Highland Style in Monaco

To commemorate St Andrew's Day, the national day honoring the patron saint of Scotland, HSH Prince Albert II and HSH Princess Charlene attended a special gala dinner at the Hermitage organized by the 'House of Scotland'. Also on hand was Charles Maclean, patron of the Monte Carlo Whiskey Society and other whiskey experts in Monaco for a conference. As some may know, the Sovereign Prince of Monaco is not without Scottish connections as his great-great grandmother, Lady Mary Victoria Douglas-Hamilton was born in the family palace of the Dukes of Hamilton in South Lanarkshire, Scotland. She was the wife (for a time) of Prince Albert I and mother of Prince Louis II who was the grandfather of Prince Rainier III.

Congratulations to the Cambridge Couple

Mad for Monaco sends heartfelt congratulations to Their Royal Highnesses the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge on their upcoming addition! A happy occasion for any Royal Family and any country so fortunate. So...do Your Serene Highnesses have anything you would like to tell us? (looking at watch ... tapping foot)    Anything?

An English Debt to Monaco?

Not many people today know, but regular readers of this blog certainly will, how several of the earliest Grimaldis, and the first Lords of Monaco, made their fortune, at least in part, in the service of the King of France fighting against the English at sea. Charles Grimaldi in particular made some 1,280 gold florins (a vast sum at the time) raiding the English coast and used this fortune to buy the Spinola lands in Monaco as well as Castillon, Roquebrune, Menton and Eze. Historian Adolph Smith therefore wondered if, perhaps, England might owe a debt of gratitude to the Lord of Monaco for, in a rather rough way, bringing them to their senses:

"How many pleasure-seekers on their holiday jaunts think, as they gaze at the romantic walls and battlements of Monaco, or admire the quaint old palace still occupied by the Grimaldis, that this family, the oldest reigning family in Europe, first made itself distinguished by sweeping the English off the sea ; and, what at the time was much more difficult, annihilating the fleet of the Flemish in their own waters, the Scheldt. To the Grimaldis, Rainier, Charles and the second Rainier the
English should feel deeply indebted. They taught us most effectively that an island cannot be defended without a strong fleet. When first he came on the scene, Rainier Grimaldi trained his inexperienced French recruits by setting them upon the English ships. It is worth repeating that the only real sailors were the Flemish, and therefore Rainier sent his untrained hands to acquire necessary skill and strength by attacking the badly equipped and inefficiently manned English ships."

Could it be possible then that, in those early days, it was the forefathers of the Princes of Monaco who (inadvertently) put England -and thus later Great Britain- on course to becoming the dominant force on the seven seas? You be the judge.

Prince Albert on Royals at the Olympics

HSH Prince Albert II was in his element at the London Olympic games and he obviously had a great time, whether alongside Princess Charlene who cheered wildly for her native South Africa or among the crowd being cracked up by the Duchess of Cambridge. The Sovereign Prince made a point of saying how glad he was that so many members of the British Royal Family were on the scene for the Olympic games. As the Prince told an interviewer, "You see a very touching side to them that you probably wouldn't under other circumstances. That can only bring them closer to the people. I think it's wonderful that they are so involved, that they show such support to the British athletes and the Games themselves." The Sovereign Prince also admitted to getting very emotionally involved in some of the competitions, because of the personal stories of some of the athletes or because they are people the Prince knows well. Since he has competed himself in the Olympics, the Prince was asked about other royals or royal relatives being in competition and if, perhaps, they had an extra advantage in their family connections. An example raised was the team Silver medal won by the British equestrian team which includes Princess Royal Anne's daughter. Prince Albert was quick to dismiss any such notion, "Sport is the great leveler and there's no special treatment for anybody. You have to prove yourself. For Zara Phillips and her team-mates it's incredible."

Monaco House

On Saturday, TSH Prince Albert II and Princess Charlene officially opened "Monaco House" in London to serve the officials and athletes in London for the Olympic games but which is also open to the public for all athletic enthusiasts. Monaco House features special items covering all of the Olympic games from 1936 to 2008.

