The Best of Royal 2020

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex

image via Wikimedia Commons

The year 2020 will not be well-remembered by most people. From the pandemic to the lockdowns to the economic despair to the racial and political strife, it brought suffering to many of us around the entire globe. While the year started off well enough for most, we royal watchers were already struggling with deep sorrow when 2020 dawned. The year was born just days after the Norwegian Royal Family suffered the tragic suicide of Ari Behn and in the midst of the Sussexes exit from the official British Royal Family, which was made certain on January 9. Even with that we hoped for a brighter year. As royal families, like the rest of us, found ways to cope with the challenges of 2020 -- including Covid-19 illness for the Prince of Wales, the Duke of Cambridge, the Prince of Monaco, Prince Christian of Denmark and Prince Joachim of Belgium and unrelated hospitalization for King Harald of Norway -- other brighter spots of hope and joy emerged throughout the year.

Indeed, we had small weddings and new babies to break up the dreary months of 2020. Here are a few of the top highlights.

Belgium

In Belgium, we gained two new princesses and a new prince although a few within the family many not view this as a "brighter spot" in the year. The development came in October when a Belgian court ruled that Delphine Boël, the natural daughter of ex-King Albert II was entitled to the royal name and royal status even though she not born within a royal marriage. These royal prerogatives were also extended to her two children, Josephine and Oscar, as they are to the other grandchildren of the former king. Albert had long denied that Josephine was his daughter, even refusing court-ordered paternity tests for many weeks despite daily fines for noncompliance. Nevertheless, Princess Delphine has now been welcomed by her half-brother King Philippe and has also met privately with her other half-siblings Princess Astrid and Prince Laurent as well as other members of the family, including her father and his wife ex-Queen Paola. Despite her change in status, her life has not changed and she continues her work as an artist. (Read my post about Delphine.)

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Meanwhile, the current heir to the Belgian throne, King Philippe's eldest daughter Princess Elisabeth Duchess of Brabant completed her sixth form (like U.S. twelfth grade). When she received her international baccalaureate from United World College of the Atlantic in Wales in May, she graduated virtually like most members of the Class of 2020 in schools and universities around the globe. Now 18, she is enrolled at the Belgian Military Academy in Brussels. Military training and service is a common part of preparation for most European heirs now, regardless of gender.

Austria

The formerly Imperial House of Habsburg celebrated a lockdown wedding with the marriage of Archduchess Eleonore van Habsburg to Belgian Formula E racecar driver Jérôme d'Ambrosio on July 20 at the civil registry in Monaco. Eleonore is the daughter of the Head of the House of Habsburg Archduke Karl by his first wife Baroness Francesca Thyssen-Bornemisza, The grandson of the last Austrian emperor, Karl is a former member of the European Parliament and current president of Blue Shield International, an international organization dedicated to protecting cultural heritage. Eleonore is a jewelry designer. In September, the happy couple took a delayed socially distanced honeymoon horseback riding in the Italian Alps.

Then, in September, her cousin Archduchess Gabriella married her longtime love Prince Henri of Bourbon Parma at Schloss Tratzberg in Jenbach, Austria. The Swiss-based bride is the daughter of Archduke Carl Christian van Habsburg and Princess Marie Astrid of Luxembourg (the older sister of the current Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg. The Danish-born groom is a descendant of the former royal Dukes of Parma, who were scions of the French Royal House of Bourbon. The couple has reportedly been engaged since shortly before their daughter Victoria was born in 2017. Unlike the other royal weddings of the year, this one was attended by a larger crowd of family and friends, including the bride's cousins Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume and Hereditary Grand Duchess Stephanie of Luxembourg. Covid restrictions were less severe in Austria at that time; December brought stricter guidelines to the region though I'm not sure how the new recommendations are impacting weddings there now.

Greece

Although Princess Theodora of Greece's planned May 2020 wedding on Spetses appears to be delayed until after the pandemic is over, her little brother Prince Philippos surprised us with a lockdown marriage to his longtime love Nina Flohr. The new Princess Nina and her love had a civil ceremony on Dec. 15 in a snow-covered St. Moritz with only their fathers, former King Constantine II of Greece and Thomas Flohr, in attendance. Their engagement had only been announced in September though it actually took place in Greece earlier in the year. 

