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Sophia Dorothea of Celle with her two children, the future King George II and Sophia Dorothea, the future wife of King Friedrich Wilhelm I of Prussia, Credit – Wikipedia

September 15, 1666 – Birth of Sophia Dorothea of Celle, Electoral Princess of Hanover, wife of George, Electoral Prince of Hanover (later King George I of Great Britain), at Celle Castle in the Principality of Lüneburg, now in Lower Saxony, Germany
The marriage between first cousins Sophia Dorothea and George, the future King George I of Great Britain, was happy at first, but soon they both found affection elsewhere. George fell in love with one of his mother’s ladies-in-waiting, Melusine von der Schulenburg.  Sophia Dorothea fell in love with a Swedish Count, Philip Christoph von Königsmarck, an officer in the Hanoverian army. Despite warnings, from her mother and friends, Sophia Dorothea and her lover wrote letters to each other, met secretly, and planned to escape Hanover together. On the morning of July 2, 1694, after a meeting with Sophia Dorothea, von Königsmarck disappeared from Leineschloss Castle in Hanover and was never seen again. It was widely believed that George ordered von Königsmarck’s death. On December 28, 1694, a tribunal of judges and Lutheran Church officials declared the marriage of George and Sophia Dorothea dissolved on the grounds of Sophia Dorothea’s desertion. Because she was considered the guilty party, Sophia Dorothea was not allowed to remarry, would never again see her children, and would be kept in captivity at the Castle of Ahlden for the last 32 years of her life.
Unofficial Royalty: Sophia Dorothea of Celle, Electress Princess of Hanover

September 15, 1800 – Birth of Paul Friedrich, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin at Ludwigslust Palace in Ludwigslust, Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, now in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany
In 1822, Paul Friedrich married Alexandrine of Prussia, the daughter of King Friedrich Wilhelm III of Prussia and the couple had six children. Paul Friedrich became Grand Duke upon his grandfather’s death on February 1, 1837. He moved the official Grand Ducal residence from Ludwigslust to Schwerin and worked to improve the judicial system and the infrastructure of the Grand Duchy. Using his experience with the Prussian military, the Grand Duke made efforts to modernize the Mecklenburg-Schwerin military, basing many of his reforms on the Prussian forces. As his reign continued, he became more reclusive, often shunning his family and spending time quietly with his mistress. Paul Friedrich died on March 7, 1842, aged 41. Several weeks earlier, he had contracted a cold while helping to battle a great fire in Schwerin and never recovered.
Unofficial Royalty: Paul Friedrich, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin

September 15, 1837 – Birth of King Pedro V of Portugal at the Palace of Necessidades in Lisbon, Portugal
Full name: Pedro de Alcântara Maria Fernando Miguel Rafael Gonzaga Xavier João António Leopoldo Víctor Francisco de Assis Júlio Amélio
Pedro became King of Portugal in 1853 after his mother Queen Maria II of Portugal died in childbirth delivering her eleventh child who also died. As he was just sixteen, his father served as Regent until Pedro reached his majority two years later. Pedro quickly removed the Prime Minister and appointed more left-leaning politicians, ending years of unrest within the Portuguese government. In 1858, Pedro married Princess Stephanie of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen who died two years later from diphtheria. King Pedro V died of typhoid fever in late 1861, along with two of his brothers. As he had no children from his brief marriage, Pedro was succeeded by his younger brother Luís.
Unofficial Royalty: King Pedro V of Portugal

