Royalty and Nobility Art @royalty-nobility - Tumblr Blog

Maria Eleonora (1599-1655), Princess of Brandenburg, Queen of Sweden

Artist: Copy after Michiel Jansz. van Mierevelt (Dutch, 1566–1641)

Date: 1619

Medium: Oil on canvas

Collection: National Museum / Gripsholm Castle, Stockholm, Sweden

Maria Eleonora of Brandenburg

Queen Maria Eleonora of Brandenburg (1599–1655) was Queen of Sweden as the wife of King Gustavus Adolphus from 1620 until his death in 1632. Born a German princess, she is best remembered for her deeply passionate, often tragic life, debilitating grief following the King's death, and her strained relationship with her daughter, Queen Christina.

Portrait of King Stefan Batory (1533–1586)

Artist: Unknown, Jost Amman (Swiss-German, 1591)

Date: ca. 1550-1650

Medium: Oil on canvas

Collection: National Museum in Krakow, Poland

Description

King Stefan Batory (1533–1586) was a prominent Hungarian nobleman who served as the Prince of Transylvania (1571–1576) and later as the King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania (1576–1586). A master tactician, he is best remembered for modernizing the Polish military and securing the eastern borders by halting the expansion of Ivan the Terrible.

Princess Elizabeth Albertina, Duchess of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (1713-1761)

Artist: Daniel Woge (German, 1717-1797)

Date: c. 1740-1752

Medium: Oil on canvas

Collection: Royal Collection Trust, London, United Kingdom

Description

Elizabeth Albertina (1713-61) was the eldest daughter of Frederick I, duke of Saxe-Hildburghausen. In 1735, she married Charles I, duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. Their daughter, Charlotte, became Queen Charlotte when she married George III in 1761. Described as an ‘excellent mother’, all her children enjoyed a comprehensive education, learnt Latin, Greek, and French and read books by classical authors in their original language.

Portrait of Philip III in Armor

Artist: Bartolomé González y Serrano (Spanish, 1564–1627)

Date: 1621

Medium: Oil on canvas

Collection: Galería de las Colecciones Reales, Madrid, Spain

Philip III of Spain

Philip III of Spain (1578-1621) became king in 1598 after the death of his father, Philip II. He ruled over a vast empire that included the crowns of Aragon, Castile, and Portugal, as well as territories in Italy and the Americas. Despite his initial promises of strong governance, Philip III's reign is often characterized by a reliance on his favorite, Francisco Gómez de Sandoval y Rojas, the Duke of Lerma, who became a dominant figure at court. Philip III's rule faced numerous challenges, including economic difficulties marked by declining silver imports and high taxation, as well as ongoing conflicts with Protestant nations.

His foreign policy saw a shift towards peace, culminating in several treaties that ended hostilities with England and the Dutch, resulting in what is known as the Pax Hispanica. However, his decision to expel the Moriscos, a significant minority group, illustrated the complexities of his reign and his dedication to maintaining Catholic orthodoxy. Despite criticisms of his governance style and the perception of personal indulgence over state affairs, Philip III managed to maintain the monarchy’s authority and pass on the kingdom to his son, Philip IV, albeit in a state of declining power.

Portrait of Margaret of Austria

Artist: Bartolomé González y Serrano (Spanish,(1564–1627) baroque

Date: 1621

Medium: Oil on canvas

Collection: Galería de las Colecciones Reales, Madrid, Spain

Margaret of Austria, Queen of Spain

Margaret of Austria (1584–1611) was Queen of Spain and Portugal as the wife of King Philip III. Renowned for her piety and sharp political acumen, she actively shaped the Spanish court by countering the corrupting influence of the King’s chief minister, the Duke of Lerma.

Margaret was the daughter of Archduke Charles II of Austria and Maria Anna of Bavaria and thus the paternal granddaughter of the Holy Roman Emperor Ferdinand I.

She married King Philip III in 1599, establishing a strong pro-Austrian and traditionalist faction at the Spanish court.Children: The marriage produced eight children, five of whom survived into adulthood. Her children included future King Philip IV and Anne of Austria, who became Queen of France.

Margaret passed away on October 3, 1611, at the royal palace of El Escorial in Madrid due to severe complications following the birth of her last child.

Charles IV

Artist: José de Madrazo y Agudo (Spanish, 1781-1859) neoclassic

Date: ca. 1825

Medium: Oil on canvas

Collection: Galería de las Colecciones Reales, Madrid, Spain

Carlos IV, King of Spain (1788–1808), inherited a stable global empire but was ill-equipped to handle the turbulence of the French Revolution. His passive governance and reliance on ineffective alliances led to Spain's military and economic collapse, culminating in Napoleon's forced abdication of the Bourbon dynasty.

