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King Gustav III of Sweden; Credit – Wikipedia

March 29, 1792 – Death of King Gustav III of Sweden at the Royal Palace in Stockholm, Sweden; buried at Riddarholmen Church in Stockholm, Sweden
On March 16, 1792, King Gustav III was shot at a masked ball at the Royal Opera House in Stockholm. King Gustav had not been killed as the conspirators had hoped, and continued functioning as the head of state while he recovered. However, suddenly he weakened, and, as often happened in the days before antibiotics, his wound became infected, and sepsis developed. This life-threatening condition arises when the body’s response to infection causes injury to its own tissues and organs. Giuseppe Verdi’s 1859 opera Un Ballo in Maschera (A Masked Ball) is based on King Gustav III’s assassination and death.
Unofficial Royalty: Assassination of Gustav III, King of Sweden
Unofficial Royalty: King Gustav III of Sweden

March 29, 1832 – Death of Maria Teresa of Austria-Este, Queen of Sardinia, wife of Vittorio Emanuele I, King of Sardinia, in Geneva, Switzerland; buried at the Basilica of Superga in Turin, Kingdom of Sardinia, now in Italy
In 1789, Maria Theresa married the future Vittorio Emanuele I, King of Sardinia. They had six daughters and one son who died in early childhood from smallpox. Their five surviving daughters all married reigning monarchs. In 1802, Maria Theresa’s husband Vittorio Emanuele became King of Sardinia upon the abdication of his brother Carlo Emanuele. In March 1821, liberal revolutions were occurring throughout Italy. However, Vittorio Emanuele I was not willing to grant a liberal constitution, so he abdicated the throne of Sardinia in favor of his brother Carlo Felice. Vittorio Emanuele died in 1824, aged 64. Maria Theresa survived her husband by eight years. She died unexpectedly, aged 58, on March 29, 1832.
Unofficial Royalty: Maria Theresa of Austria-Este, Queen of Sardinia

March 29, 1913 – Death of Heinrich XIV, 4th Prince Reuss of Gera in Schleiz, Principality of Reuss-Gera, now in Thuringia, Germany; buried at the Bergkirche St. Marien, now in Schleiz, Thuringia, Germany
In 1858, Heinrich XIV married Duchess Agnes of Württemberg and they had one son and one daughter. Upon the death of his father Heinrich LXVII, 3rd Prince Reuss of Gera on July 11, 1867, Heinrich XIV became the 4th Prince Reuss of Gera. After Agnes died in 1886, Heinrich XIV made a morganatic marriage to Friederike Graetz, with whom he had one son. In 1902, Heinrich XIV became the Regent of the Principality of Reuss-Greiz. Heinrich XXIV, 6th and last Prince Reuss of Greiz, succeeded his father in 1902 but was unable to rule because of his physical and mental disabilities as a result of an accident in his childhood. Heinrich XIV was the Regent of the Principality of Reuss-Greiz until his death. Heinrich XIV, 4th Prince Reuss of Gera died on March 29, 1913, aged 80.
Unofficial Royalty: Heinrich XIV, 4th Prince Reuss of Gera

March 29, 1956 – Death of Infante Alfonso of Spain at the Villa Giralda in Estoril, Portugal; first buried at the Municipal Cemetery in Cascais, Portugal, in 1992 his remains were transferred to the Royal Crypt of the Monastery of El Escorial in Spain
Fourteen-year-old Infante Alfonso was killed by a gun while in a bedroom with his elder brother, the future King Juan Carlos I of Spain. What happened in that bedroom, who pulled the trigger, and whether or not it was an accident is still unclear.
Unofficial Royalty: Infante Alfonso of Spain

March 29, 1980 – Birth of Hamzah bin Al Hussein, formerly Prince Hamzah of Jordan, son of King Hussein of Jordan and his fourth wife Queen Noor, in Amman, Jordan
Hamzah is the eldest son of King Hussein of Jordan and his fourth wife, Queen Noor (the former Lisa Halaby). Upon their father’s death in 1999, Hamzah was named Crown Prince by his elder half-brother, the new King Abdullah II, per their father’s wishes. However, on November 28, 2004, King Abdullah removed the title of Crown Prince. In a public letter, he said that … “Your holding this symbolic position has restrained your freedom and hindered our entrusting you with certain responsibilities that you are fully qualified to undertake.”  A few years later, King Abdullah II named his son Hussein Crown Prince of Jordan. In April 2021, Hamzah was accused of trying to mobilize tribal leaders against the government.  He was placed under house arrest and was ordered to stop actions that could be used to target the country’s “security and stability”. On April 3, 2022, Hamzah renounced his title of Prince of Jordan.
Unofficial Royalty: Hamzah bin Al Hussein

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Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany; Credit – Wikipedia

March 28, 1654 – Birth of Sophie Amalie Moth, mistress of King Christian V of Denmark and Norway, in Copenhagen, Denmark
Sophie Amalie was recognized as Christian’s official mistress and was created Countess of Samsøe. Christian V and Sophie Amalie had six children who were all publicly acknowledged. Following the practice of his grandfather and father, Christian also gave his illegitimate children the surname Gyldenløve, which means Golden Love. All the children also had Christian or Christiane among their names in honor of their royal father. The current Danish noble family of the Danneskiold-Samsøe descends from the eldest son of Sophie Amalie and King Christian V.
Unofficial Royalty: Sophie Amalie Moth, Mistress of King Christian V of Denmark and Norway

