Royal Wedding Months

While researching a recent episode of my show, The Royal Report, I noticed that I haven't written a blog post about the months that royal weddings have been held on. Since Queen Victoria's time, June and July seems to be the most popular months to hold them.

January

Princess Victoria, Princess Royal & Prince Frederick William of Prussia - January 25,1858

George, The Earl of St Andrews & Sylvana Tomaselli - January 9, 1988

Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburg & Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna of Russia - January 23, 1874

February

Queen Victoria and Prince Albert - February 10, 1840

Princess Mary, Princess Royal and Viscount Lascelles - February 28, 1922

Princess Patricia of Connaught & The Hon. Alexander Ramsay - February 27, 1919

March

King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra - March 10, 1863

Princess Louise and Marquess of Lorne - March 21, 1871

Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught & Princess Margurite of Prussia - March 13, 1879

April

Princess Alexandra of Kent & Angus Ogilvy - April 24, 1963

King George VI & Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother - April 26, 1923

Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles - April 9, 2005

Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany & Princess Helena of Waldeck and Pyrmont - April 27, 1882

May

Peter Philips and Autumn Kelly - May 17, 2008

Princess Margaret & Antony Armstrong Jones - May 6, 1960

June

Prince Edward, Duke of Kent and Katherine Worsley - June 8, 1961

Prince Edward and Sophie Rhys Jones - June 19, 1999

Duke of Windsor and Wallis Simpson - June 3, 1937

Prince Richard and Birgitte van Deurs - June 8, 1972

Prince Michael of Kent & Marie-Christine von Reibnitz - June 30, 1978

Alexander, Earl of Ulster & Claire Booth - June 22, 2002

July

Princess Alice & Prince Louise of Hesse and by Rhine - July 1, 1862

Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer - July 29, 1981

Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson - July 23, 1986

King George V and Queen Mary - July 6, 1893

Lady Sarah Armstrong Jones & Daniel Chatto - July 14, 1994

Lady Helen Windsor & Tim Taylor - July 18, 1992

Princess Beatrice & Prince Henry of Battenburg - July 23, 1885

Lady Davina Windsor & Gary Lewis - July 31, 2004

Lady Rose Windsor & George Gilman - July 19, 2008

August

There have been no notable royal weddings in this month

September

There have been no notable royal weddings in this month

October

Princess Alice of Battenburg & Prince Andrew of Greece - October 6, 1903

David Linley & Serena Stanhope - October 8, 1993

Lord Nicholas Windsor & Paola Doimi de Lupis Frankopan October 19, 2006 (Civil Ceremony)

November

Lord Nicholas Windsor & Paola Doimi di Delupis de Frankopan - November 4, 2006 (Religious Ceremony)

Princess Anne and Mark Philips - November 14, 1973

Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester & Lady Alice Montagu-Douglas Scott - November 6, 1935

Prince George, Duke of Kent & Princess Marina of Greece - November 29, 1934

December

Princess Anne, The Princess Royal & Timothy Laurence - December 12, 1992


© Marilyn Braun 2009

Royal Review: Style and Splendor

It's only been in the last 10 years or so that I've developed a true appreciation for royal fashion. Prior to that, I thought that they were just overpriced outfits and gowns. However after seeing the the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 2001, and in 2002 the Elite Elegance haute couture exhibit at the Royal Ontario Museum, I changed my mind. The sheer craftsmanship of these gowns is breathtaking to see up-close, and one can only wonder just how the wearer felt in them.

Style and Splendor - The Wardrobe of Queen Maud of Norway by Anne Kjellberg and Susan North covers outfits, accessories and gowns that she wore both as a princess and later as the Queen of Norway from 1896 to 1938.

The mother of King Olav V and the sister of Prince Albert Victor and Princess Victoria Alexandra , Princess Maud of Wales was not destined to be Queen. It was only when the Norwegians had a referendum in 1905 that the country elected to have a monarchy. As a result, Princess Maud and her husband Prince Carl of Denmark came to the throne as King Haakon VII and Queen Maud of Norway.

Unlike her sister-in-law Queen Mary, who for the majority of her life seemed stuck in a fashion time-warp pre-1914, Queen Maud wore the latest designs up until her death in 1938. This book showcases her fashions: coronation gown, day outfits, accessories, and gorgeous evening dresses in striking detail with beautiful photos, descriptions and information the designer.

I bought this book shortly after it came out and I was somewhat disappointed at how small it was. The contents definitely make up for any shortcomings in that area. And the book is well worth the price if you're interested in fashion from the period or royal fashion in general.

© Marilyn Braun 2009

The Youngest Princesses

My last post about contemporary royal romances made me start thinking about the beautiful new princesses that have resulted from these latest marriages. (Yes, the baby princes are cute too, but this is a blog about princesses. . .) I know many of my readers are not avid royal watchers, so I thought you might like to see pics of these little darlings. For those of you who are already familiar with them, you will probably enjoy seeing them again!

