss of her beloved father.

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Queen Margrethe went to visit the grave of her parents, King Frederik IX and Queen Ingrid (born of Sweden), at Roskilde Cathedral on the anniversary. She took along her sister Princess Benedikte, her son Crown Prince Frederik and his wife Mary, and her second son Prince Joachim with his wife Marie. They were also all, except for the Queen herself, wearing their new gold medal – the Medal of Remembrance on the occasion of Her Majesty the Queen’s 50th Government Anniversary. This was awarded to Queen Margrethe’s family but also to court staff and some others.

Click to view slideshow.

After the wreath-laying at the grave, the Jubilee Queen touchingly and carefully curtseyed in front of her parents’ grave. Her sister and daughters-in-law followed her example.

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Queen Margrethe’s Horseshoe Brooch

This beautiful horseshoe brooch was given to the then Princess Margrethe of Denmark by her father Frederik IX in 1953, after the signing of the Constitution, which made her heiress presumptive to the throne. Before 1953, women were barred from inheriting the Danish throne, and it had been widely expected that Frederik’s brother Prince Knud would one day succeed to the throne.

Jens Peter Engedal/Amalienborg Museum

However, Frederik and his three daughters proved to be so popular that changes to the succession were set in motion in 1947, shortly after Frederik himself had succeeded as King. A final referendum, as required, took place on 27 March 1953, and the changes to the succession took force at the same time as the Constitution of 5 June 1953.

In a touching tribute to her father, Margrethe wore the brooch on the day she was proclaimed Queen. She was proclaimed Queen on 15 January 1972, the day after her father’s death, on the balcony of Christiansborg Palace.

The brooch can currently be seen in the exhibition A Queen’s Jewelry Box – 50 years on the throne told in jewelry at Amalienborg on the occasion of Queen Margrethe’s Golden Jubilee.

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Queen Margrethe – A Golden Reign

God’s help, the love of The People, Denmark’s strength

When Princess Margrethe of Denmark was born on 16 April 1940, she had no succession rights whatsoever, and now she is celebrating 50 years on the throne.

Margrethe’s family was quite popular with the people, and so work began on a new Act of Succession that would allow for a woman to succeed in the event that Margrethe had no brothers (male-preference primogeniture). This law had to be passed by two successive Parliaments and by a referendum, which finally took place on 27 March 1953. The 12-year-old Margrethe thus became the new heiress presumptive to the throne. On her 18th birthday, she was given a seat in the Council of State.

The death of Margrethe’s father came rather unexpected. He gave his traditional New Year’s Address to the nation on 31 December 1971 and fell ill with pneumonia shortly after. He suffered a cardiac arrest a few days later and was rushed to the hospital. He died on 14 January 1972 at 7:50 p.m., surrounded by his family.

At 31 years old and with two small children, Margrethe became the second woman to rule Denmark in her own right. She was proclaimed Queen on 15 January by the Prime Minister.

Her Silver Jubilee was celebrated in 1997 with a religious service and a gala dinner.

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Her 40th year on the throne, the Ruby Jubilee, was celebrated in much grander style with a religious service, a concert, a carriage procession and a gala dinner. She also gave several TV interviews.

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As she celebrates her 50th year on the throne, she will no doubt remember the father she lost. She will visit her father’s grave and lay a wreath. With her 50 years on the throne, she is currently Denmark’s second-longest reigning monarch behind King Christian IV, who reigned for 59 years and 331 days.

Her Golden Jubilee celebrations will include a special exhibition at Amalienborg Palace in Copenhagen called “A Queen’s Jewels Case.” Queen Margrethe and her family were supposed to make a balcony appearance to receive the well-wishes from the crowd. In addition, there was supposed to be a carriage procession, an official lunch and a gala dinner. On Sunday the 16th, she was supposed to attend a special thanksgiving service at Copenhagen Cathedral. There was supposed to be another gala dinner with foreign guests and Danish dignitaries in the evening. Unfortunately, most festivities have been cancelled due to the pandemic.

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Margaret of Navarre – Medieval Sicily’s most powerful Queen (Part two)

Read part one here.

In 1166, on the death of King William I of Sicily, Margaret of Navarre was now regent for their twelve-year-old son, William II. Sicily was a rich and powerful kingdom, and this made her one of the most powerful women of her time. But she was surrounded by many ambitious men vying for power, so her regency was not to be easy.

Starting the Regency  

Margaret was definitely not inexperienced when she became regent. She was already used to governing when her husband was absent from Sicily’s capital, Palermo. On her husband’s death, Margaret immediately started to rule the kingdom. When she became regent, she released many prisoners and ended the exiles of barons who had rebelled, restoring their lands. She granted lands to nobles and monastic orders. She also abolished some taxes.

The First Plot 

Margaret was also surrounded by multiple men to help her in the regency. The leading figure in this group was the eunuch, Caid Peter. However, there were also some who desired power for themselves, such as Richard Palmer and Matthew of Aiello, who were not happy about having to answer to Peter. Peter was eventually convinced that Richard Palmer was plotting to kill him. Margaret was urged to remove Richard from power, but she refused to do it, even though she did not like him.