Jordan

Another lockdown wedding marked the union of Princess Raiyah bint Hussein and Ned Donovan on July 7 in the United Kingdom instead of the nuptials they had planned to take place in Jordan. Raiyah is the youngest of the late King Hussein's 12 children. Her mother is his fourth wife and widow, Queen Noor Al-Hussein, who was born as Lisa Halaby in Washington, D.C. The British groom is a journalist and is a grandson of the writer Roald Dahl, whose works include Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and, one of my favorite childhood reads, James and the Giant Peach. Raiyah is currently a Ph.D. candidate at the UCLA in the field of modern Japanese literature.

Luxembourg

For me, one of the most joyous royal moments of 2020 occurred on May 10 with the long-awaited birth of Prince Charles Jean Philippe Joseph Marie Guillaume, who is heir to the Grand Ducal throne of Luxembourg after his father Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume. The baby's mother is the former Countess Stephanie de Lannoy. Guillaume and Stephanie married in 2012. The couple waited many years to be able to share this happy experience with the world while many speculated why they had not yet had a child. The pain of such public speculation (not to mention the heartache if they were having fertility issues) must have been a burden to the couple. Their pregnancy announcement late in 2019 was met with tremendous rejoicing. The fate of the throne was never in questions -- Guillaume has four siblings, several nieces and nephews, and numerous cousins -- so this was a truly personal joy that I and so many others were pleased to be able to share with them. 

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And, just today, as I finish composing this post on New Year's Eve, another happy announcement has come from the extended Royal Family of Luxembourg. Tessy Antony de Nassau has just shared news on her Instagram (@tessy_from_luxembourg) of her engagement to Swiss financier Frank Floessel. It is not clear exactly how long the couple has known each other, but he first appeared in her Insta posts with her sons by her former husband, Prince Louis of Luxembourg, over Easter during the lockdown. Although Tessy's divorce from Louis, a younger brother of Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume was protracted, they seem to have a friendly relationship as he has also made appearances in her Insta posts with her and their boys, 12-year-old Prince Noah of Nassau and 14-year-old Prince Gabriel. Tessy is an international advocate for girls and women, widely celebrated for her humanitarian work with organizations like Professors Without Borders and Finding Butterflies, both of which she co-founded.

Sweden

Many royal ladies have been working hard throughout the pandemic to support various charities and communities, but Princess Sofia of Sweden, daughter-in-law of King Carl Gustaf has been actively working in Sweden's hospitals. Early in the global crisis, she enrolled in an online training course and started working as a volunteer as Sophiahemmet Hospital in Stockholm. Her efforts have included assisting on kitchen shifts, janitorial services, and disinfecting medical instruments. Perhaps as a consequence of her noble efforts, both she and her husband Prince Carl Philip tested positives for the coronavirus in November and experienced some mild flu-like symptoms. Early in December, they announced much better news: they are expecting their third child in the spring. Their first two children are Prince Alexander (4) and Prince Gabriel (3) 

The United Kingdom

Like so many brides-to-be around the world, Princess Beatrice of York's wedding plans were scrapped with the onset of lockdowns. Her marriage to Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi was originally scheduled for May 29 at the Chapel Royal of St. James's Palace in London. When it became clear that she (and we) would not have the wedding of her (and our) dreams, it looked like we might be waiting for many months or longer before the princess became a bride. Then, suddenly on the 18th of July, we were all delighted to see new photos of our princess bride and her new husband outside of the Royal Chapel of All Saints at Royal Lodge Windsor, her divorced parents' Berkshire home. The scaled-down ceremony included two very special guests, her grandparents Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh, who appeared as the only family members in any of the publicly released photos. Underscoring her closeness to her granny, Beatrice wore the Queen's diamond fringe tiara, which once belonged to her own grandmother Queen Mary. (This means that neither York princess wore the York tiara that was gifted to their mother by the Queen and Duke and worn at her own wedding in 1986. The tiara has not been seen in public in years...) Beatrice's dress was created for her by the Queen's dresser Angela Kelly from a Norman Hartnell gown the Queen wore back in the early 1960s. The hem of the dress was augmented to accommodate Beatrice's taller frame and satin-trimmed organza puff sleeves were added to the strappy dress. The effect was both ethereal and temporary; all of the additions were created to be removed so as to preserve the vintage gown in its original state.

