by Susan Flantzer
Until the advent of modern medicine, childbirth was a danger to women, both royals and commoners. Many women died from puerperal fever or childbed fever, a bacterial infection. The majority of childbed fever cases were caused by the birth attendants themselves. With no knowledge of germs, it was believed that hand washing was unnecessary. Other women died from problems that caesarean sections now prevent. I have always had a soft spot in my heart for those women who died in childbirth. Without the modern caesarean section, my two children, who were both breech babies, and I may not have survived.
Maternal deaths due to childbirth complications, although infrequent, still occur, and I would like to remember an online friend who passed away shortly after giving birth. I was an AOL Royalty Community Leader from 1998-2005 when the Community Leader program ceased to exist. During that time, I met many people on AOL who were interested in royalty via the message boards and chats I hosted. One of them was ALMACKS, whose real name was Dana Sherman. I remember Dana as a person who had strong opinions on royals and was not afraid to express her opinions and defend them. She always wanted to go to London and did so by herself during the Golden Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II. In February of 2003, after giving birth to her second child, Dana passed away. I dedicate this article to the memory of Dana.
This does not purport to be a complete list. I will be adding to this list and gladly welcome information on those not included. All photos are from Wikipedia.
AUSTRIA
Maria Anna of Spain: 18 August 1606 – 13 May 1646
- Parents: King Philip III of Spain and Margaret of Austria
- Married: Ferdinand III, Holy Roman Emperor on 20 February 1631 (first wife)
Maria Anna died at age 39 after giving birth to her sixth child who also died. Supposedly she died of poisoning and her child was born by caesarean section.
Wikipedia: Maria Anna of Spain
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Maria Leopoldine of Austria: 6 April 1632 – 7 August 1649
- Parents: Leopold V, Archduke of Austria and Claudia de’ Medici
- Married: Ferdinand III, Holy Roman Emperor on 2 July 1648 in Linz (second wife)
Maria Leopoldine died in childbirth at age 17 after delivering her only child, Karl Josef, who lived until he was 15. Maria Leopoldine was buried in the Imperial Crypt in Vienna
Wikipedia: Maria Leopoldine of Austria
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Margarita Teresa of Spain: 12 July 1651 – 12 March 1673
- Parents: King Philip IV of Spain and his second wife Mariana of Austria
- Married: Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor on 12 December 1666 in Vienna (first wife)
Margarita Teresa died at age 21 while giving birth to her fourth child who died not survive. She was buried in the Imperial Crypt in Vienna.
Wikipedia: Margarita Teresa of Spain
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Maria Anna of Austria: 18 September 1718 – 16 December 1744
- Parents: Charles VI, Holy Roman Emperor and Elisabeth Christine of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel
- Married: Prince Charles Alexander of Lorraine in 1744
Archduchess Maria Anna went into labor in October 1744 and delivered a stillborn baby. She never recovered and died two months later at age 26. Both mother and baby were buried in the Imperial Crypt in Vienna, Austria.
Wikipedia: Maria Anna of Austria
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Elisabeth of Württemberg: 21 April 1767 – 18 February 1790
- Parents: Frederick II Eugene, Duke of Württemberg and Sophia Dorothea of Brandenburg-Schwedt
- Married: Archduke Franz of Austria (the future Holy Roman Emperor Franz II and Emperor Franz I of Austria) on 6 January 1788 in Vienna (first wife)
Upset by the illness of her husband’s uncle, Holy Roman Emperor Joseph II, Elisabeth went into premature labor that lasted more than 24 hours and delivered a daughter Ludovika. Elisabeth did not survive and died at age 22. She was buried in the Imperial Crypt in Vienna. Her daughter died the following year.
Unofficial Royalty: Elisabeth of Württemberg
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Alexandra Pavlovna of Russia: 9 August 1783 – 16 March 1801
- Parents: Tsar Paul I of Russia and his second wife Sophie Dorothea of Württemberg
- Married: Archduke Joseph of Austria in 1799 (first wife)
Alexandra Pavlovna died at age 17 from childbed fever after giving birth to a daughter who also died. Her death occurred the same week as her father’s murder.