It's hard to choose just one photo of Infanta Leonor of Spain. I think she is the most adorable child in the world since Shirley Temple retired her tap shoes! This one of her holding her little sister Infanta Sofia's hand--and wearing matching outfits as they often do--is one of my favorites. Leonor is the oldest daughter of the Felipe and Letizia, the Prince and Princess of the Asturias. She is second in line to the throne after her father. However, under current Spanish law, which uses male-preference primogeniture to determine succession, she would be superceded if her father has any legitimate sons. (This is the same type of succession used in England--if Queen Elizabeth II had had a brother, she wouldn't be queen today.) Changes in the law have been proposed in Spain, but have not yet been adopted.

In Denmark, Princess Isabella is third in line to the throne following her father, Crown Prince Frederick and her older brother Prince Christian. Denmark, like all of the Scandinavian countries, has adopted gender-blind succession laws. Isabella's name was considered an unusual choice because it is not common in Denmark, but I think it is very lovely. (By the way, take a look at her shoes in this photo--either she was is extremely active or her mom is thrifty enough to use hand-me-downs.)

Princess Ingrid Alexandra is second in line in Norway after her father, Crown Prince Haakon. As his oldest child, she takes precedence over her younger full brother, Prince Sverre Magnus, because Norway's succession goes by birth order. However, the law was only changed in 1990. Before that, Norway used Salic Law, which meant women could not accede to the throne at all. Therefore, Haakon's older sister, Princess Martha Louise, was excluded until the new law was passed. Under the new succession law, Haakon, as the second child, would have been demoted. So, Parliament decided that, while Martha Louise would be included in the line of succession, the new gender-blind rules would only apply to children born after 1990. This doesn't seem to bother Martha Louise who dropped her royal status (she's just Her Highness, not Her Royal Highness) when she married in 2002. She has numerous business ventures which would not have been possible if she were heir to the throne.

Belgium has a plethora of tiny princesses, but the future queen is Princess Elisabeth (she's on the left, with her cousins, Princess Letitia Marie and Princess Louise). King Albert II has six granddaughters and six grandsons. Elisabeth is the first of Crown Prince Philippe's children and is number two behind her dad in order of succession. She has two younger brothers, Gabriel and Emmanuel, and a younger sister, Eleonore.

Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands, like the Queen of England, also benefited from having no brothers. She succeeded her mother, Queen Juliana, who also had no brothers, and Queen Juliana succeeded her mother, Queen Wilhemina, whose brothers had died young. In fact, when the current Crown Prince Willem Alexander was born in 1967, he was the first Dutch prince to be born in more than 100 years. Although Beatrix broke the century-long tradition by having three sons and no daughters, she has made up for it in the next generation: seven of her eight grandchildren are girls. Only three of the girls are princesses, however, as it was decided in 2001 that only the children of the Crown Prince would have royal status; the other girls are countesses. The Crown Prince's three daughters are Princess Catharina-Amalia (called Amalia), Princess Alexia (named for her dad, who is called Alexander) and Princess Ariane, in that order. The top photo shows the three princesses from youngest to oldest. The bottom photo shows Queen Beatrix wrangling her six oldest grandchildren.

All of these little girls are still too young to realize the true impact of their positions. They probably think all children are incessantly followed by photographers! However, their parents have taken measures to raise them as normally as possible. Unlike many previous royals, they were born in hospitals and they attend regular kindergartens with ordinary children. They also appear to have very devoted parents who take them on regular outings to the seaside, theme parks, and other family-oriented spots. And, like most little girls, they seem to have their daddies wrapped around their fingers!

Royal Review: Kate Middleton: Princess in Waiting by Claudia Joseph

Until Kate - Kate Middleton: Princess in Waiting was published, the only other book about her was Robert Jobson's William's Princess. I was looking forward to reading Claudia Joseph's biography if only to see whether one could be written that does Kate justice. This book does just that. From the first page it is very clear that Joseph has done her homework - unlike Jobson.

Starting with her great-great-great-great grandparents, the author traces Kate's paternal and materal lives back to Queen Victoria's time. Her ancestry continuously running parallel to that of the royal family. But it's difficult to compare backgrounds with the royals. Anyone, including Kate's family will always come up short. They will always appear humble and common, making them no more remarkable than yours or mine.

Yet the comparisons do not end there as the lives of Kate's maternal and paternal ancestry is reviewed. One thing that I had a hard time with is just as I was getting into the maternal life story, it ended and the next chapter moved on to the paternal side. Constantly going back and forth between families was distracting. Just as you feel as though one side has moved further away from their humble backgrounds, you are returned to the other side still working on achieving that goal.

But the details are extraordinary. Joseph doesn't just write that Kate's family worked in coal mines, she actually describes their lives filled with hardship, illness, death. Making it far more interesting than the brief glimpses of the comparative glittering royal existence, which only serves to highlight the hardships. This is unnecessary; Kate's humble beginnings stand on their own. However, they're constantly portrayed as social climbers for simply wanting a better existence.

Eventually both sides rise in status and we are brought to the lives of Kate's parents, glossing over their current backgrounds and Kate's early life. The book then switches to the relevant history of William and Kate's relationship, making it little different from Jobson's. It also occasionally deviates into romance novel territory, just phrased differently.

Without an engagement I think both books are somewhat premature, although should one be announced, Joseph's could serve as a good primer for Kate's early family history. Ultimately neither one reveals anything new in William and Kate's relationship that can't and hasn't be read elsewhere.

