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Marie Antoinette, Queen of France; Credit – Wikipedia

October 16, 1430 – Birth of James II, King of Scots at Holyrood Abbey in Edinburgh, Scotland
James II was the son of James I, King of Scots and Lady Joan Beaufort, a granddaughter of John of Gaunt who was a son of King Edward III of England. His father was assassinated and James became King of Scots at the age of six. In 1449, James II married Mary of Guelders, the eldest of the five children of Arnold, Duke of Guelders and Catherine of Cleves, and the couple had seven children. In 1460, James II besieged Roxburgh Castle near the English border in support of King Henry VI. He was accidentally killed when a cannon near where he was standing exploded.
Unofficial Royalty: James II, King of Scots

October 16, 1673 – Birth of Lady Mary Tudor, an illegitimate daughter of King Charles II of England and one of his mistresses, Mary ‘Moll’ Davis
Mary’s mother Mary “Moll” Davis was an actress and singer in the Duke’s Theatre Company in London. King Charles II, an avid theatergoer, first saw Moll Davis on stage and she soon became his mistress and was given a house on Suffolk Street in London where her daughter Mary was probably born. Lady Mary Tudor was married three times and two of her sons, the grandsons of King Charles II, were beheaded for high treason. Fifty-three-year-old Mary died in Paris, France, on November 5, 1726. Her burial site is unknown.
Unofficial Royalty: Lady Mary Tudor, Illegitimate Daughter of King Charles II of England

October 16, 1751 – Birth of Friederike Luisa of Hesse-Darmstadt, Queen of Prussia, second wife of King Friedrich Wilhelm II of Prussia, in Prenzlau, Margraviate of Brandenburg, now in Brandenburg, Germany
In 1769, Friederike Luise married the future King Friedrich Wilhelm II of Prussia as his second wife. The couple had seven children. Friederike Luise was ignored and neglected by her husband, who chose to spend his time with his official mistress, and later two additional morganatic wives. Even her husband’s uncle King, Friedrich II, who had arranged the marriage, failed to give her the support and privileges her predecessor had enjoyed. So instead of being a major part of the Prussian court, she lived primarily in Potsdam, rarely permitted to visit Berlin. In 1786, her husband became King of Prussia. Friederike Luise moved to Berlin and took up her role and duties as Queen but her situation did not change.  Her husband had two bigamous, morganatic marriages. Eventually, Friederike Luise lived at Monbijou Palace, while her husband lived at the nearby Berlin Palace. Monbijou Palace would remain her primary residence for the rest of her life.
Unofficial Royalty: Friederike Luisa of Hesse-Darmstadt, Queen of Prussia

October 16, 1791 – Death of Prince Grigory Alexandrovich Potemkin, lover of Catherine II (the Great), Empress of All Russia, in Jassy, Moldavia, now in Romania; originally buried at the Cathedral of St. Catherine in Kherson, Russia, now in Ukraine. In October 2022, during the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Russian forces removed the remains of Potemkin from the Cathedral of St. Catherine. It is thought that the remains were transported to Russia.
Prince Grigory Alexandrovich Potemkin is considered Catherine the Great’s great love. In 1791, while traveling from Russia to Jassy in Moldavia, now in Romania, to negotiate the Treaty of Jassy ending the Russo-Turkish War, Grigoryi became ill with a fever. He had contracted malaria in Crimea in 1783 and his symptoms showed a reoccurrence of malaria. He refused to take quinine or other medicines the doctor accompanying him prescribed. Grigory was bothered by the humid air in Jassy and requested to be moved to Nikolaev where he thought the cooler air would do him good. However, after only seven miles, Grigory ordered the carriage to stop. He said, “This will be enough. There is no point in going on. Take me out of the carriage. I want to die on the field! ” Grigory was taken from the carriage, laid on a Persian carpet, and died, at the age of 52,  in the arms of his niece. Catherine received the news via courier a week later and collapsed saying, “Now I have no one left on whom I can rely. How can anyone replace Potemkin?” Days passed and the same report came from Catherine’s secretary, “Tears and despair, tears and more tears.”
Unofficial Royalty: Prince Grigory Alexandrovich Potemkin, lover of Catherine II (the Great), Empress of All Russia

