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King François I of France; Credit – Wikipedia

September 12, 1368 – Death of Blanche of Lancaster, Duchess of Lancaster, from the plague, first wife of John of Gaunt, mother of King Henry IV of England, at Bolingbroke Castle in Lindsey, England; buried at Old St Paul’s Cathedral in London, England
The Duchy of Lancaster is one of the two royal duchies in England and is held in trust for the Sovereign to provide income for the use of the British monarch. So how did the Duchy of Lancaster get into the hands of the British Sovereign?  The connection is Blanche of Lancaster, the first wife of John of Gaunt, son of King Edward III. Blanche’s father was Henry of Grosmont, 1st Duke of Lancaster, a great-grandson of King Henry III. Henry of Grosmont, 1st Duke of Lancaster died of the plague in 1361. Since Blanche’s father did not have any sons, Blanche and her sister Maud became his co-heiresses. Maud’s portion of her inheritance passed to Blanche and her husband upon her death. Blanche died at age 23, possibly of the plague, on September 12, 1368. When John of Gaunt died in 1399, his nephew King Richard II confiscated the holdings of the Duchy of Lancaster and banished John of Gaunt’s son Henry Bolingbroke for life. Henry returned to England to claim his inheritance. Supported by leading families, Henry regained control of the Lancastrian strongholds and captured Richard II. Richard abdicated and was imprisoned in Pontefract Castle where he later died. Henry Bolingbroke was crowned King Henry IV in 1399. The first act of King Henry IV was to declare that the Duchy of Lancaster would be held separately from the other possessions of the Crown, and should descend to his male heirs. This separation was confirmed in 1461 by King Edward IV when he stipulated that the Duchy would be held separate from other inheritances by him and his heirs, the Kings of England. Ever since, the Duchy of Lancaster has effectively passed to each reigning monarch.
Unofficial Royalty: Blanche of Lancaster, Duchess of Lancaster

September 12, 1494 – Birth of King François I of France at the Château de Cognac in Cognac, France
A contemporary of Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor and King Henry VIII of England, François succeeded his first cousin once removed and father-in-law King Louis XII of France, who died without a son. The magnificent art collection of the French kings began during his reign. It can still be seen at the Musée du Louvre, which occupies most of the former Louvre Palace. François focused on both new construction and renovations. Among his projects was the renovation of the Louvre Palace from a medieval fortress into a Renaissance palace and the building of a new City Hall (the Hôtel de Ville) for Paris. In 1524, François financed the expedition of Giovanni da Verrazzano to North America. On this expedition, Verrazzano was the first documented European to visit the present site of New York City (where the Verrazzano Narrows Bridge is named after him) and claimed Newfoundland in present-day Canada for the French crown. In 1534, François sent Jacques Cartier to explore the St. Lawrence River in the present-day Canadian province of Quebec.
Unofficial Royalty: King François I of France

September 12, 1683 – Death of King Afonso VI of Portugal at Royal Palace of Sintra in Sintra, Portugal; buried at Monastery of São Vicente de Fora in Lisbon, Portugal
13-year-old Afonso succeeded his father João IV, King of Portugal died in 1656. Afonso’s sister Catherine of Braganza was the wife of King Charles II of England. Afonso was debilitated mentally and physically due to the effects of a disease he contracted in childhood, controlled by a favorite early in his reign, relieved of his sovereign power by his brother who married his wife after their marriage was annulled, and confined under guard for the last fifteen years of his life,
Unofficial Royalty: King Afonso VI of Portugal

September 12, 1804 – Birth of Karl, 3rd Prince of Leiningen in Amorbach, Principality of Leiningen, now in Bavaria, Germany
Full name: Karl Friedrich Wilhelm Emich
 Karl was the half-brother of Queen Victoria. At the age of ten, Karl became Prince of Leiningen upon his father’s death in 1814. However, in 1806, the Principality of Leiningen had been mediatized – annexed to another state(s), while allowing certain rights to its former sovereign. The Principality of Leiningen ceased to exist and was divided between the Grand Duchy of Baden, the Kingdom of Bavaria, and the Grand Duchy of Hesse. The family retained Amorbach Abbey in Amorbach, which remains the family seat of the Princes of Leiningen.
Unofficial Royalty: Karl, 3rd Prince of Leiningen

