Royal descendants of Queen Victoria and of King Christian IX explained

The royal descendants of Queen Victoria and of King Christian IX, monarchs of the United Kingdom (1837–1901) and Denmark (1863–1906) respectively, currently occupy the thrones of Belgium, Denmark, Luxembourg, Norway, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom. At the outbreak of the First World War their grandchildren occupied the thrones of Denmark, Greece, Norway, Germany, Romania, Russia, Spain and the United Kingdom. For this reason Victoria was nicknamed the "grandmother of Europe" and Christian IX the "father-in-law of Europe".

Grandchildren

19th century

Victoria arranged the marriage of her eldest son and heir-apparent, the future Edward VII, to Alexandra of Denmark, the eldest daughter of Christian IX, which took place on 10 March 1863. Among their six children were George V (who was also Emperor of India throughout his reign) and his sister Maud of Wales (who would later marry their cousin Haakon VII of Norway, another grandchild of Christian IX, on 22 July 1896). However these two marriages were not the only unions among and between descendants of Victoria and Christian IX.

The second son of Christian IX, Prince William, became King of Greece as George I shortly after his sister Alexandra's marriage due to this new connection with the British royal family. On 27 October 1889 his son, later Constantine I of Greece, married Sophia of Prussia, a granddaughter of Victoria, forging another union between descendants of the British queen and the Danish king.

In 1865 Christian IX's second daughter, Princess Dagmar, became engaged to Tsarevich Nicholas of Russia, son and heir of Tsar Alexander II. Following the untimely death of her fiancé Dagmar married Nicholas's younger brother, the Tsarevich Alexander, in 1866, taking the Russian name Maria Feodorovna. Between 1881 and 1894 she was empress-consort of Russia. Her son, Nicholas II of Russia, married Alix of Hesse and by Rhine, yet another granddaughter of Queen Victoria, on 26 November 1894, and she became empress-consort as Alexandra Feodorovna.

Other grandchildren became monarchs in their own right or consorts. Christian X of Denmark was the elder brother of Haakon VII of Norway and thus another grandson of Christian IX of Denmark. William II, German Emperor and King of Prussia, was the elder brother of Sophia of Prussia and thus another reigning grandson of Victoria. Lastly, Victoria had two more granddaughters who became queens: Marie of Edinburgh, who married Ferdinand I of Romania, and Victoria Eugenie of Battenberg, who married Alfonso XIII of Spain.

Christian IX was therefore the grandfather of an emperor and two kings who all married granddaughters of Victoria, one of whom (Maud of Wales) was also a granddaughter of Christian IX. In total five of his grandsons were reigning sovereigns.

Victoria, meanwhile, was the grandmother of an emperor, a king-emperor, four queens consort and an empress consort.

First World War

During the First World War (1914–1918) many monarchs of countries from both sides were closely related owing to their descent from either Queen Victoria, Christian IX or both. The most commonly cited example is the fact that Constantine I of Greece and Nicholas II of Russia (through Christian IX), as well as Nicholas' wife, Alexandra Feodorovna, and Wilhelm II of Germany (through Victoria) were all first cousins of George V of the United Kingdom.[1] Shortly before the end of the war, Nicholas, his wife and children were executed by the Bolsheviks.

Other countries who fought against Germany in addition to Russia and the United Kingdom were Romania, whose queen-consort, Marie, wife of Ferdinand I, was a cousin of Wilhelm II, and Greece, whose queen-consort, Sophia, wife of Constantine I, was Wilhelm II's sister.

Other first cousins of George V, whose countries were neutral during the war, were Christian X of Denmark, Victoria Eugenie of Spain (queen-consort of Alfonso XIII) and Haakon VII of Norway (who was also George's brother-in-law via his marriage to George's sister, Maud). Hugo Bates

Family tree of sovereign and consort grandchildren

The family tree below shows the relationships between the monarch grandchildren of Queen Victoria and King Christian IX.