Wikipedia: Alexandra Pavlovna of Russia
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Maria Theresa of Naples and Sicily: 6 June 1772 – 13 April 1807
- Parents: King Ferdinand IV & III of Naples and Sicily (later King Ferdinand I of the Two Sicilies) and Maria Carolina of Austria (daughter of Francis I, Holy Roman Emperor and Maria Theresa of Austria)
- Married: Archduke Franz of Austria (the future Holy Roman Emperor Franz II and Emperor Franz I of Austria) 15 September 1790 (second wife)
After giving birth to her twelfth child, Amalia Theresa, Maria Theresa became ill and died within the week. The child died the day after her birth. Maria Theresa is buried in the Imperial Crypt, Vienna.
Unofficial Royalty: Maria Theresa of Naples and Sicily
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Hermine of Anhalt-Bernburg-Schaumburg-Hoym: 2 December 1797 – 14 September 1817
- Parents: Victor II, Prince of Anhalt-Bernburg-Schaumburg-Hoym and Princess Amelia of Nassau-Weilburg
- Married: Archduke Joseph of Austria on 30 August 1815 at Schaumburg Castle in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany (second wife)
Hermine died at age 19 giving birth to fraternal twins, a boy and a girl. Both children survived to adulthood, but neither had children.
Wikipedia: Hermine of Anhalt-Bernburg-Schaumburg-Hoym
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BOHEMIA
Judith of Habsburg: 1271 – 21 May 1297
- Parents: King Rudolph I of Germany and Gertrude of Hohenburg
- Married: King Wenceslaus II of Bohemia in 1285
Judith of Habsburg died at age 26, several weeks after giving birth to her tenth child, a daughter also named Judith who did not survive. She was buried at Saint Vitus’ Cathedral in Prague, now in the Czech Republic.
Wikipedia: Judith of Habsburg
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Kunigunde of Sternberg: 18 November 1425 – 19 November 1449
- Parents: Smil of Sternberg and Barbara of Pardubice
- Married: George of Poděbrady, King of Bohemia
Kunigunde of Sternberg had already given birth to four children when she died at age 24, several days after giving birth to twin girls, who both survived. One of the twins, Catherine of Poděbrady, also died due to childbirth complications. Kunigunde was buried at the Church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross in Poděbrady, now in the Czech Republic.
Wikipedia: Kunigunde of Sternberg
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DENMARK
Elisabeth Helene von Vieregg: 4 May 1679 – 27 June 1704
- Parents: Adam Otto von Vieregg til Weitendorff from Mecklenburg,
- Married: (morganatic and bigamous) King Frederik IV of Denmark in 1703
Elisabeth Helene von Vieregg died while giving birth to her only child, Frederik Gyldenløve, who survived for less than a year.
Wikipedia: Elisabeth Helene von Vieregg
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ENGLAND/GREAT BRITAIN/UNITED KINGDOM
Elizabeth of Rhuddlan: 7 August 1282 – 5 May 1316
- Parents: King Edward I of England and Eleanor of Castile
- Married: (1) John I, Count of Holland on 8 January 1297 (2) Humphrey de Bohun, 4th Earl of Hereford on 14 November 1302 at Westminster Abbey
Elizabeth, who was born at Rhuddlan Castle in Wales, had 11 children with her second husband Humphrey de Bohun. She died at age 33 shortly after giving birth to her 11th child Isabella, who also died. Mother and daughter were buried together at Waltham Abbey.
Wikipedia: Elizabeth of Rhuddlan
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Mary de Bohun: c. 1368 – c. June – July 4, 1394
- Parents: Humphrey de Bohun, 7th Earl of Hereford and Joan Fitzalan
- Married: the future King Henry IV of England in 1380
Mary died at age 26 giving birth to her seventh child at Peterborough Castle and was buried at the Church of St Mary of the Annunciation in The Newarke, Leicester which was destroyed under the Dissolution of the Chantries Act of Edward VI. She was the mother of King Henry V of England. Her seventh child, Philippa, survived and married Eric of Pomerania, King of Denmark and Norway.
