Moniek Bloks's Blog, page 224

The Year of Queen Victoria – The Bedchamber Crisis

Queen Victoria began her reign with immense popularity, but that popularity was quickly dented with the Bedchamber Crisis.

Lord Melbourne, her Prime Minister from the start, had his leadership undermined and Tory MP Robert Peel looked like the man to replace him as Prime Minister. Victoria had always found Robert Peel unpleasant and cold. Victoria was devastated by the loss of Lord Melbourne as Prime Minister, and she spent days crying. She wrote, “The state of agony, grief and despair into which this placed me may be easier imagined than described! All all my happiness gone! That happy, peaceful life destroyed, that dearest kind Lord Melbourne no more my minister… I sobbed and cried much; could only put on my dressing gown.” On 7 May 1839, Lord Melbourne told he was going to resign and advised her to call on the Duke of Wellington and Robert Peel. He told her, “Your Majesty had better express your hope, that none of your Majesty’s Household, except those who are engaged in politics, may be removed. I think you might ask him for that.”

Victoria – not even 20 years old yet – had lost yet another father figure, and she felt the loss all too well. When Robert Peel then asked that she remove some of her ladies-in-waiting who were aligned with the Whigs, she told him that she would only change male members of Parliament who were a part of her household. She shut the door on Robert Peel and cried. When he came back on 9 May, Victoria was even more adamant that she would not change her household. She argued that it had never been before and her ladies were hardly politicians. She also never spoke to them about politics. Robert Peel left empty-handed, and a triumphant Victoria wrote to Lord Melbourne, “Peel had behaved very ill and has insisted on my giving up my Ladies, to which I replied that I never would consent, and I never saw a man so frightened… I was calm but very decided, and I think you would have been pleased to see my composure and great firmness. The Queen of England will not submit to such trickery. Keep yourself in readiness for you may soon be wanted.”

Robert Peel then informed Queen Victoria that if she did not agree to remove some of her ladies (who were married to some of his opponents), he could not form a government. Victoria was all too pleased with the possibility of Lord Melbourne returning to his post. She wrote, “Do not fear that I was calm and composed. They wanted to deprive me of my ladies, and I suppose they would deprive me next of my dressers and my housemaids; they wished to treat me like a girl, but I will show them that I am Queen of England.” On 10 May, Robert Peel resigned, and the public was outraged.

Victoria soon realised that she had made a mistake and she also been under the impression that Robert Peel wanted to change all her ladies. Once Lord Melbourne was back in business, she asked him to find a Tory lady who could be quietly introduced into her household. For the rest of her reign, she was only ever asked to change her Mistress of the Robes, which was the highest-ranking lady. Victoria would remain a Whig supporter. She later wrote of the so-called Bedchamber Crisis, “Yet, I was very hot about it and so were my ladies, as I had been so brought up under Lord Melbourne; but I was very young, only 20, and never should have acted so again – Yes! It was a mistake.”1

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Princesses of Thurn and Taxis – Therese of Mecklenburg-Strelitz

Therese of Mecklenburg-Strelitz was born on 5 April 1773 as the daughter of Charles II, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg and Princess Friederike of Hesse-Darmstadt. Her aunt was Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, who became Queen of Great Britain while Therese’s sister Louise became Queen of Prussia. Therese lost her mother when she was just nine years old, Friederike died just days after giving birth to her tenth child – a daughter who lived for just one day. Therese was particularly close to her surviving siblings – Charlotte, Louise, Frederica and George. Her father remarried in 1784 to Princess Charlotte of Hesse-Darmstadt, a sister of Friederike but she too died in childbirth the following year, after delivering a son named Charles. Their grieving father sent Therese, Louise and Frederica to their grandmother in Darmstadt – Charlotte had married Frederick, Duke of Saxe-Hildburghausen in 1785. The sisters were loved by their grandmother and were taught French, history, geography and music. Therese was said to be the most intelligent of the sisters. She was unusually well-read and played the harp and the piano.

