Yearly Archives: 2024

July 4: Today in Royal History

© Unofficial Royalty 2024

King Taufa’ahau Tupou IV of Tonga; Credit – Wikipedia

July 4, 1394 – Death of Mary de Bohun, first wife of King Henry IV of England, at Peterborough Castle in Peterborough, England; buried at St Mary of the Annunciation of  the Newarke in Leicester, England, which was destroyed under the Dissolution of the Chantries Act of Edward VI
Mary died while delivering her daughter Philippa, her second daughter and seventh child. She was never queen because she died before her husband became king.
Unofficial Royalty: Mary de Bohun, Countess of Northampton, Countess of Derby

July 4, 1394 – Birth of Philippa of England, daughter of King Henry IV of England, wife of Eric of Pomerania, King of Denmark, Sweden, and Norway, at Peterborough Castle in Peterborough, England
Eleven-year-old Philippa was married by proxy to 24-year-old Eric of Pomerania, King of Denmark, Sweden, and Norway on November 26, 1405, at Westminster Abbey in London. Philippa was formally proclaimed Queen of Denmark, Sweden, and Norway on December 8, 1405, in the presence of the Danish, Swedish, and Norwegian ambassadors. In August 1406, Philippa left England to travel to Sweden and married Eric of Pomerania in person on October 26, 1406, at Lund Cathedral in Lund, Sweden. Documentation from the wedding indicates that Philippa wore a tunic with a cloak in white silk bordered with gray squirrel and ermine, making her the first documented princess to wear a white wedding dress. On November 1, 1406, Philippa was crowned Queen of Denmark, Sweden, and Norway.
Unofficial Royalty: Philippa of England, Queen of Denmark, Sweden, and Norway

July 4, 1799 – Birth of King Oscar I of Sweden and Norway in Paris, France
Born Joseph Francois Oscar Bernadotte
Oscar was the son of General Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte, a Marshal of France, and Bernardine Eugénie Désirée Clary, known as Désirée, the first fiancée of Napoleon Bonaparte. In 1810, just as Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte was about to start a new position as governor of Rome, the Swedish Riksdag elected him heir to the childless King Carl XIII of Sweden. The Riksdag wanted a soldier as the king because of their worries over Russia. Oscar was eleven years old when his father was elected Crown Prince of Sweden and he moved to Stockholm with his mother Désirée. Oscar was given the title Duke of Södermanland, and, unlike his mother, quickly learned Swedish and adapted to life in Sweden. Oscar’s father reigned as King Carl XIV Johan and started the House of Bernadotte which still reigns in Sweden.
Unofficial Royalty: King Oscar I of Sweden

 July 4, 1890 – Birth of Irene Mountbatten, Marchioness of Carisbrooke, wife of Queen Victoria’s grandson Alexander Mountbatten, Marquess of Carisbrooke, born Lady Irene Denison, daughter of William Denison, 2nd Earl of Londesborough in London, England
Lady Irene’s family was well-connected. For her 18th birthday, a party was held at St. Dunstan’s Lodge in Regents Park, London, and The Duke and Duchess of Connaught attended along with their daughter Margaret, Crown Princess of Sweden, and her husband, the Crown Prince (the future King Gustaf VI Adolf of Sweden). Lady Irene was a debutante in 1908, the same year as her 18th birthday party. A periodical from the time called Lady Irene an interesting debutante and said that she is “fond of sport…shares her parents’ interest in the drama” and “…acted from childhood.”After her marriage, she was styled Irene Mountbatten, Marchioness of Carisbrooke.
Unofficial Royalty: Irene Mountbatten, Marchioness of Carisbrooke

July 4, 1918 – Birth of King Taufa’ahau Tupou IV of Tonga at the Royal Palace in Nukuʻalofa, Tonga
In his youth, Tāufaʻāhau Tupou began competing in the pole vault, and by the age of fourteen, he held the Tonga pole vault record, a record that stood for many years. Upon graduating from university in Australia where he received both a bachelor’s degree and a law degree, Tāufaʻāhau Tupou returned to Tonga and began a career in government. His mother Queen Sālote appointed him Minister of Education in 1943, Minister of Health in 1944, and in 1949, he was appointed Prime Minister of Tonga, a position he held until he succeeded his mother and became King of Tonga in 1965.
Unofficial Royalty: King Taufa’ahau Tupou IV of Tonga

