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Anne of Cleves, Queen of England; Credit – Wikipedia

July 16, 1517 – Birth of Lady Frances Brandon, Duchess of Suffolk, daughter of Mary Tudor, Queen of France, Duchess of Suffolk, and niece of King Henry VIII, at Hatfield House in Hertfordshire, England
The second child of the four children and eldest daughter of Mary Tudor, daughter of King Henry VII of England, and Charles Brandon, 1st Duke of Suffolk, Lady Frances Brandon was born on July 16, 1517, at Hatfield House in Hertfordshire, England. At the time of her birth, Hatfield House belonged to the Bishop of Ely. Her mother was making a pilgrimage to the shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham in Norfolk, England when she unexpectedly went into labor, so she stopped at Hatfield House to have her baby. Lady Frances married Henry Grey, 3rd Marquess of Dorset and they were the parents of the ill-fated Lady Jane Grey.
Unofficial Royalty: Lady Frances Brandon, Duchess of Suffolk

July 16, 1557 – Death of Anne of Cleves, Queen of England, fourth wife of King Henry VIII of England, at Chelsea Old Palace in London, England; buried at Westminster Abbey in London, England
Anne of Cleves is often considered the most fortunate of Henry VIII’s wives. Henry was terribly disappointed by his new bride. He found Anne humorless and boring. She looked unimpressive in her German costume, acted shy, and did not speak English. Six months after the marriage, Anne was informed that Henry wanted to end the marriage and Anne agreed to an annulment on the grounds of non-consummation. Henry gave her a generous settlement and the use of Richmond Palace and Hever Castle. Anne was frequently at court, had a cordial relationship with Henry and his children, and was referred to as “the King’s Beloved Sister.” Anne of Cleves survived Henry and all his wives. Her last public appearance was at the coronation of her stepdaughter Queen Mary I. As the third lady in the land, she rode behind the new queen beside Mary’s sister Elizabeth.
Unofficial Royalty: Anne of Cleves, Queen of England

July 16, 1672 – Birth of Lady Barbara FitzRoy, acknowledged by King Charles II of England as his child by Barbara Palmer, 1st Duchess of Cleveland, at Cleveland House in London, England
There are questions about Lady Barbara’s paternity. Barbara Palmer had several lovers before Lady Barbara’s conception. Her mother claimed that she was King Charles II’s daughter but possibly she was the daughter of her mother’s second cousin and lover John Churchill, later the 1st Duke of Marlborough. Philip Stanhope, 2nd Earl of Chesterfield, who Lady Barbara resembled, was also a lover of Barbara Palmer. Roger Palmer, 1st Earl of Castlemaine, the husband of Lady Barbara’s mother, believed her to be his daughter, and left his estate to her. King Charles II informally recognized Lady Barbara by giving her the surname Fitzroy. 1689, 17-year-old Lady Barbara became a novice at the Benedictine English Priory of St. Nicholas in Pontoise, Normandy, France, taking the name Sister Benedicta. On April 2, 1691, Lady Barbara professed her final vows as a nun. In 1721, Lady Barbara became prioress of the convent. On May 6, 1737, Lady Barbara, aged sixty-five, died at the Benedictine English Priory and was buried in the church there.
Unofficial Royalty: Lady Barbara FitzRoy (article coming soon).

July 16, 1740 – Death of Maria Anna of Neuburg, Queen of Spain, second wife of Carlos II, King of Spain, at the Palacio del Infantado in Guadalajara, Spain; interred in Chapel IX of the Pantheon of the Infantes at the Royal Basilica of San Lorenzo de El Escorial in San Lorenzo de El Escorial, Spain
In 1689, Maria Anna married King Carlos II of Spain, developmentally disabled, both physically and mentally, due to the long-time inbreeding of the House of Habsburg. Likely, the marriage was never consummated. Carlos II died in 1700. The Spanish House of Habsburg became extinct and the Spanish throne was inherited by Philippe of France, Duke of Anjou who reigned as Felipe V, King of Spain, the first monarch of the House of Bourbon which still reigns in the Kingdom of Spain today. Due to a political situation, Maria Anna lived in exile in France from 1708 – 1739. In 1739, elderly and in ill health, Maria Anna was allowed to return to Spain. This was probably due to the influence of her niece Elisabeth Farnese, the daughter of Maria Anna’s sister Dorothea Sophie of Neuburg and Francesco Farnese, Duke of Parma, who had become the second wife of King Felipe V of Spain in 1714. Maria Anna was given a home at the Palacio del Infantado in Guadalajara, Spain, where she died on July 16, 1740, at the age of 72.
Unofficial Royalty: Maria Anna of Neuburg, Queen of Spain

July 16, 1764 – Murder of Ivan VI, Emperor of All Russia at the Fortress of Shlisselburg in Russia; buried at the Fortress of Shlisselburg
The story of Ivan VI and his family is one of the most tragic stories in royal history. Ivan VI, Emperor of All Russia (Ivan Antonovich) succeeded to the throne in 1740 at the age of two months. A little more than a year later, Ivan was deposed by Elizabeth, Empress of All Russia, the only surviving child of Peter I the Great, Emperor of All Russia, and spent the next 23 years imprisoned before being murdered in 1764 on the orders of Catherine II (the Great), Empress of All Russia. Ivan’s parents spent the rest of their lives imprisoned and, all Ivan’s other siblings were born while their parents were in prison except his sister Catherine. Ivan’s siblings remained imprisoned until 1780 when they were released into the custody of their maternal aunt, born Juliana Maria of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, but then the Queen Dowager of Denmark.
Unofficial Royalty: Assassination of Ivan VI, Emperor of All Russia
Unofficial Royalty: Ivan VI, Emperor of All Russia

July 16, 1782- Death of Louisa Ulrika of Prussia, Queen of Sweden, wife of King Adolf Frederik of Sweden, at Svartsjö Palace in Svartsjö, Sweden; buried at Riddarholm Church in Stockholm, Sweden
Upon her wedding in 1744, her father-in-law King Fredrik I gave Louisa Ulrika the ownership of Drottningholm Palace, not too far from the Swedish capital of Stockholm. During Louisa Ulrika’s ownership of Drottningholm Palace, the palace’s interior was redecorated in a more sophisticated French rococo style. On Louisa Ulrika’s 33rd birthday, her husband Adolf Fredrik presented her with the Chinese Pavillion, located on the grounds of Drottningholm Palace. Louisa Ulrika was also responsible for rebuilding the Drottningholm Palace Theatre, also on the grounds of Drottningholm Palace, after the original building burned down in 1762.
Unofficial Royalty: Louisa Ulrika of Prussia, Queen of Sweden

July 16, 1879 – Death of Maria Teresa of Savoy, wife of Carlo II Ludovico, Duke of Parma, at the Tenuta Villa Maria in San Martino, Vignale in the hills, just north of Lucca in Italy; buried in the Chapel of the Dominican Order at the Verano Cemetery in Rome, Italy
In 1820, Maria Teresa married the future Carlo II Ludovico, Duke of Parma. The couple had two children but the marriage was a mismatch. Maria Teresa was very religious and a secular member of the Dominican Order. Carlo Ludovico lived for his own pleasure and preferred entertainment and travel to prayer. Eventually, Maria Teresa left her husband’s court and surrounded herself with priests and nuns, and dedicated her life to religion. After 1840 she lived in complete religious seclusion. Maria Teresa of Savoy died on July 16, 1879, aged 75. Her funeral was held on July 23, 1879, at Saint Romano Church in Lucca, Italy. Her body, dressed in a Dominican nun’s habit, was taken by train to Rome, Italy where it was buried in the Chapel of the Dominican Order at the Verano Cemetery.
Unofficial Royalty: Maria Teresa of Savoy, Duchess of Savoy

