Royal children from around the world: the rising generation of royal families. The sex of the child is kept secret until the last
royal children
Anyone who would be willing to inquire what gifts the royal children received two hundred years ago, at that prosperous time when the court was located at Versailles and was reputed to be the most luxurious and extravagant in the world, will find a very simple answer: nothing. Neither the heir, nor his younger brothers-princes, nor sisters-princesses were given absolutely nothing.
From the chronicles of the 18th century, describing the day-to-day life of the royal castle, it is clear that Christmas was not at all the annual family holiday that it is today. Then it had a purely religious meaning, and we will not find a single mention of a festive feast, of fluffy green Christmas trees decorated with lights and toys.
The ritual of celebrating Christmas at Versailles was unchanged: Louis XV attended the night mass, matins, the next three services, he attended the solemn liturgy, vespers accompanied by a sermon, and at the end of the day at another prayer service. There sounded ancient Christmas melodies performed by the oboe and the famous violinists Guignon and Guillemin; the illustrious Bezosi sang small and again ancient arias, to which the silence of the night reigned everywhere gave a special charm: this was the only violation of the usual uniformity.
Eight days later, the onset of the New Year was just as modestly celebrated: there was neither an exchange of good wishes, nor a family feast; Apparently, they were not at all in the habit and new Year gifts. In 1746, the Duc de Luyne notes in his diary that the king gave the queen a gift "which has not happened for many years" - it was a small gold snuffbox decorated with enamel. He gave the eldest daughter diamond earrings, the youngest - a birdcage of rock crystal; as for their brother the Dauphin, not a word is said about him.
Poor boy! From birth, he pays dearly for his high destiny. He is never let out of the chambers allotted on the first floor of the castle. From time to time, dressed in foreign clothes, important gentlemen respectfully walk past a swaddled baby displayed in the arms of one of the ladies and address solemn speeches to him. So, on the feast of the Candlemas, professors of the University appeared here in long robes trimmed with fur, they presented the monsignor with a candle on behalf of their class. On another occasion one could see ladies, representatives of the Parisian market, and members of Parliament.
In January 1736 (the child was six years and four months old), he was suddenly, under the guise of a New Year's surprise, taken away from his beloved governess, Madame de Ventadour, and from all the ladies who had followed him so far: from now on, he passes into the hands of men. He is solemnly handed over to the care of gentlemen whom he has never seen in his life.
It was heartbreaking: the Duchess de Ventadour, bursting into tears, leaves, the little prince runs after her, clinging to her skirts; he is seized and taken to an unfamiliar room with closed shutters. Here, in order to dispel the grief of the child, a puppet theater is arranged, which immediately begins the performance ...
However, the prince's tutor, M. de Châtillon, takes his role quite seriously. In his opinion, the monsignor, first of all, needs to be presented with his “house”: priests, butlers, masters of the horse, pages, valets, doctors, treasurer, barber, guard, epanchenos, etc., etc., all seventy-three ready to serve servilely people who immediately make the boy feel the painful embarrassment of etiquette.
It goes without saying - no peers, no pleasant reading, the most frivolous thing is the solemn Telemak. And when during the rest period the little prince is taken to Fontainebleau, for entertainment on the way he is ordered to read the "Collection of prayers said at the funeral." He became slightly ill, and the cardinal, the first minister, to cheer up the boy's spirit, makes him recite fables by heart.
It is unlikely that he gets at least some joy from his favorite delicacies and from food in general. After all, a whole crowd gathers to watch how he eats, and an intricate ritual is able to stop a piece across the throat. This is what the prescription says: “If the tutor sits near M. Dauphine in order to wait on him at the table, it is he who takes the plates from the hands of mouthshanks in order to pass them to the Dauphin; at the change of dishes, he also takes plates from M. Dauphine and gives them to the mouthguards, who, in turn, serve him jugs of water and wine on a tray; if, in the absence of the tutor, the junior tutor waits at the table, mouthshanks serve dishes directly to M. Dauphine, and during the break, M. Dauphin gives the plates to the junior tutor ... ”and so two full pages. Indeed, such pretentiousness can tame the most brutal appetite. And now the lines that the Duke de Crouy will later write become clear: “Royal children are satiated mainly with pies and other trifles; they almost never eat good food offered to them in public.”
Once the Dauphin wanted to send a letter to his father, who had gone to Compiègne. Under the supervision of the tutor, he puts his signature: "Your faithful son and servant," and on the dispatch itself he inscribes: "To the King." The result is a huge scandal. The letter cannot be sent: when a royal son sends a letter to the pope, protocol requires that it end with "Your most humble and obedient servant" and be addressed to "The King, my most honored father."
One day, a children's ball was held at the Dauphin's, to which five of his little sisters were invited. One could have counted on real fun, if it had not been clear in advance that painful etiquette would spoil all the pleasure. First, there will be an unimaginable crowd, since all the nobles who have access to the king are equally entitled to enter the Dauphin. But none of them will be able to sit down there, even the ladies (if they do not have the appropriate title) will have to spend the whole evening on their feet. Only those who, by virtue of their rank, have been awarded the right to eat at the table of the Dauphin and take a place in his carriage, can participate in children's dances. The two older twin princesses, who were ten years old in 1737, are allowed to dance only with the most noble nobles; this privilege is denied even to the sons of dukes.
Of course, such instructions fettered those present and spoiled the mood. In addition, there was always no shortage of unforeseen complications. So, after one of these balls, the whole court was worried because of a serious trouble: imagine, during the minuet, the princesses did not consider it necessary, without taking their eyes off, to look at their brother-heir!
Sometimes the queen came down from her rooms to join in the children's fun; but this rarely happened. Once, during a ball, she felt thirsty, the prince's tutor, M. de Châtillon, brought a glass of water, but the queen refused to take it: she can only drink the water that her chamberlain, the Duchess de Luyne, who was absent that evening, serves on a plate. Such an abyss of all sorts of difficulties awaited the visitors to the dances at the prince's, that the little master, in order to simplify the ceremony, was taken to bed at ten o'clock, even "before the appearance of cakes."
