As you know, “you can’t order your heart,” Cupid’s arrows can hit anyone at any time. And, in fact, when choosing a partner, most people listen to their feelings, and only then to their reason.

However, a significant obstacle to two lovers entering into an official union can be the different social status of the bride and groom: there is talk of self-interest, greed, and vanity, which contribute to the emergence of mistrust in the couple. In modern society, a marriage contract is often concluded between newlyweds, which in turn has a historical background. We are talking about morganatic marriages that occurred between crowned heads and their partners from lower classes.

What does "morganatic marriage" mean?

First, let's look at the origins of this concept. Already in the name you can clearly hear the German word “Morgen”, which translates as “morning”. There are several versions that give a complete definition. Most researchers, historians and linguists come to the conclusion that the adjective “morganatic” arose from the word “Morgengabe” and means a morning gift from a husband to his young wife.

Thus, morganatic marriage means a union of unequal social status. First of all, this applies to members of the ruling power, that is, to the families of kings, kings, emperors and other monarchs.

Examples of morganatic marriages in history

The concept of “morganatic marriage” arose in the late 18th – early 19th centuries and was enshrined in the legislation of many European countries, including the Russian Empire

This measure suppressed any possibility of persons of low blood coming to the throne. However, despite the strict prohibition, historians can now cite many examples of such unions.

Abroad

Thanks to the famous song, you know that “kings can do anything,” except marry for love. Here are some refuting facts of these words from the history of different states:

• in 2004 in the Netherlands, Prince Johan Friso became engaged to a commoner, the former girlfriend of the leader of the underworld;
• in the same 2004, the cousin of the British Queen Elizabeth II, Davina Windsor, married Gary Lewis, who came from a family of a farmer and a servant, who, in addition, was a native New Zealander;
• Davina Windsor had someone to follow as an example, because in 1960, Elizabeth II’s younger sister, Princess Margaret, married; her chosen one was the commoner Anthony Armstrong-Jones;

Prince Charles and Princess Diana (once a kindergarten teacher)

• Princess Diana, beloved by the British people, was a kindergarten teacher before her marriage;
• Prince of Orange Willem Alexander, before inheriting the Dutch throne, decided to marry the daughter of the Argentine minister Maxima Zorrieguieta, their marriage took place in 2002.

In the Russian Empire

In the history of our country, morganatic marriages have been observed no less than among foreigners. Well, the concept itself arose thanks to the signing of the “Act of Succession to the Throne” by Paul the First.

Listed below are only the most famous examples of morganatic marriages in the Russian Empire.

• Marta Samuilovna Skavronskaya, born into a family of Estonian peasants, is none other than Empress Catherine the First. She became the morganatic wife of Peter the Great and the mother of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna.
• Elizabeth the First also chose not a prince or a prince as her chosen one, but a Don Cossack with little land, Alexei Razumovsky. True, the husband, at the request of Catherine the Second, destroyed the marriage documents.
• In turn, Catherine the Second could not resist the nobleman Grigory Potemkin, who became famous not only as the empress’s favorite, but also as the creator of the Black Sea Fleet.

Catherine the Great and Grigory Potemkin

• The grandson of Nicholas the First, Prince Nikolai Konstantinovich, completely fell in love with a French courtesan and even stole a jewel from Alexandra Iosifovna for her sake. For such a serious offense he was stripped of all titles and sent into exile.
• Prince Alexei Alexandrovich was officially married to maid of honor Alexandra Vasilievna Zhukovskaya, the daughter of a famous Russian poet, but their marriage was dissolved.

Due to strict prohibitions and restrictions, it was not so easy for members of the Imperial House to choose a life partner. Many marriages were just a fiction, a simple formality; there were frequent cases of marriage to the widow of a titled person and even unions among blood relatives. Historians also talk about descendants of the imperial nobility born out of wedlock.

By the way, the Romanov dynasty has several branches due to such vicissitudes. And according to one of them, the British Prince Harry is considered a descendant of Nicholas I

The British even offered to return the monarchy to our country, seating him on the Russian throne. No one took this proposal seriously.

What now?

Socially unequal marriages also occur in modern society, however, they do not play such a global role as during the times of tsarist rule (at least in Russia). It is logical that the concept of “morganatic marriage” has sunk into oblivion, because in our country there has been no monarchy for more than a hundred years.

As for states where this type of power is still preserved, the fate of the loving monarch, his chosen one and descendants depends on the legislation. There are still cases where morganatic marriage becomes the reason for abdication. Perhaps the most striking recent example is the marriage in 2005 of Princess Sayako of Japan to the commoner Yoshiki Kuroda. The girl not only lost her rank, but also deprived her descendants of the opportunity to ascend to the imperial throne.

Japanese princess Sayako married Yoshiki Kuroda, who did not have titles, thereby depriving herself of royal rank

But Albert II of the Principality of Monaco, who ascended the throne in 2006, was not convicted for his relationship with Olympic swimming champion Charlene Wittstock. The girl not only did not belong to the nobility, but was completely from another state (South Africa). Nevertheless, the couple got engaged and now appear together on many official visits.

Conclusion

So, what is a morganatic marriage? This, based on the translation from German, is a gift. Well, unions concluded in monarchical families out of love, and not for the sake of some vain and selfish considerations, are rare; they can truly be called a “gift” of fate.

(the word “morganatic” is of unclear origin, according to one version, from it. Morgengabe - a morning gift from the husband to the newlywed) - a marriage between persons of unequal status in which the spouse ( or spouse) of a lower position does not receive the same high social position as a result of this marriage. Morganatic marriage is a special case of misalliance.

In Europe

The concept of morganatic marriage appeared in the legislation of German-speaking countries and the Russian Empire at the turn of the 18th and 19th centuries. to avoid marriages of members of the reigning houses with their own subjects. Monarchs and members of their families were required to marry exclusively with persons of equal kin, otherwise they lost the right to succession to the throne. The concept " uniformity“was largely a fiction: not only members of the currently ruling dynasties were recognized as equal, but also representatives of numerous German families of princely and even count dignity, mediatized during the dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire in 1806. The equality of the descendants of the rulers of other abolished states - be it the Dukes of Courland, the kings of Georgia or the Crimean khans - was in question.

The severity of bans on morganatic misalliances varied considerably from country to country, and in France and Great Britain the concept of morganatic marriage was generally unknown ( although the British king Edward VIII chose to abdicate the throne after a scandalous marriage with twice-divorced American Wallis Simpson). Even in Germany, if necessary, a ban on morganatic unions could be “ forget": thus, the throne of the Grand Duchy of Baden was occupied for several decades by Leopold I, whose mother was an ordinary baroness. If the morganatic union was sanctioned by the reigning monarch, the unequal spouse was usually given an appropriate title ( His Serene Highness Prince, Count, etc.), which was also inherited by children born in marriage.

By the beginning of the 20th century, a circle of morganatic descendants of monarchs and members of their families had formed in Germany, whose representatives sometimes married each other, and sometimes with crowned heads ( in those countries where morganatic unions were not prohibited). So, Victoria Eugenia Battenberg ( from the Battenberg family, a morganatic branch of the House of Hesse) married the Spanish king Alfonso XIII and became queen, and Maria of Teck ( from the morganatic Teck branch of the House of Württemberg) - for the British king George V. Other famous morganatic families are the Hohenbergs ( descendants of the Austrian heir to the throne Franz Ferdinand and Sophia Chotek) and Merenbergs ( come from the marriage of Nicholas Wilhelm of Nassau with N. A. Pushkina-Dubelt).

In Russia

In Russia, the ban on morganatic marriages was officially enshrined in the Law on Succession to the Throne, adopted after the accession to the throne of Pavel Petrovich in order to exclude the possibility of transferring the throne bypassing “ legal» heir ( what almost happened to him). Each subsequent monarch received power under the terms of this law, which made changing it virtually impossible. A member of the imperial family who entered into a morganatic marriage lost the right to the throne, if not for himself, then for the descendants of this marriage. It is with this circumstance, in particular, that the refusal of Grand Duke Konstantin Pavlovich to inherit Alexander I is connected, which provoked the Decembrist uprising. In the pre-revolutionary period, members of the House of Romanov entered into the following morganatic unions:

• In 1820, Grand Duke Konstantin Pavlovich married Zh. A. Grudzinskaya, who on this occasion received the title “ Your Serene Highness Princess Łowicz" There were no offspring.
• In 1854, the Dowager Duchess of Leuchtenberg, Maria Nikolaevna, secretly married Count G. A. Stroganov and had two children from him, who bore the title of Count Stroganov.
• Grand Duke Alexei Alexandrovich was married to maid of honor Alexandra Vasilievna Zhukovskaya.
• In 1878, Grand Duke Nikolai Konstantinovich married the daughter of the city police chief of Orenburg, Nadezhda Alexandrovna Dreyer. The marriage was dissolved by the Synod, but subsequently recognized. This marriage produced two sons who received the titles " princes Iskander".
• In 1880, the widowed Emperor Alexander II married Princess E. M. Dolgorukova, who on this occasion received the title “ Your Serene Highness Princess Yuryevskaya", which also extended to her morganatic offspring.
• In 1891, Grand Duke Mikhail Mikhailovich in San Remo married the morganatic daughter of the Prince of Nassau, Countess S. N. Merenberg. Their children bore the title of Comte de Torby.
• In 1902, Grand Duke Pavel Alexandrovich married the divorced Olga Karnovich abroad, who much later received the title of “Princess Paley.” It was also worn by children born from this marriage (see Princes Paley).
• In 1911, princess of imperial blood Tatyana Konstantinovna married Prince Konstantin Alexandrovich Bagration-Mukhrani (1889-1915). The marriage produced two children.
• In 1912, Grand Duke Mikhail Alexandrovich married the twice-divorced N.S. Sheremetyevskaya, with whom he already had a son, George. The emperor allowed the wife and son of the Grand Duke to call themselves Countess and Count Brasov.
• In 1914, Princess of Imperial Blood Irina Alexandrovna married Prince Felix Yusupov. In this marriage, the only daughter Irina was born.
• In 1916, Grand Duchess Olga Alexandrovna divorced the Duke of Oldenburg and married officer N.A. Kulikovsky. They had offspring.

There are different opinions about the marriage of Grand Duke Vladimir Kirillovich with Princess L.G. Bagration-Mukhranskaya, from whom Maria Vladimirovna Romanova, who was claiming the throne, was born. In any case, in 1911, the marriage of His Serene Highness Princess Tatiana Konstantinovna Romanova with a representative of the same family, Prince Konstantin Bagration-Mukhransky, was regarded by the emperor as morganatic.

In the 21st century

In modern Europe, the laws that once regulated morganatic marriages have been abolished. The heirs to the throne of Spain, Holland, Denmark and Norway are married to non-royal persons, but their children will nevertheless inherit the throne. The most significant country that maintained such legislation was Sweden ( however, restrictions do not apply to the reigning king).

A rare example of a modern morganatic marriage is the wedding of Japanese Princess Sayako, who in 2005 married “ commoner» Yoshiki Kurodu. As a result, Sayako lost her title of princess, and her children will not be able to occupy the imperial throne of Japan.

A morganatic marriage is a marriage between two people of different social status, which does not change during their life together. The first mentions of morganatic marriages appeared in the eighteenth century in the Russian Empire. Even earlier they were mentioned in German countries. The very concept of “morganatic marriage”, both in Rus' and abroad, was negative in nature for one simple reason: the reigning houses and houses of high-ranking gentlemen were not supposed to be connected by family ties with their servants and subjects of socially low origin. In the history of the reign, there were often cases when the heir to the throne was deprived of the right to stand at the head of the kingdom, precisely because of his connection with the common people.

In our modern world, morganatic marriage is no longer the wildness that it was before. However, such a loyal attitude towards this type of marriage has not developed in all countries. For example, in Japan, Princess Sayako lost her title because of her marriage to a person who was not her equal in origin. And this story happened not as long ago as it might seem at first glance, but in 2005. Also, one of the countries that chose to honor the traditions of their ancestors in this matter is Switzerland.

Decembrist revolt

In Tsarist Russia, morganatic marriages were categorically prohibited and severely punished, including deprivation of the title to the throne and status in society. Moreover, the law clearly stated that the descendants of people who violated this law are deprived of the right to sit on the throne of the ruler. This law was adopted by Paul I, after ascending to the throne of the emperor. Therefore, every contender for the throne could not fail to comply with this law. And it was on this basis that the ruling Konstantin Pavlovich (son of Paul I) refused to inherit the throne to his brother Alexander Pavlovich (Alexander I), which led to the famous Decembrist uprising.

Some alliances of imperial blood with commoners

In 1820, Prince Konstantin married Countess Zhanetta Antonovna Grudzinskaya. But later she began to be called the princess.

In 1854, Duchess Maria of Leuchtenberg, who by that time had become a widow, married Count G.A. Strogany. Their children never became dukes, but bore the title of counts.

In 1878, Prince Nikolai married an ordinary girl, the daughter of a police chief. Their children together bore the titles of princes.

In 1880, Alexander II took Princess Dolgorukova as his wife, from which she received a high-ranking title.

Waiver of the law prohibiting morganatic unions

The first to abandon the law prohibiting morganatic marriages was Europe, which, by the way, was the first to introduce them. Today, many of the direct heirs to the throne enter into morganatic marriages. Marriages of heirs from Holland, Denmark, Spain, etc. are known. with girls who do not belong to their society and do not have royal blood. Unlike the Middle Ages, children born from such unions have the right to claim the throne. But in France, marriages between rulers and commoners were treated as ordinary unions. The concept of “morganatic marriage” never existed there. Likewise in Great Britain, there is only one known case of King Edward VIII abdicating the throne due to his marriage to a simple American woman.

In Germany, they might even have forgotten about their existing law banning morganatic marriages. Despite all German punctuality in observing the laws, Leopold I occupied the throne for several decades in a row. His mother was a baroness who did not belong to the royal family.

A morganatic marriage is an official union entered into by a person of royal or other high title with a commoner, i.e. a person not belonging to the nobility. Where exactly this combination came from is unknown to historians to this day. However, everyone who is familiar with this concept knows its specifics.

What is the essence of the union?

The essence of morganatic marriage is that, despite the official marriage, a commoner, i.e. a person who does not have a noble origin in a given couple does not inherit it from his spouse.

Children born to such a couple are also deprived of all privileges of the nobility and any title, inheriting nothing but royal blood.

The concept of morganatic marriage appeared for a reason. And moreover, between the 18th and 19th centuries it was legislative, since it was during this period that the “fashion” for misalliances became more frequent. The heirs to the thrones were increasingly looking for a mate among their subjects. Morganatic marriage first appeared in the laws of German-speaking countries, hence, according to scientists and historians, its name came from (from the German word “Morgengabe” - morning gift to the bride).

In the Russian Empire, the law prohibiting misalliances was even more cruel: monarchs and members of the reigning houses could enter into an alliance only with persons of equal kin; otherwise, they were deprived of the right to inherit the throne. Today, such a concept as morganatic marriage has remained a relic of the past. However, even today its legacy can be traced in practices such as the marriage contract.

Morganatic marriages in the Russian Empire

We have defined what morganatic marriage means. But it is much more interesting to turn to real history in order to understand who exactly could become an example of such a misalliance, being a noble person. Unequal relations were practiced by many monarchs, but some of them were spared from all discrimination against this background. The first example is Peter I. Some historians de facto call the marriage of Peter I with Catherine of Savronskaya morganatic.

However, the king is the king to do what he pleases. Therefore, at the request of His Majesty, the “march-field” wife Martha Skavronskaya “turned” into Empress Catherine I. By the way, children born in this union, even if illegitimate, inherited all the titles and privileges of their father’s “breed”. Therefore, calling this marriage morganatic can only be formal, but as an example it is ideal.

To the stories " princesses and swineherds“The union of the daughter of the above-mentioned couple, Elizabeth I, can also be attributed. Her affair with Alexei Razumovsky was quite official in nature, until the documents on the legalized relationship with Elizabeth I were destroyed by Razumovsky himself. True, this destruction took place not at the will of the second, but at the unspoken request of Catherine II.

Catherine II herself, meanwhile, had Grigory Potemkin among her favorites, who was also not the heir to the throne. However, their union became official and publicly known.

A century later, in 1854, the heiress of Nicholas I secretly married Count Grigory Stroganov. Two children born in this marriage received the title of Counts of Stroganov. The union itself was not officially recognized.

But most of all, Grand Duke Nikolai Konstantinovich, grandson of Nicholas I and nephew of the future Emperor Alexander II, “distinguished himself” in his amorous adventures. He completely fell in love with the French courtesan, for the sake of whose favor he stole a jewel from Alexandra Iosifovna.

The theft of the diamond, like the “terrible alliance” itself, was regarded as a mental disorder, as a result of which Nikolai Konstantinovich was isolated, excommunicated from his family, deprived of all ranks, and even exiled to the south of the Empire. In exile, Nikolai Konstantinovich, who had outgrown his youthful maximalism, officially married Nadezhda Dreyer. They had two children. However, the marriage was not officially recognized, nor was Nikolai Konstantinovich’s sanity.

The most secret among the morganatic marriages of the Romanovs is worth recognizing:

• Union of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna with Alexei Razumovsky;
• Union of Empress Catherine II with Grigory Potemkin;
• The union of Prince Alexei Alexandrovich with Alexandra Zhukovskaya.

None of these alliances have been confirmed, and they are technically considered to be based on rumors. Children who were born in these Romanov couples are considered “assigned”.

Maria Feodorovna and her morganatic union

The morganatic marriage of Empress Maria Feodorovna took place in Abkhazia. Her chosen one was the Abkhaz prince Chachba George. At first, this relationship was shrouded in secrecy. Maria was a widow, and therefore this union took place at a very mature age.