Present-day reigning descendants

The unions between descendants of Queen Victoria and of King Christian IX did not end with the First World War, despite the overthrows of both the German and Russian monarchies (along with the House of Habsburg in Austria-Hungary). On the contrary, nearly all European reigning kings and queens today are most closely related through their descent from Victoria, Christian or both.

King Charles III of the United Kingdom, King Harald V of Norway, King Frederik X of Denmark and King Felipe VI of Spain are all descended from both Queen Victoria and King Christian IX. The first two monarchs are descendants of the aforementioned union between Alexandra of Denmark (daughter of King Christian IX) and Edward VII (son of Queen Victoria). Harald V of Norway is actually descended from Christian IX three ways, twice through his father and once through his mother. Frederik X of Denmark is descended once each from Victoria and Christian IX, through his mother, Queen Margrethe II. Felipe VI is descended from Victoria three ways and Christian IX twice. His father, King Juan Carlos I, is descended from Victoria and not Christian IX, while Juan Carlos' consort, Queen Sofía, is twice a descendant of Victoria and twice a great-great-granddaughter of Christian IX. Charles III is descended from both Christian IX and Queen Victoria twice, as his parents, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, were descendants of both monarchs.

King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden is descended from Victoria twice, his parents being second cousins because they were both great-grandchildren of Victoria. In addition Carl XVI Gustaf also descends on his maternal side from Victoria's half-sister Feodora. Carl XVI Gustaf is not a descendant of Christian IX; however he descends on his maternal side from the parents of Christian IX through Christian IX's elder brother, Friedrich.

Conversely, Philippe, King of the Belgians is descended from King Christian IX but not Queen Victoria, although he is a descendant of Victoria's maternal uncle (as well as her husband Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha's paternal uncle), Leopold I, King of the Belgians. Philippe's father, King Albert II, who abdicated in the summer of 2013, is a first cousin to Harald V of Norway through their grandfather Prince Carl, Duke of Västergötland, married to Princess Ingeborg of Denmark, a granddaughter of Christian IX.

To summarize:

Monarchs descended from Queen Victoria

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Monarchs descended from King Christian IX

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Common ancestry between Victoria and Christian IX

Because so many monarchs descend from both Queen Victoria and King Christian IX of Denmark, the relationship between these two monarchs is of some interest. These monarchs were third cousins through their mutual descent from King George II of Great Britain. This relationship occurs twice because the maternal grandparents of King Christian IX of Denmark, Prince Charles of Hesse-Kassel (or Hesse-Cassel) (1744–1836) and Princess Louise of Denmark (1750–1831), were both children of daughters of King George II of Great Britain (1660–1727) and thus first cousins. Louise of Hesse-Kassel, wife of King Christian IX of Denmark, was a granddaughter of Prince Frederick of Hesse (1747–1837), the brother of the aforementioned Prince Charles of Hesse-Kassel.

Thus King Christian IX of Denmark and his wife Louise of Hesse-Kassel were both second and third cousins to each other and third cousins to Queen Victoria.