With the approval of Therese’s aunt Queen Charlotte, Therese married Karl Alexander, Hereditary Prince of Thurn and Taxis, the future 5th Prince of Thurn and Taxis, on 25 May 1789 in Neustrelitz. At the end of October 1789, the newlyweds moved into their apartments in Regensburg. The couple went on to have six children together – Charlotte (born 1790 but lived for just 7 months), George Karl (born 1792 but lived for just three years), Maria Theresia (born 1794), Maria Sophia (born 1800), Maximilian Karl (born 1802) and Friedrich Wilhelm (born 1805). Their marriage had quickly turned sour, and both began to have affairs, though they did not divorce. At the end of 1805, her father-in-law died, and her husband succeeded as the 5th Prince of Thurn and Taxis, and she became his Princess consort. Therese was known to be politically active, and Karl Alexander was known to have said, “I rely entirely on the skills of my negotiator Therese.” The Principality of Thurn and Taxis lost its independence and was mediatised in 1806 and in return, they received the Imperial Abbey of St. Emmeram and territories in Regensburg. They received back some of the confiscated properties in Belgium from Napoleon who wrote to her, “I ask you to regard this as a bouquet of flowers, which I am pleased to present to you.”

Therese entered into a relationship with Maximilian, Graf von und zu Lerchenfeld auf Köfering und Schönberg. They had several illegitimate children before Maximilian tragically drowned in 1809 trying to save a soldier in the Napoleonic Wars. Their son Georg Adolf von Stockau was born on 6 May 1806, followed by twins Emanuel Maximilian and Elisabeth Therese in 1807 and Amalie in 1808.

In September 1825, the couple lost their youngest son Friedrich Wilhelm when he fell from his horse during a chicken and rabbit hunt. He suffered serious injuries and died on 8 September at the age of 20. By 1825, Karl Alexander’s health had begun to deteriorate, and he suffered a stroke in 1827. He collapsed in Therese’s arms after hunting. He received the last rites, and he died holding a crucifix in the early morning of 15 July 1827. Therese sincerely mourned her husband, and it appears her illegitimate children by Maximilian were long forgiven (or forgotten). With her son Maximilian Karl now the 6th Prince of Thurn and Taxis, Therese gradually lost her political power. She spent a while travelling before returning to Regensburg. She devoted herself to her art collection and her books. Her private library eventually included over 1800 titles.

Therese died on 12 February 1839 after feeling weak and ill for a short while. She was buried beside her husband.1

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44 Facts about Carolina of Orange-Nassau

In February my first book – Carolina of Orange-Nassau, Ancestress of the Royal Houses of Europe – was released. Today is the 232nd anniversary of Carolina’s death at the early age of 44. Here are 44 facts about her life – one for each year of her life.

She was her parents’ first child to survive childbirth.
She was named for her grandmother Caroline of Ansbach upon the request of her grandfather, King George II of Great Britain.
Her sister named Anna Maria would live for just one month.
Carolina received two “African moors” as a present when she was a child.
She lost both her parents before she was an adult.
Carolina stayed by her mother’s bed when she lay dying.
Her marriage to Charles Christian, Prince of Nassau-Weilburg was feared to leave her “in mediocrity.”
She married Charles Christian, Prince of Nassau-Weilburg on 5 March 1760.
Her first child was born on 18 December 1760 but he would die young.
Her cousin King George III of Great Britain was the godfather of her first son.
The newlyweds lived at Huis Honselaarsdijk, which unfortunately no longer exists.
Her departure to Weilburg shortly after her wedding was the first time she was separated for any length of time from her younger brother William and she missed him terribly.
All of her letters to her brother start with “My (very) dear brother”
Carolina’s letters are mostly in French but she often joked in Dutch like “weeds do not perish” when referring to herself.
She suffered at least one miscarriage.
Carolina acted as regent for the last few months of her brother’s minority after the death of their grandmother Marie Louise of Hesse-Kassel.
During her regency, she was several months pregnant.
She and Charles Christian began the building of their own palace in The Hague but it was never finished. It is now a theatre.
Her favourite palace was The Loo Palace in Apeldoorn where she knew all the best places to play music.
She once received her first cousin, Prince Edward, Duke of York and Albany and she found him very VRIENDELIJK (kind).
After a visit to houses belonging to regular people, she described them as “dollhouses.”
Her many pregnancies affected her body and she found herself “ugly” and her growing belly interfered with her singing, much to her annoyance.
She once compared The Hague to the Sinai Peninsula because her brother was not there.
She became acquainted with Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart when he was 9 years old.
Mozart’s father found he could not refuse her invitation because “one does not refuse a pregnant woman.”
She saved the lives of both Mozart and his sister by sending her personal physician when they were ill with typhoid fever.
Mozart wrote several sonnets for her.
At her court in Kirchheimbolanden, she set up her own orchestra.
She wrote several pieces of music herself, including a march for her brother.
She was an accomplished pianist.
She did not like sad music.
Mozart estimated she had around 300 musicians at her court in 1778.
The death of her eight-year-old son William Louis hit her hard and she went to recuperate with her aunt Mary of Great Britain, Landgravine of Hesse-Kassel.
She was godmother to her niece Louise, her brother’s eldest surviving child.
She was also named godmother to her nephew, who would become the first King of the Netherlands long after Carolina had died.
In 1778, she had a painting made of her and the children as a surprise for her husband.
Her eldest children were getting married while Carolina herself was still falling pregnant.
In total, she had given birth to 15 children of which 7 would survive to adulthood.
Her eldest grandchild was stillborn.
Carolina died suddenly after an illness of just two days.
She was buried in the reformed Peterskirche in Kirchheimbolanden.
Her husband was buried close by in the Lutheran Paulskirche.
Their palace in Kirchheimbolanden has mostly disappeared and is now in use as a senior residence.
Carolina and Charles Christian’s descendants sit on the thrones of Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, the United Kingdom and Spain.