July 16, 1884 – Birth of Anna Alexandrovna Vyrubova, lady-in-waiting and favorite of Empress Alexandra Feodorovna, wife of Nicholas II, Emperor of All Russia, in Oranienbaum, Russia
Anna became a maid of honor at the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg in 1903, serving various female members of the Romanov family. In 1905, Anna was summoned to Tsarskoye Selo, the town containing residences of the Imperial Family located 15 miles south of St. Petersburg, to fill in for a lady-in-waiting to Empress Alexandra who became ill. Thus began her longtime relationship with Empress Alexandra. The position of lady-in-waiting was rotating – one month on duty, one month at home. Anna became a close friend of Empress Alexandra, was close to the Imperial Family for many years, accompanied them on many trips, and attended private family events.
Unofficial Royalty: Anna Alexandrovna Vyrubova, lady-in-waiting and favorite of Empress Alexandra Feodorovna of Russia

July 16, 1946 – Death of Charlotte of Schaumburg-Lippe, Queen of Württemberg, 2nd wife of King Wilhelm II of Württemberg, at Schloss Bebenhausen, in Bebenhausen,  Baden-Württemberg, Germany; buried in the Old Cemetery on the grounds of Ludwigsburg Palace in Ludwigsburg, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
At the end of World War I, when the German monarchies all came to an end, Charlotte’s husband King Wilhelm II of Württemberg negotiated with the new German state to ensure that he and his wife would receive an annual income, as well as a residence for life, Schloss Bebenhausen. The two retired to Bebenhausen, now in the German state of Baden-Württemberg. where Wilhelm died in 1921. Queen Charlotte remained there, going by the title Duchess of Württemberg, for another 25 years. Two years before her death, Charlotte suffered a stroke that confined her to a wheelchair. In addition to being the last Queen of Württembeg, Charlotte was also the last living Queen from any of the German states.
Unofficial Royalty: Charlotte of Schaumburg-Lippe, Queen of Württemberg

July 16, 1956 – Death of Irene Mountbatten, Marchioness of Carisbrooke, born Lady Irene Denison, daughter of William Denison, 2nd Earl of Londesborough and wife of Queen Victoria’s grandson Alexander Mountbatten, Marquess of Carisbrooke, in London, England; she was cremated and ashes were interred at St. Mildred’s Church in Whippingham, Isle of Wight, England
Irene married Alexander Mountbatten, Marquess of Carisbrooke, the eldest son of Princess Beatrice of the United Kingdom and Prince Henry of Battenberg. Irene and Alexander lived at King’s Cottage, overlooking Kew Gardens, one of the grace and favor houses at the disposal of the Sovereign. They spent their last years living in apartments at Kensington Palace.
Unofficial Royalty: Irene Mountbatten, Marchioness of Carisbrooke

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Franz Friedrich Anton, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld; Credit – Wikipedia

July 15, 1445 – Death of Lady Joan Beaufort, Queen of Scots, wife of James I, King of Scots at Dunbar Castle in Scotland; buried at the Carthusian Charterhouse of Perth in Scotland
After the assassination of her husband James I, King of Scots, Joan married Sir James Stewart, known as the Black Knight of Lorne. Due to the many intrigues of the Scottish nobles, Joan was at Dunbar Castle for her protection. After a ten-month siege of Dunbar Castle, Joan died at around 41 years of age. She was buried beside her first husband James I, King of Scots in the Carthusian Charterhouse of Perth, which he had founded. On May 11, 1559, following a sermon by John Knox, a leader of the Scottish Reformation and the founder of the Presbyterian Church of Scotland, the Carthusian Charterhouse in Perth was attacked by a mob of Protestant reformers. Everything was destroyed including the royal tombs and remains.
Unofficial Royalty: Lady Joan Beaufort, Queen of Scots

July 15, 1685 – Execution of James Scott, 1st Duke of Monmouth, 1st Duke of Buccleuch, an illegitimate son of King Charles II Of England by Lucy Walter, for treason at Tower Hill in London, England; buried at the Chapel Royal of St. Peter ad Vincula, Tower of London in London, England
James was the eldest of Charles II’s illegitimate children. Sarah, Duchess of York, Princess Alice of Gloucester, Diana, Princess of Wales and her sons Prince William and Prince Harry are among his descendants.  James was convicted of treason for leading a rebellion against his uncle King James II of England. Apparently, he groveled at the feet of his uncle, begging for his life.  James was sent to the Tower of London and beheaded on Tower Hill on July 15, 1685.
Unofficial Royalty: James Scott, 1st Duke of Monmouth

July 15, 1750 – Birth of Franz Friedrich Anton, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld in Coburg, Duchy of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, now in Bavaria, Germany
Franz Friedrich Anton was the grandfather of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. In 1777, Franz married Augusta Reuss of Ebersdorf. They had nine children including Franz’s successor and Prince Albert’s father Ernst I, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, Queen Victoria’s mother Victoria, and Leopold, the first King of the Belgians. In 1775, Franz began a print collection that ultimately consisted of 300,000 prints. The collection can be visited at the Veste Coburg. Because of Franz, the family’s library had an extensive collection of books. Franz conducted an extensive renovation of the family castles. Walls, ditches, and towers were demolished and replaced by gardens and other green areas. In 1805, Franz bought back Schloss Rosenau which the family had been forced to sell in 1704 due to debts.
Unofficial Royalty: Franz Frederick, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld

July 15, 1823 – Birth of Prince Alexander of Hesse and by Rhine, son of Ludwig II, Grand Duke of Hesse and by the Rhine, in Darmstadt, Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine, now in Hesse, Germany
Full name: Alexander Ludwig Georg Friedrich Emil
The Battenberg/Mountbatten family descends from Alexander and his morganatic wife Countess Julia von Hauke. Alexander had fallen in love with Julia Hauke, a lady-in-waiting to his sister Marie who had married the future Alexander II, Emperor of All Russia. Although forbidden by Nicholas I, the current Emperor of All Russia, to marry, the couple married anyway as Julia was already pregnant with their first child. The marriage forced the couple to leave Russia, but the two were allowed to settle in the Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine. The marriage was viewed as morganatic and removed any future children from the Hesse and by Rhine line of succession. Julia was granted the title of Countess of Battenberg, a castle in Hesse and by Rhine. Eventually, the two regained some of their favor in Russia and Hesse and Hesse and by Rhine. Alexander and Julia had five children.  Through their son Louis, they are the ancestors of the British Royal Family and through their son Henry, they are ancestors of the Spanish Royal Family.
Unofficial Royalty: Prince Alexander of Hesse and by Rhine

July 15, 1837 – Birth of Stephanie of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen, Queen of Portugal, wife of King Pedro V of Portugal, in Krauchenwies, Principality of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen, now in Baden-Württemberg, Germany
Full name: Stephanie Josepha Friederike Wilhelmine Antonia
In 1858, Stephanie married King Pedro V of Portugal. The marriage lasted a little more than one year. 22-year-old Stephanie died from diphtheria on July 17, 1859. Her husband, King Pedro V, was greatly saddened by his wife’s death and fell into a deep depression. He died of typhoid fever just two years later and was succeeded by his brother King Luís I.
Unofficial Royalty: Stephanie of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen, Queen of Portugal

