Princess Marie of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen

Summary

Princess Marie Luise Alexandra Karoline of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen (17 November 1845 – 26 November 1912), later Countess of Flanders, was a princess of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen, later simply of Hohenzollern. She married Prince Philippe, Count of Flanders, second son of King Leopold I of Belgium, and she was the mother of King Albert I.[1]

Princess Marie
Countess of Flanders
Born(1845-11-17)17 November 1845
Sigmaringen, Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen
Died26 November 1912(1912-11-26) (aged 67)
Brussels, Belgium
Burial
SpousePrince Philippe, Count of Flanders
Issue
Names
Marie Luise Alexandra Karoline
HouseHohenzollern-Sigmaringen
FatherKarl Anton, Prince of Hohenzollern
MotherPrincess Josephine of Baden

Family edit

Marie was the youngest daughter and last of the six children of Prince Karl Anton, Prince of Hohenzollern, Prime minister of Prussia and Princess Josephine of Baden, and as such a younger sister of Prince Leopold, Prince of Hohenzollern, King Carol I of Romania and of Queen Stephanie, Queen Consort of Portugal

Marriage edit

Marie was considered as a potential wife for the future Edward VII of the United Kingdom.[2] Though she was considered "quite lovely" by his family, her Roman Catholic religion barred her from being a suitable consort for the head of the Anglican church.[2] On 25 April 1867 at St. Hedwig's Cathedral in Berlin, she married Prince Philippe, Count of Flanders, second son of King Leopold I of Belgium and Louise-Marie of Orléans.[1]

They had five children:

Princess Marie was an accomplished artist, even occasionally exhibiting her paintings at the Brussels Fair. She had a literary salon, which was the gathering place of many authors as well as a feature of Brussels social life for forty years.[1] She also demonstrated appreciation for music, on one occasion awarding a gold medal to the Zoellner Quartet after it performed for the Belgian royalty.[3]

Death edit

Marie Luise died in Belgium in 1912 at the age of 67, after suffering from pneumonia for several days.[1] She was buried in the Church of Our Lady of Laeken.

 
Marie of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen, Countess of Flanders in middle age, 1880s

Honours edit

Ancestry edit

References edit

  1. ^ a b c d "Countess of Flanders Dead", New York Times, Brussels, Belgium, 27 November 1912
  2. ^ a b Hibbert, p. 41.
  3. ^ Cariaga, Daniel, "Not Taking It with You: A Tale of Two Estates", Los Angeles Times, 22 December 1985; accessed April 2012.
  4. ^ Nieuws Van Den Dag (Het) 02-10-1900
  5. ^ Almanach royal officiel: 1875 p. 18
  6. ^ Almanach royal officiel: 1875 p. 18
  7. ^ Almanach royal officiel: 1875 p. 18
  8. ^ Almanach royal officiel: 1875 p. 18

Sources edit

  •   Media related to Princess Marie, Countess of Flanders at Wikimedia Commons
  • Hibbert, Christopher (2007). Edward VII: The Last Victorian King. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.