And, showing how the Princely couple can get along with anyone, Prince Albert II and Princess Charlene posed for a photograph with Piers Morgan who was interviewing them for his show on CNN. Here's hoping it goes better than that last CBS Morning interview (though I didn't think it was near as bad as everyone else seemed to -uncomfortable answers to stupid questions).

The Grimaldis at Windsor Castle

Sovereign Prince at Windsor for Jubilee

Their Serene Highnesses Prince Albert II and Princess Charlene were at Windsor Castle for the "Sovereigns' Lunch" to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee of HM Queen Elizabeth II of the U.K. and etc. In a truly historic photo, here we see the assembled crowned heads of the world (reigning and some non-reigning) including our own Albie. Those present are, from left to right, starting with the front row: HIM the Emperor of Japan, HM Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands, HM Queen Margrethe II of Denmark, HM King Constantine II of the Hellenes, HM King Michael I of Romania, HM Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, HM Simeon II King of Bulgarians, HM Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah of Brunei, HM King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden, HM King Mswati III of Swaziland and HSH Prince Hans-Adam II of Liechtenstein.

In the second row, left to right, are: HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco, HRH Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg, HM King Letsie III of Lesotho, HM King Albert II of the Belgians, HM King Harald V of Norway, HH Emir Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani of Qatar, HM King Abdullah II of Jordan, HM King Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa of Bahrain and HM Abdul Halim the Yong di-Pertuan Agong of Malaysia.

Finally, in the third row, left to right, we have: HH Prince Nasser Mohamed of Kuwait, HH Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed of Abu Dhabi, HRH Crown Prince Alexander II of Yugoslavia, HM King Tupou VI of Tonga, HRH Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn of Thailand, HRH Princess Lalla Meryem of Morocco and HRH Prince Mohammed bin Nayaf of Saudi Arabia.

Quite a royal gathering, there had been some concern over whether King Constantine would attend, thankfully he made it. And, it is also true that when such an historic gathering as this takes place, one feels all the more those not present. I am particularly distressed not to see HM King Juan Carlos I of Spain or HRH the Prince of the Asturias. One also has to wonder why certain non-reigning royals are invited and others are not. My assumption is that only those who had formerly been reigning monarchs were invited, otherwise the list would be too long and one would get into all sorts of trouble in choosing between feuding royal claimants. Does one invite Prince Georg Friedrich of Prussia but not the heirs of the other German states? Does one invite Prince Vittorio Emanuele or Prince Amedeo? The Duke of Anjou or the Count of Paris? It would obviously cause problems. I also cannot help but regret that such a gathering includes no member of the Hapsburg family. Of course, the Crown Prince of Yugoslavia was sure to attend due to his close friendship with the British Royal Family even though he has never been a reigning monarch. He was an actual heir to the throne for a time, but then so was Prince Vittorio Emanuele who one could not imagine getting an invitation. Anyway, I wonder, if he were still with us, HIRH Crown Prince Otto of Austria-Hungary might have been included in the royal ranks above?

A great and historic royal gathering in any event, and it gave a chance for HSH Princess Charlene of Monaco and HRH the Duchess of Cambridge to have a little chat, perhaps discussing how they find their new lives as princesses...

The Prince and the Pole

Last night, HSH Prince Albert II was at Corpus Christi College, Cambridge University, to attend a special series of lectures and gala dinner at the Scott Polar Institute in honor of the explorer Robert Falcon Scott. Scott was an officer in the British Royal Navy who led expeditions to the South Pole, was the second man to reach the South Pole after Roald Amundsen of Norway. Also attending the festivities was HRH Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh in his first public engagement since being released from the hospital for heart trouble (still doing pretty good for a man of 90). Along with the rest of those present, Prince Albert met with polar explorer Sir Ranulph Fiennes who spoke about his experiences, descendants of Robert Scott were also present to discuss their famous ancestor, his life and work.

There is, of course, a tradition of interest in the polar regions amongst the Princes of Monaco named Albert. The Scottish explorer, William Speirs Bruce, who almost accompanied Scott on his famous voyage, joined Prince Albert I in some of his scientific voyages and the Prince placed Bruce in charge of the scientific observations made during his studies. Prince Albert II also accompanied a Russian arctic expedition in 2006 and became the first head-of-state and reigning monarch to reach the North Pole. In 2009 he visited Antarctica on an expedition to study the effects of global warming on the south polar region. The great concern Prince Albert II has for the environment has fueled most of his studies and interest on the state of the northern and southern polar regions.