Two months later, we got more good news from the Brits as Beatrice's little sister Princess Eugenie announced her first pregnancy. She and husband Jack Brooksbank only shared that the little one is expected "early" in 2021. Perhaps the baby will arrive in time for Eugenie's own birthday on March 23. 

At the end of September, we received news of another wedding in the BRF when Flora Ogilvy shared a wedding day pic on her Instagram account (@floravesterberg). She and Swedish investment banker Timothy Vesterberg were married in a small unannounced ceremony at the Chapel Royal. Art agent Flora is a granddaughter of the Queen's cousin, Princess Alexandra and the late Sir Angus Ogilvy.

Then, at the beginning of December, Mike Tindall, son-in-law of Princess Anne the Princess Royal announced on his radio show that he and wife Zara Phillips are expecting a third child. The couple previously experienced two miscarriages and have two healthy and rambunctious daughters, Mia (nearly 7) and Lena (2). Baby Brooksbank and new Baby Tindall will be the ninth and tenth great-grandchildren for the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh.

Good News from Bad

Even in Norway, where Ari's death is still deeply grieved, his family found ways through the sorrow. His daughters by his ex-wife Princess Martha Louise of Norway emerged publicly as they never had before. Middle daughter Leah Behn, 15, grew her status as a social media influencer as her Instagram account (@leahhbeauty) gained more followers and product promotions. Meanwhile, oldest daughter Maud Angelica Behn, 17, became prominent in her work in support of mental health issues. She had bravely and movingly spoken on the topic at her father's funeral just days after losing him. In October, her efforts earned her the "Bravest Woman of the Year" Award from Tara Magazine.

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The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, who initially moved to Canada, settled in Los Angeles and suffered another heartbreak during the summer when Meghan miscarried her second child. She wrote honestly of the experience in a newspaper column many months later earning her both tremendous admiration for speaking on such a personal and still taboo topic suffered by so many women and families. Unfortunately, as with everything the Sussexes do, the column also earned scorn and derision from those who are determined to see evil in anything associated with Harry and Meghan. Nevertheless, they persisted in their efforts to set up their Archewell foundation, made a production deal with Netflix, and launched a new web site and a new podcast, with a special cameo on the first episode by their 19-month-old son Archie Mountbatten-Windsor cheerfully wishing us all a happy new year. 

Indeed, we all ("commoners" and royals alike) are looking to 2021 to bring better things are way. And, many of us are already looking forward to May/June 2022 for the already announced 70th Jubilee for Queen Elizabeth II. Let's all plan to meet in London for an unprecedented celebration!

The New Princess of Belgium

Princess Delphine of Belgium

by Luc van Braekel via Wikimedia Commons

Back in 2009, I wrote a post entitled How to Become a Princess. In the past, there really have been almost exclusively two ways: be born a princess or marry a prince. Today, Belgium added a new way: court order. On this day, the Belgian courts elevated 52-year-old artist Delphine Boël and both of her children, 17-year-old Josephine and 12-year-old Oscar to princely status.

Many readers of this blog may have dreamt of having such a conversation with your mother. On your 18th birthday, as you are celebrating becoming an adult at last, mom says there is something you need to know. Your real father is a prince. But, that rarely happens in real life. In recent decades, however, it has happened at least twice. California girl Jazmin Grace Grimaldi grew up knowing that her father was Prince Albert of Monaco, although he did not publicly acknowledge her or her younger French-born half-brother Alexandre Coste until DNA tests proved the fact. Albert acknowledged his paternity of 22-month-old Alexandre in 2005, after he became the ruling Prince Albert II. Ten months later, he finally acknowledged Jazmin, who was 14 at the time.