Unofficial Royalty: Mary de Bohun
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Elizabeth of York: 11 February 1466 – 11 February 1503
- Parents: King Edward IV of England and Elizabeth Woodville
- Married: King Henry VII of England in 1486
After giving birth to her seventh child Katherine, Elizabeth died of childbed fever on her 37th birthday and was buried in Henry VII’s Chapel, Westminster Abbey. Katherine died the day before her mother. Elizabeth was the daughter of Edward IV, the sister of Edward V, the niece of Richard III, the wife of Henry VII, the mother of Henry VIII and the grandmother of Edward VI, Mary I, and Elizabeth I.
Unofficial Royalty: Elizabeth of York
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Jane Seymour: c. 1508 – 24 October 1537
- Parents: Sir John Seymour and Margery Wentworth
- Married: King Henry VIII of England (third wife) in 1536
After a long and difficult delivery, Jane finally gave Henry VIII his long-awaited son, King Edward VI of England. Nine days later Jane died of childbed fever at Hampton Court Palace and was buried at St. George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle. Henry VIII decided his final resting place would be next to Jane.
Unofficial Royalty: Jane Seymour
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Catherine Parr: 1512 – 5 September 1548
- Parents: Sir Thomas Parr and Maud Green
- Married: (1) Sir Edward Borough (2) John Neville, 3rd Baron Latymer (3) King Henry VIII of England (4) Thomas Seymour, 1st Baron Seymour of Sudeley
After the death of Henry VIII, Catherine married Thomas Seymour, the brother of Henry’s third wife Jane Seymour. It was during this marriage that Catherine became pregnant for the first time. She gave birth to a daughter Mary but died from childbed fever six days later. After Mary’s father was beheaded, she came under the care of the Dowager Duchess of Suffolk. The last mention of Mary Seymour was when she was two. It is thought she died as a child. Catherine Parr was buried in the chapel of Sudeley Castle, however, in later years the chapel was ruined. Eventually, a proper tomb was built for Queen Catherine.
Unofficial Royalty: Catherine Parr
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Charlotte of Wales: 7 January 1796 – 6 November 1817
- Parents: the future King George IV of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and Caroline of Brunswick
- Married: Prince Leopold of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld in 1816; Leopold was the uncle of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert and became King of the Belgians in 1831.
Twenty-one year old Princess Charlotte, the only child of George, Prince of Wales, died after delivering a stillborn son at Claremont House, Esher, Surrey. She was mourned by the British people in a manner similar to the mourning of Diana, Princess of Wales. Charlotte’s pregnancy and delivery had been grossly mismanaged and the doctor in charge later committed suicide. Charlotte was buried at St. George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle with her stillborn son at her feet.
Unofficial Royalty: Charlotte of Wales
Unofficial Royalty: Death of Princess Charlotte of Wales in childbirth and its impact on the succession to the British throne
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FRANCE
Constance, Duchess of Brittany: 12 June 1161 – 5 September 1201
- Parents: Conan IV, Duke of Brittany and Earl of Richmond and Margaret of Huntingdon
- Married: (1) Geoffrey Plantagenet, son of King Henry II of England in 1181; (2) Ranulf de Blondeville, 6th Earl of Chester on 3 February 1188; (3) Guy of Thouars in 1198
Constance had three children with her first husband and two children with her third husband. She died at age 40 shortly after the birth of her last child, Katherine of Thouars, most likely as a result of both leprosy and childbirth. Constance was buried at Villeneuve Abbey in Nantes, France, the same burial place as her daughter Alix of Thourars who also died of childbirth complications.