In March of that year, a rumor spread that the prince had been punished for some offense; it was said that de Châtillon kept him locked up even during the hours allotted for entertainment. Worse, only one servant accompanies the prince to mass, and when the dauphin passes through the front rooms, the guard standing there is not ordered to salute. When, after three days, the austerity measures were finally lifted, and the unfortunate boy, bearing them with ostentatious indifference, saw that the guards were again honoring him, he burst into sobs.
Reading about these constant nit-picking, one involuntarily begins to pity him and justify him, even if one fine day, having lost his temper, he slaps the Abbé de Merbeuf, who was reading aloud to him, and kicks him out.
But the prince fell ill. It has a huge flux and a strong heat. The mentors still load him up daily task even though he can't do it. However, the Faculty of Medicine now exercises supreme power over the Dauphin.
Let us imagine how a procession of twenty people appears in the room of a boy incinerating with heat: these are four physicians, the same number of surgeons with consultants and assistants, some of them are only allowed to feel the patient's pulse. Are they dressed in Long Dresses and pointed caps, as comedies depict them, or not, they strive with all their might to portray the utmost competence and confer all day long. Until the prince recovers, they will live in Versailles and feed on royal cuisine.
The result of the consultations was the decision to operate on the patient's cheek. The operation was staged with great pomp; the king himself, who almost fainted, wanted to attend ...
But since difficulties are inevitable at court, the matter turned into a scandal: having completed their mission, the doctors demanded that they be taken home to Paris in royal carriages. However, the prescriptions that had to be consulted stated that such an honor could not be given to "men of this sort." Then people "of this sort" roll up a scandal and, slamming the door, depart, leaving the Dauphin in his former sufferings, and, in addition, with a hole in his cheek.
I had to call the famous court dentist Capron from the Tuileries. He, deigning to budge, arrived at Versailles. After examining the sick boy, he took out tongs from the bag and pulled out first one tooth, then the second, then the third ... By all accounts, the patient endured this torture heroically, from which it was concluded that he was worthy to be baptized, since tradition only allowed royal children to be baptized when they reach adulthood.
The little prince was dressed in a magnificent all-white outfit made of silver brocade trimmed with Spanish silver lace. The ceremony lasted more than five hours, but those who understood complained that not all the rules were observed and "many bows were omitted." They also noted with regret that the seats of the state ladies were as comfortable as those of the princesses.
On this we will leave the son of Louis XV - now he will belong to History with a capital letter.
As you know, this closed, hardworking and overly demanding prince did not become king, having died ten years before his father. But it was destined for his three sons: one became Louis XVI, another - Louis XVIII, the third - Charles X.
I believe that enough has been said so that our contemporaries never have to regret that they are not the offspring of a powerful ruler. I hope they remember exactly what happened eighty years later to another boy who had this misfortune.
That was the little Roman king - the son of Napoleon. Once under New Year he was asked what he would like to receive as a gift: some province, army, palace, capital? It only takes a word! He asked for a gift of a clog for the price of one sous and to let him play with the boys he saw from the window playing in the dirt of the street.
It would be wrong to think that Louis XV did not love his children. If in relation to the Dauphin he was rather dry (he ended up feeling real jealousy for his future successor), then for daughters, less significant persons and destined for foreign thrones, he was an excellent father.
There were five of them, the so-called little honeys. When they were born, in anticipation of the long-delayed baptism, they were named in order; and so it turned out Madam First, Madam Second ... Madame Fifth.
We do not undertake to describe in detail the life of this small clan of princesses, it would not be easy: without finding worthy husbands, almost all royal daughters, so to speak, had no history.
The king adored and spoiled his "dolls" when they were babies. Later, each of them had its own courtyard; but when it seems to the ministers that they take up too much space, cost too much, and are absolutely useless, it will be decided to send them to the abbey of Fontevraud. Only with the elders - Louise-Elizabeth and Henriette - the king could not part. Realizing this, Adelaide (Madame Third) resisted her fate with such energy that she obtained permission to stay. The other two daughters left; however, in an unusually comfortable carriage, so that their journey from Paris to Saumur cost half a million, that is, fourteen thousand francs for every mile.
From infancy, all three senior princesses have many privileges: duchesses are on duty near their cradle, envoys come to greet them, like the prince, they are saluted by the troops. And in the palace every morning one could watch how cows, donkeys and goats march along the Mirror Gallery, they were led straight to the apartments of spoiled maidens to drink new milk. Among others, they had a privilege that even their mother did not have: to wander through the halls and galleries of the castle, sitting in a sedan chair, thus reaching the queen's rooms.
In 1739, Madame First (she was simply called Madame) turned twelve years old, the age when a girl should be given in marriage. Early entry into life was then the rule among the greats of this world; thirteen-year-old boys became royal musketeers, and the Duke de Crouy mentions a certain princess of Salm, who entered the monastery two years old.
The groom chosen for the little Madame (but by no means by herself!), Became her cousin, the Spanish Infante Philip. She never saw him; he knew only her name, but none of that mattered.
Once, during a meal, the Spanish ambassador Marquis de Mina appeared before her. Taking from the sideboard a dish of pies and donuts, she graciously invited him to treat herself, but, to her great amazement, she saw that the ambassador fell on his knees and prostrated himself before her, as if before a Spanish queen. She realized that between Versailles and Madrid the issue of her marriage was resolved. It must have seemed frightening to the eleven-year-old, still playing with dolls, the prospect of leaving so far so far away in order to become queen there: little Madame trembled so much that she almost spilled the pies on the kneeling diplomat.
La Tour. Louis XV.
Upper floor and cornice of the chapel.
Salon "Bull's eye".
Small office of the queen.
Queen's stairs.
La Tour. Marquise de Pompadour.
Maurice Quentin de La Tour. Self-portrait.
Opening hours Morand and Passeman.
Salon of the World. Arcade to the Mirror Gallery.
Duplessis. Louis XVI.
Mirror gallery.
Vigée-Lebrun. Marie Antoinette with children.
Northern wing of the castle (Wing of Ministers).