March 28, 1655 – Death of Maria Eleonora of Brandenburg, Queen of Sweden, wife of King Gustav II Adolf of Sweden, at Nyköping, Sweden; buried at Riddarholmen Church in Stockholm, Sweden
In 1620, Maria Eleonora married King Gustavus II Adolphus the Great of Sweden. Gustavus Adolphus is considered one of the greatest military commanders in history and made Sweden a great power, one of Europe’s largest and leading nations during the early modern period. Although Maria Eleonora’s husband Gustavus Adolphus was successful in many endeavors, he did not provide a male heir.  Gustavus Adolphus was killed at the Battle of Lützen on November 16, 1632. His only surviving child was six-year-old Christina, Queen of Sweden, who succeeded her father but never married,  abdicated, subsequently converted to Roman Catholicism, and moved to Rome. Already suffering from mental issues, Maria Eleonora’s grief was quite painful, and her mental issues worsened considerably after her husband died in battle. Her young daughter’s regency government feared that Maria Eleonora’s mental instability would adversely influence the young Queen Christina. They decided to separate mother and daughter, and Maria Eleonora was sent away from court. Years later, she was able to return to court, and Nyköping Castle was granted to her as a residence by order of her daughter. Maria Eleanora survived her husband by twenty-three years, dying at the age of 55, on March 28, 1655, shortly after the abdication of her daughter Queen Christina.
Unofficial Royalty: Maria Eleonora of Brandenburg, Queen of Sweden

March 28, 1709 – Birth of Count Alexei Grigorievich Razumovsky, lover of Elizabeth, Empress of All Russia, in Chernihiv, Russian Empire, now in Ukraine
Alexei’s singing brought him to the Russian court of Elizabeth, Empress of All Russia, where he joined the Court Choir. His beautiful singing and good looks earned him the interest of Tsesarevna Elizabeth Petrovna, daughter of Peter I (the Great), Emperor of All Russia, the future Elizabeth, Empress of All Russia  In 1732, Elizabeth made Alexei a member of the choir in her private chapel. Soon, he had a room near her apartments. Alexei’s personality qualities made him a good choice to be Elizabeth’s favorite and lover. He was a simple and decent person and well-liked for his kindness, good nature, and tact. He had no ambition and never interfered in politics.
Unofficial Royalty: Count Alexei Grigorievich Razumovsky, lover of Elizabeth, Empress of All Russia

March 28, 1743 – Death of Karl Friedrich, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen in Meiningen, Duchy of  Saxe-Meiningen now in Thuringia, Germany; buried at the Castle Church at Elisabethenburg Palace in Meiningen
Karl Friedrich and his elder brothers were both underage when they became the reigning Duke, and so their uncles Friedrich Wilhelm and Anton Ulrich oversaw the running of the duchy. Karl Friedrich’s brother Ernst Ludwig II died in 1729, and Karl Friedrich became the reigning Duke. Despite his uncles’ guardianship ending in 1733 when Karl Friedrich reached his majority, he continued to leave the daily running of the duchy to his uncles and court officials. In poor health, he was unable to walk, had to be carried and driven everywhere, and had little interest in anything that required responsibility. Never married, Karl Friedrich died on March 28, 1743, at the age of 31.
Unofficial Royalty: Karl Friedrich, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen

March 28, 1785 – Birth of Prince Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha in Coburg, Duchy of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, now in Bavaria, Germany
Full name: Ferdinand Georg August
Ferdinand was the uncle of both Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. Although Ferdinand remained Lutheran, he married the wealthy Catholic Princess Maria Antonia Koháry de Csábrág et Szitnya with the condition that they would raise their children Catholic. He was the father of King Ferdinand II of Portugal, the grandfather of Tsar Ferdinand I of Bulgaria, and the founder of the Catholic cadet branch of the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.
Unofficial Royalty: Prince Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha

March 28, 1835 – Death of Auguste de Beauharnais, 2nd Duke of Leuchtenberg, first husband of Queen Maria II of Portugal, at the Palace of Necessidades in Lisbon, Portugal; buried at Monastery of São Vicente de Fora in Lisbon, Portugal
Auguste was the eldest son of Eugène de Beauharnais and Princess Augusta of Bavaria, a daughter of King Maximilian I of Bavaria. Auguste’s father Eugène was the son of the French Empress Joséphine from her first marriage, and therefore a stepson of Napoleon I, Emperor of the French. In January 1835, Auguste married Queen Maria II of Portugal. Sadly, their marriage was to be very short-lived. On March 20, 1835, Auguste complained of a sore throat but refused to see a doctor. By March 23, 1835, his condition worsened, and he finally consented to see a doctor. Within days, his condition became extremely grave, doctors told the family there was no hope, and Auguste was given the last rites. Auguste died on March 28, 1835, at the age of 24, most likely from diphtheria.
Unofficial Royalty: Auguste de Beauharnais, 2nd Duke of Leuchtenberg