July 4, 1937 – Birth of Queen Sonja of Norway, wife of King Harald V of Norway, born  Sonja Haraldsen in Oslo, Norway
Sonja Haraldsen first met Crown Prince Harald at a dinner party in 1959 hosted by a mutual friend. The relationship between the Crown Prince and Sonja was controversial as many people felt the Crown Prince should marry a princess, not a Norwegian commoner. The controversy continued for years as did the relationship despite the media’s attempts to promote a royal marriage with either of the Greek princesses Sophia and Irene. Crown Prince Harald made it clear to his father, King Olav V, that he would remain unmarried if he could not marry Sonja. This would have resulted in a succession crisis as Harald was the sole heir to the throne. At that time, Norway did not allow female succession, so his two sisters Ragnhild and Astrid were not in the line of succession. Finally, in 1968, when King Olav felt the position of the Norwegian people had changed to favor Sonja, he consulted with parliamentary leaders and other government leaders and gave his consent for the Crown Prince to marry a commoner.
Unofficial Royalty: Queen Sonja of Norway

July 4, 1942 – Birth of Prince Michael of Kent at Coppins in Iver, Buckinghamshire, England
Full name: Michael George Charles Franklin
Because Prince Michael was born on American Independence Day, his father Prince George, Duke of Kent asked President Franklin Roosevelt to be one of his son’s godparents. President Roosevelt accepted and the baby prince was named Michael George Charles Franklin. Sadly, six weeks after his son’s birth, on August 25, 1942, the Duke of Kent died in a Royal Air Force plane crash in the service of his country.
Unofficial Royalty: Prince Michael of Kent
Unofficial Royalty: Born on the Fourth of July

July 4, 1957 – Birth of Princess Chulabhorn of Thailand, daughter of King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand, at Amphorn Sathan Residential Hall, Dusit Palace in Bangkok, Thailand
Princess Chulabhorn attended the Chitralada School in the Dusit Palace complex. Following her secondary education, she attended Kasetart University, earning a bachelor’s degree in Organic Chemistry in 1979. She continued her studies in organic chemistry at Mahidol University, receiving her doctorate in 1985. In 1982, Princess Chulabhorn married Virayudh Tishyasarin, an Air Vice Marshal in the Royal Thai Air Force, and the couple had two daughters. With permission from her father, she retained her royal title and style. The marriage ended in divorce two years later.
Unofficial Royalty: Princess Chulabhorn of Thailand

July 4, 2011 – Death of Otto von Habsburg, last Crown Prince of Austria, son of the last Emperor of Austria, Karl I, at his home in Pöcking, Germany; buried at  Imperial Crypt in the Capuchin Church in Vienna, Austria
The last Crown Prince of Austria, Hungary, Bohemia, and Croatia and later in his long life, a member of the European Parliament, Otto von Habsburg was the eldest and the longest surviving of the eight children of Karl I, the last Emperor of Austria and his wife Zita of Bourbon-Parma. Otto was given what was called “the last Emperor’s funeral.” Following a 13-day period of mourning in many of the countries that were once part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, a requiem mass was held at St. Stephen’s Cathedral in Vienna, Austria, and Otto then was buried in the Crypt Chapel of the Imperial Crypt in Vienna where his mother was also buried. At the time of his burial, Otto’s wife Regina was reburied nearby. 1,000 guests attended the funeral and over 100,000 people lined the streets of Vienna. The ceremonies caused large parts of central Vienna to be closed to traffic. The funeral was televised on Austrian television. Otto’s heart was buried at Pannonhalma Archabbey in Hungary on the day after his funeral.
Unofficial Royalty: Otto von Habsburg

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Royal News Recap for Tuesday, July 2, 2024

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

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Belgium

Greece

Monaco

Morocco

Netherlands

Norway

United Kingdom

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

July 3: Today in Royal History

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Marie de Medici, Queen of France; Credit – Wikipedia

