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Margrethe I, Queen of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2025

Effigy of Margrethe I, Queen of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden; Credit – Wikipedia

I first came across Margrethe I, Queen of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden in 2011, when I visited Roskilde Cathedral in Roskilde, Denmark, the burial site of most Danish monarchs and their spouses. Her tomb there with its beautiful effigy and wonderful carvings is my favorite royal tomb. The founder of the Kalmar Union which united the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden under a single monarch from 1397 – 1523, Margrethe I, Queen of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden was called “the first great ruling queen in European history” by Norwegian-American author, historian, and college professor Knut Gjerset.

Margrethe held various titles at certain points during her life:

  • Queen Consort of Sweden: 1363 – 1364
  • Queen Consort of Norway: 1363 – 1380
  • Regent of Denmark (for her son): 1376 – 1387
  • Regent of Norway (for her son): 1380 – 1387
  • Sovereign Queen of Denmark: 1387 – 1412
  • Sovereign Queen of Norway: 1388 – 1412
  • Sovereign Queen of Sweden: 1389 – 1412

Margrethe’s father Valdemar IV, King of Denmark; Credit – Wikipedia

The youngest of the six children and the youngest of the four daughters of Valdemar IV, King of Denmark and Helvig of Schleswig, Margrethe was born in March 1353 in Søborg Castle in Denmark.

Margrethe had five elder siblings but at the time of her birth, three siblings had died.

Margrethe’s mother Queen Helvig; Credit – Wikipedia

Margrethe grew up at her father’s court at his many castles including Copenhagen Castle, Søborg Castle, Vordingborg Castle, Kalundborg Castle, Roskilde Castle, and his hunting seat Gurre Castle. In 1355, Margrethe’s mother Queen Helvig entered Esrum Abbey as a lay sister after being replaced by her husband’s mistress Tove. Queen Helvig died circa 1374 and was buried at Esrum Abbey.

Seal of King Haakon VI of Norway; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1359, King Valdemar IV of Denmark betrothed his six-year-old daughter Margrethe to eighteen-year-old King Haakon VI of Norway (Unofficial Royalty article coming), a younger son of Magnus Eriksson, King of Norway and Sweden, as part of an alliance treaty. Margrethe and King Haakon VI were married at Copenhagen Cathedral in Denmark on April 9, 1363.

When Margrethe’s husband Haakon was born, his father Magnus Eriksson, King of Norway and Sweden decided to divide his kingdoms between his sons. The elder son Eric was designated to succeed his father as King of Sweden, while Haakon would become King of Norway. By 1343, three-year-old Haakon had become King of Norway. Opposition to Magnus’ rule in Norway led to an agreement between Magnus and the Norwegian nobles. In violation of the Norwegian laws on royal inheritance, Haakon would become King of Norway, with Magnus as regent during his minority. In 1344, five-year-old Eric was formally elected King of Sweden and co-reigned with his father. Three years after Eric died in 1359, Haakon became co-ruler of Sweden with his father. The two reigned over Sweden together until 1364, when they were deposed in favor of Magnus’ nephew, Albert III, Duke of Mecklenburg by a group of exiled Swedish noblemen. Magnus and Haakon tried to retake the Swedish throne but were unsuccessful.

Akershus Fortress in Oslo, Norway where Margrethe spent the early years of her marriage; Credit – By Ghirlandajo – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=42021733

Ten-year-old Margrethe remained in Denmark for some time after the wedding. Eventually, she moved to Norway and lived primarily at Akershus Fortress in Oslo. Margrethe was too young for the marriage to be consummated. Her governess was Swedish noblewoman Merete Ulvsdatter, a daughter of Saint Birgitta of Sweden. Margrethe was raised with Merte Ulvsdatter’s daughters Ingegerd and Katrine, who became her closest friends. She spent her time getting acclimated to Norway and preparing for her duties as Queen Consort.

Margrethe and Haakon VI had one son who was born at Akershus Fortress in Oslo, Norway:

Margrethe’s son Olaf who was King of Denmark and King of Norway; Credit – Wikipedia

Margrethe’s father Valdemar IV, King of Denmark died on October 24, 1375, and Margrethe was the only survivor of his six children. It was expected that Duke Albert IV of Mecklenburg, the son of Ingeborg of Denmark, Valdemar IV’s eldest child who survived childhood and had children,  would claim the Danish throne. However, Margrethe managed to win over the Danish royal council by offering them lucrative grants and agreements. She also won the support of the Hanseatic League, a commercial and defensive network of merchant guilds and market towns in central and northern Europe, which did not want the House of Mecklenburg to gain power in Denmark. On May 3, 1376, Margrethe’s five-year-old son Olaf was proclaimed King of Denmark with his mother Margrethe acting as Regent of Denmark because of her son’s young age. A little more than four years later, on September 11, 1380, Margrethe’s husband King Haakon VI of Norway died. Their ten-year-old son Olaf was now also King of Norway, and his mother Margrethe was also Regent of Norway. With Olaf’s accession to the throne of Norway, 434 years of a Danish-Norwegian union began.

On August 3, 1387, Margrethe’s sixteen-year-old son Olaf II, King of Denmark/Olaf IV, King of Norway died. He was buried at Sorø Abbey, a Benedictine Abbey on the island of Zealand in Denmark, where Margrethe’s father King Valdemar IV of Denmark was buried. There were unproven rumors that Olaf was poisoned. In 2015, Jørgen Lange Thomsen, a forensic scientist, proposed a theory Olaf died from Brugada Syndrome, a genetic disorder. See Copenhagen Post: Mystery of Danish king deaths fosters new theory.

During her son’s reign, Margrethe had been a very capable Regent of Denmark and Norway. After her son’s death, she used all her diplomatic skills and was named Queen of Denmark on August 10, 1387, and Queen of Norway on February 2, 1388. Margrethe joined forces with the Swedish nobles who rose against the unpopular King Albert of Sweden, Haakon’s cousin who had taken the Swedish throne in 1364, when he attempted to reduce the land holdings of the Swedish nobility. At a meeting at Dalaborg Castle in Sweden in March 1388, the Swedish nobles proclaimed Margrethe to be Sweden’s “sovereign lady and rightful ruler”. Margrethe sent troops to Sweden and on February 24, 1389, they defeated King Albert of Sweden at the Battle of Åsle.

Statue of Queen Margrethe I and her great-nephew Eric of Pomerania in Viborg, Denmark; Credit – By Oleryhlolsson – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=86745447

Because Queen Margrethe I had no living children, she adopted her great-nephew Eric of Pomerania (Unofficial Royalty article coming). When Eric came of age, he was declared co-ruler in Denmark, Norway, and Sweden, however, Margarethe remained the effective ruler of all three kingdoms for the remainder of her life.

Margrethe devised the Kalmar Union, a personal union from 1397 to 1523, in which a single monarch ruled the three kingdoms of Denmark, Sweden (then including much of present-day Finland), and Norway, together with Norway’s overseas colonies (then including Iceland, Greenland, the Faroe Islands, and the Northern Isles of Orkney and Shetland).