Video: Princess Diana at Princess Grace's Funeral

British coverage of the funeral of Princess Grace. It is still heartbreaking to see the sorrow of Prince Rainier, known as such a strong man and a strong monarch, absolutely crushed by the loss of his one and only. A tip of the hat to Matterhorn at The Cross of Laeken.

When the British Invaded Monaco

The Principality of Monaco had suffered a lot because of the French Revolution. The Grimaldi family were overthrown, Monaco annexed to France, property was confiscated and the small communities lingered in neglect and poverty, isolated from the government in Paris more concerned with fighting the Revolutionary and Napoleonic wars. However, ultimately, the Emperor Napoleon was defeated, forced to abdicate and the Principality of Monaco was restored to independence by the Congress of Vienna. After the regency of Prince Joseph, his nephew Prince Honore V was on his way to Monaco, a country he had not set foot in since he was four years old, when he came across his old commander, the “Little Corporal” himself, on his way north after escaping from Elba. Their meeting was cordial enough but certainly not friendly. Prince Honore V had never forgiven the whole revolutionary era for what it had done to his family, he had never forgiven Napoleon for his treatment of Empress Josephine (a dear friend and former employer) and it rather irritated him that he, a Prince of a centuries-old dynasty, was treated condescendingly by a Corsican upstart who could not even speak French properly.

After going their separate ways an annoyed Prince Honore made a point of stopping in Nice to inform the authorities that Napoleon had returned. While the Emperor went on to reestablish his rule and plan the campaign that ended at Waterloo the Monegasque turned out to welcome their long absent Prince. However, news of his brief meeting the French Emperor traveled fast and on March 13, 1815 only ten days after his arrival in Monaco word was passed along that a British warship full of soldiers was heading toward Monaco. Prince Honore V was outraged by this invasion and ordered the gates of the port closed but, of course, this was only a symbolic act and there was nothing he could do to stop them. One Colonel Burke of the British army landed and called on Honore V at the Princely Palace who received him in the throne room. Colonel Burke handed him a letter from the representative of King Victor Emmanuel I of Piedmont-Sardinia.

The letter stated that, due to his meeting with Napoleon, and the threat posed by his return to France, Monaco was to be occupied by the British. Prince Honore was outraged at this violation of Monegasque sovereignty. The independence of Monaco and her status as a French protectorate had been restored by the Congress of Vienna after the restoration of the Bourbon monarchy in France. However, with the small country still impoverished and the Prince having only a guard of about 35 half-trained cadets on duty there was nothing he could do. As British redcoats came ashore and marched down the streets of Monaco the Prince saw the King of Piedmont-Sardinia behind it all and assumed this was only a pretext for annexation. Part of this was because he doubted that anyone in Turin could have learned of his brief meeting with Napoleon and reacted so rapidly. He was certain that the occupation had been planned all along.

With no other recourse available, Prince Honore V and Colonel Burke signed a statement bearing witness to the fact that Monegasque sovereignty had been violated, what the British orders stated and reiterating the fact that the Prince was constrained to acquiesce in light of his inability to resist such an occupation. The Prince also noted that even as the document was being signed he could look out his window at the palace and see hundreds of British troops taking up station around Monaco. Given this fact, the Prince did something that was very difficult for him to do and turned to the newly restored Emperor Napoleon in Paris for help. Reminding him that France had the sole right to garrison troops in Monaco he asked for Napoleon to have the British evicted and to stress the rights of Monaco as a sovereign state to the governments in London and Turin.

However, as much as Napoleon would like to have attacked the British wherever he found them, he was no great friend of Honore V. The French Emperor had learned that it had been the Prince of Monaco who had reported him to the Sardinian authorities and alerted the Allies to his presence on the continent and he was not about to do the Monegasque any favors, regardless of the fact that Prince Honore IV, young Prince Florestan and Prince Honore V had all served in his army. There would be no help coming from Paris and Napoleon himself, with all the powers of Europe arrayed against him, would not be around forever. Like the cut flower in a vase he was fair to see yet bound to die. He did not die of course but met his ultimate defeat at Waterloo and then went into permanent exile on St Helena. In Monaco, the redcoats remained until the summer when they finally marched down to the port and boarded their ships bound for home, replaced by an Anglo-Italian regiment that took up their duties. It was the end of the French protectorate over Monaco that had lasted since that first agreement between Prince Honore II and King Louis XV 173 before and it was the beginning of the period of the protectorate of Piedmont-Sardinia under the House of Savoy.