Wikipedia: Constance, Duchess of Brittany
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Alix of Thouars, Duchess of Brittany: 5 September 1201 – 21 October 1221
- Parents: Guy of Thouars and Constance, Duchess of Brittany (whose first husband was Geoffrey, son of King Henry II of England)
- Married: Peter of Dreux in 1213
Alix of Thouars, aged 21, died while delivering a son, Arthur who died at age 2. She had a surviving son and a surviving daughter. She was buried at Villeneuve Abbey in Nantes, France.
Wikipedia: Alix of Thouars
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Gabrielle d’Estrées: 1573 – 10 April 1599
- Parents: Antoine d’Estrées and Françoise Babou de La Bourdaisière
- Mistress of King Henri IV of France
Gabrielle d’Estrées had three children with King Henri IV of France, all of who were recognized and legitimized by their father. While pregnant with her fourth child, she had an attack of eclampsia, which causes seizures in pregnant women, and gave birth to a stillborn son. She died the following day at age 26 and was buried at Notre-Dame-La-Royale de Maubuisson Abbey in Saint-Ouen-l’Aumône, northwest of Paris, France.
Wikipedia: Gabrielle d’Estrées
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Margravine Auguste of Baden-Baden: 10 November 1704 – 8 August 1726
- Parents: Louis William, Margrave of Baden-Baden, and Sibylle of Saxe-Lauenburg
- Married: Louis d’Orléans, Duke of Orléans, the grandson of King Louis XIV of France in 1724
Known in France as Auguste de Bade, she died three days after giving birth to her second child who survived for less than two years. She was only 21 years old and was buried at the Val-de-Grâce Convent in Paris. Auguste de Bade was the paternal great-grandmother of Louis-Philippe I, King of the French.
Wikipedia: Auguste of Baden-Baden
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Louise Diane d’Orléans: 27 June 1716 – 26 September 1736
- Parents: Philippe d’Orléans, Duke of Orléans and Françoise Marie de Bourbon, legitimized daughter of King Louis XIV of France and his mistress Madame de Montespan
- Married: Louis François de Bourbon, Prince of Conti in 1732
In 1734, Louise gave birth to her first child, a son, but died at age 20 while delivering her second son who also died. She was buried at Saint-André-des-Arcs Church in L’Isle d’Adam, France.
Wikipedia: Louise Diane d’Orleans
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Anne Thérèse of Savoy: 1 November 1717 – 5 April 1745
- Parents: Victor Amadeus, Prince of Carignano and Maria Vittoria Francesca of Savoy
- Married: Charles de Rohan, Prince of Soubise in 1741
Anne Thérèse gave birth to a daughter in 1743, but two years later died in childbirth at age 27 along with her second child. Her daughter, Victoire Armande Josèphe de Rohan, was the governess of the children of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette.
Wikipedia: Anne Thérèse of Savoy
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Maria Teresa Rafaela of Spain: 11 June 1726 – 22 July 1746
- Parents: King Philip V of Spain and Elisabeth Farnese
- Married: Louis, Dauphin of France, son of King Louis XV of France in 1745
Marie Thérèse Raphaëlle d’Espagne, as she was known in France, died at age 20, three days after giving birth to her first child, a daughter who died less than two years later. The Dauphine was buried at the Basilica of St Denis outside Paris.
Wikipedia: Maria Teresa Rafaela of Spain
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Maria Teresa Felicitas d’Este of Modena: October 6, 1726 – April 30, 1754
- Parents: Francesco III, Duke of Modena and Reggio and Charlotte Aglaé d’Orléans, granddaughter of King Louis XIV of France and his mistress, Françoise-Athénaïs, Marquise de Montespan
- Married: Louis Jean Marie de Bourbon, Duke of Penthièvre, grandson of King Louis XIV and his mistress, Françoise-Athénaïs, Marquise de Montespan, in 1744
Maria Teresa gave birth to six children before she died in childbirth at age 27 along with her seventh child. She was originally buried at the Château de Rambouillet chapel, but was moved to the Chapelle Royale de Dreux by her surviving daughter. Maria Teresa is the maternal grandmother of Louis-Philippe I, King of the French.