October 16, 1793 – Execution of Marie Antoinette, Queen of France, born Archduchess Maria Antonia of Austria, at the Place de la Révolution in Paris, France; originally buried in a mass grave near the location of today’s La Madeleine Church in Paris, reburied at the Basilica of St. Denis near Paris
After a failed attempt to escape Paris in 1791 ended what little support was left for the monarchy, King Louis XVI, Marie Antoinette, and their children were held under house arrest at the Tuileries Palace. In 1792, they were imprisoned at the Temple, the remains of a medieval fortress in Paris. Louis XVI was tried, found guilty, and sentenced to death. He was executed by guillotine on January 21, 1793. On October 14, 1793, Marie Antoinette was tried by the Revolutionary Tribunal. Among other things, she was charged with organizing orgies at Versailles, sending millions in French treasury money to Austria, and planning the massacre of the National Guards. There were also charges of incest with her son. Two days later, she was found guilty of the main charges and sentenced to death. Just after noon on October 16, 1793, Marie Antoinette was executed by guillotine in the Place de la Révolution (now the Place de la Concorde).
Unofficial Royalty: Executions of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette, King and Queen of France
Unofficial Royalty: Maria Antonia of Austria, Marie Antoinette, Queen of France

October 16, 1796 – Death of Vittorio Amadeo III, King of Sardinia at the Castle of Moncalieri in Turin, Kingdom of Sardina, now in Italy; buried at the Basilica of Superga in Turin
In 1750, the future Vittorio Amedeo III married Infanta Maria Antonia Ferdinanda of Spain, daughter of Felipe V, King of Spain. The couple had twelve children. Vittorio Amedeo III became King of Sardinia in 1773 following his father’s death. During Napoleon‘s Italian campaign, Vittorio Amedeo’s troops were defeated by the French at the 1796 Battle of Milessimo. Vittorio Amedeo was forced to sign the 1796 Treaty of Paris. The treaty stipulated that Vittorio Amedeo recognize the French Republic, cede the original Duchy of Savoy and the County of Nice to France, and give the French Army free passage through his territory towards the rest of Italy. Five months after signing the devastating Treaty of Paris, Vittorio Amadeo III died from a stroke, aged 70.
Unofficial Royalty: Vittorio Amadeo III, King of Sardinia and Duke of Savoy

October 16, 1968 – Birth of Prince Pedro of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, Duke of Calabria in Madrid, Spain
Since 2015, Prince Pedro of Bourbon-Two Sicilies is one of the current claimants to the headship of the House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, and pretender to the former throne of the Kingdom of Two Sicilies. The other is his distant cousin, Prince Carlo of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, Duke of Castro.
Unofficial Royalty: Prince Pedro of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, Duke of Calabria

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Prince Alfred of Edinburgh; Credit – Wikipedia

October 15, 1527 – Birth of Maria Manuela of Portugal, Princess of Asturias, the first of the four wives of Felipe II, King of Spain, in Coimbra, Portugal
Maria Manuela was the daughter of João III, King of Portugal and Catherine of Austria. On November 15, 1543, two sixteen-year-olds, Maria Manuel and Felipe, Prince of Asturias (the title used by the heir apparent or heir presumptive to the throne of Spain), were married.  Sadly, Maria Manuela and Felipe had a short marriage. On July 8, 1545, Maria Manuela gave birth to a son and four days later, she died, aged seventeen, due to childbirth complications.
Unofficial Royalty: Maria Manuela of Portugal, Princess of Asturias (Spain)

October 15, 1538 – Death of Germaine of Foix, Queen of Aragon, second wife of King Ferdinand II of Aragon in Llíria, Valencia, Kingdom of Aragon, now in Spain; buried at the Monastery of San Miguel de los Reyes in Valencia
In 1504, Ferdinand’s wife Isabella I, Queen of Castile and León died. Isabella’s crown was inherited by her daughter Juana and her husband Philip of Habsburg. Two years later, 54-year-old Ferdinand married 18-year-old Germaine. The marriage was accepted in Ferdinand’s Kingdom of Aragon but it was poorly received by the people of the Kingdom of Castile and León who saw Ferdinand’s marriage to Germaine as a betrayal of their late queen, his first wife Isabella I, Queen of Castile and León. In 1509, Germaine gave birth to a son Infante Juan of Aragon, Prince of Girona, who died shortly after his birth. Had he survived, the crown of Aragon would have been separated from the crown of Castile and León. There were no further children from the marriage. In 1516, Ferdinand died, and Ferdinand’s grandson the powerful Holy Roman Emperor Charles V who was also King Carlos I of Spain (among other titles) arranged two marriages for Germanine over the years. Germaine died on October 15, 1536, aged forty-eight, in Llíria, Valencia, probably from edema caused by obesity.
Unofficial Royalty: Germaine of Foix, Queen of Aragon

October 15, 1711 – Birth of Elisabeth Thérèse of Lorraine, Queen of Sardinia, third wife of Carlo Emanuele III, King of Sardinia, at the Château de Lunéville, Duchy of Lorraine, now in France
In 1737, the twice-widowed 35-year-old Carlo Emanuele III, King of Sardinia married 25-year-old Elisabeth Therese. Carlo Emanuele’s four surviving children from his second marriage to Polyxena of Hesse-Rheinfels-Rotenburg were Elisabeth Therese’s stepchildren. Elisabeth Therese and Carlo Emanuele III had three children but only the third child Benedetto survived childhood. Sadly, Elisabeth Therese died, aged 29, from puerperal fever (childbed fever), thirteen days after giving birth to Benedetto.
Unofficial Royalty: Elisabeth Thérèse of Lorraine, Queen of Sardinia

October 15, 1795 – Birth of King Friedrich Wilhelm IV of Prussia at the Crown Prince’s Palace in Berlin, Kingdom of Prussia, now in Brandenburg, Germany
Friedrich Wilhelm became King of Prussia upon his father’s death in 1840. As his father had done himself, the new King changed many of his father’s policies – including reducing the censorship of the press and promising to provide a new constitution for the Prussian people. In 1849, the King was offered the title Emperor of the Germans but refused as he did not feel it was the right of the Frankfurt Parliament to offer it. Instead, he wanted to reestablish the Holy Roman Empire, where a College of Electors would hold the authority to name an Emperor. In 1871, his brother and successor, Wilhelm I, became the first German Emperor (Kaiser).
Unofficial Royalty: King Friedrich Wilhelm IV of Prussia

October 15, 1825 – Birth of Marie of Prussia, Queen of Bavaria, wife of King Maximilian II of Bavaria, born at the Berlin City Palace in the Kingdom of Prussia, now in Brandenburg, Germany
Full name: Marie Friederike Franziska Hedwig
In 1842, Marie married the future King Maximilian II of Bavaria. The couple had two sons, King Ludwig II and King Otto. Both of Marie’s sons were thought to have suffered from mental illness that severely hampered their abilities to rule Bavaria. After her husband died in 1864, Marie lived in relative seclusion, splitting her time between her country home in Elbigenalp and Hohenschwangau Castle in Füssen, Kingdom of Bavaria, now in the German state of Bavaria. In 1883, her elder son, King Ludwig II, was deemed incompetent, and Marie’s brother-in-law, Prince Luitpold of Bavaria, was appointed Prince Regent. Days later, King Ludwig II and his doctor were found dead in a lake, and Marie’s younger son became King Otto I, also under the Regency of Prince Luitpold.
Unofficial Royalty: Marie of Prussia, Queen of Bavaria

October 15, 1874 – Birth of Prince Alfred of Edinburgh, Hereditary Prince of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, son of Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh and Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, and grandson of Queen Victoria, at Buckingham Palace in London, England
Full name: Alfred Alexander William Ernest Albert
Alfred was the only son of Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh and Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, second son of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom, and Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna of Russia, the only surviving daughter of Alexander II, Emperor of All Russia. As it was expected he would one day inherit the ducal throne of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, Alfred was raised primarily in Germany. Separated from his family, he received a strict German education and later served as a Lieutenant in the Prussian 1st Foot Guards in Potsdam. But, unlike many of his relatives, he did not enjoy military life. In August 1893, his father succeeded to the ducal throne of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, and young Alfred became the Hereditary Prince. It is generally accepted that Alfred shot himself while the rest of the family was gathered for his parents’ 25th-anniversary celebrations in January 1899. He initially survived the gunshot but died the following month.
Unofficial Royalty: Prince Alfred of Edinburgh

October 15, 1893 – Birth of King Carol II of Romania at Peleş Castle in Sinaia, Romania
Carol II was a great-grandson of Queen Victoria through his mother Princess Marie of Edinburgh. In 1918, Carol made an unsanctioned marriage to Joanna “Zizi” Lambrino. The marriage was annulled seven months later but the couple continued to live together, and the following year, in January 1920, they had a son. In 1921, Carol married his second cousin, Princess Helen of Greece and they had one son, the future King Michael (Mihai) of Romania. Within a few years, Carol began an affair with Magda Lupescu, and in 1925 he renounced his rights to the throne. In 1927, Carol’s father King Ferdinand died, and six-year-old Michael became King of Romania. Carol and Helen divorced in 1928. In June 1930, Carol negotiated with the Prime Minister for his return to the throne. His earlier renunciation was voided, and he was restored as King of Romania, replacing his son Michael. His rocky reign lasted ten years until he was forced to abdicate in 1940, in favor of his son Michael. Carol and Magda moved to Brazil in 1944, where they married in 1947. They soon moved to Estoril, Portugal, where Carol would live in exile for the remainder of his life.
Unofficial Royalty: King Carol II of Romania

October 15, 1904 – Death of King Georg of Saxony at Pillnitz Castle in Dresden, Kingdom of Saxony, now in Saxony, Germany; buried in the Wettin Crypt at the Dresden Cathedral
As his elder brother King Albert of Saxony had no children, Georg was heir-presumptive to the Saxon throne from the time of Albert’s accession in 1873. Albert died in 1902, and Georg became King of Saxony at nearly 70 years old. Because of his age, many people felt he should step down and let the throne pass to his son, Friedrich August. His unpopularity increased during the textile workers’ strike in Crimmitschau in 1903-1904. Refusing to give in to the demands for higher wages and better working conditions, the King sent military forces into the city to force the end of the strike. His reign lasted only two years. After falling ill with influenza earlier in the year, King Georg died at the age of 72.
Unofficial Royalty: King Georg of Saxony

October 15, 1959 – Birth of Sarah, Duchess of York, former wife of Prince Andrew, Duke of York, born Sarah Margaret Ferguson at 27 Welbeck Street, Marylebone in London, England
Sarah, Duchess of York, despite her financial problems and scandals, has remained supportive and respectful of her former family and the monarchy. Since the early years of her marriage, Sarah has been involved with numerous charities and organizations. Since 1990, she has been Patron of The Teenage Cancer Trust, and a few years later, founded Children in Crisis. Sarah, her ex-husband and their daughters established Key To Freedom in 2013. Other organizations she supports include Mental Disability Rights International and the Motor Neurone Disease Association. She has worked with the American Cancer Society and in 2014 was named ambassador for the Institute of Global Health Innovation at Imperial College in London.
Unofficial Royalty: Sarah, Duchess of York

October 15, 2005 – Birth of Crown Prince Christian of Denmark, son of King Frederik X of Denmark, at Rigshospitalet in Copenhagen, Denmark
Full name: Christian Valdemar Henri John
Christian is the oldest child of King Frederik X of Denmark and his Australian-born wife née Mary Donaldson. He is first in the line of succession to the Danish throne and the Crown Prince of Denmark.
Unofficial Royalty: Prince Christian of Denmark

October 15, 2012 – Death of former King Norodom Sihanouk of Cambodia in Beijing, China; ashes buried at the Silver Pagoda, Royal Palace, in Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Norodom Sihanouk reigned as King of Cambodia during two periods, 1941 – 1955 and 1993 – 2004. He also served as Prime Minister of Cambodia eight times between 1945 – 1962, Chief of State of Cambodia (1960 – 1970 and in 1993), and as President of the State Presidium of Democratic Kampuchea (1975 – 1976). Sihanouk became king during French colonial rule in 1941 upon the death of his maternal grandfather King Monivong. He secured Cambodian independence from France in 1953. He abdicated in 1955 and was succeeded by his father, Suramarit, so he could directly participate in politics. A new constitution came into effect in 1993, and Sihanouk was reinstated as the King of Cambodia. Citing his poor health, Sihanouk announced his second abdication in October 2004. From 2009 – 2011, Sihanouk spent most of his time in Beijing, China for the treatment of various medical issues. Sihanouk died of a heart attack in Beijing, sixteen days before his 90th birthday.
Unofficial Royalty: King Norodom Sihanouk of Cambodia

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Sophia of the Palatinate, Electress of Hanover; Credit – Wikipedia

October 14, 1066 – Death of King Harold II of England (Harold Godwinson) at the Battle of Hastings; buried at Waltham Abbey in Essex, England
Harold Godwinson was the last crowned Anglo-Saxon King of England. His father Godwin, Earl of Wessex was one of the most powerful earls in England. The Anglo-Saxons had a king’s council called the Witan and one of the Witan’s jobs was to elect the king. After the death of King Edward the Confessor on January 5, 1066, the Witan selected Harold Godwinson to succeed Edward as King Harold I. When William II, Duke of Normandy heard that Harold Godwinson had been crowned King of England, he began careful preparations for an invasion of England. The army of William II, Duke of Normandy army met the army of King Harold of England about six miles northwest of Hastings, England on October 14, 1066. Harold appears to have tried to surprise William but Norman scouts found his army and reported its arrival to William, who marched from Hastings to the battlefield to confront Harold. Early efforts of the Normans to break the English battle lines had little effect. In response, the Normans adopted the tactic of pretending to flee in panic and then turning on their pursuers. Harold’s death, probably near the end of the battle, led to the retreat and defeat of most of his army. Two of Harold’s brothers, Gyrth and Leofwine, were also killed at the Battle of Hastings.
Unofficial Royalty: Harold II Godwinson, King of England

October 14, 1217 – Death of Isabella, 3rd Countess of Gloucester, first wife of King John of England (married before John was king, marriage was annulled); buried at Canterbury Cathedral in Canterbury, England
John and Isabella were betrothed as children. Isabella’s father William FitzRobert, 2nd Earl of Gloucester was a first cousin of John’s father King Henry II as his father was the illegitimate son of King Henry I, Robert Fitzroy, 1st Earl of Gloucester and King Henry II’s mother Empress Matilda was the legitimate daughter of King Henry I. In 1183, when her father died without a male heir, Isabella became the Countess of Gloucester in her own right.  In 1189, John and Isabella of Gloucester were married. Isabella and John were ill-matched and the marriage had produced no children. Isabella had not been acknowledged as Queen when John became King of England in 1199  and the marriage was easily annulled using the grounds of consanguinity, a very close relationship.
Unofficial Royalty: Isabella, 3rd Countess of Gloucester

October 14, 1630 – Birth of Princess Sophia of the Palatinate, Electress of Hanover, at Wassenaer Court, The Hague, Dutch Republic now in the Netherlands
In 1701, the British succession was settled upon Sophia and her Protestant heirs by the Act of Settlement.  Her mother Elizabeth was the eldest daughter of King James I of England.  Sophia died six weeks before Queen Anne of England.  Had she survived Anne, Sophia would have been queen.  Instead, her son ascended the throne as King George I.
Unofficial Royalty: Sophia of the Palatinate, Electress of Hanover

October 14, 1631 – Death of Sophie of Mecklenburg-Güstrow, Queen of Denmark and Norway, wife of King Frederik II of Denmark, at the Palace of Nykøbing Slot on the island of Falster, Denmark; buried at Roskilde Cathedral in Roskilde, Denmark
In 1572, Sophie married King Frederik  II of Denmark and Norway and they had seven children. Sophie was the mother of Anne of Denmark, wife of King James I of England/VI of Scotland, and the great-grandmother of Sophia of Hanover and King James II of England, both of whom have dates on October 14. Sophie was interested in books, visited the Danish pioneering astronomer Tycho Brahe, collected folk songs, and encouraged historian Anders Sørensen Vedel to publish his Hundredvisebogen, a collection of a hundred Danish folk songs he had gathered that became the foundation of Danish literary tradition. As a widow, Sophie managed her estates on the Danish islands of Falster and Lolland so well that her son King Christian IV borrowed money from her on several occasions for his wars. She also engaged in trade and money-lending with Danish nobles. At the time of her death, she was the richest woman in Europe.
Unofficial Royalty: Sophie of Mecklenburg-Güstrow, Queen of Denmark

