Royal News Recap for Wednesday, July 2, 2025

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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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Unofficial Royalty

Japan

Multiple Monarchies

Netherlands

Spain

United Kingdom

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Anna Sophie of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt, Duchess of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2025

Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld/Saxe-Coburg and Gotha: In 1675, Ernst I, Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg, died. Initially, his seven sons collectively governed the Duchy of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg, as set out in their father’s will. In 1680, the seven brothers concluded a treaty of separation, with each brother getting a portion of the Duchy of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg and becoming a Duke. One of the seven new duchies was the Duchy of Saxe-Saalfeld, and Johann Ernst, one of the seven sons of Ernst I, Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg, became the first Duke of Saxe-Saalfeld.  When two of his brothers died without male heirs, Johann Ernst took possession of Coburg (in 1699) and Römhild (in 1714). In 1699, Johann Ernst’s title changed to Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld.

In 1825, 145 years after the initial split, another line became extinct, and there was another split between the three surviving duchies. Ernst III, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, became Ernst I, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. For more information on the switch, see Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld/Saxe-Coburg and Gotha Index.

On November 9, 1918, after the German Empire lost World War I, the Workers’ and Soldiers Council of Gotha deposed the last Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, Charles Edward, a grandson of Queen Victoria.  Five days later, he signed a declaration relinquishing his rights to the throne. The territory that encompassed the Duchy of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha is now in the German states of Bavaria and Thuringia.

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Anna Sophie of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt, Duchess of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld; Credit – Wikipedia

The wife of Franz Josias, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, Anna Sophie of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt, was born on September 9, 1700, in Rudolstadt, Principality of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt, now located in the German state of Thuringia. She was the ninth of the thirteen children and the sixth of the nine daughters of Ludwig Friedrich I, Prince of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt and Anna Sophie of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg. Anna Sophie’s paternal grandparents were Albrecht Anton of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt and Countess Emilie Juliane of Barby-Mühlingen. Her maternal grandparents were Friedrich I, Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg and Magdalena Sibylle of Saxe-Weissenfels

Anna Sophie had twelve siblings, but it appears that only three of her siblings married:

  • Friedrich Anton, Prince of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt (1692 – 1744), married (1) Sophia Wilhelmina of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, had three children, but only two survived childhood (2) Christina Sophia of East Friesia, no children
  • Amalie Magdalene of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt (born and died 1693)
  • Sophie Louise of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt (1693 – 1776)
  • Sophie Juliane of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt (1694 – 1776), a nun at Gandersheim Abbey
  • Wilhelm Ludwig of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt (1696 – 1757), married morganatically, Caroline Henriette Gebauer, had eleven children
  • Christine Dorothea of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt (1697 – 1698)
  • Albrecht Anton of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt (1698 – 1720)
  • Emilie Juliane of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt (1699 – 1774)
  • Sophia Dorothea of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt (1706 – 1737)
  • Friederike Louise of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt (1706 – 1787)
  • Magdalena Sibylle of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt (1707 – 1795), a nun at Gandersheim Abbey
  • Louis Günther II, Prince of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt (1708-1790), married Countess Sophie Henriette of Reuss-Untergreiz, had four children

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

On January 2, 1723, in Rudolstadt, Principality of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt, now in the German state of Thuringia, Anna Sophie married Franz Josias, the future Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld. He was the son of Johann Ernst IV, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, and his second wife, Charlotte Johanna of Waldeck-Wildungen. Franz Josias was described as a handsome man, although he lost his left eye while playing a match in the then very popular sport, badminton. Anna Sophie and Franz Josias are the great-great-grandparents of Queen Victoria and her husband, Prince Albert.

Anna Sophie and Franz Josias had eight children:

Anna Sophie’s husband, Franz Josias, was not expected to be the reigning Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, but family events would change the lives of both Franz Josias and Anna Sophie. Franz Josias served in the army of the Holy Roman Empire. In 1720, after the deaths of his two elder brothers, Franz Josias returned to Coburg upon the request of his father, Johann Ernst IV, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, who had only two surviving sons: Christian Ernst from his first marriage and Franz Josias from his second marriage.

Christian Ernst, Franz Josias’s elder half-brother, fell in love with Christiane von Koss, the daughter of the Saalfeld forestry master. This relationship displeased both his father and his half-brother. Eventually, Christian Ernst’s father consented to the marriage, and the couple was married morganatically in 1724. A morganatic marriage meant that Christiane and any children from the marriage would not be entitled to her husband’s titles and privileges.

As the elder son, Christian Ernst was his father’s heir, but because of his unequal marriage, Franz Josias claimed the sole inheritance of the duchy. However, Johann Ernst decided that both his sons should reign jointly, and upon his death in 1729, his will forced the joint reign. After their father’s death, Christian Ernst resided at Schloss Saalfeld (link in German), and Franz Josias and his wife Anna Sophie, now Duchess of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, lived at Veste Coburg. From 1735, with the support of Karl Friedrich, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen, Franz Josias effectively ruled over Coburg in his own right.

On September 4, 1745, Christian Ernst died at Schloss Saalfeld at the age of 62. Christian Ernst had died childless, and his half-brother, Franz Josias, became the sole Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld. After his brother died, Franz Josias introduced primogeniture in the duchy so there would be no question about the succession.

Franz Josias died on September 16, 1764, aged 66, at Schloss Rodach in Rodach, Duchy of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld. He was buried in the ducal crypt at the Morizkirche (or Stadtkirche St. Moriz) in Coburg, Duchy of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, now in Bavaria, Germany. Anna Sophie survived her husband by sixteen years, dying on December 11, 1780, at the age of 80 in Römhild, Duchy of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, now in the German state of Bavaria. She was buried with her husband at the Morizkirche in Coburg.

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Works Cited

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 from 1837 until 1841, 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 he 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 Tuesday, July 1, 2025

Denmark

Germany (former monarchy)

Japan

Luxembourg

Monaco

Netherlands

United Kingdom

July 2: Today in Royal History

© Unofficial Royalty 2025

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 it was in name only due to his illness. 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 Monday, June 30, 2025

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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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Unofficial Royalty

Germany

Netherlands

Spain

United Kingdom

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Doberan Minster in Bad Doberan, Mecklenburg, Germany

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2025

Doberan Minster; Credit – Wikipedia by Bjoern Eisbaer

Originally a Roman Catholic church, Doberan Minster is an Evangelical Lutheran church in Bad Doberan, in the German state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. A minster (Münster in German) is a church connected or originally connected with a monastic establishment or any large or important church or cathedral. Beginning in the 12th century, Doberan Minster served as one of the traditional burial sites of the Lords of Mecklenburg and the Dukes of Mecklenburg. Several members of the Grand Ducal Family of Mecklenburg-Schwerin are also buried there, including Friedrich Franz I, the first Grand Duke.

The town of Bad Doberan was originally in the Lordship of Mecklenburg and then in the Duchy of Mecklenburg, which was divided and partitioned a number of times over the centuries. In 1701, the last division created the Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin and the Duchy of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. After the division, Bad Doberan was in the Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. In 1815, the Congress of Vienna recognized both Mecklenburg-Schwerin and Mecklenburg-Strelitz as grand duchies. Bad Doberan was then a part of the Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin.

History

The interior of Doberan Minster; Credit – Wikipedia by By T meltzer

After Pribislav, an Obotrite prince and the first Prince of Mecklenburg, converted to Christianity around 1164, he approved the founding of a monastery in Bad Doberan under the supervision of the Cistercian monk, Berno, Apostle of the Obotrites, later the first Bishop of Schwerin. Pribislav died from wounds received at a tournament in Lüneburg (now in the German state of Lower Saxony) on December 30, 1178, and was buried in St. Michaelis Church in Lüneburg. In 1219, his remains were transferred by his son Heinrich Borwin I, Lord of Mecklenburg, to the Bad Doberan Monastery’s small Romanesque church. Today, Pribislav’s remains lie in a sarcophagus in the Chapel of Pribislav at Doberan Minster.

After Pribislav died in 1178, the monks at the monastery were killed in 1179 during violent succession disputes. The monastery was refounded in Bad Doberan in 1186. In the 13th century, a new cathedral would replace the monastery’s small Romanesque church.

Construction of the Doberan Minster in the Brick Gothic style began around 1280, with preserved parts of the original Romanesque church incorporated into the new structure. Around 1296, the shell and roof of the entire cathedral were completed. In 1301, Johann von Elbing, the monastery’s Abbot, consecrated the first bronze bell. Nine years later, the initial furnishings of the choir were completed. It is thought that the east choir was provisionally covered, separated by a partition wall, and used for church services from 1310. Building continued for fifty-eight years, and finally, on June 3, 1368, Doberan Minster was consecrated by Frederick von Bülow, Bishop of Schwerin.

In 1552, during the Protestant Reformation, the dissolution of the monastery at the Roman Catholic Doberan Minster occurred. The monastery ceased to exist, and Doberan Minster became a Lutheran church. However, unlike so many other churches, there was no destruction of furnishings. Today, despite losses over the centuries, Doberan Minster contains the most complete original furnishings (85%) of all Cistercian monastery churches.

Doberan Minster was badly damaged in 1637 during the Thirty Years’ War when it was used as an ammunition depot. From 1806 to 1813, during the French occupation of Mecklenburg under Napoleon, the church was again used as an ammunition depot, and there was more damage. Between 1883 and 1896, the church was restored in what was considered an inappropriate 19th-century Gothic Revival style. Unlike many German churches, Doberan Minster was not damaged during World War II. During restorations from 1962 to 1984, the interior and exterior were renovated, including removing the 19th-century Gothic Revival style restoration. In 2002, further extensive long-term restoration measures began.

Burials at Doberan Minster

The Pribislav Chapel was the burial place and chapel of the House of Mecklenburg since 1302. It was named after Pribislav, the first Prince of Mecklenburg, the founder of Doberan Abbey, who died in 1178 in Lüneburg. His remains were transferred to Doberan in 1219.

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

  • Autoren der Wikimedia-Projekte. (2005). Ehemalige Klosterkirche in Bad Doberan. Wikipedia.org; Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doberaner_M%C3%BCnster
  • Doberaner Münster in Bad Doberan, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern – Find a Grave Cemetery. (2025). Findagrave.com. https://www.findagrave.com/cemetery/2192661/doberaner-m%C3%BCnster
  • Welcome. (2025). Muenster-Doberan.de. https://www.muenster-doberan.de/index.php/en/welcome
  • Wikipedia Contributors. (2024). Doberan Minster. Wikipedia; Wikimedia Foundation.

July 1: Today in Royal History

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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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Royal News Recap for Saturday, June 28 and Sunday, June 29, 2025

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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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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. His younger brother Elia served as regent because he was mentally disabled.
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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