Monthly Archives: June 2024

Royal News Recap for Friday, June 21, 2024

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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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Denmark

Spain

United Kingdom

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Disclaimer: Please be advised that any media article titles or content that appear in the Royal News that identify members of royal families with their maiden names, nicknames, incorrect style or title, etc., come directly from the media source and not from Unofficial Royalty. We encourage you to contact the media sources to express your concern about their use of the incorrect name, style, title, etc. Contact information can usually be found at the bottom of each media source’s main page.

Lady Charlotte Fitzroy, Illegitimate Daughter of King Charles II of England

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2024

Lady Charlotte Fitzroy (Charlotte Lee, Countess of Lichfield); By Godfrey Kneller – Art UK, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=36062608

(Not to be confused with her half-sister Charlotte FitzRoy, Charlotte Paston, Countess of Yarmouth, illegitimate daughter of King Charles II and Elizabeth Killigrew.)

Despite fathering many illegitimate children with his mistresses, King Charles II of England had no children with his wife Catherine of Braganza. Charles II is an ancestor through his mistresses of many British aristocrats and of several women who married into the British Royal Family. Lucy Walter and Charles II are ancestors of Sarah, Duchess of York and Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester. Barbara Palmer, 1st Duchess of Cleveland and Charles II are ancestors of Diana, Princess of Wales and Sarah, Duchess of York. Louise Renée de Penancoet de Kérouaille, Duchess of Portsmouth and Charles II are ancestors of Diana, Princess of Wales, Queen Camilla, and Sarah, Duchess of York.

King Charles II of England; Credit – Wikipedia

Also known by her married name Charlotte Lee, Countess of Lichfield, Lady Charlotte Fitzroy was born in London, England on September 5, 1664, the illegitimate daughter of King Charles II of England and and one of his mistresses, Barbara Palmer, 1st Duchess of Cleveland in her own right. The surname FitzRoy comes from the Anglo-Norman Fitz, meaning “son of” and Roy, meaning “king”, implying the original bearer of the surname was a child of a king. Charlotte’s paternal grandparents were King Charles I of England and Henrietta Maria of France (the daughter of King Henri IV of France and his second wife Marie de’ Medici). Her maternal grandparents were William Villiers, 2nd Viscount Grandison and Mary Bayning.

Charlotte’s mother Barbara Palmer, 1st Duchess of Cleveland; Credit – Wikipedia

Charlotte’s mother was born in 1640 as Barbara Villiers, the only child of William Villiers, 2nd Viscount Grandison and Mary Bayning. In 1643, Barbara’s father died in the First English Civil War, leaving his 18-year-old widow and his three-year-old daughter in financial difficulty. Barbara’s mother soon married Charles Villiers, 2nd Earl of Anglesey, her late husband’s cousin. The marriage was childless and Barbara’s stepfather died from smallpox in 1661. Barbara was considered one of the most beautiful of the young Royalist women but her lack of a dowry did not help her marriage prospects. In 1659, Barbara married the Roman Catholic Roger Palmer, later 1st Earl of Castlemaine, against his family’s wishes. In 1660, Barbara became King Charles II’s mistress.

Besides Charlotte, Barbara gave birth to five other children and it is surmised that they were all the children of King Charles II. Through their children, Barbara Palmer and King Charles II are the ancestors of Diana, Princess of Wales and Sarah, Duchess of York, and their children Prince William, Prince Harry, Princess Beatrice, and Princess Eugenie. As a reward for Barbara’s services, Charles II created Roger Palmer Earl of Castlemaine in 1661.

The children of Barbara Palmer, probably the children of King Charles II, and therefore, probably the full siblings of Charlotte (all have articles publishing soon):

Charlotte Fitzroy By Peter Lely; Credit – http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/pathways/blackhistory/intro/docs/lely.htm, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=73343860

Charlotte was raised by a governess at Berkshire House, her mother’s home in London, after 1670 known as Cleveland House, and now known as Bridgewater House. She was the favorite niece of her paternal uncle James, Duke of York, later King James II of England. Very little is known of her childhood. The 19th-century historian John Heneage Jesse wrote, “We know but little of her except that she was beautiful.” Charlotte was the subject of a painting (above) by Sir Peter Lely, King Charles II’s Principal Painter in Ordinary. She is seated with her Indian page, dressed in pink, holding a bunch of grapes.

Charlotte Fitzroy and her husband Edward Henry Lee, 1st Earl of Lichfield, as children; Credit – Wikipedia

Four months before her tenth birthday, on May 16, 1674, Charlotte was betrothed to eleven-year-old Edward Lee, the son and heir of Sir Francis Henry Lee, 4th Baronet of Quarendon and Lady Elizabeth Pope. At the time of the betrothal, Edward was created 1st Earl Lichfield with the subsidiary titles Viscount Quarendon and Baron Spelsbur. In 1676, Charlotte’s mother took her to France where she was educated in a convent for a year. She returned to England the following year and having reached puberty, thirteen-year-old Charlotte and fourteen-year-old Edward were married on February 6, 1677.