September 15, 1840 – Death of Maria Beatrice of Savoy, Duchess of Savoy and Reggio, wife of Francesco IV, Duke of Modena and Reggio; buried at the Church of San Vincenzo in Modena, Duchy of Modena and Reggio, now in Italy
Maria Beatrice was the eldest of the seven children of Vittorio Emanuele I, King of Sardinia and Duke of Savoy. In 1812, 20-year-old Maria Beatrice married her 33-year-old maternal uncle Francesco IV, Duke of Modena and Reggio, and had four children. Like Maria Beatrice’s family, her husband Francesco had also been exiled since 1796 from the Duchy of Modena and Reggio due to the occupation of Napoleon’s French forces. After the fall of Napoleon in 1814, the couple was able to return to Modena. As the senior surviving descendant of Henrietta of England, Duchess of Orléans, daughter of King Charles I of England and sister of James II, King of England/James VII, King of Scots, Maria Beatrice became the Jacobite pretender to the thrones of England and Scotland after the death of her father Vittorio Emanuele I, King of Sardinia in 1824. During the last years of her life, Maria Beatrice preferred to live at the Castello del Catajo in Battaglia Terme near Padua, then in the Kingdom of Lombardy-Venetia, now in Italy, a summer home that had been purchased by Francesco IV in 1803. It was there that Maria Beatrice died from heart failure on September 15, 1840, at the age of 47.
Unofficial Royalty: Maria Beatrice of Savoy, Duchess of Savoy and Reggio

September 15, 1864 – Birth of Prince Sigismund of Prussia, grandson of Queen Victoria, at Neues Palais in Potsdam, Kingdom of Prussia, now in Brandenburg, Germany
Full name: Franz Friedrich Sigismund
Sigismund was the son of Victoria, Princess Royal and the future Friedrich III, German Emperor.  On June 4, 1866, Vicky’s husband Fritz left for the front of the Austro-Prussian War.  Even before his father left, Sigismund had been fretful and it was thought to be caused by teething. However, the day after Fritz left, Sigismund was unable to eat or sleep. Twenty-four hours later, he could no longer stand. Because all the doctors normally used by the family had left with the army, Vicky was forced to consult doctors unknown to her who gave her the terrible news that her son had meningitis. At that time, there was no successful treatment for meningitis, and death usually occurred. Sigismund’s convulsions grew increasingly worse until he died in agony on June 18, 1866, only 21 months old. He was the first of Queen Victoria’s grandchildren to die.
Unofficial Royalty: Prince Sigismund of Prussia

September 15, 1904 – Birth of King Umberto II of Italy at the Castle of Racconigi in Piedmont, Italy
Full name: Umberto Nicola Tommaso Giovanni Maria
King Umberto II was the last monarch of Italy, reigning for just 34 days. In 1930, Umberto married Princess Marie-José of Belgium, the daughter of King Albert I of the Belgians and the couple had four children. At the end of World War II, Italy held a referendum to decide on the continuation of the monarchy, Umberto’s father King Vittorio Emanuele III formally abdicated on May 9, 1946, hoping to help ensure a positive result in the vote and Umberto took the throne as King Umberto II. The referendum was held on June 2, 1946, with the majority voting to become a Republic. Umberto had promised to accept and support the result and encouraged the Italian people to support the new government. On June 12, 1946, King Umberto II of Italy was formally deposed and left Italy. He settled in Cascais, Portugal, where he would live for the remainder of his life. His wife Queen Marie-José also left and settled near Geneva, Switzerland. The couple led separate lives but remained married.
Unofficial Royalty: King Umberto II of Italy

September 15, 1972 – Birth of Queen Letizia of Spain, wife of King Felipe VI of Spain, born Letizia Ortiz Rocasolano in Oviedo, Asturias, Spain
Letizia is the current Queen Consort of Spain. Before her marriage to Felipe, Prince of Asturias, the heir to the Spanish throne, she had a very successful career as a journalist. The couple married in 2004, at the Santa María la Real de La Almudena Cathedral in Madrid, Spain. It was the first royal wedding held in Madrid since the wedding of Felipe’s great-grandparents King Alfonso XIII of Spain and Princess Victoria Eugenie of Battenberg in 1906. Letizia and Felipe had two daughters. Her husband became King of Spain upon the abdication of his father King Juan Carlos in 2014.
Unofficial Royalty: Queen Letizia of Spain

