Queen Ena of Spain


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Countessmeout - thank you so much for that link which is a mine of information and photos!
 
Was it necessary for Victoria Eugenie to give up her rights to the British throne upon her engagement and marriage to King Alfonso XIII of Spain?
 
As I understand it, the issue was that she converted to Catholicism, which, at the time, would have debarred her from inheriting the British throne ... not that she would have done anyway, because there were so many people ahead of her, but it took away her right to a place in the line of succession. So it was that that was the issue, not her marriage to the King of Spain per se.
 
Indeed, by converting to Catholicism - and also by marrying to a Catholic - Ena automatically lost her succession rights to the British Throne; this was also acknowledged in a provision of the marriage treaty between Spain and the United Kingdom which settled the terms of the marriage.
Ena didn't renounce to her succession rights: she simply lost those rights and it was a direct effecct of the 1701 Act of Settlement.
 
Was it necessary for Victoria Eugenie to give up her rights to the British throne upon her engagement and marriage to King Alfonso XIII of Spain?

By marrying. a Catholiic, she was automatically disqualified from succeeding to the British throne. On top of that, she converted to Catholicism herself, being therefore doubly disqualified.
 
The Funeral of Queen Victoria Eugenia at the Sacre Coeur Church in Lausanne,Switzerland in April 1969.

The chief mourners were the Count and Countess of Barcelona ,Prince Juan Carlos,the Infanta Beatriz of Spain and the Infanta María Cristina of Spain,Countess of Marone.


Guests included Princess Grace and Prince Albert,Queen Frederica of Greece,the Duke of Kent and Lord Mountbatten.

 
Arrival of Queen Victoria Eugenia at Barajas Airport, in Madrid, in February 1968, after 37 years of exile, to attend the christening of her great-grandson Prince Felipe, current King Felipe VI, as godmother.
https://c2.quickcachr.fotos.sapo.pt/i/Gc1170f4d/22071553_6DLzT.jpeg

Queen Victoria Eugenia with her son, Don Juan, and her grandson, King Juan Carlos.
https://c5.quickcachr.fotos.sapo.pt/i/Ged177545/22130986_wf64W.jpeg

Transfer of the remains of Queen Victoria Eugenia to El Escorial.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.c...l01gbRz1aBVmov06N9ETxcRX92QsUs8wbrCS9_Tw=s720

Photo:
https://c7.quickcachr.fotos.sapo.pt/i/Gc018148d/22348168_DAtS8.jpeg
 
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The reburial of the queens remains took place on the 25th of April 1985 and the queen's coffin was covered with the royal standard and had the Spanish Crown on top of it.
The remains of her sons the Infantes Alfonso ,Jaime and Gonzalo were also reburied at the Royal Vault.
 
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Queen Victoria Eugenie pictured with her daughters Beatriz and Cristina in the late 1920s.

Portrait of King Alfonso XIII and Queen Victoria Eugenia in the throne room of the Royal Palace of Madrid.

King Alfonso XIII and Queen Victoria Eugenia in the Throne Room of the Royal Palace.

Victoria Eugenia with her grandmother, Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom.


Queen Victoria Eugenie with Queen Frederika of Greece, then Princess Sofia of Spain and her children Felipe, Elena and Cristina.

On April 25, 1985, the remains of Queen Victoria Eugenie and her sons Alfonso, Jaime and Gonzalo were transferred to Spain, where they rest in the Monastery of El Escorial.


Documentary about Queen Victoria Eugenia:
 
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I can’t tell whether she had an accent in Spanish, but she had a nice voice.
 
Queen Victoria Eugenia arriving t Northolt Airport in London in 1947.The Queen was in the UK ahead of the Royal Wedding of Princess Elizabeth and Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten/Prince Philip of Greece.
 
The Royal Collections Gallery will open an exhibition on Queen Victoria Eugenia in late 2025.


The second major exhibition, which will likely open in late 2025, is dedicated to Queen Victoria Eugenie. This project continues the institution's recent contemporary examination of historical figures. The exhibition, which will feature loans from other venues, will address the monarch's image as well as her humanitarian and institutional work.
 
As I understand it, the issue was that she converted to Catholicism, which, at the time, would have debarred her from inheriting the British throne ... not that she would have done anyway, because there were so many people ahead of her, but it took away her right to a place in the line of succession. So it was that that was the issue, not her marriage to the King of Spain per se.
I still find myself in awe that Henry VIII led to such a break with the Church. However, I will say that the Succession to the Crown Act 2013 removed the ban on individuals who marry Roman Catholics, though not on Roman Catholics themselves, because the monarch is Supreme Governor of the Church of England.

For those so inclined to read the Succession to the Crown Act of 2013
 
What a shame Queen Victoria Eugenie never lived to see the Spanish restoration.
I wonder how her relationship was with General Franco?
 
What a shame Queen Victoria Eugenie never lived to see the Spanish restoration.
I wonder how her relationship was with General Franco?
Presumably she was not particularly in awe of him if the legendary story where she told him to make up his mind and announce a successor is true!

(Other than that, I’m not sure how much regard she’d have for someone who didn’t treat her own son particularly well.)
 
As I understand it, the issue was that she converted to Catholicism, which, at the time, would have debarred her from inheriting the British throne ... not that she would have done anyway, because there were so many people ahead of her, but it took away her right to a place in the line of succession. So it was that that was the issue, not her marriage to the King of Spain per se.
Indeed, by converting to Catholicism - and also by marrying to a Catholic - Ena automatically lost her succession rights to the British Throne; this was also acknowledged in a provision of the marriage treaty between Spain and the United Kingdom which settled the terms of the marriage.
Ena didn't renounce to her succession rights: she simply lost those rights and it was a direct effecct of the 1701 Act of Settlement.
By marrying. a Catholiic, she was automatically disqualified from succeeding to the British throne. On top of that, she converted to Catholicism herself, being therefore doubly disqualified.

Even though, as all of you pointed out, she would have been automatically disqualified by law from the British throne anyway, Princess Victoria Eugénie nevertheless signed an act of renunciation because, according to the British Queen's private secretary, "it was considered better that the act of renunciation of the Crown should be voluntary."

 
At the same time, her uncle took the rather wily position that she was a princess of Battenberg and not a British princess, so as to further remove himself from her actions or any controversy.

And made her an HRH while apparently simultaneously telling her “Don’t come back crying if things go wrong.”

(Everything did. She didn’t.)
 
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