Unexpected Monarchs


If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
Jackswife said:
King Juan Carlos of Spain became "heir" after his older brother was accidentally killed in a shooting accident. (I put the heir in quotes due to the circumstances of JC being groomed for the position of King by Franco).

Very fascinating to see all the twists and turns that history has taken over the years!:)

As far as I remember it was J C younger brother who was shot and not his elder brother ;)
 
BMC said:
Grand Duchess Charlotte of Luxembourg- her sister GD Marie Adelaide was forced to abdicate.

Why was she forced to abdicate?
 
betina said:
Why was she forced to abdicate?

"During World War I, she enjoyed a rather cordial relationship with the German occupiers, the root of harsh criticism after the liberation. Although not having done anything unconstitutional, voices in Parliament began to demand her abdication in January 1919. After consulting with the Prime Minister, she abdicated on January 14, 1919 and was succeeded by her younger sister Charlote."
From: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marie-Ad%C3%A9la%C3%AFde%2C_Grand_Duchess_of_Luxembourg and http://www.royalty.nu/Europe/Luxembourg.html
 
George V

I just read the Wikipedia biography of the unexpected monarch George V and I think he was a very good king. He took many wise decisions like changing the name of the royals to Windsor. He was very loved by the people. They say he was not a brilliant person, but I think he was intelligent enough for being a good king. He was very disapointed with his heir Edward VIII and kind of predicted what happened later. He was extremely good-looking and resembled his first cousin Nicholas II of Russia. He managed to lead a good marriage, even it was with the bride Queen Victoria had chosen for his older brother, and then for him too when his brother died. Not perfect, it seems he was tough with his sons (¡five royal blood princes!), but a rather pleasant and nice personality, and a good king.
 
I know his elder brother Prince Eddy has a lot of supporters, but I agree with you that George V was a good king, especially for the period of history when he was monarch, and I think he made a better king than his brother would have.
 
Great thread, everyone is soooo knowledgeable here, I love learning from everyone. Thanks!!
 
The former King Constantine II of Greece become king when his father King Paul died.
 
Yes, but as Constantine was Diadoch or Crown Prince he can't be called an 'unexpected monarch', which is this thread's topic.
 
Queen Margrethe I of denmark. I believe she only because her husband died and her son was too young to rule at the time.
 
Yes, but as Constantine was Diadoch or Crown Prince he can't be called an 'unexpected monarch', which is this thread's topic.

I know he was crowed prince but he become king at the age of 23 that is unexpected to become king at such an young age.
 
Yes, he was young, but it was not unexpected that he become king. He was always going to be the monarch. The thread is really about people who never expected to take the throne, but did anyway.
 
Okay how about Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden who was heiress -presumptive at the time of her birth.Then her brother was born he become Crown Prince and the government changed the constituation so the eldest child regardless of gender could be the heir to the throne.
 
:previous: Owing to the fact that these changes occurred when both children were very young, and also the fact the Victoria was heiress presumptive, I don't think Victoria falls into the category of 'unexpected.' She always had that chance of being monarch one day as heiress presumptive, and by virtue of that constitutional change she will be indeed a monarch as was destined to be.
 
Both Albert I and II of Belgium were unexpected monarchs. Both had an elder brother, Baudouin. The first Baudouin, nephew of Leopold II, died unexpectedly at a very young age (before he ever became King), leaving his younger brother Albert I to inherit the throne (their father refused, if I'm not mistaken). Albert I and his wife Elizabeth of Bavaria were very popular because of their behaviour during WWI. The second Baudouin, who became King Baudouin I, had no children and he actively trained his nephew Philipe to take over his job. However, as Marengo already said, when he died, his brother Albert accepted the throne (it was rightfully his after all).
 
Leopold I of Belgium

Born 16.12.1790 in Coburg he became first king of the Belgians (1831 -1865). Leopold was the youngest son of Franz-Friedrich of Sachen-Coburg-Saalfeld. In 1816 he married the English heiress Princess Charlotte Auguste (daughter of George IV). Unfortunatly she died in childbed with the baby being born dead. Thus the question of the English heir to the throne was open again. The duke of Kent and Strathearn married a sister of Leopold named Victoria and their daughter Victoria became lateron Queen.

However, Leopold refused the greek throne in 1830. A bit later the Belgian national congress asked him to accept the Belgian crown. 17.7.1831 he entered the country and 21.7.1831 he swore the oath on the constitution.
 
Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom is not suppose to be queen.When her uncle
King Edward VIII of United Kingdom abicated to marry an American divocree.
 
Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom is not suppose to be queen.When her uncle
King Edward VIII of United Kingdom abdicated to marry an American divocree.

Even if her Uncle had not abdicated, Elizabeth would still have become Queen, because Edward & Wallis had no children. Elizabeth was the heir next in line after her father, who died before his elder brother. Therefore, on the death of her Uncle, the "would have been" Princess Elizabeth would still have inherited the Crown - even though that would have been many years after she actually did, the way things worked out.

There are only two real reasons why it may not have been anticipated that she would become Queen (a) if her own parents had also had a son or (b) if Edward VIII had had any legitimate children...
 
Even if her Uncle had not abdicated, Elizabeth would still have become Queen, because Edward & Wallis had no children. Elizabeth was the heir next in line after her father, who died before his elder brother. Therefore, on the death of her Uncle, the "would have been" Princess Elizabeth would still have inherited the Crown - even though that would have been many years after she actually did, the way things worked out.

There are only two real reasons why it may not have been anticipated that she would become Queen (a) if her own parents had also had a son or (b) if Edward VIII had had any legitimate children...

The only way that Queen Elizabeth II's uncle could marry Wallis Simpson was to abdicate there was no other way.Back in 1936 royals were not allowed to marry divorcees and take or keep the throne. If her uncle had married another royal or even a noble.And had Children Elizabeth would not be queen but still Princess Elizabeth of Edinburg.
 
:previous: Owing to the fact that these changes occurred when both children were very young, and also the fact the Victoria was heiress presumptive, I don't think Victoria falls into the category of 'unexpected.' She always had that chance of being monarch one day as heiress presumptive, and by virtue of that constitutional change she will be indeed a monarch as was destined to be.[/quote

Victoria was heiress-presumptive meaning that someone with a stronger claim to the throne can remove you farther down the line of succession.
Her younger brother Carl-Philp was born heir-apparent meaning he had the strongest claim and can not be remove by no other births in the family.
Carl-Philp was removed by law that is why Victoria is now heiress-apparent if the law was not change she would not be first in line to the throne and future queen.
 
King Constantine of Greece (1868-1923) was exiled and his son George II (1889-1947) reigned, before leaving for exile and his brother Alexandros (1893-1920) became king of the Hellenes. He married morganatically Aspasia Manou and is the grandfather of CP Alexandros of Yugoslavia (?)
He died in 1920 after being bitten by a monkey.
His brother Pavlos (1901-1964) 4rth child 3rd son of King Constantine became King of the Hellenes. He was married to Princess Frederika of Hannover and was the father of Queen Sofia of Spain and King Constantine of the Hellenes and Princess Irini.
King Pavlos was not the heir to the throne but due to a lot of unexpected events he became a much loved King.
 
The only way that Queen Elizabeth II's uncle could marry Wallis Simpson was to abdicate there was no other way. Back in 1936 royals were not allowed to marry divorcees and take or keep the throne. If her uncle had married another royal or even a noble. And had Children Elizabeth would not be queen but still Princess Elizabeth of Edinburgh.

Even so, it was not totally unexpected for Elizabeth to eventually become Queen. Due to her Uncle's age at the time he eventually married it was very likely that any wife he took (unless one much younger than himself, and all of his known paramours were about the same age as he was) would be past childbearing age. Therefore, my argument still stands, that once her own mother was beyond having more children the most likely scenario was for Elizabeth to eventually accede.
 
Even if her Uncle had not abdicated, Elizabeth would still have become Queen, because Edward & Wallis had no children. Elizabeth was the heir next in line after her father, who died before his elder brother. Therefore, on the death of her Uncle, the "would have been" Princess Elizabeth would still have inherited the Crown - even though that would have been many years after she actually did, the way things worked out.

There are only two real reasons why it may not have been anticipated that she would become Queen (a) if her own parents had also had a son or (b) if Edward VIII had had any legitimate children...
I once managed to realise that myself. :D
 
Okay how about Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden who was heiress -presumptive at the time of her birth.Then her brother was born he become Crown Prince and the government changed the constituation so the eldest child regardless of gender could be the heir to the throne.
I watched few months ago inteview with Queen Silvia (by well known jurnalist but I don't remember her name) and she said that the Swedish governmant start to change the constitution that the throne would be inherited by the monarch's eldest child without regard to gender before Victoria's birth. There were need few agrements of the government (who was changing) to the changing constitution which could be done after Carl-Philip birth.
 
Yeah, it had been discussed for years.
 
Even so, it was not totally unexpected for Elizabeth to eventually become Queen. Due to her Uncle's age at the time he eventually married it was very likely that any wife he took (unless one much younger than himself, and all of his known paramours were about the same age as he was) would be past childbearing age. Therefore, my argument still stands, that once her own mother was beyond having more children the most likely scenario was for Elizabeth to eventually accede.

I believe he could have married someone younger were he could have children.I seen men over 50 yrs.old become new fathers or become father's for the second time or more.Your agrument does not stand
while atleast not in my humble opinion.
 
Next Star, this thread is about Monarchs who came to the throne when they were not expected to. From the age of ten Princess Elizabeth was expected to succeed her father, which she did in 1952. It was not "unexpected" by any stretch of the imagination. Just as your previous example of Constantine following his father as King of the Hellenes cannot be termed "unexpected" in any sense.

Please don't continue to confuse the issue by diverting the thread from it's original intention, which is examples of unexpected monarchs.
 
Well, queen Elizabeth was always only an heir presumptive, since she was a girl. If her uncle or her father would have had a son, she might not have been a queen today. So while she wasn't an unexpected monarch, she wasn't an heir appearent either.
 
I did some research and I hope that these two kings fit the bill as two unexcepted monarchs and here they are.
King Oscar II of Sweden succeed his brother King Charles of Sweden who died at the age of 46.
And King Chrales X of Sweden who succeed his cousin Queen Christina of Sweden who abdicated because she converted to become catholic.
 
I think they should fit the bill.

Karl X Gustav belonged to a rather poor royal house in Germany, Pfalz-Zweibrücken, and he didn't expect to inherit much from his father. But his mother was born a Swedish princess, so he started to think about his possibilities in Sweden. He started to think about his cousin Christina, the unmarried queen of Sweden. At first, he wanted to marry her. But when she didn't want to marry, he became her heir instead. But when she was even four years younger than him, it was only her abdication, that made it possible for him to become king before he was really old.

Karl XV once had a son, who was supposed to become king one day, but he died when he was only two years old. And after the boy's death, Karl's only child was a daughter, princess Louise. But his brother, the future king Oscar II, had no less than four sons. Louise was thrown out of the succession by her uncle and her cousins and was married off to a Danish prince instead. Eventually, she became the queen of Denmark. One of her cousins became a king of Sweden: Gustav V.
 
King Abdullah of Jordan :
just week before the death of King Husein(father of King Abdullah) his brother Prince Hassan was the crown prince of Jordan for many years but after fight between Queen Noor and prince Hassan's King Hussein decide to make his son Abdullah crown prince and week after HUssein die and Abdullah become a king.
so we can say King Abdullah is unexpected king.
 
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