Margrethe was in constant conflict with the neighboring Duchy of Schleswig. In 1412, Margrethe successfully took the border city of Flensburg, then in the Duchy of Schleswig, now in the German state of Schleswig-Holstein. In October 1412, Margrethe and her co-ruler and great-nephew Eric set sail to Flensburg to have the local citizens swear an oath of loyalty to them. After attending several meetings, Margrethe boarded her ship docked in the Flensburg harbor intending to set sail back to Denmark. However, she suddenly became violently ill. Suspecting that she was dying, Margrethe ordered thirty-seven marks to be paid to a nearby monastery for perpetual Masses for her soul. On October 28, 1412, 59-year-old Margrethe died aboard her ship docked in Flensburg harbor. Several possible causes of Margrethe’s death have been discussed over the years including the bubonic plague and poisoning by her co-ruler and great-nephew Eric, who became sole King of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden when Margrethe died.

Roskilde Cathedral where Queen Margrethe I is buried; Photo Credit © Susan Flantzer

Queen Margrethe I wished to be buried at Sorø Abbey, a Benedictine abbey on the island of Zealand in Denmark where her father King Valdemar IV of Denmark and her son Olaf II, King of Denmark/Olaf IV, King of Norway were buried. In 1413, the year after she died, Peder Jensen Lodehat, Bishop of Roskilde ordered her remains to be transferred to Roskilde Cathedral in Roskilde, Denmark, probably to give Roskilde Cathedral greater importance. There were several earlier royal burials at Roskilde Cathedral. Harald Bluetooth, King of Denmark and Norway (died circa 985 – 986), who introduced Christianity to Denmark, was buried at the Holy Trinity Church, the wooden, first church on the site where Roskilde Cathedral now stands. His son Sweyn Forkbeard, King of Denmark, Norway, and England (963 – 1014) was first buried in England and his remains were later moved to Denmark where they were interred near his father at the Holy Trinity Church. However, their tombs have never been found. Sweyn II Ertridsen, King of Denmark (1019 – 1076) was interred in the southeastern pier of Roskilde Cathedral. A pier is similar to a column and is designed to support arches.

Tomb of Margrethe I; Photo Credit © Susan Flantzer

Queen Margrethe I was interred in a sarcophagus behind the high altar. Her beautiful sarcophagus was made by German sculptor Johannes Junge (link in German) in 1423. The sarcophagus is made of black marble. On the sarcophagus is a life-sized effigy of Queen Margrethe I made of white alabaster. The reliefs on the sides of the sarcophagus are also made of white alabaster. Margrethe left property to Roskilde Cathedral on the condition that Masses for her soul would be said regularly in the future. This was discontinued in 1536 during the Protestant Reformation although a special bell is still rung twice daily in memory of Queen Margrethe I.

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. (2006). Margarethe I. (1353-1412). Wikipedia.org; Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margarethe_I.
  • Bidragsydere til Wikimedia-projekter. (2003). Margarete I Regent af Danmark 1375-1412. Wikipedia.org; Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. https://da.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margrete_1.
  • Flantzer, Susan. Danish Royal Burial Sites. (2012). Unofficial Royalty. https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/royal-burial-sites/danish-royal-burial-sites/
  • ‌Flantzer, Susan. (2025). Olaf II, King of Denmark/Olaf IV, King of Norway. Unofficial Royalty. https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/olaf-ii-king-of-denmark-olav-iv-king-of-norway/
  • Flantzer, Susan. (2021). Roskilde Cathedral in Roskilde, Denmark. Unofficial Royalty. https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/roskilde-cathedral-in-roskilde-denmark/
  • Margaret I of Denmark. (2023). Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margaret_I_of_Denmark
  • Wikipedia Contributors. (2024). Haakon VI. Wikipedia; Wikimedia Foundation.

Royal News Recap for Thursday, January 9, 2025

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January 10: Today in Royal History

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Vittorio Emanuele I, King of Sardinia, Duke of Savoy; Credit – Wikipedia

January 10, 1662 – Death of Prince Honoré II of Monaco in Monaco, buried at Saint Nicholas Cathedral in Monaco
When Honoré  II was two years old, his mother died due to childbirth complications. Five years later, his father Hercule, Lord of Monaco was stabbed to death while walking through the streets of Monaco at night. A month short of his seventh birthday, Honoré succeeded his father as Lord of Monaco. In 1612, Honoré II started using the title of Prince, becoming the first Prince of Monaco. Honoré II became a vassal of King Louis XIII of France in 1633. Many Princes of Monaco were vassals of the Kings of France while remaining sovereign princes of Monaco. The Princes of Monaco and their families spent most of their lives in France and intermarried with French and Italian noble families. In 1616, Honoré married Ippolita Trivulzio, the daughter of the Italian nobles. Honoré and Ippolita had one son who died before his father. During his reign, Honoré II did much to extend, rebuild, and transform what was originally the 1191 fortress of his Grimaldi ancestors into what is today’s Prince’s Palace of Monaco. After a reign of fifty-eight years, Honoré II, Prince of Monaco died in Monaco on January 10, 1662, at the age of 64.
Unofficial Royalty: Prince Honoré II of Monaco

January 10, 1701 – Birth of Margarete Gertrud von der Schulenburg in the Electorate of Hanover, now in the German state of Lower Saxony, the illegitimate daughter of the future King George I of Great Britain and his mistress Melusine von der Schulenburg
Margarete Gertrud von der Schulenburg was the youngest of the three daughters of the future King George I of Great Britain and his mistress Melusine von der Schulenburg, from an old Brandenburg noble family. In 1714, when her father succeeded to the British throne as King George I, Melusine and her daughters accompanied George to England. They lived with King George I in the royal palaces and Melusine acted as his hostess. Margarete Gertrud married Albrecht Wolfgang, Count of Schaumburg-Lippe and the couple had two sons. Twenty-five-year-old Margarete Gertrud died from tuberculosis in Mannheim, then in the Electorate of the Palatinate, now in the German state of Baden-Württemberg, on April 8, 1726.
Unofficial Royalty: Margarete Gertrud von der Schulenburg, Countess of Schaumburg-Lippe

January 10, 1741- Birth of Princess Elizabeth Caroline of Wales at Norfolk House, 31 St James’s Square in London, England
Elizabeth Caroline was one of the nine children of Frederick, Prince of Wales, son of King George II of Great Britain, and Princess Augusta of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg. In 1751, when Elizabeth Caroline was ten years old, her father died, leaving a pregnant widow with eight children. Elizabeth Caroline’s thirteen-year-old eldest brother George was now the heir to the throne and was created Prince of Wales by his grandfather King George II. George succeeded his grandfather as King George III. According to Horace Walpole, 4th Earl of Orford, an English writer, art historian, and Whig politician, Elizabeth Caroline was extremely delicate and backward. On September 4, 1759, Princess Elizabeth Caroline, aged 18, had died at Kew Palace in London.
Unofficial Royalty: Princess Elizabeth Caroline of Wales

