Moniek Bloks's Blog, page 82

King Charles changes wording of official prayers to remove “Consort” reference

King Charles III has issued a Royal Warrant stating that Camilla should be referred to as Queen Camilla in prayers said for or referring to the Royal Family.

Lambeth Palace published the notice, which stated that “with effect from 6 May 2023, in every prayer for the Royal Family contained in any form of service authorised for use in the Church of England, instead of the words ‘Camilla, the Queen Consort’, the words ‘Queen Camilla’ should be inserted.”

It has never been necessary to refer to Camilla as “Camilla, the Queen Consort” as none of her predecessors were referred to as such. You can read more about it here. She is rightfully “Her Majesty The Queen”, although Queen Camilla would also be acceptable.

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Royal Wedding Recollections – Prince Louis Ferdinand of Prussia & Grand Duchess Kira Kirillovna of Russia

*The German and Russian titles are titular at this point*

On 4 May 1938, Grand Duchess Kira Kirillovna of Russia, daughter of Grand Duke Kirill Vladimirovich of Russia, Head of the House of Romanov, and Princess Victoria Melita of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, married Louis Ferdinand, Prince of Prussia, who would become the Head of the House of Hohenzollern, in a Lutheran ceremony. They were second cousins once removed.

Their civil wedding had taken place two days earlier at the Cecilienhof Palace in Potsdam. They were married in the Palace’s library at 11 a.m. with the groom’s father, Crown Prince Wilhelm and the bride’s father as the only witnesses. A Greek Orthodox wedding service took place in the great hall of the Palace, and it was there that the rest of the guests waited.

Kira wore a “gown of richly embroidered silver brocade, nearly 100 years old, a court dress of her grandmother, the Duchess of Coburg, only daughter of Emperor Alexander II. She entered the great hall on the arm of the bridegroom, carrying a bouquet of white carnations and orchids and wearing a diadem of Russian crown jewels.” Louis Ferdinand wore the uniform of an air force lieutenant.1

The service was performed by Provost Paul Adamontoss of Wiesbaden, who was assisted by seven others. The New York Times also wrote, “The bride and bridegroom held burning white candles adorned with white ribbons during part of the ceremony and made their vows very audible with “yeas.””2

The couple then travelled to where the groom’s grandfather, the former German Emperor Wilhelm II, was living in exile in the Netherlands. Upon their arrival, Wilhelm told Kira, “This entrance revives beautiful old memories of the wedding of beloved Charlotte, daughter of the sister of my grandfather, Kaiser Frederick Wilhelm III, with Czar Nicholas I. By this wedding, the German house and the Russian came together in a very great friendship. I hope this old tradition will, under the blessing of God, be renewed.”3

Pastor Doering performed the service in a simple ceremony. Kira wore her grandmother’s dress again for this third ceremony. She also wore an imposing necklace that had been given to her by her father-in-law. The former Emperor wore the uniform of a general of the German Imperial Guard, while the Crown Prince wore that of a general of the Death’s Head Hussars. The groom wore the light blue uniform of the new German air force.

The future Queen Juliana of the Netherlands and her husband Prince Bernhard, were among the guests. Also present was the former Emperor’s second wife, Hermine.

Embed from Getty Images

Wilhelm addressed his grandson, “My dear Louis Ferdinand, you have a task to fulfil. You can fulfil it only with the help of God. Under His blessing and with a strong belief in His Son, our Master. I hope you will build your house. Work with all your might to honour God, to the honour of house and to the honour of our German Fatherland, and be an example to your people. God be with you both. He will give you his blessing. We raise our glasses and drink to luck to the wedded couple.”4

Kira and Louis Ferdinand went on to have seven children together. Their grandson, Georg Friedrich, is the current Head of the House of Hohenzollern.

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The Year of Marie Antoinette – Marie Antoinette & Madame Elisabeth (Part one)

Elisabeth was born on 3 May 1764 as the daughter of Louis, Dauphin of France and Maria Josepha of Saxony in the Palace of Versailles. She was baptised the same day in the palace chapel by the Archbishop of Rheims in the presence of the King and the rest of the royal family. She was a frail child, and there were fears that she would die in infancy.

