Royals with Disabilities or Special Needs

[Duc_et_Pair]

It seems the Duke promised the mother to care for the child. When the Duke did not meet his promise, a DNA-test was agreed. After clarity from this test, the Duke still avoided his obligations. In the end the mother had to go to Justice to make the Duke to fulfill his paternal obligations. All by all a very ungentlemanlike attitude, unworthy the House of Savoia-Aosta.

 

[Biri]

So he doesn't pay child support to maintain her?
I see that care for such a child is relatively expensive, but he is wealthy, isn't he?
Especially giving the fact that his other children are already adult and independent.

Ungentlemanlike attitude, no matter what the lineage of the father is.

 

[Duc_et_Pair]

So he doesn't pay child support to maintain her?
I see that care for such a child is relatively expensive, but he is wealthy, isn't he?
Especially giving the fact that his other children are already adult and independent.

Ungentlemanlike attitude, no matter what the lineage of the father is.

The Duke pays for the care of his disabled daughter, but he only started to do so when he was forced by the Court of Justice.

On 2005 the Duke had an affair with Ms Kyara van Ellinkhuizen, a Dutch film producer. Back then Ms Van Ellinkhuizen was 38 years old. Unintentedly there was a pregnancy. It seems Ms Van Ellinkhuizen has known the Duke since puberty and had a crush on him since. Already during pregnancy Ms Van Ellinkhuizen contacted lawyers and sought publicity (a TV interview), for she intended to safeguard the (then) future baby.

Probably this caused the Duke to act like stung by a wasp: this publicity sought by Ms Van Ellinkhuizen brought the Duke's marriage with the Duchess in rocky waters because of this affair.

On March 19th 2006 Ms Kyara van Ellinkhuizen gave birth to a daughter at the Clinica Mangiagalli in Milan on 19 March. She received the names Ginevra Maria Gabriella. The Duke of Aosta visited mother and child at hospital. He acknowledged his paternity after a positive DNA test.

So all by all the Duke did (and does) his obligations but it was the unwillingness to do so which was sort of a scandal. Not very cavaliere, so to say. But that is more than a decade ago, so time has done its work.

The Duke and Duchess of Aosta (la princesse Claude d'Orléans) - picture

The Duke and Duchess of Aosta (Donna Silvia Paternò dei marchesi di Regiovanni e Spedalotto) - picture

Amedeo padre di Ginevra. Lo dice il Dna - Corriere della Sera

 

[Biri]

Emperor Claudius of Rome probably suffered from cerebral palsy:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claudius#Claudius'_affliction_and_personality

 

[Alison H]

Royals who were handicapped, particularly mentally handicapped, if they were in position to inherit, were often forced to abdicate. I remember a British prince who was forced to abdicate (this was a long time ago, a very long time ago, and I don't remember who)

Could you be thinking of Henry VI of England? He had some sort of mental disability which caused him to be completely detached from the world during bad spells, possibly schizophrenia. He was deposed as part of the Wars of the Roses dynastic struggle, not specifically because of his health issues, but the fact that he wasn't able to rule certainly didn't help.

In more recent times, there was Prince John, the youngest brother of George VI, who had severe epilepsy and possibly learning difficulties.


I've an idea there was a law in Spain that prohibited people with learning disabilities from inheriting the throne, which was partly why it was such a problem when haemophilia got into the Spanish royal family.

 

[JR76]

Prince Erik of Sweden and Norway , Duke of Västmanland (1889-1918) was an epileptic and suffered from a mild learning disability thought to have been caused by the strong medication his mother, Queen Victoria, took during her pregnancy.
https://www.kungahuset.se/royalcour...sty/princeerik.4.164e81b015607465dc12f32.html

 

[Chesh]

I have been reading John van der Kiste's 'Charlotte and Feodora' recently, and there seems to be plenty traits of autism in the descriptions of both of them.

 

[royal_enthusiast]

If a royal had autism would the person still remain in the line of succession and would there be less pressure on them to undertake a public role if they did not wish to?

 

[Duc_et_Pair]

If a royal had autism would the person still remain in the line of succession and would there be less pressure on them to undertake a public role if they did not wish to?

In principle he/she can stay in the line of succession. Only when it is a direct heir to a monarch (so the Number One or the eldest child of the Number One) it will become an issue.

The Tsetsarevich Alexey simply remained a successor despite his severe problems. The Prince John remained a successor despite his special needs.

The 19th C Prince Alexander of the Netherlands (an intelligent man with a lucide mind but very weak social intelligence) became The Prince of Orange while anyone knew the poor man was always on the verge of a breakdown despite holding his composure in public, trying to do his best. (Many people have this "problem" : how to engage in totally meaningless small talk?)

The Prince Alexander missed the social antenna to conversate, to ease people stiffening in front of him, to play the jovial gentilhomme. For an example he was hardly able to find a royal bride, despite being a future King of the Netherlands, Grand-Duke of Luxembourg and being general heir of the gigantic Orange-Nassau fortune because in front of ladies he had no idea what to say, how to play courtship according etiquette and have a chit-chat with a princess here or a duchess there, with a spying chaperonne in his back. Poor man.

 

[Tatiana Maria]

If a royal had autism would the person still remain in the line of succession and would there be less pressure on them to undertake a public role if they did not wish to?

To my knowledge, none of the reigning monarchies where hereditary succession is regulated by law explicitly exclude autistic people from acceding to the throne.

As far as public or family pressure to step aside is concerned, I suppose the degree of bias against autistic people would be dependent on the culture and the family.

 

[Blog Real]

I think it depends on the situation and the rules in force in the different royal houses.
Now if it is one if it is a serious situation, in which the person has no autonomy, it is best to leave the line of succession to the throne and be succeeded by someone else.
It is a situation that has to be assessed on a case-by-case basis.

 

[Prinsara]

Dyslexia seems to run incredibly strongly in Sweden, considering the king, his father, and all three of his children have had it. So far we haven't heard anything from the next generation, but it would seem familially much higher than average. Victoria has the neurological condition "face-blindness" in addition — remarkable when you consider her line of work!

King Olav of Norway had dyslexia too, and I've never heard how it was managed, other than like many dyslectics he was encouraged to and became very athletic. I wonder if anyone's asked Princess Astrid — she has it too.

George VI and his stutter must count. (He didn't think he was fit to take over as king, and there's the pervasive rumor TPTB didn't, either...)

 

[Duc_et_Pair]

The Constitution of the Netherlands has an article on it:

Article 29

1.
One or more persons may be excluded from the hereditary succession by Act of Parliament if exceptional circumstances necessitate.

2.
The Bill for this purpose shall be presented by The King. The two Chambers of the States-General shall consider and decide upon the matter in a joint session. Such a Bill shall be passed only if at least two-thirds of the votes cast are in favour.

 

[Prinsara]

Something was wrong with Yoshihito, the Taisho Emperor... but he was still Emperor for more than a decade. I have no idea if the Japanese public had any idea about this at all, considering he was also divine. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emperor_Taishō#Early_life

Semi-likewise King Abdullah of Jordan's grandfather Talal was eventually deposed for schizophrenia and institutionalized abroad, but I'm not sure how much research has ever been done into what exactly was wrong with him. :/

 

[Alison H]

I doubt autism's mentioned anywhere, if only because autism hasn't been recognised until fairly recently, and recent changes to succession laws have mainly only covered gender. I should think there'd be an outcry in most countries if there were an attempt to exclude autistic people from the succession. The person might choose to step down if they felt uncomfortable in crowds, for example, but it'd depend on their individual circumstances.

 

[Blog Real]

I doubt autism's mentioned anywhere, if only because autism hasn't been recognised until fairly recently, and recent changes to succession laws have mainly only covered gender. I should think there'd be an outcry in most countries if there were an attempt to exclude autistic people from the succession. The person might choose to step down if they felt uncomfortable in crowds, for example, but it'd depend on their individual circumstances.

There are autistic people (depending on the degree) who have normal lives, work, get married, etc.
Now worse problems like down syndrome or other disabilities is a case in point.

 

[Denville]

I think it would obviously depend on how severe the issues was... but for someone who has to meet people, a lot, social awkwardness can be a big issue.

 

[Osipi]

I would think that, in the UK at least, a disability whether physical or mental would be treated the same way that a monarch is replaced by a regent.

Reading this discussion about if the monarch would be a person that was diagnosed as autistic, I can't help but think of a TV show I really like called "The Good Doctor". The main character is autistic but is a very gifted doctor and surgeon. I think with determining if any monarch with any sort of disability would have to be handled on a individual basis taking into account the specifics concerning the monarch, himself/herself.

 

[Biri]

Duke Eberhard of Wurtemberg writes on his website that his only son Alexander, who will turn 11 on 19 January, was born with "severe physical disability"

 

[SirGyamfi1]

Duke Eberhard of Wurtemberg writes on his website that his only son Alexander, who will turn 11 on 19 January, was born with "severe physical disability"

I recall it was more of a heart condition issue. But yes he has a physical issue. His late uncle, Francois d’Orleans and Blanche suffered from the effects of toxoplasmosis.

 

[Prinsara]

Since King Constantine was also apparently dyslectic, it would seem to have replaced hemophilia as the new "royal disease". https://archive.ph/VYe0J