July 15, 1911 – Death of Louisa Montagu, Duchess of Manchester, Queen Victoria’s Mistress of the Robes 1852–1853, then Louise Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire, after suffering a seizure during the races at the Sundown Park Race Course in Esher, Surrey, England; buried in the churchyard at St. Peter’s Church in Edensor, England, the traditional burial site of the Dukes of Devonshire and their families
Born Luise Friederike Auguste, Countess von Alten, the daughter of Karl Franz Viktor, Count von Alten, Louisa first married William Montagu, 7th Duke of Manchester. After his death, she married Spencer Cavendish, 8th Duke of Devonshire.
Unofficial Royalty: Louisa Montagu, Duchess of Manchester

July 15, 1946 – Birth of Hassanal Bolkiah, Sultan of Brunei in Brunei Town, now called Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei
On October 4, 1967, upon his father’s abdication, Hassanal Bolkiah became the 29th Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan (Head of State) of Brunei. He resides at Nurul Iman Palace, a massive place with nearly 1,800 rooms. According to Guinness World Records, it is the largest residential palace in the world, and the largest single-family residence ever built.
Unofficial Royalty: Hassanal Bolkiah, Sultan of Brunei

July 15, 1949 – Birth of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Emir of Dubai in Al Shindagha, Dubai, Trucial States, now in the United Arab Emirates
Sheikh Mohammed became the Emir of Dubai in 2006 after the death of his brother Sheikh Maktoum. Of the seven rulers in the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Mohammed is the most widely known around the world. An avid fan of horse racing and breeding, he owns several major horse farms around the world. He is often seen at races in the United Kingdom, the most prominent being Royal Ascot, held each year in Windsor.
Unofficial Royalty: Rulers of the United Arab Emirates

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Tsarevna Sophia Alexeievna, Regent of Russia; Credit – Wikipedia

July 14, 1486 – Death of Margaret of Denmark, Queen of Scots, daughter of King Christian I of Denmark and wife of James III, King of Scots, buried at Cambuskenneth Abbey in Scotland
Margaret, a popular queen, was described as beautiful, gentle, and reasonable. Many later historians called her far better qualified to rule than her husband. During the crisis of 1482, when her husband was deprived of power for several months, Margaret showed a greater interest in the welfare of her children than that of her husband, leading to the couple’s alienation. When Margaret died at the age of 30, there were suspicions that she had been poisoned by John Ramsay, 1st Lord Bothwell, a confidant of James III, although no evidence was found to support the charge. At the request of James III, Pope Innocent VIII commissioned an investigation of Margaret’s virtues and alleged miracles for possible canonization as a saint, but without result.
Unofficial Royalty: Margaret of Denmark, Queen of Scots

July 14, 1602 – Birth of Cardinal Jules Mazarin, favorite of King Louis XIV of France, born Giulio Raimondo Mazzarino in Pescina, Abruzzo Ultra, Kingdom of Naples, now in Italy
Cardinal Mazarin was a favorite of King Louis XIV of France, and perhaps the most influential person in the French court at the time. Having served prominently in the court for several years during the reign of King Louis XIII, he was formally appointed Chief Minister by Queen Anne when she assumed the regency for her young son King Louis XIV, and Mazarin remained in that position until he died in 1661.
Unofficial Royalty: Cardinal Jules Mazarin, favorite of King Louis XIV of France

July 14, 1704 – Death of Tsarevna Sophia Alexeievna, Regent of Russia during the minority of her brothers Peter I and Ivan V, at Novodevichy Convent in Moscow, Russia; buried at the Smolensk Cathedral at the Novodevichy Convent
Regent of Russia for seven years during the early co-reign of her brother Ivan V and her half-brother Peter I (the Great), Tsarevna Sophia Alexeievna was the daughter of Alexei I, Tsar of All Russia and his first wife Maria Ilyinichna Miloslavskaya. Because of her plotting against her half-brother Peter, Sophie was arrested, forced to give up her position as a member of the royal family, and forced to withdraw to the Novodevichy Convent under guard. Sophia was forced to become a nun under the name of Susanna. She remained in the strictest seclusion with the other nuns allowed to see her only on Easter.
Unofficial Royalty: Sophia Alekseyevna, Regent of Russia

July 14, 1711 – Death by drowning of Johan Willem Friso, Prince of Orange while crossing the Hollands Diep, a wide river in the Netherlands; buried at the Grote of Jacobijnerkerk in Leeuwarden, Friesland now in the Netherlands
Johan Willem Friso became Prince of Orange in 1702, after the death of the childless Willem III, Prince of Orange who was also King William III of England. Johan Willem Friso married Marie Luise of Hesse-Kassel. They had two children including Willem IV, Prince of Orange. In July 1711, Johan Willem Friso traveled from the battlefields of the War of the Spanish Succession to The Hague to meet with King Friedrich I of Prussia about their succession dispute. To cross the Hollands Diep, a wide river in the Netherlands, Johan Willem Friso and his carriage traveled on a ferry. The captain had trouble with the sails and suddenly a great gust of wind filled the sails, the ferry capsized and Johan Willem Friso drowned at the age of 23 on July 14, 1711. His body was found floating in the river eight days later.
Unofficial Royalty:  Johan Willem Friso, Prince of Orange

July 14, 1824 – Death of Kamehameha II, King of the Hawaiian Islands, in London, England; buried at Mauna ʻAla (Fragrant Hills), the Royal Mausoleum of Hawaii in Honolulu, Hawaii
While on a visit to London, England, Kamehameha II and the favorite of his five wives, Queen Kamāmalu, caught measles and died. They had no natural immunity because the people of the Hawaiian Islands had lived in isolation until their contact with Europeans.
Unofficial Royalty: Kamehameha II, King of the Hawaiian Islands

July 14, 1884 – Birth of Prince Adalbert of Prussia, son of Wilhelm II, German Emperor and King of Prussia, at Marmorpalais in Potsdam, Kingdom of Prussia, now in Brandenburg, Germany
Full name: Adalbert Ferdinand Berengar Viktor
During World War I, Adalbert served in the Prussian Navy, eventually taking command of the SMS Dresden in 1917. During this time, his family lived in Kiel, the home of the Prussian Navy. Following the end of the monarchy in November 1918, Adalbert left his family in Kiel and initially took refuge on his yacht. He soon moved to Bad Homburg, Germany where he purchased Villa Adelheidswert and was joined by his wife and children. Due to his wife’s health, they often traveled to Switzerland and eventually settled there permanently in 1928. They lived under the names Count and Countess von Lingen, keeping themselves out of the public and political realms and living a quiet and private life.
Unofficial Royalty: Prince Adalbert of Prussia

July 14, 1933 – Birth of Franz, Duke of Bavaria, the current Head of the House of Wittelsbach, pretender to the former throne of Bavaria, and the current heir to the Jacobite Succession, in Munich, Germany
Full name: Franz Bonaventura Adalbert Maria
Unofficial Royalty: Franz, Duke of Bavaria
Unofficial Royalty: The Jacobite Succession – Pretenders to the British Throne