Charlotte and Edward had eighteen children and eleven survived childhood:

  • Lady Charlotte Lee (1678 – 1721), married (1) Benedict Calvert, 4th Baron Baltimore, had six children (2) Christopher Crowe, had four children
  • Charles Lee, Viscount Quarendon (born and died 1680), died in infancy
  • Edward Henry Lee, Viscount Quarendon (1681 – 1713), unmarried
  • Captain The Honorable James Lee (1682 – 1711), unmarried
  • The Honorable Francis Lee (born and died 1685), died in infancy
  • Lady Anne Lee (1686 – 1716?), unmarried
  • The Honorable Charles Lee (1688 – 1708), unmarried
  • George Henry Lee, 2nd Earl of Lichfield (1690 – 1743), married Frances Hales, had three sons and five daughters
  • The Honorable Francis Henry Fitzroy Lee (1692 – 1730), unmarried
  • Lady Elizabeth Lee (1693 – 1741), married (1) Francis Lee, a cousin, had one son and two daughters (2) Edward Young, had one son
  • Lady Barbara Lee (1695 – 1729), married Sir George Browne, 3rd Baronet of Kiddington, had one daughter
  • Lady Mary Isabella Lee (born and died 1697)
  • The Honorable Fitzroy Lee (1698 – ?), died young
  • Vice Admiral The Honorable FitzRoy Henry Lee (1700 – 1751), unmarried
  • The Honorable William Lee (1701 – ?), died young
  • The Honorable Thomas Lee (1703 – ?), died young
  • The Honorable John Lee (1704 – ?), died young
  • Robert Lee, 4th Earl of Lichfield (1706 – 1776), married Catherine Stonhouse, no children

Edward Lee, 1st Earl of Lichfield; By Godfrey Kneller – http://www.askart.com/AskART/photos/COL20070427_3851/26.jpg, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3836410

Charlotte and Edward lived at the Lee family estate in Ditchley, Oxfordshire, England. Edward was Lord Lieutenant of Oxfordshire from 1687 – 1689. He commanded Lichfield’s Regiment (now known as the Suffolk Regiment), an infantry regiment in the English Army, until his dismissal following the 1688 Glorious Revolution for his support of Charlotte’s paternal uncle, the overthrown King James II. Charlotte’s first cousins and husband and wife William III, Prince of Orange and Princess Mary of England, the elder of the two daughters of King James II, overthrew King James II and reigned England jointly as King William III and Queen Mary II.

Both Charlotte and Edward were staunch Jacobites, whose goal was to restore the Roman Catholic Stuart King James II of England/VII of Scotland and his Roman Catholic heirs to the thrones of England and Scotland. Edward played a prominent role during the Williamite War (1689 – 1691) in Ireland when supporters of the former King James II unsuccessfully attempted to retake the English throne from King William III and Queen Mary II. In 1702, Charlotte asked her first cousin Queen Anne, the younger daughter of King James II, if she could come to court, and was told not until her husband swore an oath of loyalty to Queen Anne, which he refused to do.

All Saints Church in Spelsbury, Oxfordshire, England where Charlotte and her husband are buried in the churchyard; By neil hanson, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=9112137

Charlotte’s husband Edward Lee, 1st Earl Lichfield died on July 14, 1716, aged 53 in London, England, and was buried in the churchyard at All Saints Church in Spelsbury, Oxfordshire, England. Less than two years later, Charlotte died in London, England on February 17, 1718, aged 53, and was buried with her husband.

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

  • Beauclerk-Dewar, Peter & Powell, Roger. (2006). Right Royal Bastards – The Fruits of Passion. Burke’s Peerage & Gentry LLC.
  • Charlotte Lee, Countess of Lichfield. geni_family_tree. (2022, April 26). https://www.geni.com/people/Charlotte-Lee-Countess-of-Lichfield/5326648104210121832
  • Charlotte Lee, Countess of Lichfield. (2024). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlotte_Lee,_Countess_of_Lichfield
  • Edward Lee, 1st Earl of Lichfield. (2023). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Lee,_1st_Earl_of_Lichfield
  • Flantzer, Susan. (2020). Barbara Palmer, 1st Duchess of Cleveland, Mistress of King Charles II of England. Unofficial Royalty. https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/barbara-palmer-1st-duchess-of-cleveland-mistress-of-king-charles-ii-of-england/
  • Flantzer, Susan. (2016). King Charles II of England. Unofficial Royalty. https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/king-charles-ii-of-england/
  • Fraser, Antonia. (2002). King Charles II. Phoenix.
  • Weir, Alison. (2008). Britain’s Royal Families – The Complete Genealogy. Vintage Books.

June 22: Today in Royal History

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Cecilia of Sweden, Grand Duchess of Oldenburg; Credit – Wikipedia

June 22, 1807 – Birth of Cecilia of Sweden, Grand Duchess of Oldenburg, daughter of King Gustav IV Adolf of Sweden and third wife of Grand Duke August I of Oldenburg, at the Royal Palace in Stockholm, Sweden
Cecilia was not yet two years old when her father was deposed as King of Sweden in 1809. The family moved to Baden, and her parents divorced three years later. Cecilia met her future husband. Grand Duke August stopped in Baden during his travels, and within just an hour of conversation, he asked for her hand in marriage. Cecilia then moved to Vienna, where her brother was serving in the court of the Austrian Emperor Franz I. There, on May 5, 1831, Cecilia and August were married.
Unofficial Royalty: Cecilia of Sweden, Grand Duchess of Oldenburg

June 22, 1911 – Coronation of King George V of the United Kingdom at Westminster Abbey in London, England
George V’s wife Queen Mary was crowned with him. Following the traditional Coronation ceremony, including the homage of their eldest son, The Prince of Wales (later King Edward VIII, and Duke of Windsor), the newly crowned King and Queen returned to Buckingham Palace, where they appeared on the balcony several times throughout the day.
Unofficial Royalty: Coronation of King George V and Queen Mary

June 22, 1911 – Birth of Princess Cecilie of Greece and Denmark, Hereditary Grand Duchess of Hesse and by Rhine, sister of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, at Tatoi Palace in Greece
Cecilie married her first cousin once removed, Georg Donatus, Hereditary Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine. He was the son of Ernst Ludwig, Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine and his second wife Princess Eleonore of Solms-Hohensolms-Lich. Cecilie’s life came to a tragic end on November 16, 1937. A very pregnant Cecilie, her husband, their two sons, and her mother-in-law, were traveling by plane to London to attend the wedding of Don’s brother, Prince Ludwig and Margaret Geddes four days later. Facing bad weather, the plane was unable to land in Brussels, Belgium as scheduled and was instead diverted to Ostend, Belgium. While attempting to land, the plane clipped a chimney on a factory near the airport and then crashed leaving no survivors.
Unofficial Royalty: Princess Cecilie of Greece and Denmark, Hereditary Grand Duchess of Hesse

June 22, 1912 – Birth of Caroline Mathilde of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, Countess of Castell-Rüdenhausen, daughter of Charles Edward, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, at Schloss Callenberg in Coburg, Duchy of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, now in Bavaria, Germany
Full name: Caroline Matilda Helen Louise Augusta Beatrice
Known as Calma, she had an unhappy marriage with her first husband Count Friedrich Wolfgang of Castell-Rüdenhausen and they divorced. During World War II, Friedrich Wolfgang was killed in action while flying over England. Calma’s second husband was Captain Max Schnirring, a famous pilot whose aviation career began during World War I. Max was one of the first pilots for Deutsche Luft Hansa, a precursor to today’s Lufthansa. He died during a test flight when his plane crashed into a field.
Unofficial Royalty: Caroline Mathilde of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, Countess of Castell-Rüdenhausen

June 22, 1961 – Death of Maria of Romania, Queen of Yugoslavia, wife of King Alexander I of Yugoslavia, in London, England; first buried at the Royal Burial Ground, Frogmore in Windsor, England; reburied at the Royal Family Mausoleum at Oplenac in Topola, Serbia
Marie’s husband King Alexander was assassinated in 1934. The couple’s eldest son Peter became King of Yugoslavia at the age of 11, and a regency was established, led by King Alexander’s cousin, Prince Paul of Yugoslavia. In 1941, the family was forced into exile following the Axis invasion, and Queen Marie settled at a cottage in the countryside of England, where she remained for the rest of her life. In 1947, the Communist government of Yugoslavia formally revoked her Yugoslavian citizenship and confiscated all of her property and assets. Marie, a great-granddaughter of Queen Victoria, lived a rather quiet life in England, pursuing her interests in painting and sculpting. When she died, was buried at the Royal Burial Ground at Frogmore in Windsor, England. In 2013, her remains were exhumed and repatriated to Serbia where they were reburied at the Royal Family Mausoleum at Oplenac, along with those of her sons, Prince Andrej and King Peter II, and King Peter’s wife, Queen Alexandra.
Unofficial Royalty: Maria of Romania, Queen of Yugoslavia

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.

Royal News Recap for Thursday, June 20, 2024

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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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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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Multiple Monarchies

Netherlands

Spain

United Kingdom

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Disclaimer:Please be advised that any media article titles or content that appear in the Royal News which identify members of royal families with their maiden names, nicknames, incorrect style or title, etc., come directly from the media source and not from Unofficial Royalty. We encourage you to contact the media sources to express your concern about their use of the incorrect name, style, title, etc. Contact information can usually be found at the bottom of each media source’s main page.

June 21: Today in Royal History

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King Edward III of England; Credit – Wikipedia

June 21, 1377 – Death of King Edward III of England at Sheen Palace in Richmond, England; buried at Westminster Abbey in London, England
From about 1371, Edward III’s health was failing and he became senile. Edward’s third surviving son, John of Gaunt, 1st Duke of Lancaster, led the affairs of state but he could not prevent military failures during the Hundred Years War. King Edward III suffered a stroke in May 1377, and on June 21, 1377, at the age of 64. Edward III’s eldest son Edward, Prince of Wales, who has come to be known as the Black Prince, had died at the age of 45, probably of dysentery, in 1376, a year before his father died, and his 10-year-old son succeeded his grandfather as King Richard II.
Unofficial Royalty: King Edward III of England

June 21, 1528 – Birth of Maria of Spain and Austria, Holy Roman Empress, at the Royal Alcázar of Madrid, Kingdom of Spain
Maria, Infanta of Spain, Archduchess of Austria was the wife of her first cousin Maximilian II, Holy Roman Emperor. She was the daughter of Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor (also Carlos I, King of Spain; Karl I, Archduke of Austria; Charles II, Lord of the Netherlands, Duke of Burgundy, among many other titles) and Isabella of Portugal. Maria and Maximilian had fifteen children. After Maximilian’s death, Maria remained in Vienna for six years and had great influence over her sons Rudolf and Matthias, both Holy Roman Emperors. She then retired to the Monastery of Santa Clara de las Descalzas Reales in Madrid, Spain, founded in 1559 by her younger sister Juana, where she died in 1603 and was buried.
Unofficial Royalty: Maria of Spain and Austria, Holy Roman Empress, Queen of Bohemia, Queen of Hungary and Croatia, Archduchess of Austria

June 21, 1646 – Birth of Marie Francisca of Savoy, Queen of Portugal, first wife of King Afonso VI of Portugal and his brother King Pedro II of Portugal, at the Hôtel de Nemours in Paris, France
Full name: Marie Françoise Élisabeth
Maria Francisca of Savoy was Queen of Portugal twice, once as the wife of Afonso VI, King of Portugal, and then as the wife of his brother Pedro II, King of Portugal. In 1666, she married King Afonso VI who was debilitated mentally and physically due to the effects of a disease he contracted in childhood. Maria Francisca cooperated with her brother-in-law Pedro in a coup that led to Pedro assuming the role of Prince Regent in 1668. While Pedro never formally usurped the throne, Afonso VI was king in name only for the rest of his life. After Maria Francisca’s marriage to Afonso VI was annulled on the grounds of non-consummation, she married Pedro. In 1683, Afonso VI died and his brother succeeded him as Pedro II, King of Portugal, and Maria Francisca was Queen of Portugal for a second time. She died on December 27, 1683.
Unofficial Royalty: Marie Françoise of Savoy, Queen of Portugal

June 21, 1818 – Birth of Ernst II, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha at Ehrenburg Palace in Coburg, Duchy of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, now in Bavaria, Germany
Full name:  Ernst August Karl Johann Leopold Alexander Eduard
Ernst was the elder brother of Prince Albert, Queen Victoria’s husband, and succeeded their father as Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha in 1844. At the urging of his brother Albert,  Ernst began his search for a bride. Ernst was suffering from a venereal disease as a result of his many affairs and had been warned that continued promiscuity could leave him unable to father children. In 1842, Ernst married Princess Alexandrine of Baden. Ernst had at least three illegitimate children, but his marriage was childless, perhaps due to Ernst passing the venereal disease to Alexandrine causing her to become infertile. Alexandrine was loyal and devoted to her husband despite his infidelities and believed their lack of children was her fault.
Unofficial Royalty: Ernst II, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha

June 21, 1831 – Birth of Charlotte of Prussia, Hereditary Princess of Saxe-Meiningen, first wife of the future Georg II, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen, at Schönhausen Palace in Berlin, Kingdom of Prussia, now in Brandenburg, Germany
Full name: Friederike Luise Wilhelmine Marianne Charlotte
Charlotte’s marriage in 1850 to the future Georg II, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen was truly a love match although it was most certainly 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

June 21, 1982 – Birth of Prince William, The Prince of Wales at St. Mary’s Hospital in London, England
Full name: William Arthur Philip Louis
Prince William, The Prince of Wales, is the elder son of King Charles III of the United Kingdom and heir apparent to the British throne. On April 29, 2011, William married Catherine Middleton at Westminster Abbey. Earlier that morning, Williams’s grandmother Queen Elizabeth II created him Duke of Cambridge, Earl of Strathearn, and Baron Carrickfergus. The couple has three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis. With the birth of their younger son Prince Louis, their daughter Princess Charlotte became the first British princess not to be overtaken in the line of succession by her younger brother. This is due to The Succession to The Crown Act 2013, which formally went into effect on March 26, 2015, and put in place absolute primogeniture, which means that for those born after October 28, 2011, the eldest child born becomes the heir to his or her parent, regardless of gender.
Unofficial Royalty: Prince William, The Prince of Wales

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.

Royal News Recap for Wednesday, June 19, 2024

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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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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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Japan

Monaco

Multiple Monarchies

Netherlands

Spain

United Kingdom

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Disclaimer:Please be advised that any media article titles or content that appear in the Royal News which identify members of royal families with their maiden names, nicknames, incorrect style or title, etc., come directly from the media source and not from Unofficial Royalty. We encourage you to contact the media sources to express your concern about their use of the incorrect name, style, title, etc. Contact information can usually be found at the bottom of each media source’s main page.

June 20: Today in Royal History

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Hedwig Elizabeth Charlotte of Holstein-Gottorp, Queen of Sweden and Norway; Credit – Wikipedia

June 20, 1389 – Birth of John, Duke of Bedford, son of King Henry IV of England
In 1399, John’s father declared himself King Henry IV and imprisoned his cousin King Richard II, who died in 1400 under mysterious circumstances. In 1403, John was made Constable of England and in 1410 he was confirmed in that position for life. His father King Henry IV died in 1413 and his brother became King Henry V. In 1414, John’s brother created him Duke of Bedford, Earl of Kendal, and Earl of Richmond. When King Henry V died at the early age of 35 in 1422, he left his nine-month-old son to succeed him as King Henry VI. John served as Regent for his young nephew and fought many battles against the French. It was John who tried and executed Joan of Arc.
Unofficial Royalty: John, Duke of Bedford

June 20, 1566 – Birth of Sigismund III Vasa, King of Sweden and Poland, Grand Duke of Lithuania, at Gripsholm Castle in Mariefred, Sweden
Sigismund was the son of Johan III, King of Sweden and his first wife Katarina Jagellonica of Poland. He was not only King of Sweden but also King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania through his mother. Sigismund, who was Catholic, was deposed in 1599 as King of Sweden by his Protestant uncle who reigned as King Karl IX of Sweden and lived the remainder of his life in Poland.
Unofficial Royalty: Sigismund III Vasa, King of Sweden and Poland, Grand Duke of Lithuania

June 20, 1667 – Death of James Stuart, Duke of Cambridge, son of King James II of England, at Richmond Palace; buried at Westminster Abbey in London, England
James, the second son of James, Duke of York (later James II) and his first wife Anne Hyde was born on July 11, 1663.  Little James fell ill in April 1667 and died on June 20, 1667.
Unofficial Royalty: James Stuart, Duke of Cambridge

June 20, 1810 – Death by a lynch mob of Axel von Fersen the Younger, favorite of Marie Antoinette, Queen of France, in Stockholm, Sweden; initially buried at the Riddarholmen Church in Stockholm, Sweden, later buried with his family at Ljungs Church in Ljung, Östergötland, Sweden
In May 1810, the new Crown Prince of Sweden died suddenly after falling from his horse. Rumors quickly spread that he had been poisoned by the former King’s supporters – more specifically, at the hands of Axel von Fersen. On June 20, 1810, the funeral was held for the Crown Prince. As Marshal of the Realm, von Fersen was one of the leaders of the procession through Stockholm. Despite the heavy presence of guards, several people broke free from the crowd in attempts to get to von Fersen, while the guards mostly just looked on with disinterest. Fleeing the crowds, he tried to find safety in a nearby house but was quickly pursued and overtaken. He was dragged back into the street where he was quickly attacked and killed by the angry mob who blamed him for the Crown Prince’s death. Several months later, he was cleared of having any part in the Crown Prince’s death.
Unofficial Royalty: Axel von Fersen the Younger

June 20, 1818 – Death of Hedwig Elizabeth Charlotte of Holstein-Gottorp, Queen of Sweden and Norway, wife of King Carl XIII of Sweden/King Karl II of Norway, at the Royal Palace in Stockholm, Sweden; buried at Riddarholm Church in Stockholm, Sweden
In 1774, Hedwig Elisabeth Charlotte married the future King Carl XIII of Sweden. Their marriage was distant and both Hedwig Elisabeth Charlotte and Carl had extramarital affairs. Hedwig Elisabeth Charlotte had two children – one stillborn and one who lived only six days. Hedwig Elisabeth Charlotte was known for her invaluable diary which described the Swedish royal court from 1775 to 1817.  It was written in the form of unsent letters to her friend Countess Sophie von Fersen. The letters are an important source for historical research. Besides dealing with gossip and social events of the court, Hedwig Elizabeth Charlotte also wrote about the French Revolution, the assassination of her husband’s brother King Gustav III, the Napoleonic Wars, and the deposing of her husband’s nephew Gustav IV Adolf which caused her husband to become King of Sweden. After her husband’s death in February 1818, Hedwig Elizabeth Charlotte said she would not be able to survive without him. On June 20, 1818, after a private dinner with the new King Carl XIV Johan, she went to her room to write, fainted, and died at the age of 59.
Unofficial Royalty: Hedwig Elizabeth Charlotte of Holstein-Gottorp, Queen of Sweden and Norway

June 20, 1837 – Death of King William IV of the United Kingdom at Windsor Castle in Windsor, England; buried at St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle in Windsor, England
Although William IV had ten children with his mistress Dorothea Jordan, he had no surviving children with his wife. Princess Victoria of Kent, the daughter of his deceased brother Prince Edward, Duke of Kent was his heir. Both William and his wife Adelaide were very fond of their niece and wanted to be closer to her. However, Victoria’s mother, the Duchess of Kent, did not allow this. In addition, she was rude to Queen Adelaide by refusing to recognize the Queen’s precedence, ignoring her letters, and taking space in royal stables and apartments for her own use. In August 1836 at a dinner in honor of his 71st birthday, William publically insulted the Duchess of Kent, who would have been her daughter’s Regent, in a speech that can be read in William’s article linked below. In the speech, William said, “I trust in God that my life may be spared for nine months longer, after which period, in the event of my death, no regency would take place.” William’s wish that his life would be spared for nine months was granted. Princess Victoria turned 18 on May 24, 1837, and a regency would no longer be required. The king had become ill with asthma or hay fever in May 1837, and pneumonia soon developed. King William IV died peacefully on June 20, 1837, at Windsor Castle and Princess Victoria ascended to the throne.
Unofficial Royalty: King William IV of the United Kingdom

