The Duchy of Saxe-Altenburg (German:
Sachsen-Altenburg) was one of the Saxon duchies held by the Ernestine
branch of the Wettin dynasty in present-day Thuringia. The duchy
originated from the medieval Burgraviate of Altenburg in the Imperial
Pleissnerland (Terra Plisensis), a possession of the Wettin Margraves of
Meissen since 1243. Upon a partition treaty of 1485, Altenburg fell to
Elector Ernest of Saxony, the progenitor of the Ernestine Wettins. After
the Division of Erfurt in 1572 among Duke John William of Saxony and
his nephews, Altenburg fell to his Duchy of Saxe-Weimar.
When
in 1602 John William's son and successor Frederick William I died, the
Duchy of Saxe-Weimar passed to his younger brother John II, while in
1603 Frederick William's eldest son John Philip in compensation received
the newly created Duchy of Saxe-Altenburg. It was an Imperial State in
its own right, with a vote in the Reichstag, for much of the 17th
century until the extinction of its ruling line in 1672, when it was
inherited by Ernest I the Pious, the Duke of Saxe-Gotha, who had married
the heiress.
Saxe-Altenburg thereafter remained part of
Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg until the extinction of that house in 1825, when
Gotha and Altenburg were split up, with Gotha going to the Duke of
Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld and Altenburg to the Duke of Saxe-Hildburghausen,
who in exchange gave up Hildburghausen to the Duke of Saxe-Meiningen.
This family ruled in the duchy until the end of the monarchies in the
course of the German Revolution of 1918-1919. The succeeding Free State
of Saxe-Altenburg was incorporated into the new state of Thuringia in
1920. Saxe-Altenburg had an area of 1,323 km² and a population of
207,000 (1905). Its capital was Altenburg. The Saxe-Altenburg line
became extinct following the death of Prince George Moritz in 1991.
The House of Wettin is a dynasty of German counts, dukes,
prince-electors (Kurfürsten) and kings that once ruled the area of
today's German states of Saxony, the Saxon part of Saxony-Anhalt, and
Thuringia for more than 800 years as well as holding at times the
kingship of Poland. Agnates of the House of Wettin have, at various
times, ascended the thrones of Great Britain, Portugal, Bulgaria,
Poland, Saxony, and Belgium; of these, only the British and Belgian
lines retain their thrones today. The oldest member of the House of
Wettin who is known for certain was Thiedericus (died 982), who was
probably based in the Liesgau (located at the western edge of the Harz).
Around 1000, as part of the German conquest of Slavic territory, the
family acquired Wettin Castle, after which they named themselves.
Wettin Castle is located in Wettin in the Hosgau on the Saale River.
Around 1030, the Wettin family received the Eastern March as a fief. The
prominence of the Wettin family in the Slavic marches caused Emperor
Henry IV to invest them with the March of Meissen as a fief in 1089. The
family advanced over the course of the Middle Ages: in 1263 they
inherited the landgraviate of Thuringia (though without Hesse), and in
1423 they were invested with the Duchy of Saxony, centred at
Wittenberg,thus becoming one of the prince-electors of the Holy Roman
Empire. The family divided into two ruling branches in 1485 when the
sons of Frederick II, Elector of Saxony divided the territories hitherto
ruled jointly. The elder son Ernest, who had succeeded his father as
Prince-elector, received the territories assigned to the Elector
(Electoral Saxony) and Thuringia, while his younger brother Albert
obtained the March of Meissen, which he ruled from Dresden. As Albert
ruled under the title of "Duke of Saxony", his possessions were also
known as Ducal Saxony.
The older, Ernestine branch remained
predominant until 1547 and played an important role in the beginnings of
the Protestant Reformation. Their predominance ended in the
Schmalkaldic War, which pitted the Protestant Schmalkaldic League
against Emperor Charles V. Although itself Protestant, the Albertine
branch rallied to the Empire's cause; Charles V rewarded them by forcing
the Ernestines to sign away their rights to the Electoral title and
lands to the Albertines. The Ernestine line was thereafter restricted to
Thuringia, and its dynastic unity swiftly crumbled. The Albertine
Wettin maintained most of the territorial integrity of Saxony,
preserving it as a significant power in the region, and using small
appanage fiefs for their cadet branches, few of which survived for
significant lengths of time. The Ernestine Wettin, on the other hand,
repeatedly subdivided their territory, creating an intricate patchwork
of small duchies and counties in Thuringia.
The junior
Albertine branch ruled as Electors (1547-1806) and Kings of Saxony
(1806-1918) and also played a role in Polish history: two Wettin were
Kings of Poland (between 1697-1763) and a third ruled the Duchy of
Warsaw (1807-1814) as a satellite of Napoleon. After the Napoleonic
Wars, the Albertine branch lost about 40% of its lands, including the
old Electoral Saxony, to Prussia, restricting it to a territory
coextensive with the modern Saxony.
The Family Titles and
Styles - The members of this family bore the title Prince or Princess
of Saxe-Altenburg, Duke or Duchess of Saxony together with the formal
appellation of His or Her Highness.
Almanach de Saxe Gotha Page:
http://www.almanachdegotha.org/id54.html
The Imperial House of Japan,
also referred to as the Imperial Family and the Yamato dynasty,
comprises those members of the extended family of the reigning Emperor
of Japan who undertake official and public duties. Under the present
Constitution of Japan, the emperor is the symbol of the state and unity
of the people. Other members of the imperial family perform ceremonial
and social duties, but have no role in the affairs of government. The
duties as an emperor are passed down the line to children and their
children's children and so on. The Japanese monarchy is the oldest
continuous hereditary monarchy in the world. The imperial house
recognizes 125 monarchs beginning with the legendary Emperor Jimmu
(traditionally dated to February 11, 660 BC) and continuing up to the
current emperor, Akihito.
The official website of the Imperial Household Agency: http://www.kunaicho.go.jp/eindex.html
Almanach de Saxe Gotha Page:
http://www.almanachdegotha.org/id287.html
Anhalt is a historical county (after
1806 duchy) in Germany, locate between the Harz Mountains and the river
Elbe in Middle Germany. It now forms part of the state of Saxony-Anhalt.
During the 9th century, the area was part of the Duchy of Saxony. In
the 12th century, it came under the rule of Esico (died 1059 or 1060).
His son was Adalbert II (died 1080) and his grandson Otto the Rich
appears to have been the first to assume the title of count of Anhalt.
Otto, also known as count of Ballenstedt, was the father of Albert the
Bear, count of Anhalt, who conquered the Slavic territory of
Brandenburg. When Albert died in 1170, his son Bernhard, who received
the title of duke of Saxony in 1180, became count of Anhalt. Bernhard
died in 1212, and Anhalt, now separated from Saxony, passed to his son
Henry I, who in 1218 took the title of prince and was the real founder
of the princely house of Anhalt. Henry I is included among the
Minnesingers of Codex Manesse.
On Henry's death in 1252, his
three sons partitioned the principality and founded, respectively, the
lines of Aschersleben, Bernburg and Zerbst. The family ruling in
Aschersleben became extinct in 1315, and this district was subsequently
incorporated in the neighboring Bishopric of Halberstadt, thus dividing
the territory of Anhalt-Bernburg in two separate pieces. The last prince
of the original line of Anhalt-Bernburg died in 1468 and his lands were
inherited by the princes of the sole remaining line, that of
Anhalt-Zerbst.
The territory belonging to this branch of the
family had been divided in 1396, and after the acquisition of Bernburg
Prince George I made a further partition of Zerbst (Zerbst and Dessau).
Early in the 16th century, however, owing to the death or abdication of
several princes, the family had become narrowed down to the two branches
of Anhalt-Köthen and Anhalt-Dessau (issued both from Anhalt-Dessau in
1471). Wolfgang of Anhalt, called the Confessor, who became prince of
Anhalt- Köthen in 1508, was the second ruler in the world to introduce
the Reformation to his country. He was a co-signer of the Augsburg
Confession in 1530, and after the Battle of Mühlberg in 1547 was placed
under Imperial ban and deprived of his lands by Emperor Charles V.
After the peace of Passau in 1552 he bought back his principality, but
as he was childless he surrendered it in 1562 to his kinsmen the princes
of Anhalt-Dessau. Ernest I, Prince of Anhalt-Dessau (d. 1516) left
three sons, John V, George III, and Joachim, who ruled their lands
together for many years, and who favoured the Lutheran doctrine, which
thus became dominant in Anhalt. About 1546 the three brothers divided
their principality and founded the lines of Zerbst, Plötzkau and Dessau.
This division, however, was only temporary, as the acquisition of
Köthen, and a series of deaths among the ruling princes, enabled Joachim
Ernest, a son of John V, to unite the whole of Anhalt under his rule in
1570.
Joachim Ernest died in 1586, and his five sons ruled
the land in common until 1603, when owing to the lack of primogeniture,
Anhalt was again divided, and the lines of Dessau, Bernburg, Plötzkau,
Zerbst and Köthen were re founded. The principality was ravaged during
the Thirty Years' War, and in the earlier part of this struggle
Christian I of Anhalt-Bernburg took an important part. In 1635 an
arrangement was made by the various princes of Anhalt, which gave a
certain authority to the eldest member of the family, who was thus able
to represent the principality as a whole. This proceeding was probably
due to the necessity of maintaining an appearance of unity in view of
the disturbed state of European politics.
In 1665, the branch
of Anhalt-Köthen became extinct, and according to a family compact this
district was inherited by Lebrecht, Prince of Anhalt-Plötzkau, who
surrendered Plötzkau to Bernburg, and took the title of prince of
Anhalt-Köthen. In the same year the princes of Anhalt decided that if
any branch of the family became extinct its lands should be equally
divided between the remaining branches.
This arrangement was
carried out after the death of Frederick Augustus, Prince of
Anhalt-Zerbst in 1793, and Zerbst was divided between the three
remaining princes. During these years the policy of the different
princes was marked, perhaps intentionally, by considerable uniformity.
Once or twice Calvinism was favoured by a prince, but in general the
house was loyal to the doctrines of Martin Luther. The growth of Prussia
provided Anhalt with a formidable neighbour, and the long-delayed
establishment of primogeniture by all branches of the family prevented
further divisions of the principality.
In 1806, Napoleon
elevated the remaining states of Anhalt-Bernburg, Anhalt-Dessau and
Anhalt-Köthen to duchies; in the meantime, Anhalt-Plötzkau and
Anhalt-Zerbst had ceased to exist. These duchies were united again in
1863, due to the extinction of the Köthen and Bernburg lines. The new
duchy consisted of two large portions, Eastern and Western Anhalt,
separated by the interposition of a part of the Prussian Province of
Saxony and of five exclaves surrounded by Prussian territory: Alsleben,
Mühlingen, Dornburg, Gödnitz and Tilkerode-Abberode. The eastern and
larger portion of the duchy was enclosed by the Prussian government
district of Potsdam (in the Prussian province of Brandenburg) and by
Magdeburg and Merseburg, belonging to the Prussian province of Saxony.
