Prince Rupert of the Rhine

1619–1682

Born: 1619, Prague
Country of birth: Holy Roman Empire, today Czechia
Died: 29 Nov 1682, Westminster

facts: 15
sources: 1
images and files: 0

Facts and their sources

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Birth1619, PragueProbableDisputed2 competing claims1 source
TitleMaster of the Horse (England), 1653–1655Confirmed4 competing claims1 source
TitleLord Lieutenant of Berkshire, 1670–1682Confirmed4 competing claims1 source
TitleLord High Admiral, 1673–1679Confirmed4 competing claims1 source
TitleLord Lieutenant of Surrey, 1675–1682Confirmed4 competing claims1 source
Death29 Nov 1682, WestminsterProbableDisputed1 competing claim1 source
ParentFrederick V of the PalatinateConfirmed1 source
ParentElizabeth Stuart, Queen of BohemiaConfirmed1 source
TitleMember of the Privy Council of the United KingdomConfirmed4 competing claims1 source

A life in time

1619
Born · Prague
Birth, Prague
1653–1655
Event · Master of the Horse (England)
Event
1670–1682
Event · Lord Lieutenant of Berkshire
Event
1673–1679
Event · Lord High Admiral
Event
1675–1682
Event · Lord Lieutenant of Surrey
Event
29 Nov 1682
Died · Westminster
Death, Westminster

What was it like?

The world around Prague, 1619: who ruled, who else was alive, how people lived. This is general history, not a record about the family, and every item shows where it comes from.

Prince was Lord Lieutenant of Berkshire from 1670 to 1682.

Known for

Titles held

Master of the Horse (England)1653–1655
Lord Lieutenant of Berkshire1670–1682
Lord High Admiral1673–1679
Lord Lieutenant of Surrey1675–1682
Member of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom

Fashion

Festive clothing as valuable family inheritance

For many, festive clothing was a significant asset, carefully maintained so it could be sold when necessary or passed down as an inheritance to descendants. Producing and caring for these garments within the household was a primary daily responsibility for women.

Functional linen undergarments and V-shaped silhouettes

Ordinary people wore linen shirts as their base layer, which served as both underwear and nightwear. For both men and women, clothing aimed to create a fashionable V-shaped silhouette by using diagonal seams and higher waistlines.

Music

Common home instruments for burghers

Prague burghers often owned lutes or keyboard instruments like clavichords and virginals to perform polyphonic music at home.

Musical training in rural schools

In rural Jesuit parish schools, students were taught to play instruments including the violin, oboe, and bassoon as part of their education.

Getting around

Mules and expensive travel costs

For heavy cargo, people used mule caravans or horse-drawn wagons, while high-ranking individuals occasionally traveled in a 'senfta' or carrying bed, sometimes transported by mules. Transportation was costly, with a one-way trip from Dvůr Králové to Prague costing about 60 groschen in total for a passenger, including tips and food.

Slow journeys and safety risks

Travel was slow; a journey by carriage from Kutná Hora to Vienna in 1621 took eight days, while a shorter trip from Prague to Dresden could take several days. Safety was a major concern, as travelers frequently faced the threat of robbery on these poorly maintained routes.

Daily life

Inexpensive wooden torchlights for light

Because candles and lamps were expensive, families used simple wooden torchlights for illumination, which burned for only about ten minutes and required constant replacement. Children were responsible for managing the light and placing the spent end into a vessel of water to prevent fires.

Large families and clever sleeping arrangements

Families often had ten to fourteen children, who commonly slept on benches with special safety backs to prevent falling.

Food

Carp as a common fish dish

Due to an extensive pond system in South Bohemia, carp was a popular and accessible fish that frequently replaced meat during religious fast days.

Daily meal timing

Dining routines were synchronized with the sun; breakfast was eaten two hours earlier than today, and lunch was typically served around 10:00 a.m.

Prices and wages

Relative cost of footwear and meat

The price of a pair of shoes rose significantly, and in the years 1618–1620, it cost the same as 5.6 kg of meat.

Purchasing power plummeted during the price revolution

Between 1543 and the period 1618-1620, the cost of living surged, causing the purchasing power of a thaler to drop from 30 kg of meat to only 5.6 kg.

Work

Common occupations in the Bohemian lands

Common non-agricultural jobs included bakers, butchers, smiths, tanners, millers, tailors, weavers, and miners, alongside day laborers who relied on wages to survive.

The rhythm of the working day

Work was often physically demanding and seasonal, such as clearing ice from mill wheels in winter or threshing grain. Day laborers were frequently paid on Saturdays, and wages were sometimes tied to specific tasks like the 12th or 15th bushel of output.

News and letters

Delivery speeds varied by urgency

While average travel times were slower, extraordinary couriers could travel at high speeds for urgent matters, such as delivering news of Henri IV's 1610 assassination to Venice in just 8 days. Standard mail to Vienna from distant regions typically took 12 to 15 days.

Informal travel and messenger networks

Before postal services reached every area, ordinary people often relied on informal messengers or travelers who carried letters along their routes. Travelers would meet at roadside inns to exchange news, directions, and find companions for safety.

During their lifetime

1620
Battle of White Mountain 1620
The defeat of Bohemian estates at White Mountain ended the revolt, triggering re-Catholicization and massive forced exiles.
1624
Deadly winter frosts 1624
Severe winter frosts caused civilians and soldiers to freeze to death while hiding or traveling in Moravia.
1642
English Civil Wars begin
Beginning in 1642, the English Civil Wars caused approximately 200,000 deaths and led to heavy weekly taxes to fund the fighting.
1649
Execution of King Charles I
King Charles I was publicly executed for treason, marking the first time a monarch was beheaded by his own people.

Family

Parents

Ancestors and children

Open the full tree

Four generations back to the right, the children to the left. The number beside a child counts the generations of descendants known after them.