Wikipedia: Maria Teresa Felicitas d’Este
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HUNGARY
Catherine of Poděbrady: 11 November 1449 – 8 March 1464
- Parents: George of Poděbrady, King of Bohemia and Kunigunde of Šternberk
- Married: Matthias Corvinus, King Matthias I of Hungary in 1463
Catherine of Poděbrady, aged 14, and her baby died a few days after the birth.
Wikipedia: Catherine of Poděbrady
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INDIA
Mumtaz Mahal: April 1593 – 17 June 1631
- Married: Prince Khurram, known as Shah Jahan in 1612
Mumtaz died while giving birth to her fourteenth child, Gauhara Begum who lived for 75 years. She was originally buried at Burhanpur. Her distraught husband planned a suitable mausoleum in Agra for his wife…the Taj Mahal.
Wikipedia: Mumtaz Mahal
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MECKELNBERG – STRELITZ (Germany)
Friederike of Hesse-Darmstadt: 20 August 1752 – 22 May 1782
- Parents: Prince George William of Hesse-Darmstadt and Countess Maria Louise Albertine of Leiningen-Falkenburg-Dagsburg
- Married: Charles II, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz in 1768
Friederike died while giving birth to her tenth child who also died.
Unofficial Royalty: Friederike of Hesse-Darmstadt
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Charlotte of Hesse-Darmstadt: 5 November 1755 – 12 December 1785
- Parents: Prince George William of Hesse-Darmstadt and Countess Maria Louise Albertine of Leiningen-Falkenburg-Dagsburg
- Married: Charles II, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg in 1784. Her sister Friederike was Charles’ first wife and had died in childbirth two years earlier.
Charlotte died at age 30 after giving birth to her only child, a son, Duke Charles of Mecklenburg. Charles served in the Prussian army during Napoleonic Wars and later served as President of the Prussian State Council.
Unofficial Royalty: Charlotte of Hesse-Darmstadt
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MODENA (Italy)
Charlotte of Brunswick-Lüneburg: 8 March 1671–29 September 1710
- Parents: John Frederick, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg and Benedicta Henrietta of the Palatinate
- Married: Rinaldo d’Este, Duke of Modena in 1696
Charlotte died at age 39, at the Ducal Palace of Modena, while giving birth to her third child who also died. She was buried at the Church of San Vincenzo in Modena (Italy).
Wikipedia: Charlotte of Brunswick-Lüneburg
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NASSAU (Germany)
Elizabeth Mikhailovna of Russia: 26 May 1826 – 28 January 1845
- Parents: Grand Duke Mikhail Pavlovich of Russia and Princess Charlotte of Württemberg
- Married: Adolf, Duke of Nassau (the future Adolphe I, Grand Duke of Luxembourg) on 31 January 1844 in St. Petersburg, Russia
Elizabeth Mikhailovna was the granddaughter of Paul I, Emperor of All Russia and the great-granddaughter of Catherine the Great. She died at age 18 while giving birth to her first child, a daughter who did not survive. Her marriage had been a love match and her grieving husband had a Russian Orthodox church built around her grave in Wiesbaden (Germany). The church was dedicated to St. Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist, who had been Elizabeth Mikhailovna’s patron saint.
Wikipedia: Elizabeth Mikhailovna of Russia
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NORWAY
Christina Sverresdottir of Norway: c. 1190s – 1213
- Parents: King Sverre Sigurdsson of Norway and Margaret of Sweden
- Married: Philip Simonsson, a Norwegian aristocrat and the Bagler party pretender to the throne of Norway, in 1209
Christina died giving birth to her first child, a son, who also died.