January 10, 1821 – Birth of Caroline Mariane of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, Crown Princess of Denmark, the second wife of the future King Frederik VII of Denmark, in Neustrelitz, Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, now in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany
Full name: Caroline Charlotte Marianne
Caroline Mariane was the daughter of Georg, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz and Marie of Hesse-Kassel. Her 1841 marriage to the future King Frederik VII of Denmark was very unhappy. In 1844, Caroline Mariane visited her parents and refused to return to Denmark. The couple divorced in 1846. She retained her Danish titles after her divorce, never remarried, and lived quietly in Neustrelitz where her parents built the Carolinenpalais for her.
Unofficial Royalty: Caroline Mariane of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, Crown Princess of Denmark

January 10, 1824 – Death of Vittorio Emanuele I, King of Sardinia, Duke of Savoy at the Castle of Moncalieri in Turin, Duchy of Savoy, now in Italy; buried at the Basilica of Superga in Turin
Vittorio Emanuele I reigned as King of Sardinia from the abdication of his elder brother Carlo Emanuele IV, King of Sardinia in 1802 until his own abdication in 1821 in favor of his younger brother Carlo Felice, King of Sardinia. After his abdication as King of Sardinia, Vittorio Emanuele remained Duke of Savoy until his death. In 1789, Vittorio Emanuele married Maria Theresa of Austria-Este and they had six daughters and a son who died in childhood. As the senior surviving descendant of Henrietta of England, Duchess of Orléans, daughter of King Charles I of England and sister of James II, King of England/James VII, King of Scots, Vittorio Emanuele became the Jacobite pretender to the thrones of England and Scotland after the death of his brother Carlo Emanuele in 1819.  Vittorio Emanuele died at his home in the Duchy of Savoy at the age of 64.
Unofficial Royalty: Vittorio Emanuele I, King of Sardinia
Unofficial Royalty: The Jacobite Succession – Pretenders to the British Throne

January 10, 1840 – Death of Princess Elizabeth of the United Kingdom, Landgravine of Hesse-Homburg, daughter of King George III of the United Kingdom and wife of Friedrich VI, Landgrave of Hesse-Homburg, at her home in the Free City of Frankfurt, now in Hesse, Germany; buried at the Mausoleum of the Landgraves in Homburg, Landgraviate of Hesse-Homburg, now in Hesse, Germany
Elizabeth was one of three of the six daughters of King George III who would eventually marry, all of them much later than was the norm for the time. In 1818, 48-year-old Elizabeth read a letter from 48-year-old Friedrich, then Hereditary Prince of Hesse-Homburg, to her mother asking to marry Elizabeth and she finally saw the way to exit “the Nunnery,” the term used to describe the sheltered existence of George III’s daughters. Friedrich had a military career and while he was in the military, he showed no inclination to marry. In 1814, he met Elizabeth at a ball held at the British court. Elizabeth and Friedrich were married in 1818. When Friedrich died in 1829, Elizabeth wrote, “No woman was ever more happy than I was for eleven years and they will often be lived over again in the memory of the heart.” When Elizabeth died in 1840 at the age of 69, deep court mourning was temporarily suspended for several days in the United Kingdom the following month for the wedding festivities of her niece Queen Victoria. Elizabeth’s great-niece, Victoria, Princess Royal, German Empress wanted to erect a monument in her honor but unfortunately did not live to see it done. However, Wilhelm II, German Emperor did fulfill his mother’s wish and, on August 11, 1908, unveiled the monument in the presence of his uncle King Edward VII of the United Kingdom.
Unofficial Royalty: Elizabeth of the United Kingdom, Landgravine of Hesse-Homburg

January 10, 2005 – Death of Grand Duchess Joséphine-Charlotte of Luxembourg, born Joséphine-Charlotte of Belgium, wife of Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg, at Fischbach Castle in Fischbach, Luxembourg; buried at Notre-Dame Cathedral in Luxembourg City, Luxembourg
Joséphine-Charlotte was the eldest child and only daughter of Leopold III, King of the Belgians and Princess Astrid of Sweden. Her two younger brothers Baudouin and Albert II were both Kings of the Belgians. In 1953, Joséphine-Charlotte married Hereditary Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg, the eldest child of Grand Duchess Charlotte of Luxembourg and Prince Felix of Bourbon-Parma. The couple had five children including Henri, the current Grand Duke of Luxembourg.  In 1964, Grand Duchess Charlotte of Luxembourg abdicated, and Jean and Joséphine-Charlotte became the new Grand Duke and Grand Duchess of Luxembourg. In 2003, it was reported that  Joséphine-Charlotte had been diagnosed with lung cancer and the planned ceremonies and celebrations for the couple’s 50th wedding anniversary were canceled. Two years later, 77-year-old Grand Duchess Joséphine-Charlotte died at Fischbach Castle, surrounded by her family.
Unofficial Royalty: Josephine-Charlotte of Belgium, Grand Duchess of Luxembourg

January 10, 2020 – Death of Sultan Qaboos of Oman at the Al Alam Palace in Muscat, Oman; buried at the Royal Cemetery in Muscat
Qaboos was the only son of Said bin Taimur, Sultan of Muscat and Oman, and his second wife, Princess Mazoon bint Ahmed Ali al-Maashani. In 1970, Qaboos staged a coup that overthrew his father as Sultan. His father was exiled to the United Kingdom, where he lived at the Dorchester Hotel in London until he died in 1972. Sultan Qaboos immediately began efforts to modernize and develop the country. In 1976, he married his first cousin, Nawwal bint Tariq Al-Said but the couple had no children, and the marriage ended in divorce in 1979. Qaboos had been under treatment for colon cancer since at least 2014 and had spent much time in Germany undergoing treatment. In December 2019, he traveled to Belgium for medical treatment. Qaboos bin Said Al Said, Sultan of Oman died at the age of 79.
Unofficial Royalty: Qaboos bin Said Al Said, Sultan of Oman

January 10, 2023 – Death of former King Constantine II of Greece at Hygeia Hospital in Athens, Greece; buried at the Royal Cemetery on the grounds of Tatoi Palace, the former summer palace of the Greek royal family, near Athens, Greece
Constantine was the King of Greece from 1964 until the monarchy was abolished in 1973. Both his parents, King Paul of Greece and Princess Frederica of Hanover, were descendants of Queen Victoria’s eldest daughter Victoria, Princess Royal and her husband Friedrich III, German Emperor.  Constantine was one of the royal Olympian medal winners, winning a Gold Medal in Sailing in the 1960 Rome Summer Olympics.
Unofficial Royalty: King Constantine II of Greece
Unofficial Royalty: Funeral of King Constantine II of Greece

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January 9: Today in Royal History

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Napoleon III, Emperor of the French; Credit – Wikipedia

January 9, 1500 – Birth of Diane de Poitiers, mistress of King Henri II of France, at the Château de Saint-Vallier in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of France
Diane de Poitiers was the royal mistress of King Henri II of France from around 1534 until Henri died in 1559. It was through her presence at court as a lady-in-waiting to Queen Claude of France (mother of Henri II) that she became known to the young Prince Henri. Eighteen years older than Henri, she made quite an impression on him. Despite his marriage to Catherine de’ Medici, Diane’s second cousin, Henri was smitten with Diane. For the next 25 years, Diane de Poitiers would be Henri’s closest companion, and many felt she was the most powerful woman in France at the time. Her influence on Henri was without match, and he relied heavily on her advice in all official decisions. Such was her position that when foreign royals and leaders would send gifts to Catherine de Medici, they would also send gifts for Diane. Diane’s influence and power would completely halt in 1559 after King Henri II died from injuries received in a jousting tournament. The widowed Catherine de’ Medici quickly removed Diane from the existence she had enjoyed for so many years.
Unofficial Royalty: Diane de Poitiers, mistress of King Henri II of France

January 9, 1514 – Death of Anne, Duchess of Brittany, Queen of France, wife of King Charles VIII of France and second wife of King Louis XII of France, at the Royal Château de Blois in Blois, France; buried at the Basilica of Saint-Denis near Paris
Anne, Duchess of Brittany in her own right, is the only woman to have been Queen Consort of France twice. She was the wife of King Charles VIII and the second of the three wives of King Louis XII. Anne was the daughter of François II, Duke of Brittany. When her father in 1488, Anne became the Duchess of Brittany in her own right. In 1491, Anne married King Charles VIII of France. Anne and Charles had seven children but none survived. King Charles VIII died unexpectedly from a head injury in 1498. Because he had no surviving children, Louis, Duke of Orléans succeeded him as King Louis XII of France. Anne returned to Brittany and began taking steps to ensure the independence of her duchy. Louis XII did not want this to happen and he had his 24-year childless marriage to Charles VIII’s sister Jeanne of France annulled and married Anne of Brittany in 1499. They had four stillborn sons and three miscarriages but they did have two daughters who survived to adulthood. After Anne’s death, the 52-year-old King Louis XII, still seeking a son to succeed him, married 18-year-old Mary Tudor, the younger sister of King Henry VIII of England, but Louis XII died three months after the marriage.
Unofficial Royalty: Anne, Duchess of Brittany, Queen of France

January 9, 1819 – Death of Queen Catherina of Württemberg, second wife of King Wilhelm I of Württemberg, born Grand Duchess Ekaterina Pavlovna of Russia, in Stuttgart, Kingdom of Württemberg, now in Baden-Württemberg, Germany;  buried at the Württemberg Mausoleum in Rotenberg, Stuttgart
Catherina was the daughter of Paul I, Emperor of All Russia and the sister of Alexander I, Emperor of All Russia, and Nicholas I, Emperor of All Russia. She had a short marriage and two sons with her first cousin Duke Georg of Oldenburg, who died from typhoid fever. She then married the future King Wilhelm I of Württemberg in 1816 and they had two daughters. Despite having a happy marriage, Wilhelm continued his relationships with numerous mistresses, including the Italian Blanche de la Flèche. When Catharina was made aware of this, she drove to Scharnhausen Castle on January 3, 1819, where she found Wilhelm and his mistress together. She quickly returned to Stuttgart and just six days later, 30-year-old Catharina died of complications from pneumonia
Unofficial Royalty: Ekaterina Pavlovna of Russia, Queen of Württemberg

January 9, 1854 – Birth of Lady Randolph Churchill, mistress of King Edward VII of the United Kingdom, born Jennie Jerome in Brooklyn, New York (mother of Sir Winston Churchill)
Jennie Jerome was an American socialite who was the mistress of King Edward VII of the United Kingdom, among others. Through her first marriage to Lord Randolph Spencer-Churchill, a younger son of John Winston Spencer-Churchill, 7th Duke of Marlborough, she was the mother of Prime Minister Winston Churchill. The Spencer-Churchills opposed the marriage, but after a dowry offer of $250,000 (several million dollars today), they quickly agreed to the marriage. Jennie is also reported to have had affairs with King Milan I of Serbia, Prince Karl Kinsky, and Herbert von Bismarck. She married two more times after the death of her first husband.
Unofficial Royalty: Lady Randolph Churchill, mistress of King Edward VII of the United Kingdom

January 9, 1873 – Death of Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte, Emperor Napoleon III of the French, in exile at Camden Place (now Chislehurst Golf Club) in Chislehurst, England; buried at Saint Michael’s Abbey in Farnborough, Hampshire, England
Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte, later Napoleon III of the French, was the son of Louis Bonaparte, King of Holland (younger brother of Emperor Napoleon I) and Hortense de Beauharnais, the daughter of Emperor Napoleon’s first wife, Joséphine de Beauharnais and her first husband Alexandre de Beauharnais who was beheaded during the French Revolution.  Elected to the presidency of the French Second Republic in 1848, Louis-Napoléon seized power by force in 1851, when he could not constitutionally be reelected, and later proclaimed himself Emperor of the French. After being turned down by Princess Carola of Vasa (daughter of the deposed Swedish King Gustaf IV Adolf), and Princess Adelheid of Hohenlohe-Langenburg (a niece of Queen Victoria), Napoleon III married Eugénie de Montijo, Countess of Teba and Marquise of Ardales in 1853. The couple had one son, Napoléon, Prince Imperial who died unmarried in 1879 while fighting in the Anglo-Zulu War. In July 1870, France entered the Franco-Prussian War. Without significant allied support and with unprepared and limited forces, the French army was quickly defeated. Napoleon III was captured at the Battle of Sedan and surrendered. As word reached Paris, the Third Republic was declared on September 4, 1870, ending the French monarchy for the last time. Louis-Napoléon and his family went into exile in England. After falling ill in the summer of 1872, and undergoing two operations, he died at the age of 64.
Unofficial Royalty: Napoleon III, Emperor of the French

January 9, 1907 – Death of Marie of Saxe-Altenburg, Queen of Hanover, wife of King George V of Hanover, in Gmunden, Austria; buried in the Crypt at Cumberland Palace in Gmunden, Austria
Marie was the eldest daughter of the six daughters of Joseph, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg and Amalie of Württemberg. In 1843, she married the future and last King of Hanover, George V, and they had three children. George succeeded his father in 1851 but reigned for only 15 years, being exiled from Hanover because of his support for Austria in the Austro-Prussian War. In 1866, Hanover was annexed by Prussia. George never abdicated from the throne of Hanover and he and Marie lived in exile at Gmunden, Austria. After George’s death, Marie continued living in the Villa Thun in Gmunden, which became known as the Queen’s Villa, and is still owned by the House of Hanover. Through her son Ernst Augustus, Marie is the ancestor of former King Constantine I of Greece, his sister Queen Sofia of Spain, Sofia’s son King Felipe VI of Spain, and Prince Ernst Augustus of Hanover (third husband of Princess Caroline of Monaco).
Unofficial Royalty: Marie of Saxe-Altenburg, Queen of Hanover

January 9, 1982 – Birth of The Princess of Wales, wife of Prince William, The Prince of Wales, born Catherine Elizabeth Middleton, at Royal Berkshire Hospital in Reading, England
Catherine is the eldest of three children of Michael Middleton and Carole Goldsmith. In 2001 she enrolled at the University of St Andrews in Scotland, where she Catherine met Prince William, second in the line of succession to the British throne. First as friends, and later flat-mates, a couple of years later, their relationship became romantic. After graduating in 2005, Catherine worked for her family’s business Party Pieces, and launched her own brand within the company in 2008, called First Birthdays. In addition, she worked as a part-time buyer for Jigsaw Junior, a London-based clothing company. Following intense media scrutiny and speculation, and a brief and very public breakup, Catherine and William became engaged while on holiday in Kenya in October 2010. The engagement was formally announced on November 16, 2010. On April 29, 2011, the couple married at Westminster Abbey. Catherine and William have two sons and one daughter.
Unofficial Royalty: Catherine, The Princess of Wales