March 28, 1841- Birth of Prince Alfonso of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, Count of Caserta, Head of the House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies and pretender to the former throne, in Caserta, Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, now in Italy
Full name: Alfonso Maria Giuseppe Alberto
Prince Alfonso of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, Count of Caserta, was a younger half-brother of King Francesco II, the last reigning King of the Two Sicilies. Upon Francesco’s death in 1894, Alfonso became Head of the House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies and pretender to the former throne.
Unofficial Royalty: Prince Alfonso of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, Count of Caserta

March 28, 1846 – Birth of Heinrich XXII, 5th Prince Reuss of Greiz in Greiz, Principality of Reuss-Greiz now in Thuringia, Germany
When Heinrich XXII was thirteen-years-old, his father Heinrich XX, 4th Prince of Reuss of Greiz died. He then succeeded his father as the 5th Prince Reuss of Greiz. Heinrich XXII’s mother Caroline Amalie was Regent of the Principality of Reuss-Greiz from 1859 until 1867. In 1872, Heinrich XXII married Princess Ida of Schaumburg-Lippe, and they had one son and five daughters, including Princess Hermine Reuss of Greiz, the second wife of the former German Emperor and King of Prussia, Wilhelm II. Heinrich XXII, 5th Prince of Reuss of Greiz died from heart disease on April 19, 1902, aged 56, in Greiz, Principality of Reuss-Greiz. Heinrich XXII’s disabled son Heinrich XXIV succeeded him nominally as the 6th Prince Reuss of Greiz. However, two regents from the House of Reuss-Gera (also called the Younger Line) successively ruled the Principality of Reuss-Greiz for the disabled Heinrich XXIV: Heinrich XIV, 4th Prince Reuss of Gera from 1901 – 1913, and then his son Heinrich XXVII, 5th and last Prince Reuss of Gera from 1913 – 1918, when the monarchy was abolished in 1918 at the end of World War I.
Unofficial Royalty: Heinrich XXII, 5th Prince Reuss of Greiz

March 28, 1884 – Death of Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany, son of Queen Victoria, at Villa Nevada in Cannes, France; buried in the Albert Memorial Chapel at St. George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle in Windsor, England
Prince Leopold was the eighth of the nine children and the fourth and youngest son of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. Leopold was described as delicate from a very early age. It soon became apparent that he suffered from the genetic disease hemophilia. He was the first of the nine hemophiliacs among Queen Victoria’s descendants. In 1882, Leopold married Princess Helena of Waldeck-Pyrmont. The couple had a son and a daughter. Leopold and Helena are the great-grandparents of Carl XVI Gustaf, the current King of Sweden. Unfortunately, Leopold and Helena’s marriage was short-lived. In early 1884, Leopold’s doctors recommended that he spend the winter in Cannes, France, which he had done before. At the time, Helena was expecting her second child. On March 27, 1884, Leopold slipped and fell on the staircase at Villa Nevada, the private home where he was staying in Cannes, injuring his knee and hitting his head. He died early in the morning of March 28, 1884, of a cerebral hemorrhage, his injuries exacerbated by his hemophilia. He was 31 years old.
Unofficial Royalty: Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany
Unofficial Royalty: Hemophilia in Queen Victoria’s Descendants

March 28, 1896 – Birth of Nadejda Mikhailovna de Torby, Marchioness of Milford Haven, daughter of Grand Duke Mikhail Mikhailovich of Russia, wife of George Mountbatten, 2nd Marquess of Milford Haven, in Cannes, France
Nadejda was the daughter of Grand Duke Mikhail Mikhailovich of Russia, a grandson of Nicholas I, Emperor of All Russia, and his morganatic wife Countess Sophie von Merenberg. As her parents’ marriage was morganatic, her father was stripped of his position at the Imperial Court and banished from Russia for the rest of his life. By the time she was four years old, Nadejda’s family had settled in England, but they also spent part of the year at their villa in Cannes, France. The family became prominent members of British society and developed friendships with several members of the British Royal Family. Through these friendships, Nadejda met her future husband, Prince George of Battenberg, later 2nd Marquess of Milford Haven, and the uncle of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. Nadejda and George married in 1916 and had two children. Nadejda was widowed when her husband succumbed to bone marrow cancer in 1938. She survived her husband by twenty-five years, dying at the age of 67.
Unofficial Royalty: Nadejda Mikhailovna de Torby, Marchioness of Milford Haven

March 28, 1901 – Birth of Crown Princess Märtha of Norway, wife of Crown Prince Olav of Norway (after her death, King Olav V of Norway), born Princess Märtha of Sweden at the Palace of the Hereditary Prince in Stockholm, Sweden
Full name: Märtha Sofia Lovisa Dagmar Thyra
The granddaughter of both King Oscar II of Sweden and King Frederik VIII of Denmark, Märtha married her first cousin, Crown Prince Olav of Norway. They had two daughters and one son, King Harald V, the current King of Norway. During World War II, when the Germans invaded Norway, Märtha and her children fled to her native Sweden, and then to the United States, where she developed a close friendship with President Franklin Roosevelt. Märtha and her children were often included in public and private functions at the White House. After World War II, she suffered from ill health and died in 1954 following a long battle with cancer. Her husband became King Olav V in 1957 until he died in 1991, when their son, King Harald V, became King of Norway.
Unofficial Royalty: Princess Märtha of Sweden, Crown Princess of Norway