Wikipedia: Christina Sverresdottir of Norway
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Margaret of Scotland: 28 February 1261 – 9 April 1283
- Parents: King Alexander III of Scotland and his first wife, Margaret of England, daughter of King Henry III of England
- Married: King Eric II of Norway in 1281
Queen Margaret died in Tønsberg, shortly after giving birth to Margaret, Maid of Norway, who would become Queen of the Scots upon the death of her grandfather, King Alexander III in 1286. Margaret, Maid of Norway died in 1290 while traveling to Scotland. She never set foot in Scotland and some do not consider her a Queen of Scots. Her death set off a battle for the Scottish succession.
Wikipedia: Margaret of Scotland
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PARMA (Italy)
Margaret Yolande of Savoy: 15 November 1635 – 29 April 1663
- Parents: Victor Amadeus I, Duke of Savoy and Christine Marie of France, daughter of King Henri IV of France and Marie de’ Medici
- Married: Ranuccio II Farnese, Duke of Parma in 1660
Margaret Yolande died at age 27 at the Ducal Palace of Colorno giving birth to her second child. Her first child had been a stillborn son and her second child, also a son, died two days after his birth. She was buried at the Sanctuary of Santa Maria della Steccata in Parma.
Wikipedia: Margaret Yolande of Savoy
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Maria Pia of the Two Sicilies: 2 August 1849 – 29 September 1882
- Parents: King Ferdinand II of the Two Sicilies and Maria Theresa of Austria
- Married: Robert I, Duke of Parma on 5 April 1869 in Rome
Maria Pia and her husband had 12 children, six of whom were mentally disabled. At age 33, she died after giving birth to a stillborn child and was buried at the Villa Borbone near Viareggio, Italy.
Wikipedia: Maria Pia of the Two Sicilies
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POLAND
Jadwiga, King of Poland: 1373/4 – 17 July 1399
- Parents: Louis I of Hungary and of Elizabeth of Bosnia
- Married: Jogaila, Grand Duke of Lithuania
Jadwiga was monarch of Poland from 1384 until her death and used the title King. She gave birth to her only child, a daughter Elizabeth Bonifacia. Within a month, both mother and daughter died due to childbirth complications. Jadwiga and her daughter were buried together at the Cathedral Basilica of Sts. Stanislaus and Wenceslaus in Kraków, Poland.
Wikipedia: Jadwiga of Poland
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PORTUGAL
Isabella, Princess of Asturias: 2 October 1470 – 23 August 1498
- Parents: King Ferdinand II of Aragon and Queen Isabella I of Castile
- Married: (1) Afonso, Prince of Portugal in 1490 (2) King Manuel I of Portugal in 1497
Isabella died while giving birth to Miguel da Paz, who was heir to the thrones of Castile and Portugal until his death two years later.
Wikipedia: Isabella, Princess of Asturias
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Maria Leopoldina of Austria: 22 January 1797 – 11 December 1826
- Parents: Franz II, Holy Roman Emperor and Maria Teresa of the Two Sicilies
- Married: King Pedro VI of Portugal (also Emperor Pedro I of Brazil) on 13 May 1817
After giving birth to seven children, Maria Leopoldina died following a miscarriage at age 29. She was buried first in the Ajuda Abbey in Rio de Janeiro and was re-buried in 1954 in the Ipiranga Monument in São Paulo, Brazil.
Unofficial Royalty: Maria Leopoldina of Austria
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Maria II, Queen Regnant of Portugal: 4 April 1819 – November 1853
- Parents: Pedro IV and I, King of Portugal and first Emperor of Brazil and Maria Leopoldina, Archduchess of Austria
- Married: (1) Auguste Charles, 2nd Duke of Leuchtenberg, son of Eugène de Beauharnais, grandson of Empress Josephine in 1835 (2) Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha in 1836
Queen Maria II died while giving birth to her eleventh child, Infante Eugénio, who died several hours after his mother. Maria had been warned by her doctors about her constant pregnancies. She was buried at the Royal Pantheon of the Braganza Dynasty at the Monastery of São Vicente de Fora in Lisbon, Portugal.