Carolina of Orange-Nassau, Ancestress of the Royal Houses of Europe is available now in both the UK and the US.

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The Spanish Princess – Behind the series

With the premiere of The Spanish Princess later tonight, we take a look at the real royalty behind the drama.

Catherine of Aragon

(public domain)

The Spanish Princess‘ titular character is, of course, Catherine of Aragon. Born in 1485 as the youngest daughter of the Catholic Monarchs; Isabella I of Castille and Ferdinand II of Aragon. By the spring of 1489, negotiations for Catherine’s marriage to Arthur, Prince of Wales, were underway. The formal betrothal between Catherine and Arthur finally took place at Woodstock Palace on 15 August 1497. On 19 May 1499, they were married by proxy at Tickenhill Manor. From that moment on, Catherine was known as the Princess of Wales and she had not even left Spain yet. On 21 May 1501, Catherine left Spain for good. She never saw her parents again. On 14 November 1501, Catherine and Arthur married in person. Later that day, the bedding ceremony would follow and it would become the most famous bedding ceremony in history. If only she had known what was to come. At the end of the year, Catherine and Arthur travelled to Ludlow Castle but by the end of March, both had fallen ill. On the evening of 2 April 1502, Catherine was still ill in bed as her young husband succumbed to the disease. As the years went on, Catherine found herself in a dire state. She had little funds and was not supported by King Henry VII. She wrote to her father asking for help, but he neglected her. It wasn’t until the death of Henry VII in 1509, that things finally would change for Catherine. She would now, at last, fulfil her destiny and become Queen of England. Read more about her here.

Arthur, Prince of Wales

(public domain)

Catherine’s first husband was Arthur, Prince of Wales, who was born in 1486 as the son of King Henry VII and Elizabeth of York. He was considered to be unusually tall for his age and was considered to be handsome. He exchanged letters with his future bride in Latin until 1501 when they were deemed old enough to be married. After their marriage, they moved to the Welsh Marches, where both Arthur and Catherine fell ill. Tragically, the 15-year-old Arthur died while Catherine survived.

Margaret Beaufort

(public domain)

Lady Margaret Beaufort was born on 31 May 1443 at Bletso as the daughter of Margaret Beauchamp and John Beaufort, Duke of Somerset. On 1 November 1455, Margaret – just 12 years old – married 24-year-old Edmund Tudor, a half-brother of King Henry VI. The marriage was consummated straight away, despite contemporaries commenting that Margaret was of small stature and underdeveloped. She fell pregnant in early 1456, but Edmund never lived to see the birth of his child. He died on 1 November 1456 of the plague. On 28 January 1457, still only 13 years old, Margaret gave birth to her only child, a son. He was the future King Henry VII. Read more about her here.