March 28, 1910 – Birth of Princess Ingrid of Sweden, wife of King Frederick IX of Denmark, mother of Queen Margrethe II of Denmark, at the Royal Palace in Stockholm, Sweden
Full name: Ingrid Victoria Sofia Louise Margareta
A great-granddaughter of Queen Victoria, Ingrid was the only daughter of the future King Gustav VI Adolf of Sweden and his first wife Princess Margaret of Connaught. In 1935, she married the future King Frederik IX of Denmark. The couple had three daughters, including Queen Margrethe II of Denmark. As Queen, Ingrid reformed outdated practices at court and created a more relaxed atmosphere. She was interested in gardening and art, and after researching the original appearance of Gråsten Palace, she oversaw the renovations there. Queen Ingrid died in 2000 at the age of 90, surrounded by her three daughters and her ten grandchildren.
Unofficial Royalty: Princess Ingrid of Sweden, Queen of Denmark

March 28, 1965 – Death of Mary, Princess Royal, Countess of Harewood, daughter of King George V of the United Kingdom, at Harewood House in Leeds, Yorkshire, England; buried at All Saints Church in Harewood, West Yorkshire, England
Mary was the only daughter of King George V and Queen Mary and the paternal aunt of Queen Elizabeth II. In 1922, Mary married the future Henry Lascelles, 6th Earl of Harewood, and the couple had two sons. Mary continued to carry out engagements during the reigns of her brother King George VI and her niece Queen Elizabeth II.  After her husband died in 1947, Mary lived at Harewood House with her elder son George, the 7th Earl of Harewood, and his family. On March 28, 1965, Mary went for a walk with her elder son George and two of her grandsons on the grounds of Harewood House. She stumbled and fell, and her son helped her to a seat while his sons ran back to the house to get help. Before help arrived, Mary died peacefully in her son’s arms from a heart attack at the age of 67.
Unofficial Royalty: Mary, Princess Royal, Countess of Harewood

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Marguerite de Valois, Queen of France; Credit – Wikipedia

March 27, 1482 – Death of Mary, Duchess of Burgundy (in her own right) at Wijnendale Castle, Flanders, now in the Netherlands, after falling from her horse; buried in the Church of Our Lady in Bruges, now in Belgium
Mary married Archduke Maximilian of Austria from the Habsburg dynasty, who became Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I after her death. Their son Philip the Handsome succeeded his mother as Philip IV, Duke of Burgundy, and became King Philip I of Castile through his marriage to Queen Joanna of Castile and Aragon, the daughter of Queen Isabella I of Castile and King Ferdinand II of Aragon. Mary’s lands eventually became part of the Habsburg Empire. Despite being pregnant, Mary participated in a hunt in the woods near Wijnendale Castle in Flanders, Duchy of Burgundy, now in Belgium. Mary was an experienced rider, holding her falcon in one hand and the reins in the other. However, her horse stumbled over a tree stump while jumping over a newly dug canal. The saddle belt under the horse’s belly broke, causing Mary to fall out of the saddle and into the canal with the horse on top of her. Mary was seriously injured and died several weeks later from internal injuries.
Unofficial Royalty: Mary, Duchess of Burgundy, Archduchess of Austria

March 27, 1615 – Death of Marguerite de Valois, Queen of France, daughter of King Henri II of France, first wife of King Henri IV of France, at the Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye in France; buried at the Basilica of Saint-Denis near Paris, France
Marguerite was the daughter of King Henri II of France and Catherine de’ Medici. In 1572, Marguerite married King Henri III of Navarre, later King Henri IV of France, the first king of the House of Bourbon. Just days after the wedding, the St. Bartholomew’s Day massacre, in which thousands of French Protestant Huguenots were killed, took place. Marguerite is alleged to have hidden several prominent Huguenots, as well as her new husband, to keep them safe from certain death. When her brother, King Henri III, died without an heir, the throne passed to Marguerite’s husband, the senior agnatic heir of King Louis IX of France. Henri IV needed a male heir, and his marriage to Marguerite had produced no children. He began negotiations with Marguerite to have their marriage annulled. After several years, the marriage was formally dissolved in 1599. Marguerite retained her title as Queen of France. She died on March 27, 1615, aged 61.
Unofficial Royalty: Marguerite de Valois, Queen of France

March 27, 1625 – Death of King James I of England/James VI, King of Scots at Theobold’s Park in Hertfordshire, England; buried at Westminster Abbey in London, England
When James was 11 months old, Protestant rebels arrested his Catholic mother, Mary, Queen of Scots, and forced her to abdicate in favor of her son James who reigned as James VI, King of Scots. James’ parents, Mary, Queen of Scots and Henry Stewart, Lord Darnley, were both grandchildren of Margaret Tudor, daughter of King Henry VII of England and sister of King Henry VIII of England, therefore, James had a claim on the English throne. Since none of the children of Henry VIII had children, James was the senior heir of Henry VII through his eldest daughter Margaret Tudor. In 1589, James married Anne of Denmark. They had seven children, but only three survived childhood, including King Charles I of England and Elizabeth, whose daughter Sophia of Hanover became heiress presumptive to the British throne under the Act of Settlement 1701. Sophia’s son was King George I of Great Britain.  On her deathbed, Queen Elizabeth I gave her assent that James should succeed her. In March 1625, James became ill with a recurring fever and then suffered a stroke. He died on March 27, 1625, aged 58.
Unofficial Royalty: King James I of England

