Author Archives: Susan

March 23: Today in Royal History

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Margaret of Anjou, Queen of England; Credit – Wikipedia

March 23, 1429 – Birth of Margaret of Anjou, Queen of England, wife of King Henry VI of England, at Pont-à-Mousson, Duchy of Lorraine, now in France
In 1445, Margaret married King Henry VI of England and had one son Edward of Westminster, Prince of Wales. Margaret was one of the principal players in the Wars of the Roses, the battle for the English crown between the House of Lancaster and the House of York. Her son was killed at the Battle of Tewkesbury where Margaret led the Lancastrian forces. Her husband was sent to the Tower of London and where he died, probably murdered on orders from King Edward IV from the House of York. Margaret was imprisoned at Wallingford Castle in England while her father René, Duke of Anjou worked tirelessly to arrange his daughter’s release. In 1475, King Louis XI agreed to pay Margaret’s ransom provided that her father would cede to France his territories of Anjou, Bar, Lorraine, and Provence. Margaret returned to France and died on August 25, 1482, at the age of 53.
Unofficial Royalty: Margaret of Anjou, Queen of England

March 23, 1801 – Assassination of Paul I, Emperor of All Russia at the Mikhailovsky Castle in St. Petersburg, Russia; buried at the Peter and Paul Cathedral in St. Petersburg, Russia
Paul was the son of Grand Duchess Catherine Alexeievna (born Sophie of Anhalt-Zerbst, later Catherine II (the Great), Empress of All Russia), and was recognized by Catherine’s husband, Grand Duke Peter Feodorovich (born Karl Peter Ulrich of Holstein-Gottorp, later Peter III, Emperor of All Russia, as his son although he may be was Sergei Vasilievich Saltykov. His first wife Wilhelmine of Hesse-Darmstadt (Grand Duchess Natalia Alexeievna) died in childbirth with her only child. Paul’s second wife was Sophia Dorothea of Württemberg (Maria Feodorovna) with whom he had ten children. Paul became Emperor of All Russia upon the death of his mother Catherine II (the Great) in 1796. Paul agreed with the practices of autocracy and did not tolerate freedom of thought or resistance against autocracy. Because he overly taxed the nobility and limited their rights, the Russian nobles were against him. Paul’s reign was becoming increasingly despotic. Eventually, the nobility reached their breaking point. On the night of March 23, 1801, at the Mikhailovsky Castle in St. Petersburg, Russia, a group of conspirators charged into the bedroom of 46-year-old Paul I, Emperor of All Russia, forced him to abdicate, and then strangled and trampled him to death.
Unofficial Royalty: Assassination of Paul I, Emperor of All Russia
Unofficial Royalty: Paul I, Emperor of All Russia

March 23, 1818 – Death of Princess Augusta of Wales, Duchess of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, daughter of Frederick, Prince of Wales, at Hanover Square in London, England; buried in the Royal Vault at St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle in Windsor, England
Augusta was the elder sister of King George III of the United Kingdom. She married Karl Wilhelm Ferdinand, the future Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel. The couple had seven children including Caroline who married her first cousin, the future King George IV of the United Kingdom. (The marriage was a disaster.) Augusta never fully adapted to life in Brunswick nor was she well-liked. Any popularity she had was damaged by the fact that her three eldest sons were born with handicaps. Karl found Augusta dull and preferred to spend time with his mistresses. After her husband was killed during the Napoleonic Wars and Brunswick–Wolfenbüttel was occupied by the French, Augusta escaped to Sweden. Her brother King George III sent a British naval ship to transport his sister back home to England. Augusta lived in London with her daughter Caroline, Princess of Wales. Augusta got to know her granddaughter Princess Charlotte of Wales, who told her grandmother upon their first meeting “that she was the merriest old woman she ever saw.” Augusta died on March 23, 1813, at the age of 75.
Unofficial Royalty: Princess Augusta of Wales, Duchess of Brunswic k-Wolfenbüttel

March 23, 1897 – Death of Sophie of the Netherlands, Grand Duchess of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, wife of Karl Alexander, Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, in Weimar, Grand Duchy of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach now in Thuringia, Germany; buried in the Weimarer Fürstengruft in the Historical Cemetery in Weimar
In 1842, Sophie married Grand Duke Karl Alexander of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach and the couple had four children. With her own significant wealth, she founded numerous schools and hospitals throughout the grand duchy. Sophie was the sister of King Willem III of the Netherlands. When her brother died in 1890, the Dutch throne passed to his ten-year-old only surviving child Queen Wilhelmina, and Sophie was first in line to inherit the Dutch throne until her death in 1897. She was very close to her niece Wilhelmina and her sister-in-law Queen Emma and made regular visits to the Netherlands to see them. After the death of her son in 1894, Sophie’s health began to deteriorate. She died on March 23, 1897, aged 73.
Unofficial Royalty: Sophie of the Netherlands, Grand Duchess of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach

March 23, 1931 – Death of Anna Nahowski, mistress of Franz Joseph I, Emperor of Austria, in Vienna, Austria; buried at Hietzing Cemetery in Vienna, Austria, adjacent to Schönbrunn Palace
Franz Joseph and Anna’s relationship lasted for fourteen years, overlapping Franz Joseph’s long-standing private relationship with actress Katharina Schratt. It is probable that Franz Joseph was the father of at least one of Anna’s three children. After the suicide of Franz Joseph’s only son Crown Prince Rudolf, Franz Joseph broke off all contact with Anna. She was informed that she could determine her severance payment for the fourteen years in the service of the emperor. She asked for 200,000 guldens (millions of dollars today) and in return, she had to sign the following statement: “I hereby confirm that I received 200,000 guldens as a gift from His Majesty the Emperor today. I also swear that I will remain silent at all times about the relationship with His Majesty.” Anna never spoke publicly about her affair during her life. She did keep a diary which was released in 1976 after the death of her daughter Helene. The diary revealed the true nature of the relationship between Anna and Franz Joseph. Anna died in Vienna, Austria on March 23, 1931, at the age of 70.
Unofficial Royalty: Anna Nahowski, Mistress of Franz Joseph I, Emperor of Austria

