Did Jews Marry Into European or Russian Royalty?

[jsl]

Jews and Royalty?
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Does Anyone Know?
 
 
I am doing some research on the assimilation of wealthy Jewish families in Europe, and I was wondering whether anyone who was openly Jewish (or born Jewish) married any of the Romanovs, their descendants, or other members of European royalty?
 
The only names I came up with so far are Sir Ernest Cassell, whose granddaughter was Edwina Mountbatten and possibly Sir Julius Wernher, but it is unclear whether he was Jewish--some sources list him as Christian.  
 
Thanks for any information that can be provided.
 
JSL

[bell_the_cat]

Hi jsl

I think Grand Duchess Olga Feodorovna (Cecilie of Baden 1839-1891, the wife of Grand Duke Michael Nicholaievich) had some Jewish blood. There is a thread on her somewhere here.

Yes on page 19. It seems like it was rumours that her biological father was Jewish. So not really what you're looking for!

[Teddy]

Maybe out of topic. But in the House of Orange, we have mr. Pieter van Vollenhove who is married to Princess Margriet (sisther of Queen Beatrix) who haves jewish blood in his family.

[grandduchessella]

Hi jsl

I think Grand Duchess Olga Feodorovna (Cecilie of Baden 1839-1891, the wife of Grand Duke Michael Nicholaievich) had some Jewish blood. There is a thread on her somewhere here.

Yes on page 19. It seems like it was rumours that her biological father was Jewish. So not really what you're looking for!

It's never been proven. However due to the rumors some members of the Romanov family would derisively call her 'Frau Haber' (Haber being the name of the person her mother supposedly had the affair with). This was supposedly part of the reason (to spare her this taunting) that GD Michael stayed so long in the Caucuses as Governor.

Overall I don't think you'll find too many examples. There was a good deal of anti-Semitism and unless it was an illegitimate situation and unproven, I doubt a person would marry in.

There was also the example of Albert of Schleswig-Holstein's (grandson of Queen Victoria) illegitimate daughter Valerie-Marie. When she wished to marry into the German nobility during the Nazi era her aunts, Marie Louise and Helena Victoria, were asked to give depositions stating that she was of Aryan birth. VM had been given up for adoption by the woman (never named) that Albert had the affair with. She was apparently of noble birth herself and thus duly non-Jewish but VM had been given to a Jewish family to be reared. As this would've prevented her marriage under the German laws at that time, the deposition was necessary.

[Prince_Christopher]

Overall I don't think you'll find too many examples. There was a good deal of anti-Semitism and unless it was an illegitimate situation and unproven, I doubt a person would marry in.

I think you are quite correct here, grandduchessella.

The only one I can think of is Mary Alice Heine, who was an American/German Jew, raised in New Orleans and Europe.  She married Prince Albert I of Monaco after having been widowed from the Duc de Richelieu.  She was Albert's second wife.

It seems like there might be another one or two but I cannot think of them.

[Linnea]

It's never been proven. However due to the rumors some members of the Romanov family would derisively call her 'Frau Haber' (Haber being the name of the person her mother supposedly had the affair with).

Was Maria Alexandrovna, a born princess of Hesse-Darmstadt whose biological father was actually a cer tain Baron Auguste de Senarclens-Grancy, also treated as bad as Cecilie? Maybe the Romanovs were calling her Baroness de Senarclens-Grancy?

[mitia]

Yes, GrandDuchessElla and Prince Christopher, I think you are absolutely right. Many members of the Romanov Family were deeply anti-semit, alike most of the Russian senior nobility. Not to mention the ones who believed ( and still do ) that the bolchevik revolution was purely the result of a jewish conspiracy against the old autocracy of the Tzars ( just read the 2 volumes of Felix Youssoupoff' s memoires about this !!! ). Which of course  in my opinion is a great nonsense and a huge " non- understanding " of the situation in Russia in 1917.

[grandduchessella]

Was Maria Alexandrovna, a born princess of Hesse-Darmstadt whose biological father was actually a cer tain Baron Auguste de Senarclens-Grancy, also treated as bad as Cecilie? Maybe the Romanovs were calling her Baroness de Senarclens-Grancy?

I don't think she was mocked like that but I don't know. She was in a stronger position than Cecile because she was the Empress. Plus, the Emperor had married her for love and, like GD Michael, probably wouldn't have tolerated slights like that against her.

[Teddy]

Some people say's that the Bernadottes of Sweden are from Jewish ancestory.

And also the husband of Princess Tatiana K., prince Bagration had jewish blood.

Napoleon the 3rd was said to be born out of a jewish father and the Emress Eugenie was jewish by converting.

[Prince_Christopher]

Lots of the Rothschilds married into the upper nobility, but I don't know of any actual royal marriages among them.