September 12, 1837 – Birth of Ludwig IV, Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine, husband of Princess Alice of the United Kingdom, in Darmstadt, Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine, now in Hesse, Germany
Full name: Friedrich Wilhelm Ludwig Karl
On July 1, 1862, Ludwig married Princess Alice of the United Kingdon at Osborne House on the Isle of Wight, England. The wedding was a rather subdued affair, as Alice’s father had died seven months earlier, and the family was still in official mourning. At the time of the wedding, Queen Victoria issued Letters Patent giving Ludwig the style Royal Highness. This would only be valid in the United Kingdom. Elsewhere, he was still a Grand Ducal Highness. In 1877, Ludwig succeeded his childless uncle as Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine. The following year, the family, with the exception of Alice and their daughter Ella, all came down with diphtheria. Princess Alice nursed her family back to health, and all survived except for their youngest daughter May. Sadly, Princess Alice eventually also became ill and was unable to fight off the illness, and died on December 14, 1878. The couple’s eldest daughter, Victoria, took on the role of raising her younger siblings and often served as hostess at official events.
Unofficial Royalty: Ludwig IV, Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine

September 12, 1917 – Death of Tsaritsa Eleonore of Bulgaria at Euxinograd Palace, near Varna, Bulgaria; born Eleonore of Reuss-Köstritz, second wife of Tsar Ferdinand of Bulgaria, buried in the cemetery at Boyana Church near Sofia, Bulgaria
Following a bit of match-making by Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna of Russia, Eleonore became engaged to Ferdinand of Bulgaria (born Prince Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha-Koháry)  in December 1907.  Ferdinand’s first wife, Princess Maria Luisa of Bourbon-Parma, died in 1899, after the birth of the youngest of their four children. Eleonore and Ferdinand did not have any children however, Eleonore was instrumental in raising her four stepchildren. During the Balkan Wars and World War I, Eleonore worked tirelessly as a nurse on the front lines. After a serious illness, she died at the age of 57, and as per her wishes, she was buried in a very modest grave next to the medieval Boyana Church which she had helped save.
Unofficial Royalty: Eleonore of Reuss-Köstritz, Tsaritsa of Bulgaria

September 12, 1938 – Death of Prince Arthur of Connaught, son of Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and grandson of Queen Victoria, at 41 Belgrave Square in London, England; buried at the Royal Burial Ground, Frogmore in Windsor, England
Like his father, Arthur had a military career. He was on active duty during the Second Boer War. During World War I, Prince Arthur served as aide-de-camp to General Sir John French and General Sir Douglas Haig. He was Governor-General of South Africa from 1920 – 1923. Prince Arthur married his first cousin once removed Princess Alexandra, Duchess of Fife, the elder daughter of Princess Louise, Princess Royal and Alexander Duff, 1st Duke of Fife and a grandchild of King Edward VII of the United Kingdom. The couple had two daughters. In 1938, Prince Arthur died of stomach cancer at the age of 55. As Prince Arthur predeceased his father The Duke of Connaught, Arthur’s son Alastair became heir to the dukedom.
Unofficial Royalty: Prince Arthur of Connaught

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Olga Nikolaevna of Russia, Queen of Württemberg; Credit – Wikipedia

September 11, 1699 – Birth of  Anna Maria of Liechtenstein, Princess of Liechtenstein, wife of her first cousin Josef Wenzel I, Prince of Liechtenstein, in Vienna, then in the Archduchy of Austria, now in Austria
The daughter of Anton Florian, Prince of Liechtenstein, in 1717 Anna Maria first married her cousin Count Johann Ernst of Thun-Hohenstein, from her mother’s family but he died six months later, on March 20, 1717, at the age of twenty-three. In 1718, Anna Maria married her first cousin Josef Wenzel I, Prince of Liechtenstein. The couple had five children who all died in childhood. Anna Maria predeceased her husband dying on January 20, 1753, in Vienna, Austria, aged 53.
Unofficial Royalty: Anna Maria of Liechtenstein, Princess of Liechtenstein

September 11, 1822 – Birth of Queen Olga of Württemberg, wife of King Karl I of Württemberg, born Grand Duchess Olga Nikolaevna of Russia at the Anichkov Palace  in St. Petersburg, Russia
The daughter of Nicholas I, Emperor of All Russia, Olga Olga met her future husband, Crown Prince Karl of Württemberg, while both were in Palermo, Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, now in Italy.  They were married in a lavish ceremony at the Peterhof Palace in St. Petersburg, Russia, on July 13, 1846. They had no children of their own, but in 1863, took in Olga’s niece, Grand Duchess Vera Konstantinovna, the daughter of Olga’s brother Konstantin.  From the time she arrived in Württemberg, Olga threw herself into charity work, focusing on the education of girls, and helping wounded soldiers and handicapped people. After becoming Queen in 1864, she continued to support these, and many other causes, earning her the utmost respect and devotion of the people of Württemberg.
Unofficial Royalty: Olga Nikolaevna of Russia, Queen of Württemberg