March 23, 1947 – Death of Luise of Austria, Crown Princess of Saxony, wife of the future King Friedrich August III of Saxony, in Brussels, Belgium; buried at the Hedingen Monastery in Sigmaringen, Germany
In 1891, Luise married the future King Friedrich August III, the last King of Saxony and the couple had six children. From the beginning of her marriage, Luise was unhappy. She was unwilling to conform to the strict Saxon court which often caused conflicts with her father-in-law and others in the royal family. She sought refuge in several affairs, including her children’s French tutor, André Giron. Her affair with Giron was discovered when a telegram she sent him was intercepted. With the help of two of her maids, Luise – pregnant with her youngest child – fled Dresden and headed toward Lake Geneva where she met up with her brother, Leopold Ferdinand, before reconnecting with Giron. Luise and Giron stayed in Geneva, often being seen in public. Their relationship ended just a few days before her divorce was announced on February 11, 1903. In 1907, Luise married for a second time to Enrico Toselli, an Italian musician 12 years younger, and the couple had one son. After World War I, Luise found herself virtually penniless. She spent some time living in Spain with an uncle before moving to Belgium where she spent the remainder of her life. Luise, aged 77, died on March 23, 1947. At the time, she was working as a flower seller to survive.
Unofficial Royalty: Luise of Austria, Crown Princess of Saxony

March 23, 1990 – Birth of Princess Eugenie, Mrs. Jack Brooksbank, born at Portland Hospital in London, England
Full name: Eugenie Victoria Helena
Princess Eugenie is the younger daughter of Prince Andrew, The Duke of York, and Sarah Ferguson and the grandchild of Queen Elizabeth II and The Duke of Edinburgh. In 2018, she married Jack Brooksbank. Eugenie and Jack have two sons August Philip Hawke Brooksbank, born in 2021 and Ernest George Ronnie Brooksbank born in 2023.
Unofficial Royalty: Princess Eugenie, Mrs. Jack Brooksbank

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Geoffrey, Archbishop of York, Illegitimate Son of King Henry II of England

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2024

King Henry II of England, the father of Geoffrey, Archbishop of York; Credit – Wikipedia

Geoffrey, Archbishop of York, born circa 1152, was the illegitimate son of King Henry II of England, who ascended the throne of England in 1154. Henry II had several long-term mistresses and around twelve illegitimate children. Geoffrey was probably conceived during one of Henry’s sojourns to England. At the time of Geoffrey’s birth, Henry was involved in The Anarchy, the long civil war (1135 -1153) fought over the English throne, between Henry’s mother Empress Matilda and her first cousin King Stephen of England. Fighting occurred in England and the Duchy of Normandy (now in France) and Henry went back and forth across the English Channel. Geoffrey’s paternal grandparents were his namesake Geoffrey V, Count of Anjou, Touraine, and Maine, and Empress Matilda, Lady of the English. Empress Matilda was the widow of Heinrich V, Holy Roman Emperor and she used her style and title from her first marriage for the rest of her life. More importantly, Matilda was the only surviving, legitimate child of King Henry I of England and Duke of Normandy.

The identity of Geoffrey’s mother is uncertain. She may have been named Ykenai and there is speculation that she could have been a prostitute, the daughter of a knight, a Welsh hostage, a servant, or a daughter of one of the royal servants. It appears that Geoffrey was the eldest of Henry II’s children, legitimate or illegitimate, and was probably born before Henry II married Eleanor, Duchess of Aquitaine in her own right. There is no evidence that Henry II had any doubts that Geoffrey was his son. Geoffrey was raised with Henry II’s legitimate children.

13th-century depiction of Geoffrey’s royal half-siblings: (l to r) William, Young Henry, Richard, Matilda, Geoffrey, Eleanor, Joan, and John; Credit – Wikipedia

Geoffrey had eight royal half-siblings from his father’s marriage to Eleanor of Aquitaine:

William IX, Count of Poitiers (1153 – 1156), died in childhood
Henry the Young King (1155 – 1183), married Marguerite of France, no children
Matilda of England, Duchess of Saxony and Bavaria (1156 – 1189), married Heinrich the Lion, Duke of Saxony and Bavaria, had five children, including Otto IV, Holy Roman Emperor
King Richard I of England (1157 – 1199), married Berengaria of Navarre, no children
Geoffrey II, Duke of Brittany (1158 – 1186), married Constance, Duchess of Brittany, had three children
Eleanor of England, Queen of Castile (1162 – 1214), married King Alfonso VIII of Castile, had twelve children including King Enrique I of Castile; Berengaria, Queen Regnant of Castile and Queen of León; Urraca, Queen of Portugal; Blanche, Queen of France, and Eleanor, Queen of Aragon
Joan of England, Queen of Sicily (1165 – 1199), married (1) King William II of Sicily, no surviving children (2) Raymond VI, Count of Toulouse, had two children, Joan died in childbirth with her third child who also died
King John of England (1166 – 1216), married 1) Isabella, 3rd Countess of Gloucester, marriage annulled, no children (2) Isabella, Countess of Angoulême; had five children, including King Henry III of England; Joan of England, Queen of Scots, and Isabella of England, Holy Roman Empress

Henry II’s plan was for Geoffrey to enter the Church and so Geoffrey was sent to schools in Northhampton, England and Tours, County of Torraine, one of Henry’s possessions, now in France. Before 1170, the teenage Geoffrey took minor orders, lower ranks of Roman Catholic Church ministry. In 1170, when he was about eighteen years old, Geoffrey was appointed Archdeacon of Lincoln in the Diocese of Lincoln, responsible for the oversight of church buildings and some supervision, discipline, and pastoral care of the clergy. However, there is little evidence that he ever performed these responsibilities.