When her father died the following year, her brother Louis Auguste became the new Dauphin. She and her siblings, Louis Auguste, Louis Stanislas, Count of Provence, Charles Philippe, Count of Artois and Clotilde, were orphaned in 1767 when Maria Josepha died from tuberculosis.

Elisabeth and Clotilde were raised by Madame the Marsan, Governess to the Children of France. The two sisters couldn’t be more different. Clotilde had “the happiest disposition, which needed only to be encouraged and aided”, while Elisabeth was “proud, inflexible, passionate and had intolerable defects.”1 Nevertheless, they were quite close, and Clotilde taught her sister the alphabet.

The Abbé de Montégut, canon of Chartres, was appointed to tutor the children in 1774, and he instilled in Elisabeth the religious sentiments that would never leave her. When Elisabeth was 10, her grandfather King Louis XV died, and he was succeeded by her elder brother, now King Louis XVI and his wife, Marie Antoinette, barely out of their teens.

Elisabeth would remain at her studies for now, but Clotilde was destined to marry. The sisters were parted for the first time when Clotilde married the future King Charles Emmanuel IV of Sardinia. Marie Antoinette wrote to her mother, “My sister Elisabeth is a charming child, who has intelligence, character, and much grace; she showed the greatest feeling, and much above her age, at the departure of her sister. The poor little girl was in despair, and as her health is very delicate, she was taken ill and had a severe nervous attack. I own to my dear mamma that I fear I am getting too attached to her, feeling, from the example of my aunts, how essential it is for her happiness not to remain an old maid in this country.”2

Soon Elisabeth, too, would be considered for marriage. She seemed destined to marry a Portuguese Prince, but those negotiations were eventually broken off. Her hand was also sought by the Duke of Aosta and by Marie Antoinette’s brother Emperor Joseph II. None of these ever came to anything, and Élisabeth soon joined the court at Versailles. Nevertheless, she continued her studies, declaring, “My education is not finished. I shall continue it under the same rules; I shall keep my master, and the same hours will be given to religion, the study of languages, belles-lettres, instructive conversations and to my walks and rides on horseback.”3 In 1781, Elisabeth received her own residence at Montreuil from her brother. It gave her some freedom, and she often received visits from her brothers there. However, she was not allowed to sleep there until her 25th year.

She was surprised by Marie Antoinette at Montreuil, who said, “Sister, you are in your own house. This is to be your Trianon. The King, who gives himself the pleasure of giving it to you, gives me the pleasure of telling you.”4 Élisabeth often visited her aunt Louise, a nun at Saint-Denis and daughter of King Louis XV and Maria Leszczyńska, which worried her brother, the King. “I am very willing that you should go and see your aunt, but only on condition that you will not imitate her. Elisabeth, I need you.”5

Elisabeth devoted her entire day to her new home, laying out her farm and dairy. She had an overseer and befriended the local villagers. Soon, her milk went to the children and her fruits and vegetables to the sick. And thus, her life continued until trouble came.

In 1788, she wrote, “The King returns upon his steps, as did our grandfather. He is always afraid of being mistaken; his first impulse passed, he is tormented by a fear of doing injustice… It seems to me that it is in government as it is in education: one should not say I will, unless one is sure of being right; then, once said, nothing should be given up of what has been ordained.”6 Elisabeth turned to her faith, as proven by a handwritten prayer to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.7

On 5 October 1789, the very day that the Parisian mob marched to Versailles and compelled the King to go to Paris, Elisabeth left Montreuil, never to return. From her terrace, she could see the first coming of the mob, and she had urged her brother to stand firm. “It is not Paris, Sire, that you should go. You have still devoted battalions and faithful guards to protect you. I implore you, my brother, not to go to Paris.” As her carriage pulled away from Montreuil, she bent forward to look at the trees. Her brother asked, “Are you bowing to Montreuil, sister?” She answered, “Sire, I am bidding it farewell.”8

From then on, Elisabeth would share in the royal family’s captivity.

Part two coming soon.

The post The Year of Marie Antoinette – Marie Antoinette & Madame Elisabeth (Part one) appeared first on History of Royal Women.

The Coronation of Alexandra of Denmark

Alexandra of Denmark married the future King Edward VII of the United Kingdom in 1863, but they would not become King and Queen until 1901. Their joint coronation took place on 9 August 1902.