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Royal News Recap for Tuesday, January 7, 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

Denmark

Jordan

Luxembourg

Netherlands

Spain

United Kingdom

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

January 8: Today in Royal History

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Prince Albert Victor of Wales, Duke of Clarence; Credit – Wikipedia

January 8, 1864 – Birth of Prince Albert Victor of Wales (Eddy), son of King Edward VII of the United Kingdom, at Frogmore House in Windsor, England
Full name: Albert Victor Christian Edward
Albert Victor was named after his paternal grandparents Queen Victoria and her late husband Prince Albert but he was always known as Eddy in the family and later as Prince Eddy in the press. Eddy, who was inattentive and lazy, never excelled in his studies. Perhaps this was due to his premature birth which can be associated with learning disabilities. Prince Eddy’s apathetic attitude and his lack of interest in anything serious caused great anxiety to his family especially since in the line of succession, he would inherit the throne after his father. In 1891, Eddy became engaged to Princess Mary Victoria of Teck (known as May), and the wedding was set for February 27, 1892. However, on January 14, 1892, 28-year-old Eddy died from influenza. In 1893, Eddy’s brother married May and eventually became the beloved King George V and Queen Mary.
Unofficial Royalty: Prince Albert Victor, Duke of Clarence

January 8, 1873 – Birth of Elena of Montenegro, Queen of Italy, wife of King Vittorio Emanuele III of Italy, in Cetinje, Montenegro
Full name: Jelena Petrović Njegoš
Elena was the daughter of King Nikola I of Montenegro. Among her eleven siblings were Militza and Anastasia (Stana) who married Russian Grand Dukes and were instrumental in introducing Grigori Yefimovich Rasputin to Nicholas II, Emperor of All Russia and his family. In 1896, Elena married the future King Vittorio Emanuele III of Italy. The couple had two children including Vittorio Emanuele III’s brief successor King Umberto II of Italy and Giovanna who married Tsar Boris III of Bulgaria. Elena’s husband abdicated on May 9, 1946, hoping that a new King, his son Umberto II, would bring support for continuing the monarchy in an upcoming referendum. However, his son would only reign for several weeks before Italy became a Republic in an overwhelming vote. After the abdication, Vittorio Emanuele and Elena went into exile, settling in Alexandria, Egypt.
Unofficial Royalty: Elena of Montenegro, Queen of Italy

January 8, 1878 – Death of King Vittorio Emanuele II of Italy at the Quirinal Palace in Rome Italy; buried in the Pantheon in Rome, Italy
Vittoria Emanuele was the eldest son of Carlo Alberto, 7th Prince of Carignano, the future King of Sardinia. In 1842, he married Archduchess Adelheid of Austria and the couple had eight children. Vittorio Emanuele also had a longtime relationship with Rose Vercellana with whom he had two children. Vittorio Emanuele and Rosa eventually married. Following a massive defeat by the Austrian forces, Vittorio Emanuele’s father abdicated in 1849, and he became King of Sardinia as Vittorio Emanuele II. He became a driving force behind the Risorgimento, the Italian unification movement. In 1861, Vittorio Emanuele was proclaimed the first King of the new, united Kingdom of Italy. He focused on building up the new kingdom, both financially and culturally, further cementing his legacy as Father of the Fatherland (Padre Della Patria), a title given to him by the Italian people. He died at the age of 57.
Unofficial Royalty: King Vittorio Emanuele II of Italy

January 8, 1987 – Birth of Princess Sirivannavari of Thailand, daughter of King Vajiralongkorn of Thailand, born Chao Busyanambejra Mahidol in Bangkok, Thailand
Princess Sirivannavari is the only daughter and the youngest of the five children of King Vajiralongkorn of Thailand and Sujarinee Vivacharawongse, as she is now known, an actress and a consort, and the second of the king’s four wives. In 1996, Sujarinee fled to the United Kingdom with her five children. Vajiralongkorn, then the Crown Prince, accused her of adultery and managed to retrieve his daughter Sirivannavari and bring her back to Thailand. Sujarinee and her four sons were stripped of their royal titles and her marriage to the Crown Prince was dissolved. King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand, Sirivannavari’s paternal grandfather, gave her the name Sirivannavari and the style and title Her Royal Highness Princess of Thailand. Sirivannavari studied fashion and textile design at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok, Thailand, and became a fashion designer.
Unofficial Royalty: Princess Sirivannavari of Thailand

January 8, 2011 – Birth of Prince Vincent and Princess Josephine of Denmark, twin son and daughter of King Frederik X of Denmark, at the Rigshospitalet in Copenhagen, Denmark
Full Names: Vincent Frederik Minik Alexander and Josephine Sophia Ivalo Mathilda
Vincent was born 26 minutes before his twin sister Josephine making him third in the line of succession to the Danish throne after his elder brother Prince Christian, and his elder sister Princess Isabella. Denmark changed its succession law in 2008 to absolute primogeniture where the succession passes to the eldest child of the sovereign regardless of gender. Males and females have equal succession rights. This means King Frederik’s second-born child Isabella is ahead of her younger brother Vincent in the line of succession.
Unofficial Royalty: Prince Vincent of Denmark
Unofficial Royalty: Princess Josephine of Denmark

January 8, 2020 – Death of Infanta Pilar of Spain, Duchess of Badajoz at the Ruber International Hospital in Madrid, Spain
Infanta Pilar was the daughter of Infante Juan, Count of Barcelona (son of King Alfonso XIII of Spain and Princess Victoria Eugenie of Battenberg, granddaughter of Queen Victoria) and Princess María Mercedes of Bourbon-Two Sicilies and the elder sister of King Juan Carlos I of Spain. In 1967, Pilar married Luis Gómez-Acebo y Duque de Estrada and the couple had five children. Pilar was President of the International Equestrian Federation from 1994 – 2005. She was a member of the International Olympic Committee from 1996 to 2006 and was then an Honorary member. She was also a member of the executive board of the Spanish Olympic Committee. Pilar had been ill with colon cancer, had surgery in February 2019, and had undergone chemotherapy. She died at the age of 83.
Unofficial Royalty: Infanta Pilar of Spain, Duchess of Badajoz

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Royal News Recap for Monday, January 6, 2025

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Denmark

Jordan

Monaco

Serbia (former monarchy)

Spain

Sweden

United Kingdom

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

January 7: Today in Royal History

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Princess Charlotte of Wales; Credit – Wikipedia