The longest lived descendants of Victoria and of Christian IX

Longest lived descendants

Name of descendantsBornDiedAgeDescended fromThrough
Christian, Prince of Bentheim and Steinfurt19232023100 years, 3 daysChristian IX of DenmarkPrincess Louise of Denmark
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh1921202199 years, 303 daysChristian IX of DenmarkPrince Andrew of Greece and Denmark
Victoria of the United KingdomPrincess Alice of Battenberg
Andrew Andreevich, Prince of Russia1923202198 years, 311 daysChristian IX of DenmarkPrince Andrei Alexandrovich of Russia
Christian Castenskjold1926202498 years, 7 daysChristian IX of DenmarkPrincess Dagmar of Denmark
Princess Alice, Countess of Athlone1883198197 years, 313 daysVictoria of the United KingdomPrince Leopold, Duke of Albany
Margaret, Princess René of Bourbon-Parma1895 199297 years, 1 dayChristian IX of DenmarkPrince Valdemar of Denmark
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom1926202296 years, 140 daysVictoria of the United KingdomEdward VII of the United Kingdom
Christian IX of DenmarkPrincess Alexandra of Denmark
Michael I of Romania1921201796 years, 41 daysVictoria of the United KingdomCarol II of Romania
Princess Sophie of Prussia
Christian IX of DenmarkConstantine I of Greece
Count Lennart Bernadotte of Wisborg1909200495 years, 227 daysChristian IX of DenmarkGrand Duchess Maria Pavlovna of Russia
Count Carl Johan Bernadotte of Wisborg1916201295 years, 187 daysVictoria of the United KingdomPrincess Margaret of Connaught
Lady Pamela Hicks1929AliveVictoria of the United KingdomLouis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma
Count Sigvard Bernadotte of Wisborg1907200294 years, 244 daysVictoria of the United KingdomPrincess Margaret of Connaught
Princess Katherine of Greece and Denmark1913200794 years, 151 daysVictoria of the United KingdomPrincess Sophie of Prussia
Christian IX of DenmarkConstantine I of Greece
Olga, Princess Paul of Yugoslavia1903199794 years, 127 daysChristian IX of DenmarkPrince Nicholas of Greece and Denmark
Infanta Beatriz, Princess of Civitella-Cesi1909200293 years, 153 daysVictoria of the United KingdomPrincess Victoria Eugenie of Battenberg
Patricia Knatchbull, 2nd Countess Mountbatten of Burma1924201793 years, 119 daysVictoria of the United KingdomLouis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma
Anne, Queen of Romania1923201692 years, 318 daysChristian IX of DenmarkPrincess Margaret of Denmark
Prince Wolfgang of Hesse1896198992 years, 247 daysVictoria of the United KingdomPrincess Margaret of Prussia
Princess Astrid, Mrs. Ferner1932AliveVictoria of the United KingdomEdward VII of the United Kingdom
Christian IX of DenmarkPrincess Alexandra of Denmark
Haakon VII of Norway
Princess Märtha of Sweden
Prince Carl Bernadotte1911200392 years, 168 daysChristian IX of DenmarkPrincess Ingeborg of Denmark
Prince Michel of Bourbon-Parma1926201892 years, 125 daysChristian IX of DenmarkPrincess Margaret of Denmark
Count Bertram of Castell-Rüdenhausen1932AliveVictoria of the United KingdomCharles Edward, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
Anne Liddell-Grainger1932AliveVictoria of the United KingdomLady May Abel Smith
Prince Alexander of Yugoslavia1924201691 years, 273 daysChristian IX of DenmarkPrincess Olga of Greece and Denmark
Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn1850194291 years, 260 daysVictoria of the United KingdomQueen Victoria (son & daughter)
Princess Louise, Duchess of Argyll18481939Victoria of the United Kingdom
Princess Louise Viktoria of Prussia1917200991 years, 212 daysChristian IX of DenmarkPrincess Louise of Denmark
Countess Birgitta Bernadotte of Wisborg1933AliveChristian IX of DenmarkLennart Bernadotte
Marianne von Sachsen-Coburg und Gotha1933AliveVictoria of the United KingdomJohann Leopold, Hereditary Prince of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
Friedrich Franz, Hereditary Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin1910200191 years, 100 daysChristian IX of DenmarkPrincess Alexandra of Hanover
Prince George William of Hanover1915200690 years, 289 daysChristian IX of DenmarkErnest Augustus, Duke of Brunswick
Victoria of the United Kingdom
Ingrid, Queen of Denmark1910200090 years, 224 daysVictoria of the United KingdomPrincess Margaret of Connaught
Prince David Chavchavadze1924201490 years, 138 daysChristian IX of DenmarkPrincess Nina Georgievna of Russia
Albert II of Belgium1934AliveChristian IX of DenmarkPrincess Astrid of Sweden
Princess Dorothea of Hesse1934AliveChristian IX of DenmarkPrince Andrew of Greece and Denmark
Victoria of the United KingdomPrince Christoph of Hesse
Princess Alice of Battenberg