Margaret Pole – “Maggie”

(public domain)

Margaret was born in 1473 as the daughter of George Plantagenet, 1st Duke of Clarence, and his wife Isabel Neville. George was a younger brother of King Edward IV, the father of Elizabeth of York, making Margaret and Elizabeth first cousins. George was executed for treason but Margaret’s brother Edward, the Earl of Warwick, remained a potential heir to the throne. After years of imprisonment, he was executed for treason. Long before that, Margaret was given in marriage to King Henry VII’s cousin, Sir Richard Pole, whose mother was a half-sister of the king’s mother, Margaret Beaufort. When Arthur, Prince of Wales married Catherine of Aragon, Margaret became one of her ladies-in-waiting but her household was dissolved when Arthur died. She returned to her post when King Henry VIII married Catherine in 1509.

Henry, Prince of Wales – “Harry”

(public domain)

Henry was born in 1491 as the second son of King Henry VII and Elizabeth of York. He grew up in the shadow of his elder brother Arthur until Arthur’s untimely death in 1502. At the time, Henry was just 10 years old. He was created Prince of Wales and Earl of Chester in 1503. He remained out of the public under strict supervision. He was initially betrothed to Catherine in 1503 but he rejected her at the age of 14. They did not marry until 1509 after Henry became King.

Margaret Tudor

(public domain)

Margaret was born on 28 November 1489 as the daughter of King Henry VII and Elizabeth of York. She was thus the sister of both Arthur and Henry. Margaret was still only a child when she was offered in marriage to the 25-year-old King James IV of Scotland. Her father did not want the wedding to take place right away, and it wasn’t until 1500 that the necessary papal dispensation was obtained, because they were related. The marriage treaty was finally signed on 24 January 1502 and the proxy wedding took place the following day at Richmond Palace. The 12-year-old Margaret was now Queen of Scots. She was supposed to leave for Scotland before 1 September 1503, and Margaret suffered the loss of two family members before she left. Her brother Arthur died on 2 April 1502 and her mother died following childbirth in February 1503. She finally left for Scotland in June 1503. Read more about her here.

King Henry VII

(public domain)

King Henry VII was born in 1457 as the only child of Margaret Beaufort and Edmund Tudor, 1st Earl of Richmond. His claim to the English throne was through his mother who was a great-granddaughter of John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster, fourth son of Edward III. Through his father, he was a descendant of Charles VI of France. Considered a threat to the throne, he was exiled several times and mostly grew up in France with his uncle Jasper. He conquered the throne in 1485 from King Richard III and married Richard’s niece, Elizabeth of York to unite their houses.

Elizabeth of York

(public domain)

Elizabeth of York was born in 1466 as the eldest daughter of Elizabeth Woodville and King Edward IV of England. Her life changed forever upon the early death of her father in 1483. Her brother succeeded as King Edward V but the York children were declared illegitimate and Edward V and his younger brother Richard were put in the Tower from which they never emerged. With her uncle Richard now on the throne, Elizabeth slowly made her way back to court but she and her sisters remained illegitimate. She was betrothed to Henry Tudor who seized the throne in 1485 and they married in early 1486 – uniting their two Houses. She gave birth to birth to eight children  – of which four (Arthur, Henry, Margaret and Mary) survived. Elizabeth died in 1503, shortly after giving birth to a daughter named Katherine. Read more about her here.

Queen Isabella

(public domain)

Isabella was born in 1451 as the daughter of John II, King of Castile and his second wife Isabella of Portugal. Her elder half-brother was Henry IV of Castile and she also had a younger brother named Alfonso. Henry’s marriage to Joan of Portugal had produced a daughter but her paternity was doubted. Isabella became her brother’s heiress presumptive and she married the future King Ferdinand II of Aragon. She became Queen Regnant of Castile in 1474. She and Ferdinand had seven children together, of which five survived to adulthood. Catherine was their youngest child while their second daughter Joanna eventually succeeded as Queen of Castile after the tragic deaths of their only son Alfonso, their eldest daughter Isabella in childbirth and their grandson Miguel in infancy. Isabella died in 1504. Read more about her here.

King Philip I of Castile

(public domain)

The future King Philip I of Castile was born in 1478 as the son of Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I by his first wife Mary of Burgundy. He became the husband of Joanna of Castile in 1496 and became King by right of his wife when she succeeded her mother in 1504. He died in 1506 at the age of 28.