Margaret’s cousin, Gilbert of Gravina, made his way to Palermo in the hope of displacing Peter as the head of Margaret’s inner circle. When Gilbert arrived, he spoke to Margaret, defending Richard and spoke against the court eunuchs and told her that some changes had to be made at court. Margaret offered Gilbert to join her circle, but he would still be underneath Peter, something that did not please Gilbert. Enraged, Gilbert stormed out of the palace and thought about ways to displace Peter.

At Peter’s suggestion, Margaret allied with Richard of Mandra, a mercenary leader and made him Count of Molise. Margaret presided over Richard’s investiture, where the nobility could see her use of royal power. Gilbert and his followers were not happy about Richard’s new position, so they conspired to kill Peter. Seeing that his life was endangered, Peter fled to Africa, where he renounced Christianity and returned to Islam and now went by his original name, Ahmed.

In order to settle things, Margaret called some barons, including Gilbert and Richard of Molise, to the palace. Soon, an argument about Peter broke out between Gilbert and Richard. It even got to the point that the two men pulled out their swords against each other. Some knights intervened before anyone could get hurt.

Arrival of Margaret’s kinsmen

Margaret decided to remove Gilbert from her court. She sent him back to Apulia, where she made him governor. Richard of Molise was promoted by Margaret into the position formerly held by Caid Peter. Soon Margaret invited her brother, Rodrigo, and her cousin, Stephen of Perche, to court. At Margaret’s encouragement, Rodrigo changed his name to Henry, which was more pronounceable to the Norman French-speaking court. Margaret made her brother Count of Montescaglioso, which was a prosperous county. She also arranged for Henry to marry an illegitimate half-sister of her late husband.

When Margaret’s cousin Stephen of Perche arrived, she welcomed him warmly and made a speech praising him in front of her court. It was clear that she was happy to have him there. At first, Stephen showed no desire to remain in Sicily for long. Stephen and his company actually planned on travelling to the Holy Land, and Sicily would just be a stop along the way. However, Margaret encouraged him to stay, and eventually, Stephen and most of the men in his company decided to remain in Sicily. Margaret then appointed Stephen as her Grand Chancellor. This meant that he would have authority over the rest of the court.

Stephen quickly became one of the most powerful men at court. In 1167, Stephen was appointed as Archbishop of Palermo. By this time, it was apparent that Margaret favoured Stephen, and soon rumours started that Stephen was actually Margaret’s lover.

Henry’s Plot

Margaret’s brother Henry believed he needed a higher position at court. Soon Henry came back to Sicily from the mainland with the intention of intimidating Margaret and Stephen into his demands. Henry eventually heard the rumours about Margaret and Stephen’s liaison and joined the plotters against them. In January 1168, Henry, encouraged by others, plotted to assassinate Stephen so that Henry could seize power. It was not long before Margaret found out about the plot.

Margaret had her brother arrested and put on trial. Henry’s knights were ordered to surrender their weapons and leave Sicily. Henry was imprisoned at Reggio in Calabria. However, he was not the only one in Margaret’s court who plotted against Stephen.

Stephen’s Downfall 

Soon, three of Margaret’s most trusted advisors, Matthew of Aiello, chamberlain Caid Richard, and Bishop Gentile of Agrigento, conspired to kill Stephen on Palm Sunday 1168, while he was leaving Palermo Cathedral with the royal family. The plot did not last for long, and eventually, several of the knights involved in the plot were arrested and confessed the details. Matthew was soon arrested and imprisoned. Stephen also wanted to arrest Caid Richard, but Margaret forbade it from happening. However, Caid Richard was confined to the palace and forbidden from communicating with his knights.

Bishop Gentile was the only one of the plotters who remained free. He proclaimed that Matthew of Aiello was imprisoned illegally and that Stephen planned to usurp royal power by marrying Margaret. The Queen soon ordered Gentile to report to the court, where he was arrested.

Eventually, rumours spread that Stephen had married Margaret, and the young King William was in danger or even dead. There were also rumours that Stephen had been crowned King, and his brother, Geoffrey, was coming to Sicily to marry William’s young aunt, Constance and to rule in her name. An uprising broke out, and a crowd freed Margaret’s brother Henry from prison. Henry soon seized control of the city of Messina and led its citizens in an uprising. Henry soon released Richard of Molise, another imprisoned court member. Together, they planned another plot against Stephen.

Soon a revolt rose up against Stephen in Palermo. Margaret and William witnessed the fighting in the streets. Margaret wanted her and William to leave the palace and speak to the rebels, but she was warned about the dangers, and she remembered how an earlier revolt claimed another of her sons’ life.

It soon became apparent that Stephen needed to leave Sicily if he wanted to live. He would be safely escorted out of the kingdom. It was decided that Stephen would go to Jerusalem, where he initially planned on travelling. In the summer of 1168, Margaret and Stephen bid each other a sad farewell, and Stephen renounced his position as Archbishop of Palermo and sailed for Jerusalem.1

Part three coming soon.

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