The western or smaller portion, the so-called Upper Duchy or
Ballenstedt, was also enclosed by the two latter districts as well as by
the Duchy of Brunswick-Lüneburg.
Along with the fall of all
German monarchies, the Duchy of Anhalt came to an end in 1918-19 during
the revolution that followed the end of World War I. It was replaced by
the Free State of Anhalt within the Weimar Republic. After World War II,
the Free State was united with the Prussian parts of Saxony to form
Saxony-Anhalt. Subsequently, Saxony-Anhalt was dissolved in 1952, but
re-established prior to the German reunification in 1990, since when it
has been one of the sixteen (Bundes)länder (states) of Germany.
The House of Ascania (German: Askanier) was a dynasty of German rulers.
It was also known as the House of Anhalt, after Anhalt, its longest
possession. The Ascanians are named after Ascania (or Ascaria) Castle,
which is located near and named after Aschersleben. The castle was seat
of the County of Ascania, a title that was later subsumed into the
titles of the princes of Anhalt. The earliest known member of the House
is Esiko, Count of Ballenstedt. He was first mentioned in 1036, and is
assumed to have been a grandson (through his mother) of Odo I, Margrave
of the Saxon Ostmark. From Odo, the Ascanians inherited large properties
in the Saxon Eastern March.
Esiko's grandson was Otto, Count
of Ballenstedt, who died in 1123. By Otto's marriage to Eilika, daughter
of Magnus, Duke of Saxony, the Ascanians became heirs to half of the
property of the House of Billung, former dukes of Saxony. Otto's son,
Albert the Bear, became, with the help of his mother's inheritance, the
first Ascanian duke of Saxony in 1139. But he lost control of Saxony
soon to the rival House of Guelph. However, Albert inherited the
Margraviate of Brandenburg from its last Wendish ruler, Pribislav, in
1150, and became the first Ascanian margrave. Albert, and his
descendants of the House of Ascania, then made considerable progress in
Christianizing and Germanizing the lands. As a borderland between German
and Slavic cultures, the country was a march.
In 1237 and
1244 two towns, Cölln and Berlin were founded during the rule of Otto
and Johann, grandsons of Margrave Albert the Bear, (later they were
unitedinto one city, Berlin). The emblem of the House of Ascania, red
eagle and bear, became the heraldric emblems of Berlin. In 1320 the
Brandenburg Ascanian line came to an end. After the Emperor had deposed
the Guelph rulers of Saxony in 1180, Ascanians returned to rule the
Duchy of Saxony, which had been reduced to its eastern half by the
Emperor. However, even in eastern Saxony, the Ascanians could establish
control only in limited areas, mostly near the River Elbe. In the 13th
century, the Principality of Anhalt was split off from the Duchy, and
later, the remaining state was split into Saxe-Lauenburg and
Saxe-Wittenberg. The Ascanian dynasties in the two Saxon states became
extinct in 1689 and in 1422, respectively, but Ascanians continued to
rule in the smaller state of Anhalt and its various subdivisions until
monarchy was abolished in 1918.
The Family Titles and Styles -
The present members of this family bear the titles Prince or Princess of
Anhalt together with the formal appellation of His or Her Highness, the
male members bear the further titles of Duke of Saxony and Graf zu
Askanien.
The Website of the Ducal House of Anhalt:
http://www.anhalt-askanien.de/
Almanach de Saxe Gotha Page:
Part One: http://www.almanachdegotha.org/id2.html
Part Two: http://www.almanachdegotha.org/id275.html
The Duchy of Oldenburg (German:
Herzogtum Oldenburg) - named after its capital, the town of Oldenburg -
was a state in the north-west of present-day Germany. Oldenburg survived
from 1180 until 1810 when it was annexed by First French Empire. It was
located near the mouth of the River Weser. Its ruling family, the House
of Oldenburg, also came to rule in Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Greece and
Russia, and the heirs of a junior line of the Greek branch are likely to
inherit the thrones of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth realms
after the death or abdication of Queen Elizabeth II.
The
first known count of Oldenburg is Elimar I, Count of Oldenburg (d.
1108). Elimar's ancestors appear as vassals, though sometimes rebellious
ones, of the dukes of Saxony; but they attained the dignity of princes
of the empire when the emperor Frederick I dismembered the Saxon duchy
in 1180. At this time, the county of Delmenhorst formed part of the
dominions of the counts of Oldenburg, but afterwards it was on several
occasions separated from them to form an apanage for younger branches of
the family. This was the case between 1262 and 1447, between 1463 and
1547, and between 1577 and 1617.
During the early part of the
13th century the counts carried on a series of wars with independent, or
semi-independent, Frisian princes to the north and west of the county,
which resulted in a gradual expansion of the Oldenburgian territory. The
free city of Bremen and the bishop of Münster were also frequently at
war with the counts of Oldenburg. In 1440, Christian succeeded his
father Dietrich, called Fortunatus, as Count of Oldenburg. In 1448
Christian was elected king of Denmark as Christian I, partly based on
his maternal descent from previous Danish kings. Although far away from
the Danish borders, Oldenburg was now a Danish exclave. The control over
the town was left to the king's brothers, who established a short reign
of tyranny.
In 1450 Christian became king of Norway and in
1457 king of Sweden; in 1460 he inherited the Duchy of Schleswig and the
County of Holstein, an event of high importance for the future history
of Oldenburg. In 1454 he handed over Oldenburg to his brother Gerhard
(about 1430-99), a wild prince, who was constantly at war with the
bishop of Bremen and other neighbors. In 1483, Gerhard was compelled to
abdicate in favor of his sons, and he died while on pilgrimage in Spain.
Early in the 16th century Oldenburg was again enlarged at the expense
of the Frisians. Protestantism was introduced into the county by Count
Anton I (1505-73), who also suppressed the monasteries; however, he
remained loyal to Charles V during the Schmalkaldic War, and was able
thus to increase his territories, obtaining Delmenhorst in 1547. One of
Anton's brothers, Count Christopher of Oldenburg (about 1506-60), won
some reputation as a soldier. Anton's grandson, Anton Günther
(1583-1667), who succeeded in 1603, considered himself the wisest prince
who had yet ruled Oldenburg. Jever had been acquired before he became
count, but in 1624 he added Kniphausen and Varel to his lands, with
which in 1647 Delmenhorst was finally united. By his neutrality during
the Thirty Years' War and by donating valuable horses to warlord Count
of Tilly, Anton Günther secured for his dominions an immunity from the
terrible devastations to which nearly all the other states of Germany
were exposed. He also obtained from the emperor the right to levy tolls
on vessels passing along the Weser, a lucrative grant which soon formed a
material addition to his resources. In 1607 he erected a Renaissance
castle. After the death of Anton Günther, Oldenburg fell again under
Danish authority.
In 1773 Christian VII of Denmark
surrendered Oldenburg to Paul I of Russia and in return Paul gave up to
Christian the Duchy of Holstein-Gottorp and his claims on the Duchy of
Schleswig and the Duchy of Holstein. At once Paul handed over to his
kinsman, Frederick August I, Duke of Oldenburg, the representative of a
younger branch of the family, and in 1777 the county was raised to the
rank of a duchy. The duke's son William, who succeeded his father in
1785, was a man of weak intellect, and his cousin Peter I, Grand Duke of
Oldenburg, acted as administrator and eventually, in 1823, inherited
the throne.
By the Reichsdeputationshauptschluss
of 1803, Oldenburg acquired the Oldenburger Münsterland and the
Bishopric of Lübeck. Between 1810 and 1814, Oldenburg was occupied by
Napoleonic France. Its annexation into the French Empire, in 1810, was
one of the causes for the diplomatic rift between former allies France
and Russia, a dispute that would lead to war in 1812 and eventually to
Napoleon's downfall. In 1815 it acquired the Principality of Birkenfeld
and in 1829 Oldenburg became a grand duchy. In 1871 Oldenburg joined the
German Empire, and in 1918 it became a free state within the Weimar
Republic.
The House of Oldenburg is a North German dynasty and
one of Europe's most influential Royal Houses with branches that rule or
have ruled in Denmark, Russia, Greece, Norway, Schleswig, Holstein,
Oldenburg and Sweden. The current Queen of Denmark, the King of Norway
and the ex-King of Greece as well as consorts of Spain, Greece and the
United Kingdom belong to this House. It rose to prominence when Count
Christian I of Oldenburg was elected King of Denmark in 1448, and of
Norway in 1450. The house has occupied the Danish throne ever since.
Marriages of medieval counts of Oldenburg had paved the way for their
heirs to become kings of various Scandinavian kingdoms. Through marriage
with a descendant of King Valdemar I of Sweden and of King Eric IV of
Denmark, a claim to Sweden and Denmark was staked, since 1350.
At that time, its competitors were the successors of Margaret I of
Denmark. In the 15th century, the Oldenburg heir of that claim married
Hedwig of Schauenburg, a descendant of Euphemia of Sweden and Norway and
also a descendant of Eric V of Denmark. Since descendants better
situated in genealogical charts died out, their son Christian (the
abovementioned) became the king of all three kingdoms of the whole
Kalmar Union. The House of Mecklenburg was its chief competitor
regarding the Northern thrones, and other aspirants included the Duke of
Lauenburg. Different Oldenburgine branches have reigned in several
countries. The House of Oldenburg was briefly poised to claim the
thrones of England and Scotland through the marriage of the Stuart
Princess Anne (later Queen) to Prince George of Denmark and Norway;
however, following the early death of their only heir, Prince William,
Duke of Gloucester, the line of succession passed to the House of
Hanover.
Titles and Styles of the Grand Ducal House - The
present members of this family bear the title Duke or Duchess of
Oldenburg together with the formal appellation of His or Her Highness.