As Henry II’s legitimate son got older, tensions over the future inheritance of Henry’s vast Angevin Empire which included all of present-day England, half of France, and parts of Ireland and Wales. In 1173, Henry II’s legitimate sons Henry, Richard, and Geoffrey (John was too young, only seven years old) rebelled in protest during the Revolt of 1173 – 1174 and, were joined by their mother Eleanor of Aquitaine. Henry II’s illegitimate son Geoffrey fought for him in northern England during the campaigns of the revolt. After the defeat of his legitimate sons, Henry II told his illegitimate son Geoffrey, “You alone have proved yourself my lawful and true son. My other sons are really the bastards.” From then on, Geoffrey was one of his father’s most valued counselors.

Geoffrey’s appointment as Archdeacon of Lincoln was only a stepping stone in Henry II’s plans. In May 1173, Henry arranged for Geoffrey to be elected Bishop of Lincoln. However, Pope Alexander III refused to confirm Geoffrey’s election. Geoffrey was not ordained as a priest, was under the age to become a bishop, and his illegitimate birth prevented him from holding a religious office. Eventually, under duress, Pope Alexander II issued the necessary dispensations and confirmed Geoffrey as Bishop of Lincoln in 1175. However, since he was not ordained another bishop carried out Geoffrey’s duties in the Diocese of Lincoln. In 1181, Pope Lucius III demanded that Geoffrey be ordained or resign. Geoffrey did resign but as compensation, his father King Henry II appointed him Chancellor of England in 1181.

By 1189, only two of Geoffrey’s legitimate brothers were still living, Richard, Eleanor’s favorite and the heir since his elder brother’s death, and John, the youngest child and Henry II’s favorite. King Philippe II of France successfully played upon Richard’s fears that Henry would make John King, and a final rebellion broke out in 1189. Decisively defeated by Philippe and Richard and suffering from a bleeding ulcer, King Henry II retreated to his favorite residence, the Château de Chinon in Anjou, now in France. Only Henry II’s illegitimate son Geoffrey was at his deathbed when he died on July 6, 1189.

King Henry II had made a deathbed wish that Geoffrey be named Archbishop of York. King Richard I did nominate his half-brother Geoffrey as Archbishop of York but probably did so to eliminate a potential rival for the throne. However, Richard insisted that Geoffrey resign his position as Chancellor of England and be ordained as a priest, and his ordination as a priest took place on September 23, 1189.

Geoffrey’s ambitions may have included becoming King of England, and that may account for some of the issues that he had with King Richard I and King John, his two surviving legitimate half-brothers. Geoffrey’s life was full of quarrels. He spent much of his time as Archbishop of York quarreling with the bishops under him and the clergy of York Cathedral. Geoffrey argued with William de Longchamp, King Richard II’s Chancellor and his Regent went Richard went off to fight in the Third Crusade. He had continued disagreements with his half-brothers King Richard II and King John who succeeded Richard in 1199. In 1207, Geoffrey had his final quarrel with King John when he refused to allow the collection of taxes. Geoffrey excommunicated anyone who attempted to collect the taxes in the Diocese of York. In retaliation, King John confiscated Geoffrey’s estates. Geoffrey obtained the support of Pope Innocent III, who ordered King John to restore Geoffrey’s possessions, but in the meantime, Geoffrey fled to the Duchy of Normandy where remained for the rest of his life.

On December 12, 1212, Geoffrey died aged around sixty, at the Notre-Dame-du-Parc Priory in Rouen, then in the Duchy of Normandy, now in France, where he had been living for a few years and where he possibly became a monk. He was buried at the monastery church.

Works Cited

Ashley, Mike. (1998). The Mammoth Book of British Kings and Queens. Carroll & Graf Publishers.
Flantzer, Susan. (2016). King Henry II of England. Unofficial Royalty. https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/king-henry-ii-of-england/
Weir, Alison. (2008). Britain’s Royal Families – The Complete Genealogy. Vintage Books.
Weir, Alison. (1999). Eleanor of Aquitaine, By Wrath of God, Queen of England. Jonathan Cape.
Wikimedia Foundation. (2023). Geoffrey (Archbishop of York). Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geoffrey_(archbishop_of_York)
Ykenai. geni_family_tree. (2022, April 26). https://www.geni.com/people/Ykenai/6000000026108697539

Breaking News: Catherine, The Princess of Wales is being treated for cancer

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In January 2024, Catherine, The Princess of Wales was admitted to The London Clinic to have abdominal surgery for an undisclosed medical condition. Due to her convalescence, she postponed all her public engagements and duties until after Easter 2024. Speculation about her condition prompted conspiracy theories and much commentary in the press. On March 22, 2024, Catherine announced that she is in the early stages of chemotherapy after cancer was found in tests. The type of cancer was not disclosed. She explained that when she had abdominal surgery in January, it was not known that there was any cancer. Catherine stated, “However tests after the operation found cancer had been present. My medical team therefore advised that I should undergo a course of preventative chemotherapy and I am now in the early stages of that treatment.” Kensington Palace announced that Catherine will not return to any official duties and that Prince William’s sudden absence from a memorial service in late February for his godfather the late King Constantine II of Greece was because of the discovery of Catherine’s cancer diagnosis.