Coronation carriage of Louis XVI.
Library of Louis XVI.
Bureau where Marie Antoinette's jewels were kept.
Salon of relaxation after taking a bath.
Pavilion in the park. From an old drawing.
King and princes playing billiards. From an old drawing.
Fountain "Bathing of Apollo".
Part of the plafond of the Mirror Gallery. The work of Lebrun and Mansart.
Since that day at Versailles, there was only talk of splendor. upcoming wedding and about the distribution of favors and fasts in connection with this event.
Little Madame, like her twin sister Henriette, was pretty. Ten-year-old Adelaide, yielding to her elders in beauty, surpassed her sisters in gaiety, liveliness and briskness of the tongue. As soon as she found out about the intended marriage, she protested with all her might in the hope of putting an end to the matrimonial negotiations. In the presence of numerous and very important people, she somehow decided to talk about it with the queen; everyone heard her say: "I'm terribly sad about my sister's wedding!" The people around just didn't know how to silence her.
As for the bride herself, she was so thoroughly occupied with the preparation of the dowry that she had no time to think of anything. Finally, when the outfits and underwear were presented to the general court, everyone unanimously declared that "the choice of clothes was shown as much taste as generosity." Three hundred thousand livres were spent on linen alone, and the first minister (he paid the bills) remarked that for this amount "it was possible to marry all the princesses." This consideration was brought to the attention of the king, who was not delighted with it.
Gifts of all kinds rained down on the bride, already called Madame Infanta. The Spanish ambassador, kneeling down as usual, presented her with a bracelet with a miniature portrait of the future couple. On another bracelet, a gift from her parents, the image of the couple was surrounded by diamonds. The most original was a gift from the city of Paris: twelve dozen scented candles and the same number of boxes of dragees; all in muslin baskets tied with blue ribbons.
If we started talking about everyone wedding celebrations, a volume would not be enough. Those visitors to the castle of Versailles who are interested in this event, I advise you to linger in the hall, which is called the "Bull's Eye". It was here that on August 26, 1739, at eight o'clock in the evening, the start of the official wedding ceremony was announced.
Let us try to imagine how a twelve-year-old bride enters the Gallery through a mirrored door; she is led by her brother, who is two years younger than her. She is wearing a solemn black and gold outfit, an eight-meter veil woven from gold falls from her head, which is supported by Henriette; behind them, wiping her eyes reddened with tears, comes Adelaide. The groom who remained in Madrid is represented by the Marquis de Mina - the incarnation of kneeling. The king and queen (father and mother) try to portray joy on their faces, but they fail to do so. The good queen is filled with tears, and the three days that remain before parting, they all have to spend in sorrow. The king is forced to hide his grief in the name of prestige, but everyone notices how terribly pale he is at the moment when the Infanta enters his office to say goodbye. The Queen is even more grieving. The half-hour farewell was filled with lamentations and sobs. When the moment came for the twin sisters to say the last goodbye, in front of everyone, squeezing each other in their arms and bursting into tears, they could only murmur: “Forever! .. Forever! ..”
And now the moment of departure has come. Louis XV gets into the carriage that is to take his daughter to the Spanish border. The tuple is moving, and what a tuple! Nine hundred horses and forty carriages move slowly towards the Pyrenees over the course of two weeks. In the town of Plassey Peak, not far from So, there is a stop. The King gets out of the carriage, the Infanta too, they embrace in last time. The Infanta weeps, the king, by a heroic exertion of strength, forces himself to give the order to the coachman: "To Madrid!" and immediately throws himself into a carriage waiting for him here, she will take him to Versailles.
Henriette, who was still called Madame II, with the departure of her sister becomes simply Madame and henceforth that is how she is called in the palace chronicle.
Subsequently, a lot will be done to deprive these young ladies of a halo of poetry, but we are also forced to confess: if the faces of the princesses were pretty, then the skin suffered from constant “scabby-like” inflammation, which caused Henriette to have attacks of intense heat. The court ladies of the princesses and de Ventadour, the prince's governess, tried to entertain her on these occasions, but in what strange ways!
One day, when the little princess was lying in bed, suffering greatly, these four, dressed beyond recognition, improvised a minuet in her room. We must not lose sight of the fact that Madame de Ventadour was then ninety, and the age of her partners was two hundred and forty years in total! In the performance of these almost hundred-year-old dancers, the quadrille could well lead the patient to a fainting state. Her father, for his part, did no better: one evening during a masquerade, he appeared at the little Madame's, accompanied by four persons dressed as blind men, and six others representing bats. It is unlikely that the sight of sinister winged creatures in the company of cripples could cheer up the sad girl, who had not yet come to her senses after her sister's departure.
On April 15, 1748, M. Mouton, the princesses' court dentist, announced that the fifteen-year-old Madame Victoria needed to have a tooth extracted. The verdict proposed to the court of the Faculty of Medicine, that is, titled doctors, surgeons, assistants, and others, was recognized as fair and appropriate for execution. On Easter Sunday, the "condemned" was ordered to prepare for the test. She so skillfully delayed it from hour to hour that the "execution" that day did not begin. The next day - the same tricks and delays. The Dauphine and his wife are increasingly persuading her sister to accept the inevitable - in vain. The next morning, the king himself goes to his daughter and spends more than two hours with her. The Dauphin kneels before her and “to all the persuasiveness that religion and friendship inspired him, he added touching considerations about the kindness of His Majesty: after all, he could order to seize her and force her to part with the tooth.” In the hope of saving her tooth, Victoria showered her father with tenderness; hesitating, he did not dare to exercise power. She even invited the king to pull out her tooth himself. Finally realizing that in a quarter of an hour the operation would be done by force, she agreed, but on the condition that the king would hold her on one side, the queen on the other, and Madame Adelaide on her legs.
Adelaide was of a completely different kind: endowed with excellent health, resolute character and a vivid imagination, she knocked down the established course of the ceremonial and puzzled those around her. She was no stranger to an artistic vein, at the age of eleven, under the guidance of Guignon, who bore the modest title of "king of the violins", she studied music. She had already started playing the instrument "in an outstanding way" when her passion turned to politics. Beginning in 1743, she was imbued with a violent hatred for England, a country preparing for war with her adored, idolized pope. She boasted loudly that she had figured out a way to defeat "this arrogant nation": "I will invite the most important Englishmen to eat with me, they will certainly rejoice at this honor, and I will easily kill them!"
In the same year, 1743, once playing with the queen in kavanol - a very fashionable gambling game at that time card game, she managed to slip fourteen louis into her pocket without being noticed. Rising the next day at dawn, she secretly, unnoticed by anyone, quietly slipped out of the room. With difficulty, skinning her fingers, the princess opened the door to the Hall of Mirrors and was already leaving the castle when one servant noticed her. The fugitive was brought back by force. When asked about the purpose of this trick, unprecedented in the history of Versailles, the proud girl said that she “intended to become the head of her father’s army, by all means defeat the enemy and bring the captured prisoner to Versailles.” English king". She has, she added, "one absolutely dedicated person, ready to accompany her on a hike."
The case took a serious turn. Who could be that daredevil who neglected all the rules of conduct with the royal daughter? Adelaide did not take long to beg and confessed: this is her peer, a boy who went after a donkey, whose milk she drank every morning. To the remark that the Pope-King would be angry with such a violation of decorum, she objected that "after the first victory, she would easily receive forgiveness." Louis was told about daughter leprosy, he was careful not to scold her, afraid to laugh and drop his prestige. He loved this brave girl so much that he did not dare to part with her.
Adelaide lived long enough to see the beginning of the Revolution. When the coup came, she and her sister Victoria (of the five royal daughters, they were the only ones left alive at that time) managed to go abroad. Both old maids were destined to die in Trieste in Last year XVIII century.
From the book Royal Hunt author Ashar AmedeCHAPTER 13 THE ROYAL VOLUNTEERS For almost four years our adventurers wandered through Italy. They moved from Parma to Milan, from Mantua to Venice, from Genoa to Verona. Here they fought, there they played, sometimes living in big city a few days, another time in the countryside
From the book Everyday Life in Europe in 1000 the author Ponyon EdmondRoyal residences These stories and many others, from which we will spare our readers, tell not only about Everyday life Robert and the empty vanity of his wife. They show that he traveled a lot, moving from city to city and that in
From the book of Richelieu author Levandovsky Anatoly PetrovichROYAL Confessors It is the duty of the ruler to listen carefully and patiently to everything that the confessor considers obligatory for him to express, Claude Acquaviva (1602) All the efforts of Richelieu to maintain the confidence of his master and obtain from him approval of his actions proved
From the book Essays on priesthood author Pechersky AndreyII. KOROLEVSKIE Half a century after the church schism of the Old Believers arose among the Russian people, at the very time when it began to disintegrate into priestly and priestless sects, by the will of Peter I arose on the banks of the Neva new capital. The founder did not complain
From the book History of France. Volume I Origins of the Franks by Stefan LebeckRoyal marriages Gregory of Tours speaks with obvious condescension and a great deal of bias about the marriage unions of his contemporaries - the sons of Clothar. Thanks to this chronicler, we can quite clearly afford matrimonial practice in the circles of the highest
From the book Louis XIV. The personal life of the "sun king" author Prokofieva Elena Vladimirovna From the Pictish book [Mysterious Warriors ancient scotland] author Henderson IsabelleROYAL LISTS Eight major versions of the list of Pictish kings with the duration of their reigns have come down to us. These eight lists are versions of the two main texts, referred to for convenience as "List 1" and "List 2". Best Lyrics "List 1"
From the book History of France. Volume II. Carolingian heritage author Thays Laurent8. Royal Powers That is why royal power remained an object of close attention on the part of the clergy, especially since the rite of anointing created a special bond between the Church and the king, and at the same time turned the king into a sacred person, like themselves
From the book Tales and Legends of the Maori author Kondratov Alexander MikhailovichChildren of Tane, children of Tangaroa The huge bird Ruacapangi Maori was called giant bird moas (Moas are birds of the order of extinct ratites; they were common in New Zealand, lived in forests, fed on seeds and roots of plants, reached a height of 3 m; the last moas were exterminated in
From the book of Barbara. Ancient Germans. Life, Religion, Culture by Todd MalcolmROYAL TOMBS Kings of the Migration era and their spouses, of course, rested in magnificent tombs: kings with their military equipment, and women with jewelry and precious clothes. In addition to several burials in ships, which
From the book Adultery author Ivanova Natalya VladimirovnaChapter 1 simple people, are prone to worldly weaknesses, and sometimes their sexual quirks take such perverted forms that it is worth talking about this in more detail.
From the book Christian Antiquities: An Introduction to Comparative Studies author Belyaev Leonid Andreevich From the book of Valois author Sypek RobertRoyal whims The style of the Fontainebleau school also appears in the sculptures of Jean Goujon, who bore the title of "royal sculptor" of Henry II. In Paris, you can see the statues he made in the Louvre and the reliefs on the Fountain of the Innocents, created by Pierre Lescaut in honor of the solemn
From the book of Windsor by Shad MarthaThe King's Jewels The magnificent jewels of the English monarchs kept in the Tower Castle enchant anyone who comes to London and are a coveted target of greedy thieves. This includes symbols of power such as a orb, a scepter and several crowns, and
From the book of Windsor by Shad MarthaRoyal hobbies "No sports" - "No sport", - English Prime Minister Winston Churchill once answered the question of how he managed to live to such an age, and thus ironically commented on the ideal of the English way of life. many members day
From the book Great Cuckolds author Watala ElviraRoyal pranks Women have all the heart, even the head. Jean Paul Why is Joseph II strange? Because despite the fact that his wives did not cheat with other men, he was a "cuckold". How is this possible? This is possible when everything: the heart, the soul, the whole being of the wife belongs to
At the moment, there are about 30 monarchical states in the world, headed by real kings and queens. Many have children and grandchildren - princes and princesses. How do they live? Do they eat from silver platters and write with diamond stylus on gold boards? Or is it much easier?