September 11, 1853 – Birth of Katharine Schratt, confidante of Franz Joseph I, Emperor of Austria, in Baden bei Wien, Austria
In December 1873, Emperor Franz Joseph of Austria and his wife Empress Elisabeth attended a gala performance of Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew at the Stadttheater in Vienna, Austria. No one could have foreseen that Katharina Schratt, the actress playing the female lead role, whom Franz Joseph saw for the first time that evening, would become an important person in his life. Katharina had a long-standing private relationship with Franz Joseph I, Emperor of Austria, but their relationship’s exact nature is unclear. Some believe that Katharina and Franz Joseph were lovers while others believe that their relationship was platonic and that Franz Joseph, whose wife was emotionally distant from him and fled from him as well as her duties at court by frequent traveling, needed someone to support him emotionally. Franz Joseph also had to deal with the violent deaths of relatives. Certainly, Katharina’s emotional support helped Franz Joseph deal with all these tragedies. Katharina always maintained the strictest discretion regarding her relationship with Franz Joseph.
Unofficial Royalty: Katharina Schratt

September 11, 1921 – Death of Prince Louis of Battenberg, Marquess of Milford Haven, at the Naval & Military Club in London, England; buried in the grounds of St Mildred’s Church in Whippingham, Isle of Wight, England
Louis married Victoria of Hesse and by Rhine, a granddaughter of Queen Victoria. They were the maternal grandparents of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. Despite his German roots, Louis became a naturalized British subject at the age of 16 when he joined the British Royal Navy, where he would spend his entire career. He reached the rank of Admiral and was made First Sea Lord. On September 11, 1921, while staying at the Naval & Military Club in London, England, Louis fell ill. While his wife was out at a pharmacy picking up prescriptions for him, Louis suffered a heart attack and died at the age of 67.
Unofficial Royalty: Prince Louis of Battenberg, Marquess of Milford Haven

September 11, 1937 – Birth of Queen Paola of Belgium, wife of former King Albert II of Belgium born Paola Ruffo di Calabria in Forte dei Marmi, Tuscany, Italy
In 1958, Paola met her future husband Albert, Prince of Liège, the future King Albert II, at the installation of Pope John XXIII in Rome. Both Paola and Albert attended a reception at the Belgian Embassy where they were introduced. The following year, their engagement was announced and the couple married on July 2, 1959, at St. Michael and St. Gulda Cathedral in Brussels, Belgium. They had three children. On July 21, 2013, after nearly 30 years on the throne, King Albert II abdicated in favor of their eldest son Philippe. The couple resides at Chateau Belvedere, located within the Royal Park at Laeken, Brussels, Belgium.
Unofficial Royalty Queen Paola of Belgium

September 11, 1947 – Death of Alice Keppel, mistress of King Edward VII of the United Kingdom, in Bellosguardo, Italy; buried at the Cimitero Evangelico agli Allori in Florence, Italy
Alice Keppel was the mistress of King Edward VII from 1898 until he died in 1910. Through her daughter Sonia, she is the great-grandmother of Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall. Throughout Edward VII’s reign, Alice remained one of his closest and most valued companions and advisors and maintained the utmost level of discretion and privacy. Alice even gained the favor – albeit minimally – of Alexandra, the Princess of Wales who had long ago accepted her husband’s indiscretions and appreciated Alice’s discretion. When her husband was on his deathbed, Alexandra sent for Alice Keppel and arranged for her to see the king during one of his periods of consciousness.
Unofficial Royalty: Alice Keppel, mistress of King Edward VII of the United Kingdom

September 11, 1966 – Birth of Crown Princess Akishino of Japan, wife of Crown Prince Akishino of Japan, born Kiko Kawashima at Shizuoka Saiseikai General Hospital in Suruga-ku, Shizuoka, Japan
Kiko met Prince Akishino, the second son of Emperor Akihito, while they were both undergraduate students at Gakushuin University in Tokyo. He first proposed to her in 1986. Their engagement was announced in 1989 and the couple married in 1990. Kiko was only the second commoner to marry into the Japanese Imperial Family. Her mother-in-law Empress Michiko was the first. Upon the abdication of his father Emperor Akihito and the accession of his Emperor Naruhito, Kiko’s husband became Crown Prince. The couple had two daughters and one son, Prince Hisahito, who will likely become Emperor of Japan sometime in the future.
Unofficial Royalty: Crown Princess Akishino of Japan

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Tomb of Empress Elisabeth of Austria; Credit – Susan Flantzer