September 15, 1973 – Death of King Gustav VI Adolf of Sweden at Helsingborg Hospital in Helsingborg, Sweden; buried at the Royal Burial Grounds in Haga, Sweden
In 1905, Gustav Adolf married Princess Margaret of Connaught, a granddaughter of Queen Victoria. The couple had five children. In 1920, Margaret was eight months pregnant with her sixth child when she underwent mastoid surgery. An infection set in, killing Margaret and her unborn child. In 1923, Gustav Adolf married Lady Louise Mountbatten (born Princess Louise of Battenberg). The couple had a stillborn daughter in 1925, and after that, they had no more children. Another tragedy hit in 1947 Gustav Adolf when his eldest son Prince Gustaf Adolf, Duke of Västerbotten was killed in an airplane crash. In 1950, Gustav Adolf became King of Sweden at age 67 upon the death of his father King Gustaf V. In the summer of 1973, King Gustaf VI Adolf fell ill from bleeding ulcers and had surgery. After the surgery, he developed pneumonia, cardiac issues, and kidney failure, and King Gustaf VI Adolf died, just short of his 91st birthday. He was succeeded by his 27-year-old grandson King Carl XVI Gustaf. The new king was the son of King Gustaf Adolf VI’s deceased eldest son Prince Gustaf Adolf who was not even a year old when his father had been killed.
Unofficial Royalty: King Gustav VI Adolf of Sweden

September 15, 1973 – Birth of Prince Daniel of Sweden, husband of Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden, born Olof Daniel Westling at Örebro University Hospital in Örebro, Sweden
Daniel is the husband of Crown Princess Victoria, the heir apparent to the Swedish throne. Daniel started his own company in 1997 and worked as a consultant in the fitness industry. He then went on to run his own gym where he met Victoria and became her personal trainer. The couple married in 2010. Victoria and Daniel have a daughter and a son. Their daughter Estelle is second in line to the Swedish throne after her mother and remained in that position after the birth of her brother Oscar.
Unofficial Royalty: Prince Daniel, Duke of Västergötland

September 15, 1984 – Birth of Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, at St. Mary’s Hospital in London, England
Full name: Henry Charles Albert David
In May 2005, Harry entered Royal Military Academy Sandhurst where he was known as Officer Cadet Wales. He completed his training in April 2006 and was commissioned as a Cornet (second lieutenant) in the Blues and Royals, a regiment of the Household Cavalry in the British Army. Harry’s highest rank in the army was Captain and like his brother William, he used Wales as his surname with his military rank. Harry trained to fly Apache helicopters and served two tours of duty in Afghanistan. In 2018, Harry married American actress Meghan Markle. In 2020, it was announced that Harry and Meghan would step back as senior royals, and in 2021, it was further announced that they will no longer have any of their royal patronages or honorary military roles. Harry and Meghan live in California in the United States and have a son and a daughter.
Unofficial Royalty: Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex

September 15, 2014 – Death of Prince Nicholas Romanov in Bolgheri, Tuscany, Italy; interred in the crypt of the Counts della Gherardesoc, the burial site of his wife’s family, at the Basilica of Saint Francis in Pisa, Tuscany, Italy
Prince Nicholas Romanov, a great-great-grandson of Nicholas I, Emperor of All Russia, was one of the disputed pretenders to the Headship of the Russian Imperial Family from 1992 – 2014.
Unofficial Royalty: Prince Nicholas Romanov

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Princess Grace of Monaco; Credit – Wikipedia

September 14, 1435 – Death of John, Duke of Bedford, son of King Henry IV of England, at Joyeux Repos in Rouen, Normandy, now in France; buried at Rouen Cathedral
When John’s brother King Henry V died at the early age of 35, 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. John’s marriage to Anne of Burgundy was childless and Anne died nine years later of the plague. On April 22, 1433, John married 17-year-old Jacquetta of Luxembourg. The marriage was short-lived and childless as John died a little more than two years later. John’s widow Jacquetta married Richard Woodville, 1st Earl Rivers in 1437 and had fourteen children including Elizabeth Woodville, the wife of King Edward IV.
Unofficial Royalty: John, Duke of Bedford

September 14, 1667 – Birth of Edgar, Duke of Cambridge, son of King James II of England, at St. James Palace in London, England
Edgar was the youngest of the four sons of the future King James II of England, then Duke of York, and his first wife Anne Hyde. At the time of his birth, his three brothers who had been born before Edgar had all died. His only living siblings were his two elder sisters, the future Queen Mary II of England and the future Queen Anne of England, who were the only surviving children of their parents’ eight children. Until his early death in 1671, Edgar was second in the line of succession to the English throne after his father. Edgartown, Massachusetts on the island of Martha’s Vineyard, established in 1642, was named after Edgar when it was incorporated in 1671.
Unofficial Royalty: Edgar, Duke of Cambridge

September 14, 1928 – Birth of The Honourable Angus Ogilvy, husband of Princess Alexandra of Kent, in London, England
Full name: Angus James Bruce
Angus Ogilvy was the second son of David Ogilvy, 12th Earl of Airlie. Angus’s grandmother, Mabell Ogilvy, Countess of Airlie was a close lifelong friend of Queen Mary and served as one of her ladies-in-waiting for over 50 years. His father served as a Lord-in-Waiting to King George V and then as Lord Chamberlain to Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother from 1937-1965. An uncle served as an equerry to the future King Edward VIII while he was Prince of Wales. His elder brother served as Lord Chamberlain to Queen Elizabeth II from 1984-1997 and his sister-in-law, Virginia, has been a lady-in-waiting to The Queen since 1973.  In 1963. Angus married Princess Alexandra of Kent and the couple had two children. Angus was offered an Earldom by The Queen but graciously declined. Angus died from throat cancer in 2004.
Unofficial Royalty: The Right Honourable Sir Angus Ogilvy

September 14, 1982 – Death of Princess Grace of Monaco at the Princess Grace Hospital in Monte Carlo, Monaco; buried at the Cathedral of Monaco in Monaco
Born Grace Patricia Kelly in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the Academy Award-winning actress was the wife of Prince Rainier III of Monaco and is the mother of Prince Albert II, the current Sovereign Prince of Monaco. On September 13, 1982, while driving back to Monaco from their home in France, Princess Grace suffered a stroke. The car veered off the road, and both Grace and her daughter Princess Stephanie were severely injured. Flown back to the hospital in Monaco, Grace never regained consciousness, having suffered major internal injuries. The following day, on September 14th, at 10:55 pm, Princess Grace of Monaco passed away. Her funeral was held several days later at the Cathedral of Monaco, attended by many royal representatives from around the world abdmany of Grace’s old friends from Hollywood. Following the funeral, she was buried at the Cathedral.
Unofficial Royalty: Princess Grace of Monaco

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King Felipe II of Spain; Credit – Wikipedia

September 13, 1336 – Death of John of Eltham, Duke of Cornwall, son of King Edward II of England, in Perth, Scotland, buried in Westminster Abbey in London, England
In 1327, when John was eleven years old, his father King Edward II was forced to give up his crown in favor of his son 14-year-old son King Edward III, with his mother Isabella of France and Roger Mortimer, 3rd Baron Mortimer, 1st Earl of March acting as regents. King Edward II died in Berkeley Castle on September 21, 1327, probably murdered on the orders of Isabella and Mortimer. John was the heir to the English throne until 1330, when his nephew Edward, Prince of Wales, the first child of King Edward III, was born.  King Edward III began marriage negotiations for his brother several times but none of the negotiations led to a betrothal. John had a brilliant military career, similar to the later military career of his nephew Edward, Prince of Wales, known as The Black Prince, who predeceased his father, and whose career ended just as suddenly. John of Eltham, 1st Earl of Cornwall died on September 13, 1336, in Perth, Scotland at the age of 20. The cause of his death is uncertain. There are references to John dying from a fever and dying in a skirmish with the Scots.
Unofficial Royalty: John of Eltham, Earl of Cornwall