The head of the family and the heir apparent enjoy the style His Royal
Highness
Almanach de Saxe Gotha Page:
http://www.almanachdegotha.org/id27.html
The Duchy of Parma was created in 1545
from that part of the Duchy of Milan south of the Po River, as a fief
for Pope Paul III's illegitimate son, Pier Luigi Farnese, centered on
the city of Parma. In 1556, the second Duke, Ottavio Farnese, was given
the city of Piacenza, becoming thus also Duke of Piacenza, and so the
state was thereafter properly known as the Duchy of Parma and Piacenza
(Ducato di Parma e Piacenza in Italian). The Farnese family continued to
rule until their extinction in 1731, at which point the duchy was
inherited by the young son of the King of Spain, Don Charles, whose
mother Elizabeth Farnese was the Farnese heiress. He ruled until the end
of the War of the Polish Succession in 1735, when Parma was ceded to
Emperor Charles VI in exchange for the Two Sicilies. The Habsburgs only
ruled until the conclusion of the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle in 1748,
when it was ceded back to the Bourbons in the person of Don Philip, Don
Charles's younger brother, which received also the little Duchy of
Guastalla. As duke Philip, he became the founder of the House of
Bourbon-Parma reigning over the Duchy of Parma, Piacenza and Guastalla
(Ducato di Parma, Piacenza e Guastalla in Italian).
In 1796,
the duchy was occupied by French troops under Napoleon Bonaparte, and
the political situation of the State became extremely confused. Duke
Ferdinand maintained his throne under French military governors until
the Treaty of Aranjuez of 1801, when a general agreement between the
House of Bourbon and Napoleon formally decided the cession of the duchy
to France in exchange for Tuscany, but the Duke lasted in Parma until he
died in 1802, maybe by poisoning. However, Napoleon was undecided about
the future of the duchy, aspiring to a total engagement of the Bourbons
in the European wars as his allies. Even if French laws and
administration was gradually introduced, the formal annexation to the
French Empire was declared only in 1808 after the outbreak of the
conflict against Bourbonic Spain. The duchy was reformed as the
Département of Taro.
In 1814, the duchies were restored under
Napoleon's Habsburg wife, Marie Louise, who was to rule them for her
lifetime. After Marie Louise's death in 1847, the Duchy was restored to
the Bourbon-Parma line, which had been ruling the tiny Duchy of Lucca.
In this context, Guastalla was ceded to Modena. The Bourbons ruled until
1859, when they were driven out by a revolution following the French
and Sardinian victory in the war against Austria (called Austrian War in
France and Second War of Independence in Italy). The Duchy of Parma and
Piacenza joined with the Grand Duchy of Tuscany and the Duchy of Modena
to form the United Provinces of Central Italy in December 1859, and
merged with the Kingdom of Sardinia into the Kingdom of Italy in March
1860 after holding a referendum. The House of Bourbon continues to claim
the title of duke of Parma to this day. Prince Carlos of Bourbon-Parma
has held the title since 2010.
The House of Bourbon-Parma
(Italian: Casa di Borbone di Parma) is an Italian cadet branch of the
House of Bourbon. It is thus descended from the Capetian dynasty in male
line. The name of Bourbon-Parma comes from the main name (Bourbon) and
the other (Parma) from the title of Duke of Parma. The title was held by
the Spanish Bourbons as the founder was the great-grandson of Duke
Ranuccio II Farnese, Duke of Parma. Since 1964 a cadet branch of the
House of Bourbon-Parma rules Luxembourg as Grand Duke.
Family
Titles and Styles of the House - The present members of this family bear
the title Prince or Princess of Bourbon-Parma, together with the formal
appellation of His or Her Royal Highness.
The Website of the Ducal House of Parma:
http://www.borbonparma.org/
Almanach de Saxe Gotha Page:
http://www.almanachdegotha.org/id29.html
Schwarzburg-Sondershausen was a small
principality in Germany, in the present day state of Thuringia, with
capital at Sondershausen. Schwarzburg-Sondershausen was a county until
1697, in that year it became a principality, and lasted until the fall
of the German monarchies in 1918, during the German Revolution of
1918-1919. After which it became a republic. In 1920 it joined with
other small states in the area to form the new state of Thuringia.
Schwarzburg-Sondershausen had an area of 862 km² and a population of
85,000 (1905). Towns placed in the state were: Arnstadt, Sondershausen,
Gehren, Langewiesen, Großbreitenbach, Ebeleben, Großenehrich, Greußen
and Plaue.
The House of Schwarzburg is one of the oldest noble
families of Thuringia. Upon the death of Prince Friedrich Günther in
1971, the headship of the house passed under Semi-Salic primogeniture to
his elder sister, Princess Marie Antoinette of Schwarzburg who married
Friedrich Magnus V, Count of Solms-Wildenfels. The House of Schwarzburg
subsequently became a personal union with the House of Solms-Wildenfels.
Reigning over the County of Schwarzburg and founded by Sizzo I of
Schwarzburg (died 1160), the family split in the 16th century into the
lines of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen and Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt, which
were not reunified until 1909.
The County of Schwarzburg
was a state of the Holy Roman Empire from 1195 to 1595, when it was
partitioned into Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt and Schwarzburg-Sondershausen.
It was ruled by counts from the House of Schwarzburg. Schwarzburg
Castle was first mentioned in 1071 deed. In 1123 Count Sizzo III of
Käfernburg (Kevernburg), mentioned by the medieval chronicler Lambert of
Hersfeld and according to the Annalista Saxo a grandson of Prince
Yaropolk Izyaslavich of Turov by his mother, rebuilt the castle calling
himself a "Count of Schwarzburg". Sizzo also established Georgenthal
Abbey and in 1157 he accompanied Emperor Frederick I Barbarossa during
his campaign against High Duke Bolesław IV the Curly of Poland.
In 1197 Sizzo's grandson Heinrich II divided the common heritage with
his brother Günther III and made Schwarzburg Castle his residence. His
territory then also comprised the nearby castle of Blankenburg. The
Schwarzburg lands were again divided among his successors until in 1538
Count Günther XL the Rich was able to unite the territories including
Frankenhausen and Rudolstadt under his rule. He was succeeded by his
eldest son Günther XLI, however after his death in 1583 his younger
brothers again divided the county: John Günther I received the territory
around Arnstadt, later called Schwarzburg-Sondershausen,
while Albrecht VII inherited the lands of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt. The
partition was finally confirmed by the 1599 Treaty of Stadtilm.
Succession to the Principalities of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen and
Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt - Following the death in 1971 of Friedrich
Günther, Prince of Schwarzburg (5 March 1901 - 9 November 1971) in
Munich the House of Schwarzburg became extinct. However the Schwarzburg
principalities operated under Semi-Salic primogeniture which means that
in the event of the extinction of all male dynasts, as happened with the
death of Prince Friedrich Günther, females can inherit. Therefore,
applying Semi-Salic law then the current heir to the principalities of
Schwarzburg is Friedrich Magnus, Count of Solms-Wildenfels (born 1927)
the son of Princess Marie Antoinette of Schwarzburg (1898–1984), sister
of Prince Friedrich Günther.
Alternatively another claimant
could be Prince Philip of Stolberg-Wernigerode (born 1967). Prince
Philip's claim is based on a pact made by Count Heinrich of Schwarzburg
and his son whereby if his male line became extinct then Count Botho of
Stolberg and the Counts of Hohenstein should share the majority of his
territories with the Counts of Stolberg inheriting Kelbra and Heringen
alone and not share them with the Counts of Hohenstein. With the
extinction of the House of Hohenstein the houses of Schwarzburg and
Stolberg renewed the pact on January 28, 1594. Should the pact still be
valid then Prince Philip as senior male line descendant of Count Botho
could be seen as the rightful heir.
The Family Titles and Styles - The members of this family bore the title of Prince or Princess of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen, together with the formal appellation of His or Her Serene Highness.
Almanach de Saxe Gotha Page:
http://www.almanachdegotha.org/id61.html
Schaumburg-Lippe was until 1946 a small
state in Germany, located in the present day state of Lower Saxony,
with its capital at Bückeburg. Schaumburg-Lippe was formed in 1647
through the division by treaties of the County of Schaumburg between the
Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg, the Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel and the Count
of Lippe. The division occurred because Count Otto V of
Holstein-Schaumburg had died in 1640 leaving no male heir. Initially
Schaumburg-Lippe's position was somewhat precarious: it had to share a
wide variety of institutions and facilities with the County of
Schaumburg (which belonged to Hesse-Kassel), including the
representative assembly and the highly productive Bückeberg mines, and
the Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel retained some feudal rights over it. It
was further threatened by the headstrong policies of ruling Count
Friedrich Christian. To counter these threats, Friedrich's grandson
Count Wilhelm (who reigned 1748-1777) retained a standing army of up to
1000 troops - quite a lot for such a small territory.
With Wilhelm's death in 1777 the junior Schaumburg-Lippe-Alverdissen
inherited the County thereby reuniting Schaumburg-Lippe with
Lippe-Alverdissen. Schaumburg-Lippe was a county until 1807 when it
became a principality; from 1871 it was a state within the German
Empire. In 1913, it was the smallest state in the German Empire in terms
of population. The capital was Bückeburg, and Stadthagen was the only
other town. Under the constitution of 1868, there was a legislative diet
of 15 members, 10 elected by the towns and rural districts and 1 each
by the nobility, clergy and educated classes, the remaining 2 nominated
by the prince. Schaumburg-Lippe sent one member to the Bundesrat
(federal council) and one deputy to the Reichstag. It lasted until the
end of the German monarchies in 1918, when it became a free state as the
Free State of Schaumburg-Lippe. In November 1918, Prince Adolf was the
second last reigning German monarch to abdicate.
The House of
Lippe (German: Haus Lippe) is a German Royal House. The House of Lippe
descends from Jobst Herman, Count of Lippe (died ca. 1056) whose son
Bernhard I was the founder of the state of Lippe in 1123. In 1613, the
House's territory was split into Lippe-Detmold, Lippe-Brake and
Lippe-Alverdissen. In 1643 Count Philipp of Lippe-Alverdissen founded
the Schaumburg-Lippe line of the House of Lippe. In 1905 with the death
of Prince Alexander the senior Lippe-Detmold branch of the family became
extinct with Count Leopold of Lippe-Biesterfeld succeeding him as
Prince.
With the German Revolution of 1918, the Princes of
Lippe and Schaumburg-Lippe were forced to abdicate, ending the family's
795-year rule in Lippe. The princely family still ownes the estate and
castle at Detmold, currently Armin, Prince of Lippe.
In 1937, Prince
Bernhard of Lippe-Biesterfeld married Princess Juliana of the
Netherlands. With the ascension of their daughter Beatrix in 1980, the
name of the Royal House remained known as the House of Orange-Nassau,
although Beatrix and her sisters are agnatically members of the House of
Lippe.
The Family Titles and Styles - The members of this
family bear the title Prince or Princess zu Schaumburg-Lippe, together
with the formal appellation of His or Her Serene Highness, except those
who have been granted the style "Hochfürstlich Durchlaucht", who will be
marked with an HD; these latter are those who spring from
House-approved marriages.
