Royal News Recap for Tuesday, April 1, 2025

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Royal News Recaps are published Mondays-Fridays and on Sundays, except for Thanksgiving in the United States, Christmas Eve, and New Year’s Eve. The Royal News Recap for Sundays will be a weekend recap. If there is any breaking or major news, we will add an update as necessary.

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Unofficial Royalty

Belgium

Denmark

Luxembourg

Monaco

Multiple Monarchies

Netherlands

United Kingdom

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April 2: Today in Royal History

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Élisabeth de Valois, Queen of Spain; Credit – Wikipedia

April 2, 1272 – Death of Richard, Earl of Cornwall, son of King John of England, at Berkhamsted Castle in Hertfordshire, England; buried at Hailes Abbey in Winchcombe, Gloucestershire, England
In 1231, Richard married 30-year-old, widowed Isabel Marshal, daughter of William Marshal, 1st Earl of Pembroke, who had served three kings: Henry II, Richard I, and John, and had been the protector of Richard’s brother King Henry III, and regent of the kingdom. Isabel died while delivering her fourth child, who also died. In 1243, Richard married Sanchia of Provence, the sister of Eleanor of Provence, the wife of his brother King Henry III. The couple had two children, and Sanchia died in 1261. The displeasure of the English nobility with King Henry III ultimately resulted in a civil war, the Second Barons’ War (1264–1267). The leader of the forces against Henry was his brother-in-law, Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester, who was married to Henry’s sister Eleanor. Richard was a supporter of his brother during the Second Barons’ War. He was taken prisoner at the Battle of Lewes and imprisoned until his nephew, the future King Edward I, led the royalists into battle again, defeating and killing de Montfort at the Battle of Evesham in 1265. 60-year-old Richard made a third marriage to 15-year-old Beatrice of Falkenburg in1269. In 1271, Richard had a stroke that paralyzed his right side and caused him to lose the ability to speak. He died one year later at the age of 63.
Unofficial Royalty: Richard, Earl of Cornwall

April 2, 1502 – Death of Arthur, Prince of Wales, son of King Henry VII of England, at Ludlow Castle in Shropshire, England; buried at Worcester Cathedral in Worcester, England
For the first child of King Henry VII of England, the first Tudor monarch, the name Arthur was chosen in hopes that he would bring a new Arthurian age to the new Tudor dynasty. Sadly, that was not to be. Within months of their marriage, Arthur and Catherine of Aragon became ill, probably of the sweating sickness.  Catherine survived, but she was left a widow as Arthur did not survive. Henry VII and his wife, Elizabeth of York, were naturally distraught at the death of their eldest son. Their second son succeeded his father as King Henry VIII in 1509, leaving us to ask the question, “What if Arthur had become king?”
Unofficial Royalty: Arthur, Prince of Wales

April 2, 1545 – Birth of Élisabeth de Valois, Queen of Spain, third of the four wives of King Felipe II of Spain, at Château de Fontainebleau in France
Elisabeth was the daughter of Henri II, King of France and Catherine de’Medici. 14-year-old Elisabeth married 32-year-old King Philip II of Spain. Philip had already been married twice and needed a male heir. Elisabeth considered her main duty to give birth to sons but she was unable to do so. She had five pregnancies but had only two surviving daughters. Elisabeth died after giving birth to a premature daughter who also died.
Unofficial Royalty: Élisabeth de Valois, Queen of Spain

April 2, 1653 – Birth of Prince George (Jørgen) of Denmark, husband of Queen Anne of Great Britain and son of King Frederik III of Denmark and Norway, at Copenhagen Castle in Copenhagen, Denmark
In 1683, George married the future Queen Anne of Great Britain. Sadly, George and Anne had issues with providing an heir. Anne had 17 pregnancies with only five children being born alive. Two died on the day of their birth, two died at less than two years old, within six days of each other from smallpox, and one died at age 11. George played no part in politics and had no real ambitions. His uncle by marriage, King Charles II, famously said of George, “I have tried him drunk, and I have tried him sober, and drunk or sober, there is nothing there.” In the spring of 1706, George became seriously ill but seemed to recover. He spent much of the summer of 1708 at Windsor Castle with asthma that was so bad he was not expected to live. He died on October 28, 1708, at the age of 55.
Unofficial Royalty: Prince George of Denmark

April 2, 1657 – Death of Ferdinand III, Holy Roman Emperor in Vienna, Archduchy of Austria, now in Austria; buried in the Imperial Crypt at the Capuchin Church in Vienna
Ferdinand III, Holy Roman Emperor, was also Archduke of Lower and Inner Austria (reigned 1637 – 1657), King of Bohemia (reigned 1627 – 1657), and King of Hungary and Croatia (reigned 1625 – 1657). Ferdinand III became Holy Roman Emperor in 1537, during the last decade of the Thirty Years’ War (1618 – 1648). The Thirty Years’ War was one of the longest and most destructive conflicts in European history, with an estimated 4.5 to 8 million soldiers and civilians dying as a result of battle, famine, and disease. Although he knew the Holy Roman Empire would be weaker, Ferdinand set out on a policy toward ending the war. The Peace of Westphalia, signed in October 1648, ended the Thirty Years’ War and brought peace to the Holy Roman Empire. Holy Roman Emperor Ferdinand III, the kingdoms of France and Sweden, and their allies among the constituent states of the Holy Roman Empire participated in the treaties.
Unofficial Royalty: Ferdinand III, Holy Roman Emperor, Archduke of Lower and Inner Austria, King of Bohemia, King of Hungary and Croatia

April 2, 1826 – Birth of Georg II, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen in Meiningen, Duchy of Saxe-Meiningen, now in Thuringia, Germany
Georg II was Duke of Saxe-Meiningen from 1866 until he died in 1914.  In 1850, Georg married Princess Charlotte of Prussia. The couple had four children, but Charlotte died in March 1855, just after giving birth to their fourth child, who also died. In 1858, Georg married Princess Feodora of Hohenlohe-Langenburg, the daughter of Ernst I, Prince of Hohenlohe-Langenburg and Princess Feodora of Leiningen, the elder half-sister of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom. They had three children. Georg was passionate about the theatre and established the Meiningen Theater. The company toured extensively throughout Germany and Europe from 1874 to 1890. Georg was also the patron of the Meiningen Court Orchestra. Under his patronage, the orchestra became prominent in the 1880s when Georg hired Hans von Bülow as its conductor. The orchestra served as an ensemble for Johannes Brahms, who even conducted himself when premiering his Fourth Symphony. Brahms remained connected to the orchestra for the rest of his life.
Unofficial Royalty: Georg II, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen

April 2, 1829 – Death of Friedrich VI, Landgrave of Hesse-Homburg, husband of Princess Elizabeth of the United Kingdom, in Bad Homburg in the Landgraviate of Hesse-Homburg, now in Hesse, Germany; buried in the Mausoleum of the Landgraves in Homburg
Friedrich married Princess Elizabeth of the United Kingdom, one of the three out of the six daughters of King George III who managed to get married. Both Elizabeth and Friedrich were 48 years old when they married. The marriage was not a love match, but through mutual understanding and respect, it was a happy marriage that met the needs of both Elizabeth and Friedrich. When Friedrich died due to influenza and complications from an old leg wound, Elizabeth wrote, “No woman was ever more happy than I was for eleven years and they will often be lived over again in the memory of the heart.”
Unofficial Royalty: Friedrich VI, Landgrave of Hesse-Homburg

April 2, 1867 – Death of Emilie of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen, wife of Leopold II, Prince of Lippe, in Detmold, then in the Principality of Lippe, now in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia; buried in the Mausoleum on the Büchenberg in Detmold
Princess Emilie of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen was the wife of Leopold II, Prince of Lippe. Emilie and Leopold had nine children, including three reigning Princes of Lippe, but none of their children had children. Leopold II had a passion for the theater, and with the help of his wife Emilie, the Lippe Princely Court Theater was established in Detmold in 1825. The theater established by Leopold II and Emilie is still in existence today. Now called the Landestheater Detmold, it is a theater for operas, operettas, musicals, ballets, and stage plays in Detmold, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.
Unofficial Royalty: Emilie of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen, Princess of Lippe

April 2, 1949 – Death of Louisa McDonnell, Countess of Antrim, Queen Victoria’s Acting Mistress of the Robes 1894, Lady of the Bedchamber 1890–1901, and Queen Alexandra’s Lady of the Bedchamber 1901-1910; in London, England; buried in the Antrim family graveyard at Glenarm Castle in Glenarm, Northern Ireland
Born Louisa Jane Grey, she was the daughter of The Honorable Charles Grey, who served as the Private Secretary to Prince Albert from 1849 until the Prince died in 1861 and then as Private Secretary to Queen Victoria until his own death in 1870. She married William McDonnell, 6th Earl of Antrim.
Unofficial Royalty: Louisa McDonnell, Countess of Antrim

April 2, 1955 – Birth of Princess Sirindhorn of Thailand, daughter of King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand, at the Amphorn Sathan Residential Hall, Dusit Palace in Bangkok, Thailand
Princess Sirindhorn attended Chulalongkorn University, earning a bachelor’s degree in history in 1976. After that, she enrolled in two Master’s programs concurrently, earning a master’s degree in Oriental Epigraphy in 1979 from Silpakorn University, and another in Oriental Languages from Chulalongkorn University in 1980. She later received a doctorate in Educational Development in 1986 from Srinakharinwirot University. The Princess is a professor and Head of the History Department at the Chulachomklao Royal Military Academy, in addition to many royal duties and visits on behalf of her brother King Maha Vajiralongkorn.
Unofficial Royalty: Princess Sirindhorn of Thailand

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Royal News Recap for Monday, March 31, 2025

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Royal News Recaps are published Mondays-Fridays and on Sundays, except for Thanksgiving in the United States, Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve. The Royal News Recap for Sundays will be a weekend recap. If there is any breaking or major news, we will add an update as necessary.

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Unofficial Royalty

Denmark

Monaco

United Kingdom

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April 1: Today in Royal History

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Effigy of Eleanor of Aquitaine, Queen of England; Credit – Wikipedia

April 1, 1204 – Death of Eleanor of Aquitaine, Queen of England, wife of King Henry II of England, at Fontevrault Abbey in Maine-et-Loire, Duchy of Anjou, now in France; buried at Fontevrault Abbey
Eleanor of Aquitaine was Duchess of Aquitaine in her own right, Queen of France (the first wife of King Louis VII of France, marriage annulled after 15 years), and Queen of England (wife of King Henry II of England). She survived her first and second husbands and eight of her ten children. Eleanor was about 82 when she died. No other queen consort was to reach this age for over 700 years. Queen Alexandra, wife of King Edward VII, died at age 81, and Queen Mary, wife of King George V, died at age 85. Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, wife of King George VI, passed away on March 30, 2002, at age 101. Eleanor’s tomb was desecrated during the French Revolution, but her effigy is still displayed at Fontevrault Abbey.
Unofficial Royalty: Eleanor of Aquitaine, Queen of England

April 1, 1693 – Petronilla Melusina von der Schulenburg, the illegitimate daughter of King George I of Great Britain, was born in the Electorate of Hanover
Born in 1693, the daughter of the future King George I of Great Britain and his mistress Melusine von der Schulenburg, Petronilla Melusina, called Melusina, married Philip Stanhope, 4th Earl of Chesterfield, a leading Whig politician. The couple had no children. Melusina died on September 16, 1778, aged 85. She was buried with her mother and sister Anna Luise Sophie at Grosvenor Chapel in South Audley Street, London, England
Unofficial Royalty: Petronilla Melusina von der Schulenburg

April 1, 1704 – Birth of Amalie von Wallmoden, Countess of Yarmouth, mistress of King George II of Great Britain, in Hanover, Electorate of Hanover, now in the German state of Lower Saxony
Amalie von Wallmoden, Countess of Yarmouth, was the mistress of King George II of Great Britain from 1735 until he died in 1760. She was the last British royal mistress to be granted a peerage title.
Unofficial Royalty: Amalie von Wallmoden, Countess of Yarmouth, mistress of King George II of Great Britain

April 1, 1825 – Birth of Auguste of Austria, Princess of Bavaria, wife of Luitpold, Prince Regent of Bavaria, in Florence, Grand Duchy of Tuscany, now in Italy
Auguste was the daughter of Leopoldo II, Grand Duke of Tuscany.  In 1844, she married Prince Luitpold of Bavaria, a younger son of King Ludwig I of Bavaria. The couple had four children, including Ludwig III, the last King of Bavaria. Auguste was a devoted mother to her four children, speaking to them only in Italian, and a strong supporter of her husband and the Bavarian monarchy. In 1848, she publicly criticized her father-in-law, King Ludwig I, for his relationship with his mistress Lola Montez, and its negative effects on the Bavarian monarchy.  On April 26, 1864, Princess Auguste died, aged 39, from tuberculosis, which she had suffered from for many years.
Unofficial Royalty: Auguste of Austria, Princess of Bavaria