January 7, 1355 – Birth of Thomas of Woodstock, Duke of Gloucester, son of King Edward III of England, at Woodstock Palace in Oxfordshire, England
1376, Thomas married Eleanor de Bohun, the elder of the two surviving daughters of Humphrey de Bohun, 7th Earl of Hereford and Lady Joan Fitzalan. The couple had five children. When Thomas’ father King Edward III died he was succeeded by his young grandson King Richard II, the only surviving child of Thomas’ eldest sibling Edward, Prince of Wales (the Black Prince) who had predeceased his father. In 1386, Parliament blamed Richard’s advisers for the military failures and accused them of misusing funds. Parliament authorized a commission of nobles known as the Lords Appellant to take over the kingdom’s management and act as Richard’s regents. Thomas was one of the Lords Appellant. Gradually, Richard II rebuilt his power until 1397 when he reasserted his authority and did away with the Lords Appellant. Thomas conspired with others to depose Richard II, but he was betrayed, arrested for treason, and imprisoned. After he confessed, Thomas died on September 8, 1397, at the age of 42, probably murdered, presumably on the orders of King Richard II.
Unofficial Royalty: Thomas of Woodstock, Duke of Gloucester

January 7, 1536 – Death of Catherine of Aragon, first wife of King Henry VIII of England, at Kimbolton Castle in England; buried at Peterborough Abbey now Peterborough Cathedral in England
After Catherine’s marriage to King Henry VIII was declared null and void in 1533, she was banished from the court. Henry VIII refused her the right to any title but “Dowager Princess of Wales” in recognition of her position as the widow of his brother Arthur, Prince of Wales. Catherine was forbidden to see her daughter Mary. She suffered these indignities with patience and told her women not to curse the new queen Anne Boleyn. Catherine spent most of her time doing needlework and praying. By 1535, with no hope of ever seeing her daughter Mary, Catherine’s health deteriorated and she was taken to Kimbolton Castle. She knew by December 1535 that she would not live much longer. Catherine put her will in order, wrote to her nephew Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor asking him to protect Mary, and wrote her final letter to King Henry VIII. Catherine died on January 7, 1536, at the age of 50. Her daughter Mary was not allowed to attend her funeral.
Unofficial Royalty: Catherine of Aragon, Queen of England


Marie de Hautefort was a close confidante and favorite of King Louis XIII of France. She was also a close friend and prominent member of the household of his wife Queen Anne, the former Anne of Austria. Through her grandmother’s position as a lady-in-waiting to Louis XIII’s mother and wife Marie first met King Louis XIII.  Marie had an on-again, off-again relationship with Louis XIII and his wife Anne, shortly before and then after the death of Louis XIII.  She left the French court permanently in 1644 and married Charles de Schomberg, Duke d’Halluin, a military leader. After her husband’s death, Marie returned permanently to Paris and resumed contact with the Dowager Queen Anne. The two continued to correspond until Queen Anne died in 1666.
Unofficial Royalty: Marie de Hautefort

January 7, 1743 – Death of Anne Sophie Reventlow, Queen of Denmark, mistress, bigamous wife, and then legal wife of King Frederik IV of Denmark and Norway, at Clausholm Castle in Jutland, Denmark; buried in the Trolle Chapel in Roskilde Cathedral in Roskilde, Denmark
After having two previous mistresses, making a bigamous marriage to one, and wanting to make a bigamous marriage with the other, Frederik IV fell in love with 19-year-old Anna Sophie Reventlow after meeting her at a masked ball. He abducted Anna Sophie from her parents’ home and bigamously married her as his wife Queen Louise was still alive. After Queen Louise’s death, Frederik IV and Anna Sophie were married in a second formal wedding conducted with great ceremony. Although the marriage was still scandalous, it was not declared morganatic and Anna Sophie was crowned Queen of Denmark and Norway. Anna Sophie and King Frederik IV had six children who all died in infancy. After the death of King Frederik VI, his son and successor King Christian VI did not follow the instruction in his father’s will to guarantee Anna Sophie’s rights as Queen Dowager. Christian VI’s opinion was that Anna Sophie had taken advantage of his father and that she had caused his family pain and suffering during the years of her open adultery. Christian VI granted Anna Sophie an allowance but confiscated all her property, and banished her to Clausholm Castle, her family home. She was allowed to be styled Queen Anna Sophie but not Queen Anna Sophie of Denmark and Norway or Queen Dowager. Anna Sophie spent the remainder of her life under house arrest at Clausholm Castle and was never granted permission to leave. When Anna Sophie died at the age of 49, Christian VI allowed her to be buried at Roskilde Cathedral, but in the Trolle Chapel which is on the opposite side of the cathedral, far away from his parents’ tombs.
Unofficial Royalty: Anne Sophie Reventlow, Queen of Denmark

January 7, 1768 – Birth of Joseph Bonaparte, King of Spain, King of Naples in Corte on the island of Corsica, now in France
Joseph Bonaparte, the older brother of Napoleon Bonaparte, was King of Naples from 1806 – 1808 and King of Spain from 1808 – 1813 through the machinations of his brother. After the fall of Napoleon, Joseph spent his exile living in Switzerland, the United States (seventeen years total spent in New York City, Philadelphia, and New Jersey, where he had an estate, Point Breeze, in Bordentown, New Jersey, on the Delaware River), London, and the Grand Duchy of Tuscany where he died and is buried.
Unofficial Royalty: Joseph Bonaparte, King of Spain, King of Naples

January 7, 1796 – Birth of Princess Charlotte of Wales, the only child of King George IV of the United Kingdom, at Carlton House in  London, England
Full name: Charlotte Augusta
Had Princess Charlotte of Wales survived her grandfather King George III and her father King George IV, she would have become Queen of the United Kingdom. During her lifetime, Charlotte was second in the line of succession to the British throne after her father. In 1816, Charlotte married Prince Leopold of Saxe-Coburg-Saafeld (after 1826, Prince of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, the uncle of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert and the future Leopold I, King of the Belgians). Sadly, Charlotte died in childbirth after delivering a stillborn son in 1817. Charlotte was mourned by the British people in a manner similar to the mourning of Diana, Princess of Wales. Her pregnancy and delivery had been grossly mismanaged and the doctor in charge, Sir Richard Croft, later died by suicide.
Unofficial Royalty: Princess Charlotte of Wales
Unofficial Royalty: Death of Princess Charlotte of Wales in childbirth and its impact on the succession to the British throne

January 7, 1830 – Death of Carlota Joaquina of Spain, Queen of Portugal, wife of King João VI of Portugal, at Queluz Palace in Lisbon, Portugal, buried at the Monastery of São Vicente de Fora in Lisbon, Portugal
The daughter of Carlos IV, King of Spain, Carlota Joaquina married the future João VI, King of Portugal in 1785. The couple had nine children including two Kings of Portugal and one Queen Consort of Spain. In 1816, Carlota Joaquina’s husband became King of Portugal. In 1824, Carlota Joaquina plotted with her son Miguel to overthrow her husband and place Miguel on the throne. The plot was discovered and King João VI reprimanded his son Miguel, deposed him from command of the army, and exiled him.  Later in the year, another rebellion organized by Carlota Joaquina was discovered and she was placed under house arrest in the Palace of Queluz. In 1826, João VI died and it was suspected that he was poisoned. In 2000, a team of researchers exhumed the ceramic pot that contained João VI’s heart. An analysis of his heart detected enough arsenic to kill two people, confirming suspicions that João VI had been murdered. For the rest of her life, Carlota Joaquina remained confined in the Palace of Queluz, where she died alone and abandoned by her children on January 7, 1830, at the age of 56
Unofficial Royalty: Carlota Joaquina  of Spain, Queen of Portugal