September 10, 1167 – Death of Empress Matilda, Lady of the English, daughter of King Henry I of England, mother of King Henry II of England, at the Abbey of Notre Dame des Prés in Rouen, Duchy of Normandy, now in France; first buried at Bec Abbey in Bec-Hellouin, Duchy of Normandy, now in France, reburied in Rouen Cathedral in Rouen
Empress Matilda lived long enough to see her son Henry II firmly established on the English throne. She spent the rest of her life in the Duchy of Normandy, often acting as Henry’s representative and presiding over the government of the Duchy of Normandy. Matilda, aged about 65, died on September 10, 1167, in Rouen, Duchy of Normandy, now in France. She was buried before the high altar of the church at Bec Abbey in Bec-Hellouin. Her epitaph read: “Great by birth, greater by marriage, greatest in her offspring: here lies Matilda, the daughter, wife, and mother of Henry”. Her tomb was damaged in a fire in 1263 and later restored in 1282, before being destroyed in 1421 by English mercenaries during the Hundred Years War between England and France. In 1684, some of her remains were found and reburied in a new coffin. Matilda’s remains were lost again after the destruction of the abbey church by Napoleon’s army but were found once more in 1846, and then reburied at Rouen Cathedral in Normandy, France.
Unofficial Royalty: Empress Matilda, Lady of the English

September 10, 1649 – Birth of Bernhard I, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen in Gotha, Duchy of Saxe-Gotha, now in Thuringia, Germany
When Bernhard’s father died in 1675, instead of passing everything to his eldest son, he chose to divide his territory among his living sons. Each received part of the duchy and was expected to rule jointly – but under the authority – of the eldest son. Bernhard received Meiningen and the surrounding area. By 1680, the brothers had formally divided their lands, each becoming the ruler of the newly established duchies. Bernhard became the first reigning Duke of Saxe-Meiningen. Having moved to Meiningen and taking up residence at the Meiningen Castle, Bernhard soon made plans to build a new official residence in the city. The Elisabethenburg Palace was built between 1682 1692 and was named for his second wife. In addition to the new palace, Bernhard also established a court orchestra in 1690, and the Schlosspark in 1692. Bernhard I, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen died in Meiningen, Duchy of Saxe-Meiningen, now in Thuringia, Germany, on April 27, 1706. He is buried in the Castle Church at Elisabethenburg Palace in Meiningen.
Unofficial Royalty: Bernhard I, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen

September 10, 1638 – Birth of Maria Theresa of Austria, Queen of France, wife of King Louis XIV of France, at the Royal Site of San Lorenzo de El Escorial near Madrid, Spain
Maria Theresa was the daughter of King Felipe IV of Spain and his first wife Elisabeth of France, daughter of King Henri IV of France. As the Spanish monarchs at the time were part of the House of Habsburg, she was styled as Archduchess of Austria, as well as Infanta of Spain and Portugal. In 1660, Maria Theresa married King Louis XIV of France. Maria Theresa and Louis were first cousins twice over – his father and her mother were siblings, and his mother and her father were siblings. They had six children but only one son survived childhood.  Intensely private and devout, Maria Theresa was humiliated by her husband’s numerous and very public affairs and his seemingly countless illegitimate children.
Unofficial Royalty: Maria Theresa of Austria, Queen of France

September 10, 1669 – Death of Henrietta Maria of France, Queen of England, wife of King Charles I of England, at Château de Colombes in Colombes, France; buried at St. Denis Basilica near Paris, France
After her husband King Charles I was executed in 1649 and the monarchy was abolished, Henrietta Maria spent the years of the Commonwealth of England with her surviving children at the court of her nephew King Louis XIV.  In 1660, when the English monarchy was restored and her son King Charles II took the throne, Henrietta Maria returned to England, where she was known as the Queen Mother. Eventually, Henrietta Maria found life in England disagreeable and the climate damaging to her health, so she returned to France where she lived in Paris at the Hôtel de la Bazinière, the present Hôtel de Chimay. She later lived at the Château de Colombes near Paris. It was there that Henrietta Maria died at the age of 59 from an overdose of opiates taken for pain on the advice of King Louis XIV’s doctor.
Unofficial Royalty: Henrietta Maria of France, Queen of England

September 10, 1864 – Birth of Charlotte of Schaumburg-Lippe, Queen of Württemberg, second wife of King Wilhelm II of Württemberg, born at Schloss Ratiborschitz in Bohemia, now in the Czech Republic
Full name: Charlotte Marie Luise Ida Hermine Mathilde
22-years-old Charlotte married the then-Crown Prince Wilhelm of Württemberg in 1886. Wilhelm had been widowed four years earlier and had a young daughter. Despite hoping that this new marriage might produce a male heir, Charlotte and Wilhelm had no children. In October 1891, Charlotte became Queen of Württemberg when her husband succeeded to the throne. Her husband would be the last King of Württemberg. When the monarchy came to an end in 1918, King Wilhelm II negotiated with the new German state to ensure that he and his wife would receive an annual income, as well as a residence for life – Schloss Bebenhausen.
Unofficial Royalty: Charlotte of Schaumburg-Lippe, Queen of Württemberg