April 1, 1851 – Birth of Bernhard III, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen in Meiningen, Duchy of Saxe-Meiningen now in Thuringia, Germany
Full name: Bernhard III Friedrich Wilhelm Albrecht Georg
Bernhard III was the last reigning Duke of Saxe-Meiningen, a scholar, a Field Marshal in the Prussian army, and the husband of Queen Victoria’s granddaughter Princess Charlotte of Prussia. He was interested in the Greek language and was the author and translator of several works. Between 1873 and 1894, he made numerous study trips to Greece and Asia Minor, where he visited archaeological sites and worked with well-known archaeologists. In 1878,  Bernhard married Princess Charlotte of Prussia, the eldest daughter of Friedrich III, German Emperor and King of Prussia and Victoria, Princess Royal, and the sister of Wilhelm II, German Emperor. Bernhard and Charlotte had one child. After his abdication in 1918 at the end of World War I, Bernhard lived his remaining years at Schloss Altenstein in Bad Liebenstein, now in Germany. His wife Charlotte died in 1919. Bernhard survived her by nine years, dying at the age of 76.
Unofficial Royalty: Bernhard III, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen

April 1, 1922 – Death of Karl I, the last Emperor of Austria, in Madeira, Portugal; buried at the Church of Our Lady of the Monte in Madeira, Portugal; his heart is with the heart of his wife Zita at Loreto Chapel of Muri Abbey near Basle, Switzerland
In 1911, Karl married Princess Zita of Bourbon-Parma. The couple had eight children. Their oldest child Otto, Crown Prince during his father’s short reign, was the longest surviving of their children and died on July 4, 2011, at the age of 98. In 1889, after the suicide of Crown Prince Rudolf of Austria, the only son of Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria, the next heir was Karl’s grandfather Archduke Karl Ludwig, but he renounced his claim in favor of his son Archduke Franz Ferdinand. Archduke Franz Ferdinand was the heir until his assassination on June 28, 1914, an event that was one of the causes of World War I. Franz Ferdinand had been allowed to make a morganatic marriage with the condition that the children of the marriage would not have succession rights. Upon Franz Ferdinand’s death, Karl became the heir. He succeeded to the throne upon the death of Emperor Franz Joseph I in 1916 and was the last Emperor of Austria. Karl spent the rest of his life in exile, dying in 1922. On October 3, 2004, Pope John Paul II beatified Karl I, the last Emperor of Austria, and he is known as Blessed Karl of Austria. Beatification is the third of four steps toward sainthood in the Roman Catholic Church. On January 31, 2008, the Roman Catholic Church, after a 16-month investigation, formally recognized a second miracle attributed to Karl I which is required for his canonization as a saint. However, no word on his canonization has been forthcoming.
Unofficial Royalty: Emperor Karl I of Austria

April 1, 1947 – Death of King George II of Greece at the Royal Palace in Athens, Greece; buried at Tatoi Royal Cemetery in Tatoi, Greece
George II was the eldest son of King Constantine I of Greece and Princess Sophie of Prussia. Due to unrest in Greece, George was King of Greece twice (1st reign 1922 – 1924, monarchy abolished; 2nd reign 1935 – 1947)  and was forced into exile three times. Also unlucky in marriage, he married his second cousin, Princess Elisabeta of Romania. Their marriage was childless and ended in divorce. His health declining, George was found unconscious in his office at the Royal Palace in Athens, Greece on April 1, 1947. Several hours later, it was announced that he had died of arteriosclerosis.
Unofficial Royalty: King George II of Greece

April 1, 1975 – Death of Philipp Albrecht, Duke of Württemberg in Ravensburg, Germany; buried in the family crypt in Altshausen, Germany
Full name: Georg Philipp Albrecht Carl Maria Joseph Ludwig Lubertus Stanislaus Leopold
Philipp Albrecht, Duke of Württemberg was Head of the House of Württemberg, and pretender to the former throne, from 1939 until he died in 1975.
Unofficial Royalty: Philipp Albrecht, Duke of Württemberg

April 1, 1993 – Death of Infante Juan of Spain, Count of Barcelona, son of King Alfonso XIII of Spain, father of King Juan Carlos of Spain, in Pamplona, Spain; buried in the Royal Crypt at San Lorenzo del Escorial in Escorial, Spain
Juan was a great-grandson of Queen Victoria through his mother Princess Victoria Eugenie of Battenberg. In 1935, he married Princess Maria Mercedes of Bourbon-Two Sicilies. The couple had four children, including King Juan Carlos I of Spain. After both of his elder brothers renounced their succession rights, Juan became heir apparent to the Spanish throne.  After the Spanish monarchy was overthrown and the Second Spanish Republic was declared, the royal family went into exile. In 1947, Francisco Franco, the dictator of Spain from 1939 to 1975, declared that the monarchy would be restored after his death. It would be another 22 years before Franco named his successor. Feeling that Juan would be too liberal, he instead passed over him and chose Juan’s son, Juan Carlos, as heir to the Spanish throne. Despite never being King of Spain, Juan was buried with the honors of a king upon his death in 1993.
Unofficial Royalty: Infante Juan of Spain, Count of Barcelona

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Monaco Styles and Titles

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2025

The reigning family of the Principality of Monaco, the House of Grimaldi, descends from Otto Canella, a 12th-century Genoese statesman, and takes its name from his son Grimaldo Canella. Grimaldo had a son, Oberto, known as “Oberto, son of Grimaldo” or “Oberto Grimaldi,” making him the first of the family to use the surname of Grimaldi. The Grimaldi family has ruled Monaco for eight centuries, making it Europe’s longest-ruling royal family.

In 1297, François Grimaldi, dressed as a Franciscan monk, seized the Rock of Monaco. His cousin Rainier I, Lord of Cagnes, was the first Grimaldi ruler of the area now known as Monaco. However, Genoa, Milan, and France occupied the area for several periods. The first rulers were Lords of Monaco. From 1612 onward, the rulers were sovereign Princes. Monaco has had one sovereign Princess, Louise Hippolyte, who reigned for ten months in 1731 before she died from smallpox.

The Style His Serene Highness and Her Serene Highness

Monaco is a principality. A principality is a sovereign state ruled by a regnant monarch with the title of Prince or Princess. The sovereign of Monaco (the reigning Prince or Princess of Monaco) and the other Princes and Princesses of Monaco are all styled His Serene Highness and Her Serene Highness. This is the usual style for a Princely Family of a Principality. The same practice is used in the Principality of Liechtenstein, except Liechtenstein’s succession does not allow for a female Sovereign Princess.

The Monarch of Monaco

Prince Albert II of Monaco; Credit – By Belgian Presidency of the Council of the EU 2024 from Belgium – 24_03_07_BLUE_LEADERS_ByPixelshake-344, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=146336017

His Serene Highness Prince Albert II is the current reigning Prince of Monaco. His father Prince Rainier III died on April 6, 2005, and Albert became the reigning Prince of Monaco. Monaco had one reigning Princess, Louise-Hippolyte, who reigned for ten months in 1731 before she died from smallpox.