September 13, 1410 – Death of Isabella of Valois, Queen of England, second wife of King Richard II of England, at Château de Blois in Blois, France, buried at the Church of the Celestines in Paris, France
Soon after the death of his first wife Anne of Bohemia in 1394, the childless King Richard II of England began a search for a new wife. He turned to France seeking an alliance and in 1397 a marriage was arranged between Isabella, a daughter of King Charles VI of France, and Richard who was 22 years older than his bride. Isabella lived apart from Richard at Windsor Castle. Richard visited her frequently and a strong affection developed between the partners of this unconsummated marriage. In 1399, Richard II was deposed by his cousin who then reigned as King Henry IV. Richard was imprisoned at Pontefract Castle in Yorkshire where he died on or around February 14, 1400.  Eventually, Isabella’s return to France was arranged and she left England on July 1, 1401. Isabella married her cousin Charles of Orléans in 1406. At the age of 19, Isabella died a few hours after giving birth to her only child.
Unofficial Royalty: Isabella of Valois, Queen of England

September 13, 1598 – Death of King Felipe II of Spain at the Royal Site of San Lorenzo de El Escorial in San Lorenzo de El Escorial, Spain; buried at the Royal Site of San Lorenzo de El Escorial
Physically exhausted after 40 years of ruling, Felipe’s father Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor abdicated in 1555 and retired to the peace of a monastery, where he died three years later. Upon Charles’ abdications, the Holy Roman Empire was inherited by his younger brother Ferdinand, who had already been given the Austrian lands in 1521. The Spanish Empire, including the possessions in the Netherlands and Italy, was inherited by Felipe. Felipe married four times (one of his wives was Queen Mary I of England), was a widower four times, and had children with three of his wives. Toward the end of his life, Felipe’s health suffered. In 1595, gout was causing him severe pain, making him nearly immobile, and a special wheelchair was made for him. He also suffered from recurring episodes of malaria. During the last three months of his life, Felipe was bedridden and in great agony. He died at the age of 71 in his chambers at the El Escorial.
Unofficial Royalty: King Felipe II of Spain

September 13, 1612 – Death of Karin Månsdotter, Queen of Sweden, mistress and then wife of King Eric XIV of Sweden, in Finland; buried at the Cathedral of Turku, Finland
Karin Månsdotter was one of several mistresses of Erik XIV, King of Sweden, and then briefly his Queen Consort. Erik suffered from mental health issues and from 1563 onwards these issues worsened. His decisions became more illogical and he exhibited violent behavior. Starting early in her relationship with Erik, courtiers used Karin to intercede with Erik. Due to Erik’s behavior and his morganatic marriage to Karin, his younger half-brothers led a revolt against Erik with the support of many nobles that ended in his removal as King of Sweden in 1568. Erik and Karin were imprisoned but their children were initially placed in the care of Queen Dowager Katherina Stenbock, the third wife and widow of Erik’s father. In 1570, the children were returned to their parents. Karin gave birth to two children in captivity, both of whom died young. In 1573, Karin and her children were separated from Erik to prevent the birth of any more children. They were taken to Turku Castle in Finland where they remained under house arrest. After Erik died in 1577, Karin was released. King Johan III of Sweden granted Karin the royal estate Liuksiala Manor in Kangasala, Finland, where she lived comfortably for the rest of her life.
Unofficial Royalty: Karin Månsdotter, Queen of Sweden

September 13, 1820 – Death of Adelheid of Anhalt-Bernburg-Schaumburg-Hoym, first wife of the future Grand Duke August I, in Oldenburg, Duchy of Oldenburg, now in Lower Saxony, Germany; buried in the Ducal Mausoleum at Saint Gertrude’s Cemetery in Oldenburg
In 1817, Adelheid married the then-Duke August of Oldenburg. The couple had two daughters including Amalia who married Prince Otto of Bavaria, later King of Greece. Adelheid died suddenly at the age of 20. Five years after her death, her husband married her youngest sister Ida.
Unofficial Royalty: Adelheid of Anhalt-Bernburg-Schaumburg-Hoym, Duchess of Oldenburg

 September 13, 1848 – Death of Maria Isabella of Spain, Queen of the Two Sicilies, 2nd wife of Francesco I, King of the Two Sicilies, at the Palace of Portici in Portici, Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, now in Italy; buried at the Basilica of Santa Chiara in Naples.
The daughter of Carlos IV, King of Spain, 13-year-old Maria Isabella married her 25-year-old cousin Francesco I, King of the Two Sicilies. Maria Isabella had a four-year-old stepdaughter from her husband’s first marriage. As a 15-year-old, Maria Isabella gave birth to her first child,  followed by eleven more children over the next twenty-three years. Unusual for the time, all twelve survived childhood.  Maria Isabella was only 41-year-old when her husband died in 1830 and despite being overweight, she was still attractive and had relationships with younger handsome servants. Maria Isabella wanted to marry again and her son Ferdinando II provided her with a list of acceptable young nobles as potential husbands. In 1839, 50-year-old Maria Isabella married 34-year-old Count Francesco del Balzo but he was not allowed to be at court with Maria Isabella. The couple withdrew from court and moved to the Royal Palace of Capodimonte in Naples, Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, now in Italy.
Unofficial Royalty: Maria Isabella of Spain, Queen of the Two Sicilies

September 13, 1863 – Birth of Ernst II, Prince of Hohenlohe-Langenburg in Langenburg, Principality of Hohenlohe-Langenburg, now in Baden-Württemberg, Germany
Full name: Ernst Wilhelm Friedrich Carl Maximilian
In 1896, Ernst married Princess Alexandra, the daughter of Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh and Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, and a granddaughter of Queen Victoria. Ernst and Alexandra had five children including Gottfried, Prince of Hohenlohe-Langenburg who married Princess Margarita of Greece and Denmark, a sister of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. In 1900, Ernst’s father-in-law Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh and Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha died, and the ducal throne of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha passed to Alexandra’s cousin, Charles Edward, Duke of Albany. Because Charles Edward was just sixteen, Ernst was appointed Regent until the new Duke reached his majority in 1905.
Unofficial Royalty: Ernst II, Prince of Hohenlohe-Langenburg

September 13, 1877 – Death of Maria Anna of Bavaria, Queen of Saxony, 2nd wife of King Friedrich August II of Saxony, in Dresden, Kingdom of Saxony, now in Saxony, Germany; buried in the Wettin Crypt at Dresden Cathedral
In 1833, Maria Anna, a daughter of King Maximilian I Joseph of Bavaria, married Crown Prince Friedrich August of Saxony but they had no children. Three years later, she became Queen of Saxony upon her husband’s accession to the throne. Maria Anna founded a women’s association to help combat the famines plaguing parts of Saxony. This association continued to exist until the early 1930s.  In 1854, King Friedrich August II was killed in an accident while traveling in Tyrol, Austria. Queen Maria Anna had a chapel built on the site. She survived her husband by 23 years, dying at the age of 72.
Unofficial Royalty: Maria Anna of Bavaria, Queen of Saxony

September 13, 1892 – Birth of Princess Viktoria Luise of Prussia, Princess of Hanover, Duchess of Brunswick, daughter of Wilhelm II, German Emperor and King of Prussia, at Marmorpalais in Potsdam, Kingdom of Prussia, now in Brandenburg, Germany
Full name: Viktoria Luise Adelheid Mathilde Charlotte
Viktoria Luise was the youngest child of the seven children and the only daughter of Wilhelm II, German Emperor and King of Prussia. Through her father, she was a great-granddaughter of Queen Victoria. In 1913, Viktoria Luise married Ernst August III, Duke of Brunswick. Their wedding was one of the largest gatherings of royalty in Germany since the establishment of the German Empire in 1871. It would also be one of the last large social events before World War I, attended by 1,200 guests, including the British King and Queen and the Russian Emperor and Empress.
Unofficial Royalty: Princess Viktoria Luise of Prussia, Princess of Hanover, Duchess of Brunswick

September 13, 1918 – Death of Eduard, Duke of Anhalt in Berchtesgaden, Kingdom of Bavaria, now in Bavaria, Germany; buried in the Dessau Mausoleum in Dessau, Duchy of Anhalt, now in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. In 1958, the remains of members of the House of Anhalt were removed from the Ducal Mausoleum secretly by night for political reasons (Dessau was then in Communist East Germany) and reburied in the Ziebigker Cemetery in Dessau in a common grave, marked only by a simple wooden cross. In 2019, Eduard’s remains were moved a second time and reinterred in the Marienkirche in Dessau, the traditional burial site of the Dukes of Anhalt-Dessau dating back to the 15th century. The Marienkirche was destroyed during World War II and has since been rebuilt.
Eduard, Duke of Anhalt ruled for less than five months, just before the end of World War I and the end of the German Empire. Eduard became Duke of Anhalt upon the death of his older brother, Friedrich II, on April 21, 1918. Less than five months later, on September 13, 1918, Eduard died in Berchtesgaden, Kingdom of Bavaria, now in the German state of Bavaria. He was succeeded by his son Joachim Ernst. As Joachim Ernst was not yet of age, Eduard’s brother Aribert served as Regent. At the end of World War I, Aribert abdicated on Joachim Ernst’s behalf on November 12, 1918.
Unofficial Royalty: Eduard, Duke of Anhalt

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King François I of France; Credit – Wikipedia

September 12, 1368 – Death of Blanche of Lancaster, Duchess of Lancaster, from the plague, first wife of John of Gaunt, mother of King Henry IV of England, at Bolingbroke Castle in Lindsey, England; buried at Old St Paul’s Cathedral in London, England
The Duchy of Lancaster is one of the two royal duchies in England and is held in trust for the Sovereign to provide income for the use of the British monarch. So how did the Duchy of Lancaster get into the hands of the British Sovereign?  The connection is Blanche of Lancaster, the first wife of John of Gaunt, son of King Edward III. Blanche’s father was Henry of Grosmont, 1st Duke of Lancaster, a great-grandson of King Henry III. Henry of Grosmont, 1st Duke of Lancaster died of the plague in 1361. Since Blanche’s father did not have any sons, Blanche and her sister Maud became his co-heiresses. Maud’s portion of her inheritance passed to Blanche and her husband upon her death. Blanche died at age 23, possibly of the plague, on September 12, 1368. When John of Gaunt died in 1399, his nephew King Richard II confiscated the holdings of the Duchy of Lancaster and banished John of Gaunt’s son Henry Bolingbroke for life. Henry returned to England to claim his inheritance. Supported by leading families, Henry regained control of the Lancastrian strongholds and captured Richard II. Richard abdicated and was imprisoned in Pontefract Castle where he later died. Henry Bolingbroke was crowned King Henry IV in 1399. The first act of King Henry IV was to declare that the Duchy of Lancaster would be held separately from the other possessions of the Crown, and should descend to his male heirs. This separation was confirmed in 1461 by King Edward IV when he stipulated that the Duchy would be held separate from other inheritances by him and his heirs, the Kings of England. Ever since, the Duchy of Lancaster has effectively passed to each reigning monarch.
Unofficial Royalty: Blanche of Lancaster, Duchess of Lancaster

September 12, 1494 – Birth of King François I of France at the Château de Cognac in Cognac, France
A contemporary of Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor and King Henry VIII of England, François succeeded his first cousin once removed and father-in-law King Louis XII of France, who died without a son. The magnificent art collection of the French kings began during his reign. It can still be seen at the Musée du Louvre, which occupies most of the former Louvre Palace. François focused on both new construction and renovations. Among his projects was the renovation of the Louvre Palace from a medieval fortress into a Renaissance palace and the building of a new City Hall (the Hôtel de Ville) for Paris. 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.
Unofficial Royalty: King François I of France

September 12, 1683 – Death of King Afonso VI of Portugal at Royal Palace of Sintra in Sintra, Portugal; buried at Monastery of São Vicente de Fora in Lisbon, Portugal
13-year-old Afonso succeeded his father João IV, King of Portugal died in 1656. Afonso’s sister Catherine of Braganza was the wife of King Charles II of England. Afonso was debilitated mentally and physically due to the effects of a disease he contracted in childhood, controlled by a favorite early in his reign, relieved of his sovereign power by his brother who married his wife after their marriage was annulled, and confined under guard for the last fifteen years of his life,
Unofficial Royalty: King Afonso VI of Portugal