© Marilyn Braun 2009

Royal Review: William's Princess by Robert Jobson

I’ve had a hard time finding something nice to say about William's Princess by Robert Jobson. All I could come up with is that it has nice photos and at some point it must have had the potential to be better.

For people outside of the UK, the name Kate Middleton may mean absolutely nothing. But her name means a lot to royal watchers, with reactions ranging from idolatry to downright hatred. In case you’re wondering, Kate Middleton is the girlfriend of Prince William, the son of Prince Charles and the late Diana, Princess of Wales. Wills and Kate have been dating for seven or eight years and when it comes to their relationship, there is no middle ground.

The book starts off with Robert Jobson getting an exclusive tip to a big story: the engagement of Charles and Camilla. Is he trying to prove his credentials? The “About the Author” covers his award winning career as a commentator. His first book was Diana: Closely Guarded Secret, co-written with Ken Wharfe (which I actually enjoyed). So now that we’ve gotten that out of the way we can focus on Kate, right?

No.

Considering the title: William’s Princess. You’d think the focus would be on Kate. Well, indirectly it does. It starts with rehashing Charles’s love history, then Diana’s. I guess trying to predict William’s attitude towards marriage, so that when Jobson finally gets around to William, we’re primed and ready. William ‘has fallen in love young’, is ‘determined to not throw it away’, but ‘will not be bullied into marrying one of his own’. So now that we’ve established that William has a mind of his own, we can focus on Kate, right?

No.

Ultimately, this book has next to nothing to do with Kate. Possibly because so little is on record about her. She’s ultimately portrayed as an attractive, confident, tolerant accessory in William’s life. Published prior to their April 2007 split, to Jobson, it’s a foregone conclusion that Kate will be William’s bride. Kate’s middle-class background is focused on, with a rather weak attempt to include some royal links in her family history. The importance of finding a suitable bride is covered in detail. But sometimes the book reads like a romance novel. Case in point:

…the turquoise waters of the Caribbean glimmered and gave way to emeralds, pinks and reds as the sun dipped towards the sea on the horizon. The sky glowed golden..as they sat in the cocktail bar..sipping their exotic drinks and absorbed in each other’s company…

If that doesn’t make you squirm then speculation on Kate’s virginity is sure to:

..the delicate matter of whether her virginity is still intact may not be an issue yet tackled…

Yikes!

If you’re interested in reading about speculation on Prince William and Kate Middleton’s relationship, then this is the book for you.

Just don't expect to find much about Kate herself in it.

© Marilyn Braun 2009

How to Become a Princess

If you don’t have monarchs for parents, but you are thinking of choosing princesshood as your career path—today’s princesses have to work (and give up all privacy) for the privileges they receive—here are a few tips based on how some of this century’s royal ladies gained their tiaras. A generation ago, your family still had to live on top of a royal family for you to get inside (Fergie’s dad was a royal polo manager and Diana was literally born on a royal estate), but contemporary royal wannabes can be a little more proactive.

1. Go to high-profile international events

In 1999, Argentine-born New York investment banker Maxima Zorriegueta met the Crown Prince Willem Alexander of the Netherlands during the Seville Spring Fair in Spain. He introduced himself simply as “Alexander.” When he later told her he was a prince, she basically said, “Yeah, right.” The couple conducted a transatlantic affair while she kept her prince’s true identity secret from her folks. She did eventually tell them that the mysterious Alexander was a prince, but Maxima’s wedding was not a true fairytale: her father was encouraged not to attend because the Dutch Parliament questioned his possible ties to a former Argentine military dictator. Both of her parents stayed away from the wedding, but continued to be actively engaged in the lives of their daughter and her three blonde baby girls. Maxima and Alexander regularly make extended family visits to Argentina.

In 2000, Australian advertising agent Mary Donaldson made a fateful choice of night spot during the Sydney Olympics. When the Crown Prince Frederick of Denmark slipped in to the Slip Inn for a nip, lovely Mary slipped in to his life. (Please pardon the puns.) She and her friend reportedly were trying to determine whether the men hanging out in the bar had smooth or hairy chests when three young bucks—who just happened to be Frederick, his brother Prince Joachim and their cousin Prince Nikolaos of Greece—offered to let the ladies feel theirs. Although Frederick was smitten, Mary admits she didn’t fall instantly in love. A year later, she moved to Paris to be closer to him and a year after that to Denmark. And, one year after that, she finally walked down the aisle. (Her dad, a former math professor, moved to Denmark to be closer to his daughter. He helps look after Mary’s two little ones whenever he can.)

Incidentally, the current Queen of Sweden, German-born Silvia Sommerlath, met her prince while working as a translator during the 1972 Olympics in Munich. And, the current Queen of Spain, who was born a Greek princess, reportedly made her love connection with the future King during the 1960 Olympics in Rome (where she was on the Greek sailing team) even though they had met years previously. A warning to you cold-weather ladies: it seems to be the Summer Olympics that produce the most romantic results for young princes, although Prince Albert of Monaco was first seen publically with his current flame, Rhodesian-born swimmer Charlene Wittstock, during the opening ceremonies of the 2006 Winter Olympics, they had met when she competed at an international swimming event in Monaco.)