In 1612, Honoré II, Lord of Monaco started using the title of Prince of Monaco, becoming the first Prince of Monaco. Monaco was recognized as a sovereign principality by King Felipe IV of Spain in 1633 and by King Louis XIII of France in the 1641 Treaty of Péronne. Under the Treaty of Péronne, the Principality of Monaco became a French protectorate and the Spanish troops in Monaco were finally removed. The Princes of Monaco became vassals of the Kings of France while remaining sovereign princes.

Because of the treaty with France, Honoré II lost his Spanish lands and their income. To make up for the loss, King Louis XIII gave Honoré II the Duchy of Valentinois, the Marquisate of Baux, the County of Carladès, the City of Chabeuil, the Baronies of Calvinet, Buis, and the Lordship of Saint-Rémy-de-Provence. Although the lands connected to these titles eventually reverted to France, some of these titles have been bestowed upon members of the Princely Family of Monaco over the years.

The Consort of Monaco

Princess Charlene of Monaco; Credit – Prince’s Palace of Monaco

The wives of the reigning Prince of Monaco have been styled Her Serene Highness Princess <name> of Monaco. The current consort of Monaco is Her Serene Highness Princess Charlene, born Charlene Lynette Wittstock in Bulawayo, Rhodesia, the former name of the country of Zimbabwe.

So far, there has only been one male consort of Monaco, the husband of Louise-Hippolyte, Princess of Monaco, Jacques François Goyon, Count de Matignon. The greatest concern of Louise-Hippolyte’s father, Antonio I, Prince of Monaco (reigned 1701 – 1731), was the future of the House of Grimaldi. Because Antonio’s only legitimate children were all daughters, the heir to the throne was his only brother François Honoré Grimaldi, a Catholic priest with the title Monsieur l’Abbé de Monaco, later Archbishop of Besançon. In 1715, François Honoré renounced his claim to the throne of Monaco, and Antonio’s elder surviving daughter Louise-Hippolyte became his heir. Antonio decided, with the permission of King Louis XIV of France, that Louise-Hippolyte’s husband would take the surname Grimaldi and jointly rule Monaco with her.

In 1689, Louise-Hippolyte married Jacques François Goyon, Count de Matignon, from a wealthy French noble family, and the couple resided in Paris, France. Jacques was given the style and title His Serene Highness Prince Jacques of Monaco. In 1731, Louise-Hippolyte’s father Antonio I, Prince of Monaco died, and she was now the reigning Princess of Monaco, and Jacques was to co-reign.

However, Louise-Hippolyte traveled alone from Paris to Monaco, and the people of Monaco received her enthusiastically. Louise-Hippolyte immediately took the loyalty oath, but her husband Jacques was not mentioned. Louise-Hippolyte decreed that she would be the sole ruler, all documents would be issued in her name only, and her husband and children would stay in France. Louise-Hippolyte had a very short reign of ten months. She died from smallpox at the age of 34, on December 29, 1731.

Upon Louise-Hippolyte’s death, her husband Jacques became the legal guardian of their eldest son, Prince Honoré III, and returned to Monaco with a plan. Jacques should rule as Prince of Monaco until Honoré reached his twenty-fifth birthday. However, Jacques I, Prince of Monaco neglected the affairs of state and, under pressure, was forced to leave Monaco. In May 1732. Jacques officially abdicated in favor of his son Honoré III on November 7, 1733.

The Heir to the Throne of Monaco – Hereditary Prince of Monaco

Hereditary Prince Jacques of Monaco with his twin sister Princess Gabriella of Monaco

His Serene Highness Hereditary Prince Jacques of Monaco, Marquis of Baux is the current heir to the throne. He is the only (legitimate) son of Prince Albert II and has a twin sister Her Serene Highness Princess Gabriella of Monaco, Countess of Carladès, who was born first.

The line of succession to the throne of Monaco is male-preference primogeniture, where males take precedence over females and older children take precedence over younger ones. Illegitimate children have no succession rights, however, if their parents marry, they would be legitimized. If there is no heir, the Crown Council selects a new reigning prince from the more distant members of the family who are citizens of Monaco

Members of the Princely Family must have the sovereign’s consent to marry. Those who marry without consent lose succession rights for themselves and their descendants. If a family member marries without the sovereign’s consent, and no children are born, and the marriage is dissolved, then that person will regain succession rights.

Currently, the title of Hereditary Prince of Monaco is regulated by the second paragraph of Article 2 of the Ordinance of May 15, 1882, revised by order on May 29, 2002, which says “heir of the reigning prince who is closest in the order of succession resulting from the said provisions is hereditary prince”. For a woman to be the Hereditary Princess of Monaco, the sovereign of Monaco must issue a Sovereign Order. The eldest child of Prince Rainier III, Princess Caroline, who descended from the reigning sovereign prince and was first in the order of succession from her birth on January 23, 1957, until the birth of her brother, the future Prince Albert II, on March 14, 1958, was never titled Hereditary Princess, but was titled Princess of Monaco.

There has been only one Hereditary Princess of Monaco, Princess Charlotte of Monaco, Duchess of Valentinois. She started life as Charlotte Louise Juliette Louvet, the illegitimate daughter of the future Prince Louis II of Monaco and Marie Juliette Louvet. Because Louis was unmarried and without an heir, the Monegasque throne was likely to pass to his first cousin once removed, Wilhelm, Duke of Urach, a German nobleman, the son of his father’s aunt Princess Florestine of Monaco.

To avoid this, Louis’ father, Prince Albert I had a law passed recognizing Charlotte as Louis’ heir and a member of the princely family. However, this law was later ruled invalid under earlier statutes. In October 1918, another law was passed allowing for the adoption of an heir with succession rights. On May 16, 1919, Prince Louis II legally adopted Charlotte. Prince Albert I gave Charlotte the Grimaldi surname and named her Her Serene Princess Charlotte of Monaco and Duchess of Valentinois. Upon Prince Louis II’s accession in 1922, Charlotte became the Hereditary Princess of Monaco. However, Charlotte knew that because of the circumstances of her birth, the very Catholic Monaco would never fully accept her as the reigning Princess of Monaco. In 1944, Charlotte renounced her succession rights to the Monegasque throne in favor of her son Rainier. Five years later, Charlotte’s father died and her son became Rainier III, the reigning Prince of Monaco.