September 12, 1804 – Birth of Karl, 3rd Prince of Leiningen in Amorbach, Principality of Leiningen, now in Bavaria, Germany
Full name: Karl Friedrich Wilhelm Emich
 Karl was the half-brother of Queen Victoria. At the age of ten, Karl became Prince of Leiningen upon his father’s death in 1814. However, in 1806, the Principality of Leiningen had been mediatized – annexed to another state(s), while allowing certain rights to its former sovereign. The Principality of Leiningen ceased to exist and was divided between the Grand Duchy of Baden, the Kingdom of Bavaria, and the Grand Duchy of Hesse. The family retained Amorbach Abbey in Amorbach, which remains the family seat of the Princes of Leiningen.
Unofficial Royalty: Karl, 3rd Prince of Leiningen

September 12, 1837 – Birth of Ludwig IV, Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine, husband of Princess Alice of the United Kingdom, in Darmstadt, Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine, now in Hesse, Germany
Full name: Friedrich Wilhelm Ludwig Karl
On July 1, 1862, Ludwig married Princess Alice of the United Kingdon at Osborne House on the Isle of Wight, England. The wedding was a rather subdued affair, as Alice’s father had died seven months earlier, and the family was still in official mourning. At the time of the wedding, Queen Victoria issued Letters Patent giving Ludwig the style Royal Highness. This would only be valid in the United Kingdom. Elsewhere, he was still a Grand Ducal Highness. In 1877, Ludwig succeeded his childless uncle as Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine. The following year, the family, with the exception of Alice and their daughter Ella, all came down with diphtheria. Princess Alice nursed her family back to health, and all survived except for their youngest daughter May. Sadly, Princess Alice eventually also became ill and was unable to fight off the illness, and died on December 14, 1878. The couple’s eldest daughter, Victoria, took on the role of raising her younger siblings and often served as hostess at official events.
Unofficial Royalty: Ludwig IV, Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine

September 12, 1917 – Death of Tsaritsa Eleonore of Bulgaria at Euxinograd Palace, near Varna, Bulgaria; born Eleonore of Reuss-Köstritz, second wife of Tsar Ferdinand of Bulgaria, buried in the cemetery at Boyana Church near Sofia, Bulgaria
Following a bit of match-making by Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna of Russia, Eleonore became engaged to Ferdinand of Bulgaria (born Prince Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha-Koháry)  in December 1907.  Ferdinand’s first wife, Princess Maria Luisa of Bourbon-Parma, died in 1899, after the birth of the youngest of their four children. Eleonore and Ferdinand did not have any children however, Eleonore was instrumental in raising her four stepchildren. During the Balkan Wars and World War I, Eleonore worked tirelessly as a nurse on the front lines. After a serious illness, she died at the age of 57, and as per her wishes, she was buried in a very modest grave next to the medieval Boyana Church which she had helped save.
Unofficial Royalty: Eleonore of Reuss-Köstritz, Tsaritsa of Bulgaria

September 12, 1938 – Death of Prince Arthur of Connaught, son of Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and grandson of Queen Victoria, at 41 Belgrave Square in London, England; buried at the Royal Burial Ground, Frogmore in Windsor, England
Like his father, Arthur had a military career. He was on active duty during the Second Boer War. During World War I, Prince Arthur served as aide-de-camp to General Sir John French and General Sir Douglas Haig. He was Governor-General of South Africa from 1920 – 1923. Prince Arthur married his first cousin once removed Princess Alexandra, Duchess of Fife, the elder daughter of Princess Louise, Princess Royal and Alexander Duff, 1st Duke of Fife and a grandchild of King Edward VII of the United Kingdom. The couple had two daughters. In 1938, Prince Arthur died of stomach cancer at the age of 55. As Prince Arthur predeceased his father The Duke of Connaught, Arthur’s son Alastair became heir to the dukedom.
Unofficial Royalty: Prince Arthur of Connaught

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