March 27, 1714 – Death of Charlotte Amalie of Hesse-Kassel, Queen of Denmark and Norway, wife of King Christian V of Denmark and Norway, at Charlottenborg Palace in Copenhagen, Denmark; buried at Roskilde Cathedral in Roskilde, Denmark
In 1667, Charlotte Amalie married the future King Christian V of Denmark and Norway, and the couple had seven children. Charlotte Amalie’s husband succeeded his father in 1670. During King Christian V’s reign, colonies were established in the Caribbean. The islands of Saint Thomas, Saint John, Saint Croix, and Water Island were originally a Danish colonies, the Danish West Indies.  The city of Charlotte Amalie, on the island of St. Thomas, was named after Christian V’s wife. Denmark sold the islands to the United States in 1917 and now they are known as the United States Virgin Islands, and Charlotte Amalie is now the capital. King Christian V died in 1699 and was succeeded by his son King Frederik IV. On March 27, 1714, Charlotte Amalie, Queen of Denmark and Norway, aged 63, died of scarlet fever after being ill for six days.
Unofficial Royalty: Charlotte Amalie of Hesse-Kassel, Queen of Denmark and Norway

March 27, 1785 – Birth of Louis-Charles, Dauphin of France, titular King Louis XVII of France, son of King Louis XVI of France and pretender to the throne after his father’s execution, at the Palace of Versailles in France
Full name: Louis-Charles
Born in splendor at the Palace of Versailles, Louis-Charles died from tuberculosis at the age of ten, imprisoned at the Temple, the remains of a medieval fortress in Paris, after seeing his father Louis XVI, his mother Marie Antoinette, and his aunt Elisabeth led off to be beheaded. Of all the royal prisoners in the Temple, Louis-Charles’ sister Marie-Thérèse was the only one to survive.
Unofficial Royalty: Louis-Charles, Dauphin of France – Titular King Louis XVII of France

March 27, 1837 – Death of Maria Fitzherbert, mistress and morganatic wife of King George IV of the United Kingdom, at her home Steine House in Brighton, England; buried at the Church of St. John the Baptist in Brighton, England
Maria Fitzherbert was the mistress of The Prince of Wales (later King George IV of the United Kingdom) from 1784 until 1794 and again from 1798 until 1807. The couple married secretly in 1785, however, the marriage was not considered legal as it had not received the approval of the Sovereign as required under the Royal Marriages Act. The Prince became King George IV in 1820, and during his 10-year reign, the two only saw each other occasionally in social settings, but both remained in each other’s thoughts. When George died in June 1830, he was succeeded by his brother. The new King William IV was always very gracious and welcoming toward Maria and continued to provide her annual pension. King William IV reportedly offered her a dukedom, but she declined. Maria did ask his permission to dress in widow’s weeds and to allow her servants to dress in royal livery, both of which the King quickly agreed to. Maria outlived George IV by nearly seven years, dying on March 27, 1837, aged 80.
Unofficial Royalty: Maria Fitzherbert, mistress and morganatic wife of King George IV of the United Kingdom

March 27, 1854 – Assassination of Carlo III, Duke of Parma in Parma, Duchy of Parma, now in Italy;  buried at the Chapel of the Villa Borbone now in Viareggio, Italy
Carlo’s father was in financial difficulty, so he decided to marry his son to a princess with a large dowry. The chosen bride was Louise Marie Therese of France, the granddaughter of King Charles X of France. Carlo and Louise Therese Marie were married in 1847 and had four children.  Carlo became Duke of Parma upon the abdication in 1849 of his very unpopular father Carlo II Ludovico. Carlo III, Duke of Parma reigned for only five years and was assassinated for his authoritarian policies. His six-year-old son Roberto became Duke of Parma with his mother as regent, but he had a short reign. In 1859, the Duchy of Parma was abolished during the Italian unification movement. It was merged with the Kingdom of Sardinia as part of the unification of Italy. In 1861, Vittorio Emanuele II, King of Sardinia was proclaimed the first King of the new, united Kingdom of Italy.
Unofficial Royalty: Carlo III, Duke of Parma