Born in Brussels in 1968, Delphine grew up thinking her father was her mother's husband, nobleman Jacques Boël. With him as her father, she was a jonkvrouw (translated "young lady"), the lowest rank in Belgian nobility. Her mother, Baroness Sybille de Selys Longchamps and Jonkheer Jacques Boël divorced when Delphine was 10. A few years later, Sybille married a member of the British nobility, the Honourable Michael Cayzer and moved to England. It was 1986, when Sybille finally decided to tell her only child that she was the product of an 18-year affair with Prince Albert of Belgium, the younger brother of the well-respected by childless King Baudouin. 

Albert was born in 1934 as the third child of the young King Leopold III of Belgium and his wife, who had been born Princess Astrid of Sweden, a granddaughter of King Oscar II of Sweden on her mother's side and King Frederik VIII of Denmark on her mother's. When Albert was just 16 months old, his mother, pregnant with her fourth child, was killed in car accident. Leopold controversially remarried to Lilian Baels, who was given the title of Princess not Queen because their marriage was considered invalid under Belgian law. They had three children together. Although strongly disliked by the public, Lilian was loved by her stepchildren: Albert and his older siblings Prince Baudouin and Princess Josephine Charlotte. The entire family was kept under house arrest in Germany and then in Austria by the Nazis during World War II. Since Belgium is a kind of composite country of primarily Protestant Flemish speakers and traditionally Catholic French speakers, the war and its German occupation threatened to tear the delicate balance apart. Many feared that Leopold was actually a German collaborator who could no longer fill the symbolic role of national unifier. A 1950 referendum favored his return to Belgium but violent strikes soon followed. The following year, he abdicated in favor of Baudouin. Albert had just turned 16.

By the time Delphine was born in 1968, Prince Albert was married to Italian noblewoman Paola Ruffo di Calabria and had three royal children by her: Prince Philippe, Princess Astrid and Prince Laurent. His brother King Baudouin had married a Spanish noblewoman Fabiola de Mora y Aragon, but the couple struggled to have children, with Fabiola suffering several unsuccessful pregnancies. In 1968, however, it still seemed unlikely that Albert would ever be king. As the years passed, the likelihood eventually became inevitable. Upon Baudouin's death in 1993, 59-year-old Duke of Liege became King Albert II of Belgium.    

In the meantime, Delphine had attended boarding schools in Switzerland and England before completing a Bachelor of Arts degree at London's Chelsea School of Art and Design and launching her art career. Her life seemed to roll along steadily, despite her mother's revelation, her "parents'" divorce and her stepfather's death in 1990. But, it all fell apart in 1999, when an unofficial biography of Queen Paola revealed that the king had had a long affair and fathered a child. It wasn't long before savvy reporters discovered that the unnamed child was Delphine. Both Delphine and her mother were pestered by the media to tell their story. The harassment became so unbearable for Sybille, that Delphine appealed directly to the king to intervene.

"You are not my daughter," he declared.

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The following year, Delphine married James O'Hare. Once her daughter Josephine was born, motherhood prompted Delphine's desire to connect with her biological father, but he still refused her. Only then, did she finally speak to the media in 2005 to tell her story, alleging not only that the king was her father, but that he had hoped to divorce Paola and marry her mother at the time of her birth. As king, however, Albert had immunity leaving Delphine with no legal recourse except to attempt to get DNA from his other children, When that failed, she could do nothing more to prove who her father was.

But, the controversy took a toll on the monarch's reputation. Shortly after Delphine made those legal demands for DNA, Albert announced his abdication stating, "I realize that my age and my health are no longer allowing me to carry out my duties as I would like."

With his regal immunity no longer applicable, Delphine renewed her request for a paternity test. A 2017 court said she had no basis for her claim. In 2018 a different court asserted that Jacques Boël was not her father and ordered King Albert to submit a DNA test. He refused to comply. By 2019 a court began fining him 5000 euros (about $5,800) a day for noncompliance. He finally relented. The DNA results were made public in January 2020 and Albert confirmed his fatherhood by press release.

This latest ruling not only allows her and her children to claim the titles of Princesses and Prince, but also changes her surname to Saxe Cobourg. Her attorney told the media that while Delphine is delighted by the court's decision, the years of denials and court battles have been painful for her and her family. He said, "A legal victory will never replace the love a father but offers a sense of justice."