2. Have mutual friends

Zimbabwean beauty Chelsy Davy met Prince Harry of Wales through mutual friends in 2004. For the first couple of years, their relationship was very long distance—he was at Sandhurst Military Academy in England while she studied accountancy at Cape Town University in South Africa. Although the two jetted back and forth between continents (don’t worry, she can afford it, her dad is loaded), Harry’s bad boy reputation apparently caused turbulence between them. In 2007, Chelsy enrolled in a graduate program at Leeds University in England, but even the closer proximity couldn’t keep these two passionate young people off the romantic roller coaster. About a year ago, they split up “for good,” but they still can’t seem to end it entirely. This month, they reportedly sent out a joint electronic Christmas card to their friends.

American Marie-Chantal Miller met Crown Prince Pavlos of Greece at a friend’s party in New Orleans in 1993. He grew up in exile, mostly in London, while she grew up all over the world—New York City, Hong Kong, London, Paris, Switzerland—thanks to her family’s wealth. In fact, some believe she brought more money into the marriage than he did. Married in 1995, the couple now has five children and Marie-Chantal has put her experience as a mother to good use: she has an exclusive line of children’s clothing, available online at http://www.mariechantal.com

In 2001, Spanish television journalist Letizia Ortiz Rocasolano met the future King of Spain, Felipe Prince of the Asturias, at a dinner party hosted by mutual friends. However, their romance didn’t actually start until they met again a year later when she was covering an oil spill in northern Spain and he came to region to commiserate with the people of the area. Letizia continued her high-powered career—having reported from the frontlines of the Iraq war and covered the Sept. 11 attacks—while the two engaged in an extremely secret courtship. Perhaps as a journalist herself, she knew how to avoid other journalists and their instrusive speculation. In fact, newspapers did not begin reporting on their relationship until just days before their engagement was announced in 2003. Coincidentally, Letizia was actually born in the Asturias region, so, in a way, she became Princess of her hometown. (If only there were a Prince of Lincoln City, I would have been set.)

Norwegian waitress Mette-Marit Tjessem Hoiby met the Crown Prince of her homeland through mutual friends at the Quart Festival, a rock festival in her hometown of Kristiansand, in 1996. (I guess I should have attended the festival when I was in Norway in ’92; I could have found him first!) They later shared a taxi and began falling in love. Like most Scandinavian couples, Mette-Marit and Crown Prince Haakon cohabitated before their marriage but eventually tied the knot in 2001.

3. Select your college carefully

Not surprisingly, university applications usually spike whenever a prince announces where he will be studying. This was certainly the case when Prince William of Wales decided to attend the University of St. Andrews in Scotland. As a fellow art history student, Catherine (Kate) Middleton soon became one of the prince’s inner circle. In their second year at St. Andrews, they and some other friends moved in to a cottage together. Speculation about their relationship grew when he was photographed watching her model a scanty outfit in a university fashion show. In the last nine years, their romance has made quite a lot of money for the tabloids. The constant pressure from the media has often strained the relationship. William and Kate split in 2007 but have since reunited and rumors are running rampant that an engagement will be announced in 2010.

Incidentally, when one of my friends enrolled in graduate school at Georgetown University in the early ‘90s, I tried to get her to introduce me to the two princes who were studying there at the time, Crown Prince Pavlos of Greece and/or his cousin Felipe Prince of the Asturias, but she never bothered to meet them. I guess I should have gone there myself!

4. Enlist in military service

Eighteen-year-old Tessy Antony met the younger son of her country’s Grand Duke, while serving on a NATO peacekeeping mission in Kosovo in 2004, where she worked as a driver. This apparently helped her meet 18-year-old Prince Louis of Luxembourg when he came to visit the troops. Two years later, their first child was born and, six months after that, the couple was married. To marry his love, Louis gave up succession rights for him and his children. Also, Tessy was denied the rank of princess. Earlier this year, however, Tessy and her two little boys were finally granted royal rank. She is now officially a Princess of Luxembourg and her sons are Princes of Nassau.

5. Don’t worry if you have a past. . .

Although Charles Prince of Wales was under extraordinary pressure to find a “pure” bride—quite a task in post-Sexual Revolution Britain—when he became engaged to the teenaged Lady Diana Spencer, today’s princes are far less particular. Mette-Marit had been linked to drug users and already had a son from another relationship when she married the Crown Prince of Norway. Mette-Marit's son, the adorable Marius, is so accepted by the royal family that he is listed as a member of the royal family on its official website alongside his royal half-siblings. Meanwhile, Letizia had already been married and divorced, when she met the Prince of the Asturias.

6. Don’t worry if you’re not of European descent. . .

Hong Kong-born British citizen Alexandra Manley met Prince Joachim of Denmark when he worked for a Danish shipping company in Hong Kong. With both European and Chinese grandparents, she became the first mixed-race European princess when they married a year later in 1995. Together, they had two sons before they divorced in 2005. Alexandra had become extremely popular in Denmark thanks to her lovely personality and expansive charitable works, so her former mother-in-law, Queen Margrethe II, gave Alexandra her own title, Her Highness The Countess of Frederiksborg. Since this is a personal title, Alexandra was able to keep it when she married Martin Jørgensen in 2007, although she was downgraded from “highness” to “excellency.” (Lady Diana Spencer lost “Her Royal Highness” upon her divorce although she was allowed the style “Princess of Wales,” as if the title were her last name. Had she remarried, she likely would have forfeited that style to take on her new husband’s name. At some future date, possibly when her son became king, she might have been given a title of her own, but this is purely speculation on my part.)