September 10, 1898 – Stabbing death of Empress Elisabeth of Austria, born Elisabeth of Bavaria, wife of Emperor Franz Joseph of Austria, in Geneva, Switzerland; buried in the Imperial Crypt in Vienna, Austria
On September 10, 1898, while walking to a ferry landing on Lake Geneva in Geneva, Switzerland with her lady-in-waiting, sixty-year-old Empress Elisabeth of Austria was stabbed in the heart by twenty-five-year-old Luigi Lucheni. The puncture wound was so small that it was initially not noticed and it was thought that Elisabeth had just been punched in the chest. Elisabeth thanked all the people who had rushed to help and conversed with her lady-in-waiting about the incident. Only when onboard the ferry did Elisabeth finally collapse and then the severity of Elisabeth’s injury was realized. The ferry captain ordered the ferry back to Geneva and the empress was taken back to the hotel on an improvised stretcher. A doctor and a priest were summoned. The doctor confirmed that there was no hope and a priest administered the Last Rites. Empress Elisabeth of Austria died without regaining consciousness.
Unofficial Royalty: Assassination of Empress Elisabeth of Austria
Unofficial Royalty: Elisabeth of Bavaria, Empress of Austria

September 10, 1948 – Death of former Tsar Ferdinand I of Bulgaria in exile in Coburg, Germany; buried at St. Augustin’s Roman Catholic Church in Coburg, Germany
Born Prince Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha-Koháry, he was elected Knyaz (Prince) of Bulgaria in 1887. In 1908, Ferdinand elevated Bulgaria to a kingdom and became Tsar Ferdinand I. The Balkan War and World War I consumed much of the next ten years.  On October 3, 1918, taking full responsibility for Bulgaria’s loss in World War I, Ferdinand abdicated in favor of his son Boris. Ferdinand settled in Coburg, where he devoted his time to his favorite pastimes, art, gardening, travel, and history. In 1943, his son Tsar Boris III died, and then in 1945, Ferdinand’s other son Kyril was executed. His young grandson Simeon was deposed in 1946, and the Bulgarian monarchy was abolished. Heartbroken at the loss of his family and his kingdom, Ferdinand died in Coburg. Unable to be buried in Bulgaria at the time, his remains were temporarily placed in the crypt of St. Augustine’s Church in Coburg next to his parents. They remain there to this day.
Unofficial Royalty: Tsar Ferdinand I of Bulgaria

September 10, 2006 – Death of King Taufa’ahau Tupou IV of Tonga at Mercy Hospital in Auckland, New Zealand; buried at Mala’e Kula, the royal cemetery, in Nuku’alofa, 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, and 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.  88-year-old King Tāufaʻāhau Tupou IV of Tonga died at Mercy Hospital in Auckland, New Zealand. His funeral, which blended Christian and ancient Polynesian burial rites, was held on September 19, 2006, in the Tongan capital, Nukuʻalofa. Thousands of Tongans attended the funeral along with many foreign dignitaries.
Unofficial Royalty: King Taufa’ahau Tupou IV of Tonga

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James IV, King of Scots; Credit – Wikipedia

September 9, 1087 – Death of King William I of England (the Conqueror) at Hermentrube in Rouen, Duchy of Normandy, now in France; buried at St. Stephen Abbey in Caen, Duchy of Normandy, now in France
The House of Normandy began its rule in England in 1066 when William, Duke of Normandy invaded England and defeated the last king of the House of Wessex, Harold II Godwinson, at the Battle of Hastings. In 1087, the French garrison at Mantes made a raid into Normandy. William retaliated by sacking the town. While he was urging on his soldiers. William’s horse stumbled and he was violently flung against his saddle pommel. He received serious internal injuries, most likely a ruptured bladder. William was taken to the Priory of St. Gervais in Rouen where peritonitis developed. As he knew he was dying, William wrote a letter to Lefranc, Archbishop of Canterbury stating that Normandy should go to his eldest son Robert, England should go to his second son William Rufus, and his youngest son Henry should receive money. The youngest son later became King Henry I of England.
Unofficial Royalty: King William I of England (the Conqueror)

September 9, 1513 – Death of James IV, King of Scots at the Battle of Flodden Field; a body, thought to be his, was supposedly buried in Sheen Abbey in Surrey, England, and was lost during the Reformation
James IV married Margaret Tudor, daughter of Henry VII of England and sister of Henry VIII of England, as part of a treaty between Scotland and England. James IV and Margaret had four sons and two stillborn daughters. Only one of their children, James V, King of Scots, the father of Mary, Queen of Scots survived infancy. Despite the great hopes of peace between England and Scotland as symbolized by the marriage of Margaret and James IV, Margaret’s brother Henry VIII did not have his father’s diplomatic patience and was heading toward a war with France. James IV was committed to his alliance with France and invaded England. Henry VIII was away on campaign in France and Flanders in 1513 and he had made his wife Catherine of Aragon regent in his absence. It was up to Catherine to supervise England’s defense when Scotland invaded. Ultimately, the Scots were defeated at the Battle of Flodden near Branxton, Northumberland, England on September 9, 1513, and 30-year-old King James IV was killed in the battle. Catherine sent Henry VIII the blood-stained coat of his defeated and dead brother-in-law. James IV’s seventeen-month-old son succeeded his father as James V, King of Scots.
Unofficial Royalty: James IV, King of Scots

September 9, 1730 – Death of Charles FitzRoy, 2nd Duke of Cleveland, an illegitimate son of King Charles II of England and his mistress Barbara Palmer, 1st Duchess of Cleveland; buried at Westminster Abbey in London, England
In 1679, Charles married Mary Wood, the only child and the heiress of Sir Henry Wood, 1st Baronet. A year later, sixteen-year-old Mary died of smallpox. After many legal maneuvers, Mary’s fortune passed to her widower 18-year-old Charles Fitzroy who remained unmarried for fourteen years. In 1694, Charles married Anne Pulteney, daughter of Sir William Pulteney, a Member of Parliament, and the couple had six children. When Charles’ mother Barbara Palmer, 1st Duchess of Cleveland died in 1709, he became 2nd Duke of Cleveland. On September 9, 1730, 68-year-old Charles FitzRoy, 2nd Duke of Cleveland died in London, England. He was succeeded by his eldest son William FitzRoy. However, William was childless and when he died in 1774, all his titles became extinct.
Unofficial Royalty: Charles FitzRoy, 2nd Duke of Cleveland

September 9, 1813 – Death of Georg I, Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont in Rhoden, Kingdom of Prussia, now in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany; buried in the Princely Mausoleum at Schloss Rhoden (link in German) in Rhoden, Principality of Waldeck-Pyrmont, now in the German state of Hesse
Georg had a short reign, from September 24, 1812  to September 9, 1813.  The Principality of Waldeck-Pyrmont was heavily in debt during the reign of Friedrich Karl August, Prince of Waldeck-Pyrmont, Georg’s unmarried elder brother. In 1805, Friedrich Karl August unsuccessfully attempted to sell the Pyrmont as a cost-cutting measure. Instead, he decided to divide the Principality of Waldeck-Pyrmont, giving his brother Georg Pyrmont, while he kept Waldeck. In 1812, after the death of his childless elder brother, 65-year-old Georg succeeded him, and Waldeck and Pyrmont were reunited. Because of his age and perhaps illness, Georg knew that he would not be able to reign for long so he decided to stay in Pyrmont where he died.
Unofficial Royalty: Georg I, Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont

September 9, 1826 – Birth of Grand Duke Friedrich I of Baden in Karlsruhe, Grand Duchy of Baden, now in Baden-Württemberg, Germany
Full name: Friedrich Wilhelm Ludwig
Friedrich’s father died in 1852 and was succeeded by Friedrich’s elder brother, Ludwig II. However, Ludwig was deemed mentally ill, and Friedrich was appointed Regent during his reign. When Ludwig died in 1858, Friedrich succeeded him as Grand Duke Friedrich II. Friedrich sided with Prussia in the wars against Austria and France and represented Baden at the Palace of Versailles when his father-in-law King Wilhelm I of Prussia was created German Emperor in 1871. Friedrich was a strong supporter of constitutional monarchy and was often at odds with his Prussian in-laws. His reign saw the adoption of civil marriage and free elections to the Baden parliament.
Unofficial Royalty: Friedrich I, Grand Duke of Baden

September 9, 1870 – Death of Baroness Louise Lehzen, governess, adviser, and companion to Queen Victoria, in Bückeburg, Principality of Schaumberg-Lippe, now in Lower Saxony, Germany; buried in the Jetenburger Cemetery in Bückeburg where Queen Victoria had a memorial to her erected
From 1824 – 1842, Baroness Louise Lehzen was the governess and then adviser and companion to Queen Victoria who called her Lehzen.
Unofficial Royalty: Baroness Louise Lehzen

September 9, 1882 – Birth of Henry Charles Lascelles, 6th Earl of Harewood, husband of Mary, Princess Royal, in London, England
Henry married Princess Mary, the only daughter of King George V of the United Kingdom at Westminster Abbey in London, England on February 28, 1922. Despite their fifteen-year age difference and despite rumors that the marriage was not happy, their elder son George Lascelles, 7th Earl of Harewood said the marriage was a happy one. He wrote in his memoirs that they “got on well together and had a lot of friends and interests in common.” Henry and his wife enjoyed country pursuits. They both regularly rode with the Bramham Moor Hunt where Henry was Master of the Hunt. Henry was a Freemason and served as Grand Master of the United Grand Lodge of England from 1942-1947.
Unofficial Royalty: Henry Charles Lascelles, 6th Earl of Harewood

September 9, 2015 – Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom becomes the longest-reigning British monarch, breaking the record of her great-great-grandmother Queen Victoria
Unofficial Royalty: Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Unofficial Royalty: Longest Reigning British Monarchs

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Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom; Credit – The Royal Family Facebook page

September 8, 1157 – Birth of King Richard I of England at Beaumont Palace in Oxford, England
Richard succeeded his father King Henry II in 1189. He spent very little time in England, perhaps as little as six months, during his ten-year reign. Rather than regarding the Kingdom of England as a responsibility requiring his presence as the king, Richard saw England as a source of revenue to support his armies. Most of his reign was spent on Crusade, in captivity, or actively defending his lands in France.
Unofficial Royalty: King Richard I of England

September 8, 1397 – Death (murder?) of Thomas of Woodstock, Duke of Gloucester, son of King Edward III of England, at the Prince’s Inn in the Pale of Calais, now in France; buried at the Collegiate Church of the Holy Trinity in Pleshy, England, later reburied at Westminster Abbey in London, England
Thomas’ nephew King Richard II was having issues with the authority of the nobility. Thomas and other nobles wanted to depose Richard, but he was betrayed, arrested for treason, and imprisoned. He was probably murdered by a group of men led by Thomas de Mowbray, 1st Duke of Norfolk, and Sir Nicholas Colfox, presumably on the orders of King Richard II. After Thomas’ death, his confession was read to Parliament and he was declared guilty of treason. He was attainted as a traitor and his title Duke of Gloucester, goods, and estates were forfeited to the crown. Thomas’ probable murder caused an outcry among the English nobility and added to Richard II’s unpopularity. In 1399, Richard’s first cousin Henry of Bolingbroke, the eldest son of John of Gaunt, deposed Richard and succeeded to the throne as King Henry IV, the first King of the House of Lancaster.
Unofficial Royalty: Thomas of Woodstock, Duke of Gloucester

September 8, 1650 – Death of Elizabeth Stuart, Princess of England, daughter of King Charles I of England, at Carisbrooke Castle on the Isle of Wight, England; buried in a small crypt under the altar at Saints Thomas Church in Newport, on the Isle of Wight, England
After the arrest of their father King Charles I of England, Elizabeth and her brother Prince Henry of England, Duke of Gloucester were unable to flee with their mother Henrietta Maria of France because they were not with her at that time. They remained in England and were placed under the care of the Parliamentarians. Elizabeth and Henry were moved from one residence to another due to the plague. After their father’s beheading, Parliament decided that they needed to be in a more secure place, far away from London. Elizabeth and Henry were moved to Carisbrooke Castle on the Isle of Wight, England. On August 23, 1650, less than a week after arriving at Carisbrooke Castle, Elizabeth began to feel ill. On September 1, she went to bed and then could no longer get up. She died on September 8, 1650, aged fourteen, probably from pneumonia.
Unofficial Royalty: Elizabeth Stuart, Princess of England

September 8, 1675 – Death of Amalia of Solms-Braunfels, Princess of Orange, wife of Frederik Hendrik, Prince of Orange, in The Hague, the Netherlands; buried at the Nieuwe Kerk in Delft, the Netherlands
Frederik Hendrik, Prince of Orange and Amalia were the parents of Willem II, Prince of Orange who married Mary, Princess Royal, eldest daughter of King Charles I of England. They had one son Willem III, Prince of Orange, later King William III of England. Amalia had influence in politics, initially as Frederik Hendrik’s adviser, and then, after 1640, when her husband became ill, she became openly involved in political life and received foreign diplomats and envoys.
Unofficial Royalty: Amalia of Solms-Braunfels, Princess of Orange

September 8, 1749 – Birth of Marie Thérèse Louise of Savoy, Princesse de Lamballe, favorite of Marie Antoinette, Queen of France, born Maria Teresa Luisa of Savoy-Carignano at the Palazzo Carignano in Turin, Duchy of Savoy, now in Italy
Marie Thérèse was presented to the new Dauphine, the future Queen Marie Antoinette, upon her arrival in France in 1770. Marie Antoinette was charmed by the Princess of Lamballe, and soon the two became very close. Over the next few years, Marie Thérèse was rarely separated from Marie Antoinette and became one of her closest friends and confidantes.  In 1792, during the French Revolution, Marie Thérèse went before a tribunal that insisted she swear “hatred to the King and the Queen and to the monarchy”. Refusing to do so, she was released to the streets where an angry mob quickly killed her.
Unofficial Royalty: Marie Thérèse Louise of Savoy, Princesse de Lamballe, favorite of Marie Antoinette, Queen of France