It is unclear what if any role the Princess Delphine will play in the royal family. She will almost certainly not be given any official duties, as was the case with King Albert's half-siblings, the children of Lilian Baels. Although titled as Prince Alexandre, Princess Marie-Christine and Princess Marie-Esmeralda, the three were excluded from the succession to the throne (some say without legal cause) and have led private lives only appearing with the family on some public family occasions. A businessman, Alexandre died in 2009 but his widow, Princess Lea (formerly Lea Wolman) still appears with the family. Marie-Esmeralda is a journalist, documentary filmmaker (focused on redeeming her mother's reputation) and activist for women's rights, indigenous people and the environment. Princess Marie-Christine, who lives in Washington state, has been estranged from the family (except Marie-Esmeralda) for decades. She did not even attend her parents' nor brothers' funerals.

In addition to the fact that both of these recent reluctant fathers are Albert II of their respective countries, there is one other interesting observation I'd like to make about this story. Delphine has named her children Oscar and Josephine. These were the names of the first Bernadotte king and queen of Sweden. Thanks to these court rulings in 2020, she can now legally claim descent from them through her father's mother -- but that descent has always been in her DNA. Unlike most European royals, however, she is not descended from Queen Victoria, though the family is related. They are descended from her uncle Leopold, who was the first King of Belgium.

A Parcel of Old Maids

Princesses Charlotte, Augusta and Elizabeth

By Thomas Gainsborough in the Royal Collection via Wikimedia Commons

There are two things that everyone "knows" about King George III: he lost the Colonies and he went mad. While neither of these are exactly true, there are other things about him that I find fascinating. (Learn more on the official British Monarchy site.) Chief of these is that, when he was lucid, he was absolutely mad about his wife, Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. A byproduct of that devotion was a very large brood of children: 15 in total, with 13 surviving into adulthood during an age when even royal children had a high mortality rate. Six of those children were girls. George and Charlotte were extremely engaged parents, especially for royalty--playing with them in the floor, encouraging to farm little plots of land, taking them on family walks, etc. They adored their children, but the King was especially besotted by his little girls. Unlike nearly every other king you've ever heard of, he actually hoped that his wives' pregnancies would yield little girls. They were provided with a good education from a very young age and even encouraged to participate in athletic activities with their brothers, in addition to the usual ladylike pursuits of music, dancing, art and deportment. 

Wishing to form a more domestic image for the Royal Family over the scandalous and divisive nature of the generations preceding, George and Charlotte failed spectacularly. Their affection for their youngsters was a bit too smothering. They tried to manage every aspect of their offspring's lives. While the King and Queen were fabulously unsuccessful in keeping their rascally sons under control, they were able to exert much more authority over their daughters. So much so, that one of their nieces called them "a parcel of old maids." Forced to be companions to their mother and denied lives of their own, they even referred to themselves as a nunnery. Bored and lonely, the princesses longed for independence.

Despite the nearly confined nature of their lives, many of these princesses managed to find adventure and make some mischief of their own. Meet the daughters of King George III:

Charlotte Princess Royal
By William Beechey in the Royal Collection
via Wikimedia Commons

Charlotte, Princess Royal (1766-1828)
The fourth child and oldest daughter was named Charlotte after her mother. Known as Princess Royal from her infancy, she was not actually granted this traditional title of the firstborn daughter until she was in her early 20s. From the beginning, Charlotte was a favored child. Considered rather bright, she was given tutors when she was still a toddler. However, she was not a particularly pretty child and she struggled to overcome a stammer. She was, however, conscious of her position as Princess Royal, which made her a bit more pompous than the other girls. She was also the only daughter that King George III allowed to marry, but even this decision was quite delayed. In an era when princesses frequently married before they were 20, Charlotte married at age 30. Her husband, 12 years her senior, was the widowed Hereditary Prince Frederick of Wurttemberg. He succeeded his father as Duke a few months later and was raised to King of Wurttemberg by Napoleon in 1806 in recognition of the troops he had provided to Britain's most dangerous enemy. This made Charlotte the first Queen of the tiny kingdom, a monarchy that would be swept away just over a century later in the first World War. King Frederick eventually flipped sides in the Napoleonic wars and was supporting Britain when he passed away in 1816. Charlotte got pregnant quickly after her wedding but her infant was stillborn. This was her only child. However, she did serve as stepmother to Frederick's children by his first wife, who were aged 12 to 16 at the time of her wedding. Charlotte remained in Wurttemberg after Frederick's death, never returning to Britain until 1827, when her health caused her to seek treatment back home. She suffered greatly from dropsy, which today we would call edema. Not necessarily a disease itself, edema is fluid retention or swelling that can be caused by a number of illnesses of the heart, kidney or liver. (Some women will also develop edema temporarily during menstruation or pregnancy.) She returned to Wurttemberg after surgery, but died there a year later at the age of 62.