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Princess Niloufer – An unfulfilled yearning

Princess Niloufer Khanum Farhat was born on 4th January 1916 at the Göztepe Palace in Istanbul, Turkey. She was one of the last princesses of the Ottoman Empire. Her parents were Damad Moralizada Salar ud-din Bey and Adile Sultan, daughter of Şehzade Mehmed Selaheddin, a son of Sultan Murad V.

When the First World War ended, the Ottoman Empire came to an end with the Royals being exiled from Turkey and settling in France. Princess Niloufer’s father passed away when she was barely two years old. Her position and fortune were not great, but her luck changed dramatically overnight when the richest man in the world, Nawab Mir Osman Ali Khan, the Nizam of Hyderabad, sought her hand in marriage for his second son Prince Moazzam Jah. She was married at the young age of 15 into the richest royalty in the world. She travelled to India, where an entirely different culture awaited her. She learnt to wear a saree and learned to move in the Hyderabadi society. She was called the ‘Kohinoor of Hyderabad ‘and was regarded as the most beautiful woman in the world.

As the years passed and the initial excitement of being newly married into a lavish lifestyle with a doting husband started to settle, and a gloomy reality began to dawn upon her. Princess Niloufer was unable to have children. On the outside, she was a beauty to behold but inside she was heartbroken and longed for a child. She consulted many doctors, but she did not have any good results. Soon this feeling of emptiness was compensated with a glittering public life. She was invited to many functions, and even received a few movie offers from Hollywood, and she was often featured in “the ten most beautiful women of the world”- lists and she regularly featured in several magazines. She was known for her style in India where she was always in sarees, and she only wore European-style clothes when she was travelling. She had a maid named, Rafat Unnisa, who unfortunately died during childbirth. The incident so moved her that she promised herself that she would never let another ‘Rafat’die and she set about building a hospital in Hyderabad for children and mothers.

She was like a daughter to the Nizam and addressed him as ‘father’, and he encouraged her in her social work. She was also involved with the Hyderabad women’s association for education and social advancement. During the Second World War, she served in the women’s volunteer corps. She trained as a nurse to help the injured during the war. In the year 1947 when India became independent, the State of Hyderabad became a part of the Indian union. Princess Niloufer, who was travelling at that time with her husband, decided to stay in Europe. Her lavish lifestyle and glamorous princess image were a facade to hide her yearning for a child, and she was unhappy. In 1948, he took a second wife who gave him three daughters in quick succession. Her marriage suffered as a result, and they eventually divorced in 1952. She stayed in France with her mother, and she remarried to an American named Edward Pope in 1964.

She passed away in 1989 and was buried in a grave in Bobigny near Paris next to her mother’s grave. Her beautiful sarees are more of a work of art and 34 of these sarees – which she also helped design – found a place in The New York Institute of fashion technology. Her life was a rollercoaster ride, and she went from a poor Princess in exile whose family was supported by the Nizam financially to becoming a daughter-in-law of one the richest me. She is known as much for her glittering lifestyle as she is for her philanthropic work for the people of Hyderabad, especially the women. Her fundraising events organised through the Hydari club contributed to her charitable work. Princess Niloufer is remembered by the people of Hyderabad until today.

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Entertaining the Braganzas: When Queen Maria of Portugal visited William Stephens in 1788 by Jenifer Roberts Book Review

The future Maria I of Portugal was born on 17 December 1734 at the Ribeira Royal Palace in Lisbon. In 1760, Maria was married to her uncle Pedro, who was her father’s younger brother. By law, Maria was banned from marrying a foreign prince. Her father died on 24 February 1777 and Maria became Portugal’s first Queen Regnant. According to Portuguese custom, her husband became King, but the power was vested solely in Maria. Maria is perhaps best remembered for her mental deterioration, which was first officially noted in 1786 when she was carried back to her apartments in a state of delirium. She deteriorated considerably after the deaths of her husband, eldest son and heir and her daughter. By 1792 she was deemed mentally insane. Her surviving son John took over the reins of government, but he refused an official regency, which only happened in 1799. In 1807 the family was forced to flee to Brazil after the Napoleonic Wars. Maria did not understand what was happening and continued to ask her son, ‘Where are you taking me?’ and ‘What am I doing here?’.  She was confined to her bed for the last two months of her life. She finally died on 20 March 1816.

In contrast, William Stephens was the illegitimate son of a Cornish servant girl who became one of the richest industrialists in Europe. He built a thriving glass factory in a village north of Lisbon and Maria spent three days there in the summer of 1788.