October 14, 1633 – Birth of King James II of England at St. James’s Palace in London, England
James II succeeded his brother King Charles II of England who had no legitimate children. James II was now set on a course of restoring Catholicism to England. England might have tolerated King James II knowing that his heirs were the Protestant daughters of his first wife Anne Hyde, Mary and Anne. However, on June 10, 1688, Queen Mary Beatrice, who had no surviving children, gave birth to a Catholic son, James Francis Edward.  James II was deposed in the Glorious Revolution of 1688. His elder daughter Mary was declared Queen Mary II and she was to rule jointly with her husband and first cousin William, who would be King William III. At that time, William, the only child of King James II’s elder sister Mary, was third in the line of succession after his wife and first cousin Mary and her sister Anne. James fled to France where his first cousin King Louis XIV offered him a palace and a pension.
Unofficial Royalty: King James II of England

October 14, 1784 – Birth of King Ferdinand VII of Spain at El Escorial in Madrid, Spain
Full name: Fernando Maria Francisco de Paula Domingo Vicente Ferrer Antonio Jose Joaquin Pascual Diego Juan Nepomuceno Januario Francisco Javier Rafael Miguel Gabriel Calixto Cayetano Faus
Ferdinand’s father King Carlos IV of Spain was forced to abdicate in 1808 by Napoleon who then placed his brother Joseph on the Spanish throne. In 1813, the throne was restored to the House of Bourbon with Ferdinand VII as the King of Spain. In search of an heir, Ferdinand married four times, was widowed three times and finally had two daughters with his fourth wife. His elder daughter succeeded him as Queen Isabella II of Spain.
Unofficial Royalty: King Ferdinand VII of Spain

October 14, 1803 – Death of Ercole III d’Este, Duke of Modena and Reggio in Treviso, Austrian-Hungarian Empire, now in Italy; buried at the Church of San Vincenzo now in Modena, Italy
Ercole III d’Este was the last reigning duke from the House of Este that reigned in the Duchy of Modena and Reggio from 1452 – 1796. In 1741, Ercole married Maria Teresa Cybo-Malaspina, the reigning Duchess of Massa and Carrara, now in Italy. The marriage was made at the insistence of Ercole’s father who wanted the Duchy of Massa and Carrara because of its access to the sea. The marriage was not a happy one, the couple had one surviving daughter and eventually separated. Ercole III was considered an enlightened monarch who continued the reforms started by his father. He improved the infrastructure of his duchy, building bridges and roads. The arts and sciences flourished in the Duchy of Modena and Reggio during Ercole III’s reign. In 1796, Modena was occupied by a French army under Napoleon Bonaparte, who deposed Ercole III, Duke of Modena and Reggio. He was forced to flee to Venice where he died in 1803.
Unofficial Royalty: Ercole III d’Este, Duke of Modena and Reggio

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.

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King Maximilian I Joseph of Bavaria; Credit – Wikipedia

October 13, 1162 – Birth of Eleanor of England, Queen of Castile, daughter of King Henry II of England, at Domfront Castle in the Duchy of Normandy, now in France
In 1177, Eleanor married King Alfonso VIII of Castile and they had twelve children. Eleanor was particularly interested in supporting religious institutions. In 1179, she had a shrine built at Toledo Cathedral in honor of St. Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury who had been murdered at Canterbury Cathedral by four of her father’s knights. In 1187, Eleanor and Alfonso founded the Abbey of Santa María la Real de Las Huelgas, a monastery of Cistercian nuns located near the city of Burgos now in Spain. The monastery became the burial place of the Castilian royal family.
Unofficial Royalty: Eleanor of England, Queen of Castile

October 13, 1453 – Birth of Edward, Prince of Wales, son of King Henry VI of England, at the Palace of Westminster in London, England
Edward of Westminster was one of the seven Princes of Wales who never became King. He was killed in 1471, aged 18, at the Battle of Tewkesbury, the final decisive Yorkist victory in the Wars of the Roses.
Unofficial Royalty: Edward of Westminster, Prince of Wales

