Princess Dóróthea

**Dóróthea** (Full name: *Dóróthea María Elínóra Róshildur*; 1 June 1912 – 15 January 1965), nicknamed **Dóró**, was the middle daughter of Bjárni II and Úlfhildur, Duchess of the Velkanias, and a member of the Velkanian royal family. She was additionally the younger sister of Ragnhildur III and aunt of Hrafnhildur III.

A wild and often controversial royal, Dóróthea never married or bore any children. Throughout her life, she frequently appeared in tabloid news for her appearances at Naríthjábæk nightclubs, burlesque shows, and bars, where she was commonly seen engaging in disorderly conduct. By 1940, she was said to be "virtually estranged" from the remainder of the royal family. Dóróthea died on 15 January 1965 at a male lover's home in Búdarverfi, reportedly due to an accidental drowning due to alcohol intoxication; her lover was initially considered a suspect in her death, but ultimately was cleared of all charges.

## Early life

Dóróthea was born on 1 June 1912 at Krúningárathjálla Palace in Naríthjábæk as the second child of Bjárni II and Úlfhildur, Duchess of the Velkanias. Her father was the elder child and only son of Bjárni I, while her mother was of the Velkanian nobility. At the time of her birth, the Velkanian Isles was a constituent country of Forsland, operating under the name of the Velkanian Duchy. Her father was reigning as the Duke of the Velkanias.

Dóróthea had an elder sister Ragnhildur, born two years prior, while her younger sister Lýdía was born when she was three years old. She was raised in Krúningárathjálla Palace with her father, mother, and two sisters. The family spent summers at Jællkullythárjókur Palace in the city of Jællkullythárjókur.

### Education

Dóróthea began her education in 1918, attending Naríthjábæk Primary School for Girls, a private primary school for girls. Dóróthea struggled immensely in school, being diagnosed with ADHD and dyslexia by age eight, and struggling with her schoolwork and behavior. By age ten, her parents had begun taking her to a children's psychologist weekly in an attempt to curb her behavior. However, she ultimately went on to graduate from primary school on-time in 1928.

After graduating from primary school, Dóróthea enrolled in the Velkanian School of the Arts to study a fine arts program. Dóróthea enjoyed high school much more than primary school, where she felt like she was surrounded by peers and was able to pursue less fast-paced academic classes in favor of calmer art courses. Nevertheless, Dóróthea still struggled with behavioral issues, often being reprimanded for disrespecting authority figures and inappropriate behavior with male classmates. After almost being expelled during her final year at school, Dóróthea graduated in 1930. While her parents had pressured Dóróthea to begin a university education, Dóróthea declined as she did not enjoy school and did not want to continue pursing academia.

## Adulthood

After graduating from high school in 1930, Dóróthea begged her parents to allow her to move out of the palace and live on her own. They continuously rejected her pleas, but by 1932, they began renting a two-bedroom house in Fjallassandur for her to live with Reynheidur Samúelsdætr, a female friend from high school; it is virtually unheard of for Velkanian royals to reside in a non-official residence, so news of Dóróthea moving into a civilian home was a major news story. For safety concerns, the house was massively renovated prior to her move-in, in order to allow for a security system similar to that in the palace, a gated entrance, and a 24-hour in-person guard.

After leaving the palace, Dóróthea's behavior began to spiral downwards quickly. It soon emerged that Dóróthea and Reynheidur had become known in young adult Naríthjábæk social circles for hosting lavish and drug-fueled parties almost nightly in their house. In 1934, the press reported that some of these parties consisted of group orgies and referred to Dóróthea and Reynheidur as "expensive prostitutes." While the royal family is typically quick to come out against malicious rumors being spread about other royals, Dóróthea's parents and siblings remained silent regarding the rumors. In 1940, it was reported that Dóróthea was a member of the royal family "in name only," and that she had been "virtually estranged" from her parents and siblings for at least the past five years. The press also reported that Dóróthea had been the one to sever ties, after rejecting her family's attempts to have her return to the palace and seek drug and alcohol rehabilitation and therapy.

Throughout the 1940s, Dóróthea became a regular fixture in the Naríthjábæk nightlife scene. She frequented nightclubs, burlesque shows, and bars throughout Akuhólmur almost nightly, often engaging in disorderly conduct that was reported in the press the morning afterwards. In 1943, her mother was reported as calling Dóróthea "an embarrassment" to the family. This behavior continued into the 1950s and 1960s, although she began appearing less frequently in tabloids as new tabloid darlings of the era began to emerge.

## Personal life and interests

After being raised in Krúningárathjálla Palace, Dóróthea moved to a modest two-bedroom home in the Fjallassandur district of Naríthjábæk in 1932, residing with her close friend Reynheidur Samúelsdætr. They remained there for several years, until Reynheidur moved out to get married in 1939. Afterwards, Dóróthea began renting a one-bedroom apartment in the Akuhólmur district, where she resided for the remainder of her life. A gifted artist, Dóróthea often made extra money by selling hand drawn abstract illustrations, and also frequently designed her own clothing.

## Death

On the morning of 15 January 1965, it was reported that Dóróthea had died earlier in the morning at a friend's home in Búdarverfi, although no details of her death were released to the public. The police revealed that some factors of her death were "suspicious," and they had taken in a suspect for questioning.

The suspect was Hyltir Végeirsson, a real estate executive whom Dóróthea had a sexual relationship with. Hyltir told police that he and Dóróthea had engaged in sexual relations in his at-home sauna while under the influence of alcohol. Afterwards, they decided to take a swim in the ocean while still under the influence, as his home was waterfront property. Dóróthea accidentally drowned due to alcohol intoxication, and Hyltir called the police one hour afterwards after sobering up. Police later cleared Hyltir and listed Dóróthea's cause of death as accidental drowning due to alcohol intoxication.

Unlike with most members of the royal family, Dóróthea was not given a public funeral, and her funeral arrangements were kept private within the royal family. The press reported that this was due to the family not wishing to spend money on organizing a lavish funeral for a family member they had privately excommunicated, but her sister Crown Princess Ragnhildur disputed these claims, instead stating they decided to hold a private funeral due to her death's "tragic circumstances."

## Titles

* **1 June 1912 – 15 January 1965**: *Her Highness* Princess Dóróthea of the Velkanias