Entertaining the Braganzas: When Queen Maria of Portugal visited William Stephens in 1788 by Jenifer Roberts describes this event in great detail. In addition, the book also spends some time describing the lives of both Maria and William. I was a bit apprehensive about the book but I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of background information and it is not quite as boring as the title might suggest. It is very well researched and deserves more attention than it has gotten so far!

Entertaining the Braganzas: When Queen Maria of Portugal visited William Stephens in 1788 by Jenifer Roberts is available now in both the UK and the US.

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Princess Rym Ali – A story of war and love

If you are an internationally renowned journalist working for respectable media outlets such as BBC, CNN, Bloomberg, United Press International, and Radio Monte Carlo, if you have an outstanding career and the freedom to be whoever you want to be…. would you give it all up to become a princess? Probably this is a complicated question, and it can have as many answers as people whom we ask. But it seemed it was a question very much on the mind of Miss Rym Brahimi in 2003 when as CNN War Correspondent in Baghdad she met no other than Prince Ali of Jordan during official briefings on the Iraq war situation. It was a meeting that would change both their lives.

Born in Cairo, in 1968, Rym spent her childhood years moving around several capital cities because of her father, veteran Algerian diplomat, Foreign Minister and UN special envoy Lakhdar Brahimi, getting a first taste of diplomacy and politics right in the living room of her parents’ home. Later on, she would recall: “My parents had a lot of journalist friends, and they would come over at the house, and they always had those incredible stories of historical events they’d covered and things they’d seen”. The little girl was fascinated and wanted to be one of those people travelling the world and telling stories.

After a BA from the Sorbonne, and an MA from Sciences Po in Paris, Rym also got a master’s from Columbia’s Graduate School of Journalism and began working for different news organisations. And opportunities to tell great stories – exactly as she dreamed – were suddenly everywhere. In Iraq, she worked as a CNN producer and reporter for two years before the war broke out in 2003, Rym got her first taste of conflict coverage. An experience of a lifetime. Asked how she felt, she replied: “I was definitely scared. I thought the main war would be quick, but I did think it would drag on with minor conflicts going on. I didn’t think to that scale.” But it all came to an end when in the early stages of the war, Rym and her CNN colleague Nic Robertson were expelled from Iraq and had to go to Jordan.

In Amman, Prince Ali bin Al Hussein, King Abdallah II of Jordan‘s half-brother, who then commanded the royal guard, asked to meet the CNN staff to get an understanding of the situation on the ground in Iraq. And the rest is… History.

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Rym Brahimi and Prince Ali married in 2004 and her only official declaration was: “A very unexpected outcome of my being kicked out of Iraq”. She became Her Royal Highness Princess Rym Ali of Jordan and in the following years, the marriage – a happy one apparently – produced two children: Princess Jalila bint Ali and Prince Abdullah bin Ali. Rym faced the same challenge all career women who marry into royalty face (examples that come to mind, Queen Letizia of Spain, Queen Maxima of the Netherlands, the Duchess of Sussex): to build a meaningful work life within the constraints of their royal roles. But it seems Rym found her way: she has been the Executive Commissioner of the Royal Film Commission – Jordan since 2006, and she is also the founder of the Jordan Media Institute (JMI), a non-profit body whose aim is to establish an Arab Center of Excellence for Journalism Education with a Masters’ programme at its core.

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As a member of the Jordanian royal family, she constantly undertakes official representation activities in Jordan and abroad and she enjoys the appreciation of her family and the public at large.

Her story is an example of how choices of the heart need courage and wisdom. And re-inventing oneself is the sign of intelligent women who happen to become princesses by a play of destiny.

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The Year of Queen Victoria – Prince Arthur – The Soldier

On 1 May 1850, Queen Victoria gave birth to her seventh child and third son, “a very fine boy” – he was named Prince Arthur. He was christened in the chapel of Buckingham Palace on 22 June with much magnificence. His first attempts at pronouncing his own name earned him the nickname “Arta.” His early years were spent in the nursery under the supervision of Lady Sarah Lyttelton.

The young Prince developed an early interested in the military and after spending several years in the schoolroom, he finally enrolled at the Royal Military College at Woolwich in 1866. His mother gave the instruction to the officers that he was to be treated the exact same way as any other cadet. Shortly after his 17th birthday, he received the Order of the Garter. Arthur transferred to the Royal Regiment of Artillery on 2 November 1868 and on 2 August 1869, to the Rifle Brigade and he joined the Rifle Brigade in Montreal. He wrote, “Most anxious am I to consider for the time being Montreal as my home, and to lose no opportunity of becoming fully acquainted with its institutions, its people and its commerce. The selection of Montreal as my residence is a sufficient proof of the confidence Her Majesty places in the devotion of the city to her throne.” He returned from Canada in July 1870.

Prince Arthur celebrated his 21st birthday at Osborne, and his mother wrote in her journal, “Dear Arthur’s twenty-first birthday… My thoughts were with my dearest Albert, who had been so delighted at the birth of our little third boy on the dear old Duke of Wellington’s birthday.” Arthur was granted an annuity of £15,000, and he devoted much of it to good causes. On 16 October 1873, he was appointed Acting Brigade Major at Aldershot, but he transferred as a Captain to the 7th Hussars the following year. That same year on his mother’s birthday, Arthur was created a royal peer and given titles Duke of Connaught and Strathearn and Earl of Sussex. He continued his life in the military – spending six months in Gibraltar.

Arthur’s future wife was Princess Louise Margaret of Prussia who was the third daughter of Prince Frederick Charles of Prussia – a famous general in the Prussian army – and Princess Maria Anna of Anhalt-Dessau. Frederick Charles was a double cousin of the German Emperor Frederick III, the husband of Arthur’s sister, Victoria, Princess Royal. She had grown up in a soldier’s home and would make a perfect wife for a soldier. The Princess Royal wrote to Queen Victoria, “I could not choose for a sister-in-law anyone I like better than Louise. She will make Arthur a most delightful wife. Each is the complement of the other, and I foresee that each will make the other supremely happy.” Their engagement was announced at the same time as her sister Marie‘s engagement to Prince Henry of the Netherlands. Arthur and Louise were married on 13 March 1879 at St. George’s Chapel Windsor.

Their honeymoon was spent at Windsor and on a cruise in the Meditteranean, and upon their return, they took up residence at Bagshot Park. Arthur was often absent due to his military duties, but otherwise, they settled into country life. The family had quickly embraced Louise as part of the family, and they adored “Aunt Louischen.” On 15 January 1882, Louise gave birth to their first child, a daughter named Margaret. A son named Arthur was born to them on 13 January 1883, following by a second daughter named Patricia on 17 March 1886.

He was promoted to the honorary rank of colonel on 14 June 1871, substantive lieutenant-colonel in 1876, colonel on 29 May 1880 and, on 1 April 1893, he was made a general. Arthur gained military experience as Commander-in-Chief of the Bombay Army from December 1886 to March 1890. He was the General Officer Commanding Southern District from September 1890 to 1893. Arthur hoped to succeed The Duke of Cambridge, as Commander-in-chief of the British Army but this did not happen.

In 1911, Arthur was appointed as Governor General of Canada and Arthur, his wife and their youngest daughter moved to Ottowa. His term as Governor ended in 1916. Shortly after their return to England, Louise was taken ill with influenza and bronchitis. She recovered slowly but then also contracted measles and pneumonia. Her heart had been weakened by an earlier illness and Louise passed away on 14 March 1917. Arthur was devastated.

Two years later, his youngest daughter Patrica gave up her royal status to marry Captain Sir Alexander Ramsay. His eldest daughter Margaret had married Crown Prince Gustaf Adolf of Sweden in 1905 while the younger Arthur had married Princess Alexandra, 2nd Duchess of Fife in 1913. He became devoted to his grandchildren and always kept a correspondence with Margaret’s children who lived far away. Margaret tragically died on 1 May 1920 and Arthur briefly retired from public life. He was destined to outlive two of his three children. The younger Arthur died on 12 September 1938 of stomach cancer.

After 1928, Arthur mostly retired from public life. He died on 16 January 1942 at the age of 91. He was the penultimate child of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert to die – his younger sister Beatrice outlived him for two years.1

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The Year of Queen Victoria – Empress of India

While Queen Victoria was the Queen of the United Kingdom, she also held the additional title of (the first) Empress of India. She was proclaimed as Empress on 1 May 1876 and held the title until her death on 22 January 1901. In total, she served as India’s empress for 24 years, eight months, and three weeks.