March 22: Today in Royal History

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Wilhelm I, German Emperor, King of Prussia; Credit – Wikipedia

March 22, 1421 – Death of Thomas of Lancaster, 1st Duke of Clarence, son of King Henry IV of England, at the Battle of Baugé in France; buried at Canterbury Cathedral in Canterbury, Kent, England
In 1411, Thomas married Margaret Holland, the daughter of Thomas Holland, 2nd Earl of Kent and Alice FitzAlan but the couple had no children. Thomas accompanied his brother King Henry V on his campaigns in France during the Hundred Years’ War. He commanded the English army at the Siege of Rouen in 1418 which ended in Rouen’s capture by the English. On March 22, 1421, Thomas, aged 33, was killed at the Battle of Baugé in Anjou, France.
Unofficial Royalty: Thomas of Lancaster, 1st Duke of Clarence

March 22, 1459 – Birth of Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor, Archduke of Austria at Wiener Neustadt Castle in Wiener Neustadt, Archduchy of Austria now in the state of Lower Austria in Austria
Maximilian I reigned as King of the Romans, the de facto leader of the Holy Roman Empire from 1493 – 1508, Holy Roman Emperor from 1508 – 1519, and ruled his family lands as Archduke of Austria from 1493 – 1519. Maximilian married Mary, Duchess of Burgundy in her own right, the only child of Charles I the Bold, Duke of Burgundy, and the couple had three children. It was through the marriage of Maximilian and Mary’s son Philip to Juana I, Queen of Castile and León, Queen of Aragon that the Habsburg lands would be joined with the Spanish lands. Philip and Juana’s son Carlos, best known as Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, was one of the most powerful ever monarchs and had a large number of titles due to his vast inheritance of the Burgundian, Spanish, and Austrian realms. After Mary’s death in a horseriding accident, Maximilan married two more times but neither marriage produced children. Maximilain suffered a stroke on December 15, 1518, that left him bedridden. However, Maximilian continued to read documents and receive foreign envoys. On January 12, 1519, Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor, Archduke of Austria died, aged 59 at the Castle of Wels in Wels, Upper Austria.
Unofficial Royalty: Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor, Archduke of Austria

March 22, 1759– Birth of Hedwig Elizabeth Charlotte of Holstein-Gottorp, Queen of Sweden, wife of King Carl XIII of Sweden, in Eutin, Duchy of Oldenburg now in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany
In 1774, Hedwig Elisabeth Charlotte married the future King Carl XIII of Sweden. Their marriage was distant and both Hedwig Elisabeth Charlotte and Carl had extramarital affairs. Hedwig Elisabeth Charlotte had two children – one stillborn and one who lived only six days. Hedwig Elisabeth Charlotte was known for her invaluable diary that described the Swedish royal court from 1775-1817. It was written in the form of unsent letters to her friend Countess Sophie von Fersen. The letters are an important source for historical research. Besides dealing with gossip and social events of the court, Hedwig Elizabeth Charlotte also wrote about the French Revolution, the assassination of her husband’s brother King Gustav III, the Napoleonic Wars, and the deposing of her husband’s nephew Gustav IV Adolf which caused her husband to become King of Sweden. After her husband’s death in February 1818, Hedwig Elizabeth Charlotte said she would not be able to survive without him. On June 20, 1818, after a private dinner with the new King Carl XIV Johan, she went to her room to write, fainted, and died at the age of 59.
Unofficial Royalty: Hedwig Elizabeth Charlotte of Holstein-Gottorp, Queen of Sweden

March 22, 1797 – Birth of Wilhelm I, German Emperor, King of Prussia at the Crown Prince’s Palace in Berlin, Kingdom of Prussia now in Brandenburg, Germany
Full name: Wilhelm Friedrich Ludwig
In 1829, Wilhelm married Augusta of Saxe-Weimar and the couple had two children. Wilhelm became King of Prussia in 1861 upon the death of his childless brother King Friedrich Wilhelm IV of Prussia. During Wilhelm I’s reign as King of Prussia, the work of Otto von Bismarck, Prussian Prime Minister resulted in the unification of Germany and Bismarck then served as Chancellor of the German Empire. In 1867, the North German Confederation was created. It was a constitutional monarchy with the Prussian king as the head of state. After the Franco-Prussian War, on January 18, 1871, in the Hall of Mirrors at the Palace of Versailles in France, Wilhelm was proclaimed German Emperor (Kaiser). Wilhelm I was succeeded by his son Friedrich III, husband of Victoria, Princess Royal. Already ill with throat cancer, Frederick reigned only three months and was succeeded by his son Wilhelm II. 1888 is known as the “year of the three emperors.”
Unofficial Royalty: Wilhelm I, German Emperor, King of Prussia

March 22, 1837 – Birth of Virginia Oldoïni, Countess of Castiglione, mistress of Napoleon III, Emperor of the French, in Florence, Grand Duchy of Tuscany, now in Italy
Virginia Oldoïni, Countess of Castiglione was the mistress of Emperor Napoleon III of France from 1856-1857. Virginia’s affair with the Emperor ended in 1857, and she returned to Italy. Four years later, the Kingdom of Italy was established, and Virginia maintained that her influence had, in part, contributed to the unification. By 1861, she had moved to France where she settled in Passy before returning to Paris. By then a very wealthy woman, she devoted much of her time and fortune to her newfound passion, photography. She died at the age of 62.
Unofficial Royalty: Virginia Oldoïni, Countess of Castiglione, Mistress of Napoleon III, Emperor of the French

March 22, 1955 – Death of Ernst II, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg at Schloss Fröhliche Wiederkunft in Trockenborn-Wolfersdorf, then in East Germany, now in Thuringia, Germany; buried in the Ducal Cemetery in Trockenborn-Wolfersdorf
In 1898, Ernst married Princess Adelheid of Schaumburg-Lippe and the couple had four children. Ernst became Duke of Saxe-Altenburg following his uncle’s death in 1908. He was a popular ruler who made an effort to be close to his subjects. He would hold audiences for any and all who wanted to meet with him. He also pursued his interests in science and technology, opening an airfield in 1911, and owning one of the first cars in the duchy. Ernst was the last reigning Duke of Saxe-Altenburg, abdicating on November 13, 1918, following the end of World War I. He was the only former German ruler who was a citizen of the German Democratic Republic (East Germany), and the last surviving sovereign from the German Empire. The East German government expropriated his beloved Schloss Fröhliche Wiederkunft in 1946, but Ernst was given the use of the residence for the remainder of his life. At the age of 83, Ernst died at Schloss Fröhliche Wiederkunft on March 22, 1955.
Unofficial Royalty: Ernst II, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg

March 22, 1956 – Birth of Grand Duchess Maria Teresa of Luxembourg, wife of Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg, born Maria Teresa Mestre y Batista in Havana, Cuba
Born in Cuba, Maria Teresa grew up in New York City and Geneva, Switzerland. While attending the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies in Geneva, where she received a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science, she first met her future husband, then Hereditary Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg. The couple married in 1981 and have five children.
Unofficial Royalty: Maria Teresa Mestre y Batista, Grand Duchess of Luxembourg

March 21: Today in Royal History

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Princess Louise of the United Kingdom; Credit – Wikipedia

March 21, 1795 – Death of Honoré III, Prince of Monaco in Paris, France, his burial place in unknown
Honoré III, Prince of Monaco is the longest-reigning sovereign of Monaco but the French Revolution had dire consequences for his family and caused the Principality of Monaco to be annexed to France from 1793 until the defeat of Napoleon I, Emperor of the French in 1814. He married Maria Caterina Brignole and the couple had two sons including Honoré IV, Prince of Monaco. Honoré III was imprisoned during the French Revolution. He died soon after his release from prison, in Paris on March 21, 1795, at the age of 74, but his burial place is unknown.
Unofficial Royalty: Honoré III, Prince of Monaco

March 21, 1801 – Birth of Maria Theresa of Austria, Queen of Sardinia, wife of Carlo Alberto I, King of Sardinia, in Vienna, Austria
Full name: Maria Theresa Franziska Josepha Johanna Benedikta
Maria Theresa was the daughter of Ferdinando III, Grand Duke of Tuscany and his first wife Princess Luisa of Naples and Sicily. In 1817, she married the future Carlo Alberto I, King of Sardinia. They had three children including Vittorio Emanuele II, King of Sardinia, later King of Italy, who became the first king of a united Italy. Maria Theresa’s husband became King of Sardinia in 1831. In 1848, Carlo Alberto attempted to rid the Italian peninsula of Austrian-ruled and supported states resulting in the First Italian War of Independence, part of the Italian Unification. After his forces were defeated by the Austrian forces, Carlo Alberto immediately abdicated in favor of his son Vittorio Emanuele and went into exile in Portugal. However, he became seriously ill during the trip and died soon after reaching his destination. After the death of her husband, Maria Theresa no longer appeared in public. However, she was a great influence on her son Vittorio Emanuele II, King of Sardinia. Her son became a driving force behind the Italian unification movement along with Giuseppe Garibaldi, a general and nationalist, and Giuseppe Mazzini, a politician and journalist. However, Maria Theresa did not live long enough to see her son become King of a united Italy. On January 12, 1855, in Turin, Maria Theresa died at the age of 53.
Unofficial Royalty: Maria Theresa of Austria, Queen of Sardinia

March 21, 1852 – Death of Marie of Hesse-Kassel, Queen of Denmark, wife of King Frederick VI of Denmark, at Amalienborg Palace in Copenhagen, Denmark; buried at Roskilde Cathedral in Roskilde, Denmark
Marie was the daughter of Prince Carl of Hesse-Kassel and Princess Louise of Denmark and Norway. Her father was the second son of Friedrich II, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel and Princess Mary of Great Britain, daughter of King George II of Great Britain. Her mother was the youngest child of King Frederik V of Denmark and Norway and his first wife Princess Louisa of Great Britain, daughter of King George II of Great Britain. In 1790, Marie married the future King Frederick VI of Denmark. Frederik and Marie had eight children but unfortunately, six of them, including two boys, died in infancy. Only two daughters survived and both daughters had childless marriages. For the rest of her life, Marie would lament her lack of sons and grandchildren. Injuries from her last childbirth prevented Marie from having any further marital relations and she was forced to accept her husband’s adultery. After her husband’s death in 1839, Marie retired from public life but remained a respected figure, living at Frederiksborg Castle and Amalienborg Palace. She died on March 21, 1852, at the age of 84.
Unofficial Royalty: Marie of Hesse-Kassel, Queen of Denmark

March 21, 1871 – Wedding of Princess Louise of the United Kingdom, daughter of Queen Victoria, and John Campbell, Lord Lorne later 9th Duke of Argyll, at St. George’s Chapel in Windsor, England
Louise broke with tradition and married a non-royal. Several foreign princes were put forward as possible husbands for Louise. However, none of these princes was agreeable to Queen Victoria, and Louise herself wanted nothing to do with marriage to a prince. Instead, she found herself falling in love with John Campbell, Marquess of Lorne and heir to the Dukedom of Argyll. Queen Victoria found this to be a wonderful match, infusing ‘new blood’ into the royal family. Others, including the Prince of Wales, found it appalling that Louise should marry below her class. Despite these misgivings, the couple became engaged on October 3, 1870. Their marriage was childless. Louise’s husband served the crown as Governor-General of Canada for five years and Louise accompanied him to Canada.
Unofficial Royalty: Wedding of Princess Louise and John Campbell, 9th Duke of Argyll

March 21, 1924 – Death of Duke Peter Alexandrovich of Oldenburg, first husband of Grand Duchess Olga Alexandrovna of Russia, in Antibes, France; buried in the crypt of St. Michael the Archangel Russian Orthodox Church in Cannes, France
Peter was the only child of Duke Alexander Petrovich of Oldenburg and Princess Eugenia Maximilianovna of Leuchtenberg. Alexander Petrovich’s grandfather had married Grand Duchess Catherine Pavlovna, daughter of Paul I, Emperor of All Russia, and their children and grandchildren were raised in Russia. Despite his German title, Alexander Petrovich, like his father, had grown up entirely in Russia, served in the Russian military, and was considered part of the Russian Imperial Family. Peter and Olga’s marriage was arranged by their mothers and was a marriage in name only. Two years after their marriage, Olga met Nikolai Kulikovsky, an army officer her own age. Over the years, Olga had continued to ask her brother Nicholas II, Emperor of All Russia for permission to marry Nikolai. In 1916, Nicholas II had a change of heart and he officially annulled her marriage to Peter, and Olga and Nikolai were married. After the October Revolution in 1917, Peter along with his father and mother emigrated to France, where he lived in Paris and on a farm near Bayonne, France. In 1922, Peter married Olga Vladimirovna Ratkova-Rognova. Duke Peter Alexandrovich of Oldenburg died at the age of 55.
Unofficial Royalty: Duke Peter Alexandrovich of Oldenburg