July 14, 1958 – Assassination of King Faisal II of Iraq in Baghdad, Iraq; Army of Iraq overthrows the monarchy; buried at the Royal Mausoleum in Adhamiyah, Iraq
On July 14, 1958, twenty-three-year-old Faisal II, the last King of Iraq, was assassinated at al-Rihab Palace in Baghdad, Iraq along with members of the Iraqi royal family and palace staff during the 14 July Revolution, also known as the 1958 Iraqi military coup. This ended the thirty-seven-year-old Hashemite monarchy in Iraq.
Unofficial Royalty: Assassination of Faisal II, King of Iraq

July 14, 1977 – Birth of Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden at Karolinska University Hospital in Solna, Sweden
Full name: Victoria Ingrid Alice Désirée
In 1979, the Riksdag, the Swedish legislature, introduced an Act of Succession changing the succession to absolute primogeniture, meaning that the eldest child of the monarch, regardless of gender, is first in the line of succession. This Act of Succession became law on January 1, 1980, making Sweden the first monarchy to adopt absolute primogeniture. The previous 1810 Act of Succession allowed for only males to inherit the throne. Victoria’s brother Carl Philip was born Crown Prince in May 1979 and retained his title and first place in the succession for seven months until January 1, 1980, when his elder sister became Crown Princess and heir apparent.
Unofficial Royalty: Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden

July 14, 1994 – Wedding of Lady Sarah Armstrong-Jones, daughter of Princess Margaret of the United Kingdom, and Daniel Chatto, at St. Stephen Walbrook Church in London, England
The bride and groom met on a movie set.  He was an actor and she was a wardrobe assistant.  He was the son of an actor and a theatrical agent.  She was the daughter of a princess and the granddaughter of a king. He played a prince (one of her cousins) in a film.
Unofficial Royalty: Wedding of Lady Sarah Armstrong-Jones and Daniel Chatto

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Caroline of Baden, Queen of Bavaria; Credit – Wikipedia

July 13, 1608 – Birth of Ferdinand III, Holy Roman Emperor in Graz, Archduchy of Austria, now in Austria
In 1636, Ferdinand II, Holy Roman Emperor arranged for his son to be elected King of the Romans, ensuring he would be the next Holy Roman Emperor as Ferdinand III. On February 15, 1637, at the age of fifty-eight, Ferdinand II, Holy Roman Emperor died and his son was elected Holy Roman Emperor. Ferdinand III became Holy Roman Emperor at the beginning of the last decade of the Thirty Years’ War (1618 – 1648) and had been commander-in-chief of the army since 1634. The Thirty Years’ War was one of the longest and most destructive conflicts in European history, with an estimated 4.5 to 8 million soldiers and civilians dying as a result of battle, famine, and disease. During Ferdinand III’s reign, the power of the Holy Roman Empire, which had increased during his father’s reign, declined.
Unofficial Royalty: Ferdinand III, Holy Roman Emperor, Archduke of Lower and Inner Austria, King of Bohemia, King of Hungary and Croatia

July 13, 1776 – Birth of Caroline of Baden, Queen of Bavaria, the second wife of King Maximilian I Joseph of Bavaria, in Karlsruhe, Margraviate of Baden, now in Baden-Württemberg, Germany
Full name: Friederike Caroline Wilhelmine
Caroline and her family had numerous additional ties to the Russian, German, and Swedish thrones. She had a deep love of and talent for painting. On March 9, 1797, in Karlsruhe, shortly before her 21st birthday, Caroline married Maximilian, Duke of Zweibrücken (the future King Maximilian I Joseph of Bavaria). Maximilian was twenty years older than Caroline and had been widowed the previous year. In addition to the four surviving stepchildren from Maximilian’s first marriage, Caroline and her husband had seven children including two sets of twins. Caroline was the mother of two Queens of Saxony and a Queen of Prussia and the grandmother of Franz Joseph, Emperor of Austria and his wife Elisabeth of Bavaria.
Unofficial Royalty: Caroline of Baden, Queen of Bavaria

July 13, 1783 – Birth of August I, Grand Duke of Oldenburg at Schloss Rastede near Oldenburg, Grand Duchy of Oldenburg, now in Lower Saxony, Germany
Full name: Paul Friedrich August
In 1817, August married Princess Adelheid of Anhalt-Bernburg-Schaumburg-Hoym. They had two daughters including Amalie who married Prince Otto of Bavaria, later King of Greece. After his first wife died, August married two more times. August became Grand Duke of Oldenburg upon his father’s death in May 1829 and was the first ruler to formally use the title of Grand Duke. His reign saw the development of Oldenburg into one of the cultural centers of Germany, with August also promoting social causes along with the arts and sciences. However, he was unwilling to establish a Constitution, despite being obligated by the rules of the German Confederation. It was only in 1849, after the Revolutions of 1848, that he relented. August I died on February 27, 1853, at the age of 70, and was succeeded by his son Peter II, Grand Duke of Oldenburg from his second marriage.
Unofficial Royalty: August I, Grand Duke of Oldenburg

July 13, 1798 – Birth of Charlotte of Prussia, Empress Alexandra Feodorovna of Russia, wife of Nicholas I, Emperor of All Russia, at Charlottenburg Palace in Berlin, Kingdom of Prussia, now in Brandenburg, Germany
Full name: Friederike Louise Charlotte Wilhelmina
Name after marriage: Alexandra Feodorovna
Charlotte was the eldest of the four daughters and the third of the nine children of King Friedrich Wilhelm III of Prussia and Luise of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. Charlotte’s two elder brothers both became Kings of Prussia and the younger of the two brothers was the first German Emperor.  In 1817, Charlotte married Grand Nicholas Pavlovich of Russia, a brother of Alexander I, Emperor of Russia, who had no surviving children. Charlotte took the Russian name Alexandra Feodorovna and gave birth to seven children who would revive the Romanov dynasty. Grand Duke Konstantin Pavlovich, the heir to the Russian throne, forfeited his rights to the Russian throne when he made a morganatic marriage. On December 1, 1825, 47-year-old Alexander I, Emperor of All Russia died and Charlotte’s husband became Nicholas I, Emperor of All Russia.
Unofficial Royalty: Charlotte of Prussia, Alexandra Feodorovna, Empress of All Russia

July 13, 1807 – Death of Henry Stuart, Cardinal Duke of York and King Henry IX to the Jacobites, at the Episcopal Palace in Frascati, Italy, buried in St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City
Cardinal Henry Benedict Stuart was the younger of the two sons of James Francis Edward Stuart, The Old Pretender, who was the son of the exiled King James II of England/VII of Scotland.  In 1748, Henry was ordained a priest and then made a Cardinal-Priest.  He was created Cardinal-Bishop of the Diocese of Frascati near Rome in 1761. Henry became Dean of the College of Cardinals, who is often, but not necessarily, the longest-serving member of the whole College of Cardinals in 1803. Henry was a Cardinal for fifty-six years and is the longest-serving Cardinal in Roman Catholic Church history.  However, in modern times it is virtually impossible to become a Cardinal at the age of 22 as Henry did. With Henry’s death, the male line of the Royal House of Stuart was extinct. The Jacobite line of succession passed to King Carlo Emanuele IV of Sardinia through the line of Henrietta of England, Duchess of Orléans, the youngest child of King Charles I of England. The Jacobite line of succession has proceeded over the years to the House of Savoy, the House of Austria-Este, and the House of Wittelsbach. It appears in the future, that it will proceed to the House of Liechtenstein.
Unofficial Royalty: Henry Stuart, Cardinal Duke of York
Unofficial Royalty: The Jacobite Succession – Pretenders to the British Throne