June 20, 1856 – Death of Prince Florestan I of Monaco in Paris, France; buried at Saint Nicholas Cathedral in Monaco
Florestan succeeded his childless brother Honoré V in 1841. Florestan had lived in France his entire life and had never been to Monaco. He was ill-prepared to assume the role of Sovereign Prince. During his reign, the real power lay in the hands of his wife Maria Caroline Gibert de Lametz. She took over  Monaco’s finances just as she did with the family finances. Maria Caroline ruled Monaco with an iron fist because her indecisive and politically disinclined husband left all affairs of state to her. Florestan, Prince of Monaco died, aged 70, on June 20, 1856, in Paris, France. He was buried at the Church of Saint Nicholas in Monaco.
Unofficial Royalty: Prince Florestan I of Monaco

June 20, 1913 – Birth of Infante Juan of Spain, Count of Barcelona at the Palace of San Ildefonso in Segovia, Spain
Full name: Juan Carlos Teresa Silverio Alfonso de Borbón y Battenberg
Juan was the third surviving son of King Alfonso XIII of Spain and Victoria Eugenie of Battenburg. He was the father of King Juan Carlos of Spain. In 1933, both of his elder brothers renounced their rights of succession, and Juan became heir apparent to the Spanish throne. However, when dictator Francisco Franco declared a restoration of the monarchy in 1947, he named himself Regent. It would be another 22 years before he named his successor. Feeling that Juan would be too liberal, Franco instead passed over him and chose Juan’s son, Juan Carlos, as heir to the Spanish throne.
Unofficial Royalty: Infante Juan of Spain, Count of Barcelona

June 20, 1923 – Death of Marie of Battenberg, Princess of Erbach-Schönberg, daughter of Prince Alexander of Hesse and by Rhine, in Schönberg, Germany; buried in the cemetery of St. Mary’s Church in Schönberg, Hesse, Germany
The Battenberg / Mountbatten family descends from Marie’s parents Prince Alexander of Hesse and by Rhine and his morganatic wife Countess Julia von Hauke. In 1871, Marie married Gustaf Ernst, Count of Erbach-Schönberg and had four children. An avid writer, Marie published translations of several prominent works and wrote My Trip to Bulgaria, a memoir of her visit to her brother Alexander who was reigning Prince of Bulgaria from 1879 to 1886. In her later years, several more memoirs were published, one of which detailed the situation of her son Maximilian who was mentally unstable.
Unofficial Royalty: Marie of Battenberg, Princess of Erbach-Schönberg

June 20, 1923 – Death of Anne Innes-Ker, Duchess of Roxburghe, Queen Victoria’s Acting Mistress of the Robes 1883–1885 and 1892–1895 and Lady of the Bedchamber 1897–1901, at her daughter Evelyn’s home on South Audley Street in Mayfair, London, England; buried at Kelso Abbey in Kelso, Scotland, near Floors Castle, the seat of the Dukes of Roxburghe
Born Lady Anne Spencer-Churchill, daughter of John Spencer-Churchill, 7th Duke of Marlborough, she married James Innes-Ker, 7th Duke of Roxburghe.
Unofficial Royalty: Anne Innes-Ker, Duchess of Roxburghe

June 20, 1946 – Birth of Birgitte, Duchess of Gloucester, wife of Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester, born Birgitte Eva Henriksen in Odense, Isle of Funen, Denmark
The Duchess of Gloucester carried out many public engagements in support of her husband’s first cousin Queen Elizabeth II. She also supported The Queen at official engagements such as state banquets, religious services, garden parties, and receptions. The Duchess of Gloucester also made official overseas visits as a representative of The Queen with and without her husband. She continues to carry out engagements and represents her husband’s first cousin once removed King Charles III.
Unofficial Royalty: Birgitte, Duchess of Gloucester

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Royal News Recap for Tuesday, June 18, 2024

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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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Belgium

Bulgaria

Japan

Monaco

Netherlands

Spain

United Kingdom

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June 19: Today in Royal History

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Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden and Daniel Westling; Credit – Wikipedia

June 19, 1282 – Death in childbirth of Eleanor de Montfort, Princess of Wales and Lady of Snowdon, wife of Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, Prince of Wales, granddaughter of King John of England, in Abergwyngregyn, Gwynedd, Wales; buried at the Franciscan Friary of Llanfaes, Anglesey, Wales
Eleanor’s parents were Simon de Montfort and Eleanor of England, King John’s daughter. Her husband was the last Prince of an independent Wales and was killed in battle trying to save Wales in December 1281. The baby girl born the day her mother died was named Gwenllian of Wales and her uncle Prince Dafydd ap Gruffudd became her guardian after her parents died. In June 1283, Edward captured Dafydd ap Gruffudd I’s armies and hanged, drawn, and quartered him. Dafydd ap Gruffudd’s two sons were imprisoned in Bristol Castle for the rest of their lives and his daughter and niece Gwenllian were confined in convents.
Unofficial Royalty: Eleanor de Montfort, Princess of Wales and Lady of Snowdon