Princess Augusta
By Thomas Gainsborough in the Royal Collection
via Wikimedia Commons

Princess Augusta (1768-1840)

The sixth born child and second daughter, Princess Augusta was born just two years after her older sister. (Brother Edward, the future father of Queen Victoria, was between them.) Augusta was named after her father's mother, Augusta of Saxe-Gotha, who was better known as the Dowager Princess of Wales since her husband Frederick Prince of Wales died in 1751 before acceding the throne. Young Princess Augusta was thought prettier than her older sister, but she was shy and, like her older sister, stammered. She was well-educated along with her sisters, and was particularly devoted to her coin collection. Usually docile, she could also have a terrible temper. Potential royal marriages might have been possible. Her cousin, the future Danish King Frederick VI. would have married her, but George III was bitter over the way Frederick's mother, who was George's baby sister had been treated in that country.  (Read my post, A Scandalous Royal Marriage.) A Swedish prince was also declined, so Augusta made due with someone who was accessible: one of her father's equerries, Army officer Sir Brent Spencer. They kept their relationship secret, though Augusta did seek permission to marry him from her brother George once he had become the Regent for their ailing father. It is not known whether they officially married, but they remained a couple until his death in 1828. She survived another 12 years, passing away at 71.

Princess Elizabeth
By Thomas Gainsborough in the Royal Collection 
via Wikimedia Commons

Princess Elizabeth (1770-1840)

A year and a half younger than Augusta, Elizabeth rounded out the tightly knit trio of older sisters. She was named for her maternal grandmother Elizabeth of Saxe-Hildburghausen, who had passed away nine years earlier. Young Elizabeth was the most joyful and optimistic of the cloistered girls. She enjoyed the farm work imposed by their parents and was also a good artist, often creating works to benefit her charities. Endowed with a good sense of humor and down-to-earth attitude, she may have been their mother's favorite daughter. Elizabeth is thought to have had secret romantic relationships with men of the court, one of which may have resulted in the birth of a daughter. A royal marriage for her with the Duke of Orleans was declined, allegedly due to his Catholicism, but more likely just because her mother did not want to be parted from her. Nonetheless, once her brother George had taken control as Prince Regent, a suitable marriage was accepted over Queen Charlotte's objections. Shortly before her 47th birthday, Elizabeth married Prince Frederick of Hesse-Homburg, who was just a year older, and she went to live with him in Germany, where she greatly enjoyed the less formal atmosphere, especially after he succeeded as the Landgrave and she could control the court. In Germany, she devoted herself to a school she founded for the children of working mothers. Her husband died 11 years into their marriage and was succeeded by his brother. Elizabeth remained in Germany for the rest of her life, dying at age 69 just a few months before her older sister Augusta's death.

Princess Mary
By William Beechey in the Royal Collection
via Wikimedia Commons

Princess Mary (1776-1857)
Three boys were born between Princess Elizabeth and Princess Mary. With a gap of six years between them, Mary became the eldest of the younger trio of princesses. Mary may have been the prettiest of all the sisters. As a teenager, she fell in love with Prince Frederick of Orange, who was exiled in England. King George III used the fact that her three older sisters were still unmarried as an excuse to deny the match. When the prince died a few years later, however, Mary was permitted to officially mourn him. For decades, she and her sisters were stifled -- it was she who declared that they spent their time "vegetating." She finally got her bid for freedom after her father's illness led to a permanent regency. Her brother George the Prince Regent approved her marriage to their cousin, Prince William Duke of Gloucester. Bride and groom were both 40 years old and they produced no offspring. Nevertheless, Mary had achieved freedom from her mother's control and, unlike her married sisters, she was able to stay in Britain. The Duke of Gloucester died in 1834 and she lived on until 1857. A particular favorite of her niece Queen Victoria, Mary was photographed with Victoria and two of Victoria's teenage children. She has the distinction of being the only one of George III's children to be photographed. She also was the last surviving and longest lived of his children, dying at age 81.