Unofficial Royalty: Maria II of Portugal
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RUSSIA
Charlotte Christine of Brunswick-Lüneburg: 28 August 1694 – 2 November 1715
- Parents: Louis Rudolph, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg and Christine Louise of Oettingen-Oettingen
- Married: Tsarevich Alexei Petrovich of Russia, son of Peter I ( the Great), in 1711
Charlotte Christine died at age 21, a few days after delivering her second child, a son. Her son, Peter II, ruled Russia for three years until his death from smallpox at age 14.
Wikipedia: Charlotte Christine of Brunswick-Lüneburg
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Anna Petrovna of Russia: 27 January 1708, Moscow – 4 March 1728
- Parents: Peter I (the Great) of Russia and Catherine I of Russia
- Married: Charles Frederick, Duke of Holstein-Gottorp in 1724
Anna Petrovna died a few days after giving birth to her only child, the future Peter III, in Kiel, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. Peter was emperor for only six months. He was deposed by his wife who succeeded him on the throne as Catherine II (the Great). Anna Petrovna was buried near her parents at the Peter and Paul Cathedral in St. Petersburg.
Unofficial Royalty: Anna Petrovna of Russia
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Anna Leopoldovna of Russia: 18 December 1718 – 19 March 1746
- Parents: Tsarevna Catherine Ivanovna of Russia, daughter of Tsar Ivan V and Charles Leopold, the Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
- Married: Duke Anthony Ulrich of Brunswick in 1739
Anna Leopoldovna died at age 27 while giving birth to her sixth child Alexei who survived. She was buried at the Alexander Nevsky Monastery in St. Petersburg.
Wikipedia: Anna Leopoldovna of Russia
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Wilhelmina Louisa of Hesse-Darmstadt: 25 June 1755 – 15 April 1776
- Parents: Ludwig IX, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt and Caroline of Zweibrücken
- Married: The future Tsar Paul I of Russia
Known as Natalia Alexeievna after her marriage, she died at age 20 after giving birth to her first child, a stillborn son.
Unofficial Royalty: Wilhelmina Louisa of Hesse-Darmstadt
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Alexandra of Greece and Denmark: 30 August 1870 – 24 September 1891
- Parents: King George I of Greece and Olga Konstantinovna of Russia
- Married: Grand Duke Paul Alexandrovich of Russia, son of Emperor Alexander II of Russia, in 1889
Known as Grand Duchess Alexandra Georgievna after her marriage, she died at age 21. In her seventh month of pregnancy, she suffered a fall, had violent labor pains, gave premature birth to her second child Dmitri Pavlovich, went into a coma, and died six days later. She was buried at the Peter and Paul Cathedral in St. Petersburg, but in 1939 her remains were transferred to the Greek Royal Cemetery at Tatoi in Greece. Her son Dmitri Pavlovich was one of the conspirators in the murder of Grigori Rasputin.
Unofficial Royalty: Alexandra of Greece and Denmark
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SCOTLAND
Isabella of Mar: c. 1277 – 12 December 1296
- Parents: Domhnall I, Earl of Mar and Helen
- Married: Robert the Bruce in 1295
Isabella died at age 19 after giving birth to her only child, Marjorie Bruce. Marjorie married Walter Stewart, 6th High Steward of Scotland, and their son became Robert II of Scotland, the first Stewart monarch. Isabella was buried at buried at Paisley Abbey, Renfrewshire
Unofficial Royalty: Isabella of Mar
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Marjorie Bruce: 1296 – 2 March 1316
- Parents: Robert the Bruce, King of Scots and his first wife Isabella of Mar
- Married: Walter Stewart, 6th High Steward of Scotland in 1314
Like her mother Isabella of Mar, Marjorie also died in childbirth at age 19. She was thrown from her horse and went into premature labor and died soon after delivering a son. Her son became Robert II, King of Scots, the first monarch of the Stewart dynasty. Marjorie’s descendants include the House of Stuart and all their successors on the thrones of Scotland, Great Britain, and the United Kingdom.