The Website of the Princely House of Schaumburg-Lippe:
http://www.schloss-bueckeburg.de/
Almanach de Saxe Gotha Page:
http://www.almanachdegotha.org/id35.html
Georgia is a country in the Caucasus
region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern
Europe, it is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by
Russia, to the south by Turkey and Armenia, and to the southeast by
Azerbaijan. The capital of Georgia is Tbilisi. Georgia covers a
territory of 69,700 square kilometres (26,911 sq mi), and its population
is almost 4.7 million.
The Bagratides are one of the oldest
Royal dynasties in the world, claiming descent from Davit, the biblical
hero and slayer of Goliath. The oldest family in the Orthodox Christian
world, they established themselves as rulers over Speri (now Ispir), and
governors of Samtzkhe and Klarjeti. The Persians appointed members of
the family to the office of marzpan (Viceroy) before 628 and the
Byzantine Emperors to that of kuropalates in 645. Gaining in power and
influence over Kartli, Ashot I become Eristav of Kartli in 809. His
great great-grandson, Adarnase II, became King of the Georgians in 888.
Different branches of the family held sway over Meshkheti and Javakheti
as Pitiakshshs, and over Armenia as Kings.
King Bagrat III
expelled the Turks from the Eastern provinces, threw off his allegience
to Constantinople and established his rule over the Abkhazis,
Kartvelians, Ranians, Kakhetians and the Armenians, unifying all
Georgia. Giorgi III, Bagrati's grandson, was the first to assume the
title of Shahanshah (King of Kings) and Master of all the East and West.
His reign, and that of his successor, his daughter Thamar the Great,
are seen as the 'golden age' of Georgian history, the era of empire,
diplomatic success, heroic triumphs at arms against the infidel, great
learning, cultural, spiritual, and artistic flowering. However, within
two reigns the irrepresible westward advance of Mongol power proved too
great.
The Great Khan took advantage of a missunderstanding
amongst the Georgian nobles to split the power of the dynasty by
appointing two rival Kings. Davit VII Ulu Giorgishvili, of the male but
illegitimate line, being established as senior ruler in Mtzkheta, in
Kartli. Davit VI Narin, representing the legitimate but female line,
fleeing to the west to establish his kingdom in Imereti. Almost
simultaneously the Mongols encouraged the great magnates and provincial
grandees to establish rival centres of power or direct allegience to
themselves. Thereafter, the history of Georgia became a continuous and
unequal, though often heroic struggle against the forces of Islam, the
Persians in the southeast and the Turks in the southwest.
Dissentions and dissagreements within the Royal family had reduced the
once powerful kingdom into three, Kartli, Imereti and Kakheti. Although
the three kingdoms formally accepted the separation in the 1490s,
competition to reunify the kingdom continued between them for another
two hundred and fifty years. The eastern kingdoms of Kartli and Kahkheti
fell under Persian dominion, while Imereti in the west, succumbed to
the Turks. The Persian rulers insisting on appointing the Bagratide
kings as their governors or viceroys provided they converted to Islam.
The Turks preferred to leave the Kings of Imereti with their religion,
but to govern with a heavy hand. These long years of subjugation saw the
country devastated and plundered of its wealth and treasures, its
churches and monuments raised to the ground, its population removed to
far off lands, and its women sold as prized slaves throughout the Muslim
world.
Muslim converts amongst the Bagratides and the Georgian
nobility, came to play important roles in Persian affairs. Several
princesses and noblewomen married into the ruling families of Persia,
while their fathers and brothers gained important posts. Georgian
men-at-arms and military officers were amongst the most respected in the
Persian service, becoming kingmakers, more than once. The weakening of
the Safawis and the subsequent contests for power in Persia saw some
resurgence of autonomy under King Vakhtang VI of Kartli. He reformed the
administration, reasserted central authority, revised the legal code,
and erected irrigation works and converted wastelands to cultivation. An
enlightened ruler, he introduced humane laws and methods of
administration, great scholar, poet, critic, translator and leader of
intellectual life during the first quarter of the eighteenth century.
However, war with Turkey and the subsequent agreement to divide Georgia
between Turkey and Persia forced Vakhtang to flee to Russia in 1724.
Given no help but allowed to settle there, he died in the city of
Astrakan in 1737. His family and descendants were absorbed into the
Russian nobility.
The rise to power of Nadir Shah Afshar in
Perisa saw another change in Georgia's fortunes. Nadir Shah desperately
wanted allies in his deadly struggles against the Zands. He needed
Georgian arms in his wars in Afghanistan and invasions of India. And he
needed a bulwark against the growing power of Russia in the north.
Consequently, the Georgian King was allowed to reassert his authority,
resume open practice of his religion and left pretty much to himself,
provided he contributed revenues and provided soldiers. Kartli and
Kakheti were reunited and Taimuraz II crowned at Mtzkheta, the first
king to undergo the full Christian ceremonial of ancient Georgia for
over a century. He reunified the country, reduced the power of the
magnates and grandees, restored cathedrals and churches, but remained at
constant war with the fierce Muslim tribes, the Lazgis and Daghistanis.
He pleaded for help from Empress Elizabeth of Russia, to no avail.
Irakli II, son and successor of King Taimurazi, had been made King of
Kakheti under his father in 1744. On his succession, he retained full
control over both kingdoms, ruling them with a strong hand. He served
under Nadir in Afghanistan and India, and is considered to be a gifted
military strategist, who fought forty battles being victorious in most.
Taking advantage of continuing dissention in Persia he succeeded in his
appeal for Russian aid, negotiating the Treaty of Giorgievsk in 1783.
This made Kartli and Khakheti a unitary Russian protectorate, in
exchange for Russian military aid against the Turks and Persians. A
promise tested but not fulfilled when Aga Muhammad Qajar fell on Tiflis
with an army of 35,000. King Irakli and his grandson, King Solomoni II
of Imereti were left to defend Georgia alone with forces numbering no
more than 3,000. They repulsed the Persians three times, before being
reduced to 150 diehards who fled into the mountains with their aged King
who refused to negotiate.
King Irakli bided his time in the
hills until the Russians eventually relented and sent a large army to
drive the Persians out. They again withdrew, leaving the Georgians
defenceless against an Aga Muhammed bent on revenge. They were only
saved by his assassination at Shusha in 1797. Irakli II died six months
later, leaving his throne to his weak, fat, lazy though devout son
Giorgi XII. King Irakli, under the influence of his third wife, Queen
Darejan, had altered the line of succession in favour of his younger
sons. One of Giorgi's first acts on becoming ruler was to secure the
Russian Master's agreement to recognise his eldest son as Heir Apparent
and successor. This left him facing insurrections led by his
half-brothers. Prince Farnavazi allied himself to the fearsome Lazgis
and devastated parts of the kingdom. His other brothers, ensconced on
the large domains assigned to them by their late father, ignored his
authority and fermented rebellion. Devoid of stomach for any contest,
the dying ruler was persuaded to resign his kingdom to the Russian
Master. This he did in return for the recognition of himself and his own
heirs as titular Kings of Georgia. However, while his envoys were in
Russia still negotiating the terms of the new treaty, Emperor Paul
decided to annex the kingdom outright. He issued a manifesto
unilaterally annexing the realm to the Russian crown on 18th January
1801 o.s. The annexation was confirmed by Emperor Alexander I on 12th
September 1801 o.s., shortly after Paul's death.
The Russian
military detachment sent to put the annexation into effect did not
arrive in Tiflis until April 1802. At first the Russians faced
considerable opposition, Giorgi's widow, Queen Miriami, arranging for
the assassination of the Russian Governor General Lazarev. Soon
afterwards, Prince Davit, King Giorgi's Heir Apparent, and several
members of the Royal Family were deported to Russia. Prince Aleksandri,
meanwhile, threw in his lot with the Persians and joined the colours of
Crown Prince Abbas Mirza, harrasing the Russians from across the border
for several years thereafter. In 1812 rebels proclaimed as King, Prince
Grigori, a son of Prince Ioane, King Giorgi XII's second but favourite
son. He was swiftly captured and deported to Russia. Unpurturbed, Prince
Aleksandri, raised several further rebellions in the years that
followed. The most serious of these being in 1821-1822, when the
Osettians revolted but were brutally crushed by the Russians. Gradually,
Russian control extended into the remaining Georgian territories, each
being annexed one after the other over a period of sixty-five years.
Solomon II, King of Imereti was persuaded to accept a Russian
protectorate in 1804, but fled into Turkish territory when he recived
prior warning of a Russian plot to kidnap and deport him to Russia in
1810. Although he crossed the broder several times and fermented several
insurrections, he died a broken man, at Trebizond in 1815. Without
legitimate issue, he had appointed his cousin, Prince Konstantini, as
his Heir Apparent and designated successor. The only son of King Davit
II, Konstantini was taken to Russia and commissioned into the Russian
army. His descendants and relatives were received into the ranks of the
princely houses of the Russian Empire.
Abkhazia was made into a
protectorate in 1810, after the Christian son of a previous ruler was
persuaded to rebel against his Muslim uncle. The principality was
occupied by Russian troops but they tired of their unruly vassal and his
unruly subjects, annexing the principality outright in 1864. The Guria
accepted Russian protection in 1811. The province enjoyed an autonomous
existence under the rule of its own Gureli princes. However, the
principality was annexed outright in 1830, after the Regent Princess
Sopio allied herself with the Turks in the war of 1828-1829. Svania
faired little better than her neighbours and was annexed in 1858, after
their quarrelsome Prince, Konstantini, was deposed and executed for
opposing Russian encroachment.
Mingrelia, under the
Eristavt-Eristavis of the house of Dadiani, perhaps faired best. Having
accepted Russian protection in 1803. The dynasty continued to rule until
1867, enjoying a high degree of autonomy denied to other parts of
Georgia. However, this ended when Prince Nikoloz abdicated his rights to
his Russian overlord. Like his brother rulers, he joined the ranks of
the nobility of the Russian Empire.