March 27, 1879 – Death of Prince Waldemar of Prussia, grandson of Queen Victoria, at the Neues Palais in Potsdam, Kingdom of Prussia, now in Brandenburg, Germany; originally buried at Friedenskirche in Potsdam, the remains of Waldemar and his brother Sigismund were later transferred to the Kaiser Friedrich Mausoleum at the Friedenskirche where their parents were buried.
Prince Waldemar was the son of Victoria, Princess Royal and Friedrich III, German Emperor. His birth came 20 months after the tragic death of his 21-month-old brother Sigismund from meningitis. Waldemar quickly took the place of his mother’s favorite son, previously held by his deceased brother Sigismund. Vicky hoped Waldemar would be everything that his elder brothers Wilhelm and Heinrich were not. Sadly, Waldemar died of diphtheria at age 11, three months after his maternal aunt Princess Alice and her daughter Princess May died from the same disease. A favorite royal story involved Waldemar: When Waldemar’s family was visiting his grandmother Queen Victoria, she was working on some papers in her room. She looked up and saw a small crocodile staring at her. Naturally, she screamed and all within hearing came running.  Waldemar had let Bob, his pet crocodile, out of his box.  In fits of laughter, Waldemar retrieved his crocodile, and order was restored.
Unofficial Royalty: Prince Waldemar of Prussia

March 27, 1883 – Death of John Brown, personal attendant and favorite of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom, at Windsor Castle in Windsor, England; buried in the cemetery at Crathie Kirk near Balmoral in Scotland
John Brown served Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom as a ghillie at Balmoral (Scottish outdoor servant) from 1849 – 1861 and a personal attendant from 1861 – 1883. Prince Albert’s untimely death in 1861 was a shock from which Queen Victoria never fully recovered. In 1864, Victoria’s personal physician, Sir William Jenner, ordered that she ride all winter. Victoria refused to be accompanied by a stranger, so John Brown was summoned to Osborne House on the Isle of Wight with Victoria’s Highland pony. His duties soon encompassed more than leading a horse. Brown became known as “the Queen’s Highland Servant,” who took his orders exclusively from the Queen. From then on, until his death nearly twenty years later, Brown was never far from Victoria’s side. There were rumors of a romance and a secret marriage, and Victoria was called Mrs. Brown. Brown treated the queen in a rough and familiar but kind manner, which she relished. In return, Brown was allowed many privileges, infuriating Victoria’s family. In March 1883, John Brown worked seven-day weeks despite having a fever and chills. On March 27, 1883, at Windsor Castle, 56-year-old John Brown fell into a coma and died. The cause of death was erysipelas, a streptococcal infection. He was buried in the cemetery at Crathie Kirk near Balmoral, next to his parents and some of his siblings. The inscription on his gravestone shows the affection between him and Queen Victoria.
Unofficial Royalty: John Brown, Personal Attendant and Favorite of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom

March 27, 2023 – Birth of Prince François of Luxembourg, son of Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume of Luxembourg, at the Grand Duchess  Charlotte Maternity Hospital in Luxembourg City, Luxembourg
François is the second of the two sons of Prince Guillaume, Hereditary Grand Duke of Luxembourg, and is third in the line of succession to the throne of Luxembourg after his father and his elder brother.
Unofficial Royalty: Prince François of Luxembourg

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Sophia Dorothea of Hanover, Queen of Prussia; Credit – Wikipedia

March 26, 1662 – Birth of Marie Louise of Orléans, first wife of King Carlos II of Spain, at the Palais-Royal in Paris, France
The daughter of Philippe I, Duke of Orléans and Henrietta of England, and the granddaughter of King Charles I of England and King Louis XIII of France, Marie Louise married Carlos II, King of Spain in 1679. Carlos II was from the House of Habsburg, which ruled over Austria, Spain, and their many territories, and was notorious for its inbreeding. Carlos suffered from physical and mental developmental disabilities. His very pronounced Habsburg jaw was so severe that he swallowed his food without thoroughly chewing. Marie Louise and Carlos’ childless marriage lasted ten years. After taking a ride on horseback, Marie Louise began to feel strong pain in her stomach. She died the next day, aged 26, on February 12, 1689, at the Royal Alcázar of Madrid in Spain. Although many reasons were considered as causes of Marie Louise’s death including poison, it is most likely that she died from appendicitis, a fatal infection until the mid-nineteenth century, when the advent of anesthesia and new surgical techniques allowed for successful appendectomies.
Unofficial Royalty: Marie Louise of Orléans, Queen of Spain

March 26, 1676 – Death of Johanna Beatrix von Dietrichstein, Princess of Liechtenstein, wife of her maternal uncle Karl Eusebius, Prince of Liechtenstein, in Brno, Moravia, now in the Czech Republic; buried in the Old Crypt at Chuch of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary in Vranov, Moravia, now in the Czech Republic
The daughter of Maximilian, 2nd Prince of Dietrichstein, Baron of Hollenburg, Finkenstein, and Thalberg and his first wife Princess Anna Maria of Liechtenstein, Johanna Beatrix married her thirty-three-year-old maternal uncle Karl Eusebius, Prince of Liechtenstein in 1644. The couple had nine children. Karl Eusebius began to invest in a personal art collection and became one of the preeminent Central European art collectors of his time. He laid the foundation for the Liechtenstein Museum, formerly a private art museum in Vienna, Austria. Johanna Beatrix predeceased Karl Eusebius, dying at the age of fifty, on March 26, 1676, in Brno, Moravia, now in the Czech Republic.
Unofficial Royalty: Johanna Beatrix von Dietrichstein, Princess of Liechtenstein

