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The British Monarchy Miscellany

Page 15

by Alex David


  • The marriage, his second, was purely political and was meant to bring England back to Catholicism. Mary

  however developed great affection for him which was not returned.

  • In 1556 he became King of Spain and spent most of his following years as English King Consort abroad.

  • After Mary’s death he proposed to her half-sister Elizabeth with no success. Later in Elizabeth’s reign he famously sent the Spanish Armada against her in an

  effort to conquer England.

  Burial: El Escorial Palace, near Madrid, Spain.

  249

  Anne of Denmark

  (12 Dec 1574 – 4 Mar 1619)

  Spouse: James I

  Tenure as Queen: 24 Mar 1603 – 4 Mar 1619

  Marriage: 23 Nov 1589 – 4 Mar 1619

  Parents: King Frederick II of Denmark and Sophie of Mecklenburg-Gustrow

  Notable Facts:

  • Anne married James when he was King of Scotland

  before his accession to the English throne, and so is the only woman to have been separately both Queen of

  Scotland and Queen of England.

  • Their relationship was loving at first, but they drifted apart over the years as James adopted male favourites.

  • She became a patron of artists in England, including Inigo Jones who created the Queen’s House at Greenwich for her. She also commissioned and took part in lavish masques performances at court.

  • She was rumoured to have converted secretly to

  Catholicism in her later years, the first of the Stuarts to do so in the 17th century.

  Burial: Westminster Abbey, London.

  250

  Henrietta Maria of France

  (25 Nov 1609 – 10 Sep 1669)

  Spouse: Charles I

  Tenure as Queen / Marriage: 13 Jun 1625 – 30 Jan 1649

  Parents: King Henry IV of France and Marie de Medici

  Notable Facts:

  • One of the most troublesome royal consorts in English history, she was vivacious yet stubborn and proud, with a famous hot temper.

  • Despite initial problems she and Charles enjoyed a successful, loving marriage, with no evidence of Charles ever taking a mistress.

  • A passionate Catholic, she refused to convert to

  Anglicanism and openly promoted Catholicism in

  England, becoming unpopular with the people because of her faith and personality.

  • She encouraged Charles to resist Parliament’s demands and to rule alone instead, worsening the tensions that contributed to the English Civil War.

  • During the English Civil War she moved abroad, raising money and allies for the Royalist cause, yet still

  counselled Charles by letters.

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  • She later saw the monarchy restored and her son

  Charles II crowned but, complaining about the English weather, she lived out her last years in France.

  Burial: Basilica of St Denis, Paris, France. Her remains were lost during the French Revolution.

  252

  Catherine of Braganza

  (25 Nov 1638 – 30 Nov 1705)

  Spouse: Charles II

  Tenure as Queen / Marriage: 21 May 1662 – 6 Feb 1685

  Parents: King John IV of Portugal and Luisa de Guzman

  Notable Facts:

  • Her marriage was arranged for diplomatic reasons and to provide for an heir however she failed to produce any offsprings.

  • She was initially shocked by Charles’ determination to keep mistresses after his marriage but the two came to an understanding, and had a true loving relationship despite the lack of children.

  • Privately Catholic, she was often the target of anti-Catholic resentment and was accused of treason during the Popish Plot of 1678, however Charles defender her against all accusations.

  • After Charles’ death she went back to Portugal where she lived actively into her 60s, including serving as Regent for her young brother.

  • She is widely credited with popularising tea drinking in England which she introduced from her native Portugal.

  Burial: Monastery of Sao Vicente de Fora, Lisbon, Portugal.

  253

  Mary of Modena

  (5 Oct 1658 – 7 May 1718)

  Spouse: James II

  Tenure as Queen: 6 Feb 1685 – 11 Dec 1688

  Marriage: 30 Sep 1673 – 16 Sep 1701

  Parents: Duke Alfonso IV d’Este of Modena and Laura Martinozzi

  Notable Facts:

  • Married when she was only 15-years-old, she was 25

  years younger than her husband. Despite her age she became a good stepmother to James’ two daughters

  from his first marriage who later both became Queens Regnant.

  • Most of her pregnancies ended in miscarriages or infant deaths. When she finally gave birth to a healthy son in 1688 a rumour spread that the child was a changeling who had been smuggled into her bedchamber in a

  warming pan.

  • The changeling rumour was later disproved, however fears that the baby would establish a Catholic dynasty in England sparked the Glorious Revolution of 1688-89, forcing James and Mary to flee to France (see James II in Monarchs Fact Sheets).

  254

  • After James’ death she remained in France and became a popular member of the French royal court.

  Burial: Convent of Chaillot, Paris, France, destroyed during the French Revolution. Her remains are lost.

