JimandDonna
Newbie
- Joined
- May 23, 2017
- Messages
- 6
- City
- Werrington County
- Country
- Australia
In researching it appears my husbands grandfather was a 7th son & such was a Royal God child.Are there records kept on who these children are.
Your husbands grandfather must of been Catholic if he was a Godchild of a Belgian Royal..in that case there would be parish records listing the godparents of the person in question.
LaRae
Actually it seems you don't have to be Catholic. Or even live in Belgium. As long as you are a seventh consecutive son or daughter, and from a Belgian family.
This little goddaughter of Paola was born in New York to an orthodox family
Royal Treatment – The Forward
But yes, you have to apply. Bring your attention. It seems one or two a year now a days. Not surprising considering how families have shrunk.
Well they weren't actually Godparents to the little girl according to the article, not all faiths have these.
Interesting tradition though.
Yeah the birth rates in Europe are very low, with the exception of immigrant groups...I heard Belgium was very very low.
LaRae
It's odd that they don't live in Belgium, my understanding is they must live in Belgium but maybe they are less strict with this now.It's all very interesting..It is believed my husbands family has other links to the then Royal family I'm yet to find those though.
Yes, but she is an honorary godchild. She gets the same privileges. The trips to the castle, the free education, the gift from the queen. Paola simply has a different title. The point being, you don't have to be Catholic to qualify to apply. In a country that has plenty of Protestants it would likely not be popular if a Protestant child who meets the qualifications was denied. They are monarchs of not only the Catholics.
The stipulations are that the child be the seventh in an unbroken line of seven children of the same gender and coming from the same marriage. The seven children must all be living and the parents must be of good moral character. Regarding those parents of foreign origin, it is desired that they live the entire time in Belgium and that the majority of their children are born in Belgium. All these conditions apply equally for the Queen to be godmother of the seventh daughter. This is on Roots Web
So back to my original question do they keep a record of these children?
Not all immigrants and not only immigrants. For example the Orthodox Jews, of which there are many in Belgium, has a high birthrate.Well they weren't actually Godparents to the little girl according to the article, not all faiths have these.
Interesting tradition though.
Yeah the birth rates in Europe are very low, with the exception of immigrant groups...I heard Belgium was very very low.
LaRae
Not all immigrants and not only immigrants. For example the Orthodox Jews, of which there are many in Belgium, has a high birthrate.
Judaism doesn't have godparents, though, so it's not applicable to this discussion.
So far Mathilde has two other goddaughters who are seventh daughters: Zaineb Tebbi from Ghent, and the daughter of a Jewish family who prefer to remain anonymous.
If you read my three-year old post again you'll see that it was written as a comment about Belgium's birth rate not about Judaism.Judaism doesn't have godparents, though, so it's not applicable to this discussion.
If you read my three-year old post again you'll see that it was written as a comment about Belgium's birth rate not about Judaism.
I'm... really not sure how devout Queen Mathilde or the family managed to square that one, but there are still no godparents in Judaism. Perhaps it's some sort of purely honorary recognition, but I'm not surprised that family is anonymous. Calling it a godparent is a few religious laws getting broken by all sides.