January 7, 1845 – Birth of Ludwig III, King of Bavaria, in Munich, Kingdom of Bavaria, now in Bavaria, Germany
Full name: Ludwig Luitpold Josef Maria Aloys Alfried
Ludwig was the eldest son of Prince Luitpold of Bavaria, son of  King Ludwig I of Bavaria. In 1868, Ludwig married Archduchess Maria Theresia of Austria-Este and the couple had thirteen children. In 1886, Ludwig’s father Prince Luitpold became Prince Regent after his nephew King Ludwig II of Bavaria was declared mentally incompetent. Just days later, King Ludwig II died mysteriously and was succeeded by his brother King Otto. However, Otto was also mentally ill, and the regency continued. Upon his father’s death in 1912, Ludwig succeeded him as Prince Regent for his cousin King Otto. Less than a year later, the Bavarian Parliament passed legislation allowing the Regent to assume the throne himself, provided that the regency was for reasons of incapacity, had lasted more than ten years, and there was no prospect of the Sovereign being able to reign. With overwhelming support from the parliament, Ludwig deposed his cousin and assumed the Bavarian throne as King Ludwig III. On November 13, 1918, he would be the first monarch in the German Empire to be deposed, bringing an end to 738 years of rule by the Wittelsbach dynasty.
Unofficial Royalty: King Ludwig III of Bavaria

January 7, 1890 – Death of Augusta of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, German Empress and Queen of Prussia, wife of Wilhelm I, German Emperor and King of Prussia, at the Altes Palais in Berlin, Kingdom of Prussia, now in Brandenburg, Germany; buried in the mausoleum of Charlottenburg Palace in Berlin
Augusta was the daughter of Karl Friedrich, Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach and Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna of Russia,  and also the granddaughter of Paul I, Emperor of All Russia. In 1828, she married the future Wilhelm I, German Emperor and King of Prussia. The couple had two children including Wilhelm’s (brief) successor Friedrich III, German Emperor and King of Prussia who married Victoria, Princess Royal, Queen Victoria’s eldest daughter. In 1861, Wilhelm became King of Prussia. Augusta was much more interested in politics than many of her predecessors and did not hesitate to voice her opinion. She despised Otto von Bismarck, statesman, diplomat, and the mastermind behind the unification of Germany in 1871, and the feeling was mutual. In 1871, Wilhelm was named the first German Emperor (Kaiser), with Augusta as his Empress (Kaiserin). Augusta founded the National Women’s Association and numerous hospitals and schools throughout Prussia to help those in need. Augusta’s husband died on March 9, 1888, and was succeeded by their son, Friedrich III. Friedrich was terminally ill with throat cancer, died just 99 days later, and was succeeded by his eldest son Wilhelm II, who became the last German Emperor and King of Prussia. Despite having been in ill health for nearly 10 years, Augusta continued to participate in official duties. Shortly after a New Year’s reception in 1890,  she died at the age of 78.
Unofficial Royalty: Augusta of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, German Empress, Queen of Prussia

January 7, 1937 – Wedding of Queen Juliana of the Netherlands and Prince Bernhard of Lippe-Biesterfeld; civil ceremony in The Hague Town Hall in the Netherlands, religious ceremony at  Great Church (St. Jacobskerk) in The Hague
Juliana and Bernhard first met at the 1936 Winter Olympics in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Bavaria, Germany. They became engaged during the summer of 1936 and the engagement was announced to the Dutch public on September 8, 1936. On January 7, 1937, Juliana and Bernhard had a civil ceremony in The Hague Town Hall followed by a religious service at the Great Church (St. Jacobskerk) in The Hague. On the day of his wedding, Bernhard received the title of Prince of the Netherlands. Given Juliana’s position as heir to the Dutch throne, the usual bride’s vow to obey her husband was eliminated from the wedding ceremony. Juliana and Bernhard had four daughters including Juliana’s successor Queen Beatrix.
Unofficial Royalty: Wedding of Juliana of the Netherlands and Bernhard of Lippe-Biesterfeld

January 7, 1950 – Death of Prince Giuseppe of Bourbon-Parma, Titular Duke of Parma in Pianore, near Lucca, Italy
Prince Giuseppe of Bourbon-Parma was the titular Duke of Parma from 1939 until he died in 1950. As he was mentally disabled, his younger brother Elia served as regent.
Unofficial Royalty: Prince Giuseppe of Bourbon-Parma

January 7, 1960 – Death of Prince Ferdinando Pio of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, Duke of Calabria, at Villa Amsee in Lindau, Bavaria, Germany; buried at the Filialkirche St. Peter und Paul in Rieden, Swabia, Germany
Prince Ferdinando Pio, Duke of Calabria was Head of the House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies and pretender to the former throne from 1934 until he died in 1960. His death brought about a dispute between two branches of his extended family, both claiming to be the rightful heir and thus head of the House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies.
Unofficial Royalty: Prince Ferdinando Pio of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, Duke of Calabria

January 7, 1989 – Death of Emperor Shōwa of Japan (Hirohito) at the Fukiage Ōmiya Palace on the grounds of the Imperial Palace in Tokyo, Japan; buried at the Musashi Imperial Graveyard in Hachiōji, Tokyo, Japan
Emperor of Japan for 62 years, Hirohito, now known in Japan by his posthumous name Emperor Shōwa, was born during the reign of his grandfather Emperor Meiji.  After World War II, some believed that Hirohito was chiefly responsible for Japan’s role in the war and others said that he was just a powerless puppet under the influence of Prime Minister Hideki Tōjō who was eventually executed for war crimes. The view promoted by the Japanese Imperial Palace and the American occupation forces immediately after World War II portrayed Emperor Hirohito as a powerless figurehead behaving strictly according to protocol. However, since Hirohito died in 1989, a debate surfaced over the extent of his involvement and his culpability in World War II. In 1924, Hirohito married Princess Nagako Kuni. They had two sons and five daughters including Hirohito’s successor Emperor Akihito. Hirohito was very interested in marine biology and the Imperial Palace contained a laboratory where he worked. He published several scientific papers on the subject and was considered one of the most respected jellyfish experts in the world. In 1987, Emperor Hirohito underwent surgery on his pancreas after several months of digestive problems. The doctors discovered duodenal cancer. Hirohito seemed to recover well after the surgery but a year later, he collapsed. His health deteriorated and he suffered from constant internal bleeding. Emperor Hirohito died on January 7, 1989, at the age of 87.
Unofficial Royalty: Emperor Shōwa of Japan

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Olaf II, King of Denmark/Olav IV, King of Norway

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2025

Olaf II, King of Denmark/Olaf IV, King of Norway; Credit – Wikipedia

Olaf II, King of Denmark from 1376 to 1387, and also Olaf IV, King of Norway from 1380 to 1387, was the only child of two sovereigns, King Haakon VI of Norway and the future Queen Margrethe I of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. He was born in 1370 at the Akershus Fortress in Oslo, Norway. Olaf’s paternal grandparents were Magnus Eriksson, King of Norway and Sweden and Blanche of Namur. His maternal grandparents were Valdemar IV, King of Denmark and Helvig of Schleswig.