The idea of the Queen becoming Empress of India had been discussed for decades before it was instituted, first being brought up in 1843.  Mughal Emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar had been deposed in 1857 at which point control of British India was transferred to the Crown from the East India Company (EIC). Victoria was offered the position of empress after the EIC was dissolved; she accepted it on 1 May 1876 with it being officially proclaimed in India on 1 January 1877.

Obtaining the title of Empress of India, came 15 years after her beloved husband, Prince Albert had died. As such, Victoria had no consort while reigning over India.

Victoria did not have much power over the Indian government, serving more as a figurehead. Instead, the Governor General stood in her stead in India where he presided over legislative branches at the federal and provincial levels.

One significant difference in Victoria’s reign over India from the United Kingdom was religion. Whereas in the United Kindom, the Church of England reigned supreme with the Queen as the head of the church, in India this did not apply. Most Indians followed the Hindu religion, and this eliminated the power of the Church of England in the country. Victoria was adamant that freedom of religion be observed in the country having respect for Indians and their various beliefs. The lack of religious freedom threatened to undermine the “native religions and customs,” she said.

Empress Victoria threatened to abdicate several times as she wanted the UK (under the leadership of Conservative Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli) to fight against Russia in the Russo-Turkish War. The threats were just that, threats, as Victoria never made good on her ultimatum.

While as Queen of the United Kingdom she was referred to as Her Majesty, as Empress of India, she was called Her Imperial Majesty. And subsequent emperors were known as His Imperial Majesty until 22 June 1948 when King George VI relinquished the title after the Second World War. India had gained its independence a year earlier.

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Queen Wilhelmina ‘considered Nazi swap for Belgian royals’

By the end of the Second World War, Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands tried to make a deal with the Nazis to save the Belgian royal family, according to newly published diaries of her foreign minister. By March 1945, both Belgium and the south of the Netherlands had been liberated by King Leopold III of the Belgians and his family were being held captive in Austria and it was feared that the Nazis would murder the family.

Queen Wilhelmina then asked her foreign minister in exile in London to “sound out” via the Vatican whether high-ranking Nazis could be offered an escape in return for the release of the Belgian royals. Many high-ranking Nazis successfully fled Europe to Latin America but “until now we have never heard of the Dutch playing a role,” Michael Riemens who has just published the minister’s diaries told the BBC.

King Leopold III and his family had stayed in Belgium during the Nazi occupation and were under house arrest. They were moved to Austria when the allies advanced. The King was under house arrest with his second wife , and his children Joséphine Charlotte, Baudouin and Albert. His mother Elisabeth (née of Bavaria) was very worried about their safety and confided in Queen Wilhelmina.

Riemens quotes a letter written by Queen Wilhelmina to Britain’s King George VI’s, which also refers to the Belgian Queen mother.

“She volunteered in confidence that the Germans had been approached through the Red Cross about allowing at least the children to go to Switzerland. The Germans answered that it would be possible for the children and Leopold to go to Switzerland if the Swiss extended similar facilities to the Nazi chiefs”.

King George VI responded, “Dear cousin Wilhelmina… I am very interested to hear that cousin Elizabeth spoke to you about Leopold and the children. As you say, we can never strike that bargain with the Germans, but I feel there must be some other way of getting him free.”

Queen Wilhelmina’s foreign minister then spoke to Pope Pius XII’s internuncio to The Hague and wrote in his diary, “In the afternoon the internuncio came at my request. I had been instructed by her majesty to ask him to share with the Pope that the king of Belgium and his children were in danger of being killed unless the highest Nazi chiefs could get asylum in a safe country. This information in the hope that the Pope would do something.”

According to Michael Riemens, a report was sent about papal support for the Dutch proposal, but this report is missing from the archives, though Queen Wilhelmina is known to have destroyed items in the archives after the war. There is a note dated two months in Queen Wilhelmina’s handwriting stating her special thanks for the Pope’s action. “It means the Pope did act, but there’s no proof,” Michael Riemens says. “I think the Royals played a role through this contact with the Pope and all of a sudden we see a very different queen.”

Ultimately, Queen Wilhelmina’s intervention did not bring about any release for the Belgian royals. The King and his family were freed by American troops a few weeks later.

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