October 13, 1499 – Birth of Claude of France, Duchess of Brittany, Queen of France, daughter of King Louis XII of France and first wife of King François I of France, at Romorantin-Lanthenay in France
Claude of France, Duchess of Brittany was the first wife of François I, King of France and the daughter of King Louis XII of France and second wife Anne, Duchess of Brittany in her own right. Louis XII had no sons and François, Count of Angoulême (the future King François I of France) became the heir presumptive to the French throne and remained the heir throughout Louis XII’s reign due to his lack of sons. In 1514, François and Claude were married and they had seven children. When Louis XII died in 1515, he was succeeded by his son-in-law François. Queen Claude, Duchess of Brittany, aged 24, died in 1524. It is suspected that Claude had tuberculosis and contracted syphilis from her husband and certainly seven pregnancies in eight years weakened her health.
Unofficial Royalty: Claude of France, Duchess of Brittany, Queen of France

October 13, 1613 – Birth of Luisa de Guzmán, Queen of Portugal, wife of King João IV of Portugal, in Sanlúcar, Spain
Full name: Luísa Maria Francisca
From a noble Spanish family, Luisa de Guzmán was the wife of João IV, the first King of Portugal from the Portuguese House of Braganza. She was also the mother of Catherine of Braganza, the wife of Charles II, King of England and King of Scots.
Unofficial Royalty: Luisa de Guzmán, Queen of Portugal

October 13, 1764 – Birth of Luise of Stolberg-Goldern, Duchess of Saxe-Meiningen, wife of Karl Wilhelm, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen in Gedern, Principality of Stolberg-Gedern, now in Hesse, Germany
Luise was briefly Duchess of Saxe-Meiningen. In 1780, she married Karl Wilhelm, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen. They had no children, and just two years later, Karl Wilhelm died. In 1787, she married Eugen of Württemberg and they had five children. Luise died in 1834, having survived both of her husbands and two of her children.
Unofficial Royalty: Luise of Stolberg-Goldern, Duchess of Saxe-Meiningen

October 13, 1825 – Death of King Maximilian I Joseph of Bavaria at Nymphenburg Palace, near Munich, Kingdom of Bavaria, now in the German state of Bavaria; buried at the Theatinerkirche in Munich
Maximilian succeeded his brother Karl as Duke of Zweibrücken in 1795 and became Elector of Bavaria, Duke of Berg, and Count Palatine of the Rhine in 1799. In 1806, his electorate was created a kingdom because of his loyal service to Napoleon.  Maximilian married twice. With his first wife Auguste of Hesse-Darmstadt, whom he married in 1785, he had five children. Auguste died in 1796, and the next year Maximilian married Caroline of Baden. They had seven children including two sets of twin daughters.
Unofficial Royalty: King Maximilian I Joseph of Bavaria

October 13, 1835 – Birth of Duchess Agnes of Württemberg, Princess Reuss of Gera, wife of Heinrich XIV, 4th Prince Reuss of Gera, at Schloss Carlsruhe in Carlsruhe, Silesia, Kingdom of Prussia, now Pokój, Poland
In 1858, Agnes married the future Heinrich XIV, 4th Prince Reuss of Gera, Agnes, as Princess of Reuss-Gera, founded numerous organizations and institutes that bore her name, such as the Agnes School, a training institute for female servants in Gera, the capital of the Principality of Reuss-Gera. She was also an author and used Angelica Hohenstein as her pen name.
Unofficial Royalty: Duchess Agnes of Württemberg, Princess Reuss of Gera

October 13, 1853 – Birth of Lillie Langtry, actress and mistress of King Edward VII of the United Kingdom, born Emilie Charlotte Le Breton on the Island of Jersey, Channel Islands, a British Crown Dependency
Lillie Langtry was the mistress of the future King Edward VII (while he was Prince of Wales) from 1877-1880. A married socialite at the time, she later embarked on a career in the theatre, with the encouragement and support of the Prince. She also took several other lovers, including Prince Louis of Battenberg, the Prince of Wales’s future nephew-by-marriage, who possibly fathered her only child. Lillie remained in close contact with The Prince of Wales, and was a guest at his coronation, sitting alongside Sarah Bernhardt and Lady Randolph Churchill. She was also a guest at his funeral in 1910. Lillie, aged 75, died of pneumonia in Monaco in the early morning of February 12, 1929. Per her wishes, she was buried along with her parents at St. Saviour’s Church in Jersey.
Unofficial Royalty: Lillie Langtry, actress and mistress of King Edward VII of the United Kingdom