How do modern princes and princesses live? Bathed in luxury or brought up in excessive severity?
Prince George (4 years old) and Princess Charlotte (2 years old) - children of Prince William and Duchess Kate (UK)
Prince George and Princess Charlotte are perhaps the most famous children in the world. However, parents strive to provide their kids with a “normal childhood” and try to educate them in the same way as millions of ordinary Britons do. George and Charlotte do not have expensive newfangled toys and an army of servants, but they spend a lot of time with their parents, who are known for their unconventional parenting techniques. For example, during children's tantrums, Duchess Kate herself begins to roll on the floor and scream loudly. This method turned out to be effective: at the sight of their mother's "hysteria", the children immediately calm down.
And in April 2018, George and Charlotte will have a brother or sister.
Leonor (12 years old) and Sofia (10 years old) - daughters of King Felipe VI and Queen Leticia (Spain)
The heiress of the Spanish crown Leonor and her younger sister Sofia are the favorites of the common people. Toy manufacturers even produce dolls that look like two peas in a pod, like fair-haired princesses. Parents do not have a soul in their daughters and pay close attention to their education. Girls learn English and Chinese, as well as local dialects: Castilian, Catalan, Basque. In addition, they are engaged in yachting, skiing and ballet.
Estelle (5 years old) and Oscar (1 year old) - children of the Swedish Crown Princess Victoria and her husband Prince Daniel (Sweden)
Princess Estelle is the first girl in Swedish history to be born with the right of succession to the throne. According to the law of 1980, Estelle is the second in the order of succession to the throne after her mother, ahead of her younger brother Oscar in this line. But while Estelle does not think about her brilliant future at all: she is happy to babysit her brother and leads the life of an ordinary girl. According to the mother of the children:
“Estelle is very curious, sociable, brave, active and cheerful. Oscar is more calm, he respects and loves his sister a lot.”
Ingrid Alexandra (13 years old) and Sverre Magnus (11 years old) - children of Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit (Norway)
The children of the Norwegian prince Haakon are now entirely focused on their studies. At the same time, they, like millions of other teenagers, actively use social networks. Princess Ingrid Alexandra is second in line to the Norwegian throne after her father, so she is already taking part in various official events. The girl made her first public speech at the age of 6. Now the girl is studying at the private school Oslo International School, where almost all education is conducted in English.
As for Sverre Magnus, he is reputed to be a real joker and amuses not only royal family but also the whole Norwegian people. Ingrid Alexandra and Sverre Magnus also have an older half-brother, Marius, who has no claim to the royal throne.
Christian (12 years old), Isabella (10 years old), twins Vincent and Josephine (6 years old) - children of Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary (Denmark)
The Danes adore Crown Prince Frederik, his wife, Crown Princess Mary, and their four children. The eldest son of the prince, Christian, the future heir to the throne, attended the usual Kindergarten and a public school and is no different from ordinary boys, however, like his younger sisters and brother. Children grow up very active and playful: they love bicycles, scooters and cars.
Prince Frederick's family is very friendly. The prince with his wife and children loves to travel on a family yacht and skiing.
Jacques and Gabriela - children of Prince Albert and Princess Charlene (Monaco)
Twins Jacques and Gabriela were born on December 10, 2014 with the help of caesarean section. Their father, Prince Albert, was present at their birth and was very proud of it. Jacques has the primary right to the throne, although he is 2 minutes younger than his sister. The development and upbringing of babies is monitored by their mother, Princess Charlene. As a former swimming champion, she is already introducing kids to water sports sports.
Elizabeth (16 years old), Gabrielle (14 years old), Emmanuelle (12 years old) and Eleanor (9 years old) - children of King Philip I and Queen Mathilde (Belgium)
All the children of the Belgian king study at the Catholic Jesuit College in Brussels, known for its strict routines. heiress royal throne is Princess Elizabeth. girl from the very early childhood characterized by exemplary behavior and seriousness. She is fluent in German, French and Dutch, and also dances beautifully.
Princesses Katarina-Amalia (13 years old), Alexia (12 years old) and Ariana (10 years old) - daughters of King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima (Netherlands)
Dutch princesses live busy life: They do ballet, are fond of swimming, horseback riding and tennis. Girls are good at English language and also learn Spanish, which is native to their mother, Queen Maxima.
Prince Hisahito (10 years old) - son of Prince Fumihito and Princess Kiko (Japan)
Prince Hisahito is the main hope of the Japanese imperial house, because before his birth, only girls were born in the family, and according to the law, only a man can take the Chrysanthemum throne.
Although the emperor's family does not have a soul in the little prince, they do not do him any favors: he goes to school, where his success is assessed very strictly, and even participates in sports competitions on an equal basis with other students. As for hobbies, the prince likes to ride a bike, play ball and is interested in the life of insects.
Is the life of royal children so luxurious and carefree? How and who is involved in their upbringing and why are there more prohibitions and rules than an ordinary child?
It seems that the life of royal offspring is cloudless and luxurious - but how do representatives of modern royal families actually raise their children? What do they dress and play, what gifts do they receive, and what is under the strictest ban? At the moment, there are 26 active monarchies all over the world: they all follow centuries-old traditions and rituals, including in terms of raising and raising children. Which kindergartens do people go to blue blood What do they wear and what gifts do they receive? Why finally educate real princess- Isn't it a simple matter?
How are blue-blooded babies born?
The mother of a royal baby has not the slightest chance to keep the fact of birth a secret in order to enjoy moments of silence and intimacy. Firstly, paparazzi and fans follow every step, and secondly, immediately after the birth of the next heir to the throne, the current monarch is informed. So, just recently, Prince William called his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, on a secret phone for the third time immediately after the birth of his son, to please her with happy news.
It's funny, but he himself as a child could not pronounce the word "granny" - from the English. granny, which means "grandmother". So Her Majesty had no choice: she had to respond to a somewhat irreverent "gary." William's eldest son, baby George, refers to the crowned great-grandmother quite easily: "gen-gen."