More racial diversity entered the European houses when Prince Maximilian of Liechtenstein, son of the reigning Prince Hans Adam II, married Angela Brown. Born in Panama of African descent, Angela grew up in New York where she later studied at Parsons School of Design (hello, Tim Gunn!) and became an award-winning fashion designer. The couple met when he was in New York working for Chase Capital Partners in 1997. They married in 2000; she, of course, wore a dress she designed herself.

FYI My sister was also born in Panama and raised in the U.S., so if there are any princes hanging around Atlanta these days, send me a message; I’ll be glad to make the introduction! I may have missed my opportunities to marry a royal prince (instead of the prince of my heart—everyone say “aaah.”) but I’ll be delighted to help a sister out.

The Royal Report for Sunday December 20, 2009 - The Royal year in review

On this episode: Did any of the predictions I made in 2008 come true? Which minor royal had a baby and married this year? Do the Queen and Prince Philip Twitter? Is Prince Andrew the next Tiger Woods?

Listen to this episode to find out!

Resources used for this episode:

World of Royalty Website
World of Royalty Blog
Royal News Blog
Netty's Royalty Pages
The Kate Middleton Report

My gratuitous article mention!

The Globe and Mail - I'm a Royal Bibliomaniac

Publications mentioned

Hello! Canada Weekly no 153 7 December 2009
Hello! Canada Weekly no 154 14 December 2009
Hello! Canada Weekly no 155 21 December 2009

The show will be on hiatus during the holiday season. The Royal Report will return LIVE on Sunday January 11th, 2010 9:00 PM EST.

Topic to be determined

© Marilyn Braun 2009

Royal Profile: Princess Mary Adelaide, Duchess of Teck

The final arrival in the royal marriage race that began with the death of Princess Charlotte in 1817, she was a first cousin of Queen Victoria and the mother of Queen Mary.

Princess Mary Adelaide Wilhelmina Elizabeth, the second daughter of Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge, was born in Hanover on November 27th, 1833. Her father was the youngest and favorite son of King George III and her mother was Princess Augusta, youngest daughter of the Landgrave Frederick of Hesse. Princess Mary was christened on January 9, 1834 and named after her godparents: Mary, Duchess of Gloucester (her father's favorite sister), Queen Adelaide, King William IV, and Princess Elizabeth, the Landgravine of Hesse-Homburg. She had one sister, Princess Augusta and a brother, Prince George, born three days after Queen Victoria.

Her early years were spent at the Viceregal Palace and Villa Montbrilliant. At the age of three she was taken to England with her mother and they stayed at Windsor Castle. William IV was fond of his god-child and gave her a gold chain and locket containing his hair. In 1837 the family moved to England first living in Cambridge House Piccadilly, and then Cambridge Cottage in Kew. Princess Mary Adelaide, her sister Princess Augusta and their parents attended the coronation of Queen Victoria in 1838 and later her wedding in 1840.

At the age of seven she began her education, being taught by a governess at home. She took lessons in Latin, Scripture history, and Italian, along with lessons in dancing, and music. She had a particular interest in history and geography. When she was fourteen, her mother later took over her education. Mary was an excellent mimic, had a beautiful mezzo-soprano voice and enjoyed the opera and theatre. She was tall, with ash-blonde, wavy hair, dark blue eyes and a good complexion. But Mary Adelaide had problems with her size. While she had been a striking child with pretty blonde curls, later on she was known rather unflatteringly as 'Fat Mary' or 'Mary the mountain' yet despite her size she moved with a natural grace. She was confirmed on December 19, 1850.

She spent her childhood days at Kew. Her father died in 1850 when she was seventeen-years-old. She and her mother moved from Cambridge Cottage to St. James Palace. At the time it was thought that she should find a husband of wealth and standing. Queen Victoria, intrigued by match-making, joined in the hunt. Her suitors were restricted to the royal blood, and members of the British aristocracy were not considered.

In 1866, through Bertie and Alexandra (the future King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra) she met Prince Francis of Teck - as a serene highness he was of lower rank, four years younger and had no money. But he was of royal rank and on April 6th they became engaged during a stroll in the Rhododendron Walk in Kew Gardens. The couple were married on June 12, 1866 in the little church on Kew Green and the newlyweds were given the apartments at Kensington Palace that Queen Victoria had lived in as a child. Their first child, the future Queen Mary was born on May 26th, 1867, in the same room that Queen Victoria herself had been born. They had three more children - Adolphus (Dolly) on August 13, 1868, Francis (Frank) on January 9, 1870 and Alexander (Alge) on April 14th, 1874.

Mary Adelaide inherited the trait of her 'wicked uncles' the sons of George III. Money had no meaning to her and she believed the the British public should support its royals. She was generous beyond her means in the field of charity, her main extravagance was entertaining. To avoid her creditors, in 1883 she and her family fled to Florence Italy. They returned in 1885 and she managed to get permission to have White Lodge, a grace and favor residence in Richmond Park, as a rural retreat.

In 1891 her daughter Princess Mary became engaged to Prince Albert Victor . Shortly before their wedding he died and a year later she became engaged to his brother, Prince George, the future King George V.

Princess Mary Adelaide died 27 October 1897 at White Lodge, Richmond Park, Surrey, and was buried in the royal vault at St. George's Chapel, Windsor.

© Marilyn Braun 2009

An Affair to Remember: Princess Margaret, Part 2 of 2

[Read Part I] It is hard to imagine today that the cause for alarm was that Townsend was divorced, but at that time, there had not been a divorce in the English royal family in more than 400 years and the Church of England, of which the queen was the supreme leader, did not condone divorce. Divorced people were not accepted at court. Even more disturbingly for the Queen Mother, for Queen Elizabeth II, for senior courtiers and for the government, the issue of divorce had been at the center of the abdication crisis less than 20 years earlier. One of the key reasons Edward VIII had abdicated was because he wished to marry a woman who had been twice divorced. His position as head of the Church of England and as the moral symbol of the British Empire was untenable. Since he had never particularly wanted to be king, he chose the woman over the crown. His decision was irresponsible in the eyes of the royal family, thrusting his less confident brother, George VI, onto the throne and forcing his young nieces into a permanent spotlight. The Queen Mother, particularly despised him, believing that the stress of kingship (rather than heavy smoking and a lifetime of poor health) had led to her husband’s early death.

Margaret’s desire to marry Townsend reawakened all of those ill feelings. The royal household managed to keep the romance quiet for a bit. There were rumors but the press did not break the story until the princess behaved indiscreetly while awaiting her carriage following the queen’s coronation—she was seen brushing fluff off Townsend’s uniform and a media firestorm ensued. The Royal Air Force sent Townsend out of the country to a two-year posting in Belgium. On the advice of the government, Margaret and Townsend were asked not to see each other for at least one year and to wait another year after that before deciding to marry.

As a princess, Margaret was subject to the Royal Marriages Act which requires royals under the age of 25 to receive the monarch’s permission to marry. After that, they need only Parliament’s approval. By the end of the two-year waiting period, Margaret would have reached 25 and Elizabeth would no longer be in the awkward position of denying permission, which she surely would have done despite her love for her sister. All of the royal family was sincerely religious and the queen was—and is—a stickler for duty. As head of the church, she would not have ignored the church’s tenets about divorce. Nevertheless, everyone seemed to believe that Margaret would be able to marry Townsend if she just waited.

But many church leaders, government leaders and senior courtiers were working against the couple. As the crisis grew, the Queen Mother apparently withdrew more and more from her daughter and Queen Elizabeth seemed to be “ostriching”, as one biographer put it, burying her head and hoping things would end well.

Margaret and Townsend wrote a steady stream of love letters and spoke frequently on the phone, each believing they would be married once she was 25. As the date approached, Prime Minister Anthony Eden (himself divorced and remarried) threatened that the proposed marriage would require Margaret to surrender her right to the throne (she was number three at the time), forfeit her income from the Civil List, give up her title and royal status, marry outside of the church and live abroad for several years at least. Most, if not all of this, was untrue. Nothing in British law would require her to forfeit her income, status or right of succession. However, she could not have married in the Church of England and they probably would have been asked to live abroad until things were calmer. Neither Margaret nor Townsend seems to have been aware of their true legal status. For her part at least, Margaret was in constant communication with church leaders, corresponding and meeting with bishops as well as the Archbishop of Canterbury on the matter.

Public opinion was divided with many taking the side of “true love” and others supporting Margaret’s duty to uphold certain values. As her birthday approached, things reached a boiling point. Unwilling to deliver the coup de grace, the queen avoided Margaret as much as possible but allowed her to meet Townsend at the homes of friends and relatives as long as they were not photographed together. For three heady weeks in October 1955, they dined and talked amidst growing pressure. The press hounded them, hiring helicopters to fly over the houses where they were staying.

Then, quite suddenly, the crisis was over. Both had reached a breaking point: Margaret and Townsend called it off. It is difficult to know whether the extreme emotional distress, the princess's potential loss of royal status and income, or their strong Anglican faith was the determining factor. Very recent evidence has even suggested that Margaret had been falling out of love by the end--in his memoirs, Townsend said their love had been as strong as ever. Together, they drafted a statement explaining that “mindful of the Church’s teachings” she had decided not to marry Townsend. They saw each other a few more times, reportedly parting in tears, during the next few years until Townsend married someone else in 1959.

The crisis may have been over, but the story of their love haunted Margaret’s public image all of her life and was one of the top items in her obituaries when she died in 2002. The greatest irony was that, in 1978, Princess Margaret became the first royal highness to divorce, setting a precedent for three of the queen’s four children. Two of them have even remarried—Prince Charles to a divorced woman and Princess Anne to a former equerry.

The crisis was more than a romantic tragedy; it was a foreshadowing of things to come. The royal family’s tendency to avoid difficult topics and to misinterpret public feeling would negatively impact them again and again, from the marital foibles of Charles and Diana to the scandalous shenanigans of Sarah Duchess of York to, most seriously, the family’s response to Diana’s death, which has been captured so well in the Oscar-winning film, “The Queen.” After 50 years of ignoring problems or trying to sweep them under the carpet, the royal family was deeply shaken by the public’s reaction to their reaction to Diana’s death. As with the Margaret-Townsend affair, they saw it as a private matter. Today, at last, they’ve come to realize that, for them, private matters are public matters. Partially in response to this, they are making the royal family smaller by giving fewer people titles, official duties and income from public sources. And, they have actual public relations professionals working for them, instead of relying on crusty old courtiers to advise them in these matters.

Inevitably, another royal scandal will one day present itself. We shall see if the lesson of Margaret and Townsend has indeed been learned.

Question: Courtesy titles

If the daughter of a duke or marquess or earl who bore the courtesy title "Lady Mary Smith," married Mr. John Jones who was subsequently knighted by the Queen, would she continued to be called "Lady Mary Jones" or would she be called "Lady Jones" by virtue of her husband's being Sir John Jones?

With courtesy titles there is a difference between those who possess the title birth and those who acquire it by marriage.

I will offer Lady Helen Windsor as an example. As the daughter of the Duke of Kent, she is entitled to the courtesy title of 'Lady'. When she married Timothy Taylor, she took his surname and became Lady Helen Taylor. Now if Timothy Taylor were to receive a knighthood, she would still be Lady Helen Taylor because her courtesy title as the daughter of a Duke, outranks her husband's knighthood.

Another example would be the late Diana, Princess of Wales' sister, Lady Jane Fellowes. When she was born, her father was Viscount Althorp and she was known as The Honorable Cynthia Jane Spencer. Upon her father becoming Earl Spencer in 1975, she became The Lady Cynthia Jane Spencer (though she prefers to use her middle name). When she married, she took her husband's surname and became Lady Jane Fellowes. Her husband, Robert Fellowes, was knighted, but this did not change her title, as the daughter of an Earl, this again outranked his knighthood.

However, in 1999, Sir Robert Fellowes was granted a Life Peerage and became Baron Fellowes, of Shotesham in the County of Norfolk. When this happened Lady Jane took the style Baroness Fellowes, or more informally Lady Fellowes, which, believe it or not, is actually a demotion as Baron is the lowest rank of the peerage and Lady Jane is the daughter of an Earl - one of the top three peerages.

Now, in the reverse, when the husband is given a knighthood, the wife is entitled to be known as Lady (husband's surname). An example of this would be Paul McCartney. When he was knighted, his wife took the courtesy title Lady McCartney - at the time this was Heather Mills McCartney. She could not be known as Lady Heather McCartney because she took the title from her husband instead of her father. Unlike Lady Helen Taylor, who takes the title from her father instead of her husband.

© Marilyn Braun 2009

Royal Review: The Young Victoria

I'll admit. Were it not for Sarah Ferguson's, (Duchess of York) involvement in this film I would have more than likely dismissed it as just another straight to DVD royal movie. Nice to eventually loan from the library but not something I would rush out to see otherwise.

However, with Sarah Ferguson's involvement I was somewhat intrigued by the idea. When I think of Queen Victoria I think of her later in life: the mournful, unsmiling, imposing, matriarch of a large extended inter-married royal family. I don't think of her as young, passionate and inexperienced. I also don't think of her as beautiful when portraits of her were said to be far more flattering than what she actually looked like in person.

Covering the period of her early teens and touching on the death of Prince Albert (sorry if I've given away the ending) The Young Victoria shows a princess under the thumb of her mother and advisor Sir John Conroy who want Victoria to sign a regency on her sickbed to put her mother in charge and Conroy the power behind the throne. However, Victoria is no docile princess. She is spirited and defiant and once she becomes Queen, Conroy and her mother are immediately jettisoned from her court.

But they're not the only ones with an agenda as politicians dismiss Victoria as too young and inexperienced, and Lord Melborne portraying himself as her protector and confidant. Then there's the King of the Belgians desire to infiltrate the court via his nephew, Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. Yet while Prince Albert initially does what's required of him, no one predicted that the new Queen and Prince Albert would actually develop feelings for each other. This makes those with agendas jealous, especially when the couple's loyalty to one another excludes them.

Although they are passionate, they are not without their disagreements. As Prince Albert struggles to find a meaningful role, Victoria becomes threatened by any interference to her power. After this fight, the couple go for a carriage ride and an assassination attempt is made on Victoria. Albert shields her with his body and is shot, suffering grievous injuries. He survives and Victoria realizes how important Albert is to her and gives him a more important role, illustrated by moving his desk next to hers and jettisoning her longtime servant and confidant, Baroness Lehzen.