Prince and Princess of Monaco

Princess Stephanie of Monaco, the younger of the two daughters of Prince Rainier III

The children of the Sovereign of Monaco are styled and titled His/Her Serene Highness Prince/Princess <name> of Monaco. We are surmising that children of the Hereditary Prince of Monaco and other male-line grandchildren, the children of sons of the sovereign of Monaco, are also styled His/Her Serene Highness Prince/Princess <name> of Monaco. However, it has been quite a while since that situation existed. Going back to Prince Joseph of Monaco, the second son of Honoré III, Prince of Monaco, Joseph’s three daughters were princesses, so there is a precedent.

Princess Caroline, daughter of Prince Rainier III and sister of Prince Albert II, is styled and titled Her Royal Highness The Princess of Hanover. In 1999, Caroline married His Royal Highness Prince Ernst August (V) of Hanover, the pretender to the thrones of the Kingdom of Hanover and the Duchy of Brunswick. In 1919, German royalty and nobility lost their privileges in Germany. Thereafter, hereditary titles could only be used legally as part of surnames. In 1931, Prince Ernst August (III), Duke of Brunswick declared that his descendants, as the senior male-line descendants of King George III of the United Kingdom, who was also King of Hanover, would continue to use British HRH Prince/Princess. However, legally, they are not British HRH Prince/Princess. All titles used by the family are used in pretense.

Other Titles

The sovereign of Monaco also holds other hereditary titles, some of which are occasionally bestowed on relatives or their spouses. All these titles were received with their lands, at different times and in different ways. These titles no longer imply ownership of territories, although the Princes of Monaco have long owned property in France. The French titles have been considered extinct in France since 1949. The most prominent titles, Duke of Valentinois and Marquis of Baux, are discussed below.

Duke of Valentinois

Prince Honoré II of Monaco, King Louis XIII of France created him Duke of Valentinois; Credit – Wikipedia

Originally in the French peerage, Duke of Valentinois is a title held by the Sovereign of Monaco despite its extinction in French law in 1949.

1498 – First Creation – The title was first created by King Louis XII of France for Cesare Borgia, an illegitimate son of Pope Alexander VI of the House of Borgia in 1498. Cesare Borgia had no legitimate sons so the title became extinct when he died.

1548 – Second Creation – King Henri II of France created his mistress Diane de Poitiers Duchess of Valentinois. Because of the Salic Law, when Diane de Poitiers died the title became extinct.

1642 – Third Creation – King Louis XIII of France created the title by letters patent for Honoré II, Prince of Monaco. Honoré II’s only child Hercule Grimaldi, Marquis of Baux predeceased him. When Honoré II died, Hercule’s only son Louis I, Prince of Monaco succeeded his grandfather and then bore all his titles. The title then proceeded to Louis I’s son Antonio I, Prince of Monaco. The title’s inheritance was restricted to males and Antonio had only daughters, so his brother François-Honoré Grimaldi was the heir. However, François-Honoré became a priest and renounced his claims to the throne of Monaco, and Antonio’s elder daughter Louise Hippolyte became his heir. With the permission of King Louis XIV of France, Antonio decided that Louise Hippolyte’s husband would take the surname Grimaldi and jointly rule Monaco with her.

1715 – Fourth Creation – In 1715, Antonio’s eldest daughter and heiress Louise-Hippolyte married Jacques-François de Goyon-Matignon. King Louis XV of France recreated the title of Duke of Valentinois by letters patent for Jacques, who was to rule jointly with his wife Louise-Hippolyte. Like the previous creation, the Duke of Valemtinois’s inheritance was restricted to males. The title passed uninterrupted for several generations from Prince of Monaco to Prince of Monaco: Jacques to Honoré III, Honoré IV, Honoré V, Florestan I, Charles III, Albert I.

As stated above, the only child of Prince Albert I, the future Prince Louis II, was unmarried and without an heir. Prince Albert I had a law passed recognizing Louis II’s illegitimate child Charlotte as Louis’ heir and a member of the princely family and named her Her Serene Princess Charlotte of Monaco and Duchess of Valentinois. At this time, there was not a new creation of the French title Duchess of Valentinois. The fourth creation allowed for only male inheritance. The male descendants of Prince Louis II were legally the only claimants.

In 1949, when Prince Louis II died, he was succeeded by his grandson Prince Rainier III, the son of Princess Charlotte. Rainier III claimed the title Duke of Valentinois, possibly under the assumption that in 1919, France, no longer a monarchy, but a republic, implicitly recreated the French title for his mother Princess Charlotte when she was legally adopted by her father Prince Louis II. However, no French republic has ever created or re-created any title.

Marquis of Baux

Prince Ercole, son of Prince Honoré III was the first heir to use the title, but he predeceased his father; Credit – Wikipedia

The current Marquis of Baux is Hereditary Prince Jacques of Monaco, the only (legitimate) son of Prince Albert II of Monaco. Marquis of Baux is a subsidiary title of the sovereign of Monaco and is usually given to the male heir-apparent or male heir presumptive of the throne of Monaco. The title was originally Lord of Baux and was used by several other noble and royal houses.

King Louis XIII of France re-granted the title Lord of Baux as the Marquis of Baux to Prince Honoré II of Monaco by the 1641 Treaty of Péronne. The first heir to use the title was Prince Honoré III’s only child Prince Ercole, who predeceased his father, dying in a firearms accident.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Works Cited

  • Contributeurs aux projets Wikimedia. (2005). titres de comtes de Valence (IXe au XIe siècle), puis de comtes de Valentinois (XIIe au XVe siècle). Wikipedia.org; Fondation Wikimedia, Inc. https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liste_des_comtes_puis_ducs_de_Valentinois
  • Contributeurs aux projets Wikimedia. (2006). Titres des Grimaldi de Monaco. Wikipedia.org; Fondation Wikimedia, Inc. https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Titres_des_Grimaldi_de_Monaco
  • Flantzer, Susan. (2022). Honoré II, Prince of Monaco. Unofficial Royalty. https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/honore-ii-prince-of-monaco/
  • House of Grimaldi. (2020). Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_of_Grimaldi
  • Monarchy of Monaco. (2020). Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monarchy_of_Monaco
  • Prince’s Palace of Monaco. (n.d.). www.palais.mc. https://www.palais.mc/en/index.html
  • Wikipedia Contributors. (2024). Duke of Valentinois. Wikipedia; Wikimedia Foundation.
  • Wikipedia Contributors. (2024). Marquis of Baux. Wikipedia; Wikimedia Foundation.
  • Wikipedia Contributors. (2025). Principality. Wikipedia; Wikimedia Foundation.
  • Wikipedia Contributors. (2025). Serene Highness. Wikipedia; Wikimedia Foundation.
  • Wikipedia Contributors. (2025). Succession to the Monegasque throne. Wikipedia; Wikimedia Foundation.