It had originally been set to take place on 26 June 1902, but it had to be postponed after King Edward had to undergo surgery for appendicitis.

(public domain)

When the coronation finally happened, Queen Alexandra chose to wear a dress of gold Indian gauze, which had also been embroidered in India. Among the many magnificent jewels, she wore the replica of the Dagmar Cross, which she had been given on her marriage. She wrote about her dress, “I am so proud to be wearing an Indian dress for that great occasion & hope you will make this known in India.”1

The coronation service had been shortened for King Edward’s comfort but still lasted 2,5 hours. The day was reportedly quite dark, despite August, and the electric lights gave a rather startling effect.2 King Edward reportedly walked up the nave so quickly that he had to be told to slow down.3 Many guests and royal invited to the original coronation had returned home, but it was still a “consecration of the Imperial idea.”4 When he took the oath, “many ladies began to cry.”5

King Edward was still too weak to wear the heavy St. Edward’s Crown, and he wore the lighter Imperial State Crown instead. Archbishop Temple, who was 81 and nearly blind, placed the crown back to front, and the King had to help him put it right. When Edward received homage from his son George, the future King George V, he pulled his son back by his robe and kissed him twice. Above the chancel, was a box mockingly given the name “the King’s Loose Box”, which included Alice Keppel.6

After Edward came Alexandra’s coronation, which was performed by the Archbishop of York. She wore a toupet with her own hair but made sure that the Archbishop knew that the holy oil had to touch her body and not just this fake hair. She kept the oil on as long as she could and returned to Buckingham Palace with it still on her.7

Alexandra knelt before the altar underneath a canopy supported by four Duchesses, and as she was crowned, 400 peeresses put on their coronets. Alexandra was crowned with a newly designed crown featuring the Koh-i-Noor diamond, and she carried a sceptre and ivory rod. As she passed her husband, she dropped a low bow.

Their daughter-in-law Mary later wrote, “At 10.45, we started in state for Westminster Abbey. Got there at 11… Beautiful impressive service… Very fine sight… Very good reception from the large crowds in the streets… Dined at home.”8 Nine years later, Queen Alexandra wrote, “Nothing in this world comes to it – having felt and gone through it all myself only 9 short years ago – how beautiful and solemn it was & quite ineffaceable from ones mind for ever – & the heavenly music – adding to it all.”9

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The Coronation of Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen

Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen married the future King William IV of the United Kingdom on 11 July 1818. They were then known as the Duke and Duchess of Clarence. On 26 June 1830, William succeeded his brother King George IV as King.

Their coronation was set for 8 September 1831, which was an exceptionally fine day. Queen Adelaide made a very good impression on everyone. The Duchess of Dino commented, “The Queen is the only person who escapes criticism, everyone says she was perfect, and they are right.”1

The Duchess of Gordon carried Queen Adelaide’s train, and she was attended by Lady Georgina Bathurst, Lady Mary Pelham, Lady Sophia Cust, Lady Teresa Fox-Strangways, Lady Theodosia Brabazon and Lady Georgina Grey. Her ladies-in-waiting were the Countess Brownlow and the Marchioness of Westmeath. Madame von Bülow wrote, “My interest was naturally centred in the Queen, and I was very happy to see her so generally admired and appearing to such an advantage. Though she is in reality not too good-looking, she appeared so on that day undeniably, for the beauty lay in something beyond mere outward loveliness. It was the beauty of her soul that seem to shine out from and impress itself upon her whole person. Her bearing was full of dignity, repose, and characteristic grace; she seemed deeply moved, and it was clear that her heartfelt devotion raised her above all the outward surroundings. When I saw her on the Tuesday before the Coronation, she spoke to me of this quite simply and naturally, saying she had often noticed it in herself before, and that she hoped it would again be so, particularly during the Communion service.”2

Embed from Getty ImagesEmbed from Getty Images

King William and Queen Adelaide arrived at Westminster Abbey at 11 o’clock on the dot in the Gold State Coach. William was dressed in the uniform of an admiral, while Adelaide was dressed in a white and gold gown. Adelaide wore Mary of Modena’s diadem for the coronation, but she refused to wear her crown, and a new one was made for her using jewels that had belonged to Queen Charlotte. Despite this, the bill for the jewels came to a mere £1,453 19s 8d, which was far less than the estimated £15,000.