July 3, 1642 – Death of Marie de Medici, Queen of France, second wife of King Henri IV of France, in the Free Imperial City of Cologne, now in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia; her heart is buried at Cologne Cathedral, other remains are buried at the Basilica of Saint-Denis near Paris, France
The House of Medici came into prominence in the 15th century, as founders of the Medici Bank, the largest bank in Europe, and later as Grand Dukes of Tuscany. Along with Marie, other prominent family members included Catherine de’ Medici, consort to King Henri II of France, and Popes Leo X, Clement VII, and Leo XI. Among her children are King Louis XIII of France and Henrietta Maria who married King Charles I of England.
Unofficial Royalty: Marie de Medici, Queen of France

July 3, 1741 – Death of Elisabeth Thérèse of Lorraine, Queen of Sardinia, third wife of Carlo Emanuele III, King of Sardinia, at the Palace of Venaria in Turin, Kingdom of Sardina, now in Italy; first buried at the Cathedral of Saint Giovanni Battista in Turin and was moved to the Royal Basilica of Superga in Turin in 1786
Elisabeth Therese died at the age of 29, from puerperal fever (childbed fever), thirteen days after giving birth to her third child, her only child who survived childhood.
Unofficial Royalty: Elisabeth Thérèse of Lorraine, Queen of Sardinia

July 3, 1743 – Birth of Sophia Magdalena of Denmark and Norway, Queen of Sweden, wife of King Gustav III of Sweden, at Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen, Denmark
In 1766, Sophia Magdalena married the future King Gustav III of Sweden. On March 16, 1792, King Gustav III was shot by Jacob Johan Anckarström during a masquerade at the Royal Opera House in Stockholm, Sweden. King Gustav III died of his wounds at the Stockholm Royal Palace on March 29, 1792, at the age of 46. Assassination ringleader, Count Anckarström, was beaten for three days before he was beheaded, mutilated, and dismembered. The event is the subject of Giuseppe Verdi’s 1859 opera Un ballo in maschera.  Sophia Magdalena was horrified by the murder of her husband, but it was a relief that as Queen Dowager, she could retreat from public life.
Unofficial Royalty: Sofia Magdalena of Denmark, Queen of Sweden

July 3, 1857 – Death of Anna Russell, Duchess of Bedford, Lady of the Bedchamber to Queen Victoria, in Belgrave Square, London, England; buried in the Bedford Chapel at St. Michael’s Church in Chenies, Buckinghamshire, England
Born Anna Maria Stanhope, she was the eldest daughter of Charles Stanhope, 3rd Earl of Harrington. She married Francis Russell, 7th Duke of Bedford.
Unofficial Royalty: Anna Russell, Duchess of Bedford

July 3, 1933 – Birth of Maximilian, Margrave of Baden, Head of the House of Zähringen and pretender to the former Grand Ducal throne of Baden from 1963 – 2022, in Salem, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
Full name: Maximilian Andreas Friedrich Gustav Ernst August Bernhard, Prince of Baden,
Unofficial Royalty: Maximilian, Margrave of Baden

July 3, 1934 – Death of Prince Hendrik of the Netherlands, born Duke Heinrich of  Mecklenburg-Schwerin, husband of Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands, at The Hague in the Netherlands; buried at Nieuwe Kerk in Delft, the Netherlands
During the last years of his life, Hendrik’s health quickly deteriorated. His arthritis intensified, he gained much weight and suffered his first heart attack in 1929. The second heart attack followed on June 28, 1934. During the afternoon of July 3, 1934, while in his office, Prince Hendrik died at the age of 58 of cardiac arrest. He had a white funeral and was buried in the royal vault at the Nieuwe Kerk in Delft.
Unofficial Royalty: Prince Hendrik of the Netherlands

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Royal News Recap for Monday, July 1, 2024

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

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Denmark

Greece

Monaco

Netherlands

Spain

United Kingdom

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

Diplomatic Reception – United Kingdom – December

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2024

December 5, 2023 – Queen Camilla, King Charles III, The Prince of Wales, and The Princess of Wales pose for a photograph ahead of The Diplomatic Reception

The Diplomatic Reception at Buckingham Palace in London, England is hosted to honor the foreign missions accredited to the Court of St James’s in London. Held in December, the event marks the start of the Christmas Season for the British Royal Family. It is the largest indoor event on the royal calendar, hosting about 1,000 Ambassadors, High Commissioners, their spouses, and other guests for drinks, dinner, and dancing.

What is the Court of St James’s?

A view of the north front of St James’s Palace in 1819; Credit – Wikipedia

The Court of St James’s is the official royal court of the British Monarch. St. James’s refers to St. James’s Palace, the senior royal palace in London, built by King Henry VIII in the 1530s. St. James’s Palace is still a working palace, and the Royal Court is still formally based there, despite the monarch residing elsewhere. The Marshal of the Diplomatic Corps, the Royal Collection Trust, the Central Chancery of the Orders of Knighthood, the Chapel Royal, the Gentlemen at Arms, the Yeomen of the Guard, and the King’s Watermen all have their offices at St. James’s Palace. Ambassadors from foreign countries to the United Kingdom are still accredited to the Court of St. James’s.

St. James’s Palace is the London home of several members of the British royal family and their household offices, and it hosts many receptions each year for charities associated with members of the royal family. The Chapel Royal at St. James’s Palace has been used since King Henry VIII’s reign and is still used by the British royal family.

The State Apartments are used for entertaining during state visits, and for other ceremonial and formal occasions. The Accession Council meets in St. James’s Palace following the death of a monarch. The Proclamation of the New Monarch by the Garter King of Arms takes place from the Proclamation Gallery overlooking the Friary Court of St. James’s Palace.

Who attends the Diplomation Reception?

The Marshal of the Diplomatic Corps coordinates the invitation list. Invitations are sent to all the Ambassadors and High Commissioners at the foreign missions in London, as well as past Prime Ministers, the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Archbishop of York, and other public figures. Spouses are included.

What is the dress code for the Diplomatic Reception?

Guests in various dress as they await the arrival of the royal family in 2017

For men, the dress code is national dress, white tie (evening dress), or court dress (knee breeches). For women, the dress code calls for national dress or long ball gowns.

What happens at the Diplomatic Reception?

During the Diplomatic Reception, the British Monarch, his/her spouse, and other royal family members host the guests in the State Rooms at Buckingham Palace. First, there is a greeting line, followed by a drinks reception, and then a buffet dinner. After the buffet dinner, there is dancing in the Ballroom.

December 6, 2022 – King Charles III and Queen Camilla enter the Diplomatic Reception to a fanfare of trumpets

A fanfare of trumpets announces the arrival of the Monarch, accompanied by members of the royal family.

December 6, 2022 – King Charles III greeting guests in the greeting line

The Monarch and the members of the royal family greet all the guests. The guests in the greeting line are arranged by diplomatic precedence – their length of time in office. The longest-serving London diplomat, known as the Dean of the Diplomatic Corps, is first in the greeting line.

 December 11, 2019 – Catherine, then The Duchess of Cambridge, William, then the Duke of Cambridge, and Camilla, then the Duchess of Cornwall, conversing with guests.

After the formal greeting line, royal family members circulate throughout the room during the drinks receptions, conversing with the guests. This is followed by two buffets. The first buffet is served in The State Dining Room, The Blue Drawing Room, and The White Drawing Room. The second is served in The Picture Gallery, The Green Drawing Room, and The Ball Supper Room. After the buffet dinner, there is dancing in the Ballroom.

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

Works Cited

  • Flantzer, Susan. (2021). Chapel Royal at St. James’s Palace in London, England. Unofficial Royalty. https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/chapel-royal-at-st-jamess-palace-in-london-england/
  • Goodbody, J. (2024, January 22). All the dazzling diamonds from the diplomatic corps reception. Only Natural Diamonds. https://www.naturaldiamonds.com/rare/dazzling-diamonds-diplomatic-corps-reception-royal-family/#:~:text=Each%20November%20or%20December%2C%20the,from%20all%20over%20the%20world.
  • Hardman, Robert. (2007). A Year With The Queen. Simon and Schuster.
  • The King and Diplomacy. The Royal Family. (n.d.). https://www.royal.uk/the-king-and-diplomacy#:~:text=The%20Diplomatic%20Reception%2C%20which%20takes,State%20Rooms%20at%20Buckingham%20Palace.