The Duke of Cambridge himself took his wife with newborns from the hospital by car, and a team of the best specialists in the kingdom took delivery three times already, each of whom signed documents on non-disclosure of any details.
Who chooses the names for the royal children?
In the European tradition - to give a child three or even four names at once, and royal children are no exception. But instead of a surname, they often carry the name of the county.
For example, full name Prince William's eldest son is George Alexander Louis of Cambridge. The little princess of Sweden is called Estelle Silvia Eva Mary, Duchess of Ostergetland, and one of the twins of the princely couple of Monaco is named Jacques Honore Rainier Grimaldi. The name is chosen by the parents, listening to the advice of older relatives.
What gifts are given to princes and princesses?
Here, of course, friends and relatives try to impress the imagination - often not so much by the value of the gift, but by its uniqueness and originality. For example, the princess of Spain, for the first tenth anniversary in her life, received a title from the pope-king, granting her the title of lady of the knightly Catholic order.
Kate Middleton's mother, Carol, gave her eldest grandson a real zebra with a riding kit, and papa's grandfather, His Highness Prince Charles, his own £18,000 camper, a fabulous tree house, and an Aston Martin.
However, the car park of the little prince already has a solid amount of vehicles, and the brands of cars are one more luxurious than the other. The father has already given the firstborn a Volkswagen GTI, the Beckham couple presented a Range Rover, Pippa's aunt gave a Jaguar, Beyoncé and Jay-Z gave a Bugatti.
His younger sister Charlotte received birthday gifts from 64 countries around the world: the Australians presented the little princess with a magnificent Tasmanian merino wool blanket embroidered with mimosa flowers, a set of unique silk figurines came from China, and Stephen Cawston created exact copy poster for Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, 1937.
Ordinary residents of states also willingly chip in for gifts to little princes. For example, the people of Monaco collectively donated a beautiful brooch and watch from Cartier to the princely twins, and pensioners from the Royal Hospital in Chelsea gave George, son of Prince William, a toy dressed in their uniform.
What do royal children wear?
The royal family of Spain is recognized as one of the most elegant: young princesses Sophia and Leonor often appear in well-tailored dresses, suits and coats.
Prince George will have to wear shorts until the age of 8 - this is etiquette, but in general his wardrobe can be considered a copy of his father's: the same classic jumpers, shirts in a recognizable check and double-breasted coats. Kate Middleton and Charlotte often dress in dresses similar in style and color: to the indescribable joy of the British, the duchess quite often buys clothes for children from mass-market brands that are quite accessible to everyone.
What do princes and princesses play?
Almost all royal families are of the opinion that playing sports brings much more benefit to young and grown children than gadgets: in the family of the Duke of Cambridge, for example, tablets are generally banned. Three children from birth play with toys that develop logic and imagination - cubes, cars, Stuffed Toys and constructors.
Dutch princesses Amalia, Alexia and Ariana say they love jogging along the beach with the whole family, including the dog, and the Belgian royal family loves skiing in full force.
Many royal babies have been seen more than once with a simple and cute toy: the Norwegian princess Ingrid did not part with a long-legged bear cub using the “tilde” technique, the Swedish princess Estelle appeared everywhere with a plush lion in her crown, and the eldest of the Spanish princesses with a funny pink duckling.
Who educates future kings?
William and Kate hired a nanny from Spain to raise their children: she accompanies them everywhere on trips and at receptions. Middleton's parents love to spend time with their grandchildren. George goes to school, and little Charlotte goes to a kindergarten not far from Kensington Palace. There, in addition to games, she studies pottery and classical poetry.
The little princess helps her mother Kate cook in the kitchen - a miniature corner, but completely real, was built there especially for her. Children know that in the event of hooliganism, they will have to bear the consequences: for example, parents of crumbs do not see anything shameful in cleaning up food or toys scattered on the floor.
The twins of the princely couple of Monaco go to a completely ordinary school of development, where they communicate and play with their peers. In the palace, they clean toys and make beds on their own. The Swedish princess Estelle helps her mother bake cookies for the holidays, and the Dutch princess can often be seen on a bicycle in the middle of a noisy street: she herself takes her children to kindergarten in this way.
The children of the king of Belgium studied science at the Jesuit college, and the Spanish princesses, along with the standard school curriculum study Catalan, Galician, Basque, English and Chinese with a governess.
There are only a few days left before we meet Prince William and hear about the arrival of Kate Middleton's third child. The little prince or princess is due in April, so while we wait for Kate to have her baby, we'll take a look at some of the most amazing royal baby traditions you may not have known about.
From the first day, the royal children were not breastfed, they were usually born at home, and fathers were not allowed into the delivery room. Times have changed and some of these traditions have been revised, but others still remain.
home birth
The Queen was born at her grandfather's London home in 1926, on Bruton Street in Mayfair in 1926. Royal children were usually born at home and Her Majesty continued this tradition by choosing to give birth to Prince Charles, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward at Buckingham Palace. Princess Anne was born at Clarence House, which is now the home of Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall.
The Queen's sister Princess Margaret also gave birth to her daughter Lady Sarah Chatto at Kensington Palace and her son David, 2nd Earl of Snowdon at Clarence House.
The hospital birth trend began with Princess Anne choosing to have her children at St Mary's Hospital in Paddington, London. Lindo Wing's private physician at St Mary's Hospital has treated several of the royal children, including Prince William, Prince Harry, Prince George and Princess Charlotte.
Presence of a witness
The presence of the house secretary was required in the waiting room to witness and confirm the birth. The tradition dates back the end of the XVII century, when, according to rumors, the son of King James II and Queen Mary Beatrice James Stewart was an "imposter". The Hanoverians claimed that the real baby died at birth and was replaced by a new one.
When the Queen was born in 1926, her birth was confirmed by the Home Secretary, although this tradition ended soon after, shortly before the birth of Prince Charles in 1948.
Fathers weren't allowed in the delivery room
Traditionally, fathers stayed outside the delivery room. When the Queen was pregnant with Prince Charles, she experienced a long and difficult labor. Her husband Prince Philip spent about 30 hours playing squash as he was not allowed inside. Times have changed and Prince William was present at the birth of Prince George and Princess Charlotte.