Royal Family Titles and
Styles -The Sovereign: the titles of the Georgian rulers varied
significantly from reign to reign, especially after the country came
under Muslim and Russian domination. Nevertherless, the last King to
enjoy the traditional titles was Irakli I, as "The Most High King
(Mepe-Umaglesi) (reign name), by the will of our Lord, King of Kings
(Mepe-Mepeta) of the Abkhazis, Kartvelians, Ranians, Kakhetians and the
Armenians, Shirvanshah and Shahanshah and Master of all the East and
West", with the style of His Majesty (or His Splendour). The wife of the
Sovereign: enjoyed the exact female equivalent of all the titles and
styles of her husband. Thus, Irkali I's consort was entitled "The Most
High Queen (Dedopali-Umaglesi) (reign name), by the will of our Lord,
Queen of Kings (Dedopali-Mepeta) of the Abkhazis, Kartvelians, Ranians,
Kakhetians and the Armenians, etc.", with the style of Her Majesty (or
Her Splendour). The mother of the Sovereign: The Most High Queen Mother
(Codshibrola-Umaglesi), with the style of Her Majesty (or Her
Splendour). The sons, grandsons, and male descendants in the male line,
including natural issue: The Most Brilliant (Uganatlibulisi) (given
name)-batonishvili, i.e. Prince, with the style of His Highness (or His
Splendour). The daughters, granddaughters, and female descendants in the
male line, including natural issue: The Most Brilliant (Uganatlibulisi)
(given name)-batonishvili, i.e. Princess, with the style of Her
Highness (or Her Splendour). After Russia extended her protection over
the kingdom of Georgia, the Tsar recognised the following styles and
titles as of 24th September 1783 o.s.: The sovereign: The Hereditary
Sovereign and Prince, The Most Serene King (Tsar) (reign name), by the
will of our Lord, King (Tsar) of Kartli, King of Kakheti, Hereditary
Prince of Samtzkhé-Saatabago, Ruling Prince of Kazakh, Borchalo,
Shamshadilo, Kak, Shaki, and Shirvan, Prince and Lord of Ganja and
Erivan, with the style of His Majesty. The wife of the sovereign: The
Most Serene Queen (Tsaritsa) (personal name), by the will of our Lord,
Queen (Tsaritsa) of Kartli, etc.", with the style of Her Majesty. The
sons of the Sovereign: Prince (Tsarevitch) (given name) (father's name)
Grouzinskii, i.e. Prince of Georgia, with the style of His Highness. The
daughters of the Sovereign: Princess (Tsarevna) (given name) (father's
name) Grouzinskaya, i.e. Princess of Georgia, with the style of Her
Highness. All legitimate male descendants of King Irakli II and King
Giorgi XII, in the male line: Prince (Kniaz) (given name) (father's
name) Grouzinskii, i.e. Prince of Georgia, with the style of His Serene
Highness. All legitimate female descendants of King Irakli II and King
Giorgi XII, in the male line: Princess (Kniaza) (given name) (father's
name) Grouzinskaya, i.e. Princess of Georgia, with the style of Her
Serene Highness. More remote princes of the blood or descendants in the
natural line, also received the title of Kniaz or Kniaza (given name)
(father's name) Bagration, frequently with a territorial or other
designation. Bagration Mukhranskii (Bagration of Mukhrani),
Bagration-Davidov (Bagration-Davitishvili), etc.
Present Heir
to the Headship Royal House of Bagrationi and Throne of the Kingdom of
Georgia is HRH Prince David Bagrationi of Georgia, his heir is his son
HRH Prince George Bagrationi of Georgia. Prince David's late father, HRH
Prince George Bagration-Mukhransky of Georgia, was officially
recognised by the Georgian Government as Head of the former Royal House
of Georgia in 1991, being the most senior legitimate descendant of the
dynasty in the male line.
The Royal Family of Romania website:
http://www.royalhouseofgeorgia.ge/
Almanach de Saxe Gotha Page:
http://www.almanachdegotha.org/id59.html
The Grand Duchy of Tuscany (Italian:
Granducato di Toscana, Latin: Magnus Ducatus Etruriae) was a central
Italian monarchy that existed, with interruptions, from 1569 to 1859,
replacing the Duchy of Florence. The grand duchy's capital was Florence.
Before the advent of the House of Lorraine, Tuscany was nominally a
state of the Holy Roman Empire until the Peace of Westphalia in 1648.
The grand duchy, initially, was ruled by the House of Medici until its
extinction in 1737. Under the Medici, Tuscany thrived. While not as
internationally renowned as the old republic, it bore witness to
unprecedented economic and military success under Cosimo I and his sons,
until the reign of Ferdinando II, whose reign saw the beginning of the
state's long economic decline. It peaked under Cosimo III. The Medici's
only advancement in the latter days of their existence was their
elevation to royalty, by the Holy Roman Emperor, in 1691. The senior
branch of the Medici line went extinct in 1737.
Francis Stephen
of Lorraine, a cognatic descendant of the Medici, succeeded the family
and ascended the throne of his Medicean ancestors. Tuscany was governed
by a viceroy, Marc de Beauvau-Craon, for his entire rule. His
descendants ruled, and resided in, the grand duchy until 1859, barring
one interruption, when Napoleon Bonaparte gave Tuscany to the House of
Bourbon-Parma. Following the collapse of the Napoleonic system in 1814,
the grand duchy was restored. The United Provinces of Central Italy, a
client state of the Kingdom of Sardinia-Piedmont, annexed Tuscany in
1859. Tuscany was formally annexed to Sardinia in 1860, following a
landslide referendum, in which 95% of voters approved.
The
House of Habsburg, also spelled Hapsburg, was one of the most important
royal houses of Europe. The throne of the Holy Roman Empire was
continuously occupied by the Habsburgs between 1438 and 1740. The house
also produced kings of Bohemia, England, Germany, Hungary, Croatia,
Ireland, Portugal, Spain, as well as rulers of several Dutch and Italian
countries.
The House takes its name from Habsburg Castle, a
fortress built in the 1020s in present-day Switzerland by Count Radbot
of Klettgau, who chose to name his fortress Habsburg. His grandson, Otto
II, was the first to take the fortress name as his own, adding "Count
of Habsburg" to his title. The House of Habsburg gathered dynastic
momentum through the 11th, 12th and 13th centuries.
By 1276,
Count Radbot's seventh generation descendant, Rudolph of Habsburg, had
moved the family's power base from Habsburg Castle to the Duchy of
Austria. Rudolph had become King of Germany in 1273, and the dynasty of
the House of Habsburg was truly entrenched in 1276 when Rudolph became
ruler of Austria, which the Habsburgs ruled until 1918.
A
series of dynastic marriages enabled the family to vastly expand its
domains, to include Burgundy, Spain and her colonial empire, Bohemia,
Hungary, and other territories into the inheritance. In the 16th
century, the family separated into the senior Habsburg Spain and the
junior Habsburg Monarchy branches, who settled their mutual claims in
the Oñate treaty.
The House of Habsburg became extinct in the
18th century. The senior branch ended upon the death of Charles II of
Spain in 1700 and was replaced by the House of Bourbon. The remaining
branch went extinct in the male line in 1740 with the death of Holy
Roman Emperor Charles VI and completely in 1780 with the death of his
eldest daughter, Maria Theresa, and was succeeded by the Vaudemont
branch of the House of Lorraine. The new successor house styled itself
formally as House of Habsburg-Lorraine (German: Habsburg-Lothringen),
although it was often referred to as simply the House of Habsburg.
The Present Heir to the Grand Ducal Throne is HI&RH Archduke
Sigismund of Austria, Grand Duke of Tuscany (Sigismund Otto Maria Josef
Gottfried Henrich Erik Leopold Ferdinand von Habsburg-Lothringen; born
21 April 1966) who is the titular Grand Duke of Tuscany and current head
of the Tuscan branch of the House of Habsburg-Lorraine. Archduke
Sigismund is Grand Master of the Order of Saint Joseph and Order of
Saint Stephen, the two orders of knighthood of the Grand Ducal House of
Tuscany.
The Website of the Grand Ducal House of Tuscany:
http://www.granducato.org/
Almanach de Saxe Gotha Page:
http://www.almanachdegotha.org/id38.html
The Albanian Kingdom (Gheg Albanian:
Mbretnija Shqiptare, Standard Albanian: Mbretëria Shqiptare) was the
constitutional monarchal rule in Albania between 1928 and 1939. During
this period Albania was a de facto protectorate of the Kingdom of Italy,
Albania was declared a monarchy by the Constituent Assembly, and Zog I
was crowned king. The kingdom was a restoration of the royal identity
surviving from Scanderbeg's reign in the 15th century. It also ensured
the permanence of democracy and order in Albania, which had just
regained independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1912. The kingdom was
supported by the fascist regime in Italy and the two countries
maintained close relations until Italy's sudden invasion of the country
in 1939. After the end of World War II the Albanian King, couldn't
return to his throne because the Albanian Communist's liberated the
Country from Fascist and installed a Socialist regime and was banned to
enter in the country for all his life in exile . It was the only
European country headed by a Muslim monarch after the dissolution of the
Ottoman Empire in 1922.
The House of Zogu is a European
dynasty founded by Zogu Pasha who migrated to Mati, Albania in the late
15th century and was then appointed Governor of Mati by the Ottoman
Sultan, with the position of Governor then becoming hereditary among the
Zogu clan. The ancestral home of the Zogus was Castle Burgajet. The
most famous member of the dynasty is Zog I, Skanderbeg III, who in 1928
was proclaimed King of the Albanians and ruled until he was deposed by
Victor Emmanuel III of Italy and the Italian invasion in 1939. Victor
Emmanuel subsequently assumed the Albanian throne. King Zog's son was
Leka, Crown Prince of Albania, known as King Leka I. The current head of
the dynasty is Prince Leka of Albania, the son of Leka, Crown Prince of
Albania (d. 2011).
Albanian Royal Family Titles and Styles -
The Albanian Sovereign bears the Titles of Mbret i Shqiptarëvet, King of
the Sons of the Eagle King of the Albanians with the formal appellation
of His Majesty. The Heir Apparent bears the Titles of Princ i
Shqiptarëve, Trashëgimtar, Crown Prince of Albania with the formal
appellation of His Royal Highness. The Sons of the Albanian Sovereign
and male descendants in the male line bear the Titles of Princ i
Shqiptarë, Prince of Albania with the formal appellation of His Royal
Highness. The Daughters of the Albanian Sovereign, and female
descendants in the male line, bear the Titles of Princësh i Shqiptarë,
Princess of Albania with the formal appellation of Her Royal Highness.
The Website of the Albanian Royal Family:
http://www.albanianroyalcourt.al/pages/welcome
Almanach de Saxe Gotha Page:
http://www.almanachdegotha.org/id1.html
The Kingdom of Montenegro, was a
monarchy in southeastern Europe during the tumultuous years on the
Balkan Peninsula leading up to and during World War I. Legally it was a
constitutional monarchy, but absolutist in practice. On 28 November 1918
Montenegro was unified with the Kingdom of Serbia, then three days
later, on 1 December 1918, it was incorporated into the Kingdom of
Serbs, Croats and Slovenes.
House of Petrović-Njegoš - The
House of Petrović-Njegoš (Serbian Cyrillic: Петровић-Његош) was the
reigning family of Montenegro from 1696 to 1918. Montenegro had enjoyed
de facto independence from the Ottoman Empire from 1711 but only
received formal international recognition as an independent principality
in 1878. Montenegro was ruled from inception by Vladikas,
Prince-Bishops, who had a dual temporal and spiritual role. In 1852 this
role was amended to be a purely temporal office. In 1910 the ruling
prince Nikola I announced his elevation to King. In 1916 King Nikola I
was ousted by the invasion and occupation of his country by
Austria-Hungary that was followed by his formal deposition by the
Podgorica Assembly in 1918 as Montenegro was annexed by the emergent
Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes.
A period of eighty years
of control from Belgrade followed during which Nikola I died in exile
in France in 1921 followed shorty afterwards by the surprise abdication
of his son and heir, Danilo III, the same year. The latter's nephew,
Michael Petrović-Njegoš, inherited the titles of his predecessors whilst
in exile in France and survived arrest and internment by order of Adolf
Hitler for refusing to head up a puppet Montenegrin state aligned to
the Axis Powers. Later, he served the Yugoslav Communist regime as Head
of Protocol. He was succeeded by his son Nicholas Petrović-Njegoš in
1986. Nicholas returned to Montenegro to support the Montenegrin
independence movement that went on to achieve full sovereignty for the
Republic of Montenegro in 2006 referendum. The present head of the house
is Nicholas II of Montenegro.
Royal Family Titles and Styles -
The members of this family bear the title Prince or Princess Petrovich
Njegosh of Montenegro, together with the formal appellation of His or
Her Royal Highness.
Almanach de Saxe Gotha Page:
http://www.almanachdegotha.org/id24.html
The Ottoman Empire (Ottoman Turkish:
دولت عليه عثمانیه Devlet-i ʿAliyye-yi ʿOsmâniyye; Modern Turkish:
Osmanlı İmparatorluğu), sometimes referred to as the Turkish Empire or
simply Turkey, was a contiguous transcontinental empire founded by
Turkish tribes under Osman Bey in north-western Anatolia in 1299. With
the conquest of Constantinople by Mehmet II in 1453, the Ottoman state
was transformed into an empire. A historical map showing eyalets
(administrative regions) of Ottoman Empire in Europe and Asia in 1890.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, in particular at the height of its
power under the reign of Suleiman the Magnificent, the Ottoman Empire
was one of the most powerful states in the world – a multinational,
multilingual empire, controlling much of Southeast Europe, Western Asia,
North Africa and the Horn of Africa.
At the beginning of the
17th century the empire contained 32 provinces and numerous vassal
states, some of which were later absorbed into the empire, while others
were granted various types of autonomy during the course of centuries.
With Constantinople as its capital and control of vast lands around the
Mediterranean basin, the Ottoman Empire was at the centre of
interactions between the Eastern and Western worlds for over six
centuries. It was dissolved in the aftermath of World War I; the
collapse of the empire led to the emergence of the new political regime
in Turkey itself, as well as the creation of the new Balkan and Middle
East.
The Imperial House of Osman - Osmanoglu - The Osmanli
Dynasty traces its origins to Osman Khan Ghazi, founder of the Turkish
Empire and son of Ertugrul, leader of the Kayi clan of the Oghuz tribe,
during the late 13th century. The tribe reputedly descends from Noah,
through his grandson, Oghuz. The Imperial Ottoman family ruled the
Ottoman Empire from 1299 until the establishment of the Republic of
Turkey in 1922. The rule of one single family, for more than 600 years,
over an Empire that was once the most powerful in the world is unique in
world history. There were thirty six Ottoman Sultans who ruled over the
Empire, and each one was a direct descendant through the male line of
the first Ottoman Sultan, Sultan Osman I. The Ottoman dynasty is known
in Turkish as Osmanlı, meaning "House of Osman". The first rulers of the
dynasty never had called themselves sultans, but rather beys, or
"chieftain", roughly the Turkic equivalent of Emir, which would itself
become a gubernatorial title and even a common military or honorific
rank. Thus they still formally acknowledged the sovereignty of the
contemporary Seljuk Sultanate of Rûm and its successor, the Ilkhanate.
The first Ottoman to actually claim the title of sultân was Murad I,
who ruled from 1359 to 1389. The title sultan (سلطان)-in Arabic, was in
later Arabic-Islamic dynasties originally the power behind the throne
of the Caliph in Bagdad and it was later used for various independent
Muslim Monarchs. This title was more prestigious then Emir; it was not
comparable to the title of Malik 'king' or the originally Persian title
of Shah. With the Conquest of Constantinople in 1453, the road was open
for the Ottoman state to become an empire, with Sultan Mehmed II taking
the title of pâdişah (پادشاه), a Persian title meaning "lord of kings"
claiming superiority to the other kings, that title was abandoned when
the empire declined and lost its might. In addition to such secular
titles, the Ottoman sultan became the Caliph of Islam, starting with
Selim I, who became khalif after the death of the last Abbasid Caliph
Al-Mutawakkil III, the last of Abbasid Caliphs in Cair.
After the deposition of the last Sultan, Mehmet VI, in 1922, and the
subsequent abolition of the Ottoman Caliphate in 1924, members of the
Imperial family were forced into exile. Their descendants now live in
many different countries throughout Europe, as well as in the USA, the
Middle East, and since they have now been permitted to return to their
homeland, many now also live in Turkey. When in exile, the family
adopted the surname of Osmanoğlu, meaning son of Osman, out of respect
for the founder of their dynasty. It was announced in 2010 that members
of the Ottoman dynasty are working to create a foundation with the goal
of uniting the family and helping the ones living abroad to connect with
their Turkish heritage.
Turkish Citizenship of members of the
Imperial House - Without any exception, all members of the Imperial
Ottoman family were exiled in 1924. Most had never left their homeland
before, and all were forced to make a new life abroad. The family
departed from Sirkeci Train Station, and would disperse across Europe,
the United States and the Middle East. As the former Ottoman Sultan,
H.I.M. Sultan Mehmed VI Vahideddin, had settled in San Remo, many
members of the family congregated to the South of France. After living
in Switzerland for a short time, the last Caliph of Islam H.I.H. Prince
(Şehzade) Abdulmecid II, also moved to Nice. The travel documents issued
by the Turkish Republic to the Ottoman family on their exile were only
valid for one year. Therefore, by 1925 members of the family were no
longer able to travel, and it was due to the intervention of H.I.H.
Prince (Şehzade) Ali Vâsib Efendi that the family received courtesy
passports from the French Government. The French Government also issued
passports to the children of the members of the family who were born in
exile. Today many members of the Ottoman family have now obtained
Turkish citizenship, and hold Turkish passports.
The Titles and
Styles of the Family - Imperial Princes (Şehzades) of the House of
Osman - The formal way of addressing the male descendants of the Ottoman
Sultans is Daulatlu Najabatlu Şehzade (given name) Hazretleri Efendi,
i.e. Prince (given name) Efendi, with the style of His Imperial
Highness. According to genealogies of the House of Osman, had the
Sultanate not been abolished, there are twenty-four Imperial Princes in
the line of succession after Bayezid Osman, the current head of the
family. They are listed as follows; the succession law used is agnatic
seniority, with the succession passing to eldest male dynast.
Imperial Princesses (Sultans) of the House of Osman - The formal way of
addressing the female descendants of the Ottoman Sultans is Daulatlu
Hazretleri (given name) Sultan, i.e. Princess (given name) Sultan, with
the style of Her Imperial Highness. According to genealogies of the
House of Osman, had the Sultanate not been abolished, there are
seventeen Imperial Princesses.
List of heirs to the Imperial
House of Osman since 1922 - The Ottoman dynasty was expelled from Turkey
in 1924. The female members of the dynasty were allowed to return after
1951, and the male members after 1973. Below is a list of people who
would have been heirs to the Ottoman throne following the abolition of
the sultanate on 1 November 1922.
Mehmed VI, last Ottoman Sultan (1918–1922) then 36th Head of the House of Osman in exile (1922–1926).
Abdülmecid II, last Ottoman Caliph (1922–1924) then 37th Head of the House of Osman following Mehmed VI's death (1926–1944).
Ahmed IV Nihad, 38th Head of the House of Osman (1944–1954), grandson of Sultan Murad V.
Osman IV Fuad, 39th Head of the House of Osman (1954–1973), half-brother of Ahmed IV Nihad.
(Mehmed) Abdülaziz II, 40th Head of the House of Osman (1973–1977), grandson of Sultan Abdülaziz I.
Ali I Vâsib, 41st Head of the House of Osman (1977–1983), son of Ahmed IV Nihad.
(Mehmed) Orhan II, 42nd Head of the House of Osman (1983–1994), grandson of Sultan Abdul Hamid II.
Ertuğrul Osman V, 43rd Head of the House of Osman (1994–2009), grandson of Sultan Abdul Hamid II.
(Osman) Bayezid III, 44th Head of the House of Osman (2009–present), great-grandson of Sultan Abdülmecid I.
Almanach de Saxe Gotha Page:
http://www.almanachdegotha.org/id127.html
The Ducal House of Hohenberg is an
Austrian noble family, descended from Countess Sophie Chotek (1868-1914)
who in 1900 married Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Este
(1863-1914), the heir presumptive to the throne of the Austro-Hungarian
Empire. As their marriage was a morganatic one, none of their three
children were in the line of succession to the Austro-Hungarian throne.
The House of Hohenberg was established by imperial decree of Emperor
Franz Joseph I of Austria when upon the couple's marriage in 1900, he
created Franz Ferdinand's wife Princess of Hohenberg (in German: Fürstin
von Hohenberg) in her own right with the style of Serene Highness (in
German: Durchlaucht), and the specifiation that this name and title
should also be borne by her descendants. In 1909 the Emperor raised
Sophie to the more senior title of Duchess of Hohenberg (in German:
Herzogin von Hohenberg) with the style Highness (in German: Hoheit) for
her life. This title expired upon Sophie's assassination in 1914.
In 1917 the Emperor Karl I of Austria regulated the titles within the
Hohenberg family and awarded them a coat of arms. The Head of the House
would be titled Duke with the style Highness, the other male members
would be titled Prince and female members titled Princess with the style
of Serene Highness. Thus Sophie's eldest son Prince Maximilian of
Hohenberg became the first Duke of Hohenberg.
This title was
created to be hereditary among Sophie's and Franz Ferdinand's male
descendants according to the rule of primogeniture. Following the
collapse of the Monarchy, all Austrian titles of nobility were abolished
by law in 1919 and since then their names consist only of a forename
and surname, without the "von" or any title. In 1938 several members of
the family who were opposed to Adolf Hitler were arrested by the Nazis
and sent to Dachau concentration camp, most notably Duke Maximilian and
his brother Ernst. They were only released on liberation in 1945. The
current Head of the House, Georg Hohenberg, was Ambassador of the
Republic of Austria to the Holy See under part of the pontificate of
Pope John Paul II. He is also a Knight of the Golden Fleece.
The members of the House of Hohenberg are not only descended from, and
married into, the House of Habsburg-Lorraine, but are also through
marriage related to many other European dynasties including the Grand
Ducal Family of Luxembourg and the Princely House of Liechtenstein,
whereas it should be noted that the Ducal House of Hohenberg is not part
of the House of Habsburg-Lorraine as it is descended through the
created Ducal line of Sophie, Duchess of Hohenberg as declared by the
Imperial Letters Patent of Emperor Francis Joseph of Austria, and as
such any and all Acts, Laws and Decrees created and inforced by the
Austrian, German, Polish and Czech Governments to confiscate the
Properties, Lands and all other Possessions thereon of the former Ruling
House of Habsburg-Lorraine, can not legally apply to the House of
Hohenberg, therefore all properties, lands and possessions taken by any
of the aforementioned governments from the House of Hohenberg, from the
time of the conficaction have if fact and in law remained the sole legal
property of the heirs of the House of Hohenberg therein. Please see the
following family website: www.sophie-hohenberg-czech-rep.eu
The Hohenberg family has left such a legacy behind that their Castle of
Artstetten was selected as a main motive for a very recent
commemorative coin: the 10 euro The Castle of Artstetten commemorative
coin minted in October 13, 2004. The reverse shows the entrance to the
crypt of the Hohenberg family. There are two portraits to the left,
showing Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sophie, Duchess of
Hohenberg. Artstetten Castle (German: Schloss Artstetten or Schloß
Artstetten) is a castle near the Wachau valley in Lower Austria, in the
community of Artstetten-Pöbring. The castle houses the resting place of
Archduke Franz Ferdinand and Sophie, Duchess of Hohenberg, as well as
the Archduke Franz Ferdinand Museum. It remains today the private
property of the Hohenberg Family.
Titles and Styles of The
Ducal Family - The members of this house and family bear the titles of
Prince or Princess of Hohenberg together with the formal appellation of
His or Her Serene Highness, the head of the house bears the Title of
Duke of Hohenberg together with the formal appellation of His Highness.
Website of HSH Princess Sophie of Hohenberg:
http://www.sophie-hohenberg-czech-rep.eu/
Almanach de Saxe Gotha Page:
http://www.almanachdegotha.org/id112.html
The House of Grimaldi is associated
with the history of the Republic of Genoa, Italy and of the Principality
of Monaco. The Grimaldi descend from Grimaldo, a Genoese statesman at
the time of the early Crusades. He may have been a son of Otto Canella, a
consul of the Republic of Genoa in 1133. In turn Grimaldo became a
consul in 1160, 1170 and again in 1184. His numerous descendants led
maritime expeditions throughout the Mediterranean, the Black Sea, and
soon the North Sea. They quickly became one of the most powerful
families of Genoa.
The Grimaldis feared that the head of a rival
Genoese family could break the fragile balance of power in a political
coup and become lord of Genoa, as had happened in other Italian cities.
They entered into a Guelphic alliance with the Fieschi family and
defended their interests with the sword. The Guelfs however were banned
from the City in 1271, and found refuge in their castles in Liguria and
Provence. They signed a treaty with Charles of Anjou, King of Naples and
Count of Provence to retake control of Genoa, and generally to provide
mutual assistance. In 1276, they accepted a peace under the auspices of
the Pope, which however did not put an end to the civil war. Not all the
Grimaldis chose to return to Genoa, as they preferred to settle in
their fiefdoms, where they could raise armies.
In 1299, the
Grimaldis and their allies launched a few galleys to attack the port of
Genoa before taking refuge on the Western Riviera. During the following
years, the Grimaldis entered into different alliances that would allow
them to return to power in Genoa. This time, it was the turn of their
rivals, the Spinola family, to be exiled from the city. During this
period, both the Guelphs and Ghibellines took and abandoned the castle
of Monaco, which was ideally located to launch political and military
operations against Genoa. Therefore, the tale of Francis Grimaldi and
his faction — who took the castle of Monaco disguised as friars in 1297 —
is largely anecdotal.
In the early 14th century, the Aragonese
raided the shores of Provence and Liguria, challenging Genoa and King
Robert of Provence. In 1353, the combined fleet of eighty Venetian and
Aragonese galleys gathered in Sardinia to meet the fleet of sixty
galleys under the command of Anthony Grimaldi. Only nineteen Genoese
vessels survived the battle. Fearing an invasion, Genoa rushed to
request the protection of the Lord of Milan.
Several of the
oldest feudal branches of the House of Grimaldi appeared during these
conflicts, such as the branches of Cohen, Antibes, Beuil, Nice, Puget,
and Sicily. In 1395, the Grimaldis took advantage of the discords in
Genoa to take possession of Monaco, which they then ruled as a
condominium. This is the origin of today's principality.
As was
customary in Genoa, the Grimaldis organised their family ties within a
corporation called albergo. In the political reform of 1528, the
Grimaldi became one of the 28 alberghi of the Republic of Genoa, which
included the Doria and Pallavicini families, and to which other families
were formally invited to join. The House of Grimaldi provided several
doges, cardinals, cabinet ministers, and military officers of historical
note.
By convention, sovereign European houses are reckoned in
the male line.[citation needed] Therefore, since 1731, it has been
determined genealogically that it was in fact the French noble House of
Goyon-Matignon that ruled as Princes of Monaco until 1949. However, one
of the terms of James de Goyon de Matignon becoming Prince of Monaco
jure uxoris was that he adopt the name and arms of Grimaldi so that the
house would be preserved on the throne, and the right of succession was
through his wife Louise-Hippolyte Grimaldi, who abdicated in her
husband's favour. Similarly, when Charlotte Louvet was legitimised in
1911 and made successor to Monaco, her husband, Count Pierre de
Polignac, adopted, as a condition of the marriage, the name and arms of
Grimaldi. In this way the "Grimaldi" name and arms were continued. There
is a branch of the family in England who believed they had more right
to the throne as they were descended from an all-male line from
Alessandro Maria Grimaldi, an exile from Genoa, himself a direct
descendant of Otto Canella, the father of Grimaldo Canella, who started
the patronymic "Grimaldi."
Until 2002, a treaty between Monaco and
France stated that if the reigning Prince ever failed to leave dynastic
offspring then sovereignty over the Grimaldi realm would revert to
France. The 2002 agreement modified this to expand the pool of potential
heirs to dynastic collaterals of the reigning Prince (excluding
adoptive heirs, hitherto allowed, e.g. Princess Charlotte and her
descendants), guaranteeing Monegasque independence. Article I of
Monaco's house law requires that the reigning Prince or Princess bear
the surname of Grimaldi.
The coat of arms of the House of
Grimaldi is simply described as fusily argent and gules, i.e., a red and
white diamond pattern.
Homepage - Prince's Palace of Monaco - Palais Princier de Monaco: http://www.palais.mc/monaco/palais-princier/english/homepage.1969.html
Almanach de Saxe Gotha Page: http://www.almanachdegotha.org/id23.html
The First Mexican Empire (1822–1823) -
After Mexico was declared and recognized as an independent state,
Iturbide was backed and influenced by Mexico's conservatives who favored
an independent Mexico with a monarch from one of the European royal
families as head of state. When no European royals accepted Mexico's
offer (as Spain still had hopes of taking Mexico back), Iturbide was
persuaded by his advisers to be named Emperor in the manner of Napoleon
I.
On 11 May 1823, the ex-emperor boarded the English ship
Rawlins, en route to Livorno, Italy (then part of the Grand Duchy of
Tuscany, accompanied by his wife, children and some servants. There he
rented a small country house and began to write his memoirs. However,
Spain pressured Tuscany to expel Iturbide, which it did, and the
Iturbide family moved to the United Kingdom. Here, he published his
autobiography “Statement of Some of the Principal Events in the Public
Life of Agustín de Iturbide” When he was exiled, Iturbide was given a
government pension, but Congress also declared him a traitor and
“outside of the law,” to be killed if he ever returned to Mexico.
Whether he was aware of this second part is in dispute.
After
his departure, the situation in Mexico continued to worsen. Reports of a
probable Spanish attempt to retake Mexico reached Iturbide in the U.K.
He continued to receive reports from Mexico as well as advice from
supporters that if he returned he would be hailed as a liberator and a
potential leader against the Spanish invasion. Iturbide sent word to
congress in Mexico City on 13 February 1824 offering his services in the
event of Spanish attack. Congress never replied. More conservative
political factions in Mexico finally convinced Iturbide to return.”
Iturbide returned to Mexico on 14 July 1824, accompanied by his wife,
two children, and a chaplain. He landed at the port of Soto la Marina on
the coast of Nuevo Santander (the modern-day state of Tamaulipas). They
were initially greeted enthusiastically, but soon they were arrested
and escorted by General Felipe de la Garza, the local military
commander, to the nearby village of Padilla.
The local
legislature held a trial and sentenced Iturbide to death. When a local
priest administered last rites, Iturbide supposedly said, "Mexicans! I
die with honor, not as a traitor; do not leave this stain on my children
and my legacy. I am not a traitor, no." He was executed by firing squad
on 19 July 1824.
The House of Iturbide (Spanish: Casa de
Iturbide), is the former Imperial House of Mexico. It was founded by Don
Agustín de Iturbide in 1822 when the newly independent Mexican congress
confirmed his title of Agustín I, Constitutional Emperor of Mexico. He
was baptized with the names of Saints Cosmas and Damian at the cathedral
there.
The Second Mexican Empire (Spanish: Imperio Mexicano)
was the name of Mexico under the regime established from 1864 to 1867.
It was created by the Mexican Congress with the support of Napoleon III
of France, who attempted to establish a monarchist ally in the American
Continent. A referendum confirmed the coronation of the Austrian
Archduke Ferdinand Maximilian, of the House of Habsburg as Emperor
Maximilian I of Mexico.
The House of Habsburg-Lorraine, the
main and now only remaining line known as Habsburg-Lorraine, is one of
the most important and was one of the longest-reigning royal houses in
the history of Europe. Currently the house is headed by Karl
Habsburg-Lothringen, the titular Emperor of Austria, King of Hungary,
Bohemia, Galicia and Lodomeria, Croatia, Illyria, as well as the titular
King of Jerusalem.