June 19, 1312 – Execution of Piers Gaveston, 1st Earl of Cornwall, favorite of King Edward II of England, at Blacklow Hill near Warwick, Warwickshire, England; buried at  King’s Langley Priory in King’s Langley England
Piers Gaveston had made a good impression on King Edward I of England and was assigned to the household of his son, the Prince of Wales, the future King Edward II. However, Piers soon became involved in conflicts between King Edward I and his son. The situation got so bad that King Edward I banished Piers. After King Edward I’s death, his son King Edward II recalled Piers. Piers’ exclusive access to King Edward II annoyed members of the nobility, and Edward II was forced to send him into exile. Edward II negotiated a deal with the nobles and Piers returned after a year in exile. However, his behavior became even more offensive and Piers was exiled for a third time and would be declared an outlaw if he returned to England. However, Piers returned to England, was hunted down, and executed by a group of nobles.
Unofficial Royalty: Piers Gaveston, 1st Earl of Cornwall

June 19, 1566 – Birth of James VI, King of Scots (later also King James I of England), son of Mary, Queen of Scots, at Edinburgh Castle in Edinburgh, Scotland
Full name: Charles James
When James was 11 months old, Protestant rebels arrested his Catholic mother Mary, Queen of Scots, and forced her to abdicate in favor of her son James who reigned as James VI, King of Scots.  James’ parents, Mary, Queen of Scots and Henry Stewart, Lord Darnley, were both grandchildren of Margaret Tudor, daughter of King Henry VII of England and sister of King Henry VIII of England, and therefore, James had a claim on the English throne. Since none of the children of Henry VIII had children, James was the senior heir of Henry VII through his eldest daughter Margaret Tudor. In 1589, James married Anne of Denmark. They had had seven children, but only three survived childhood including King Charles I of England and Elizabeth whose daughter Sophia of Hanover became heiress presumptive to the British throne under the Act of Settlement 1701. Sophia’s son was King George I of Great Britain.  On her deathbed, Queen Elizabeth I gave her assent that James should succeed her. In March 1625, James became ill with a recurring fever and then suffered a stroke. He died on March 27, 1625, aged 58.
Unofficial Royalty: King James I of England

June 19, 1854 – Death of Heinrich LXII, 2nd Prince Reuss of Gera in Gera, Principality of Reuss-Gera, now in Thuringia, Germany; buried at the Bergkirche St. Marien now in Schleiz, Thuringia, Germany
Upon his father’s death in 1818, Heinrich LXII became the 2nd Prince Reuss of Gera. He was an enthusiastic ruler and immediately set out to improve the education system of his principality. Heinrich LXII also did much to beautify Reuss-Gera, especially along the roads leading to Schleiz. In 1837, Schleiz Castle was badly damaged in a fire and Heinrich LXII oversaw the renovations. However, in 1945, Schleiz Castle was destroyed by American bombing during World War II. The ruins were removed in 1950, leaving only the two damaged towers.
Unofficial Royalty: Heinrich LXII, 2nd Prince Reuss of Gera

June 19, 1860 – Birth of Anna Nahowski, mistress of Franz Joseph I, Emperor of Austria, born Anna Nowak in Vienna, Austria
Franz Joseph and Anna’s relationship lasted for fourteen years, overlapping Franz Joseph’s long-standing private relationship with actress Katharina Schratt. It is probable that Franz Joseph was the father of at least one of Anna’s three children. After the suicide of Franz Joseph’s only son Crown Prince Rudolf, Franz Joseph broke off all contact with Anna. She was informed that she could determine her severance payment for the fourteen years in the service of the emperor. She asked for 200,000 guldens (millions of dollars today) and in return, she had to sign the following statement: “I hereby confirm that I received 200,000 guldens as a gift from His Majesty the Emperor today. I also swear that I will remain silent at all times about the relationship with His Majesty.” Anna never spoke publicly about her affair during her life. She did keep a diary which was released in 1976 after the death of her daughter Helene. The diary revealed the true nature of the relationship between Anna and Franz Joseph.
Unofficial Royalty: Anna Nahowski

June 19, 1867 – Execution of Emperor Maximilian of Mexico by firing squad in Cerro de las Campanas, Querétaro, Mexico; buried at the Imperial Crypt in Vienna, Austria
Maximilian was born an Austrian Archduke and was the brother of Emperor Franz Joseph of Austria. In 1861, Maximilian accepted the offer of becoming Emperor of Mexico. However, the liberal forces led by Benito Juárez, the former president deposed by the French, refused to recognize his rule. There was continuous warfare between the French troops and the forces of Juárez who wanted a republic. Maximilian was condemned to death by a court of war and was executed by a firing squad.
Unofficial Royalty: Execution of Maximilian I, Emperor of Mexico
Unofficial Royalty: Archduke Maximilian of Austria, Emperor of Mexico

June 19, 1896 – Birth of Wallis, Duchess of Windsor, wife of the former King Edward VIII of the United Kingdom, Duke of Windsor, at Square Cottage at Monterey Inn, a resort hotel in Blue Ridge Summit, Pennsylvania
Born: Bessiewallis Warfield
Bessiewallis Warfield was the only child of Teackle Wallis Warfield and Alice Montague. Teackle’s family had money, but it was “new money,” and the family was looked down upon by the older, established families. Teackle was sickly, had been ill with tuberculosis since he was 18 years old, and had a poor-paying job as a county auctioneer. Wallis’ mother was Alice Montague from a Southern “Old Family”. The Montague family could not fathom Alice’s decision to marry Teackle. Only three people attended their wedding: Alice’s sister Bessie and two of Teackle’s friends. Five months after Wallis’ birth, her father died at the age of 27. Wallis and her mother were dependent upon the charity of relatives until her mother remarried. Wallis uncle Solomon Warfield paid for her to attend the most expensive girls’ school in Maryland and she made friends with several girls from wealthy families.
Unofficial Royalty: Wallis, Duchess of Windsor