Some may have a hard time understanding how nervous this made the Princes of Monaco. After all, Italian had, before the French annexation, been the official language of the principality and throughout their history, even up until World War II, if pressed on the subject the Monegasque would identify themselves more with the Italians than the French. However, there had also been no more constant antagonist for Monaco than the Genoa from which they had come and the fear always remained that Piedmont-Sardinia would ultimately annex Monaco as well and the principality would go the way of other formerly independent states, such as the Republic of Genoa, in losing their sovereignty as part of the growing dominions of the House of Savoy. In the end, such fears were not entirely unfounded. Monaco was saved, thanks to the intervention of another Napoleon but Menton and Roquebrune were lost in the process and there were those in Italy who continued to claim Monaco as part of the “Greater Italy” or “Third Rome” they wished to create, and briefly did during the early years of World War II. Happily, that situation was only temporary and the comfortable fit with France returned. But, it was a rough road that began on that fateful day in 1815 when the British invaded Monaco.

The Prince and the Queen

HSH Prince Albert II was recently in England, where he met with HM Queen Elizabeth II, on the occasion of the Chelsea Flower Show at Chelsea Hospital which attracted over 160,000 visitors. Sarah Eberle was responsible for the "Garden of Monaco" which was featured this year and which, of course, drew the presence of the Sovereign Prince. Some three years of preparation went into this special event and the Prince was beaming with pride as he and the Queen inspected the showing. Prince Albert has always had a love for gardens and growing things, explaining that he inherited his 'green thumb' from his mother Princess Grace who was, as we know, famous for her love of roses in particular. She also wrote a book on the subject of her famous flowers. This was the first time Monaco participated in the Chelsea Flower Show and it was, by all accounts, a resounding success.

Also, with the days being counted down to the big wedding day, the Princely Palace has announced that, as expected, Alain Ducasse will be in charge of putting on the official wedding dinner. The following picture was posted at the palace website.

Albert and Charlene at the Wedding

Monegasque Style in London

HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco and Miss Charlene Wittstock took a little scolding from the press for arriving 30 minutes late to the pre-wedding party last night but they seemed in fine form for the big event. They looked to be sitting behind the Crown Prince and Princess of Greece, across from the Crown Prince of Serbia and in front of the Kings of Tonga and Swaziland. Prince William was as dashing as expected and Kate (they are now Their Royal Highnesses the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge) was the very picture of loveliness. Not a few people (your humble blogger included) noted the similarity in style between Catherine and our own Princess Grace in their choice of wedding gown. Comparison shots are already all over the internet. Everything went off without a hitch and though the upcoming wedding in Monaco will be nothing like this event, we can only hope it goes as smoothly. Congratulations and best wishes to the happy couple!

Preparing for the Big Day ... in London

The invitations have gone out and the final preparations are being made for the big wedding of HRH Prince William of Wales and Catherine Middleton at Westminster Abbey in London. HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco and Miss Charlene Wittstock are going to be attending, representing Monaco and the Princely House of Grimaldi. There was some speculation about whether or not Princess Caroline and wandering husband Prince Ernst August V of Hanover (a member of the extended British Royal Family) would be attending -that could have caused some uncomfortable moments. However, such things are considered and neither one was invited, which is, of course, more of a slight at Ernst rather than Caroline as the head of her family will be attending, but not the head of the Hanoverians, her husband. The last time Princess Caroline and Prince Ernst August attending a British Royal event was the funeral of HM Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother in 2002. When HRH the Prince of Wales and Diana were married in 1981 at St Paul's Cathedral, HSH Princess Grace of Monaco attended the event as did the (then) Hereditary Prince Albert, so this event will have some extra significance for Prince Albert. On another sad note, the funeral of Princess Grace was the first official royal event for Diana as Princess of Wales.