Emperor Maximilian I (Spanish: Maximiliano
I; Born Ferdinand Maximilian Joseph; 6 July 1832 – 19 June 1867) was the
only monarch of the Second Mexican Empire. He was also a younger
brother of the Austrian emperor Franz Joseph I.
After a
distinguished career in the Austrian Navy, he was proclaimed Emperor of
Mexico on 10 April 1864, with the backing of Napoleon III of France and a
group of Mexican monarchists who sought to revive the Mexican monarchy.
Many foreign governments, including that of the United States, refused
to recognize his administration. This helped to ensure the success of
republican forces led by Benito Juárez, and Maximilian was captured and
executed in 1867.
Emperor Maximilian adopted two grandsons of
the first Mexican Emperor, Agustín de Iturbide y Green and Salvador de
Iturbide y Marzán, as his heirs. The present succession as head of the
Imperial House of Iturbide is claimed by Maximiliano de Götzen-Iturbide.
Maximiliano descends from Agustin I in the fifth generation, and claims
rights to the Imperial Throne of Mexico.
The Website of the Imperial House of Mexico:
http://www.casaimperial.org/
Almanach de Saxe Gotha Page:
http://www.almanachdegotha.org/id74.html
The Báthory (Polish: Batory) were a
Hungarian noble family of the Gutkeled clan. The family rose to
significant influence in Central Europe during the late Middle Ages,
holding high military, administrative and ecclesiastical positions in
the Kingdom of Hungary. In the early modern period, the family brought
forth several Princes of Transylvania and one King of Poland.
The Báthory family belonged to the Gutkeled, a clan of Hungarian nobles,
which traced its descent to the Swabian brothers Gut and Kelad, who
immigrated into Hungary from the castle Stof (probably Staufen im
Breisgau or Hohenstaufen in Württemberg) during the reign of King Peter
(reigned 1038–1046), who himself was partly of Venetian descent.
The actual Báthory family began in the 13th century with Andrew of
Rakoméz, surnamed the Bald, son of Nikolaus. Andrew is mentioned in 1250
as a patron of the monastery of Sárvár in the county of Szatmár. In
1279, King Ladislaus IV rewarded Andrew's brother Hados and Andrew's
sons George (d. 1307), Benedict (d. 1321) and Briccius (d. 1322) for
their military services by granting them Bátor in the county of
Szabolcs. Bátor had been the estate of Vajda son of Lángos, who had
married a relative of Andrew but died without issue. In 1310, Bátor came
into the sole possession of Briccius when he reached an agreement with
his nephew Michael and his cousin Vid to divide the joint possessions.
After this, Briccius and his descendants named themselves "of Bátor" or
Báthory.
The family divided into two major branches, which
descended from the sons and grandsons of Briccius: The elder branch of
the family, the Báthory of Somlyó were descended from John, Count of
Szatmár, the first-born son of Briccius, through his eldest son
Ladislaus (died 1373). Ladislaus, Count of Szabolcs, married Anna
Meggyesi and received Somlyó as dowry. Ladislaus' younger brother George
II is the ancestor of the Simolin family, later called Báthory of
Simolin (see below). A further division occurred under the
great-grandsons of Ladislaus (latter half of the 15th century): John and
Stephen dropped the name Báthory and founded the Szaniszlófi family,
while Nikolaus continued the Somlyó branch.
The younger branch
of the family, the Báthory of Ecsed, were descended from Luke, the
youngest son of Briccius. Luke possessed wide estates in Szatmár and was
granted by King Charles Robert the lordship of Ecsed, where he built
the castle called Hűség (loyalty).This branch, since they retained the
possession of Bátor, are sometimes called of Bátor or, as the younger
branch, Nyírbátor (New Bathory).
Legend and coats of arms - A
legendary account, placing the Báthorys' origin in the year 900
(preceding the advent of the Gutkeled clan), related how a god-fearing
warrior called Vitus (a namesake of a member of the first generation of
the Gutkeled clan) set out to fight a dragon, which loomed in the swamps
next to the castle of Ecsed (actually built only in the 14th century)
and harassed the countryside. Vitus killed it with three thrusts of his
lance and as a reward received the castle. The grateful people honoured
him with the names Báthory, meaning good hero, and "animus magnanimus".
In Hungarian the word for brave is bátor. The Báthory coat of arms,
granted in 1325 to the sons of Briccius, was styled in reference to this
legend: three horizontally placed teeth surrounded by a dragon biting
its own tail.
The Ecsed branch first rises to prominence with
the sons of Luke's grandson John V. His eldest son Bartholomew I fell in
1432 fighting against the Hussites. The second son, Stephen III rose to
become Palatine of Hungary and in 1444 fell in the Battle of Varna as
flag-bearer of Władysław, King of Poland and Hungary. He had also
received the castle Bujak from King Albert of Habsburg.
Of
Stephen's six sons, Ladislaus V (d. 1474) was supreme count of the
counties Szatmár and Zaránd, the second Andrew III (d. 1495) was
confirmed in his possession of Bujak. The third son, Stephen V (d. 1493)
excelled as a military commander and was made Voivod of Transylvania,
the first of a long line of Báthory rulers of that country. The youngest
son, Nicolaus III (d. 1506), bishop first of Syrmia and after 1474 of
Vác, excelled as a renaissance scholar and served as counselor to King
Matthias Corvinus. Stephen VII first proved himself as Count of Temesvár
and in 1519 was elected Palatin of Hungary, as which he had to contend
with the opposition of the nobility. In 1526, He fought in the
disastrous Battle of Mohács against the Ottomans, in which King Louis II
fell.
After the harsh and fierce battle, Hungary was torn
apart by the conflict between the rival royal claims. The two branches
of the family positioned themselves on the opposing sides of the
conflict. The Ecsed branch commonly sided with the Habsburgs: Stephen
VII, who had escaped the battle, fled with Louis' widow to Pozsony (now
Bratislava), where he organized the election of Ferdinand of Austria as
King of Hungary. In the 1550s, when Ferdinand briefly gained control of
Transylvania in 1551, he installed Stephen's nephew Bonaventura as his
lieutenant to govern the country.
The Somlyó branch, on the
other hand, supported John Zápolya, whom the greater part of the
Hungarian nobility had elected King. Zápolya appointed Stephen VIII
Voivode of Transylvania, which he governed until his death in 1534.
Later, the interest of the Zápolyas were represented at the Habsburg
court by the Voivod's son Stephen IX, who would go on to become Prince
of Transylvania and King of Poland.
Impressed by Stephen,
George VI Báthory, of the Ecsed branch, was persuaded to change his
allegiance from the Habsburgs to Zápolya, for which the Habsburg king
deprived him of his castle Bujak. George strengthened his alliance to
Stephen by marrying his sister Anna, uniting the branches. Anna Báthory
was the widow of the last descendant of the Dragfi family and George now
seized the castles of the Dragfi. Since the Dragfi estates were legally
due to the crown, the Habsburgs forced George to yield the castles and
withdrew to Csitsva in Zemplén County.
George and Anna Báthory
produced the most infamous member of the family, Elizabeth, who as a
widow was imprisoned for allegedly murdering large numbers of young
girls. Some scholars have suggested that she served as one of Bram
Stoker's influences for writing the novel Dracula but the evidence to
support this is slim.
Notable members of the Somlyó branch -
Stephen VIII Báthory (1477–1534), Voivod of Transylvania. Stephen IX
Báthory (1533–1586), youngest son of Stephen VIII, Voivod (and later
Prince) of Transylvania and King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania.
Christopher Báthory (1530–1581), son of Stephen Báthory of Somlyó and
elder brother of the King of Poland, administered Transylvania as voivod
during the absence of his brother. Sigismund Báthory (1572–1613), son
of Christopher, Prince of Transylvania. Andrew Cardinal Báthory, cousin
of Sigismund, Prince of Transylvania, Grand Master of the Order of the
Dragon.Gabriel I Báthory (1589–1613), nephew of Andrew, Prince of
Transylvania. Sophia Báthory (died 1680), niece of Gabriel Báthory,
married to George II Rákóczi uniting the families of the Báthory and the
Rákóczi, promoted Roman Catholicism within her domain.
Notable
members of the Ecsed branch - Stephen III Báthory (died 1444), Palatine
of Hungary Stephen V Báthory (died 1493), Voivod of Transylvania
Barbara Báthory, daughter of Andrew III, married Palatin Emericus de
Perén George V Báthory, son of Andrew III, Agazonum regalium magister,
supreme count of Sümeg. Stephen VII Báthory (died 1530), son of Andrew
III, Hungarian commander, Palatin of Hungary. Andrew IV Báthory, son of
Andrew III, Ban of Belgrad, supreme count of Szatmár, married Catherine
of Rozgon, which brought him the castles of Csitsva, Cserép, Rozgon and
Thora. Bonaventura Báthory (also called Andrew by his soldiers) (d.
1566), first-born son of Andrew IV, supreme count of Szatmár and
Szabolcs, later tabernicorum regalium magister and royal judge. He
married twice without having issue. Nicolaus VI Báthory (died 1585), son
of Andrew IV, a royal judge, he is described as "a man of rare honesty,
powerful in possessions and influence east of the river Theiss", he
died after falling from a chariot. George VI Báthory, son of Andrew IV,
turned on the Habsburgs. Father of Elizabeth Báthory. Stephen XII
Báthory (died 1605), son of George VI, royal judge in the counties
Sümegh and Szatmár and supreme count of Szabolcs, opened the doors of
his castle Ecsed to Stephen Bocskay in his rebellion against the
Habsburg, dies shortly afterward. Gabriel Báthory, the younger brother
of Stephen XII, was the last male member of the Ecsed line. It is
unclear whether he died before or after his sisters Elizabeth and
Sophia.Elizabeth Báthory (died 1614), daughter of George VI and through
her mother niece of the Polish King Stephen Báthory, infamous as the
"Blood Countess", one of the first known serial killers. Descendant of
both the Ecsed and Somlyó branches of the Bathory family.
Báthory of Simolin - Another branch of the family are the Báthory of
Simolin family, which was named after their estate Simony (or Simolin).
They descended from George II, the younger son of John I, through the
George's grandson Michael. In the 15th century, Michael's brothers
George and Ladislaus, who both died without issue, had sold their
heritage to the then-head of the Somlyó branch, Nicolaus. The Simolin
family possessed large estates in Prussia and Courland and members
served the Russian Empresses Elizabeth and Catherine as diplomats. In
the 19th century, long after the demise of the other branches, the
family claimed name and title of Counts Báthory, since their ancestor
Michael had never consented to the sale conducted by his brothers, and
in 1852 the Russian government confirmed the legitimacy of their claims.