March 26, 1687 – Birth of Sophia Dorothea of Hanover, Queen of Prussia, daughter of the future King George I of Great Britain, wife of King Friedrich Wilhelm I of Prussia, in Hanover, Principality of Callenberg now in Lower Saxony, Germany
Sophia Dorothea was eight years old when her disgraced mother was divorced and banished for the rest of her life. She was raised by her paternal grandmother Sophia, Electress of Hanover at Herrenhausen, the Hanover home. She married her first cousin, Crown Prince Friedrich Wilhelm of Prussia, son of Friedrich, King I of Prussia. Sophia Dorothea and Friedrich Wilhelm had met as children as they shared a grandmother, Sophia, Electress of Hanover, and they had disliked each other ever since. Their interests were very different, and Friedrich Wilhelm contemplated divorcing Sophia Dorothea the same year they were married, but nothing ever came of it. Sophia Dorothea became Queen of Prussia in 1713 when her husband acceded to the Prussian throne.
Unofficial Royalty: Sophia Dorothea of Hanover, Queen of Prussia

March 26, 1819 – Birth of Prince George, 2nd Duke of Cambridge, son of Prince Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge, at Cambridge House in the Kingdom of Hanover, now in Lower Saxony, where his father was serving as Viceroy of Hanover
Full name: George William Frederick Charles
George was a male-line grandson of King George III, a first cousin of Queen Victoria, and the maternal uncle of Mary of Teck, the wife of King George V. He was born amidst the race for an heir to the British throne in the third generation. The death of Princess Charlotte of Wales in childbirth in 1817 left King George III without any legitimate grandchildren. Prince George was born two months before the eventual heir, Alexandrina Victoria (Queen Victoria), who was ahead of her cousin in the line of succession by being the child of King George III’s fourth son. George was the son of King George III’s seventh son. In 1847, George married actress Louisa Fairbrother in contravention of the 1772 Royal Marriages Act. The three children born of the marriage were considered illegitimate, and Louisa was not styled and titled as befitted the wife of George. Instead, Louisa was first known as Mrs. Fairbrother and later as Mrs. FitzGeorge, and her existence was ignored by his first cousin, Queen Victoria.
Unofficial Royalty: Prince George, 2nd Duke of Cambridge

March 26, 1826 – Birth of Elisabeth of Saxe-Altenburg, Grand Duchess of Oldenburg, wife of Peter II, Grand Duke of Oldenburg, in Hildburghausen, Duchy of  Saxe-Hildburghausen, now in Thuringia, Germany
Full name: Elisabeth Pauline Alexandrine
In 1852, Elisabeth married the future Peter II, Grand Duke of Oldenburg, and they had two sons. As Grand Duchess, Elisabeth oversaw the establishment of the Elisabeth Children’s Hospital and was the patron of numerous charities and organizations focused on the well-being of children and the less fortunate. Much of this was done through her Elisabeth Foundation, established at the time of her marriage using funds given by her father. Elisabeth died on February 2, 1896, at the age of 70.
Unofficial Royalty: Elisabeth of Saxe-Altenburg, Grand Duchess of Oldenburg

March 26, 1868 – Birth of King Fuad I of Egypt, born Ahmed Fuad at the Giza Palace in Cairo, Egypt
Ahmed Fuad was Sultan of Egypt from 1917 until 1922, when Egypt gained its independence from the United Kingdom. He became King Fuad I of Egypt on March 15, 1922, and reigned until his death in April 1936. His full title was King of Egypt and Sovereign of Nubia, the Sudan, Kordofan and Darfur.
Unofficial Royalty: King Fuad I of Egypt

March 26, 1936 – Death of Adolf II, former Prince of Schaumburg-Lippe and his wife in an airplane crash in Zumpango, Mexico; buried in the mausoleum in the park of Schloss Bückeburg in Bückeburg, Germany
Adolf was the last reigning Prince of Schaumberg-Lippe, abdicating on November 15, 1918. He and his wife, actress Elisabeth Franziska (Ellen) von Bischoff-Korthaus, died in an airplane crash in Zumpango, Mexico. Adolf and Ellen were killed along with eight other passengers from Germany, Austria, and Hungary, and four crew members. Their plane developed engine trouble and crashed between the volcanoes Popocatepetl and Ixtaccihuatl as they were flying from Mexico City, Mexico to Guatemala City, Guatemala.
Unofficial Royalty: Adolf II, Prince of Schaumburg-Lippe
Unofficial Royalty: Ellen Bischoff-Korthaus, Princess of Schaumburg-Lippe

March 26, 1949 – Birth of Margareta of Romania, Custodian of the Romanian Crown, in Lausanne, Switzerland
Margareta, Custodian of the Romanian Crown is the eldest daughter of King Miha (Michael) I of Romania, who was forced to sign a document of abdication by the Communist regime and then was forced to leave Romania. Margareta has claimed the headship of the House of Romania since her father died in 2017 and is formally styled as Her Majesty Margareta, Custodian of the Romanian Crown.
Unofficial Royalty: Margareta of Romania, Custodian of the Romanian Crown 