Princess Sophia
By William Beechey in the Royal Collection
via Wikimedia Commons

Princess Sophia (1777-1848)

A year and a half younger than Mary, Sophia was their parents' twelfth child. Pretty and delightful though occasionally moody, Sophia found her life with her sisters "deadly dull", writing to their eldest brother, that their pleas for his help were so constant that she wondered why he did not "vote for putting us in a sack and drowning us in the Thames." Sophia has been more plagued by rumors than any of her sisters. One bit of unproven gossip alleges that she was raped by or had an incestuous affair with her extremely unpopular and scandalous brother Ernest Augustus, who later became King of Hanover. (He is the evil Uncle Cumberland in the Victoria television series.) A more likely fact-based rumor is attached to her romance (and perhaps secret marriage) to royal equerry and Army officer Thomas Garth, who was 33 years older than her. Their romance is said to have led to the birth of a son, also called Thomas Garth, who was raised by the Garth family. Historians are divided to this day whether Sophia ever had a child and, if so, whether the father was her brother or Garth. Sophia's child or not, the younger Thomas later attempted to blackmail the royal family over his origins, but failed. Never marrying, Sophia went to live at Kensington Palace after her mother's death. A year later, her niece Victoria was born and became her neighbor. This also placed Sophia in close proximity to Victoria's mother the Duchess of Kent. Like the Duchess, Sophia allowed Kent's comptroller to manager her financial affairs. Despite alleged misconduct with Sophia's money, Conroy may have been the one who thwarted young Thomas Garth's blackmail attempt. Like her father, Sophia grew blind and confused as she aged. Her sister Mary was with her when she died at age 71 at Kensington. Conroy's mismanagement -- or thievery -- had left her with no money in the end. 

Princess Amelia
From the Royal Collection via Wikimedia Commons

Princess Amelia (1783-1810)

Born three years after Queen Charlotte wrote "I would be happy if I knew this [pregnancy] would be the last time", Amelia was the fifteenth and final child born to King George III. Less than a year before Amelia arrived, their two youngest sons had died. Four-year-old Octavius and nearly two-year-old Alfred died after being inoculated against small pox; the older children survived their inoculations. With the early deaths of her nearest siblings, she was very much the baby of the family: six years younger than Princess Sophia and 21 years younger than their oldest brother George. In fact, three of her siblings were named her godparents. She was amiable but shared the tempestuous nature common in the family. Nicknamed Emily by her father, Amelia is widely believed to have been his favorite child. Amelia, however, had less opportunity to be attached to her father as she was only five years old when he first started having serious bouts of illness. Her own poor health also led to separation from the family as she was sent to the seaside for periods of recovery. During one of these convalescences, 18-year-old Amelia fell in love with a young equerry, Charles Fitzroy. Though she was not allowed to marry him, she said that she considered herself married to him. Several years later, she survived a bout of measles, but her health never really recovered and her sister Mary was assigned to nurse her. At age 27, she contracted a bacterial infection called St. Anthony's fire. In an age before antibiotics, this was a death sentence despite the numerous doctors her father sent to her. The family was devastated by her death, especially Princess Mary and the King himself, who fell into another bout of "madness" from which he never again returned to lucidity. In his delusions, George III would imagine that his Emily was healthy and living in Germany. In her will, Amelia left everything to Charles Fitzroy but the family prevented him from receiving any of it. 

Princess Mary, Princess Sophia
and Princess Amelia
By John Singleton Copley in the Royal Collection via Wikimedia Commons

For more about the Daughters of King George III:

"A parcel of old maids" on History of Royal Women

The Strangest Family on The Guardian

Books about the Daughters of King George III: