Shortest Royal Marriages


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HMTLove23

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Either by Death or Divorce, can Anyone tell my the shortest marriages in royal history.

I know of Princess Filippa of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Sayn who was killed in a car crash 3 months after her wedding.
 
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Well George IV's marriage to Mrs. Fitzherbert, if that even counts as a true marriage, since it was quickly annulled, was pretty short :)
 
Archduchess Elisabeth Caecilia of Austria married James Litchfield on 9 Oct 1982 and then died 18 May 1983

7 months and 9 days
 
Princess Antoinette of Monaco, Baroness of Massy (sister of the late Prince Rainier III) and John Gilpin married on 28 July 1983. He died suddenly six weeks later.
 
King Alexander III of Scotland married Yolande of Dreux on October 5, 1285. They were married for over four months from 1285 to 1286 until Alexander died March 19, 1286.
 
Well George IV's marriage to Mrs. Fitzherbert, if that even counts as a true marriage, since it was quickly annulled, was pretty short :)

know this is an old post but George wasn't really married to Mrs Fitz. and it wasn't as far as I know annulled. He married her illegally and they split up, and he married Caroline of Brunswick. then when he left Caroline, Mrs F got a papal declaration that she was really married in religious temrs to George...
 
James V of Scotland was only married to Madeeline of France for about 6 months, she died of consumption. and Mary Stuart was only married to Bothwell for a month before he left her and went on the run....
 
Bothwell and Mary died husband and wife. ;)
 
Techniclaly yes, but she was trying ot get the marriage annulled in later years, and they were only together as a married couple for about 1 month.
 
Marriage that ended by death before it even started:
P.Albert Victor (of UK) and P.Mary of Teck were engaged for 6 weeks when he died of influenza, 6 weeks before their wedding would have taken place. Mary later married her fiancee's younger brother George.
 
James V of Scotland was only married to Madeeline of France for about 6 months, she died of consumption. and Mary Stuart was only married to Bothwell for a month before he left her and went on the run....

Poor Madeleine de Valois was a very delicate Princess and was known as the "Summer Queen" ,she arrived in Scotland on the 19th of May and died on the 7th of July 1537.
 
Henry VIII of England's 4th marriage to Anne of Cleves was annulled after 6 months
 
Marriage that ended by death before it even started:
P.Albert Victor (of UK) and P.Mary of Teck were engaged for 6 weeks when he died of influenza, 6 weeks before their wedding would have taken place. Mary later married her fiancee's younger brother George.

But they weren't married.
 
Poor Madeleine de Valois was a very delicate Princess and was known as the "Summer Queen" ,she arrived in Scotland on the 19th of May and died on the 7th of July 1537.

Sadly they knew it would happen. Its why her father refused to let her marry at first. Madeleine was always delicate even before she got tb at sixteen. She was raised in Loire instead of at court, because the warmer temperature in Loire was thought better for her health. If Paris was too cold for her, Scotland certainly was worse, even if she had not had tb. Francis gave in to his favorite's child's desire to marry. He likely regretted it till the day he died.
 
Or perhaps he felt that she had had a little happiness in what seems to have been a love match. it wasn't that likely that she would recover from TB...
 
Francis was a realist, from what I have read of him. He knew Madeleine was sickly and likely wouldn't have a long life. But her father, like any father, wanted her to live as long as she could. She spent her earlier years with her Aunt Marguerite. While her health was always delicate, it wasn't until years later when she was brought back to Paris to live with her stepmother, that she contracted TB. She did only short months before her wedding was celebrated.

He refused the marriage numerous times, not wishing to send her. But Madeleine convinced him to let her. And while he likely did find some comfort that his beloved favorite child had found happiness for a short time, there was likely also guilt. Even guilt before he sent her to Scotland, wondering if he had simply left her with her aunt in Loire, would she have ever contacted TB. She may have been delicate, but she may have lived a longer life.
 
I have 2 examples on my mind! Those marriages didn't even last a day.

Grand Duke Ludwig IV von Hessen und Rhine and Countess Alexandrine Hutten-Czapska(widowed von Kolemin). They married on 30th of April 1884 and the marriage was annulled the same day, under the pressure of Queen Victoria of Great Britain. As a "compensation" she got additional title Countess von Romrod and later married Basil von Bacheracht.

Countess Emilie von Czihak married in 1856 to General Manuel Manos, son of Princess Sultana Mavroyeni. He was Romanian Minister of war and Major of Bucharest. The marriage lasted only few hours as the young Countess was poisoned with Strichnin in the cocoa by her husbands lover on her wedding day.
 
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:previous: wow, the same day, can't get much shorter than that :lol:
 
Future Empress Anna Ionnovna of Russia was married only for 2 months before her husband, Duke Friedrich Wilhelm von Kurland died.
 
Alexander III of Scotland and Yolande of Dreux were married on the 15th of October 1285 and he died in March 1286.

Must be one of the shortest Scottish royal marriages after James V and Madeleine de France.
 
One interesting example:

Giangiorgio Sebastiano, Margrave of Monferrato married Princess Giulia of Naples.

The wedding took place on April 29, 1533. The next day, April 30, 1533, the Margrave died while consummating the marriage without having left a legitimate male offspring.
 
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:previous: wow, the same day, can't get much shorter than that :lol:

There is also one more example. Not exactly royal, but royalty related.

Christine Sophie von Gähler, née von Ahlefeldt (1745-1792) was main figure at Danish Court and lady in waiting to Queen Caroline Mathilde of Denmark, nee Princess of Great Britain.

On 18th of July 1792 she contracted her second marriage to Count Carl Alexander von der Goltz. Unfortunately, she died the same day during her wedding night. So, her second marriage lasted just FEW HOURS. :ohmy:

Her other royal connection to Great Britain and Denmark:

Christine Sophie von Gähler was daughter in law of Caspar von Gähler (1683-1759), who is direct ancestor of Danish born Birgitte Eva van Deurs, current Duchess of Gloucester.
 
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On January 5, 1478 the wedding of Richard, Duke of York, son of King Edward IV of England, and Lady Anne Mowbray occurred. Richard was five when he married. Anne was six. Anne de Mowbray died in November 1481.
 
In June 1541 Jeanne d'Albret the future Queen of Navarre and the only niece of the French king was forced to marry William, Duke of Jülich-Cleves-Berg as part of a political marriage .However Jeanne literally had to be dragged kicking and screaming to the altar and signed several documents out lining her protests.
The marriage which was never consummated was annulled by the Pope in 1545.
 
George IV as Prince George and Caroline of Brunswick, he consummated the marriage (one time), she became pregnant with their heiress Princess Charlotte and that was that.
 
However they were married until Carolin'es death so its not anywhere near a short royal marriage...
 
However they were married until Carolin'es death so its not anywhere near a short royal marriage...

Indeed. Married for 26 years, pretty long in those times for weddings. Even if separated most of it.
 
Queen Maria II.of Portugal and Duke August of Leuchtenberg married on 26.01.1835. He died 2 months later on on 28.03.1835.
 
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