Queen Adelaide’s crown was later emptied of its jewels and was never worn again. (public domain)

King William IV had insisted on economising, and this included the furnishing being used in the Abbey. Several state chairs were borrowed from St James’s Palace and the House of Lords. 3 The banquet in Westminster Hall had also been removed from the program. Queen Adelaide did order a lace handkerchief of sprigs from Honiton laceworks to carry at the coronation. She later also ordered a robe of Honiton sprigs.4

The coronation also raised some serious questions as to the precedence of King William’s illegitimate children, and the Duchess of Kent (mother of the future Queen Victoria) was so dissatisfied with the arrangements that she refused to attend, as she would not allow her daughter, the heiress presumptive to the throne, to go either. She refused with the excuse that it would hurt Princess Victoria’s health to leave the Isle of Wight.

King William had cared very little about having a coronation at all, and it was later summarised with the words, “The coronation went off well, and whereas nobody was satisfied before,e it everybody was after it. No events of consequence.”5

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IN PHOTOS: The wedding of Princess Alexandra of Luxembourg and Nicolas Bagory

Following a civil ceremony last week, Princess Alexandra of Luxembourg married Nicolas Bagory in a religious ceremony in France yesterday. The Grand Ducal Family came out in full force for the ceremony. 

She wore the Chaumet tiara without the pearls, and her wedding dress was reportedly a custom Elie Saab dress.

Princess Alexandra is currently sixth in the line of succession, having been excluded until 2011 because she is a woman.

Click to view slideshow.

The post IN PHOTOS: The wedding of Princess Alexandra of Luxembourg and Nicolas Bagory appeared first on History of Royal Women.

Queen Camilla to wear Queen Elizabeth II’s Robe of State

Buckingham Palace has revealed that Queen Camilla will wear Queen Elizabeth II’s Robe of State.

Queen Elizabeth II  wore the Robe of State for her own coronation in 1953. The Robe is made of crimson velvet and has been conserved by robemakers at Ede and Ravenscroft. Some minor adjustments have been made for Queen Camilla. The Robe of State is worn on arrival at Westminster Abbey.

Click to view slideshow.

Upon departure, Queen Camilla will change into a Robe of Estate. This has been made new for her by the Royal School of Needlework and Ede and Ravenscroft. The train has themes of nature and environment to portray the King and Queen’s shared love of nature. It was made of a rich purple velvet to match King Charles’s Robe of Estate. It will feature insects such as bees, flowers, and Camilla’s cypher.

The Lily of the Valley pays tribute to Queen Elizabeth II, as it was one of her favourites.

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The Coronation of Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz

Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz had set sail for England on 17 August 1761 after a proxy wedding ceremony to King George III of King of Great Britain and Ireland. She landed at Harwich on 7 September and was dutifully married to him in person the following day.

Just two weeks later, on 22 September 1761, she and George were crowned together. George had only become King the year before, following the death of his grandfather, King George II, on 25 October 1760.

From Westminster Hall, King George and Queen Charlotte walked along a canopied and railed platform to the west door of Westminster Abbey. The procession was rather long, and many peers and peeresses attended in their velvet state robes, carrying their coronets. The Archbishop of Canterbury walked almost immediately before Charlotte.

Charlotte walked underneath a canopy of cloth of gold with a silver bell on each corner. This was carried by sixteen barons of the Cinque Ports. The principal train-bearer was the Countess of Northumberland. Her mother-in-law, Princess Augusta, and six assistant bearers had waited for Charlotte in the Painted Chamber of the Palace of Westminster. Her train-bearers wore “cloth of gold glittering with silver and sequins.” It was later written that Charlotte wore a “stiffenbody’d Robe silver embroidered [with gold] Tissue Petticoat, Diamond Stomacher, Purple Velvet Sleeves Diamds, Pearls as big as Cherrys, Girdle, Petticoats Diamds, Purple Velvet Surcoat & Mantle with Ermine and Lace, Purple Velvet Cap, only one string of Diamds & Crown Aigrette, Fan Mother of Pearl, Emerald, Rubys & Diamds.”1 The coronation crown and other regalia were carried before her. She nearly outshone the King’s procession.

