Royal and Noble Families of Poland and Lithuania

[kbk]

The Princely House of Poniatowski, which is based in French today, is descended from one of the brothers of the last Polish King Stanisław August Poniatowski (Stanislaus II Augustus). The brothers of Stanisław August were created Princes by the Polish Sejm (the Parliament, an assembly of the Polish nobility that elected Poniatowski the King), as it was common with families of previous elected Polish kings (for example, the Sobieski family and the Leszczyński family, they all acquired the status of a Princely house by the Sejm when its members were elected Kings), and this titles were hereditary. By at the moment of Poniatowski's election the monarchy was elective and not hereditary at all, so his descendants (however, the King had no legitimate descendants) and his brother's descendants, as his potential heirs, could not claim the Polish and Lithuanian thrones. There is no way.
However Stanislaus II Augustus and his political party called the Familia, led by the Czartoryski family, provided some reforms, including the Constitution of 3rd May, the world's second constitution ever, after the American one. This reforms included the succession issues. The constitution made the throne hereditary again, as the reformists thought the so called golden age of freedom of the Polish nobility, including elective monarchy, was the main source of the Polish disaster and fall of the country's power in the 17th and 18th centuries. The constitution designated Frederick Augustus I of Saxony as the heir of Stanisław August as the King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania. He was the King and Elector of Saxony, and later Duke of Warsaw. He was a male-line grandson and great-grandson of two Polish kings from the Wettin dynasty, Augustus II the Strong and Augustus III. Finally, Frederick Augustus declined to accept the crown upon Stanislaw's death in 1798, because he feared becoming entangled in disputes with Austria, Prussia and Russia, who had begun to partition Poland in 1772. As a matter of fact, a full partition of Poland among the neighboring powers of Austria, Prussia, and Russia had already taken place by 1795.
Today, this Wettin claim for the Polish throne may be considered as the strongest and could be led by the current head of the House of Wettin, Maria Emanuel, the Margrave of Meissen. He is a male-line descendant of Augustus III of Poland.
After the final partitions of Poland, the Tsar of Russia created from his part of the former Polish state the Kingdom of Poland, a puppet state, also known as the Congress Kingdom (Królestwo Kongresowe, Kongresówka). The Tsars of Russia used the titles of Kings of Poland (they formally were rulers of the state called Kingdom of Poland) until the end of the Russian monarchy.

The Kingdom of Poland, also informally called Regency Kingdom of Poland (Polish: Królestwo Regencyjne), was a state created during World War I by Germany and Austria-Hungary in 1916 after their conquest of the former Congress Poland from Russia. The state's existence was characterised by constant struggles between German, Austrian and Polish forces about the extent of autonomy and its eventual borders with Germany and its Eastern neighbours. The kingdom, largely considered a client or even a puppet state[1], was transformed into the Second Polish Republic at the conclusion of the war. (From wikipedia)

Originally Posted by chaz

All titles were abolished in 1586,except for the title of Prince.

All titles were abolished, as all members of the nobility were formally equal (had the same rights and obilgations, for example each Polish noble, a member of the most prominent Czartoryski or Radziwill family and a poor land-less szlachcic had one vote). However, the Princely families were titled as such only by courtesy.

[chaz]

Global Lithuanian Net. Lithuanian Mythology and Religion Resources

[Lenora]

As I've began to study more on descendants of Polish aristocrats,I found an interesting intersection of Kennedys and Radziwills.In fact,not exactly Kennedys,but the sister of Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy,Lee Bouvier was the one who married a descendant of Polish Princely family.
Prince Stanislaw's mother died in URSS labour camp,he was married 3 times.His second wife Grace Maria Colin,gave birth to a son,but they divorced and she married British aristocrat.He married Lee ,with whom he had 2 children(who have no issue,the son dead later from cancer).But he divorced Lee and soon after he died.
Here it was an interesting moment:as I read when he lived in London he wanted to use his prince title but was refused.
He had 2 elder brothers,Edmund and Ludwick and I wonder if nowadays someone represents Radziwill Prince House.Stanis

[magnik]

Here you go HSH Stanisław Albrecht Prince Radziwiłł
Radziwill

His mother was Anna Jadwiga Maria Pss Lubomirska daughter of Stanisław Michał Henryk (Dresden 2 May 1838-Chodorów, Galicia 2 Dec 1918) and Wanda Maria Elena Pss Lubomirska (1841-1910) daughter of Prince Adam and Karoline Pss Poninska.

