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King Edward IV of England; Credit – Wikipedia

April 28, 1076 – Death of Sweyn II Estridsson, King of Denmark at his estate in Søderup, Southern Jutland, Denmark; buried at Roskilde Cathedral in Roskilde, Denmark
Sweyn II Estridsson reigned as King of Denmark from 1047 to 1076. He was the son of Ulf Thorgilsson, a Danish nobleman with the title of Jarl, a Viking chieftain, governor, and regent of Denmark under Cnut the Great, King of England, Denmark, and Norway. Sweyn II’s mother was Estrid Svendsdatter, the sister of Cnut the Great and the daughter of Sweyn Forkbeard, King of Denmark, Norway, and England. Sweyn II had many mistresses and fathered at least 20 children. His son from his second marriage, who died in the First Crusade, was his only legitimate child. Five of his illegitimate sons were later Kings of Denmark. Perhaps King Sweyn II’s greatest accomplishment was giving the Danish Church, Roman Catholic at that time, a firm and lasting organization by creating a framework for the bishops’ rule. Sweyn brought scholars to Denmark to teach him and his people Latin so they could converse with the rest of Europe on equal terms.
Unofficial Royalty: Sweyn II Estridsson, King of Denmark

April 28, 1442 – Birth of King Edward IV of England in Rouen, France
The first Yorkist King of England, King Edward IV was the son of Richard of York, 3rd Duke of York and Cecily Neville, both great-grandchildren of King Edward III of England.  Edward’s father could claim descent from Edward III’s second and fourth surviving sons, Lionel of Antwerp, 1st Duke of Clarence and Edmund of Langley, 1st Duke of York. Edward’s father was the Yorkist leader during the Wars of the Roses until he died in battle, when his son Edward became the leader of the Yorkist faction. Edward’s victory over the Lancastrians at the Battle of Towton on March 29, 1461, cemented his status as King of England. He was crowned at Westminster Abbey on June 29, 1461. In 1464, King Edward IV married the widowed Elizabeth Woodville, and they had ten children. Perhaps if King Edward IV lived longer, he would have become one of England’s most powerful kings. He died a few weeks before his 41st birthday. His cause of death is not known for certain. Pneumonia, typhoid, malaria, poison, and an unhealthy lifestyle are some possibilities. King Edward IV was buried at St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle, close by his rival King Henry VI.
Unofficial Royalty: King Edward IV of England

April 28, 1676 – Birth of King Fredrik I of Sweden, born Prince Friedrich of Hesse-Kassel at Kassel, Landgraviate of Hesse-Kassel, now in Hesse, Germany
Fredrik I was King of Sweden from 1720 until he died in 1751. However, he was also Prince Consort of Sweden from 1718 to 1720 and Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel from 1730 until his death. In 1700, Fredrik married his first cousin, Luise Dorothea of Brandenburg, but she was sickly and died childless in 1705. In 1715, Fredrik married Ulrika Eleonora of Sweden, but their marriage was childless. In 1718, after the death of her brother Karl XII, King of Sweden, Ulrika Eleonora succeeded him. Ulrika Eleonora wrote a letter to the Riksdag in 1720, informing its members of her desire to abdicate in favor of her husband on the condition that she should succeed him if he should die before her. Her husband acceded to the Swedish throne as Fredrik I, King of Sweden, and Ulrika Eleonora became Queen Consort. Fredrik I reigned for 31 years and survived his wife by ten years. After suffering several strokes, he died on March 25, 1751, aged 74.
Unofficial Royalty: King Fredrik I of Sweden

April 28, 1772 – Execution of Johann Friedrich Struensee, favorite of King Christian VII of Denmark and lover of his wife, Queen Caroline Matilda, in Copenhagen, Denmark
The scandalous story of King Christian VII of Denmark, his wife Queen Caroline Matilda, and Johann Friedrich Struensee has been told in several novels including Norah Loft’s The Lost Queen (1969) and Per Olov Enquist’s The Visit of the Royal Physician (1999) and also in the Danish film A Royal Affair (2012) which was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. Because he was known for a new kind of therapy for mental illness, Struensee was called to treat King Christian VII of Denmark. Struensee could handle Christian’s instability, a great relief to the king’s advisers. Because of Christian VII’s confidence in him, Struensee gained political power, and he also became the lover of Christian VII’s ill-treated wife, Caroline Matilda of Wales, the sister of King George III, whose marriage was less than satisfactory. Eventually, Queen Dowager Juliana Maria, Christian VII’s stepmother, maneuvered a coup that brought about the fall of Struensee and discredited Caroline Matilda.
Unofficial Royalty: Johann Friedrich Struensee, favorite of King Christian VII and lover of Queen Caroline Matilda

 April 28, 1936 – Death of King Fuad I of Egypt at the Koubbeh Palace in Cairo, Egypt; buried at the Al Rifa’i Mosque in Cairo, Egypt
Born Ahmed Fuad on March 26, 1868, at the Giza Palace in Cairo, Egypt, he was Sultan of Egypt from 1917 until 1922, when Egypt gained its independence from the United Kingdom. He became King Fuad I of Egypt on March 15, 1922, and reigned until his death in April 1936. Fuad was instrumental in establishing the Egyptian University, now Cairo University,  and served as rector from 1908 until 1913.
Unofficial Royalty: King Fuad I of Egypt

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