Royals Converted to Other Denominations & Faiths

[Smart]

Queen Noor of Jordan was protestant before she married the late King Hussein and converted to the nation of Islam and became muslim.

Nation of Islam is a separate religion from Islam originating in the US. Though I suppose you could have just meant she joined the ummah

 

[CyrilVladisla]

In her first years of marriage to Grand Duke Serge of Russia, Princess Elizabeth of Hesse continued to be a Lutheran.
Eventually Grand Duchess Elisaveta Feodorovna converted to the Russian Orthodox Church.
​

Princess Charlene of Monaco converted catholicisme before her wedding, she was protestant.

What Protestant faith did Charlene belong to?
​

 

[melina premiere]

Princess Charlene of Monaco converted catholicisme before her wedding, she was protestant.

 

[Meraude]

Princess Birgitta of Sweden converted to the Catholic Church after her marriage to prince Johann Georg von Hohenzollern in 1961, and her children were baptized as Catholics, thus making her and her children ineligible to the Swedish throne.

 

[Tuf Pic]

The Khazar Royalty/Nobility converted to Judaism!!


Also they were originally followers of


Tengriism!!


I should like to believe that @least SOME of their Royalty/Nobility were BOTH followers of Tengriism, & Judaism!!

"Sounds like an oxymoron", you might say?!

NOT QUITE!!

JEWISH SHAMANISM,

Jewish Paganism: Oxymoron or Innovation? – Forward.com,

...&...

Amazon.com: The Hebrew Goddess 3rd Enlarged Edition (9780814322710): Raphael Patai, Merlin Stone, William G. Dever: Books!!

 

[Bonnie Blue Butler]

What Protestant faith did Charlene belong to?

She was Presbyterian. She didn't have to convert to catholicism but she wanted this.

 

[Marty91charmed]

I thought she belonged to the calvinist religion. I've heard that more than once on tv

 

[Bonnie Blue Butler]

Really? Well, now I'm confused. I've never heard about Charlene being a calvinist
But isn't presbyterianism an english/scottish version of calvinism?

 

[Marty91charmed]

I don't know much about the protestant religions sorry!

 

[An Ard Ri]

Really? Well, now I'm confused. I've never heard about Charlene being a calvinist
But isn't presbyterianism an english/scottish version of calvinism?

Calvinism

Calvinism - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Presbyterianism

Presbyterianism - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[ladejesus]

What about Alexia of Greece? Her husband Carlos Morales and their children?

I believe that Alexia, Carlos, and the children are Greek Orthodox. I thought that the christenings have taken place in a Greek Orthodox church, as well as their wedding.

yes, the children of Alexia are baptised Greek orthodox,, from the thread greek royal family baptism of Amelia
[DNF] Fotoarchief Denieuwsfoto

I am correct that Carlos Morales remains Catholic? My understanding was that Princess Alexia is no longer in the line of succession to the British throne because she married a Catholic. Her children, however, are in the line of succession because they are Orthodox.

 

[Iluvbertie]

That will change when the Succession to the Crown Act finally passes in Australia and then becomes effective as the new laws will return everyone who is married to a Roman Catholic to the line of succession, but not those who are actually Roman Catholic.

 

[Mbruno]

Queen Marie of Bavaria (Marie of Prussia; 1825-1889) converted to Catholicism from Lutheranism.

It's also interesting the royals who did NOT convert when changing countries. Astrid of Sweden remained a Lutheran when marrying into the Catholic Belgian royal family.

That is not correct. Astrid converted to Catholicism and insisted that it was a willing conversion out of personal conviction and not just an obligation to her husband and country.

 

[An Ard Ri]

As far as I'm aware Astrid only converted to Catholicism a few years after her wedding but not straight away.

 

[Mbruno]

Is keeping an original faith accepted today? For example: A Catholic princess of Belgium wanted to marry the Lutheran crown prince of Denmark. I'm not entirely certain, but I believe that there is a clause in the constitution that says members of the royal family must be Lutheran. If the princess did not want to give up her faith, would the marriage be allowed? Or, would parliament issue a special law (as they do for immediate citizenship of spouses of Danish royalty) for that princess if she agreed to raise her children in the Lutheran faith?