Royal children were not breastfed
Queen Victoria hated being pregnant and refused to breastfeed her nine children, calling the act "the destruction of intellectual and sophisticated young ladies". Nowadays, this is a personal preference of every royal.
The gender of the baby is not revealed before birth
The palace will always announce the couple's pregnancy and usually the month in which the baby is due, although specifics such as the baby's gender and the exact date remain a mystery.
The Queen is one of the first to know about the birth of a child
Her Majesty is one of the first to know that she was born new member her family. When Prince George was born, William had to call his grandmother on a special encrypted phone number to tell her happy news. Then he called Kate's parents in Bucklebury, her sister Pippa and brother James, his own father Prince Charles and his brother Prince Harry.
The royal baby has three or four names
Royal children usually have three or four names, which are strong traditional names that have been used in the family for centuries, such as George and Charles.
Some names pay homage to members of the royal family, such as Princess Charlotte's middle name is Elizabeth (after Queen Elizabeth II) and Diana (after Princess Diana). Prince George's middle names are Alexander and Louis, while Prince William's are Arthur, Philip and Louis. The Queen usually approves the names of the royal babies closest to the throne.
The birth is announced in the city
One of the most traditional moments the birth of a royal child is the announcement of the town crier. Tony Appleton had the honor of announcing the birth of Prince George and Princess Charlotte on the steps of the Lindo Wing and is expected to do the same for the new baby. This role appeared in medieval times, when most of the townspeople could not read and write.
An easel is set up at Buckingham Palace
Currently, Prince William and Kate's team is announcing family news on Twitter and Instagram, as well as sending out press statements. But those who want to see the official announcement with their own eyes can visit Buckingham Palace, where a bulletin showing the sex, weight and time of birth of the baby, signed by the medical team, hangs on an easel. The announcement used to be handwritten, signed at the hospital, and taken back to the palace by car.
Salute
As with other special occasions such as anniversaries and birthdays, a royal salute is given to celebrate a new birth. The peak of fireworks in the Tower of London lasts ten minutes.
Baptism of a child shortly after birth
Baptisms usually take place two or three months after birth, and this is the second time a newborn has been officially shown. The Queen was just one month old when she was christened in the private chapel at Buckingham Palace, while Prince William was two months old and Prince Harry was three months old. Prince George was baptized three months after his birth, and Princess Charlotte two months later.
crystal dress
Princess Charlotte was the seventh royal child to wear the beautiful Honaton christening gown. The dress is a replica of one made for Queen Victoria's eldest child, Victoria, in 1841. After several generations, this dress became too fragile, so a copy was made. Prince William and Prince Harry still wore the original dress.
Official christening photos
Official photographs taken shortly after the christening and showing the newborn with his parents, his godparents and members of the royal family are also traditional. Mario Testino had the privilege of photographing Princess Charlotte at her christening, while Jason Bell took the official photographs of Prince George.
A child usually has six godparents
While most of us have three or four godchildren, royal babies are usually given at least five godparents. Prince George, third in line to the throne, has seven godparents: Oliver Baker, Emilia Hardine-Paterson, Earl Grosvenor, Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton, Julia Samuel, William van Cutsem and Zara Tindall.
Zara - cousin Prince William, and Julia was a close friend of Princess Diana.
Princess Charlotte has five godparents: Thomas van Straubenzee, James Mead, Sophie Carter, Laura Fellows and Adam Middleton. Laura is Prince William's cousin and Adam is Kate's cousin.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Prince George and Princess Charlotte leave Germany on July 21, 2017Royal heirs are not born every day, so every such news is accompanied by especially heated discussions and even heated debates in the world. So, for example, when the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge announced the third pregnancy of Catherine, the number of applications in bookmakers in the UK increased dramatically. The foreigners and the British bet on everything they could: on the gender of the unborn child, on his name, on the date of his christening, and even on where Kate would give birth.
We already know the answers to these questions, so now, obviously, the Duchess Megan of Sussex, whose first pregnancy was announced by Kensington Palace on October 15, will have to keep the intrigue. However, now we are not talking about the happy addition to the family of Harry and Megan, but about the 18 most unusual traditions around the birth and upbringing of royal children. After getting acquainted with these customs, the entire protocol process for the birth of princes and princesses will become a little clearer to you.
In royal families, the norm is two children.
Pregnancy is reported at 12 weeks
Windsor mothers must keep a delicate secret until the third month, but here the Duchess of Cambridge became an exception. She had to “split” ahead of time not out of harm, but because of the inability to attend official events. The reason for this is a very rare and dangerous form of toxicosis, which Katherine suffered during each of her three pregnancies.
The sex of the child is kept secret until the last
And even Kate and William have not yet broken this tradition. The public builds guesses about the gender of the future heir either on the basis of outfits (in the case of Kate, for example, they considered which outfits were more pink or blue), or on the basis of betting forecasts. In a word, the intrigue is serious.
It is customary for the royal family to give birth at home.
This has been done for many centuries. Elizabeth II, for example, despite the fact that she was not then the direct heir to the British Crown, was born on the family estate of Prince Albert and his wife Elizabeth. The queen herself gave birth to all her sons in Buckingham Palace and Anna at Clarence House.
Meanwhile, for the past few decades, the royal family has been reigning new tradition- to give birth in the hospital. Princess Diana's sons William and Harry were born at St Mary's Hospital in London. The Duchess of Cambridge followed her mother-in-law's example, choosing the same hospital for the birth of George and Charlotte. Here, on April 23, 2018, the third child of the royal couple appeared (although there were persistent rumors that Katherine would give birth at home).
In order to take delivery, an official gynecologist is appointed
For example, the birth of Prince George was taken by Sir Marcus Setchell, a leading gynecologist in the UK, for a long time who served Elizabeth herself. Previously, this position was held by Sir George Pinker, who managed to deliver nine Windsor babies.