Prince Albert II has said that he will be 'taking notes' on how William and Kate have organized things as he and Charlene prepare for their own wedding. As we have discussed before, Prince Albert is distantly related to the British Royal Family, being descended from the Kings of Scotland, through the marriage of HSH Prince Albert I and Lady Mary-Victoria Douglas-Hamilton. It also might be fun, on this occasion to take a look back at a past post: Britain and Monaco - Did You Know? listing some fun facts about the long ties, sometimes friendly and sometimes not, between Great Britain and Monaco.

Prince Albert Celebrates St David Day

HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco joined Dame Shirley Bassey to celebrate St David's Day, the patron saint of Wales.

Prince of Monaco in London

HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco and girlfriend Charlene Wittstock are in London to attend the opening of the "Princess Grace: Style Icon" exhibit at the Albert and Victoria Museum in London. Set for tomorrow the Sovereign Prince arrived early for a little royal preview and was welcomed by Their Royal Highnesses the Earl and Countess of Wessex. The exhibit will show off some of what made the late Princess Grace so famous for her style and taste with an assortment of dresses, handbags, gloves, shoes, pearls and other jewelry and so on. Also on hand for the star-studded event was Joan Collins, Erin O'Connor and Ringo Starr. Pieces of the exhibit are arranged to show the stylistic changes that went through the life of Princess Grace from her time as a Hollywood movie star, a blushing bride and finally a Princess consort of Monaco. Some 40 gowns owned by the late Princess will be displayed including those which were part of her costume wardrobe from such famous films as Rear Window and High Society (one of my favorites). The exhibit will be open until September 26.

The Pope and Princess Grace in Great Britain

The American Friends of Monaco have reported on the historic upcoming visit this year of His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI to the United Kingdom. This will be the first official papal visit to England in history, the only previous visit being a pastoral trip by Pope John Paul II. Catholics in Britain for the papal visit will also have the opportunity to see something from the Catholic Principality of Monaco as the occasion will coincide with the exhibition of "Grace Kelly: Style Icon" which will leave Rome and be on display at the Albert & Victoria Museum in London from April 17 to September 26. The exhibition will include over 50 items once belonging to HSH Princess Grace of Monaco such as clothes, hats, jewelry and accessories. The displays will trace the transformation of Grace Kelly from icon of the golden age of Hollywood to Princess consort of Monaco. Some notable items that will be included are some of the dresses from her film (one of my favorites) "High Society", the gown she wore to the 1955 Academy Awards in which she won her Oscar (the award itself will be on display) and posters, photographs and clips from her films.

The exhibition was first unveiled at the Grimaldi Forum in 2007 and has been displayed in Doha, Paris, Moscow and Rome after leaving Monaco. Currently the Principality of Monaco does not have full diplomatic relations with the United Kingdom but has long had consular relations with the country. The current Consul General of the Principality of Monaco in Great Britain is Mme. Evelyne Genta.

To quote the Friends of Monaco, "There is no doubt that even after her death twenty-seven years ago last September, the late Princess Grace of Monaco still remains a Catholic royal icon of great interest to the world—and as the Sovereign Vicar of Our Lord Jesus Christ the King on earth, so too does the Catholic papal monarch, Pope Benedict XVI. Together, both events, the visit of Pope Benedict XVI and the Princess Grace exhibit will draw standing-room-only crowds in Great Britain as they continue to do in Rome, if for nothing else but for the cause of satisfying latent historical and cultural curiosity of the UK masses in an era of dying icons of sustaining truth and enduring beauty."

More information on the exhibit at the Albert & Victoria Museum in London can be found at the Museum’s website at www.vam.ac.uk/exhibitions/future_exhibs/index.html.

The Death of the Duke of York

HRH Prince Edward Duke of York, younger brother of Britain's King George III and a rear admiral in the Royal Navy was 28 when he went on a tour of the continent, going from Paris he headed toward Genoa where he planned to meet a beloved girlfriend. While at a party in Toulon he seemed to take sick and was advised to take rest but refused and inisted on going on his way. He left on August 29, 1767 against the advice of his retinue. Instead of going to Genoa by sea he proceeded overland and stopped in at the small Principality of Monaco. HSH Prince Honore III, who was in Normandy, rushed home to meet so high-ranking a guest which was a rather unusal honor for the isolated country. The Sovereign Prince pulled out all the stops to honor the Duke who stood tall and handsome in full uniform despite the extreme heat as the Monegasque honor guard saluted in his honor. However, the trip and all worsened his condition and he became feverish and Honore III had the Duke put up in his state bedchamber.