I believe the Danish constitution only says that the monarch must be Lutheran. In practice, however, all non-Lutherans who have married recently into the DRF have converted.

In Sweden, the Act of Succession says that both the monarch and all "princes (or princesses) of the royal house" must be members of the Lutheran Church of Sweden. A prince or princess who converts to another faith loses his/her place in the line of succession.

In the Netherlands, the royal house of Orange-Nassau is historically associated with the Dutch Reformed Church (now the "Protestant Church in the Netherlands", or PKN), which is Calvinist/Presbyterian, but there is no legal requirement that the king or members of the royal family be Protestant. In the past, a non-Protestant bride/groom could have trouble getting the consent of the Dutch parliament to marry a royal (it was certainly an issue when Princess Irene and Princess Christina were engaged). Nowadays affiliated Protestants are only 18 % or so of the Dutch population though (most people are secular/non-religious), and I don't think that is an issue anymore. Willem-Alexander married Maxima, who is Catholic and didn't convert, but Maxima agreed to get married and baptize their 3 daughters in the Protestant Church. W-A himself is said to be a committed Protestant, though not as openly as some of his ancestors. He has been criticized occasionally by the leadership of the PKN for "hiding" his religion in public (e.g. not using biblical references in his Christmas speeches etc.).

In the UK, the law says that, in order to be in the line of succession, a person must be a Protestant descendant of Sophia of Hanover. In addition, the monarch must be in communion with the Church of England (i.e. the Anglican/Episcopalian church). Until recently, marrying a Roman Catholic also constituted legal grounds for exclusion from the line of succession, but that provision has been now (retroactively) repealed by the Succession to the Crown Act 2013. Since princes and princesses of the United Kingdom could not marry Catholics (or else face exclusion from the succession), senior princes/princesses traditionally turned to other Protestant sovereign families to find suitable brides/grooms, usually from Germany, Scandinavia, or the Netherlands.

Spain historically had a Catholic monarchy. In fact, Spain was the leading European nation in the counter-reformation movement and the Catholic inquisition. The modern constitution of 1979, however, ended the status of Roman Catholicism as the established state religion and that there is no longer a requirement that the king or the royal family be Catholic. In practice, they are Catholic though and it is unlikely that will change any time soon. Queen Sofia, who was Greek Orthodox, converted to Catholicism after marrying Juan Carlos.

The Kingdom of Belgium on the other hand was born in a revolution, which, among other things, was against both absolute monarchy and Protestant rule. Ironically though, independent Belgium's first king, Leopold I, was a Protestant (Lutheran), who had been even married before to the heiress presumptive to the British throne. Leopold later married however the daughter of King Louis Philippe of the French and raised his children as Catholics. The Belgian Royal Family has been Catholic since then although, again, that is not required by law. Princess Astrid of Sweden, who was Lutheran, converted to Catholicism after marrying into the family.

In the old Kingdom of France, only Catholic male descendants in male line of Hugh Capet could ascend the throne. As mentioned before, Henri of Navarre, the first Bourbon king of France, converted from Calvinism to Catholicism to become King Henri IV.

 

[Mbruno]

As far as I'm aware Astrid only converted to Catholicism a few years after her wedding but not straight away.

Because the priest she consulted after getting married apparently told her it had to be a "genuine conversion", and not just a protocolary one. Or at least that is what Wikipedia says. Apparently, when she converted, she did it on her free will and out of conviction.

 

[C4A]

Thanks, Mbruno, for the above summary you provided relating to the religion and requirements of the different monarchies. Very interesting. Do you also have similar info for other Royal houses such as Norway, Monaco, Liechtenstein and Luxembourg?


Sent from my iPad using The Royals Community

 

[Meraude]

Jean Baptiste Bernadotte was born Catholic, but joined the Church of Sweden when he became crown prince Karl Johan. His wife, Désirée Clary, remained a Catholic.
His son Oscar had also been born a Catholic, and joined the Church of Sweden when his father became crown prince. He married Joséphine of Leuchtenberg, a Catholic and she remained so her whole life.

Queen Sofia, wife of Oscar II, was a Lutheran, but she and her son Oscar, prince Bernadotte, were very much involved in the Swedish Evangelical movement, a part of the Holiness movement, although I don't think they left the Church of Sweden.

 

[An Ard Ri]

Did HRH Princess Birgitta of Sweden convert to Catholicism when she married HSH Prince Johann Georg of Hohenzollern?

 

[Meraude]

Did HRH Princess Birgitta of Sweden convert to Catholicism when she married HSH Prince Johann Georg of Hohenzollern?

Yes, she did. She and her children are Catholics.

 

[Mbruno]

Really? Well, now I'm confused. I've never heard about Charlene being a calvinist
But isn't presbyterianism an english/scottish version of calvinism?

Yes, it is. Calvinist churches are normally called "Reformed" in continental Europe (e.g. the Netherlands, France, Switzerland, etc.) and "Presbyterian" in England, Scotland, the US, and other English-speaking countries. Likewise, in South Africa, the Calvinist churches of British origin are called "Presbyterian", whereas the Calvinist churches that were introduced in the country by the Dutch colonists in the 17th and 18th centuries are called "Dutch Reformed". Presbyterian churches in South Africa use English as language of worship, whereas South African Dutch Reformed churches use Afrikaans (a West Germanic language spoken in South Africa that is derived from Dutch, but has been a separate standard language since the early 20th century).

 

[Stefan]

Yes, she did. She and her children are Catholics.

I beleive she she erself remained protestant but was married in a catholic Ceremony and the children where raised as catholics.

 

[eya]

I'ts natural every royal to change the religion. Know anyone someone to don't change?

 

[Moonmaiden23]

The ones who do not marry outside their respective faiths don't have to change/convert.

 

[Duc_et_Pair]

I'ts natural every royal to change the religion. Know anyone someone to don't change?

Máxima did not change her religion. She requested formal dispensation from the Roman-Catholic Church for a marriage with the (protestant) Prince of Orange. She got that permission. Until the day of today Queen Máxima is a Roman-Catholic.

Picture: (then) Princess Máxima and the Prince of Orange attend a Roman-Catholic Mass.

 

[An Ard Ri]

The wives of the ex Kings Michael of Romania and Simeon II of Bulgaria I believe are Roman Catholics whilst their husbands are Eastern Orthodox Christians.

 

[Mbruno]

Máxima did not change her religion. She requested formal dispensation from the Roman-Catholic Church for a marriage with the (protestant) Prince of Orange. She got that permission. Until the day of today Queen Máxima is a Roman-Catholic.

Picture: (then) Princess Máxima and the Prince of Orange attend a Roman-Catholic Mass.

Why was (then) Princess Máxima wearing a veil ? As far as I know, it is no longer customary for women to wear veils when attending mass. Was the photo perhaps taken during a mass celebrated by the Pope (in which case I believe a veil is still worn) ?

 

[An Ard Ri]

From memory Maxima wore a matilla as it was a solemn Mass for a retiring Dutch Bishop,I might be wrong about the occassion.

 

[Duc_et_Pair]

Why was (then) Princess Máxima wearing a veil ? As far as I know, it is no longer customary for women to wear veils when attending mass. Was the photo perhaps taken during a mass celebrated by the Pope (in which case I believe a veil is still worn) ?

Máxima always wears a veil when attending Mass.

Máxima in the Cathedral Basilica of Saint-Bavo, Haarlem

Maxima in the Cathedral of the Saints Laurentius and Elisabeth, Rotterdam

Máxima in the Cathedral of the Saints Laurentius and Elisabeth, Rotterdam (another Mass)

Máxima in the Duomo di Parma

Máxima at the Village Church in Wassenaar

 

[Moonmaiden23]

Why was (then) Princess Máxima wearing a veil ? As far as I know, it is no longer customary for women to wear veils when attending mass. Was the photo perhaps taken during a mass celebrated by the Pope (in which case I believe a veil is still worn) ?

In some parts of Europe and Latin America women still cover their heads during Mass, depending on the event. Papal Masses feature all of the Catholic Royal women with their heads covered.

Princesses Charlene and Caroline of Monaco routinely wear a mantilla for requiem Masses.