October 13, 1900 – Birth of Ghislaine Dommanget, Princess of Monaco, wife of Prince Louis II of Monaco, in Reims, France
Full name: Ghislaine Marie Francoise
Ghislaine was an actress, working at the famed Comédie-Française in Paris, before meeting Prince Louis II. She had been married twice before. Members of the royal family questioned her motives and viewed her as an opportunist and golddigger. Less than three years after the marriage, Prince Louis died. He was succeeded by his grandson Prince Rainier III.  In his will, Louis left half of his estate to Ghislaine. However, the will was contested by Rainier and his sister Antoinette and was overturned.  Ghislaine lived the rest of her life in Paris but developed a close relationship with Prince Rainier III’s wife Princess Grace.
Unofficial Royalty: Ghislaine Dommanget, Princess of Monaco

October 13, 1908 – Death of Antoinette of Saxe-Altenburg, Duchess of Anhalt, wife of Friedrich I, Duke of Anhalt, in Berchtesgaden, Kingdom of Bavaria, now in Bavaria, Germany; buried in the Dessau Mausoleum Duchy of Anhalt, now in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany; in 1958, her remains were moved by the Communist East German government to an unmarked grave in the Ziebigk Cemetery in Dessau; in 2019, Antoinettes’s remains were moved a second time and reinterred in the Marienkirche in Dessau
In 1854, Antoinette married the future Friedrich I, Duke of Anhalt and they had six children. At the age of 70, four years after the death of her husband, Antoinette, The Dowager Duchess of Anhalt died.
Unofficial Royalty: Antoinette of Saxe-Altenburg, Duchess of Anhalt

October 13, 1927 – Death of Heinrich XXIV, 6th and last reigning Prince Reuss of Greiz in Greiz, Thuringia, Germany; first buried in the Waldhaus Mausoleum in Greiz, in 1969  his remains were cremated and buried at the Neue Friedhof (New Cemetery) in Greiz; in 1997, his remains were moved to Stadtkirche St. Marien in Greiz, Thuringia, Germany
As a result of a childhood accident, Heinrich XXIV had physical and mental disabilities that prevented him from marrying and ruling the Principality of Reuss-Greiz. Two regents from the House of Reuss-Gera successively ruled the Principality of Reuss-Greiz.
Unofficial Royalty: Heinrich XXIV, 6th Prince Reuss of Greiz

October 13, 1928 – Death of Dagmar of Denmark, Maria Feodorovna, Empress of All Russia, at her home at Hvidøre, near Copenhagen, Denmark; first buried in the crypt of the Christian IX Chapel at Roskilde Cathedral, the traditional burial place of the Danish royal family in Roskilde, Denmark, in 2006, she was interred next to her husband Emperor Alexander III in the Peter and Paul Cathedral in St. Petersburg, Russia
Dagmar, known as Minnie in the family, was the daughter of King Christian IX of Denmark,  the sister of King Frederik VIII of Denmark, Queen Alexandra of the United Kingdom, and King George I of Greece. In 1864, Minnie became engaged to Tsarevich Nicholas Alexandrovich of Russia, the eldest son and heir of Alexander II, Emperor of All Russia. However, Nicholas died from meningitis in 1865, at the age of 21. Minnie married Nicholas’ brother, the new heir to the throne, the future Alexander III, Emperor of All Russia. The couple had six children, including Nicholas II, Emperor of All Russia.
Unofficial Royalty: Dagmar of Denmark, Maria Feodorovna, Empress of All Russia

October 13, 2016 – Death of King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand, Rama IX, at Siriraj Hospital in Bangkok, Thailand; his ashes were interred at the Royal Cemetery at Wat Ratchabophit, Thailand
In 1946, King Bhumibol became king at the age of 18. King Bhumibol’s brother King Ananda Mahidol was found shot dead in his bedroom in the Boromphiman Throne Hall at the Grand Palace in Bangkok, four days before he was scheduled to return to Switzerland to finish his doctoral degree in law at the University of Lausanne. The circumstances of King Ananda Mahidol’s death have never been fully explained. In 1950, Bhumibol married Sirikit Kitiyakara, the daughter of the Thai ambassador to France. The couple had three daughters and one son. King Bhumibol Adulyadej died at the age of 88, following several years of illness.  At the time of his death, he was the world’s longest-reigning current monarch, having reigned for 70 years and 126 days.
Unofficial Royalty: King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand

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