The Prince of Monaco provided the best care for the Duke he could, calling in local physicians and doctors from Nice but, lacking the medical facilities of Paris or London, little could be done. His condition rapidly declined and Honore wished to inform King George III but the Duke would not allow it. He himself finally dictated an apologetic letter to his brother, with whom he had grown apart since their youth, and he thanked Honore III for all of the care he had provided as well as the doctors who had attended him. On September 17 the Duke of York passed away and Honore III ordered full honors be given with a cannon shot every half hour and the Duke laid in state in his own bed with the room decorated according to the English customs of mourning with a black canopy over the bed which was placed on a raised dias in the middle of the room that was draped in black for the occasion.

The frigate HMS Montreal was dispatched to bring the King's brother home and Honore III ordered artillery salutes and waited himself by the landing as the coffin bearing the Duke's body and all of his attendants were taken aboard. The Royal Standard was dropped to half-mast and the Sovereign Prince ordered a salute of two more cannon shots from the ramparts of the fortress and two volleys from the Monegasque regiment drawn up in salute as the remains of the Duke of York departed Monaco. The room in which Prince Edward died in the Prince's Palace has been known ever since as the York Room and in thanks for the care given his brother King George III sent Prince Honore two of the Duke's best race horses and invited him to London as his guest to show his appreciation. Honore III was honored to go, hoping it might lead to a closer relationship between Great Britain and Monaco which was not to be, the King being very polite and correct but no more.

It was a sad occasion for Britain where the fun loving Duke of York was quite popular though quite a different character from his more reserved brother. It was sad as well for Monaco but also an occasion that drew a great deal of attention on the small principality and Honore III was very conscious of this, insisting that all proper protocol be followed exactly and showing both the hospitality of Monaco as well as all the pomp and ceremony the Monegasque could muster for the passing of the brother of the King of the largest colonial empire in the world.

Britain and Monaco; Did You Know?

Britain and Monaco: Did you know that ......

• Lord Charles I of Monaco once pillaged Southampton, England and was later wounded at the battle of Crecy.
• King Edward III of England "bought" Lord Rainier II of Monaco for 12,000 gold francs.
• King Charles II of Britain and Prince Louis I of Monaco shared a mistress (not at the same time of course!)
• Princess Henrietta Anne Stuart, daughter of King Charles I of Britain, and Princess Catherine-Charlotte of Monaco (wife of Louis I) were very close friends for some time which led some gossip mongers to think the two had an affair.
• In 1767 the Duke of York died in Monaco and the room he stayed at in the Princely Palace is still called the York room in his honor. King George III of Great Britain gave some of his late brother's horses to Prince Honore III of Monaco for taking care of the Duke in his final days.
• During Napoleon's Hundred Days British troops occupied Monaco for a short time. The French Emperor was not eager to defend the place as Prince Honore V of Monaco had reported his arrival to the French King.
• Lady Mary Victoria Douglas-Hamilton was the first British-born Princess of Monaco. She was the first wife of Prince Albert I and mother of Prince Louis II.
• In 1910, during a protests for political reform Prince Albert I of Monaco called in British sailors from a nearbye warship to safeguard British interests and take up key positions in the event of a general revolt.
• Prince Rainier III and Princess Antoinette of Monaco had an English nanny as children, a cousin of Winston Churchill, and both spoke English before learning French.
• As a small boy Prince Rainier III went to boarding school in England which he found so intolerable that he tried to run away.
• When Prince Rainier III was looking for a wife one of the first names suggested was Princess Margaret of Great Britain. The idea was dismissed because it was not thought she would convert to Catholicism.
• Before Prince Charles married Diana some magazines suggested Princess Caroline of Monaco as a possible match for the Prince of Wales even though the two had never met at that point and by British law if Charles had married Caroline he would have lost his birthright to be the next King of Great Britain.