Emily Blunt, (The Devil Wears Prada) portrays Queen Victoria in the bloom of her youth, as human and passionate - two qualities you wouldn't normally associate with her. Prince Albert is portrayed by the handsome Rupert Friend. Like Victoria, his looks may not be historically accurate, but using such photogenic actors makes their passion much more convincing. Mark Strong plays the glowering Sir John Conroy, Jim Broadbent is wonderful, hamming it up as Victoria's uncle, King William IV, Paul Bettany plays the charming, paternal and influential Lord Melborne and Victoria's great-great-great-great granddaughter Princess Beatrice has a minor cameo during the coronation scene.

Ultimately this film offers no great revelations but it's enjoyable and a good movie to watch if you'd like to see a side of Queen Victoria that most of us may be unfamiliar with.

© Marilyn Braun 2009

An Affair to Remember: Princess Margaret, Part 1 of 2

When the beautiful, young princess fell in love with her father’s servant, her lover was banished from the kingdom. “If you marry him, you will be disinherited, disowned and dishonored!”

The age-old fairy tale was an all-too-true reality in 1950s England. The tragic heroine was the lovely Princess Margaret and the inadvertent villain was her sister, the newly crowned Queen Elizabeth II. Locked in a struggle between love, the traditions of their family and class, and the role of the royal family, the relationship between these sisters was nearly destroyed as one was forced to deny the other’s happiness.

Princess Margaret was 13 when she first met Royal Air Force Group Captain Peter Townsend in 1944. A decorated war pilot, Townsend had been sent on a six-month assignment as equerry to the King George VI, Margaret’s father. Margaret and her 17-year-old sister, Elizabeth, were both entranced by his good looks and heroic past. “Too bad, he’s married,” Elizabeth said of the 29-year-old.

Townsend quickly became a favorite of the entire royal family. The king truly admired him: “I wish I had had a boy like him.” His temporary appointment was made permanent and he was on call 24 hours a day as the king’s personal assistant, wherever the king happened to be. This put quite a strain on Townsend’s already troubled marriage.

Separated most of the time from his wife and children, Townsend was indispensable to the royal family, playing cards with the queen, riding bicycles with the princesses and stalking with the king. He accompanied the king and family on official duties.

The young princesses had lived a fairly secluded childhood, especially during World War II. They were devoted to each other and their parents adored them. “We four,” the king called his family. Elizabeth was reserved and somewhat serious, but Margaret was gregarious and charming. The king said, “Elizabeth is my pride and Margaret is my joy.” Both girls were aware of their status as princesses, but Margaret was the one who was more likely to bristle if proper protocols weren’t followed. When someone asked her how her father was, she replied, “Do you mean His Majesty the King?”

Margaret grew into a lively beauty with a talent both for music and mimicry. Many proclaimed that if she had not been a princess that she might have been a highly successful actress. I believe she could have given her contemporaries Elizabeth Taylor and Grace Kelly stiff competition for the best parts and for space in the movie magazines. Indeed, although she hated the press, as she grew up, the press became obsessed with her. They reported on her every move, every party, every outfit, every person she was seen with. There was constant speculation about whom she would marry.

Little did anyone know that Margaret already had someone in mind.

Soon after the war, the cozy family life of “We four” began to change. First, Elizabeth married and moved into her own household leaving 17-year-old Margaret without her constant companionship. Then, the king’s health began a rapid decline. Margaret turned more and more to her father’s charming equerry for company. Without a doubt, the star-struck youngster had a crush on Townsend from the moment they met. Over the years of her adolescence, she grew increasingly enamored. Trapped in a miserable marriage with an unfaithful wife, Townsend was delighted by the special attention he received from the princess. He began confiding in her, forgetting their age difference and the difference in their stations. At some point, the teenage princess and this man twice her age declared their love to each other.

As the king developed lung cancer and arteriosclerosis, Townsend became even more important to the family and the family became less and less aware of the growing relationship between him and the princess. Distracted by the king’s death and her own sudden ascension to the throne, the new queen was completely surprised when her sister revealed her feelings and requested permission to marry the recently divorced Townsend. Elizabeth was initially supportive and even invited the couple to dine with her and her husband that evening, but she knew it would not be easy. To avoid scandal, she had Townsend transferred to her staff instead of heading her mother’s household (where he had intimate daily access to the princess).

Their mother, now Queen Mother, was less surprised by the news—she had been warned of the situation by another courtier but had refused to believe it. Now, she chose to ignore it. The family asked Margaret to wait awhile before making any decisions, perhaps hoping that the romance would run its course. . . [Read Part II]

The Royal Report for Sunday December 6, 2009 - A look back at the Queen and Prince Philip's 62 years of marriage

On this episode, which royal will not be going into outer space? What does the Lord Chamberlains office think of William and Kate's wedding planner? Why do I have a bone to pick with Hello! Canada?

Listen to this episode to find out.

Publications mentioned

Hello! Canada Weekly No 153 7 December 2009

The Little Princesses: The Story of the Queen's Childhood by Marion Crawford

Resources

60 Diamond Wedding Anniversary Facts

Philip and Elizabeth: Portrait of a Royal Marriage by Gyles Brandreth

Five Gold Rings - A Royal Wedding Souvenir Album from Queen Victoria to Queen Elizabeth II by Jane Roberts

There will be no episode next week but The Royal Report will return on Sunday December 20th, 2009 at 9:00PM EST.

Topic to be determined.

© Marilyn Braun 2009