They didn’t rule all over Europe. They just married well, and ended up on the thrones of the UK and Belgium in early 19th century. Leopold of SCG was elected to be the king of Belgians upon independence because he wasn’t French or Dutch, and has previously been married to the only daughter of a British regent, and had good connection with the UK who was the guarantor of Belgian independence. Victoria then famously married his nephew (and it is documented that she actually was in love with him; it helped he was German like the rest of her family).
Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha married Queen Victoria of England.
The two were first cousins, and it was an arranged marriage. However Victoria was totally smitten with him, and it was a loving marriage.
Victoria also really REALLY enjoyed having sex, reportedly telling a confidant “What else are you supposed to do in the evening?”.
This posed a problem because Victoria hated being pregnant, and didn’t overly like children but she and Albert had 9 children, five girls and four boys.
Victoria than arranged for her children to be married into many royal houses throughout Europe. To the point that by World War 1 the monarchs of most of the major players were all first cousins.
You could put King Edward, Czar Nicholas, and Kaiser Wilhelm in a room and you would swear they were brothers.
Comments
They didn’t rule all over Europe. They just married well, and ended up on the thrones of the UK and Belgium in early 19th century. Leopold of SCG was elected to be the king of Belgians upon independence because he wasn’t French or Dutch, and has previously been married to the only daughter of a British regent, and had good connection with the UK who was the guarantor of Belgian independence. Victoria then famously married his nephew (and it is documented that she actually was in love with him; it helped he was German like the rest of her family).
They were really good at marrying the right people.
TLDR: Political Marriages
Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha married Queen Victoria of England.
The two were first cousins, and it was an arranged marriage. However Victoria was totally smitten with him, and it was a loving marriage.
Victoria also really REALLY enjoyed having sex, reportedly telling a confidant “What else are you supposed to do in the evening?”.
This posed a problem because Victoria hated being pregnant, and didn’t overly like children but she and Albert had 9 children, five girls and four boys.
Victoria than arranged for her children to be married into many royal houses throughout Europe. To the point that by World War 1 the monarchs of most of the major players were all first cousins.
You could put King Edward, Czar Nicholas, and Kaiser Wilhelm in a room and you would swear they were brothers.