Empress Elisabeth (1837-1898) in a Light Blue Dress

Artist: Josef Horaczek

Date: 1858

Medium: Oil on canvas

Collection: Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna, Austria

Empress Elisabeth of Austria

Empress Elisabeth of Austria (1837–1898), affectionately known as "Sisi," was the longest-serving Empress of Austria and Queen of Hungary. Married to Emperor Franz Joseph I at age 16, she struggled with the rigid Habsburg court and devoted her life to extensive travel, maintaining her beauty, and advocating for Hungarian autonomy.

Born: December 24, 1837 (Munich, Bavaria)Died: September 10, 1898 (Geneva, Switzerland)

Spouse: Emperor Franz Joseph I (m. 1854)

Key Achievements: Championed the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867, establishing the dual monarchy and earning her title as Queen of Hungary

Mary Stuart, Aged Thirteen, Recites in the Hall of Caryatids of the Louvre

Artist: Saint-Evre Gillot (French, 1791-1858)

Date: 19th century

Medium: Oil on canvas

Collection: Palace of Versailles, Paris, France

Mary, Queen of Scots

Mary, Queen of Scots (Mary Stuart) (1542 – 1587), was the only legitimate child of King James V and Mary of Guise. Crowned Queen of Scots at just six days old, she spent her formative years in France, briefly becoming Queen consort of France. Her return to Scotland and subsequent imprisonment in England cemented her status as a pivotal, tragic figure.

Portrait of Grand Duchess Bianca Capello de Medici with Her Son

Artist: Alessandro Allori (Italian, 1535-1607)

Date: c. 1580–1614

Medium: Oil on canvas

Collection: Dallas Museum of Art, Dallas, Texas, United States

Bianca Cappello (1548–1587) was a Venetian noblewoman who scandalously eloped to Florence. She became the mistress and later the second wife of Grand Duke Francesco I de' Medici. Crowned the Grand Duchess of Tuscany, her life is a Renaissance drama marked by political intrigue, alleged poisonings, and a mysterious death.

Bianca was born in Venice in 1548 as the second child and only daughter of Venetian nobleman Bartolomeo Cappello (1519-1594) and his wife, Pellegrina Morosini, a member of the Morosini family, one of the richest, noblest, and most powerful Venetian noble families, and was noted for her great beauty. She had an older brother, Vittorio Cappello (b. 1547), who served as Prime Minister of Tuscany (1579-1581).

King William IV

Artist: Martin Archer Shee (Irish, 1769-1850)

Date: ca. 1800

Medium: Oil on canvas

Collection: National Portrait Gallery, London, United Kingdom

William IV was the third son of George III. He joined the Royal Navy at 13 and is shown here in admiral’s uniform, adopting a masterful pose. He fell in love with the Irish actor Dorothy Jordan. They lived together for 20 years and had ten children before he abandoned her in 1811. In the hope of fathering a legitimate heir, William married Adelaide, a princess of the small German state of Saxe-Meiningen. None of their children survived infancy. During his short reign, from 1830 to 1837, he gave Royal Assent to the Reform Bill that extended the vote to many middle-class men.

The Archduchess Isabella Clara Eugenia

Artist: Attributed to Peter Paul Rubens (Flemish, 1577-1640)

Date ca. 1616

Medium: Oil on canvas

Collection: Chrysler Museum of Art, Norfolk, Virginia, United States

Description

Isabella Clara Eugenia was the daughter of King Philip II of Spain, becoming an Archduchess upon her marriage to Albert VII, Archduke of Austria. In 1601, she and her husband were named the rulers of the Spanish Netherlands, which she continued to govern following her husband’s death. Generous patrons of the arts, their court in Brussels attracted artists and architects from across Europe. Peter Paul Rubens was highly favored by the couple, particularly Isabella Clara Eugenia, who came to view him as a trusted political advisor.

Queen Victoria and the Prince Consort at Aldershot, 9 July 1859

Artist: George Housman Thomas (British, 1824-1868)

Date: ca. 1859-1864

Medium: Oil on canvas

Collection: Royal Collection Trust, London, United Kingdom

Description

In 1859 Queen Victoria and Prince Albert visited Aldershot on a number of occasions. This painting probably depicts the review held there on 9 July which was described by The Times newspaper as one of the best reviews held at Aldershot for a long time. The Queen recorded in her Journal that she rode Alma, a favourite mount, who is shown as a liver chestnut. She wore her scarlet military riding jacket with a General's sash and a General's plume in her riding hat. The troops were commanded by Lieutenant-General Knollys, seen on the left of the painting, riding behind the Queen.