[mp72trp18]

Thank you for the historical overview including info of Swedish-Polish conflicts. Of interest my grandfather Alexander Guminski was of Swedish/Polish descent, my aunt and mother have told us that they remember "Tatu" -Dad" talking in Swedish to his relations. Granddad - Jadek died in mid-60s at 72 yrs old. I wonder how many Poles do have Swedish mix in their family backgrounds.

[Andrey]

Good day everyone!

This topic is proposed to consider the family of Adam Ludwik Czartoryski.
He marries Countess Maria Ludwika Krasinska. They have 3 Boys and 4 Girls.
Ok. It`s good.
But we have`t info about all his children`s

So 3 boys:
1)Augustyn Józef Czartoryski (1907-1946) on wikipedia we can find some info, OK
2)Władysław Czartoryski (1918-1978) - no any info
3)Ludwik Czartoryski - no any info

And 4 girls:
1)Elżbieta Czartoryska (1905–1989) - no info
2)Malgorzata Izabella (1902 -1929) - 946) on wikipedia we can find some info, OK.
3)Anna Maria Czartoryski - no info
4)Teresa Czartoryska - no info

It`s all i have. oh not all - I have some Q:
1) were we\I can find this information? Who can help?
2) Why this information is not yet? - it`s royal family

So i hope this forum help to find\restore this info and that it was created for just such!

I wish good luck to everyone!!!

[Grandduchess24]

Does Poland still have a royal family? Because didnt it end with king Louis XV's father in law?

[Kasumi]

Originally Posted by Grandduchess24

Does Poland still have a royal family? Because didnt it end with king Louis XV's father in law?

You are not fond of reading before asking dumb questions in every thread you can reach, are you?

[Towianski]

Lithuanians didn't worship "snakes", never did.

[Kasumi]

Originally Posted by Towianski

Lithuanians didn't worship "snakes", never did.

The ancient Lithuanians had worshiped serpent deities.
For more info see here, here and here.

The Lithuanians were the last of the Europeans who were converted to Christianity; an event which did not take place until the fourteenth century. Jagello, the last heathen duke, was baptized anno 1386.

Regards.

[Domhangairt]

Originally Posted by Kasumi

You are not fond of reading before asking dumb questions in every thread you can reach, are you?

The most serious claimant to the polish Throne by descent is the Margrave of Meissen, Maria Emanual, Head of the Saxony Royal House of Wettin. Not only is the Margrave descended from August III, King of Poland, but he is descended from Princess Barbara Jagiello of Poland and Lithuania, youngest daughter of King Kazimierz IV. Bar any surviving male-line descendants of the Piast Dynsaty, the Wettins of Saxony, are the most senior surviving Catholic dynasty descended from the medieval kings of Poland, and the ancient Piast dynasty in the female line.

[Lenora]

The most tragic Queen of Poland and probably killed innocent was Barbara Radziwill,the wife of the king Sigismund II Augustus.The causes of her death still remain uncovered,supposedly she was poisoned by her mother-in-law,the Queen Bona Sforza,
Barbara Radziwi

[Kasumi]

Originally Posted by Lenora

...supposedly she was poisoned by her mother-in-law,the Queen Bona Sforza...

According to the modern scientists these suspicions are not true.
It was not Queen Bona's fault.
Barbara has died of cancer cervicis uteri.

... Bracia królowej zastanawiali się, czy nie należy powiedzieć lekarzom o z dawna trapiącej ją "chorobie francuskiej", czyli o kile Paweł Jasienica: Ostatnia z rodu; 1988; s. 81-82. (nie jest to po pierwsze źródło historyczne ani po drugie rozsądne - kiła nie powoduje raka szyjki macicy) - Source: Polish Wikipedia article

[Kasumi]

Polish aristocrat Prince Adam Karol Czartoryski and his wife Josette Calil attend a press conference upon the opening of the exhibition 'Renaissance Faces - Masterpieces of Italian Portraiture' at Berlin's Bode Museum August 24, 2011.

daylife gallery

[kbk]