A non-royal witness must be present during the birth
This is necessary so that insidious monarchs do not deceive the people (the birth of Elizabeth, for example, was observed by the British Home Secretary). This tradition, as can be assumed, was unshakable at a time when royal power was absolute and "transferred from God." The witness was invited to observe the birth, in order to later confirm that the royal person really gave birth to the child that was shown to the public.
The wild ritual was ended in 1948, on the eve of the birth of Prince Charles. Which, in fact, is not surprising: the times were no longer the same, and royal power acquired an exclusively nominal character.
It is curious that fathers were not allowed to observe childbirth for centuries. The first to break this tradition was... Elizabeth II. Carried away by reading newfangled books about natural parenting, the Queen, pregnant with her fourth child, insisted on the presence of her husband at the birth. In the presence of her husband, Princess Diana also gave birth twice ( read: ) Kate and William followed the example of their grandmother and mother: the prince was present at the birth of all three heirs, which was officially reported each time on the Twitter account of Kensington Palace. And, most likely, Prince Harry will also want to support his wife during childbirth.
The birth of a child is announced quite peculiarly
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge became the first to announce the birth of their first child online through the press office of Kensington Palace. However, there was no break with tradition. The fact is that when a child appears in the royal family, a large gilded easel is placed in front of Buckingham Palace, on which the corresponding statement is placed. Previously, the paper was written by hand and required the signature of the priest, today it is printed. It is easy to imagine that the easel for the first time becomes one of the main attractions of the city.
And on the streets of London there is a tradition according to which the birth of the next royal offspring is announced by an unofficial city crier. Now this position is held by Tony Appleton, and it was he who announced the birth of George and Charlotte in 2013 and 2015. He also announced the birth of the third baby of the Cambridge.
After the announcement of the birth of a prince or princess in London, a solemn volley is fired
62 volleys are fired from historic cannons near Tower Bridge and 41 from cannons near Buckingham Palace. Everything is as a tribute to the royal offspring and his parents.
British princesses breastfeeding
It is known for certain that Queen Elizabeth (yes, all four) and Princess Diana breastfed their children. It is assumed that the Duchess of Cambridge was also involved in this, but this has not been officially confirmed by anyone. On the other hand, there was one among the royal mothers who found the idea breastfeeding vile, believing that women become stupid from this. We think you already guessed - we are talking about Queen Victoria.
Windsor fathers given parental leave
Royal parents are required to register their child
Under the law of England and Wales, the birth of any child must be registered with an appropriate institution or hospital within the first 42 days. And although the royal family is special in every sense, they don’t make concessions here.
Royal children can have four names
The full name of Prince George is George Alexander Louis, Princess Charlotte is Charlotte Elizabeth Diana, and the Duke of Cambridge is William Arthur Philip Louis. As a rule, the names of the great British monarchs and their relatives are “encrypted” in the names of the heirs. But the royal offspring practically do not use the surname Windsor (or Mountbatten-Windsor), and even if it is very necessary (for example, Prince George at school), then the title comes to the rescue. For example, William and Harry had the surname "Welsh" at school, and George has the surname "Cambridge".
Royal children must be homeschooled
Meanwhile, the last one to learn English literature and French at home was Queen Elizabeth II. Contrary to popular belief, the first to receive school education It wasn't Prince William who went, it was Prince Charles. The son of Elizabeth II first studied at several schools in Great Britain and Australia, and then entered Cambridge. This, by the way, was a violation of another tradition, according to which adult princes had to immediately go to serve in the Royal Armed Forces.
Later, the new custom was supported by Princess Diana, followed by the Duchess of Cambridge, whose son George in September 2017 went to the first grade of Thomas's Battersea school.
Children are not allowed to communicate with grandparents if those commoners
With this very cruel tradition, as expected, broke the Duchess of Cambridge, who, as you know, values her family very much. So, and the estate of her parents in Berkshire, by the way, also contrary to tradition, became the only place where the Cambridge family celebrates Christmas. There is no doubt that Meghan Markle will not protect her children from communicating with her grandmother Doria. It is no coincidence that the mother of the Duchess of Sussex went to courses in infant care.
Gifts for royal babies are sent from all over the world
First of all, the leaders of the Commonwealth countries send gifts: in 2013, for example, the New Zealand government sent a merino wool shawl as a gift to Prince George - exactly the same as the newborn Prince William once received. Among other gifts, there are both symbolic (such as fairy tales, toys, and so on) and very expensive ones (such as precious rattles or luxury brand sliders). Of course, ordinary citizens of the Kingdom also send gifts. Parents traditionally keep some of the gifts for themselves, and some are donated to charitable organizations.
Children are required to attend Trooping the Color
The annual show traditionally marks the Queen's birthday, so absolutely all members of the royal family are required to attend the celebration. Regardless of their age. The only exceptions are newborn babies.
Royal nannies undergo special agent training
And it's not a joke. Before entrusting the secret child to an outside woman, she is taught not only the royal protocol, but also careful driving, all security measures and even taekwondo.
Royal babies are baptized in the first weeks after birth
And, according to tradition, this is their first public appearance. Most often, the Archbishop of Canterbury himself, the spiritual head of the Church of England, baptizes royal offspring. This happens either at Buckingham Palace, or at the request of their parents - Kate and William, for example, baptized George and Louis at St. James Palace, and Charlotte at St. Mary Magdalene Church in Sandringham. Press access to the ceremony is strictly limited, although recent times parents still allow reporters to photograph themselves - but only outside the church.
By the way, babies are baptized in the same dress - in an old shirt, in which Princess Victoria was baptized in 1841. In total, as many as 62 royal offspring managed to try on the dress, but in 2008, Elizabeth II instructed to make a new attire, an exact copy of Victoria's dress. It is a replica of an old shirt that is used today. All the children of Cambridge were baptized already in a new dress, and, presumably, the first-born of the Dukes of Sussex will try it on one day.
As a rule, royal children have about 6 (!) godparents. Family members, however, have been practically not allowed to this role lately, although even at the beginning of the century, royal parents were happy to invite their grandparents, aunts and uncles to become godparents.
