Saturday, August 21, 2010

Relatively Royal On The "Royal Fringe" Homes Of The Satellite Royals

Hampton Court Palace

Although most European Royal Families possessed family members amongst their ranks who were on the “royal fringe,” few have had as many colorful quasi - royal individuals in their midst as the British Royal Family.

Existing on same the stage, as their more royal & exalted brethren, these “relative royals” lived their lives just outside of the spotlight. Usually only seen when they were lined up on the balcony for the traditional wave to the masses during one of the larger more important family occasions, such as a royal wedding, a jubilee, or the sovereign’s birthday.

Towards the end of the 19th century and well into the mid 20th century, the House of Windsor was chockablock with just this sort of family surplus. Queen Victoria’s brood had expanded into a royal population explosion by this time, with many branches of the royal family tree firmly rooted in the United Kingdom itself. With so many princesses from the royal house marrying within the country, it was a very common practice for them to stay home after marriage and establish collateral shoots on home turf.

With so many princesses settling at home with their foreign or local husbands and not to mention the surplus royal sons of the sovereign, all poised to raise future generations of royal kinder, a solution had to be found with which to accommodate and house all these home grown princelings. 

A capital solution was found with the awarding of “grace and favour” homes! Such situations were typically residential property owned by the Crown and thus the gift of the monarch by virtue of their position as head of state and leased rent-free to persons in gratitude for past services rendered.  It is rumored that the term possibly crept into English through the writings of Niccolo Machiavelli, who wrote of advisors who 'ministri per grazia e concessione’ - which has been translated as 'ministered through grace and favour'.

In the United Kingdom, with each succeeding generation of the royal family contributing to an ever increasing royal population, the “grace and favour” approach was highly success and continues today. 

In reference to the high concentration of collateral royals, Prince Charles once described Kensington Palace as “the Aunt Heap!”  Although a clever play on words, he was dead on with regard to summing up the reality of the situation at hand.

Below you will find listed a selection of semi-royal abodes, along with the “royal fringe” inhabitants that called them home.


Cumberland Lodge
Home Of Prince & Princess Christian Of Schleswig-Holstein
Daughter & Son-In-Law Of Queen Victoria

Prince Christian

Princess Helena


Brantridge Park
Home Of Princess Alice, Countess Of Athlone
& The Earl Of Athlone
Granddaughter Of Queen Victoria

Alexander Cambridge, 1st Earl Of Athlone
Formerly, Prince Alexander Von Teck

Princess Alice, Countess Of Athlone


Barton Lodge
Home of Sir Henry & Lady Mary Abel Smith
Great Granddaughter Of Queen Victoria

Sir Henry & Lady Mary Abel Smith


Carisbrooke Castle
Home Of Princess Beatrice
Daughter Of Queen Victoria

Princess Beatrice & Her Children


Thatched House Lodge
Home Of Princess Alexandra Of Kent, Lady Ogilvy
& Hon. Sir Angus Ogilvy
Granddaughter Of King George V

Princess Alexander Of Kent & Hon. Sir Angus Ogilvy


Claremont House
Home Of Prince Leopold, Duke Of Albany
& Princess Helene, Duchess Of Albany
Son & Daughter-In-Law Of Queen Victoria

Prince Leopold, Duke Of Albany

Princess Helene, Duchess Of Albany



White Lodge
Home To Princess Mary Adelaide Of Cambridge
& The Duke Of Teck
Granddaughter Of King George III
Parents Of Queen Mary

Duke Franz Von Teck

Princess Mary Adelaide Of Cambridge, Duchess Of Teck


Bagshot Park
Home Of Prince Arthur, Duke Of Connaught
& Princess Luise, Duchess Of Connaught
Son & Daughter-In-Law Of Queen Victoria

Home Of Prince Edward, Earl Of Wessex
& The Countess Of Wessex
Son & Daughter-In-Law Of Queen Elisabeth II

Prince Arthur, Duke Of Connaught

Princess Luise, Duchess Of Connaught

Prince Edward, Earl Of Wessex
& The Countess Of Wessex


Eastwell Park
Home Of Prince Alfred, Duke Of Edinburgh
& Princess Marie, Duchess Of Edinburgh
Son & Daughter-In-Law Of Queen Victoria

Prince Arthur, Duke Of Edinburgh
Duke Of Saxe-Coburg Und Gotha

Princess Marie, Duchess Of Edinburgh
Duchess Of Saxe-Coburg Und Gotha


Frogmore House
Home Of Princess Victoria, Duchess Of Kent
Mother Of Queen Victoria

Princess Victoria, Duchess Of Kent


St. James Palace
York House
London Residence Of
Prince Henry, Duke Of Gloucester
& Princess Alice, Duchess Of Gloucester
Son & Daughter-In-Law Of King George V

Prince Henry, Duke Of Gloucester
& Princess Alice, Duchess Of Gloucester


Hampton Court Palace
Home Of Princess Friederike Of Hanover,
Baroness Von Pawel-Rammingen 
& Baron Alfons von Pawel-Rammingen
Great Granddaughter Of King George III

Princess Friederike Of Hanover
Baroness Von Pawel-Rammingen


Kensington Palace
"The Aunt Heap!"

Princess Margaret, Countess Of Snowdon
Daughter Of King George VI

Victoria, Marchioness Of Milford Haven
Born Princess Of Hesse Und Bei Rhine
Granddaughter Of Queen Victoria
Grandmother Of Prince Philip, Duke Of Edinburgh

Diana, Princess Of Wales
Wife Of Prince Charles, Prince Of Wales
Daughter-In-Law Of Queen Elisabeth II

Prince & Princess Michael Of Kent
Grandson Of King George V


Anmer Hall
Home Of Prince George, Duke Of Kent
& The Duchess Of Kent
Grandson Of King George V

Prince George, Duke Of Kent
& The Duchess Of Kent


Royal Lodge
Home Of Prince Albert, Duke Of York, Later King George VI
& The Duchess Of York, Later Queen Elisabeth
Son & Daughter-In-Law Of King George V

Home Of Prince Andrew, Duke Of York
Son Of Queen Elisabeth II

Prince George, Duke Of York
& The Duchess Of York

Queen Elisabeth, The Queen Mother

Prince Andrew, Duke Of York


Home Of Prince Edward, Prince Of Wales
Later King Edward VIII
Son Of King George V

Home Of The Hon. Gerald Lascelles
Grandson Of King George V

Prince Edward, Prince Of Wales
King Edward VIII

Hon. Gerald Lascelles



NR

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