You must have heard that time and again playing checkers with family and friends; probably said it a few times yourself.
Well, the twist for this #52Ancestors2015 post is a game of kings. No, not checkers or chess, but how well (and how many) kings do you know.
Everyone is probably familiar with Queen Elizabeth II’s father, King George VI from the Academy award-winning film, “THE KING’S SPEECH.”
But when and where were the most kings at any one given time?
I have found nine (9):
All of these gentlemen, young and old, were reigning kings of their respective countries at the time this photograph was taken.
With a little detective work, I discovered that one king was missing! Do you have any idea who?
Before I tell you, we should date this photograph.
If you guessed sometime during World War I (between 1914 and 1919), you are too late!
It was the funeral of King Edward VII UK on May 20th, 1910, and all of these men came to grieve. Yes, they were all related!
So, let’s start solving this (listing from LEFT to RIGHT):
- King Haakon VII of Norway: Coronation in 1906 and died in 1957 (late king’s son-in-law)
- Tsar Ferdinand I of Bulgaria: Coronation in 1887 and abdicated in 1918 (late king’s second cousin)
- King Alfonso XIII of Spain: Coronation in 1902* and died in 1931 (late king’s nephew-in-law)
- King Manuel II of Portugal: Coronation in 1908 and reign was dissolved in 1910 (late king’s second cousin)
- King George V of UK: Coronation in 1910 and died in 1936 (late king’s son)
- Emperor Wilhelm II of Germany: Coronation in 1888 and reign was abolished in 1918 (late king’s nephew)
- King George I of Greece: Coronation in 1863 and died in 1913 (late king’s brother-in-law)
- King Frederik VIII of Denmark: Coronation in 1906 and died in 1912 (late king’s brother-in-law)
- King Albert I of Belgium: Coronation in 1909 and died in 1934 (late king’s second cousin)
NOTE *Alfonso XIII was born a king (May 1886), as his father had died six months earlier at the young age of 28 years. Alfonso would not be crowned until 1902 when he reached legal age.
Now, the new puzzle is: why was this king missing from the occasion?
SLR®