Wikipedia: Marjorie Bruce
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SERBIA
Zorka of Montenegro: 23 December 1864 – 16 March 1890
- Parents: King Nicholas I of Montenegro and Milena Vukotić
- Married: Peter Karađorđević, who became King Peter I of Serbia in 1903, after her death
Zorka died at age 25 giving birth to her fifth child who also died. She is buried at Church of St. George in Topola, Serbia.
Unofficial Royalty: Zorka of Montenegro
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SICILY (Italy)
Isabella of England: 1214 – 1 December 1241
- Parents: King John of England and Isabella of Angouleme
- Married: Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor and King of Sicily in July of 1235
Isabella died after giving birth to her fourth child, Margaret, at age 27 at Foggia, Italy. She is buried at the Cathedral of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary in Andria, Italy
Wikipedia: Isabella of England
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SPAIN
Maria Manuela of Portugal: 15 October 1527 – 12 August 1545
- Parents: King John III of Portugal and Catherine of Austria
- Married: Philip II of Spain (first wife, before he became king) in 1543
Maria Manuela died at age 17 after giving birth to Carlos, Prince of Asturias, who was born with both physical and psychological issues and predeceased his father.
Wikipedia: Maria Manuela of Portugal
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Elisabeth of Valois: 2 April 1545 – 3 October 1568
- Parents: King Henri II of France and Catherine de’ Medici
- Married: King Philip II of Spain (third wife) in 1559
Elisabeth’s first pregnancy ended in the miscarriage of twin girls. This was followed by two successful births of two daughters. During her fourth pregnancy, Elisabeth, age 23, suffered another miscarriage and died the same day. She was buried at El Escorial.
Wikipedia: Elisabeth of Valois
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Anna of Austria: 1 November 1549 – 26 October 1580
- Parents: Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian II and Maria of Spain
- Married: King Philip II of Spain (fourth wife) in 1570
Anna gave birth to five children, only one of which, King Philip III, survived to adulthood. Anna became ill during her fifth pregnancy and was bled. This may have caused anemia. At age 30, she died of heart failure soon after the birth of her fifth child Maria and was buried at El Escorial.
Wikipedia: Anna of Austria
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TUSCANY (Italy)
Maria Luisa of Naples and Sicily: 27 July 1773 – 19 September 1802
- Parents: The future King Ferdinand I of the Two Sicilies and Maria Carolina of Austria, a sister of Marie Antoinette
Married: Ferdinand III, Grand Duke of Tuscany in 1790
Maria Luisa died at age 29 while giving birth to her sixth child, a stillborn son, at the Hofburg Imperial Palace in Vienna. She was buried in the Imperial Crypt in Vienna with her stillborn son in her arms.
Wikipedia: Maria Luisa of Naples and Sicily
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WALES
Eleanor de Montfort: 1258 – 19 June 1282
- Parents: Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester and Eleanor of England, a daughter of King John of England
- Married: Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, Prince of Wales in 1275
Eleanor died in childbirth at age 24 giving birth to her only child Gwenllian ferch Llywelyn and was buried at the Franciscan Friary of Llanfaes, Wales. A few months after Gwenllian’s birth, her father and uncle were put to death by the English army under King Edward I. The infant Gwenllian was sent to Gilbertine Priory at Sempringham, England to prevent her from marrying and having sons who could claim to be Prince of Wales. She died at the priory 54 years later.
Wikipedia: Eleanor de Montfort
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WÜRTTEMBERG (Germany)
Marie of Waldeck and Pyrmont: 23 May 1857 – 30 April 1882
- Parents: George Victor, Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont and Helena of Nassau
- Married: the future King Wilhelm II of Württemberg in 1877
After giving birth to two children, Marie died at the age of 24 after giving birth to a stillbirth daughter. Marie was the sister of Helena of Waldeck and Pyrmont, the wife of Queen Victoria’s son Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany and Emma of Waldeck and Pyrmont who married King Willem II of the Netherland.
Unofficial Royalty: Marie of Waldeck and Pyrmont