  255

  George of Denmark

  (2 Apr 1653 – 28 Oct 1708)

  Spouse: Anne

  Tenure as Prince Consort: 8 Mar 1702 – 28 Oct 1708

  Marriage: 28 Jul 1683 – 28 Oct 1708

  Parents: King Frederick III of Denmark and Sophie Amalie of Brunswick-Luneburg

  Notable Facts:

  • The first true Prince Consort in English/British history, George was also a Prince of Denmark in his own right, and a second cousin once removed to Anne.

  • Famously modest and effacing, he acquired a

  reputation for dullness. Said to be interested mostly in eating and drinking, he took little part in politics.

  • He was nevertheless deeply devoted to Anne, and his early death of chronic respiratory problems devastated her.

  • His passive role as Prince Consort reinforced the notion that Queens Regnant were full monarchs in their own right.

  Burial: Westminster Abbey, London.

  256

  Caroline of Ansbach

  (1 Mar 1683 – 20 Nov 1737)

  Spouse: George II

  Tenure as Queen: 11 Jun 1727 – 20 Nov 1737

  Marriage: 22 Aug 1705 – 20 Nov 1737

  Parents: Margrave John Frederick of Brandenburg-Ansbach and Princess Eleanore Erdmuthe of Saxe-

  Eisenach

  Notable Facts:

  • One of the most capable royal consorts in British history, Caroline was well-educated and interested in the arts, philosophy and science.

  • Politically liberal and wise, she was an ally and supporter of the first Prime Minister, Robert Walpole, and a Regent of the kingdom when George travelled

  occasionally to Hanover.

  • She had a successful marriage and knew how to handle her husband’s famous bad temper. However she had a

  contentious relationship with her firstborn son, Frederick Prince of Wales, whom she abhorred.

  • She was the first German royal family member to be popular with the people and made the Hanoverian

  dynasty acceptable to the British.

  Burial: Westminster Abbey, London.

  257

  Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz

  (19 May 1744 – 17 Nov 1818)

  Spouse: George III

  Tenure as Queen / Marriage: 8 Sep 1761 – 17 Nov 1818

  Parents: Duke Charles Louis Frederick of Mecklenburg and Princess Elisabeth Albertine of Saxe-Hildburghausen

  Notable Facts:

  • Charlotte was the l
ongest-serving Queen Consort in English/British history, with a 57-year tenure. She also had the most children of any English/British queen with 15 offsprings.

  • She did not involve herself in politics, leading instead a domestic life raising children and looking after household matters. She became especially attached to her

  daughters, many of whom she forced to live with her, unmarried, until her death.

  • She was greatly interested in botany and created new gardens at Kew, Frogmore and other royal residences.

  • During her husband’s bouts of madness she often

  served as his legal guardian, including during his final long period of permanent illness when she found it difficult to deal with his mental condition.

  Burial: St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle, Berkshire.

  258

  Caroline of Brunswick

  (17 May 1768 – 7 Aug 1821)

  Spouse: George IV

  Tenure as Queen: 29 Jan 1820 – 7 Aug 1821

  Marriage: 8 Apr 1795 –7 Aug 1821

  Parents: Duke Charles William Ferdinand of Brunswick-Wolfenbuttel and Princess Augusta of Great Britain

  Notable Facts:

  • One of the most colourful Princesses of Wales and Queens in British history, she was generous, spirited but poorly educated and ill-prepared for a royal marriage.

  • Her nature as a tomboy and poor personal appearance clashed with George’s refined tastes. Their relationship broke down immediately after their marriage and they lived apart afterwards.

  • She engaged in a scandalous life as Princess of Wales, supposedly having affairs with politicians and

  questionable characters. Many however saw her as a

  victim of George’s selfish behaviour and she became a focus of popular opposition to him.

  • She moved abroad for six years when she was Princess of Wales, engaging in more scandalous behaviour before coming back to England in 1820 on George’s accession as King. She was then tried in the House of Lords for her alleged adultery but was acquitted.

  259

  • George refused to admit her to his own coronation in Westminster Abbey in 1821, and she died shortly

  afterwards of illness. Her last wish was to be buried away from England in her native Brunswick.

  Burial: Brunswick Cathedral, Brunswick, Germany.

  260

  Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen

  (13 Aug 1792 – 2 Dec 1849)

  Spouse: William IV

  Tenure as Queen: 26 Jun 1830 – 20 Jun 1837

  Marriage: 13 Jul 1818 –20 Jun 1837

  Parents: Duke George I of Saxe-Meiningen and Princess Louise Eleanore of Hohenloe-Langenburg

  Notable Facts:

  • Twenty six years younger than her husband, their

  marriage was meant to provide for the royal succession but resulted only in miscarriages and infant deaths.

  • A gentle and caring woman, their marriage was a loving one and she was tolerant of William’s many illegitimate children.

  • She was generally conservative and was criticised as Queen for her opposition to political and electoral reform which was the central issue of William’s reign.

