bumbershoot
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It seems to me that inter-royal friendships sometimes seem to break down along the Protestant/Catholic lines. Max is the exception as she is the Catholic queen of a nominally Protestant nation. But for the most part, I think the (nominally Lutheran) Nordics seem to hang out together, and the Catholic Lux/Belg/Spanish/Monagesque seem, to me at least, to have more of a connection.
Never quite sure how the Brits fit into this. Maybe on some levels it is a generational thing. Certainly the living royals who have memories of WWII generally have more in common with the Brits than many of the others. I think that is particularly the case with the Harald, Daisy, and Beatrix with Elizabeth. And all three of those are very adept English-speakers, of course.
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Celia
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Harald and Beatrix would have spent some time during WWII in the UK before heading out to North America, true. Beatrix is closely related to Brits via the Athlones, and Harald is a second cousin to QEII. MII's mother Ingrid spent a lot of her growing up years in the UK with her English relations (after her mother's death), so I can see the friendships developing that way... And Philip and Charles apparently spend a lot more time in Germany with Philip's sisters' descendants than we see in the papers.
We watchers see them at all the big events, but sometimes, if we know who to look for, a Baden or Yugoslav appears in the crowd at, say, the Royal Windsor Horse Show.
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fairy
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I wouldn't count Beatrix as "closely related to the Brits". In fact, I think of all the European royal houses, the dutch are the furthest away from the usual family mix of Queen Victoria's off spring.
While Sweden, Denmark (CP Margaret of Connaught, Queen Alexandra formerly of Denmark), Norway (Maud of Wales) and Spain (Queen Ena) all go back to one of Vic's children or grandchildren, NL doesn't. So the Athlone angle is actually the closest they have and it doesn't go on to ElizabethII.
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Celia
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Not everyone is descended from Queen Victoria, and descent from her is not some golden gene (though this fascination with her descendants certainly helps drive sales of a certain book).
The Dutch are related to the British royals through the Waldeck Pyrmont sisters. Alice of Athlone was a first cousin to Wilhelmina. The friendship between the two families has continued through Beatrix's generation, at least.
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Tulip of Nonsense
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Indeed. There must have been some royal houses in Europe before Queen Victoria I guess...  |
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"I was given a degree by a college of unbeautiful nonsense... And I have kissed a prince in a land where men grind their wheat in the sky..."
Melville Davisson Post
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fairy
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There were indeed royal families pre Victoria, but boy did she influence the blood lines....
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Harley
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There were indeed royal families pre Victoria, but boy did she influence the blood lines....
Sure but so did others. Christian the 9th of Denmark, for instance, aka the Father in law of Europe. And I'm sure there are similar examples in other royal houses as well. In the end, though, they're all related through many generations. |
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Suzerain
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There were indeed royal families pre Victoria, but boy did she influence the blood lines....
Sure but so did others. Christian the 9th of Denmark, for instance, aka the Father in law of Europe. And I'm sure there are similar examples in other royal houses as well. In the end, though, they're all related through many generations. And let's not forget the formidable Monsieur, the brother of the Sun King Louis XIV, Philippe Duke of Orléans, also called "the grandfather of Europe". Such a character if you've ever read about him. Loved his two wives and his boyfriends all the same, was unabashedly effeminate yet a great military commander and became an ancestor of most modern-day Roman Catholic royalty. And that sharp tongue...  Just love that guy!  https://i.pinimg.com/736x...6b58f2297b5854f02c734.jpghttps://en.wikipedia.org/...e_I,_Duke_of_Orl%C3%A9ansAnd then there was Empress Maria Theresa of Austria (add all the titles she had) marrying off her children all over Europe. But to get back on topic (sorry for drifting away!). I've always found it a bit rude the way BRF wants to isolate themselves on their island. Even more so today than before. I don't see that changing either with the way they seem to be completely uninterested in other royal families. Charles is unlikely to change things and I'd be surprised if we'd see Kate and Wills attending more events in the future. It would be difficult to start building good and close relationships after all this time. Would they do it?  |
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rosella
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The Wessexes have been attending other royals' weddings and christenings since the 1990s though. Edward is godfather to Prince Nicolai of Denmark.
A lot of the visiting to and from the BRF is private. The BRF and the NRF are quite close. Queen Sylvia and King Harald were staying at Sandringham a little while ago. I think a poster on here posted that she used to see Bearix's car and retinue entering and leaving Windsor. Queen Margrethe has spoken about her friendship with Queen Elizabeth. Sofia of Spain and the Greek royals often visit. IMO you could see a real fondness there when King Felipe met Elizabeth. JC calls her Lilibet.
There's a considerable gap in age between Queen Elizabeth and the other sovereigns and between Charles and the other heirs to European thrones and IMO that's a big explanation of why Charles hasn't turned up to weddings etc. for a long long time.
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MadMissManton
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I don't understand-what close friend do you mean when you say Wernher-was it a friend of the Queen Mother? What is a morganatic line?
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Celia
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Lady Zia Wernher was the daughter of Grand Duke Michael of Russia. Her mother was a "mere" countess, the product of another morganatic marriage. Lady Zia married well, as did her daughters, and her sister married the 2nd marquess of Milford Haven (a Mountbatten), thus the multi-generational friendships with the Kent families and Prince Philip's family.
They really do stick with their own, don't they?!
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fairy
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One of Zia's daughters, Gina, married Bunny Philips long term lover of Lady Edwina Mountbatten, India's last vice reine...
They really do keep it in the family...
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