July 2: Today in Royal History

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King Olav V of Norway; Credit – Wikipedia

July 2, 1694 – Disappearance (Death?) of Count Philip Christoph von Königsmarck, lover of Sophia Dorothea of Celle, Electoral Princess of Hanover, wife of the future King George I of Great Britain, at the Leineschloss in Hanover, Electorate of Hanover, now in the German state of Lower Saxony
The marriage of first cousins Sophia Dorothea of Celle and George, Electoral Prince of Hanover, the future King George I of Great Britain, was happy at first but soon both George and Sophia Dorothea found affection elsewhere. George fell in love with one of his mother’s ladies-in-waiting Melusine von der Schulenburg, and Sophia Dorothea fell in love with her childhood friend Philip Christoph von Königsmarck. In 1694, Sophia Dorothea’s affair was revealed to her father-in-law and uncle Ernst August, Elector of Hanover, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg. On the morning of July 2, 1694, after a meeting with Sophia Dorothea, 29-year-old Philip Christoph von Königsmarck disappeared from the Leineschloss in Hanover and was never seen again. It was widely believed he was secretly murdered that same day. Officially, Philip Christoph von Königsmarck is still a missing person.
Unofficial Royalty: Philip Christoph von Königsmarck, Lover of Sophia Dorothea of Celle, Electoral Princess of Hanover

July 2, 1823 – Death of Wilhelm, Grand Duke of Oldenburg at Plön Castle in Plön, Grand Duchy of Oldenburg, now in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany; buried in the Prince-Bishop’s Mausoleum at Lübeck Cathedral in the independent free city of Lübeck, now in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany
Wilhelm was the first Grand Duke of Oldenburg, although he never formally used the title. By 1777, Wilhelm was suffering from mental illness. An intended engagement to Princess Charlotte of Hesse-Darmstadt was called off. He lived the remainder of his life in seclusion. Upon his father’s death in 1785, Wilhelm became the reigning Duke of Oldenburg but due to his illness, it was in name only. Instead, his cousin, Peter, Prince-Bishop of Lübeck, served as Regent during his entire reign. Wilhelm died at the age of 69.
Unofficial Royalty: Peter Friedrich Wilhelm, Grand Duke of Oldenburg

July 2, 1849 – Birth of Maria Theresia of Austria-Este, Queen of Bavaria, wife of King Ludwig III of Bavaria, at Brno, Austrian Empire, now in the Czech Republic
Full name: Maria Theresa Henriette Dorothee
Archduchess Maria Theresia of Austria-Este was the last Queen Consort of Bavaria and the Jacobite claimant to the British throne from 1875 until she died in 1919.
Unofficial Royalty: Maria Theresia of Austria-Este, Queen of Bavaria
Unofficial Royalty: The Jacobite Succession – Pretenders to the British Throne

July 2, 1882 – Birth of Princess Marie Bonaparte, Princess George of Greece, in Saint-Cloud, France
Marie’s maternal grandfather was François Blanc, the principal developer of Monte Carlo and the Monte Carlo Casino in Monaco. She was very wealthy because she was the sole heir to her mother’s fortune. Marie married Prince George of Greece, the second son of King George I of Greece. In the years that the Greek Royal Family was in exile, Marie used her significant wealth to support many of them. She provided the use of several of her homes in France and paid for education and living expenses. Those who benefited from Marie’s generosity included her brother-in-law Prince Andrew and his family including the young Prince Philip, the future husband of Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom. Marie and George remained favorites of Prince Philip, and in 1953, they attended the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II.
Unofficial Royalty: Princess Marie Bonaparte, Princess George of Greece

July 2, 1903 – Birth of King Olav V of Norway, born Prince Alexander of Denmark, at Appleton House on the Sandringham Estate in Norfolk, England
Born: Prince Alexander Edward Christian Frederik of Denmark
The son of Prince Carl of Denmark and Princess Maud of the United Kingdom, he assumed the name Olav when his father became King Haakon VII of Norway in 1905. He was the paternal grandson of King Frederik VIII of Denmark and Princess Louise of Sweden, and the maternal grandson of King Edward VII of the United Kingdom and Princess Alexandra of Denmark. The current King of Norway, Harald V, is his son.  An avid skier and sailor, Olav represented Norway in the 1928 Olympic Games, winning a Gold Medal in the sailing competition, and remained active in sailing his whole life.
Unofficial Royalty: King Olav V of Norway

July 2, 1932 – Death of King Manuel II of Portugal in exile at Fulwell Lodge in London, England; buried at the Monastery of São Vicente de Fora in Lisbon, Portugal
On February 1, 1908, the royal family was attacked by assassins while riding in a carriage en route to the palace. Manuel was shot only in the arm but his father was shot in the head, dying instantly, and his brother Luís Filipe was also mortally injured and died several minutes later. Manuel became the last Portuguese monarch, reigning just two and a half years before Portugal was declared a republic. Manuel lived in exile in England and died unexpectedly at his English home. With permission from the Portuguese government, his remains were returned to Lisbon on a British cruiser and were received at Commerce Square, the same place his father and brother had been assassinated 24 years earlier. The procession traveled to the Monastery of São Vicente de Fora where he was interred in the Royal Pantheon of the House of Braganza.
Unofficial Royalty: King Manuel II of Portugal

July 2, 1959 – Wedding of King Albert II of Belgium and Paola Ruffo di Calabria at the Cathedral of St. Michael and St. Gudula in Brussels, Belgium
In November 1958, Albert and Paola were both in Rome to attend the coronation of Pope John XXIII. They first met at a reception held at the Belgian Embassy and were instantly smitten. Just a month later, On December 6, 1958, Albert proposed and Paola accepted. Two months later, he introduced Paola to his family, and finally, the engagement was announced on April 13, 1959.
Unofficial Royalty: Wedding of King Albert II of Belgium and Donna Paola Ruffo di Calabria

July 2, 2011 – Religious wedding of Prince Albert II of Monaco and Charlene Wittstock in the Main Courtyard of the Prince’s Palace in Monaco; the civil ceremony was held on July 1, 2011, in the Throne Room of the Prince’s Palace
Prince Albert first noticed Charlene Wittstock at the Monaco International Swim Meet in 2000 where she won the 200-meter backstroke. For the next five years, the couple periodically dated privately. Their relationship went public at the Opening Ceremonies for the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy. After that,  the couple was seen together at several events including the Monaco Grand Prix, the Rose Ball held annually in Monaco, the Princess Grace Foundation Awards Gala, and most notably at the wedding of Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden and Daniel Westling in Stockholm on June 19, 2010. On June 23, 2010, four days after the wedding of Crown Princess Victoria, Prince Albert II of Monaco and Charlene Wittstock became engaged.
Unofficial Royalty: Wedding of Prince Albert II and Charlene Wittstock

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Royal News Recap for Saturday, June 29 and Sunday, June 30, 2024

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

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

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Jordan

Netherlands

United Kingdom

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

July 1: Today in Royal History

© Unofficial Royalty 2024

The Marriage of Princess Alice, 1st July 1862 by George Housman Thomas; Credit – Royal Collection Trust © His Majesty King Charles III

July 1, 1175 – Death Reginald de Dunstanville, Earl of Cornwall, illegitimate son of King Henry I of England, in Chertsey, Surrey, England; buried at Reading Abbey in Reading, England
Reginald de Dunstanville, Earl of Cornwall, one of the many illegitimate children of King Henry I of England, was the son of Henry I’s mistress Lady Sybilla Corbet of Alcester. Reginald married Beatrice FitzRichard, the daughter and heiress of William FitzRichard, Lord of Cardinham, a wealthy landowner in Cornwall, England. The couple had six children. Reginald supported his half-sister Empress Matilda over his cousin King Stephen during the eighteen-year-long civil war. It is most likely that Reginald was created Earl of Cornwall because of his support. King Stephen died on October 25, 1154, and Reginald’s nephew Henry FitzEmpress ascended the throne as King Henry II, the first Angevin King of England. During Henry II’s reign, Reginald was one of his closest advisors.
Unofficial Royalty: Reginald de Dunstanville, Earl of Cornwall, illegitimate son of King Henry I of England

July 1, 1481 – Birth of King Christian II of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden at Nyborg Castle in Denmark
Nicknamed Christian the Tyrant, Christian II was King of Denmark and Norway from 1513 until 1523 and also King of Sweden from 1520 until 1521. From 1513 to 1523, he was the joint ruler of the Duchies of Schleswig and Holstein with his paternal uncle Frederik, the future King Frederik I of Denmark and Norway. In 1523, Christian II was forced to abdicate and was exiled. After trying to reclaim the throne in 1531, Christian was imprisoned, first in Sønderborg Castle and then at Kalundborg Castle, for the last twenty-seven years of his life.
Unofficial Royalty: King Christian II of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden

July 1, 1534 – Birth of King Frederik II of Denmark and Norway at Haderslevhus Castle in Denmark
Frederik’s father Christian III, King of Denmark and Norway died on January 1, 1559, and 24-year-old Frederik succeeded him as Frederik II, King of Denmark and Norway. On August 20, 1559, Frederik II was crowned at the Church of Our Lady in Copenhagen, Denmark. During his reign, finances were improved, agriculture and trade were promoted, and the privileges the German Hanseatic League had with Denmark were limited or abolished. Friedrich revolutionized shipping by establishing the modern lighthouse system. He also promoted the sciences, especially astronomy, and was a patron of pioneering Danish astronomer Tycho Brahe.
Unofficial Royalty: King Frederik II of Denmark

July 1, 1862 – Wedding of Princess Alice of the United Kingdom and Ludwig IV, Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine at Osborne House on the Isle of Wight, England
Unfortunately for Alice and Ludwig, the deaths in 1861 of Alice’s maternal grandmother The Duchess of Kent and father Prince Albert affected their wedding plans. The 1858 wedding of Victoria, Princess Royal at the Chapel Royal of St. James’s Palace in London had been a grand showcase but Alice’s wedding was a muted and sad private ceremony meant for family only. A spring wedding was out of the question but Queen Victoria declared that the wedding must be held sooner rather than later as Prince Albert had wished. A private wedding with far fewer guests than the weddings of Alice’s siblings was scheduled for July 1, 1862, at Osborne House in East Cowes, Isle of Wight, England.
Unofficial Royalty: Wedding of Alice of the United Kingdom and Ludwig IV, Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine

July 1, 1961 – Birth of Diana, Princess of Wales, first wife of Charles, Prince of Wales, born The Honorable Diana Spencer at Park House in Sandringham, Norfolk, England
Full name: Diana Frances
Diana, Princess of Wales was the first wife of Prince Charles, The Prince of Wales, and the mother of Prince William and Prince Harry. She was born The Honourable Diana Frances Spencer, youngest daughter of John Spencer, Viscount Althorp (later the 8th Earl Spencer) and The Honourable Frances Roche, on July 1, 1961, at Park House on the Sandringham Estate. In 1975, when her father became the 8th Earl Spencer, Diana saw an ‘upgrade’ in her title as well. As the daughter of an Earl, she was now styled Lady Diana Spencer, a name that would soon become famous around the world when ‘Lady Di’ became involved with The Prince of Wales.
Unofficial Royalty: Diana, Princess of Wales

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June 30: Today in Royal History

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Henrietta-Anne of England, Duchess of Orléans; Credit – Wikipedia

June 30, 1470 – Birth of King Charles VIII of France at the Château d’Amboise in Amboise, France
Upon the death of King Louis XI in 1483, his thirteen-year-old son King Charles VIII of France succeeded him. The coronation of King Charles VIII took place on May 30, 1484, in Notre-Dame Cathedral in Reims, France, the traditional site for the coronation of the Kings of France. He married the wealthy heiress Anne, Duchess of Brittany in her own right.  Anne and Charles had seven children but only one survived infancy and died at age three.
Unofficial Royalty: King Charles VIII of France

June 30, 1670 – Death of Henrietta-Anne of England, Duchess of Orléans, daughter of King Charles I of England, wife of Philippe of France, Duke of Orléans, at the Château de Saint-Cloud in Hauts-de-Seine, France; buried at Basilica of Saint-Denis near Paris, France
Known as Henrietta-Anne during her years at the French court, she is an ancestor of the royal families of Belgium, Luxembourg, and Spain.  When the line of Henriette-Anne’s brother King James II of England died out, the Jacobite claims to the British throne descended from her daughter Anne Marie d’Orléans, Queen of Sardinia. The Orléanist pretenders to the French throne and the Savoy pretenders to the Italian throne descend from Henrietta-Anne. Beginning in 1667, Henriette-Anne’s health started to suffer.  She had pains in her side and her digestive problems became so severe that she could only drink milk.  On June 29, 1670, Henriette-Anne drank a glass of iced chicory water and immediately felt severe pain in her side.  She thought she had been poisoned and asked to be given an antidote.  Henriette-Anne died the next day, at the age of 26. There were rumors that her husband’s lover Philippe, Chevalier de Lorraine had poisoned her.
Unofficial Royalty: Henrietta-Anne of England, Duchess of Orléans
Unofficial Royalty: The Jacobite Succession – Pretenders to the British Throne