March 26, 1982 – Birth of Crown Prince Leka II of the Albanians, pretender to the throne of Albania, at Sandton Clinic in Johannesburg, South Africa
Leka is the current claimant to the former throne of Albania. He is the only child of Crown Prince Leka I of the Albanians, who was also the claimant to the throne of Albania. In 2002, the Royal Family returned to Albania at the invitation of the Albanian government. Upon his father’s death in 2011, Leka became the Pretender to the former Albanian throne. In 2016, Leka married Elia Zaharia, an Albanian actress and singer, and the couple had one daughter. In 2024, Leka and Elia were divorced.
Unofficial Royalty: Crown Prince Leka II of Albania

March 26, 2015 – Remains of King Richard III of England reburied at Leicester Cathedral in England
After his death at the Battle of Bosworth Field, Richard III was buried at  Greyfriars Abbey, a Franciscan abbey in Leicester, England. During the Dissolution of the Monasteries, during the reign of King Henry VIII, the abbey church in Leicester, along with Richard’s burial place, was destroyed. In 1975, an article was published in the society’s journal suggesting that Richard’s remains were buried under the Leicester City Council’s parking lot (car park). In 2012, excavation began, and soon skeletal remains were found. The DNA from a direct descendant of Richard’s sister Anne of York and a direct maternal line descendant matched the mitochondrial DNA extracted from the remains. This confirmed that the remains were those of Richard III. The remains of Richard III were reburied at Leicester Cathedral on March 26, 2015. Three members of the Royal Family, The Countess of Wessex (now The Duchess of Edinburgh) and The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, attended the reburial. It was fitting that the Duke of Gloucester attended the reburial as his name is also Richard and Richard III was also a Duke of Gloucester. The Duke of Gloucester is the Patron of The Richard III Society.
Unofficial Royalty: King Richard III of England
Unofficial Royalty: Richard III – Lost and Found

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King Frederik I of Sweden; Credit – Wikipedia

March 25, 1739 – Birth of Prince Edward of Wales, Duke of York and Albany, son of Frederick, Prince of Wales and the brother of King George III of the United Kingdom, at Norfolk House, St. James’s Square in London, England
Full name: Edward Augustus
Edward was the second of the five sons of Frederick, Prince of Wales (who predeceased his father King George II), and held a high place in the line of succession to the British throne for his entire life. In 1760, when Edward’s brother succeeded to the throne as King George III, Edward was named a privy counselor and was the heir presumptive to the British throne until the birth of the future King George IV in 1762. Edward was destined for a career in the Royal Navy, a short career due to his early death. In 1767, while serving in the Mediterranean, Edward became ill. He was taken to Monaco, the nearest port. Despite the care arranged by Honoré III, Prince of Monaco, 28-year-old Edward died at the Prince’s Palace in Monaco on September 17, 1767.
Unofficial Royalty: Prince Edward of Wales, Duke of York and Albany

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

March 25, 1921 – Birth of Alexandra of Greece, Queen of Yugoslavia, daughter of King Alexander of Greece, wife of King Peter II of Yugoslavia, in Athens, Greece
Alexandra was the posthumous child of King Alexander of Greece who had died five months before her birth from septicemia caused by an infected monkey bite, and Aspasia Manos. In 1944, she married King Peter II of Yugoslavia who was living in exile in London, England, and the couple had one son. The following year, the Yugoslav monarchy was abolished and King Peter II was formally deposed. The marriage was increasingly strained, with constant struggles to find sources of income and Peter’s numerous affairs. Alexandra and Peter eventually went their separate ways. He settled permanently in the United States while she returned to her mother’s home in Venice, Italy. After the death of her mother, Alexandra moved to the United Kingdom and would live there until her death, from cancer at the age of 72.
Unofficial Royalty: Alexandra of Greece, Queen of Yugoslavia

March 25, 1949 – Death of Prince August Wilhelm of Prussia, son of Wilhelm II, German Emperor, in Stuttgart, Germany; buried in the family cemetery of the Princes of Hohenlohe-Langenburg in Langenburg, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany
August Wilhelm was the son of Wilhelm II, German Emperor and King of Prussia and Princess Augusta Viktoria of Schleswig-Holstein. In 1908, August Wilhelm married his first cousin, Princess Alexandra Viktoria of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg. The marriage ended 12 years later, and August Wilhelm was given full custody of their son. August Wilhelm became involved with the Nazi Party, much to the dislike of his family. After World War II, he was arrested by US forces for being a Nazi. In 1948, August Wilhelm was sentenced to 2-½ years of hard labor but was considered to have already served his sentence and he was released. However, just after his release, new charges were filed and another arrest warrant was issued from a court in Potsdam, East Germany, which was now in the Soviet zone. He was never physically arrested because he soon became seriously ill and died.
Unofficial Royalty: Prince August Wilhelm of Prussia

March 25, 1975 – Assassination of King Faisal of Saudi Arabia by his nephew Prince Faisal bin Musaid in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; buried at Al Od Cemetery in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
King Faisal of Saudi Arabia, aged 68, was shot and killed by his 30-year-old nephew Prince Faisal bin Musaid bin Abdulaziz Al Saud during a reception at the Royal Palace in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. On June 18, 1975, Prince Faisal bin Musaid was publicly beheaded in Riyadh for the assassination of King Faisal.
Unofficial Royalty: Assassination of Faisal I, King of Saudi Arabia
Unofficial Royalty: King Faisal of Saudi Arabia

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