Crowned Cousins: The Anglo-German Royal Connection

by Alan Warwick Palmer

For two long periods in modern history — from 1714 to 1760 and from 1837 to 1901 — the sovereign in London looked upon the British and the Germans as peoples inseparably connected, with a common heritage and with similar interests to maintain on the Continent.

Close connections between the great ruling houses of Britain and Germany have existed since even before the time of the Hanoverians. In these centuries the affairs of these royal households have played a decisive role in political events and international diplomacy.

Germanic influence in England does not exist today, but the bond is still strong, not least in the lineage of the present Royal Family.

This book, first published in 1985, looks closely at the Anglo-German dynastic relationship. From the marriage in 1613 of James I’s daughter Elizabeth to the Elector Palatine — from which union every reigning monarch in Europe is descended — to the Second World War and beyond, Alan Palmer uses material from the Royal Archives to letters, memoirs and historical scholarship to place every royal figure in the context of their time and their place on the family tree.

Palmer chronicles the ascendancies in German and British political life of the ambitious dynasties of Guelph, Coburg and Battenberg. He also looks closely at the sometimes difficult relationship between the royal families in London and Berlin. Important personalities such as Frederick the Great, the three German Kaisers and Edward VIII are given a spotlight in clear, concise prose not burdened by academic language.

Palmer looks also at certain historical topics: the extreme changes of mood in the British press towards Germany and its princes, especially in the twentieth century in the wake of the Kaiser’s wish for a German reich; the attempts of Albert and Victoria to influence the unification of Germany during the long Victorian era in England; the dynastic contacts maintained during World War I; and the rival abortive hopes of Churchill and Ribbentrop to use the ex-Kaiser and the Duke of Windsor as ‘political chessmen’ in the crisis months of 1940.

Crowned Cousins provides a valuable study of the royal past and its indispensable place in modern European history.

Alan Palmer was Head of the History Department at Highgate School from 1953 to 1969, when he gave up his post to concentrate on historical writing and research. He has written some thirty narrative histories, historical reference books or biographies. In 1980 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature.

Praise for Alan Palmer:

‘Alan Palmer writes the sort of history that dons did before “accessible” became an insult...Cool, rational, scholarly, literate.’ – Sir John Keegan

‘A fine piece of narrative history, a combination of suspense and scholarship which actually makes you wonder will he make it?’ ANTONIA FRASER’S BOOK OF THE YEAR, Sunday Times

‘Alan Palmer has done justice to [the] epic events with a lively, vivid narrative, written with the appropriate style and panache’ LAWRENCE JAMES, The Times

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Genres: History, Reference

256 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 20, 2015

About the author

Author also writes under Alan Palmer

Alan Palmer was Head of the History Department at Highgate School from 1953 to 1969, when he gave up his post to concentrate on historical writing and research.

Reviews

[Richard Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this examination of the family ties between the British and German monarchies. Without thinking too far, I was surprised that the first important marriage was between Elizabeth Stuart and the Elector Palatine - Frederick the Winter King. The book examines the political and social links in about the right detail - it would be easy to get into the minutiae of the capacity of the Kaiser and Victoria and Edward to get into mutual difficulties and misunderstandings. All told, I gained a great deal from reading what is a well written account.

[Mandy · Rating 2 out of 5]

A well-researched and thorough study of the connections between the British and German royal families. It’s a good history book but unfortunately a dry and dull one. Not difficult to read or follow but it didn’t hold my attention. Originally published 1985.

[Kristin · Rating 1 out of 5]

I would like to thank Netgalley and Endeavour press for a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

I found it quite dry with an assumption of knowledge.

[Brian Dingwall · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such are Familiez

I found this a very readable outline to the convoluted relationships among the British and German royalty.
Very suitable as an introduction this part of European history.

[SoundofSilence_BookFan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anyone interested in the Royal Families of Europe has heard detractors going on about the “Germans” on the various royal thrones. The history is lost to anyone dabbling into royalty and even some who have long been arm chair historians. Alan Palmer is not new to royal biography. Among his works other works is a biography on the Kaiser (Grandson of Queen Victoria), so he knows the content well. His books had been out of print for some time - this book was first published in 1985 and is now available as an ebook. In very simple prose, Mr. Palmer breaks down the ancestry of many of Europe’s houses. All of today’s European royals (and even a few non-European) have ‘German blood,’ in a modern sense. They are just as equally descendants of the very British Tudors and Scottish Stewarts who occupied thrones in England, France and Scotland long before their many of their descendants’s families even had a country to rule.