Royal News Recap for Saturday, March 29 and Sunday, March 30, 2025

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March 31: Today in Royal History

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King Henri II of France; Credit – Wikipedia

March 31, 1359 – Birth of Philippa of Lancaster, Queen of Portugal, daughter of John of Gaunt, granddaughter of King Edward III of England, at Leicester Castle in Leicestershire, England
Philippa was the daughter of John of Gaunt, a son of King Edward III of England, and his first wife Blanche of Lancaster. In 1387, she married King Joáo I of Portugal. They had nine children including Henrique of Portugal, Duke of Viseu, known as Prince Henry the Navigator, who guided Portugal to the Age of Exploration in the Americas. Philippa was also the great-grandmother of Catherine of Aragon, the first wife of King Henry VIII of England.
Unofficial Royalty: Philippa of Lancaster, Queen of Portugal

March 31, 1373 – Birth of Catherine of Lancaster, Queen of Castile, daughter of John of Gaunt, granddaughter of King Edward III of England, at Hertford Castle in Hertfordshire, England
Catherine of Lancaster was the daughter of John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster and his second wife Constance of Castile. She was the half-sister of Philippa of Lancaster, above. In 1388, she married King Enrique III of Castile and had three children. Like her half-sister Philippa, Catherine was also the great-grandmother of Catherine of Aragon, the first wife of King Henry VIII of England.
Unofficial Royalty: Catherine of Lancaster, Queen of Castile

March 31, 1519 – Birth of King Henri II of France at Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye in France
Henri was the son of King François I of France and his first wife Claude, Duchess of Brittany. In 1533, he married the wealthy heiress Catherine de Medici. They had ten children, including three Kings of France. Henri’s reign was marked by the Italian Wars against the House of Habsburg and the suppression of the Protestant Reformation, particularly the persecution of the Protestant French Huguenots, who were becoming a large minority. Henri died on July 10, 1559, at the age of 40, probably from a subdural hematoma and sepsis due to injuries he had suffered in a tournament.
Unofficial Royalty: King Henri II of France

March 31, 1547 – Death of King François I of France at the Château de Rambouillet in France; buried at the Basilica of Saint-Denis near Paris, France
A contemporary of Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor and King Henry VIII of England, François I played an important role in Europe’s foreign policy. In France, he was a patron of the arts, focused on new construction and renovations, and dealt with the Reformation, which started during his reign. In 1524, François financed the expedition of Giovanni da Verrazzano to North America. On this expedition, Verrazzano was the first documented European to visit the present site of New York City (where the Verrazzano Narrows Bridge is named after him) and claimed Newfoundland in present-day Canada for the French crown. In 1534, François sent Jacques Cartier to explore the St. Lawrence River in the present-day Canadian province of Quebec.  In 1514, François married Claude, Duchess of Brittany in her own right. They had seven children. When Claude died in 1524, François married Eleanor, Archduchess of Austria, Infanta of Castile, the sister of the powerful Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor. François and Eleanor had no children. François I died on March 31, 1547,  aged 52, after a reign of thirty-two years, due to kidney failure. He was succeeded by his only surviving son, Henri II who became King of France on his 28th birthday.
Unofficial Royalty: King François  I of France

March 31, 1621 – Death of King Felipe III of Spain in Madrid, Spain; buried at the Monastery of San Lorenzo El Real in El Escorial, Spain
Felipe III’s father, King Felipe II of Spain, died in 1598, and his twenty-year-old son succeeded him as Felipe III, King of Spain. Besides being King of Spain, Felipe III was also King of Portugal, King of Sardinia, King of Naples, King of Sicily, and Duke of Milan. In 1599, Felipe III married 14-year-old Archduchess Margaret of Austria. They had eight children, including Felipe IV, King of Spain. Felipe III’s wife Margaret died at the age of twenty-six from childbirth complications eleven days after giving birth to her eighth child. During Felipe’s reign, Spain was hit by famine due to a series of poor harvests, and there was an outbreak of bubonic plague that killed more than 10% of the population. However, part of the Spanish Golden Age (1492 – 1659), a period of flourishing in the arts and literature, occurred during the reign of Felipe III. He survived his wife by ten years, dying in Madrid, Spain, on March 31, 1621, two weeks before his forty-third birthday, due to erysipelas, a bacterial skin infection.
Unofficial Royalty: King Felipe III of Spain

March 31, 1671 – Death of Lady Anne Hyde, Duchess of York, first wife of James, Duke of York (later King James II of England), at St. James Palace in London, England; buried at Westminster Abbey in London, England
Anne was the daughter of Edward Hyde, later created 1st Earl of Clarendon, an adviser to Charles II,  the king in exile in the Netherlands after the English Civil War, and soon became his chief adviser. Charles appointed Hyde Lord Chancellor in 1658. In 1654, while in the Netherlands, Anne Hyde was appointed a maid of honor to Mary, Princess Royal and Princess of Orange, the eldest daughter of King Charles I of England, the widow of Willem II, Prince of Orange, and the mother of the young Willem III, Prince of Orange who would marry Anne’s daughter Mary. Anne was very attractive and stylish and attracted many men, including James, Duke of York, the future King James II of England. On November 24, 1659, Anne and James made a secret marriage in front of witnesses. James and Anne had eight children, but only two survived childhood, and both were Queens Regnant: Queen Mary II and Queen Anne. Anne Hyde never became Queen Consort as she died before her husband became king. Anne died of cancer a few weeks after giving birth to her daughter Catherine, who died in December 1671.
Unofficial Royalty: Lady Anne Hyde, Duchess of York

March 31, 1718 – Birth of Mariana Victoria of Spain, Queen of Portugal at the Royal Alcazar of Madrid in Spain 
The daughter of Felipe V, the first Bourbon King of Spain, and his second wife Elisabeth Farnese of Parma, Mariana Victoria married the future José, I, King of Portugal in 1729. The couple had four daughters, including Maria I, Queen of Portugal. After King José suffered a series of strokes, Mariana Victoria was created Regent of Portugal in 1776, and remained Regent until José died in 1777. Mariana Victoria had a significant influence on her daughter Maria I, Queen of Portugal, who often asked her mother’s advice on matters of state.
Unofficial Royalty: Mariana Victoria of Spain, Queen of Portugal

March 31, 1723 – Birth of King Frederik V of Denmark and Norway at Copenhagen Castle in Copenhagen, Denmark
Frederik had a very sensual nature and loved wine and women. He spent so much time visiting Copenhagen’s pubs and brothels that his father, King Christian VI, considered disinheriting him from the throne. When he married Louisa of Great Britain in 1743, the Danish government hoped (incorrectly) that marriage would end his affairs and drunkenness. Frederik and Louisa had five children. When Frederik became king, he did take part in the government by attending council meetings. However, he was afflicted with alcoholism, and most of his reign was dominated by his very able ministers. In 1752, a year after Louisa died due to complications from a miscarriage. Frederik married Juliana Maria of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, and the couple had one son. In 1760, Frederik broke his leg in a drunken accident, which affected his health for the rest of his life. He died on January 14, 1766, at Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen, Denmark at the age of 42.
Unofficial Royalty: King Frederik V of Denmark