June 30, 1875 – Birth of Prince Giuseppe of Bourbon-Parma, Titular Duke of Parma in Biarritz, France
Prince Giuseppe of Bourbon-Parma was the titular Duke of Parma from 1939 until he died in 1950. As he was mentally disabled, his younger brother Elia served as regent.
Unofficial Royalty: Prince Giuseppe of Bourbon-Parma

June 30, 1964 – Birth of Alexandra, Countess of Frederiksborg, first wife of Prince Joachim of Denmark, born Alexandra Christina Manley in Hong Kong
Alexandra and Prince Joachim married in 1995 and had two sons. In 2004, rumors circulated that there were marriage problems, and the couple divorced in 2005.  In 2007, Alexandra married Martin Jørgensen, a photographer 14 years younger than her. The couple divorced in 2015. Prince Joachim and Alexandra have maintained close ties and are often seen together with their sons. Alexandra attends events involving the Danish Royal Family.
Unofficial Royalty: Alexandra, Countess of Frederiksborg

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Royal Birthdays & Anniversaries: June 30 – July 6

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

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Alexandra, Countess of Frederiksborg; Credit – MaleneThyssen – https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=31458

60th birthday of Alexandra, Countess of Frederiksborg, first wife of Prince Joachim of Denmark; born Alexandra Christina Manley in Hong Kong on June 30, 1964
Queen Margrethe of Denmark gave her former daughter-in-law the personal title, Countess of Frederiksborg.
Unofficial Royalty: Alexandra, Countess of Frederiksborg

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46th wedding anniversary of Prince and Princess Michael of Kent; married at the Rathaus (City Hall) in Vienna, Austria on June 30, 1978
Unofficial Royalty: Prince Michael of Kent
Unofficial Royalty: Princess Michael of Kent

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65th wedding anniversary of King Albert II of the Belgians and Paola Ruffo di Calabria; married at the Cathedral of St. Michael and St. Gudula in Brussels, Belgium on July 2, 1959
Unofficial Royalty: Wedding of King Albert II of Belgium and Donna Paola Ruffo di Calabria

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Embed from Getty Images

13th wedding anniversary of Prince Albert II of Monaco and Charlene Wittstock; religiously married in the Main Courtyard of the Prince’s Palace on July 2, 2011
Unofficial Royalty: Wedding of Prince Albert II and Charlene Wittstock

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31st wedding of Hereditary Prince Alois of Liechtenstein and Duchess Sophie of Bavaria; married at the Cathedral of St. Florin in Vaduz, Liechtenstein on July 3, 1993
Unofficial Royalty: Alois, Hereditary Prince of Liechtenstein
Unofficial Royalty: Sophie, Hereditary Princess of Liechtenstein

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Credit – Wikipedia

87th birthday of Queen Sonja of Norway, wife of King Harald V of Norway; born Sonja Haraldsen in Oslo, Norway on July 4, 1937
Unofficial Royalty: Queen Sonja of Norway

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source: Wikipedia

82nd birthday of Prince Michael of Kent, son of Prince George, Duke of Kent; born at Coppins in Iver, Buckinghamshire, England on July 4, 1942
Full name: Michael George Charles Franklin
Michael was born 6 weeks before the death of his father on active duty during World War II. Since he was born on American Independence Day, President Franklin Roosevelt was one of his godparents.
Unofficial Royalty: Prince Michael of Kent
Unofficial Royalty: Born on the Fourth of July

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Princess Chulabhorn Walailak of Thailand; Credit – Wikipedia

67th birthday of Princess Chulabhorn Walailak of Thailand, daughter of King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand; born in Bangkok, Thailand on July 4, 1957
Unofficial Royalty: Princess Chulabhorn Walailak of Thailand

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