Commoners

[Hester]

Was Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon a commoner?

Yes.

Yes - they can be supremely aristocratic but still commoners!

[jolene]

If they only married fellow royals they'd all be inbred which was a problem.

[bumbershoot]

Well, these days all the major European royal families have had major infusions of new blood, what with all the married-ins. In fact, have there even been any cousinly marriages in this generation?

[VanillaMoomin]

Well, these days all the major European royal families have had major infusions of new blood, what with all the married-ins. In fact, have there even been any cousinly marriages in this generation?

I don’t think so? Not close cousins anyway. The last major royal cousin marriage I can think of offhand was QE2 and Philip who were both second cousins and third cousins. After that I think the reigning European families went for fresh blood, much better for the children. Among the non reigning families I think there’s still cousin marriage going on, certainly with Gabriella Habsburg and Henri Bourbon Parma*, who are both second and third cousins. But even amongst the children of the corn Imre had the sense, or some sort of survival instinct, to marry fresh blood.

*they married in 2020 but they had a child together first.

[Celia]

Sophie and Juan Carlos, Anne Marie and Constantine both married after ERII and Philip.  There's a scene in a documentary of AM & Con where she says something like "We're related...  very related..."  The Spanish couple were third cousins; the Greek were probably related in more ways than the British.

[Principessa]

Sophie and Juan Carlos, Anne Marie and Constantine both married after ERII and Philip.  There's a scene in a documentary of AM & Con where she says something like "We're related...  very related..."  The Spanish couple were third cousins; the Greek were probably related in more ways than the British.

In particular the part that both Constantine and AM descend from King Christian IX of Denmark.

[VanillaMoomin]

Sophie and Juan Carlos, Anne Marie and Constantine both married after ERII and Philip.  There's a scene in a documentary of AM & Con where she says something like "We're related...  very related..."  The Spanish couple were third cousins; the Greek were probably related in more ways than the British.

Thanks! I forgot about them!

[bumbershoot]

I think I was referring to the generation AFTER JC and the like. The generation of Felipe and Haakon and Fred and Victoria and WA and William . . . .  No cousinly marriages there.

[Pomme]

I think I was referring to the generation AFTER JC and the like. The generation of Felipe and Haakon and Fred and Victoria and WA and William . . . .  No cousinly marriages there.

Indeed, all very refreshing, genetically speaking.

[CyrilSebastian]

King Edward IV of England married Elizabeth Woodville. She was the daughter of Richard Woodville, 1st Earl Rivers and Jacquetta of Luxembourg.

[CyrilSebastian]

Queen Maria II of Portugal married Auguste, Duke of Leuchtenberg, son of Eugene de Beauharnais and grandson of Empress Josephine of France, on January 26, 1835.   
On his wedding day Maria II conferred upon Auguste the Portuguese style of "His Royal Highness, The Prince Consort of Portugal".