Princess Victoria Aged Four

Artist: Stephen Poyntz Denning (English, (1795-1864)

Date: 1823

Medium: Oil on panel

Collection: Dulwich Picture Gallery, London, United Kingdom

Description

The portrait shows Princess Victoria, later Queen Victoria (1819–1901), aged four, wearing the black finery in mourning for her father, Edward, Duke of Kent (1767–1820). Pictured in a minimal landscape, there is a sense of isolation that reflects the tales of a solitary childhood spent at Kensington Palace, London.

The empty horizon brings an aura of melancholy, a state that was commonly associated with contemporary views of a fatherless child. Even the single gloved hand could be interpreted by early nineteenth-century viewers as melancholic. Despite the subdued mood, there is a wilfulness and confidence in Victoria’s stance, her gaze bright and enquiring. A sense of spring hopefulness is suggested in the flashes of sunlight on the ground, with grey, scumbled clouds pushed out by emerging blue skies.

Gustav (1799–1877), Crown Prince of Sweden, Prince of Wasa

Artist: Franz Seraph Stirnbrand (German, 1788-1882)

Date: 1823

Medium: Oil on canvas

Collection: National Museum, Stockholm, Sweden

Gustav, Prince of Vasa

Gustav, Prince of Vasa (1799 – 1877), born Crown Prince of Sweden, was the son of King Gustav IV Adolf of Sweden and Queen Frederica.

His father's disastrous foreign policies and the loss of Finland caused a military coup. The royal family was placed under house arrest and later forced into exile.

The Gustavian Party and Queen Charlotte attempted to keep Prince Gustav in the line of succession. However, the Swedish Riksdag ultimately passed him over, leading to the election of the French Marshal Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte (later King Charles XIV Johan.

Portrait of Sophia, Princess Palatine

Artist: Gerrit van Honthorst (Dutch, 1592-1656)

Date: 1641

Medium: Oil on oak panel

Collection: Detroit Institute of Arts, Detroit, MI, United States

Sophia of Hanover

Sophia (1630 – 1714) was Electress of Hanover from 1692 to 1698 as the consort of Prince-Elector Ernest Augustus. She was later the heiress presumptive to the thrones of England (later Great Britain following the Act of Union with Scotland in 1707), and Ireland under the Act of Settlement 1701, as she was the granddaughter of King James VI and I. Sophia died less than two months before she would have become Queen of Great Britain and Ireland. Consequently, her son George succeeded her first cousin once removed, Queen Anne, to the British throne. The succession to the throne has since been composed entirely of, and legally defined as, Sophia's legitimate Protestant descendants.

Frederick William, Crown Prince of Prussia (1831-88), later Fredrick III, Emperor of Germany

Artist: Anton Weber (German, 1833-1909)

Date: Before 24 Dec 1889

Medium: Oil on canvas

Collection: Royal Collection Trust, London, United Kingdom

Frederick III, German Emperor

Prince Frederick William of Prussia (1831-88), known affectionately as ‘Fritz’, was the only son of William I, King of Prussia, Emperor of Germany, and Augusta, daughter of Charles Frederick, Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach. In 1858 he married Victoria, Princess Royal, the eldest daughter of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. Though a victorious commander in the Prussian War (1870 – 71), his liberal sympathies made his position at court in the following years difficult. He succeeded his father as Emperor in 1888, but ruled for only 98 days, before succumbing to throat cancer.

Princess Louise of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg (1800-1831)

Artist: Paul Emil Jacobs (German, 1802-1866)

Date: ca. 1834-1866

Medium: Oil on canvas

Collection: Royal Collection Trust, London, United Kingdom, Located at the Prince Consort's Dressing Room & Writing Room, Osborne House

Princess Louise of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg

Louise of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg (Louise Dorothea Pauline Charlotte Fredericka Auguste, 1800 – 1831) was the wife of Ernst I, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld (later of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha) and the mother of Duke Ernst II and Prince Albert, husband of Queen Victoria.

Often described as the "Diana of the 19th century," her life was defined by a loveless marriage, scandalous divorce, banishment from her children, and a tragically early death.

Trending Blogs

Recently Viewed Blogs

Royalty and Nobility Art