Olaf’s very capable mother Margrethe of Denmark, later Queen of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden; Credit – Wikipedia

Olaf’s maternal grandfather Valdemar IV, King of Denmark died on October 24, 1375. Valdemar IV had two sons and four daughters but all had predeceased him except his youngest daughter Margrethe, Olaf’s mother. It was expected that Duke Albert IV of Mecklenburg, the son of Valdemar IV’s eldest child (who survived childhood and had children) Ingeborg of Denmark would claim the Danish throne. However, Margrethe managed to win over the Danish royal council by offering them lucrative grants and agreements. She also won the support of the Hanseatic League, a commercial and defensive network of merchant guilds and market towns in central and northern Europe, which did not want the House of Mecklenburg to gain power in Denmark. On May 3, 1376, five-year-old Olaf was proclaimed King of Denmark with his mother Margrethe acting as Regent of Denmark because of her son’s young age from May 3, 1376, until his early death on August 3, 1387.

A little more than four years later, on September 11, 1380, Olaf’s father King Haakon VI of Norway died. Ten-year-old Olaf was now also King of Norway, and his mother Margrethe was also Regent of Norway. With Olaf’s accession to the throne of Norway, 434 years of a Danish-Norwegian union began. After Olaf, no King of Norway would be born on Norwegian soil for 567 years, until King Harald V, born in 1937, became King of Norway in 1991.

Remains of the tombstone of King Olaf II at Sorø Abbey; Credit – Von Orf3us – Eigenes Werk, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=16134679

On August 3, 1387, at Falsterbohus in Falsterbo, Sweden, Olaf II, King of Denmark/Olaf IV, King of Norway died, aged sixteen years old. He was buried at Sorø Abbey, a Benedictine Abbey on the island of Zealand in Denmark. There were unproven rumors that Olaf was poisoned. In 2015, Jørgen Lange Thomsen, a forensic scientist, proposed a theory Olaf II died from Brugada Syndrome, a genetic disorder. See Copenhagen Post: Mystery of Danish king deaths fosters new theory.

After her son’s death, Margrethe, who had been a very capable Regent of Denmark and Norway, reigned as Queen Margrethe I of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden for twenty-five years. She was the founder of the Kalmar Union in which Denmark, Sweden, and Norway were ruled together under one monarch from 1397 until 1523 when Sweden seceded and became its own kingdom.

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

  • Bidragsytere til Wikimedia-prosjektene. (2005). Konge av Danmark og Norge. Wikipedia.org; Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. https://no.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olav_H%C3%A5konsson
  • Margaret I of Denmark. (2023). Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margaret_I_of_Denmark
  • Wikipedia Contributors. (2024). Olaf II of Denmark. Wikipedia; Wikimedia Foundation. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olaf_II_of_Denmark

Pascua Militar – January 6 – Spain

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2025

King Juan Carlos I (reigned 1975 – 2014, abdicated) inspecting the troops during the 2009 Pascua Militar; Credit – By Fermín R.F. – Pascua Militar – Rey Juan Carlos IUploaded by ecemaml, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6448247

The Pascua Militar is an annual military event that takes place every January 6. It marks the beginning of the military year and Epiphany, a Spanish national and Christian religious holiday that celebrates the visit of the Magi to the Christ Child. Epiphany is also called El Día de Reyes (Three Kings Day) in Spanish-speaking countries.

History

King Carlos III of Spain; Credit – Wikipedia

King Carlos III of Spain (reigned 1759 – 1788) established this holiday to commemorate the recapture from the British of the island of Minorca in the Mediterranean Sea. The recapture was carried out from August 19, 1781 to February 5, 1782 by a French-Spanish fleet of 52 ships and the Spanish Navy Marines.

As a celebration of joy over the victory, King Carlos III ordered the Viceroys, Captain Generals, Governors, and military commanders to gather their forces on January 6, 1783, the Feast of the Epiphany, and offer congratulations on his behalf. Over the years, Pascua Militar has evolved from a historical event to a solemn and important military event, summing up the military events of the previous year and setting the course for the next year. Military decorations given to civilians and members of the Armed Forces are awarded on this day.

What Happens?

The Princess of Asturias, King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia

On January 6, 2024, King Felipe VI, Queen Letizia, and the heir to the throne, Infanta Leonor, The Princess of Asturias presided over the ceremonies related to Pascua Militar. This was the first time Leonor attended the Pascua Militar. She attended not just as the heir to the Spanish throne but also as a member of the Armed Forces. In 2023, after Leonor graduated from the UWC Atlantic College in the Llantwit Major, Wales, she started her military training at the General Military Academy in Zaragoza in preparation for her future role as Spain’s commander-in-chief. In August 2024, Leonor started her naval training at the Naval Military Academy in Marín.

King Felipe VI wore the Lieutenant Colonel Uniform with the Neck Badge of the Order of the Golden Fleece, the Sash of the Royal and Military Order of Saint Hermenegild, and his other honors. The Princess of Asturias wore a uniform with the Badge of the Order of the Golden Fleece and the Sash of the Order of Carlos III.

The Princess of Asturias, Queen Letizia, and King Felipe are greeted by officials. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez is on the left.

The Spanish monarch, his/her spouse, and other royal family members are greeted by the Prime Minister of Spain and the Chiefs of the Spanish Army, the Spanish Air and Space Force, the Spanish Navy, the Spanish Royal Guard, and the Spanish Military Emergencies Unit in the courtyard of the Royal Palace in Madrid.

King Felipe V reviewing the troops

After the Spanish National Anthem and a 21-gun salute, the Spanish monarch reviews the troops in formation accompanied by the Chief of Defense Staff, the Chief of the Military Quarter, and the Chief Colonel of the Royal Guard.

The Princess of Asturias, King Felipe VI, and Queen Letizia greet people in the Throne Room

In the Throne Room of the Royal Palace, the Spanish Monarch awards military honors and then gives a speech. On January 6, 2024, King Felipe VI said:

“This celebration is not just another one for the Crown. It is the 10th Pascua Militar that I have the honor of presiding over and it happily coincides with the fact that for the first time, the Princess of Asturias accompanies us, who, as a Cadet of the General Military Academy, has started her military training plan this year. So along with the Queen and the Princess, and as Supreme Commander, I am happy to convey my congratulations and annual recognition to the members of the Armed Forces and the Civil Guard, to the members of the National Intelligence Center, and to the group of men and women, civil and military, who, in the Ministry or in any field, serve the Defense and National Security. The year 2023 has proven to be a very demanding period, in which, together with the development of the permanent missions with which you ensure the sovereignty and independence of Spain, you have continued to carry out a long list of tasks within the strategic objectives established in international missions. The sincere and deep affection of the Crown towards those of you who are part of the Armed Forces, the Civil Guard, and the National Intelligence Center, because, by offering a life of sacrificial and selfless service to others, you are a good reflection of the nobility of the Spanish people.”

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Works Cited

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