July 13, 1840 – Death of Charlotte Frederica of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, Hereditary Princess of Denmark, first wife of the future King Christian VIII of Denmark, in Rome, Italy; buried at the Teutonic Cemetery adjacent to St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City
Charlotte Frederica was divorced from her husband after an alleged affair.  She was sent into exile and never again saw her son, the future King Frederik VII of Denmark. She finally settled in Rome where she converted to Roman Catholicism. She died in Rome in 1840, at the age of 55. Charlotte Frederica was buried in a tomb paid for by her son and created by the Danish sculptor Jens Adolf Jerichau at the Teutonic Cemetery, a burial site adjacent to St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City that had been dedicated to the German-speaking residents of Rome. On July 11, 2019, the tomb of Charlotte Frederica and the adjacent tomb of Princess Sophia of Hohenlohe-Waldenburg-Bartenstein were opened to search for the remains of Emanuela Orlandi, a 15-year-old who disappeared in 1983. Not only was there no sign of Emanuela’s remains, but the remains of Princess Sophia and Duchess Charlotte Frederica were missing. Vatican officials said they would research the burial records to discover what happened to their remains. It is possible that their remains were moved due to renovations at the end of the 1800s and again in the 1960s and 1970s.
Unofficial Royalty: Charlotte Frederica of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, Hereditary Princess of Denmark
Unofficial Royalty: The Strange Case of the Tombs of Two 19th Century Princesses and a 20th Century 15-Year-Old Missing Girl.

July 13, 1842 – Death of Ferdinand-Philippe, Duke of Orléans, Prince Royal, Prince of Orléans, eldest son and heir of King Louis Philippe I of the French, in Sablonville, France due to a coach accident; buried at Royal Chapel in Dreux, France
In July 1842, Ferdinand was scheduled to leave on a trip to review French troops. Before he left on the trip, he planned to travel from the Tuileries Palace in Paris to nearby Neuilly-sur-Seine where his wife and two sons were staying. On July 13, 1842, Ferdinand left Paris in an open carriage. During the short trip, the horses became out of control and Ferdinand either jumped or was projected out of the carriage, resulting in a skull fracture. Despite the best attention of the doctors, 31-year-old Ferdinand died a few hours later, surrounded by family members who had rushed to the scene.
Unofficial Royalty: Ferdinand-Philippe, Duke of Orléans, Prince Royal, Prince of Orléans

July 13, 1861 – Birth of Maria Ana of Portugal, Grand Duchess of Luxembourg, wife of Grand Duke Guillaume IV of Luxembourg, at Schloss Bonnbach in Wertheim am Main, Grand Duchy of Baden, now in Baden-Württemberg, Germany
Full name: Maria Ana do Carmo Henrique Teresa Adelaide Joana Carolina Inês Sofia Eulália Leopoldina Isabel Bernardina Micaela Gabriela Rafaela Francisca de Assisi and Paula Inácia Gonzaga
Maria Ana was the daughter of the deposed King Miguel I of Portugal and Adelaide of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg. She grew up mostly in Austria and Germany due to her father’s exile from Portugal. Despite the family’s status as ex-royalty, Maria Ana and her sisters all married well due in large part to the efforts of their mother. In 1893, Maria Ana married Guillaume, Hereditary Grand Duke of Luxembourg. Maria Ana was Catholic and Guillaume was Protestant. They agreed that their children would be raised as Catholics because the majority of the population of Luxembourg was Catholic. The Grand Ducal Family has been Catholic ever since.
Unofficial Royalty: Maria Ana of Portugal, Grand Duchess of Luxembourg

Lady Mary Fox, aged 65, died on July 13, 1864, in London, England. Her husband Charles survived her by nearly nine years, dying at the age of 76, on April 13, 1873, in London. They are both buried at Kensal Green Cemetery in London, England.

July 13, 1884 – Birth of Caroline Reuss of Greiz, Grand Duchess of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, first wife of Wilhelm Ernst, Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, in Greiz, Principality of Reuss-Greiz, now in Thuringia, Germany
Full name: Caroline Elisabeth Ida
In 1903, Caroline married Grand Duke Wilhelm Ernst of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach. The wedding was attended by the groom’s second cousin, Wilhelm II, German Emperor, King of Prussia and his wife Augusta Viktoria, as well as his first cousin, Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands and her husband Prince Hendrik. Caroline was against the arranged marriage, and it was only through the insistence of Wilhelm II and his wife Augusta Viktoria that she went through with the ceremony. They had no children.  Their marriage lasted less than two years. Caroline died on January 17, 1905, at just 20 years old. Officially, the cause of death was pneumonia, but there were many rumors that she died by suicide.
Unofficial Royalty: Caroline Reuss of Greiz, Grand Duchess of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach

July 13, 1889 – Birth of Louise of Battenberg (later Lady Louise Mountbatten), Queen of Sweden, second wife of King Gustaf VI Adolf of Sweden, at Schloss Heiligenberg in Seeheim-Jugenheim, Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine, now in Hesse, Germany
Full Name: Louise Alexandra Marie Irene
Louise was the daughter of Prince Louis of Battenberg and Princess Victoria of Hesse and by Rhine, the granddaughter of Princess Alice of the United Kingdom, the great-granddaughter of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom, and the maternal aunt of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. In 1923, Crown Prince Gustaf Adolf of Sweden visited London and met Louise at a party. Gustaf Adolf had been a widower for three years following the death of his wife Margaret of Connaught, who was Louise’s first cousin once removed. The couple’s engagement was announced on July 1, 1923. They were married on November 3, 1923, in the Chapel Royal at St. James’s Palace in London. The marriage was a happy one, but unfortunately, they had a stillborn daughter in 1925 and no more children after that. In 1950, Louise’s husband became King Gustaf VI Adolf of Sweden upon the death of his father, and she became queen.
Unofficial Royalty: Louise of Battenberg, Queen of Sweden

July 13, 1957 – Birth of Princess Soamsawali of Thailand, 1st wife of King Vajiralongkorn of Thailand, born Soamsawali Kitiyakara at Guy’s Hospital in London, United Kingdom
Soamsawali’s father was the elder brother of Queen Sirikit, the wife of the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand. On January 3, 1977, nineteen-year-old Soamsawali married her twenty-four-year-old first cousin Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn, the only son and the heir of King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand and his wife, Queen Sirikit, Soamsawali’s paternal aunt.  The couple had one daughter. Shortly after his first marriage, Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn began living with Yuvadhida Polpraserth, a Thai actress. They had four sons and one daughter. Princess Soamsawali refused divorce for many years, but in 1993, Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn sued for divorce in the family court. Despite the divorce, Vajiralongkorn and Soamsawali remain on cordial terms. Soamsawali was allowed to keep her title of princess and remain a member of the Thai royal family. In 2016, Vajiralongkorn became King of Thailand upon the death of his father. Soamsawali and her daughter continue to play a significant role in royal ceremonies and perform many duties on behalf of the Thai royal family.
Unofficial Royalty: Princess Soamsawali of Thailand