This is not an in-depth book. This is a simple, accessible overview of the ancestry of the British *and other European* royal houses along with their various German connections. It is not for someone looking for anecdotes about Princess Diana or Kate and William. It may serve to education those who go overboard about how “German” the current Queen of England is. This will be old hat for those who read a lot of royal nonfiction and keep up with the relationships of the families. The main personalities are covered with the bare bones information. In truth, I am usually weary of these kind of tomes when it comes to the “German connections” of royal houses. Too often the “German” ancestry of royals is used as a slur with the undertone that the royal in question is therefore not worthy of their throne. It seems to be de rigor in some circles to sneeringly refer to various royals as ‘Germans.’ Forget that they have been in their country hundreds of years, served their countries and are natives who have the same genetic makeup as most of their subjects.

Yes, today’s Germany (and most of central Europe) once consisted of hundreds of tiny fiefdoms ruled by families of royal or noble ancestry (or so they claimed). Some were swallowed by the Austrian Empire (Catholic) or were protected as part of the Holy Roman Empire where they were members of its electoral college (Catholic and Protestant) and also held titles of “prince-electors or “electresses.” After the reformation, families related and intermarried for years were no longer marriage options. Neither Protestant Houses or Catholic Houses would consider marriage and conversion (except one French Royal did consider a throne “worth a mass.”) Germany’s prolific and tiny noble/royal families quickly became the ‘stud farm’ for royal Europe’s protestant courts. Most had a mixed lot of royal blood or traced their ancestry to the same persons (i.e. William the Conqueror) as the other royals but their religion was the golden key. If you are european, go back far enough and you will find a blood relationship. After the reformation there were more noble or royal protestant families in what later generally became the German federation (after WWI and WWII).

Palmer does a good job of quickly covering the basics. It is not a novel but it does cover the general ancestry showing the early and late marriages (and how they diplomatically effected Europe and future marriages). I was very pleased to see the British ancestry given the weight as it deserves along with the German ancestry.

[Susan Johnston · Rating 3 out of 5]

Any student of British history, particularly from the Victorian times to WWI knows the spiderweb of family connections between British and German Royal Families. To say that it was closely interwoven would be an understatement. Cousins marrying cousins was the normal thing throughout Europe but there was none so incestuous as Britain and the Germanic Royals.
It actually started with Wiliam and Mary, through the Georges and continued with Victoria where it became an art-form thanks to her many children. To say it lead to a dysfunctional family dynamic would again be a massive understatement.
Suspicion and xenophobia ran rampant as national loyalties were always in question. What might have helped reduce tensions between countries often did the exact opposite.
Intrigues, alliances and jockeying for power drove any possibility of peaceful co-existence further and further away. It is a fascinating story that is well researched and documented. It is a great book for a student of history but for the recreational reader, it does little to simplify the tangled mess, which is why my recommendation is neutral.

[Kimberly Krauch · Rating 4 out of 5]

Crown Cousins

Queen Victoria wanted so badly for her family to intertwine so peace could continue in Europe. Sadly this was not the case. Per other writings Kaiser Wilhelm II was not the reason/cause for WWI but his mind set didn't help to get peace. All royal families suffered great losses through this long history. Would that had happened if the two countries had not had so many kinsfolk? Could peace had been made easier? I enjoy the social aspects of the Crowns Cousins but the politics sadden me. I myself am of English and German descent and proud to say I think had I lived in that time I would have been very British. My heart is British, long live the Queen.

[Angie and the Daily Book Dose · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an interesting examination of the intricacies of familial relationships between the British Royal family and various Noble and Ruling families in the old German States. The book was well researched and provided ample sources for further study. The only real complaint I had was the lack of genealogical tables and a good map of German States prior to unification. I have a pretty good knowledge of geography, but the locations from the 18th and 19th century are pretty elusive. (I read the Kindle version of the book, so perhaps the print version might have contained these elements.)

[Meghan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. I love how Palmer showed how the British royals history was so entwined with Germany. There was so much information in this which was great, but sometimes it felt just a bit like fact overload. It is a great book to make notes in and come back to relationships if you have further questions. I enjoyed it and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys Royal history.

**I received a copy from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for a review**

[Carolyn Dickerson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good

It makes for good reading. It doesn't contain a more personal information but a good information still. It contains nothing new, but it does contain a more political side of the royal families, more so in Queen Victoria.

[Kim Allen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've always been fascinated by the royal families of Europe, and this book does a nice job of illustrating the connections between the German and English families.

[Tina Marking · Rating 3 out of 5]

You'll need a pen and paper to keep the connections right. Too much about the war and conflicts, not enough about the familial relationships.

[Rick Northrup · Rating 5 out of 5]

Truth is stranger than fiction.

We are all familiar with European royalty, especially British, but what about the other royalist and the connection between. How these families remained their loyalty to their countries and still remained loyal to the great Royal families.A must read for a history buff.