June 19, 1902 – Death of King Albert of Saxony at Sibyllenort Castle in Sibyllenort, Kingdom of Saxony, now in Lower Silesia, Poland; buried in the Wettin Crypt at the Dresden Cathedral in Dresden, Kingdom of Saxony, now in Saxony, Germany
When Albert’s father died in 1873, he succeeded him as King of Saxony. For the most part, his reign was quiet and uneventful, as he focused primarily on military affairs and did not involve himself much in politics. Perhaps his greatest contribution was the establishment of the Albertstadt, a suburb in Dresden. In the late 1890s, he was appointed to serve as an arbitrator in the dispute over succession in the Principality of Lippe. Albert’s marriage was childless and he was succeeded by his younger brother Georg.
Unofficial Royalty: King Albert of Saxony

June 19, 1976 – Wedding of King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden and Silvia Sommerlath at the Storkyrkan in Stockholm, Sweden
Silvia Sommerlath worked at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich as a senior hostess and interpreter. As part of her job duties, Silvia was assigned as hostess and guide to several high-profile attendees at the Games. One of Silvia’s assigned guests was King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden. Carl Gustaf asked Silvia for a date on the day they met, and the couple had dinner just a few hours later. Carl Gustaf noted several years afterward that he and Silvia simply “clicked” upon their first meeting and had done so ever since that day.
Unofficial Royalty: Wedding of King Carl XVI Gustaf and Silvia Sommerlath

June 19, 1999 – Wedding of Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh and Sophie Rhys Jones at St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle in Windsor, England
On January 6, 1999, Prince Edward held a press conference to announce he and Sophie Rhys-Jones were engaged to be married. It was the culmination of a long courtship, beginning in 1993 when the two renewed a casual acquaintance at a Real Tennis Challenge, hosted by the Prince. Ms. Rhys-Jones, the public relations executive handling the event, was reportedly “charmed” by the youngest of the Queen’s sons, and he with her.
Unofficial Royalty: Wedding of Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh and Sophie Rhys Jones

June 19, 2010 – Wedding of Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden and Daniel Westling at the Storkyrkan in Stockholm, Sweden
Crown Princess Victoria first met Daniel Westling in 2001 when he became her personal trainer at the gym he owned in Stockholm. It was at a friend’s birthday party in 2002 when photographers caught a kiss between the two, fueling the interest in the Princess’ personal life. Despite some public opinion against Daniel as a potential spouse for the princess due to his ‘common’ background, Victoria made it clear that one’s background was not the deciding factor in marriage, but rather the happiness shared by the couple. Speculation increased in July 2008 when Daniel moved to a rental apartment in a wing of Drottningholm Palace. Many believed this was to allow him to be ‘groomed’ for the role of consort to the Crown Princess. The engagement of Crown Princess Victoria to Mr. Daniel Westling was announced by the Royal Palace on February 24, 2009.
Unofficial Royalty: Wedding of Crown Princess Victoria and Daniel Westling

June 19, 2018 – Death of Princess Elisabeth of Denmark, the first cousin of Queen Margrethe II of Denmark, at Sorgenfri Palace in Copenhagen, Denmark; buried at Lyngby Church in Copenhagen, Denmark
Elisabeth was the granddaughter of King Christian X of Denmark and the first cousin of Queen Margrethe II of Denmark. Not receiving an appanage from the State, she took a job with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1956. Several times she was posted abroad – twice at the Danish Embassy in Washington DC and once at the Danish United Nations Mission in Geneva, Switzerland. She retired in 2001 after 45 years of employment. Elisabeth never married, perhaps to retain her position within the Danish Royal Family. Until her death, she was the last person in the line of succession to the Danish throne. Elisabeth had a long-term relationship with videographer Claus Hermansen until he died in 1997.
Unofficial Royalty: Princess Elisabeth of Denmark

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Royal News Recap for Monday, June 17, 2024

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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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Denmark

Japan

Sweden

Thailand

United Kingdom

June 17, 2024 – United Kingdom – Garter Day: Members of The Most Noble Order of the Garter participated in investing any new Companions, a procession, and a service at Windsor Castle. For more information, see Unofficial Royalty: Garter Day.

June 18 – 22, 2024 – United Kingdom – Royal Ascot – Members of the royal family will attend Royal Ascot, a five-day race meeting held at Ascot Racecourse located in Ascot, Berkshire, England, 6 miles/9.7 km from Windsor Castle. For detailed information see Unofficial Royalty: Royal Ascot.

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Disclaimer: Please be advised that any media article titles or content that appear in the Royal News which identify members of royal families with their maiden names, nicknames, incorrect style or title, etc., come directly from the media source and not from Unofficial Royalty. We encourage you to contact the media sources to express your concern about their use of the incorrect name, style, title, etc. Contact information can usually be found at the bottom of each media source’s main page.