The House of Czartoryski is descended in a direct male-line from the House of Gediminas, like many other powerful noble families of the former Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and the Russian Empire. The Gediminds ruled over the Grand Duchy of Lithuania before it was legally linked to the Crown of Poland by a union.
A Gediminid prince, Jogaila, became the King of Poland and his descendants, known as the Jagiellons, continued to rule over Poland and Lithuania (and later also over Hungary for some time), firstly as separate countries in a personal union and later as a united Commonwealth. They were thus, an another branch of the House of Gediminas, like the Czartoryskis, but senior to them. So, the Czartoryskis are not descended in male-line from the rulers of Poland, but only from the rulers of Lithuania before its union with Poland. However, this link to the grand dukes of Lithuania although agnatic, was too ancient to give the Czartoryskis and their relations from other Gediminid families, the status of equals with members of the reigning or the so-called mediatised (or 'princes etranger' in France, etc.) houses. For example, when Archduchess Mechtildis of Austria, daughter of Archduke Charles Stephen, married in 1913 Prince Olgierd Czartoryski, she had to renounce her titles and style, because the marriage was considered morganatic.
The Czartoryskis were considered part of the Polish nobility and not a royalty, although their descent from the Gediminids was from which their princely title was derived. So, they never had to be given this, and their right to the Princely status was confirmed several times by the Jagiellonian monarchs of Poland-Lithuania (in recognition of their and the Jagiellonians' relation). So, there is no doubt that the Czartoryskis can't be considered as the Polish royal family and they have no claims to the Poland's abolished throne.
Poland's last time as a monarchy was when the Kingdom of Poland was created in 1916. It was a client state of the German and Austrian empires. However, there were no monarch appointed or elected and the regal power was handed in the Regency Council, combined of two Polish statesmen and the leader of the local Church. Archduke Charles Stephen of Austria (father of the mentioned before Mechtildis of Austria, whose morganatic husband was Olgierd Czartoryski) was the most possible candidate for the throne, but the whole idea of this Kingdom fell in 1918, when Poland became a republic, commonly known as the Second Polish Republic.
So, the last ruler of Poland was Nicholas II of Russia, who was the King of Poland. The Kingdom of Poland was a puppet state of the Russian Empire and was a part of it. Most Poles do not consider the Romanovs as Polish kings, although they were legal rulers of the state called Kingdom of Poland (although composed only of the parts of Poland taken by Russia during the Partitions of Poland, jointed in that by Prussia and Austria).
The last Polish King of Poland, elected by the Polish nobility to rule a sovereign country, was Stanislaw August Poniatowski, known also as Stanislaw II August. The issue of his or his precedessors' descendants and heirs can't be under our consideration here, because the King was elected in Poland and the throne was not hereditary. However, Stanislaw August had not legitimate children.

[zarat]

In Poland we don't have any more a royal reigning family but there are old noble family p.ex Lubomirscy. Recently one of the members of this family-prince Jan Lubomirski- has organised a charity event to commemorate his 10th wedding anniversary with Dominika, nee' Kulczyk.
Gwiazdy na balu córki Kulczyka i ksi

[acuriousperson]

How does someone call themselves a Polish Prince in this day and age?
For example, GULL Officers | Pro Chancellors - His Serene Highness Prince Marek Stefan Jan Kasperski

[Warren]

Well, if someone is foolish enough to believe that this guy has the legitimate title of "Prince of Poland" they'll believe anything.
Anyone can call themselves anything they like on the internet, but authenticity is not hard to check.

[Kasumi]

Wilanow royal palace built by King Jan III Sobieski in 1670 - in photos

[theresa_225]

Is there any information about Princess Helena Sanguszko and her sister, Jadwiga Klementyna? I knew some facts about Helena:

1. She was a famous beauty (much similar to Helena Modjeska, who is suspected to be Prince Władysław's bastard and a friend of Helena Sanguszko) among her suitors were a Czartoryski prince and a Prince of Orléans (if I am not mistaken, the second son of Queen Marie Amélie)
2. She had an affair with her brother-in-law, "The Red Prince" (who was married to her sister, Jadwiga) and had two children, whom Jadwiga adopted as her own.
3. She traveled through Europe, writing diaries and memoirs. She also conducted art exhibition and had an active social life. Helena seemed to be influenced much by her mother, Izabela Maria.

But, nothing about Jadwiga. Can anyone help me?