September 8, 1749 – Birth of Gabrielle de Polastron, Duchesse de Polignac, favorite of Marie Antoinette, Queen of France, born Yolande Martine Gabrielle de Polastron in Paris, France
In 1775, Gabrielle and her husband were invited to visit Versailles by her sister-in-law, Diane de Polignac, who was a lady-in-waiting to Princess Elizabeth of France, the younger sister of King Louis XVI. Gabrielle was formally presented to Queen Marie Antoinette who instantly took a liking to her, and soon asked her to move permanently to Versailles. Heavily in debt, this was not a move that Gabrielle and her husband could afford. Despite their aristocratic background, there was little money for extravagance. They lived on Jules’s military salary of just 4,000 livres and were heavily in debt. Becoming aware of this, Marie Antoinette quickly arranged to settle their debts and find a better position for Jules within the royal household. In 1782, Gabrielle was appointed Governess to the children of France. Following the storming of the Bastille in July 1789, Gabrielle and her family fled France, traveling throughout Europe before eventually settling in Vienna, Austria. During this time, she remained in close contact with Marie Antoinette for the next several years.
Unofficial Royalty: Gabrielle de Polastron, Duchesse de Polignac, favorite of Marie Antoinette, Queen of France

September 8, 1800 – Death of Ernst Friedrich, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, in Coburg, Duchy of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, now in Bavaria, Germany; buried in the ducal crypt at Stadtkirche St. Moriz in Coburg, Duchy of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, now in Bavaria, Germany
Ernst Friedrich was the great-grandfather of Queen Victoria and her husband Prince Albert. In 1764, Ernst Friedrich succeeded his father as Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld and transferred the official residence of the duchy from Saalfeld to Coburg. Because the Duchy of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld was heavily in debt, Holy Roman Emperor Joseph II appointed a debit commission headed by Prince Joseph of Saxe-Hildburghausen and then Ernst II, Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg, to prevent the bankruptcy of the duchy. The work of the debt commission lasted over thirty years and during that time period, Ernst Friedrich was given a strict annual allowance.
Unofficial Royalty: Ernst Friedrich, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld

September 8, 1814 – Death of Maria Carolina of Austria, Queen of Naples and Sicily, wife of Ferdinando I, King of the Two Sicilies, at Hetzendorf Palace in Vienna, Austria; buried at the Imperial Crypt in the Capuchin Church in Vienna, Austria
Maria Carolina was the first wife of King Ferdinando IV of Naples and III Sicily, after her death, Ferdinando I, King of the Two Sicilies. She was the daughter of the powerful Empress Maria Theresa, who was in her own right Archduchess of Austria, Queen of Hungary, Queen of Croatia, and Queen of Bohemia. Maria Carolina had been well educated and carefully prepared for her role as a future queen but her husband Ferdinando had never received a comprehensive education and spent his time hunting, playing pranks, and eating excessively. In 1775, after her first son was born, Maria Carolina took her place on the council of state. From then on, Maria Carolina was the de facto ruler of the Kingdoms of Naples and Sicily.  Maria Carolina, aged 62, died from a stroke without seeing the final defeat of Napoleon and the Congress of Vienna’s restoration of her husband’s rights to the thrones of Naples and Sicily.
Unofficial Royalty: Maria Carolina of Austria, Queen of Naples and Sicily

September 8, 2022 – Death of Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, at Balmoral Castle in Aberdeenshire, Scotland; interred in the crypt of the King George VI Memorial Chapel in St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle. At the same time, the coffin of her husband Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, who died in 2021, was moved from its temporary place in the Royal Vault beneath St. George’s Chapel and interred in the crypt of the King George VI Memorial Chapel. 
Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom died at the age of 96, at Balmoral Castle, her home in Balmoral, Scotland, on September 8, 2022, at 3:10 PM, more than three hours before the public was informed. The death certificate, released by the National Records of Scotland cites that she died of “old age”. Queen Elizabeth II is the longest-reigning British monarch having surpassed her great-great-grandmother Queen Victoria on September 9, 2015. In May 2022, Queen Elizabeth II surpassed Prince Johann II of Liechtenstein (reigned from November 12, 1858 to February 11, 1929, for 25,658 days or 70 years, 91 days), and then in June 2022, she surpassed King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand (reigned June 9, 1946 to October 13, 2016, for 25,694 days or 70 years, 126 days) to become the second longest-reigning monarch. Only King Louis XIV of France, (reigned May 14, 1643 to September 1, 1715, for 26,407 days or 72 years, 110 days) has reigned longer. (Note: Lengths of reign are from a list of monarchs of states that were internationally sovereign for most or all of their reigns and have verifiable reigns by an exact date.)
Unofficial Royalty: Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Unofficial Royalty: The Death and Funeral of Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Unofficial Royalty: The Funeral of Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom

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