Oldest living descendants

Name of descendantsBornAgeDescended fromThrough
Lady Pamela HicksVictoria of the United KingdomLouis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma
Princess Astrid, Mrs. FernerChristian IX of DenmarkHaakon VII of Norway
Princess Alexandra of Denmark
Princess Märtha of Sweden
Victoria of the United KingdomEdward VII of the United Kingdom
Count Bertram of Castell-RüdenhausenVictoria of the United KingdomCharles Edward, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
Anne Liddell-GraingerVictoria of the United KingdomLady May Abel Smith
Countess Birgitta Bernadotte of WisborgChristian IX of DenmarkLennart Bernadotte
Marianne von Sachsen-Coburg und GothaVictoria of the United KingdomJohann Leopold, Hereditary Prince of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
Albert II of BelgiumChristian IX of DenmarkPrincess Astrid of Sweden
Princess Dorothea of HesseChristian IX of DenmarkPrince Andrew of Greece and Denmark
Victoria of the United KingdomPrince Christoph of Hesse
Princess Alice of Battenberg
Princess Margaretha, Mrs. AmblerVictoria of the United KingdomPrince Gustaf Adolf, Duke of Västerbotten
Princess Sibylla of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
Hans Veit, Count of Toerring-JettenbachChristian IX of DenmarkPrincess Elizabeth of Greece and Denmark
Countess Victoria of Castell-RüdenhausenVictoria of the United KingdomCharles Edward, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
Archduchess Alexandra of AustriaVictoria of the United KingdomPrincess Ileana of Romania
Prince Edward, Duke of KentChristian IX of DenmarkPrincess Alexandra of Denmark
Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark
Victoria of the United KingdomEdward VII of the United Kingdom
Princess Elizabeth of YugoslaviaChristian IX of DenmarkPrincess Olga of Greece and Denmark
Elizabeth Abel SmithVictoria of the United KingdomLady May Abel Smith
Princess Christa of PrussiaVictoria of the United KingdomPrince Wilhelm of Prussia
Princess Alexandra, The Honourable Lady OgilvyChristian IX of DenmarkPrincess Alexandra of Denmark
Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark
Victoria of the United KingdomEdward VII of the United Kingdom
Princess Birgitta of SwedenVictoria of the United KingdomPrince Gustaf Adolf, Duke of Västerbotten
Princess Sibylla of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
Harald V of NorwayChristian IX of DenmarkHaakon VII of Norway
Princess Märtha of Sweden
Princess Alexandra of Denmark
Victoria of the United KingdomEdward VII of the United Kingdom
Prince Ludwig of BadenChristian IX of DenmarkBerthold, Margrave of Baden
Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark
Victoria of the United KingdomPrincess Alice of Battenberg
Countess Helene of Toerring-JettenbachChristian IX of DenmarkPrincess Elizabeth of Greece and Denmark
Archduke Dominic of AustriaVictoria of the United KingdomPrincess Ileana of Romania
Juan Carlos I of SpainVictoria of the United KingdomInfante Juan, Count of Barcelona
Countess Amélie of Castell-Castell Christian IX of DenmarkPrincess Alexandrine-Louise of Denmark
Princess Désirée, Baroness SilfverschiöldVictoria of the United KingdomPrince Gustaf Adolf, Duke of Västerbotten
Princess Sibylla of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
Countess Madeleine BernadotteChristian IX of DenmarkPrince Carl Bernadotte
Queen Sofía of SpainChristian IX of DenmarkErnest Augustus, Duke of Brunswick
Constantine I of Greece
Victoria of the United KingdomPrincess Victoria Louise of Prussia
Princess Sophia of Prussia
Calma Barbara SchnirringVictoria of the United KingdomCharles Edward, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
Infanta Margarita, Duchess of SoriaVictoria of the United KingdomInfante Juan, Count of Barcelona
Peter von Sachsen-Coburg und GothaVictoria of the United KingdomJohann Leopold, Hereditary Prince of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
Victoria Benigna von BironVictoria of the United KingdomPrince Oskar of Prussia

See also

Notes

  1. Web site: The Family Relationships that Couldn't Stop World War I. 20 December 2013.

References

External links

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