Charlotte’s coronation as portrayed in Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story (Screenshot/Fair Use)

King George was crowned with St. Edward’s Crown as the peers placed their coronets on their heads. After the ceremonies surrounding the King, they moved on to Charlotte. She was also anointed and crowned before taking her seat of state beside her husband. She bowed to her husband as she passed him. They changed their coronation crowns to their state crowns before the procession returned to Westminster Hall for the grand banquet.

According to one spectator, the King and Queen “both eat like farmers.”2

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A first look at Alicia Vikander as Katherine Parr

We’ve been given a first look at Alicia Vikander as Katherine Parr in the upcoming film “Firebrand.”

First look at Alicia Vikander as Katherine Parr in the Cannes-bound ‘Firebrand’. pic.twitter.com/rmMX6ZDdiV

— ɴᴏᴛ ᴀʟɪᴄɪᴀ ᴠɪᴋᴀɴᴅᴇʀ ⊛ (@AliciaVikanderD) April 27, 2023

The film is based on the novel Queen’s Gambit by Elizabeth Fremantle and focuses on her life as the sixth and final wife of King Henry VIII of England. Filming began in April 2022, and the film is now headed to the Cannes Film Festival.

 

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The Coronations of Anne of Denmark

Anne of Denmark married  James VI, King of Scots, in 1589 and was subsequently crowned Queen of Scots the following year. When he succeeded Queen Elizabeth I as King of England and Ireland in 1603, she and James were crowned together in Westminster Abbey.

Anne had only left Denmark in April 1590 as her wedding had taken place at Oslo after her fleet had been pushed back to land. Her future husband instead came to her to marry her. Preparations for her coronation were quickly underway as many foreign guests were expected. James himself had been crowned in 1567 as an infant, following his mother’s abdication.

No expenses were spared. Anne’s coronation robe was of purple velvet lined with Spanish taffeta. The pages and footmen who would attend her had new liveries of crimson velvet.1 The coronation took place on 17 May 1590 at the Abbey Church of Holyrood, the first with protestant rites. King James chose Robert Bruce to crown Anne.

Two processions made their way to the Abbey church. The first was led by James, in purple velvet and ermine robes. The second procession was led by the Danish nobles and contained the 15-year-old Queen Anne. In front of Anne was the Earl of Angus, who carried the sword of state, the Duke of Hamilton, who carried the sceptre and Chancellor Maitland bearing the cross.2

The entire service lasted for seven hours and included sermons in three languages. After Robert Bruce placed the crown on her head, the Countess of Mar opened the neck of Anne’s gown to allow for the anointing. Anne then entered the cabinet of the Abbey with her ladies to change into her coronation robes and then returned to her seat.

The crown was then placed on Anne’s head again by the chancellor while she was also handed the sceptre and the sword of state. She then took an oath to defend the rights of the church. Trumpets then sounded as heralds shouted, “God save the Queen.” The act of homage then took place as nobles knelt before Anne and took the oath. As the service ended, the procession once again formed. Still wearing the crown, Anne left the Abbey and returned to Holyrood House.

Yale Center for British Art, CC0

Thirteen years later, Anne and James would have a joint coronation as King and Queen of England and Ireland. On 25 July 1603, Anne and James went by river from Whitehall to the Palace of Westminster. In the pouring rain, they then walked to Westminster Abbey. It had been 70 years since a Queen consort had been crowned. Unfortunately, the attendance was relatively low due to fears of the plague. Anne had her own procession, and the sceptre and crown were carried in front of her by two Earls.

A spectator later wrote, “Queen Anne went to her coronation in a robe of crimson velvet with her seemly hair hanging down on her princely shoulders and on her head a coronet of plain gold, followed by the ladies of her household in their crimson velvet robes. She so mildly saluted her new subjects that the women weeping cried out with one voice, ‘God bless the royal Queen. Welcome to England. Long to live and continue.'”3 During the ceremony, Anne refrained from taking the sacrament according to the Church of England. She was seated next to James on a somewhat lower throne than the coronation chair.

After the coronation, James and Anne moved on to Woodstock Palace to avoid the plague.

 

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