No one dared to talk or speculate about the couple: some considered the news leaking into society as gossip, others as lies and slander, and still others simply considered themselves unworthy to discuss Maria Feodorovna, whose monarchical and married life had previously been impeccable. Nevertheless, the topic of the relationship between Mary and George began to be discussed - at first timidly and shyly, and then openly and persistently.

And indeed, in the small town of Abas-Tuman, the royal family built a palace. It was not too big or pompous, and was intended more for recreation than for permanent residence. The imperial son Georgy Alexandrovich suffered from a chronic lung disease, and therefore doctors advised him to spend time in the healing mountain air.

Georgy Romanov lived here almost constantly, and his main and most frequent visitor was, of course, his mother, Maria Fedorovna. Georgy Chachba, being the governor of the Tiflis region, was supposed to meet and see off visitors to the royal house, provide them with an idle welcome, protection and comfort. The prince also took part in the construction of the imperial house. All work on the arrangement of the small palace was carried out under his leadership.

Possessing natural charisma, artistry and wit, Prince Chachba was a magnificent, interesting and glorious conversationalist. Maria Fedorovna, visiting her son, periodically contacted him and had all sorts of conversations. The Empress and the Prince were the same age.

In addition, their views on government, the structure of the state and outside interests coincided almost completely. Chachba was very educated, gave Maria advice and supported her in important government affairs, thanks to his rich everyday and administrative experience.

In 1897, Maria Fedorovna’s mother and beloved son Georgiy died - the same one who was constantly in the Abkhazian palace. In the same year, she invites Chachba to serve at court. In this difficult time, he becomes her personal support and support, taking a high position at court and becoming Mary’s morganatic husband.

Morganatic League of Alexander II

The morganatic marriage of Emperor Alexander II was the last in the history of imperial Russia. It was the most scandalous and sensational of all the previous ones. A series of outbursts began with the birth of Princess Ekaterina Dolgoruky’s first child from Alexander II. Then the lovers were not yet in a morganatic union. A year later their daughter was born, which " added fuel to the fire"general indignation.

Finally, the peak point was the relocation of the maid of honor Dolgorukaya closer to the emperor. He ordered that three large rooms be given to her and the children directly above their chambers. Moreover, this was done without concealment, and the lovers’ apartments were ordered to be connected by an elevator. The family and society did not support this marriage, but it took place.

The concept of "marriage"

Nowadays, such a concept as “marriage” is already known, of course, to every person. This

when a man and a woman live under the same roof, provide material and moral support to each other, and share all the troubles, difficulties and joys in life. Also in this social unit the next generation is born and raised. But this is not the only thing considered a traditional marriage. Not cheating on each other is the most important thing. Although today all marriages are concluded only by love or mutual consent, the concept of “polygamous marriage” has been preserved in the countries of the East.

A little history...

There are a huge number of different marriages. For example, spiritual marriages, as you know, are created in heaven to serve the Lord. This is a union of those people who have a common and complementary mindset. Such unions, as a rule, are formed in adulthood. A happy marriage is when both parties are equally happy. But does morganatic marriage belong to this concept? Most likely, few people know what it means, so let's first find out the features of this union. A morganatic marriage is, to explain it in simple words, an unequal marriage. In other words, this is when the spouse who is married has a different social position in society, and it does not change in any way even after the official marriage (no matter how famous, rich or

We respect one of the spouses). Such a union was previously possible only for the upper classes. Nowadays, morganatic marriage has become very popular. It first appeared in Germany, and then in the Russian Empire. In those days, marriages were arranged only between those people who had the same social status, so as not to lose the right to the throne. A woman or a man who had different social status could only become secret lovers to each other, but not husband and wife. The reason for all this was the ban on morganatic marriage, because it was this that destroyed the Romanov dynasty. But at the beginning of the twentieth century the situation began to change for the better, only Sweden remained committed to this law. But why did our ancestors always believe that morganatic marriage is bad and should be avoided? After all, we all know very well that people will be happy together only when they love each other, despite all social statuses. And the answer is very simple: everyone was afraid of the disappearance of empires. Modern youth do not want to follow the rules that existed before. They just want to be normal people, that is, to be close to their loved ones, to give birth to children. Today, some marry out of convenience, while others marry out of true love. This is a voluntary and conscious choice of every person who

They are driven either by feelings or by the desire to get rich. Of course, even today many parents are against such marriages and do not wish them for their children.

Conclusion

In any case, no matter what social status you or your chosen one is, never be afraid to get married. The most important thing is that there is love, sincerity and trust in your relationship. Leave behind all the advice or ridicule of strangers and give in to the will of your sincere feelings.