July 13, 1966 – Death of Beatrice of Edinburgh and Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, Duchess of Galliera, granddaughter of Queen Victoria, at her estate El Botánico in Sanlucar de Barrameda, Spain; buried at the convent of the Capuchin Fathers at Sanlúcar de Barrameda, Spain
Full name: Beatrice Leopoldine Victoria
Beatrice was the daughter of Prince Alfred, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, Duke of Edinburgh and Grand Duchess Marie Alexandrovna of Russia. She married Infante Alfonso d’Orleans-Bourbon of Spain, the first cousin of Alfonso XIII, King of Spain who had married Beatrice’s first cousin Victoria Eugenie of Battenberg. After the Spanish monarchy was overthrown, the country was thrown into the Spanish Civil War. Beatrice’s second son Alonso was killed in action during the Spanish Civil War, and the family lost their properties. Initially exiled to England, Beatrice and Alfonso eventually returned to Spain in 1937 and settled at a new estate El Botánico in Sanlúcar de Barrameda, where they would live for the rest of their lives.
Unofficial Royalty: Beatrice of Edinburgh and Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, Duchess of Galliera

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Michael I, Tsar of All Russia, the first ruler of the House of Romanov; Credit – Wikipedia

July 12, 1122 – Death of Sybilla of Normandy, Queen of Scots, illegitimate daughter of King Henry I of England, wife of Alexander I, King of Scots, on the Isle of Loch Tay, north of Kenmore, in Perthshire in the Highlands of Scotland; buried at the priory on the Isle of Loch Tay
In 1107, upon his accession to the Scots throne, Alexander I, King of Scots married the fifteen-year-old Sybilla. Alexander I and Sybilla’s father King Henry I were brothers-in-law as Henry I had married Alexander I’s sister Matilda (also known as Edith) of Scotland.  Sybilla and Alexander had no children. On July 12, 1122, Sybilla, aged around thirty, died on the Isle of Loch Tay (in Gaelic Eilean nam Bannaomh, Isle of Holy Women), north of Kenmore, a small village in Perthshire in the Highlands of Scotland. Alexander had erected a priory on the Isle of Loch Tay and granted it to Scone Abbey, which he and Sybilla had founded. It was at the priory on the Isle of Loch Tay that Sybilla died and was buried. Some sources say Sybilla was buried at Dunfermline Abbey in Fife, Scotland where her husband was buried.
Unofficial Royalty: Sybilla of Normandy, Queen of Scots, Illegitimate Daughter of King Henry I of England

July 12, 1596 – Birth of Michael I, Tsar of All Russia, the first ruler of the House of Romanov, in Moscow, Russia
In 1613, 16-year-old Michael became the first ruler of the House of Romanov when he was elected Tsar of All Russia by the Russian nobility. The nobles rejected several other candidates, and Michael became the consensus candidate. His ties to his great-aunt Tsaritsa Anastasia, first wife of Tsar Ivan IV (the Terrible, and his grandfather Nikita Romanovich, a general, statesman, and courtier, made him popular with the Russian people and he had no ties to the noble families whose feuds had caused many problems. On July 22, 1613, in the Assumption Cathedral at the Moscow Kremlin, Michael’s coronation was held and the new ruling Romanov dynasty was founded.
Unofficial Royalty: Michael I, Tsar of All Russia

July 12, 1645 – Death of Michael I, Tsar of All Russia in Moscow, Russia; buried at Archangel Cathedral at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia
Michael had a horse accident when he was younger and the results of that injury plagued him for the rest of his life. By the time he was 30 years old, he was often carried around in an armchair. Michael I, Tsar of All Russia died at the age of 49 and was buried in the Archangel Cathedral in the Moscow Kremlin where many of the earlier rulers of Russia were buried. His wife Eudoxia Lukyanovna Streshneva survived him by only a few weeks, dying on August 18, 1645.
Unofficial Royalty: Michael I, Tsar of All Russia

July 12, 1651 – Birth of Margarita Teresa of Spain, Holy Roman Empress, the first of the three wives of Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor, at the Royal Alcazar in Madrid, Spain
Margarita Teresa was both first cousin and niece of her husband Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor. Margarita Teresa and Leopold had four children but only one survived to adulthood. Weakened from six pregnancies in six years (four living childbirths and two miscarriages), and four months into her seventh pregnancy, Margarita Teresa died on March 12, 1673, at the age of 21, and was buried in the Imperial Crypt at the Capuchin Church in Vienna.
Unofficial Royalty: Margarita Teresa of Spain, Holy Roman Empress

July 12, 1663 – Birth of James Stuart, Duke of Cambridge, son of King James II of England, at St. James Palace in London, England
James, was the second son of James, Duke of York (later James II) and his first wife Anne Hyde.  Little James fell ill in April 1667 and died on June 20, 1667. He was buried in Westminster Abbey.
Unofficial Royalty: James Stuart, Duke of Cambridge

July 12, 1692 – Birth of Princess Maria Gabriele of Liechtenstein, the third cousin and first of the four wives of Josef Johann Adam, Prince of Liechtenstein, in Vienna, Archduchy of Austria, now in Austria
Maria Gabriele was the daughter of Hans-Adam I, the sovereign Prince of Liechtenstein who reigned 1684 – 1712. On December 1, 1712, in Vienna, twenty-year-old Maria Gabriele married twenty-two-year-old Josef Johann Adam, who became the sovereign Prince of Liechtenstein in 1721, after Maria Gabriele’s death. Sadly, after only eleven months of marriage, Maria Gabriele, aged twenty-one, died due to childbirth complications on November 7, 1713, while giving birth to her only child Prince Karl Anton of Liechtenstein who died in 1715.
Unofficial Royalty: The Four Wives of Josef Johann Adam, Prince of Liechtenstein

July 12, 1856 – Birth of Archduchess Gisela of Austria, daughter of Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria, in Laxenburg, Lower Austria, Austrian Empire, the summer retreat of the Habsburgs
Full name: Gisela Louise Marie
In April 1873, Gisela married her second cousin Prince Leopold of Bavaria, son of Prince Regent Luitpold of Bavaria and Archduchess Augusta of Austria.  On September 10, 1898, Gisela’s mother Empress Elisabeth was assassinated when she was stabbed in the heart by the Italian anarchist Luigi Lucheni in Geneva, Switzerland. After her mother’s death, Gisela received 40% of her mother’s monetary assets and Achilleion Palace which her mother had built on the Greek island of Corfu to escape life at court
Unofficial Royalty: Archduchess Gisela of Austria, Princess of Bavaria

July 12, 1870 – Birth of Louis II, Prince of Monaco, at the home of his widowed maternal grandmother, born Princess Marie Amelie of Baden, in Baden-Baden, Grand Duchy of Baden, now in Baden-Württemberg, Germany
Full name: Louis Honoré Charles Antoine
Louis was the only child of Prince Albert I of Monaco and Lady Mary Victoria Hamilton, daughter of William Hamilton, 11th Duke of Hamilton, and Princess Marie of Baden. Shortly after his birth, his mother left her husband and took Louis to the Grand Duchy of Baden where he was raised until the age of 11. He then returned to Monaco to begin preparing for his future royal role. Prince Louis was the grandfather of Prince Rainier III, who succeeded him.
Unofficial Royalty: Louis II, Prince of Monaco

July 12, 1905 – Birth of Prince John of the United Kingdom, youngest son of King George V of the United Kingdom, at York Cottage on the Sandringham Estate in Sandringham, England
Full name: John Charles Francis
For the first four years of his life, John appeared healthy, but at the age of four he suffered his first epileptic seizure, and his condition gradually worsened. Besides epilepsy, it is quite possible that John also had a mild form of autism. A household was set up for John at Wood Farm on the Sandringham Estate and John lived there under the care of his nanny Charlotte Bill who was called Lala, and several other staff members. A young girl named Winifred Thomas, who suffered from asthma and had been sent to the country to live with her aunt and uncle, was John’s companion. Winifred visited John nearly every day and the two went on walks and took care of the garden. Later in life, Winifred recounted John’s excitement at watching zeppelins passing over Sandringham in 1916 and his pleasure in meeting ‘a real, live soldier’, her father Sergeant Frederick Thomas who visited that same year. She also remembered his mother Queen Mary as a loving and interested parent who spent much time with her son. John’s grandmother Queen Alexandra also visited him often.
Unofficial Royalty: Prince John of the United Kingdom

July 12, 1959 – Birth of King Tupou VI of Tonga at the Royal Palace in Nukuʻalofa, Tonga
King Tupou VI of Tonga is the current King of Tonga. He became king upon the death of his elder brother King George Tupou V on March 18, 2012.  King Tupou VI and his wife Queen Nanasipau’u were crowned in a ceremony conducted at Centenary Church in Nuku’alofa, Tonga on July 4, 2015. Many international guests attended and an estimated 15,000 people lined the roads.
Unofficial Royalty: King Tupou VI of Tonga

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Elisabeth Farnese, Queen of Spain; Credit – Wikipedia

July 11, 1238 – Birth of Dafydd ap Gruffydd, Prince of Wales in Gwynedd, Wales
Dafydd ap Gruffydd was the last native and independent Prince of Wales from December 11, 1282, until his brutal execution on October 3, 1283, on the orders of King Edward I of England. Dafydd ap Gruffydd married Lady Elizabeth de Ferrers, daughter of William de Ferrers, 5th Earl of Derby. Dafydd and Elizabeth had two sons and one daughter and all were ill-fated. After Dafydd’s brutal execution, King Edward I of England wanted to make sure that there were no more claimants to the Welsh throne. Dafydd’s two sons 15-year-old Llywelyn ap Dafydd and 7-year-old Owain ap Dafydd were imprisoned for the rest of their lives at Bristol Castle in England. Much of the time they were kept in cages. Dafydd’s young daughter Gwladys ferch Dafydd was sent to the Sixhills Convent in Sixhills, Lincolnshire, England, where she spent the rest of her life, dying circa 1336.
Unofficial Royalty: Dafydd ap Gruffydd, Prince of Wales

July 11, 1274 – Birth of Robert I the Bruce, King of Scots at Turnberry Castle in Ayrshire, Scotland
Robert the Bruce is a Scottish national hero and was King of Scots during the First War of Scottish Independence. Robert de Bruis (or Brus), his birth name from his Norman ancestors, was popularly called Robert the Bruce. The Scots refused to tolerate English rule, resulting in the Wars of Scottish Independence, a series of military campaigns fought between Scotland and England, first led by William Wallace and after his execution, led by Robert the Bruce. Robert the Bruce as Earl of Carrick and 7th Lord of Annandale, held estates and property in Scotland, a barony and some minor properties in England, and a strong claim to the throne of Scotland. On March 27, 1306, Robert the Bruce was proclaimed Robert I, King of Scots.
Unofficial Royalty: Robert I the Bruce, King of Scots

July 11, 1657 – Birth of Friedrich I, King in Prussia in Königsberg, Duchy of Prussia, later in the Kingdom of Prussia, now Kaliningrad, Russia
Friedrich I, the founder of the Kingdom of Prussia and its first King, reigned from 1701 until 1713. Upon his father’s death in April 1688, Friedrich succeeded him as Friedrich III, Elector of Brandenburg and Duke of Prussia. In November 1700, in exchange for supporting the Holy Roman Empire in the Spanish War of Succession, Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor agreed to allow Friedrich III, Duke of Prussia, Elector of Brandenburg to make Prussia a kingdom and become its first king.
Unofficial Royalty: Friedrich I, King in Prussia

July 11, 1723 – Birth of Karoline Luise of Hesse-Darmstadt, Margravine of Baden, 1st wife of Karl Friedrich, Margrave of Baden-Durlach, later the first Grand Duke of Baden, in Darmstadt, Landgraviate of Hesse-Darmstadt, now in Hesse, Germany
In 1751, Karoline Luise married the future Karl Friedrich, the first Grand Duke of Baden and they had four children. Karoline Luise’s numerous collections, including artwork, musical manuscripts, minerals, and other natural history artifacts, later formed the foundation for several museums in Karlsruhe.  After falling down some stairs in 1779, her health began to deteriorate. While in Paris, France with her son, she suffered a stroke and died.
Unofficial Royalty: Karoline Luise of Hesse-Darmstadt, Margravine of Baden

July 11, 1766 – Death of Elisabeth Farnese of Parma, Queen of Spain second wife of King Felipe V of Spain, at the Palacio Real de Aranjuez; buried at the Collegiate Church of the La Granja Palace in San Ildefonso, Spain
After the death of his first wife, Felipe V of Spain married Elisabeth in 1714, and they had six children. Felipe V experienced episodes of manic depression. During several periods, he was unable to handle government affairs and Elisabeth became the de facto ruler. As he grew older, Felipe V’s mental issues worsened and Elisabeth became the permanent de facto ruler of Spain. In 1746, Felipe V had a stroke and died a few hours later. Elisabeth’s stepson Fernando VI, King of Spain reigned for thirteen years. Fernando’s marriage was childless and when he died in 1759, Elisabeth’s elder surviving son succeeded his half-brother as King Carlos III of Spain. On July 11, 1766, aged 73, Elisabeth died at the Royal Palace of Aranjuez in Aranjuez, Spain.
Unofficial Royalty: Elisabeth Farnese of Parma, Queen of Spain

July 11, 1866 – Birth of Irene of Hesse and by Rhine, granddaughter of Queen Victoria, at the Neues Palais in Darmstadt, Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine, now in Hesse, Germany
Full name: Irene Luise Maria Anna
Irene was the daughter of Princess Alice of the United Kingdom and her husband Ludwig IV, Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine.  She married her first cousin Prince Heinrich of Prussia. Like her own mother, Irene was a carrier of hemophilia and passed it to two of her three sons. They were two of the nine descendants of Queen Victoria who suffered from the disease.
Unofficial Royalty: Irene of Hesse and by Rhine, Princess of Prussia
Unofficial Royalty: Hemophilia in Queen Victoria’s Descendants

 July 11, 1867 – Death of Heinrich LXVII, 3rd Prince Reuss of Gera at Schloss Osterstein in Gera, Principality of Reuss-Gera, now in Thuringia, Germany; buried at the Bergkirche St. Marien now in Schleiz, Thuringia, Germany
Upon the death of his unmarried brother Heinrich LXII, 2nd Prince Reuss of Gera on June 19, 1854, Heinrich LXVII became the 3rd Prince Reuss of Gera. His reign was reactionary to the failed German Revolutions of 1848 which had demonstrated discontent with the traditional, autocratic political structure of the thirty-nine independent states of the German Confederation. Heinrich LXII’s government implemented a reactionary amendment to the constitution limiting the legislature’s power.
Unofficial Royalty: Heinrich LXVII, 3rd Prince Reuss of Gera

