Anders, Prince of Arendaal

Anders, Prince of Arendaal ("Anders the Handsome") (1852 – 1897) was the Crown Prince of Arendaal and Götarike (Suionia) between 1852 and his death in 1897. He was the eldest child of Queen Louisa I of Arendaal and Prince Arthur of Breotonia. As he predeceased his mother by four years, he never became King of Arendaal himself. His son, Niklaas IV came to the throne upon Louisa’s death in 1901.

Anders is remem -bered as handsome and charming, sharing much the same temper -ament as his son: he was affable and popular, but unlike Niklaas IV, Anders was almost entirely uninterested in politics. He enjoyed riding, shooting, entertaining, the theatre, and music. He was a patron of the arts and sciences and helped found the Royal College of Music. He opened the college in 1883 with the words, "Class can no longer stand apart from class ... I claim for music that it produces that union of feeling which I desire to promote."

He married Elisabeth Franziska of Braunschweig, a Princess of a state in the Empire of Wiese. Elisabeth was a year younger than himself and shared his temperament. The marriage is considered a success - though it was occasionally stormy, particularly given Anders' penchant for gambling, it was also unusually passionate. Both partners were emotional rather than practical, and thus they were known in their early years to quarrel furiously and then reconcile hours later.

The couple were the darlings of Aren high society. They resided primarily at Thorvald Palace, where they entertained on a lavish scale. Anders was often criticized for his socialite lifestyle and lack of seriousness, but historians point out that such criticisms were also applied to his son Niklaas, who came to be a highly successful King.

Furthermore, for all his indulgence in worldly affairs and the pursuit of pleasure, Anders was a devoted father to his children. He dotted on his daughters and complained when his mother arranged for their marriages with foreign princes, because he feared they would miss their home. He claimed that his "daughters could marry chimney-sweeps if it made them happy" for their happiness was "all that mattered to him". Contemporaries described his relationship with Niklaas as more like affectionate brothers than father and son, and on Anders' death Niklaas wrote in his diary that he had lost his "best friend and the best of fathers ... I never had a cross word with him in my life. I am heart-broken and overwhelmed with grief".

Anders died suddenly in 1897, as a result of an accident while hunting. He was only 45 years old. Tragically, his son Niklaas IV would also die at the age of 45 in 1917.

Family, Marriage and Children
Crown Prince Anders of Arendaal married Elisabeth Franziska of Braunschweig, a Princess of Wiese. Their children included:
 * Niklaas IV of Arendaal (1872 - 1917) - who succeeded his grandmother Louisa I as ruler of Arendaal in 1901
 * Madeleine of Arendaal, Empress of Wiese (b. 1888) - Consort of Emperor Karl III of Wiese

Siblings

 * Eliana of Arendaal, Queen Consort of Great Engellex - sister. Consort of King Edward I of Great Engellex
 * Charlotte of Arendaal, Queen of Montelimar - Anders' sister. Consort of King Louis XI of Montelimar

Other Royal Relations

 * Karolina of Franken, Queen of Arendaal - daughter-in-law
 * Lilliana of Arendaal, Empress of the Talemantine Empire - aunt. Consort of Emperor Waylon IX of the Talemantine Empire
 * Gisela of Arendaal, Queen of Eiffelland - aunt. Consort of Philipp V of Eiffelland
 * Isabella of Arendaal, Queen of Franken – aunt (mother’s half-sister). Consort of King Thomas VI von Franken
 * Alexandra of Arendaal, Queen of Montelimar - great-aunt. Consort of King Henri X of Montelimar
 * Klarissa of Arendaal, Marquise d'Hennessy – great-aunt. Consort of Marquis Jas Lyon Moët-Hennessy
 * Anastasia of Arendaal, Czarina of Gorno-Altai – great-aunt (father's half-sister). Consort of Czar Edvard II of Gorno-Altai
 * Juliette of Arendaal, Queen of Cambria – great-aunt (grand father's half-sister). Consort of Morgan II of Cambria
 * Anna of Weise – step grand-mother
 * Freya I of Arendaal - granddaughter
 * Louise of Arendaal, Queen of Anglyn - granddaughter. Consort of King Alfred VI of Anglyn
 * Emperor Friedrich Wilhelm II of Wiese – grandson. Current Emperor of Wiese

Ancestors
's ancestors in four generations: