© Unofficial Royalty 2025

John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster; Credit – Wikipedia

February 3, 1014 – Death of Sweyn Forkbeard, King of Denmark, Norway, and England, in Gainsborough, Lincolnshire, England; buried at Roskilde Cathedral in Roskilde, Denmark
Sweyn Forkbeard was the son of Harald Bluetooth, King of Denmark and Norway, the inspiration for the name of the wireless technology company Bluetooth. In 1002 Æthelred II, King of the English was told that the Danish men in England “would faithlessly take his life, and then all his councilors, and possess his kingdom afterward.” In response, Æthelred “ordered slain all the Danish men who were in England.” St. Brice’s Day Massacre occurred on November 13, 1002, the feast day of St. Brice, fifth-century Bishop of Tours. There was a significant loss of life including Gunhilde, the sister of Sweyn Forkbeard. In retaliation, Sweyn attacked England during 1003 – 1004, burning Norwich but famine in 1005 caused him to retreat. The Danish invaders returned and within a few years, all of England came under Danish rule. On Christmas Day in 1013, Sweyn was formally proclaimed King of England. Æthelred had fled to the Isle of Wight and then to Normandy. However, Sweyn’s reign was short-lived as he suddenly died on February 3, 1014, at around the age of 54. Although there are reports that Sweyn died after a fall from his horse, a 2015 study speculated that he may have died from Brugada Syndrome, a genetic disorder in which the electrical activity in the heart is abnormal. It increases the risk of abnormal heart rhythms and sudden cardiac death. The study showed that perhaps up to fourteen Danish kings who suddenly died at a relatively young age without being ill possibly died of Brugada Syndrome.
Unofficial Royalty: Sweyn I Forkbeard, King of Denmark, Norway, and England

February 3, 1399 – Death of John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster, son of King Edward III of England, at Leicester Castle in Leicester, England; buried at Old St. Paul’s Cathedral in London, England (tomb destroyed in the Great Fire of London)
A younger son of King Edward III of England, John of Gaunt was a military leader and statesman and the father of King Henry IV of England. Due to his royal birth and marriages, he was one of the richest men of his time and was very influential during the reigns of his father King Edward III and his nephew King Richard II. As Duke of Lancaster, he was the founder of the House of Lancaster, whose members would become Kings of England after his death. All monarchs of England, Great Britain, and the United Kingdom since King Henry IV are descended from John of Gaunt. In fact, most European monarchies are descended from John. The Houses of Lancaster, York, and Tudor were all descended from John of Gaunt’s children.
Unofficial Royalty: John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster

February 3, 1874 – Death of Lunalilo, King of the Hawaiian Islands at Haimoeipo, his private residence in Honolulu, Oahu, Kingdom of the Hawaiian Islands, now in the state of Hawaii; buried in the Lunalilo Mausoleum on the grounds of Kawaiahaʻo Church in Honolulu
Lunalilo, King of the Hawaiian Islands reigned for a little more than a year, from January 8, 1873, until he died on February 3, 1874. He suffered from tuberculosis since childhood and was an alcoholic which further exacerbated his health. On February 3, 1874, he died at the age of 39
Unofficial Royalty: Lunalilo, King of the Hawaiian Islands

February 3, 1919 – Death of Maria Theresia of Austria-Este, Queen of Bavaria, wife of Ludwig III, the last King of Bavaria, at Schloss Wildenwart in Wildenwart Germany; initially buried in the chapel at Schloss Wildenwart, her remains were moved to the Frauenkirche in Munich, Bavaria, Germany upon the death of her husband in 1921
In 1868, Maria Theresia married the future King Ludwig III of Bavaria and the couple had thirteen children. In 1875, after the death of her childless uncle Francesco V, Duke of Modena, Maria Theresia became the Jacobite claimant to the British throne. In 1912, Maria Theresia’s father-in-law Prince Regent Luitpold died and her husband Ludwig became the Prince Regent for his first cousin King Otto. On November 4, 1913, the Bavarian constitution was changed to allow the Prince Regent to become King if the incapacitation of a king had lasted for ten years and there was no reasonable expectation that the incapacitated king would ever reign. On November 5, 1913, King Otto was deposed by Prince Regent Ludwig who assumed the title King Ludwig III. At the end of World War I, Ludwig was the first of the monarchs in the German Empire to be deposed. After briefly living in Austria Maria Theresia and her husband lived at Schloss Wildenwart in the village of Wildenwart about 80 kilometers southeast of Munich, where she died at the age of 69.
Unofficial Royalty: Maria Theresia of Austria-Este, Queen of Bavaria
Unofficial Royalty: The Jacobite Succession – Pretenders to the British Throne

February 3, 2010 – Death of Regina von Habsburg, wife of Otto von Habsburg, the last Crown Prince of Austria, Hungary, Bohemia, and Croatia, at her home in Pöcking, Germany; temporarily interred in the crypt at Veste Heldburg, the Saxe-Meinigen’s family ancestral castle, and was reburied in the Imperial Crypt in Vienna, Austria when Otto died in 2011
Regina was the daughter of Prince Georg of Saxe-Meiningen and Countess Klara Marie von Korff genannt Schmising-Kerssenbrock. Her father was Head of the House of Saxe-Meiningen from 1941 until he died in 1946. In 1951, Regina married Otto von Habsburg, the last Crown Prince of Austria, Hungary, Bohemia, and Croatia, the son of Karl I, the last Emperor of Austria and Princess Zita of Bourbon-Parma. After her marriage, she was known as Regina von Habsburg. For their entire married life, the couple lived at Villa Austria in Pöcking on Lake Starnberg in Bavaria, (West) Germany. Regina and Otto had seven children. Regina died at her home in Pöcking, Germany on February 3, 2010, at the age of 85.
Unofficial Royalty: Regina von Habsburg, born Regina of Saxe-Meiningen

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.

© Unofficial Royalty 2025

Prince Andreas of Greece and Denmark; Credit – Wikipedia

February 2, 1455 – Birth of King Hans of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden at Aalborg Castle in Denmark
King Hans held four royal titles: King of Denmark (1481 – 1513), King of Norway (1483 – 1513), King of Sweden (1497 – 1501), and Duke of Holstein and Schleswig (1482–1513 jointly with his younger brother, the future King Frederik I). In 1478, Hans married Christina of Saxony and they had six children. In 1501, Hans began a long-term affair with Edel Jernskjæg, one of Christina’s ladies-in-waiting. The affair caused a scandal and a de facto termination of their marriage. From that time on, the marriage of Hans and Christina was one in name only.
Unofficial Royalty: King Hans of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden

February 2, 1650 – Birth of Nell Gwyn, actress and mistress of King Charles II of England, in London, England
Nell was an orange girl in the theater, selling fruit and sweetmeats within the theater. She later became an actress. The affair between Nell and King Charles II began in April 1668 when Nell was attending a performance at Lincoln’s Inn Fields Theater. Charles II was in the next box and was more interested in flirting with Nell than watching the play. Charles II invited Nell and her escort to supper, along with his brother the Duke of York. Charles and Nell had one surviving son, Charles Beauclerk, 1st Duke of St Albans. The descendants of Nell and King Charles II have continued the line of the Dukes of St. Albans through the centuries. Nell remained one of Charles II’s mistresses until he died in 1685.
Unofficial Royalty: Nell Gwyn, mistress of King Charles II of England

February 2, 1660 – Death of Gaston of France, Duke of Orléans, son of King Henri IV of France, at the Château de Blois, France; buried at the Basilica of St. Denis near Paris
Gaston, Duke of Orléans could be considered the black sheep of his family. Twice he had to leave France for conspiring against the government of his brother King Louis XIII. When his brother refused to grant permission for Gaston to marry Marguerite of Lorraine after the death of his first wife, Gaston married her anyway and kept the marriage secret. Because of his participation against the government in a series of civil wars, Gaston was exiled to one of his homes, the Château de Blois, for the last seven years of his life. There he died at the age of 51.
Unofficial Royalty: Gaston of France, Duke of Orléans

February 2, 1783 – Birth of Karl Friedrich, Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, in Weimar in the Duchy of Saxe-Weimar, now in Thuringia, Germany
After finishing his education, Karl Friedrich embarked on a Grand Tour of Europe. While visiting St. Petersburg in July 1803, Karl Friedrich met his future wife, Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna of Russia. She was the daughter of Paul I, Emperor of All Russia and his second wife Sophia Dorothea of Württemberg. They married in St. Petersburg, Russia on August 3, 1804, and had four children including Princess Augusta who married Wilhelm I, King of Prussia, German Emperor.
Unofficial Royalty: Karl Friedrich, Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach

February 2, 1792 – Death of Elizaveta Romanovna Vorontsova, mistress of Peter III, Emperor of All Russia, in St. Petersburg Russia; buried at the Lazarevskoe Cemetery at the Alexander Nevsky Lavra in St. Petersburg, Russia
Elizaveta’s father, Count Roman Illarionovich Vorontsov, took part in the 1741 coup that brought Elizabeth Petrovna, the only surviving child of Peter I (the Great), Emperor of All Russia, to the throne as Elizabeth, Empress of All Russia. Empress Elizabeth never married and her sister’s son Karl Peter Ulrich of Holstein-Gottorp, whose name was changed to Grand Duke Peter Feodorovich (the future Peter III, Emperor of All Russia), was her heir. Elizaveta was assigned to the court of Grand Duke Peter where she was to serve Peter’s wife Grand Duchess Catherine Alexeievna (the future Catherine II the Great, Empress of All Russia). Peter took Elizaveta Romanovna Vorontsova as his mistress and Catherine had affairs. After the death of his aunt Empress Elizabeth, Peter succeeded to the throne as Peter III, Emperor of Russia. However, he was soon deposed by his wife who reigned as Catherine II (the Great), and then murdered. Catherine arranged for Elizaveta to marry a middle-aged army colonel of a humble background, eighteen years older than Elizaveta. In Russian society, the marriage was seen as a mockery of Empress Catherine’s former rival. Elizaveta died on February 2, 1792, at the age of 52.
Unofficial Royalty: Elizaveta Romanovna Vorontsova

February 2, 1799 – Birth of Maria Antonovna Naryshkina, mistress of Alexander I, Emperor of All Russia, born Princess Maria Czetwertyński-Światopełk in Warsaw, Poland
Maria, her mother, and her siblings were brought to Russia by Catherine II (the Great), Empress of All Russia after Maria’s father was hanged by an angry mob in Poland for his support of Russia. Maria was made a maid of honor at the Russian court and Catherine the Great arranged a marriage for her. Maria was known for her dazzling beauty and attracted the attention of Tsesarevich Alexander Pavlovich, the future Alexander I, Emperor of All Russia. Maria and Alexander’s affair lasted for nearly nineteen years. In 1815, Maria accompanied Alexander I, Emperor of All Russia to the Congress of Vienna, which caused a scandal. Eventually, Maria began to worry about her position and the gossip about her, and Alexander began to feel guilty about the long-term affair. In 1818, the affair ended and Alexander went back to his wife but he continued to talk about Maria as his family.
Unofficial Royalty: Maria Antonovna Naryshkina

February 2, 1882 – Birth of Prince Andreas (Andrew) of Greece and Denmark, son of King George I of Greece and father of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, in Athens, Greece
The father of Prince Philip, The Duke of Edinburgh, Andreas was the son of King George I of Greece (born a Prince of Denmark) and Grand Duchess Olga Konstantinovna of Russia. In 1903, he married Princess Alice of Battenberg, daughter of Prince Louis of Battenberg and Princess Victoria of Hesse and by Rhine. The couple had four daughters and one son. Andreas’ life was often interrupted by the political turmoil in Greece. By the early 1930s, Andreas had less and less contact with his family. His wife suffered a nervous breakdown and was institutionalized, his four daughters had all married into former German royal families, and his son was attending school first in Germany and then in the United Kingdom. Somewhat at a loss, having been forced into a life of retirement, Andreas moved to the French Riviera. The onset of World War II ended the little contact Andreas had with his wife and children. His wife had returned to Greece, his daughters were all behind German lines, and his son was fighting for the British forces. Prince Andreas died at the Metropole Hotel in Monte Carlo on December 3, 1944, at the age of 62.
Unofficial Royalty: Prince Andreas of Greece

February 2, 1896 – Death of Elisabeth of Saxe-Altenburg, Grand Duchess of Oldenburg, wife of Peter II, Grand Duke of Oldenburg, in Oldenburg, Grand Duchy of Oldenburg, now in Lower Saxony, Germany; buried in the Ducal Mausoleum in Saint Gertrude’s Cemetery in Oldenburg
In 1852, Elisabeth married the future Peter II, Grand Duke of Oldenburg and they had two sons. As Grand Duchess, Elisabeth oversaw the establishment of the Elisabeth Children’s Hospital, and was the patron of numerous charities and organizations focused on the well-being of children and the less fortunate. Much of this was done through her Elisabeth Foundation, established at the time of her marriage using funds from her father. Elisabeth died on February 2, 1896, at the age of 70.
Unofficial Royalty: Elisabeth of Saxe-Altenburg, Grand Duchess of Oldenburg

February 2, 2002 – Wedding of King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands and Máxima Zorreguieta Cerruti; civil ceremony at Beurs van Berlage in Amsterdam, Netherlands, religious ceremony at Nieuwe Kerk in Amsterdam, Netherlands
In April 1999, Willem-Alexander met his future wife Máxima Zorreguieta Cerruti in Seville, Spain during the Seville Spring Fair. He did not introduce himself as a Prince and at a later time when he told Máxima who he was, she thought he was joking. They met again a few weeks later in New York and their romance blossomed. Willem-Alexander proposed to Máxima on January 19, 2001, at Huis ten Bosch Palace in The Hague, the Netherlands. The couple had been rollerblading and Willem-Alexander lured Máxima to a pond where he had hidden roses and champagne. By the side of the pond, Willem-Alexander proposed in English, so he could be sure Máxima would understand him, and she immediately said yes.
Unofficial Royalty: Wedding of King Willem-Alexander and Máxima Zorreguieta Cerruti

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.

© Unofficial Royalty 2025

King Carlos I of Portugal; Credit – Wikipedia

February 1, 1707 – Birth of Frederick, Prince of Wales, son of King George II of Great Britain and father of King George III of the United Kingdom, in Hanover, Electorate of Hanover, now in Lower Saxony, Germany
Frederick was one of the seven Princes of Wales who never became King. In 1736, he married Princess Augusta of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg. The couple had nine children including King George III of the United Kingdom and Caroline Matilda who married Christian VII, King of Denmark and Norway. In March 1751, Frederick became ill after he caught “a chill” while gardening. He became feverish and was bled and blistered, the medical treatment of the time. After a brief recovery, Frederick suffered a relapse and was again bled. On March 21, 1751, Frederick suffered a coughing fit and died suddenly. An autopsy found the cause of death to be a burst abscess in the lung. It was popularly believed that his death was caused by a blow from a cricket ball in his chest, but there is no proof of that.
Unofficial Royalty: Frederick, Prince of Wales

February 1, 1837 – Death of Friedrich Franz I, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin at Ludwigslust Palace in Ludwigslust, Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, now in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany; buried in the vault at the Doberan Minster in Bad Doberan in Mecklenburg, Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, now in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany
In 1775, Friedrich Franz married Princess Luise of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg and had six children. He also had numerous mistresses and fathered at least 15 illegitimate children. He maintained close contact with all of them, providing financial support and arranging for the best education possible for his sons. Friedrich Franz became the reigning Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin in 1785, following the death of his childless uncle Friedrich II. After Napoleon’s defeat, the Congress of Vienna raised Friedrich Franz to Grand Duke in 1815. The remaining years of his reign focused on strengthening the education system in the Grand Duchy, legal reforms, and the abolishment of serfdom. Friedrich Franz I died of lung disease at the age of 81.
Unofficial Royalty: Friedrich Franz I, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin

February 1, 1864 – Death of Louise Marie Thérèse of France, Duchess of Parma, wife of Carlo III, Duke of Parma, at the Palazzo Giustinian in Venice; buried in the crypt of her grandfather King Charles X of France, at the Kostanjevica Monastery, now Pristava, Slovenia
Louise Marie Thérèse was the daughter of Prince Charles Ferdinand of France, Duke of Berry and Princess Maria Carolina of Bourbon-Two Sicilies. Her paternal grandfather was King Charles X of France, grandson of King Louis XV and brother of King Louis XVI. In 1845, she married the future Carlo III, Duke of Parma and the couple had four children. The authoritarian policies of Louise Marie Thérèse’s husband Carlo III, Duke of Parma made him unpopular, and in 1854, he was assassinated. Louise Marie Thérèse and Carlo III’s six-year-old son Roberto became Duke of Parma with Louise Marie Thérèse as regent but had a short reign. In 1859, the Duchy of Parma was abolished during the Italian unification movement. Louise Marie Thérèse took her children to Venice, Kingdom of Lombardy-Venetia, now in Italy where she spent the rest of her life in exile. She survived her husband by ten years, dying at the age of 44.
Unofficial Royalty: Louise Marie Thérèse of France, Duchess of Parma

February 1, 1908 – Assassination of King Carlos I of Portugal at the Terreiro do Paco in Lisbon, Portugal; buried at the Monastery of São Vicente de Fora in Lisbon, Portugal
In 1886, Carlos married Princess Amélie of Orléans, the daughter of Prince Philippe, Count of Paris, a pretender to the French throne, and the couple had two sons. Carlos became King of Portugal upon his father’s death in 1889. In June 1892, Portugal faced the first of two bankruptcies which further strengthened the Republican movement that placed the blame for the bankruptcy solely on the monarchy. As the King’s reign continued, the political landscape became more volatile. In 1906, he appointed João Franco as Prime Minister, despite the misgivings of many of his family and advisers. Franco asked the King to dissolve parliament, causing a huge campaign in Portugal claiming that the country was now a dictatorship. Public support for King Carlos quickly diminished, particularly as he strongly supported Franco. It would lead to his tragic death. On February 1, 1908, King Carlos I and his elder son Luís Filipe, Prince Royal were shot and killed by two gunmen while riding in an open carriage in Lisbon, Portugal.
Unofficial Royalty: Assassination of Carlos I, King of Portugal and Luís Filipe, Prince Royal
Unofficial Royalty: King Carlos I of Portugal

February 1, 1965 – Birth of Princess Stephanie of Monaco at the Prince’s Palace in Monte Carlo, Monaco
Full name: Stephanie Marie Elisabeth
Stephanie is the youngest child of Rainier III, Prince of Monaco and Academy Award-winning American actress Grace Kelly. On September 13, 1982, while returning to Monaco from their home in Rocagel, France, Stephanie and her mother had a car accident. Princess Grace died the next day and Stephanie was hospitalized with a hairline fracture of a neck vertebra. Stephanie has been married and divorced twice. She had two children with her first husband her bodyguard Daniel Ducruet before their marriage who are included in the line of succession to the throne of Monaco because their parents eventually married. Stephanie also has a daughter who is not in the line of succession. It is assumed that Jean Raymond Gottlieb, her former head of security, is the father.
Unofficial Royalty: Princess Stephanie of Monaco

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.

© Unofficial Royalty 2025

Marie Louise of Bourbon-Parma, Princess of Bulgaria, Credit – Wikipedia

January 31, 1756 – Birth of Maria Teresa of Savoy, Countess of Artois, wife of the future King Charles X of France, at the Royal Palace in Turin, Kingdom of Sardinia, now in Italy
Maria Teresa was the daughter of King Vittorio Amadeo III of Sardinia and Infanta Maria Antonia Ferdinanda of Spain. In 1773, she married Charles Philippe, Count of Artois, a brother of King Louis XVI of France, and the couple had four children. In July 1789, just days after the storming of the Bastille and the start of the French Revolution, Marie Teresa and her family fled France, settling for some time in her native Savoy. They eventually moved to Graz, Austria, where Marie Thérèse died at the age of 33.
Unofficial Royalty: Maria Teresa of Savoy, Countess of Artois

January 31, 1788 – Death of Charles Edward Stuart, known as Bonnie Prince Charlie and the Young Pretender at Palazzo Muti, Rome; buried at St. Peter’s Basilica, Vatican City
Charles Edward Stuart was the elder 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. As the first-born son of the titular King James III of England/VIII of Scotland, Charles was styled as Prince of Wales and Duke of Cornwall from birth. Charles Edward Stuart was the instigator of the Jacobite rising of 1745, culminating in the Battle of Culloden. The superior British forces needed just 25 minutes to defeat the Jacobite forces in the Battle of Culloden. Between 1,500 and 2,000 Jacobites were killed or wounded while the British losses were much lighter, with 50 dead and 259 wounded. After the Battle of Culloden, there were no further Jacobite uprisings. In 1766, when Charles’s father James Francis Edward died, Charles was still unmarried and his only sibling was a Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. Charles decided to find himself a bride so the Stuart line could be continued. In 1772, 52-year-old Charles married 20-year-old Princess Louise of Stolberg-Gedern. The marriage was unsuccessful and produced no children. 67-year-old Charles Edward died of a stroke on January 31, 1788, at the Palazzo Muti in Rome. With the deaths of Charles Edward Stuart, and his younger brother Cardinal Henry Benedict Stuart in 1807, the male line of the British Royal House of Stuart became extinct. The Jacobite line of succession to the British throne 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: Charles Edward Stuart, The Young Pretender, Bonnie Prince Charlie
Unofficial Royalty: The Jacobite Succession – Pretenders to the British Throne

January 31, 1835 – Birth of Lunalilo, King of the Hawaiian Islands, born William Charles Lunalilo at the ʻIolani Palace in Honolulu, Oahu, Kingdom of the Hawaiian Islands, now in the state of Hawaii
Lunalilo, King of the Hawaiian Islands reigned for a little more than a year, from January 8, 1873, until he died on February 3, 1874. He suffered from tuberculosis since childhood and was an alcoholic which further exacerbated his health. On February 3, 1874, he died at the age of 39.
Unofficial Royalty: Lunalilo, King of the Hawaiian Islands

January 31, 1899 – Death of Maria Luisa of Bourbon-Parma, Princess of Bulgaria, first wife of Tsar Ferdinand of Bulgaria, a day after the birth of her fourth child in Sofia, Bulgaria; buried at the Cathedral of St. Louis of France in Plovdiv, Bulgaria
Maria Luisa was the eldest child of Robert I, Duke of Parma and his first wife Princess Maria Pia of Bourbon-Two Sicilies. In 1893, she married the reigning Prince Ferdinand of Bulgaria. They had four children including Boris III, Tsar of Bulgaria. Maria Luisa’s marriage, made strictly for political and dynastic reasons, was not happy. Having given birth to three children, and expecting a fourth within five years had taken a toll on her already frail health. 29-year-old Maria Luisa developed pneumonia while pregnant with her youngest child, and died on January 31, 1899, just a day after giving birth.
Unofficial Royalty: Maria Luisa of Bourbon-Parma, Princess of Bulgaria

January 31, 1926 – Birth of Maria Emanuel, Margrave of Meissen, Head of the House of Saxony and pretender to the former throne of Saxony from 1968 until he died in 2012, at Prüfening Abbey in Regensburg, Germany
Having no children, Maria Emanuel’s death in 2012 brought about a dispute over the headship of the family between several of his relatives.
Unofficial Royalty: Maria Emanuel, Margrave of Meissen

January 31, 1938 – Birth of Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands at Soestdijk Palace in Baarn, the Netherlands
Full name: Beatrix Wilhelmina Armgard
Beatrix is the eldest of the four daughters of Queen Juliana of the Netherlands and Prince Bernhard of Lippe-Biesterfeld. In 1966, Beatrix married Claus von Amsberg, a member of the German diplomatic corps, and the couple had three sons. As her mother Queen Wilhelmina had done, Queen Juliana also abdicated in favor of her daughter and Beatrix became Queen of the Netherlands on April 30, 1980. On April 30, 2013, Queen Beatrix abdicated in favor of her eldest son Willem-Alexander. After her abdication, she was known as Princess Beatrix.
Unofficial Royalty: Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands

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.

© Unofficial Royalty 2025

King Charles I of England; Credit – Wikipedia 

January 30, 1628 – Birth of George Villiers, 2nd Duke of Buckingham, favorite of King Charles II of England
George Villiers, 2nd Duke of Buckingham and his brother Lord Francis Villiers were brought up in the household of King Charles I with Charles I’s sons, the future King Charles II and the future King James II. George and his brother Francis actively supported and fought with the Royalists during the English Civil War. After the death of his brother in a battle near Kingston upon Thames, George Villiers fled England and took refuge like many other royalists in the Netherlands. After the restoration of King Charles II, George held several positions including Lord Lieutenant of the West Riding of Yorkshire, Minister of State, and Master of the Horse. His endeavor to influence English politics was stymied by the Lord Chancellor Edward Hyde, 1st Earl of Clarendon, and in 1667 George took an active part in the overthrow of Hyde. He then played an important role in the group of five royal advisors that called itself the CABAL, formed from the letters of its members’ names. George was one of the Restoration rakes which included John Wilmot, 2nd Earl of Rochester, Sir Charles Sedley, and Charles Sackville, 6th Earl of Dorset. Following the example of King Charles II, they distinguished themselves in drinking, sex, and witty conversation.
Unofficial Royalty: George Villiers, 2nd Duke of Buckingham

January 30, 1649 – King Charles I of England is beheaded for treason and other high crimes on a scaffold outside the Palace of Whitehall in London, England; buried at St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle in Windsor, England
During the English Civil War, Charles I was accused of treason against England by using his power to pursue his personal interest rather than the good of England. A High Court of Justice was appointed to try Charles for high treason in the name of the people of England.   He was declared guilty and sentenced to death. On the day of his execution, Charles walked the short distance from St. James’ Palace to the Palace of Whitehall where a scaffold had been built outside the Banqueting House. From the first floor of the Banqueting House, Charles stepped onto the scaffold from a window. Before his execution, Charles delivered a speech. After a conversation with the executioner which was recorded by an eyewitness (see the article about the execution below), Charles stretched out his hands, and the executioner, with one blow, severed his head from his body.
Unofficial Royalty: Execution of Charles I, King of England
Unofficial Royalty: King Charles I of England

January 30, 1730 – Death of Peter II, Emperor of All Russia in Moscow, Russia; buried at the Cathedral of the Archangel in the Moscow Kremlin
In 1725, 52-year-old Peter I (the Great), Emperor of All Russia died from a bladder infection without naming a successor. A coup arranged by Prince Alexander Menshikov proclaimed Catherine, Peter’s second wife, the ruler of Russia. Catherine I’s reign was only two years and even before her death, it was clear that the inheritance of Peter the Great’s grandson Peter could not be denied. Menshikov began to see this during the end of Catherine I’s reign. Through his efforts, Peter was named Catherine’s heir apparent, even though Catherine had two daughters. In 1727, 43-year-old Catherine I, Empress of All Russia died of tuberculosis and 11-year-old Peter became Emperor of All Russia.  On a frigid day, Peter II attended a parade. When he returned to the palace, he had a fever that developed into smallpox.  On January 30, 1730, the ill and delirious Peter ordered his sleigh to be readied so he could visit his sister Natalia who died from tuberculosis in 1728. Fourteen-year-old Peter died a few minutes later.
Unofficial Royalty: Peter II, Emperor of All Russia

January 30, 1757 – Birth of Luise of Hesse-Darmstadt, Grand Duchess of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, wife of Karl August, Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, in Berlin, Kingdom of Prussia, now in Brandenburg, Germany
Full name: Luise Auguste
Luise was the daughter of the daughter of Ludwig IX, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt and Caroline of Zweibrücken. In 1775, she married Karl August, Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach and the couple had four children. The arranged marriage was purely dynastic and without any love. During the Napoleonic Wars, when French forces advanced on Weimar in 1806, Luise stood firm and remained there while most of the family fled or were off fighting in the war. She stood up to Napoleon himself to protect Weimar and its people from the fighting. Her efforts were successful, and Weimar remained mostly untouched. Several years later, at the Congress of Vienna in 1815, Luise’s efforts ensured that the duchy did not have to cede any territory, and was instead elevated to a Grand Duchy.
Unofficial Royalty: Luise of Hesse-Darmstadt, Grand Duchess of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach

January 30, 1815 – Birth of Sir William Jenner, 1st Baronet, Queen Victoria’s Physician-in-Ordinary from 1861 – 1890, in Chatham, Kent, England
Jenner took an interest in pathology, particularly in typhus and typhoid fever. Through his work, Jenner confirmed in 1849 that typhus and typhoid fever were two distinct diseases with very different causes. His work on the subject earned him an international reputation and had a huge impact on public health. With the importance of Jenner’s pathology work, his career quickly progressed. He taught pathological anatomy at the University College of London and became a staff doctor at University College Hospital. In 1861, his fame reached Queen Victoria who appointed him her Physician-Extraordinary. Jenner was one of the doctors who treated Prince Albert during his final illness. Despite his failure to save Albert, Jenner made a favorable impression on Queen Victoria, who appointed him her Physician-In-Ordinary in 1862. Queen Victoria and Jenner became lifelong friends, and in 1868, she created Jenner a Baronet. In December 1878, Jenner went to Darmstadt to attend Princess Alice, Grand Duchess of Hesse and by Rhine, Queen Victoria’s daughter who had become ill with diphtheria while nursing her family, also ill with the disease. Sadly, Alice died seventeen years to the day of her father’s death. In 1890, Jenner was forced to retire as Physician-In-Ordinary due to ill health. He went to live at his estate, Greenwood in Durley, Hampshire, England, where he died at the age of 83.
Unofficial Royalty: Sir William Jenner, 1st Baronet

January 30, 1889 – Death by suicide pact of Crown Prince Rudolf of Austria and Baroness Mary von Vetsera at Mayerling, Austria; Rudolf was buried at the Capuchin Church in the Imperial Crypt in Vienna, Austria; Mary was secretly buried in a cemetery in Heiligenkreuz, Austria
Crown Prince Rudolf was the only son of Franz Joseph, Emperor of Austria and his wife Elisabeth of Bavaria (Sisi). Rudolf married Princess Stéphanie of Belgium, daughter of King Leopold II of the Belgians, and they had one daughter. The marriage was happy at first, but shortly after the birth of their daughter, the relationship between Stéphanie and Rudolf began to deteriorate. Rudolf likely infected Stéphanie with a sexually transmitted disease, causing her to be infertile and unable to provide a male heir for the Austrian throne. Both Stéphanie and Rudolf began affairs with other people in the following years and intermittently spoke of divorce. On January 30, 1889, at Mayerling, a hunting lodge in the Vienna Woods, 30-year-old Rudolf shot his 17-year-old mistress Baroness Mary Vetsera, and then shot himself in an apparent suicide plot.
Unofficial Royalty: Crown Prince Rudolf of Austria
Unofficial Royalty: Baroness Mary von Vetsera, Mistress of Crown Prince Rudolf of Austria

January 30, 1894 – Birth of Tsar Boris III of Bulgaria in Sofia, Bulgaria
Full name: Boris Klemens Robert Maria Pius Ludwig Stanislaus Xaver
Boris was the Tsar of the Kingdom of Bulgaria from 1918 until his death.  In 1930, he married Princess Giovanna of Italy and the couple had two children. With the outbreak of World War II, Boris tried to retain Bulgaria’s neutrality. After the threat of a German invasion, and with the promise of regaining territory formerly ceded to Greece, Boris signed a treaty aligning Bulgaria with the Axis powers.  In 1941, Boris signed into law the Law for Protection of the Nation, which imposed restrictions on Jewish Bulgarians. Despite signing the law, Boris helped to prevent the forced deportation of the Bulgarian Jews. In August 1943, Boris was summoned to a meeting with Hitler, who wanted Boris to deport Bulgarian Jews, and to declare war on Russia – both of which Boris strongly refused to do, making Hitler furious. Just weeks later, 49-year-old Boris died. The circumstances of his death remain mysterious, with many believing that Boris had been poisoned because of his refusal to concede to the demands of the Nazis.
Unofficial Royalty: Tsar Boris III of Bulgaria

January 30, 1953 – Death of Ernst August III of Hanover, Duke of Brunswick at Marienburg Castle in Hanover, Germany; buried in front of the Mausoleum in Herrenhausen Gardens in Hanover, Germany
The son of Ernst August II, Crown Prince of Hanover and Princess Thyra of Denmark, Ernst August was the last reigning Duke of Brunswick, abdicating on November 8, 1918. He was also the pretender to the throne of Hanover. In 1913, Ernst August married Princess Viktoria Luise of Prussia, the only daughter of Wilhelm II, German Emperor, King of Prussia. The wedding was one of the last large gatherings of European royalty before World War I began the following year, attended by 1,200 guests. The couple had five children. After his abdication in 1918, Ernst August and his family were able to remain in Hanover. He lived his remaining years at his various properties, including Cumberland Castle in Gmunden, Austria, Marienburg Castle in Hanover, Germany, and Blankenburg Castle in Harz, Germany. Ernst August III of Hanover, the last Duke of Brunswick died at the age of 66.
Unofficial Royalty: Ernst August III of Hanover, Duke of Brunswick

January 30, 1962 – Birth of King Abdullah II of Jordan in Amman, Jordan
King Abdullah II of Jordan is the eldest son of King Hussein I of Jordan and his second wife Antoinette Gardiner (Princess Muna). In 1993, Abdullah married Rania al-Yassin and the couple had four children. On February 7, 1999, Abdullah became King of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, upon his father’s death. Just two weeks earlier, King Hussein had stripped his brother Prince Hassan of the title of Crown Prince and named Abdullah as his successor. King Abdullah II has continued his father’s legacy, working toward peace in the region and making the welfare of the Jordanian people a top priority.
Unofficial Royalty: King Abdullah II of Jordan

January 30, 1968 – Birth of King Felipe VI of Spain at the Nuestra Señora de Loreto Clinic   in Madrid, Spain
Full name: Felipe Juan Pablo Alfonso de Todos los Santos de Borbón y de Grecia
King Felipe VI is the only son of King Juan Carlos of Spain and his wife Queen Sofia, born Princess Sophia of Greece. He is a descendant of Queen Victoria through both his father and his mother. In 1992, Felipe was a member of the Spanish Olympic Sailing Team at the Barcelona Summer Olympics. He was the flag bearer at the Opening Ceremonies and his Soling Class sailing team finished in sixth place. In 2004, Felipe married journalist Letizia Ortiz Rocasolano and the couple has two daughters. Felipe became King of Spain upon the abdication of his father in 2014.
Unofficial Royalty: King Felipe VI of Spain

January 30, 1993 – Death of Alexandra of Greece and Denmark, Queen of Yugoslavia in Sussex, England;  initially buried in the Royal Burial Grounds at Tatoi Palace in Greece with her parents, in 2013, her remains were returned to Serbia where they were re-buried in the Royal Mausoleum at Oplenac in Serbia
Alexandra was the posthumous child of King Alexander of Greece who had died five months before her birth from septicemia caused by an infected monkey bite, and Aspasia Manos. In 1944, she married King Peter II of Yugoslavia who was living in exile in London, England, and the couple had one son. The following year, the Yugoslav monarchy was abolished and King Peter II was formally deposed. The marriage was increasingly strained, with constant struggles to find sources of income and Peter’s numerous affairs. Alexandra and Peter eventually went their separate ways. He settled permanently in the United States while she returned to her mother’s home in Venice, Italy. After the death of her mother, Alexandra moved to the United Kingdom and would live there until her death, from cancer at the age of 72.
Unofficial Royalty: Alexandra of Greece and Denmark, Queen of Yugoslavia

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.