July 11, 1914 – Death of Adolf Friedrich V, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz in a private hospital in Berlin, Kingdom of Prussia, now in Brandenburg, Germany; buried in the New Crypt at the Johanniterkirche in Mirow, Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, now in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany
In 1908, Adolf Friedrich introduced a ministerial form of government but continued to meet resistance from the nobility when trying to make further reforms, such as the introduction of a new constitution. Thwarted at every attempt, in 1912 the Grand Duke offered to donate $2.5 million of his own funds to the national treasury and forfeit some of his sovereign rights, in exchange for a new constitution. But again, he was denied by the nobility. In January 1914, just months before his death, he was reported to be the second richest German sovereign, with a personal fortune of $88.75 million (over $2 billion today). In March 1914, the Grand Duke fell ill and underwent an operation in a private hospital in Berlin, Kingdom of Prussia, now in the German state of Brandenburg. He never fully recovered and died at the hospital.
Unofficial Royalty: Adolf Friedrich V, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz

July 11, 1920 – Death of Eugénie de Montijo, Empress of the French, at Liria Palace in Madrid, Spain; buried in the Imperial Crypt at Saint Michael’s Abbey in Farnborough, England with her husband and her son
After her husband Napoleon III, Emperor of the French lost his throne, the family went into exile in England where Eugénie developed a friendship with Queen Victoria. Despite her advanced age, Eugénie was very active during World War I. She supported several hospitals in France and funded a military hospital in Farnborough, England. She also donated her yacht to the British Navy. For her contributions to the war effort, she was made a Dame Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire in 1919 by King George V. Eugénie died at the age of 94 while visiting relatives at the Liria Palace in Madrid, in her native Spain.
Unofficial Royalty: Eugénie de Montijo, Empress of the French

July 11, 2011 – Death of George Lascelles, 7th Earl of Harewood, son of Mary, Princess Royal and first cousin of Queen Elizabeth II, at Harewood House near Leeds, England; buried at All Saint’s Church in Harewood, West Yorkshire, England
Lord Harewood had a deep interest in music, especially opera. He was editor of Opera magazine and director of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. He served as chairman of the board and musical director of the English National Opera and artistic director of the Edinburgh, Adelaide, and Leeds Music Festivals. Lord Harewood was the editor of two books about opera and the author of an autobiography, The Tongs and the Bones. During World War II, Lord Harewood served in the British Army with the Grenadier Guards. He was captured by the Germans and held as a prisoner of war.
Unofficial Royalty: George Lascelles, 7th Earl of Harewood

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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William the Silent, Prince of Orange; Credit – Wikipedia 

July 10, 1451 – Birth of James III, King of Scots at Stirling Castle in Scotland
His birth date and birthplace are uncertain: either May 1452 at St. Andrew’s Castle or July 10, 1451 or July 20, 1451 at Stirling Castle. James III became King of Scots when he was nine years old. On August 3, 1460, his father 29-year-old James II, King of Scots was accidentally killed during the siege of Roxburgh Castle near the English border when a cannon nearby where he was standing exploded. As with the start of the reigns of James I and James II, Scotland once again had a child king. Mary of Guelders, the young king’s mother, served as the regent for her son until her death three years later. The remaining Scottish Stuarts, James IV, James V, Mary, Queen of Scots, and James VI, would also be child monarchs. James II’s death also continued the violent deaths of the Scottish Stuarts which started with the assassination of his father James I and continued with the deaths in battle of James III and James IV and the beheading of Mary, Queen of Scots.
Unofficial Royalty: James III, King of Scots

July 10, 1559 – Death of King Henri II of France from injuries suffered during a tournament at the Hôtel des Tournelles (now the Place des Vosges) in Paris, France; buried at Saint-Denis Basilica near Paris, France
King Henri II, at age 40, still liked to participate in tournaments even though he had been advised not to participate because of dizziness after physical exertion. On June 30, 1559,  Henri participated in what would be his last tournament.  Henri and Gabriel de Lorges, Comte de Montgomery, captain of the Scotch Guard jousted and Henri had been almost unseated from his horse. He insisted upon a rematch despite the urgings of his wife, the Duke of Savoy, and other friends to stop. The Comte de Montgomery reluctantly agreed to participate. de Montgomery’s lance struck the king’s helmet, splintered, and went through the visor going through the king’s right eye and his temple into the brain. The king was bleeding profusely and nearly unconscious. Henri’s wife Catherine d’Medici, desperate to find a way to cure her husband, had four criminals beheaded and then had splintered lances poked through the eyes at the same angle the lance had gone through Henry’s eye.  Henri’s condition continued to worsen.  On July 9, he was given the last rites and after suffering horribly for eleven days, Henri died, probably from a subdural hematoma and sepsis.
Unofficial Royalty: Henri II, King of France

July 10, 1584 – Assassination of Willem I, Prince of Orange (the Silent) at Prinsenhof in Delft, the Netherlands; buried at Nieuwe Kerk in Delft, the Netherlands
In the Netherlands, Willem I (the Silent), Prince of Orange is known as the Vader des Vaderlands (Father of the Fatherland), and the Dutch national anthem, the Wilhelmus, was written in his honor. He got his nickname “the Silent” (in Dutch De Zwijger) not because he was quiet, but because of his habit of holding his tongue in difficult situations. Willem is the founder of the House of Orange-Nassau and the ancestor of the Dutch monarchs, the British monarchs from King George I forward, and other European royal families. Willem left the Roman Catholic Church and became a member of the Dutch Reformed Church. He was declared an outlaw by King Philip II of Spain, who offered 25,000 crowns to anyone who killed Willem. The assassin Balthasar Gérard went to the Prinsenhof, Willem’s home, announcing that he wanted to speak to Willem. He was told that Willem was at lunch and would speak to him afterward. Gérard went to his inn to get his pistols and returned to the Prinsenhof. Willem had finished his lunch and made his way to the stairs to his second-floor chamber where he worked and slept. Gérard, who had been hiding behind a pillar, jumped out and fired two shots, hitting Willem in the chest at close range. Willem collapsed and died instantly.
Unofficial Royalty: Assassination of Willem I the Silent, Prince of Orange
Unofficial Royalty: Willem I, Prince of Orange (the Silent)

July 10, 1867 – Birth of Prince Maximilian of Baden, Margrave of Baden, pretender to the former throne of the Grand Duchy of Baden and the Head of the House of Zähringen from 1928 until he died in 1929, in Baden-Baden, Grand Duchy of Baden, now in the German state of Baden-Württemberg
Full name: Maximilian Alexander Friedrich Wilhelm
Unofficial Royalty: Prince Maximilian of Baden, Margrave of Baden

July 10, 1886 – Death of Duchess Agnes of Württemberg, Princess Reuss of Gera, wife of Heinrich XIV, 4th Prince Reuss of Gera, at Schloss Osterstein in Gera, Principality of Reuss-Gera, now in Thuringia, Germany; buried at the Bergkirche St. Marien in Schleiz, Principality of Reuss-Gera, now in Thuringia, Germany
As Princess of Reuss-Gera, Agnes 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

July 10, 1953 – Birth of Princess Takamado, widow of Prince Takamado of Japan, born Hisako Tottori in Tokyo, Japan
Princess Takamado’s husband suddenly died of a cardiopulmonary arrest while playing squash with the Canadian ambassador. Although Princess Takamado was left a widow with three daughters, she continued her husband’s efforts to foster international goodwill. She has been extremely active with many charitable organizations involving sports, cultural exchange, and the environment, taking on all the positions formerly held by her late husband and many new positions. Princess Takamado often represents the Japanese Imperial Family at royal events in other monarchies.
Unofficial Royalty: Hisako Tottori, Princess Takamado

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