  • After William died she became a popular Queen

  Dowager, doing charitable work and providing guidance to the young Queen Victoria.

  Burial: St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle, Berkshire.

  261

  Albert of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha

  (26 Aug 1819 – 14 Dec 1861)

  Spouse: Victoria

  Tenure as Prince Consort / Marriage: 10 Feb 1840 – 14

  Dec 1861

  Parents: Duke Ernest I of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha and Princess Louise of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg

  Notable Facts:

  • One of the most influential royal consorts in British history, together with Victoria he was the creator of the modern family monarchy.

  • Incredibly multitalented, he was skilled in politics, architecture, music, painting, and designing. He was a patron and supporter of innumerable causes in the

  sciences, arts, social charities and reforms.

  • He organised the Great Exhibition of 1851 which

  showcased Britain’s progress in the world, the proceeds of which went to build museums in London.

  • Albert bought and rebuilt Osborne House on the Isle of Wight and Balmoral in Scotland, to be used as new royal residences.

  • A full political partner to Victoria, she came to greatly rely on him in government matters. His premature death 262

  at the age of 42 left her devastated, and in mourning for the rest of her life.

  • Originally unloved in the country because of his foreign origins, he came to be appreciated after his death.

  Burial: Frogmore Royal Mausoleum, Windsor Home Park, Berkshire.

  263

  Alexandra of Denmark

  (1 Dec 1844 – 20 Nov 1925)

  Spouse: Edward VII

  Tenure as Queen: 22 Jan 1901 – 6 May 1910

  Marriage: 10 Mar 1863 – 6 May 1910

  Parents: King Christian IX of Denmark and Princess Louise of Hesse-Kassel

  Notable Facts:

  • Kind, considerate and good-natured, Alexandra was also one of the great royal beauties of her day, setting fashion trends in society.

  • She had a testing but loving relationship with Edward because of his mistresses, some of whom she came to accept as social companions.

  • As Princess of Wales she took over many social duties from Queen Victoria during her mourning period and

  became greatly loved by the people. She remained the most popular member of the Royal Family until her

  death.

  • She was devoted to nursing, founding several corps and assisting in the formation of the British Red Cross.

  • Although her tenure as Queen was short, she remains the longest-serving Princess of Wales in history.

  Burial: St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle, Berkshire.

  264

  Mary of Teck

  (26 May 1867 – 24 Mar 1953)

  Spouse: George V

  Tenure as Queen: 6 May 1910 – 20 Jan 1936

  Marriage: 6 Jul 1893 – 20 Jan 1936

  Parents: Duke Francis of Teck and Princess Mary Adelaide of Cambridge

  Notable Facts:

  • Mary was originally engaged to George’s older brother Albert Victor. After his premature death in 1892 she married George. Although both reserved, their marriage was happy with Mary providing George steadfast support when he became king.

  • She was the first royal consort to visit Commonwealth dominions and colonies. During World War One she

  visited hospitals, and supported nurses and troops.

  • She became known popularly for her great regal

  bearing and monumental use of jewels. A passionate art collector, she increased and catalogued the holdings in the Royal Collection.

  • After George V’s death she supported her son

  George VI during and after the Abdication Crisis of 1936.

  265

  • A great believer in duty and service, she passed on her beliefs to her granddaughter Elizabeth II.

  Burial: St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle, Berkshire.

  266

  Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon

  (4 Aug 1900 – 30 Apr 2002)

  Spouse: George VI

  Tenure as Queen: 11 Dec 1936 – 6 Feb 1952

  Marriage: 26 Apr 1923 – 6 Feb 1952

  Parents: Claude Bowes-Lyon, Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne, and Cecilia Cavendish-Bentinck

  Notable Facts:

  • The first British commoner Queen (i.e. of non-royal lineage) since Catherine Parr in 1543, Elizabeth was known for her charms and ability to relate to everyone.

  • She provided crucial support to her husband George VI, and helped him restore the standing of the monarchy after the Abdication Crisis of 1936.

  • She became an icon of British resis
tance during World War Two when she refused to leave her husband’s side in London and toured bombed out areas and hospitals.

  • After George’s death she became a popular Queen

  Mother, continuing to support charities and the military.

  • She continued to carry out hundreds of engagements into her 90s as the respected matriarch of the Royal Family. She died aged 101 as the oldest royal consort in British history.

  Burial: St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle, Berkshire.

  267

  Philip of Greece

  (10 Jun 1921 – present)

  Spouse: Elizabeth II

  Tenure as Prince Consort: 6 Feb 1952 – present Marriage: 20 Nov 1947 – present

  Parents: Prince Andrew of Greece and Princess Alice of Battenberg

  Notable Facts:

  • A grandson and nephew of two Kings of Greece, Philip officially changed his name to Mountbatten, borne by his mother’s family, after becoming a British citizen in 1947.

  • He served in combat in World War Two and had a

 

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