March 31, 1750 – Death of Christina Sophia of East Frisia, Princess of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt, second of the three wives of Friedrich Anton, Prince of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt, in Rudolstadt, Principality of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt, now in the German state of Thuringia; first buried at the castle church at Schwarzburg Castle in Schwarzburg, Principality of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt, now in the German state of Thuringia, later reburied at the Stadtkirche St. Andreas in Rudolstadt
Princess Christina Sophia of East Frisia and Friedrich Anton, Prince of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt, married in 1729, but their marriage was childless. However, Christina Sophia was the stepmother to her husband’s two surviving children from her husband’s first marriage. During Christina Sophia’s marriage to Friedrich Anton, her husband issued letters of protection to Jewish families and allowed them to settle in Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt. These families developed into the Jewish community of the Principality of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt.
Unofficial Royalty: Christina Sophia of East Frisia, Princess of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt

March 31, 1751 – Death of Frederick, Prince of Wales, son of King George II and father of King George III, at Leicester House in London, England; buried at Westminster Abbey in London, England
Frederick was one of the seven Princes of Wales who never became King. In 1736, he married Princess Augusta of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg. The couple had nine children, including King George III of the United Kingdom and Caroline Matilda, who married Christian VII, King of Denmark and Norway. In March 1751, Frederick became ill after he caught “a chill” while gardening. He became feverish and was bled and blistered, the medical treatment of the time. After a brief recovery, Frederick suffered a relapse and was again bled. On March 21, 1751, Frederick suffered a coughing fit and died suddenly. An autopsy found the cause of death to be a burst abscess in the lung. It was popularly believed that his death was caused by a blow from a cricket ball to his chest, but there is no proof of that.
Unofficial Royalty: Frederick, Prince of Wales

March 31, 1803 – Birth of Marie Luise of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, Duchess of Saxe-Altenburg, wife of Georg, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg, at Ludwigslust Palace in Ludwigslust, Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, now in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany
Full name: Marie Luise Friederike Alexandrine Elisabeth Charlotte Catherine
Marie Luise was the wife of Friedrich, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg. The couple had three children. While Duchess of Saxe-Altenburg, Marie Luise did much charity work. Through her Marie Foundation, she founded a women’s association, several schools, and the Lutheran missionary society in Altenburg. Marie Luise died at the age of 59.
Unofficial Royalty: Marie Luise of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, Duchess of Saxe-Altenburg

March 31, 1817 – Birth of Charlotte Canning, Countess Canning, Lady of the Bedchamber to Queen Victoria, at the British Embassy in Paris, France, where her father was serving as the Ambassador to France
Born The Honorable Charlotte Stuart, daughter of Charles Stuart, 1st Baron Stuart de Rothesay, she married Charles Canning, 1st Earl Canning. Charlotte was a Lady of the Bedchamber to Queen Victoria from 1842 until 1855. While many other ladies worried that the position would keep them from their children and families, this was not the case for Charlotte. Having no children, she was free to enjoy her position and took great pride in serving the Sovereign.
Unofficial Royalty: Charlotte Canning, Countess Canning

March 31, 1828 – Death of Ida of Anhalt-Bernburg-Schaumburg-Hoym, Hereditary Princess of Oldenburg, second wife of the future Grand Duke August I of Oldenburg, in Oldenburg, Duchy of Oldenburg, now in Lower Saxony, Germany; buried in the Ducal Mausoleum at Saint Gertrude’s Cemetery in Oldenburg
Ida married the then Hereditary Prince August of Oldenburg, the widower of her elder sister Adelheid. The couple had one son Peter, who succeeded his father. Sadly, Ida died just three years after her marriage.
Unofficial Royalty: Ida of Anhalt-Bernburg-Schaumburg-Hoym, Hereditary Princess of Oldenburg

March 31, 1870 – Death of Sir Charles Grey, Private Secretary to Queen Victoria; buried in St. Michael and All Angels Churchyard at Howick Hall in Howick, Northumberland, England
General The Hon. Sir Charles Grey was Private Secretary to Queen Victoria from 1861 until 1870. He was the son of Charles Grey, 2nd Earl Grey and The Hon. Mary Ponsonby. His father would later serve as Prime Minister from 1830-1834, and is the person for whom ‘Earl Grey Tea’ is named. In 1836, Charles married Caroline Eliza Farquhar, the daughter of Sir Thomas Farquhar, 2nd Baronet. Caroline would later serve as an Extra Woman of the Bedchamber to Queen Victoria from 1870-1890. The couple had six children. In 1849, Charles was appointed Private Secretary to Prince Albert. He was given apartments at St. James’s Palace and lived in the Norman Tower at Windsor Castle, and at Osborne Cottage at Osborne House, and his children grew up as playmates of some of Victoria and Albert’s children. Over the next twelve years, he became an influential member of the royal household and a close confidante and advisor to Prince Albert. After Albert died in 1861, Charles seamlessly moved into the position of Private Secretary to Queen Victoria, Prince Albert’s role since he and Victoria married in 1840. Charles remained Queen Victoria’s Private Secretary until he died in 1870.
Unofficial Royalty: Sir Charles Grey, Private Secretary to Queen Victoria

March 31, 1900 – Birth of Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester, son of King George V of the United Kingdom, at York Cottage in Sandringham, Norfolk, England
Full name: Henry William Frederick Albert
In 1935, Henry married Lady Alice Montagu Douglas Scott, a daughter of John Montagu Douglas Scott, 7th Duke of Buccleuch. They had two sons: Prince William of Gloucester, who died in 1972 in a plane crash at an air show, and Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester. Henry had a military career in the British Army and served with The King’s Royal Rifle Corps and the 10th Royal Hussars. He retired from active duty in 1937, but served with the British Expeditionary Force during World War II. Henry served as Governor-General of Australia from 1945 to 1947. In 1965, while driving home after  Winston Churchill’s funeral, Henry suffered a stroke, causing a car accident. Three years later, he suffered another stroke, which left him incapacitated for the remainder of his life. On June 10, 1974, Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester died at Barnwell Manor, his country home at the age of 73.
Unofficial Royalty: Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester

March 31, 1931 – Death of Sir Arthur Bigge, 1st Baron Stamfordham, Private Secretary to Queen Victoria and King George V, at St. James’s Palace in London, England; buried at Brompton Cemetery in London, England
Lieutenant Colonel The Right Honourable Sir Arthur John Bigge was Private Secretary to Queen Victoria from 1895 until The Queen died in 1901. He then served as Private Secretary to the future King George V from 1901 – 1910, and for twenty-one years of King George V’s reign until he died in 1931. Arthur’s service in the Royal Household began in 1880 when he was appointed Groom-in-Waiting, and then quickly named Assistant Private Secretary to Queen Victoria. Later that year, he was also appointed Assistant Keeper of the Privy Purse, and served until 1895. In May 1895, he succeeded Sir Henry Ponsonby as Private Secretary to The Queen and served until Her Majesty’s death in January 1901. In 1881, Arthur married Constance Neville, and they had three children. On March 31, 1931, following several weeks of illness, Arthur died at his apartments in St. James’s Palace in London, England.
Unofficial Royalty: Sir Arthur Bigge, 1st Baron Stamfordham

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March 30: Today in Royal History

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Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother; Credit – Wikipedia

March 30, 1796 – Death of Augusta Wilhelmine of Hesse-Darmstadt, Duchess of Zweibrücken, first wife of Maximilian I Joseph, King of Bavaria, in Rohrbach, the French Republic now in Germany; buried at the Stadtkirche Darmstadt in Darmstadt, Landgraviate of Hesse-Darmstadt, now in Hesse, Germany.
Princess Augusta Wilhelmine of Hesse-Darmstadt was the first wife of the future Maximilian I Joseph, King of Bavaria. 31-year-old Augusta Wilhelmine, weakened from five pregnancies and the travails of war, died from pulmonary tuberculosis. Although she died before her husband became King of Bavaria, she was the mother of his successor, King Ludwig I of Bavaria
Unofficial Royalty: Augusta Wilhelmine of Hesse-Darmstadt, Duchess of Zweibrücken

March 30, 1830 – Death of Ludwig I, Grand Duke of Baden, in Karlsruhe, Grand Duchy of Baden, now in Baden-Württemberg, Germany; first buried in the Karlsruhe Stadtkirche, after World War II, his remains were moved to the Grand Ducal Chapel in the Pheasant Garden in Karlsruhe
As the third son, there was little expectation that Ludwig would succeed to the throne. He pursued a military career, serving in the Prussian army. He succeeded his nephew Karl Ludwig Friedrich as Grand Duke of Baden in 1818. Ludwig promoted the development of the country, as well as strengthening the military forces. He also established several universities and churches. Ludwig never married, but he did have several illegitimate children. He had a long relationship with Katharina Werner, and this relationship resulted in three children. When Ludwig died in 1830 after suffering a stroke, he was succeeded by his half-brother, Leopold.
Unofficial Royalty: Ludwig I, Grand Duke of Baden

March 30, 1855 – Death of Charlotte of Prussia, Hereditary Princess of Saxe-Meiningen, first wife of the future Georg II, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen, in Meiningen, Duchy of Saxe-Meiningen, now in Thuringia, Germany, from childbirth complications; buried in the Park  Cemetery in Meiningen
Charlotte’s marriage in 1850 to the future Georg II, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen, was truly a love match, although it was encouraged by Charlotte’s uncle, King Friedrich Wilhelm IV of Prussia. Charlotte and Georg shared many of the same interests, and unlike many marriages of the time, both were very happy to spend as much time together as possible. The couple had four children, but sadly, Charlotte, aged 23, died in childbirth along with her fourth child.
Unofficial Royalty: Charlotte of Prussia, Hereditary Princess of Saxe-Meiningen

March 30, 1871 – Death of Queen Lovisa of Sweden and Norway, born Louise of the Netherlands, wife of King Charles XV of Sweden and Norway, at the Royal Palace in Stockholm, Sweden; buried at Riddarholmen Church in Stockholm, Sweden
In 1849, Louise met Prince Carl of Sweden, the son and heir of King Oscar I, and negotiations were soon underway to arrange a marriage between the two. While Louise was enamored of her future husband from their first meeting, he found her unattractive. However, King Oscar wanted to create familial ties between Sweden’s relatively new Bernadotte dynasty and the long-established European dynasties. With Louise’s Dutch and Prussian families, and the promise of a large dowry, she was an ideal candidate. Prince Carl eventually conceded to his father’s wishes, and Louise and Carl were married in 1850. The marriage was an unhappy one. Louise was desperately in love with her husband, but he was consistently unfaithful. Having had complications in her second pregnancy, Louise was unable to bear any more children. Following their son’s death in 1854, leaving no male heir to inherit the throne, Louise offered her husband a divorce, which he declined. Lovisa traveled to the Netherlands to be at her mother’s deathbed in late 1870. Upon returning, her husband fell ill and she nursed him back to health. Physically drained, Lovisa contracted pneumonia and died at the age of 42.
Unofficial Royalty: Louise of the Netherlands, Queen of Sweden and Norway

March 30, 2002 – Death of Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, wife of King George VI, mother of Queen Elizabeth II, at Royal Lodge in Windsor, England; buried at St. George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle in Windsor, England
Less than a month after the death of her younger daughter Princess Margaret, The Queen Mother passed away. Her daughter Queen Elizabeth II and two of her grandchildren, the children of Princess Margaret, David Armstrong-Jones, 2nd Earl of Snowdon, and his sister Lady Sarah Chatto, were with her. At the time, she was the longest-lived member of the British Royal Family at age 101.  For The Queen Mother’s lying-in-state at Westminster Hall, her four grandsons, the Prince of Wales, the Duke of York, the Earl of Wessex, and Viscount Linley (now 2nd Earl of Snowdon) stood guard, repeating what the four sons of King George V did at his lying-in-state in 1936.
Unofficial Royalty: Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother
Unofficial Royalty: Death of Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother
Unofficial Royalty: In Memorial – Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother (1900-2002)

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Royal Birthdays & Anniversaries: March 30 – April 5

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Below is a select list of birthdays and wedding anniversaries for current monarchies. It does not purport to be a complete list. Please see the Current Monarchies Index in the heading above for more information on current monarchies.

Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn of Thailand; Credit: Wikipedia

70th birthday of Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn of Thailand, daughter of King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand; born in Bangkok, Thailand on April 2, 1955
Unofficial Royalty: Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn of Thailand

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74th birthday of Princess Ubolratana of Thailand, daughter of King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand; born at Mont Suisse Hospital in Lausanne, Switzerland on April 5, 1951
She relinquished her rank as a princess in 1972 upon her marriage. Her son Bhumi Jensen was killed in the December 2004 tsunami.
Unofficial Royalty: Princess Ubolratana of Thailand

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Royal News Recap for Friday, March 28, 2025

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Netherlands

Norway

Saudi Arabia

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