March 21, 1929 – Wedding of the future King Olav V of Norway and Princess Märtha of Sweden at Oslo Cathedral in Oslo, Norway
As first cousins, Olav and Märtha had known each other since childhood, and in the late 1920s, they began a romantic relationship. They managed to keep the relationship private, with Olav often traveling to Sweden in disguise to see his future bride. While both were in Amsterdam in 1928 for the Summer Olympic Games (in which Olav was competing), they became secretly engaged. The following January, after Olav again traveled to Sweden, traveling under an assumed name, the engagement was officially announced on January 14, 1929. The announcement was met with great support and excitement in both Norway and Sweden. Märtha never became Queen of Norway. She died from cancer before Olav became King of Norway.
Unofficial Royalty: Wedding of King Olav V of Norway and Princess Märtha of Sweden

March 21, 1943 – Birth of Andreas, Prince of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, the pretender to the former ducal throne, and Head of the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
Full name: Andreas Michael Friedrich Hans Armin Siegfried Hubertus
Andreas is a grandson of Charles Edward, the last reigning Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha and is the pretender to the former ducal throne, and head of the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.
Unofficial Royalty: Andreas, Prince of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha

March 21, 1985 – Birth of Princess Claire of Luxembourg, wife of Prince Félix of Luxembourg, born Claire Margareta Lademacher in Filderstadt, Germany
Claire has impressive academic credentials. She received a Bachelors degree in International Communication from the American University of Paris and a Masters degree in bioethics at the Pontifical Athenaeum Regina Apostolorum in Rome. After earning her Masters, remained in Rome to pursue a doctorate in organ donation ethics. As part of this program, she spent several months as a visiting scholar at the Kennedy Institute of Ethics at Georgetown University in the United States.
Unofficial Royalty: Princess Claire of Luxembourg

March 20: Today in Royal History

© Unofficial Royalty 2024

Tomb of King Henry IV of England and his second wife Joan of Navarre at Canterbury Cathedral; Photo Credit © Susan Flantzer

March 20, 1413 – Death of King Henry IV of England in the Jerusalem Chamber in the home of the abbot at Westminster Abbey in London, England; buried at Canterbury Cathedral in Canterbury, Kent, England
King Henry IV of England, who usurped the throne from his first cousin King Richard II of England, and became the first Lancaster king, was the eldest surviving son of John of Gaunt (third surviving son of King Edward III of England) and his first wife Blanche of Lancaster. In 1380, Henry married heiress Mary de Bohun. Henry and Mary had six children but Mary died giving birth to their last child at the age of 25. In 1403, Henry married Joan of Navarre. They had no children but Joan got along well with her stepchildren. During much of King Henry IV’s 13-year reign, he was occupied with war. While in prayer at the shrine of Edward the Confessor at Westminster Abbey, Henry suffered a fatal attack, possibly a stroke. He was carried to the Jerusalem Chamber, a room in the house of the abbot, where he died at age 45. Henry was not buried at Westminster Abbey but instead requested that he be buried at Canterbury Cathedral, presumably because of an affinity towards St. Thomas Becket whose shrine was there.
Unofficial Royalty: King Henry IV of England

March 20, 1469 – Birth of Cecily of York, daughter of King Edward IV of England, at the Palace of Westminster in London, England
Cecily was the daughter of Edward IV, the first King of England from the House of York, and Elizabeth Woodville. In 1485, Cecily’s uncle King Richard III arranged for a marriage for Cecily to Ralph Scrope, who was much below her in status to rule out her claim to the throne. When Henry VII, the first Tudor king, came to the throne, Cecily’s marriage to Ralph Scrope was annulled because the marriage was not in the interests of the new Tudor dynasty. Cecily was married to a nobleman loyal to King Henry VII, John Welles, 1st Viscount Welles, the younger half-brother of King Henry VII’s mother Lady Margaret Beaufort. Cecily and John had two daughters who both died in childhood. After the death of her husband and daughters, Cecily returned to the court seeking comfort and protection from her older sister Elizabeth of York who had married King Henry VII. Lady Margaret Beaufort, Henry VII’s mother, also helped Cecily by protecting her rights to her deceased husband’s property that was claimed by his half-sisters. Cecily married Sir Thomas Kyme without the permission of King Henry VII. Cecily died on August 24, 1507, aged 38, but her place of death and burial site are uncertain.
Unofficial Royalty: Cecily of York, Viscountess Welles

March 20, 1619 – Death of Matthias, Holy Roman Emperor, King of Bohemia, Archduke of Austria, Archduke of Further Austria, King of Hungary and Croatia, in Vienna, Austria; temporarily buried at the Poor Clares Convent of St. Maria, Queen of the Angels in Vienna; reburied on On Easter 1633 at the Capuchin Church in Vienna in what is now called the Founders Vault.
Matthias, Holy Roman Emperor (reigned 1612 – 1619) was also King of Bohemia (reigned 1611 – 1617), Archduke of Austria (reigned 1608 – 1619), Archduke of Further Austria, (1608 – 1619), King of Hungary and Croatia (reigned 1608 – 1618). In 1611, Matthias married his first cousin Anna of Tyrol. Although Matthias was 54 years old, he hoped to have children with his 26-year-old wife but their marriage was childless. Although Matthias and his wife Anna did not leave any children, they left the future Habsburgs a burial site. Matthias and Anna founded the Capuchin Church (German: Kapuzinerkirche) in Vienna, Austria, where the Imperial Crypt (German: Kaisergruft), the traditional burial site of the Habsburgs, is located.
Unofficial Royalty: Matthias, Holy Roman Emperor, King of Bohemia, Archduke of Austria, Archduke of Further Austria, King of Hungary and Croatia

March 20, 1739 – Birth of Princess Maria Josepha of Bavaria, the second of the two wives of Joseph II, Holy Roman Emperor, in Munich, then in the Electorate of Bavaria, now in the German state of Bavaria
Maria Josepha of Bavaria was the second of the two wives of Joseph II, Holy Roman Emperor who also was the ruler of the Habsburg hereditary lands. Joseph never loved Maria Josepha, and the marriage was probably never consummated. Joseph avoided sharing a bedroom and even had their shared balcony in Schönbrunn Palace partitioned off so he would not have to see Maria Josepha. A severe smallpox epidemic broke out in 1767, and Maria Josepha came down with the disease. Although Joseph, who had survived smallpox at an earlier time, had nursed his first wife as she was dying from smallpox, he did not visit Maria Josepha while she was ill. Maria Josepha, aged 28, died from smallpox at Schönbrunn Palace in Vienna, Austria.
Full name: Maria Josepha Antonia Walburga Felizitas Regula
Unofficial Royalty: Maria Josepha of Bavaria, Holy Roman Empress

March 20, 1811 – Napoleon II, Emperor of the French, son of Napoleon I, Emperor of the French and his second wife Marie-Louise of Austria, at the Tuileries Palace in Paris, France
Full name: Napoléon François Charles Joseph Bonaparte
Napoléon I divorced his childless first wife Joséphine de Beauharnais telling her he needed to find another wife who could provide him a son. He married Marie Louise of Austria and they had one son Napoléon François Charles Joseph Bonaparte. After his defeat at the Battle of Waterloo, Napoléon I abdicated in favor of his four-year-old son and was then exiled to the island of Saint Helena. Napoléon II “reigned” for two weeks, when King Louis XVIII of France, the elder of the two surviving brothers of the beheaded King Louis XVI of France, returned to France to resume the throne he had vacated earlier that year due to Napoléon I’s return from his first exile. Napoléon II and his mother lived in her homeland of Austria. He had been dealing with lung problems from a very early age and eventually developed tuberculosis. He died on July 22, 1832, at Schönbrunn Palace in Vienna, Austria at the age of twenty-one.
Unofficial Royalty: Napoléon François Charles Joseph Bonaparte, Napoleon II

March 20, 1816 – Death of Queen Maria I of Portugal at the Carmo Convent in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. She was initially interred at the Convent of Ajuda in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. In 1821, Maria’s remains were transported to Lisbon where she was buried in the Estrela Basilica, a church she ordered to be built.
The first of the two Queen Regnants of Portugal, Maria was the eldest of the four children and the eldest of the four daughters of José I, King of Portugal. It was inevitable that Maria would become the reigning Queen of Portugal. However, since female succession to the throne of Portugal had never happened before, her father decided that Maria would marry his younger brother Infante Pedro of Portugal, the first male in the line of succession. In 1760, 25-year-old Maria married her 42-year-old paternal uncle Pedro. Maria and Pedro had six children. Maria is considered to have been a good ruler in the period before her mental instability, which was first noticed in 1786 when she had to be carried back to her apartments in a state of delirium. Her mental instability continued to worsen. The deaths of her husband Pedro in 1786, her eldest son and heir José in 1788, and her confessor Inácio de São Caetano, Archbishop of Salonica in 1788 may have caused major depressive disorder. Her second son João, now heir to the throne then served as prince regent. Maria spent the last eight years of her life in Brazil, always in a state of mental instability. On March 20, 1816, Maria I, Queen of Portugal died, aged 81, at the Carmo Convent in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. She was initially interred at the Convent of Ajuda in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. In 1821, when the Portuguese royal family returned to Portugal, Maria’s remains were transported to Lisbon where she was buried in the Estrela Basilica, a church she ordered to be built.
Unofficial Royalty: Queen Maria I of Portugal

March 20, 1842 – Death of George FitzClarence, 1st Earl of Munster, illegitimate son of King William IV of the United Kingdom and his mistress Dorothea Jordan, by self-inflicted gunshot wound, at his home in Belgravia, London; buried at St. Mary’s Church in Hampton in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames

Unofficial Royalty: George FitzClarence, 1st Earl of Munster

March 20, 1878 – Birth of Heinrich XXIV, 6th Prince Reuss of Greiz in Greiz, Principality of Reuss-Greiz, now in Thuringia, Germany
As a result of a childhood accident, Heinrich XXIV had physical and mental disabilities that prevented him from marrying and ruling the Principality of Reuss-Greiz. Two regents from the House of Reuss-Gera successively ruled the Principality of Reuss-Greiz: Heinrich XIV, 4th Prince Reuss of Gera from 1902 – 1913, and then his son Heinrich XXVII, 5th and last Prince Reuss of Gera from 1913 – 1918, when the German monarchies were abolished in 1918 at the end of World War I.
Unofficial Royalty: Heinrich XXIV, 6th Prince Reuss of Greiz

March 20, 1895 – Death of Woldemar, Prince of Lippe in Detmold, Principality of Lippe now in Germany; buried in the Mausoleum at the Büchenberg in Detmold
In 1858, Woldemar married Princess Sophie of Baden but their marriage was childless. Woldemar succeeded his childless elder brother Leopold III, Prince of Lippe upon his death in 1875. Apart from his grandmother Princess Pauline, who served as Regent for eighteen years for her son Leopold II until he reached his majority, no other Prince of Lippe dealt with government affairs as successfully as Woldemar did. Woldemar and his elder brother Leopold were the only ones of eight siblings who married and neither had any children. Woldemar died in 1895, aged 70. His only surviving brother Alexander suffered from mental illness and had been declared incapacitated and therefore, was incapable of governing. A regency was necessary during the reign of Alexander. This created a succession crisis. After the death of Woldemar’s successor and brother Alexander and the extinction of the Lippe-Detmold line, the throne of the Principality of Lippe went to Count Leopold of Lippe-Biesterfeld who would be the last Prince of Lippe.
Unofficial Royalty: Woldemar, Prince of Lippe

March 20, 1926 – Death of Lovisa of Sweden, Queen of Denmark, wife of King Frederik VIII of Denmark, at Amalienborg Palace in Copenhagen, Denmark; buried at Roskilde Cathedral in Roskilde, Denmark
Lovisa was the only surviving child of King Carl XV of Sweden and Princess Louise of the Netherlands. She has an interesting royal ancestry. Besides being descended from the Kings of Sweden, Lovisa is also a descendant of Empress Josephine of France via her first marriage, King Maximilian I Joseph of Bavaria, King Willem I of the Netherlands, King Friedrich Wilhelm III of Prussia, and King George I of Great Britain. In 1869, she married the future King Frederik VIII of Denmark. They had eight children including King Christian X of Denmark, Prince Carl of Denmark later King Haakon VII of Norway, and Princess Ingeborg of Denmark whose children include Märtha Louise, Crown Princess of Norway and Astrid, Queen of the Belgians. Louise died on March 20, 1926, at the age of 75.
Unofficial Royalty: Lovisa of Sweden, Queen of Denmark

March 20, 1934 – Death of Queen Emma of the Netherlands, born Emma of Waldeck-Pyrmont, wife of King Willem III of the Netherlands, at the Palace Lange Voorhout in The Hague, the Netherlands; buried at Nieuwe Kerk in Delft, the Netherlands
In 1877, Queen Sophie, the first wife of King Willem III of the Netherlands died, and Willem was eager to marry again to ensure the future of the House of Orange. One of his three children (all sons) had died and neither of the other two sons was married. At the suggestion of his only sister, he got in touch with the royal couple of Waldeck and Pyrmont, who had several marriageable daughters. In July 1878, Willem visited the family at their summer home where he met 23-year-old Princess Pauline and 20-year-old Princess Emma. His eyes first fell on Pauline, but soon he chose Emma and proposed to her. Willem was 61 years old, 41 years older than Emma. Emma had lessons in the Dutch language and history before her marriage because she wanted to come to her new country Dutch. The couple was married on January 7, 1879. Emma had a positive influence on Willem and the marriage was extremely happy. Their only child Wilhelmina succeeded her father as Queen of the Netherlands. Emma ably served for eight years as Regent of the Netherlands when her ten-year-old daughter Wilhelmina became Queen of the Netherlands. Emma died on March 20, 1934, at the age of 75 from pneumonia.
Unofficial Royalty: Emma of Waldeck-Pyrmont, Queen of the Netherlands

March 20, 1947 – Birth of Prince Hassan bin Talal of Jordan in Amman, Jordan
Prince Hassan is the son of King Talal and Queen Zein, and a younger brother of King Hussein I. In 1965, King Hussein I named his brother Hassan Crown Prince, and he often served as Regent. He remained Crown Prince until just days before King Hussein died in 1999 when the King named his eldest son Abdullah as Crown Prince. In 1968, Hassan married Sarvath Ikramullah and the couple had four children. Prince Hassan and Princess Sarvath often represent the Jordanian royal family at royal events around the world.
Unofficial Royalty: Prince Hassan of Jordan

March 20, 2004 – Death of Princess Juliana of the Netherlands, formerly Queen Juliana, at the Soestdijk Palace in Baarn, the Netherlands; buried at the Nieuwe Kerk in Delft, the Netherlands
Juliana was the only child of Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands and her husband Prince Hendrik of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. In 1936, she married Prince Bernhard of Lippe-Biesterfeld and they had four daughters. After a reign of nearly 58 years, Queen Wilhelmina abdicated in favor of her daughter and Juliana became Queen of the Netherlands. Juliana was a much more relaxed monarch than her mother had been and this lessened the distance between the royal family and the Dutch people. She often appeared in public dressed like any ordinary Dutch woman, and preferred to be addressed as “Mevrouw” (Dutch for “Mrs.”) rather than her formal “Majesty”. Juliana’s love of bicycling for exercise gave rise to the royal family’s nickname, “the cycling family.” In 1980, Juliana abdicated in favor of her eldest daughter Beatrix. After 1995, when Juliana’s general health began to decline, she made fewer public appearances. Her last public appearance was in 1998 at the wedding of her grandson Prince Maurits. Juliana suffered from Alzheimer’s disease for several years. She died in her sleep at the age of 94 due to pneumonia.
Unofficial Royalty: Queen Juliana of the Netherlands

March 20, 2008 – Death of of Prince Ferdinando of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, Duke of Castro in in Draguignan, France
Prince Ferdinando of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, Duke of Castro, was a claimant to the headship of the House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, and the former throne of the Kingdom of Two Sicilies, from 1973 until his death in 2008.
Unofficial Royalty: Prince Ferdinando of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, Duke of Castro

Emma, Queen Consort of the Hawaiian Islands, wife of King Kamehameha IV

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2024

The Hawaiian Islands, located in the Pacific Ocean, were originally divided into several independent chiefdoms. The Kingdom of Hawaii was formed in 1795, when the warrior chief Kamehameha the Great of the independent island of Hawaii, conquered the independent islands of Oahu, Maui, Molokai, and Lanai, and unified them under one government and ruled as Kamehameha I, King of the Hawaiian Islands. In 1810, the whole Hawaiian archipelago became unified when Kauai and Niihau voluntarily joined the Kingdom of Hawaii. Two major dynastic families ruled the kingdom: the House of Kamehameha and the House of Kalākaua.

In 1778, British explorer James Cook visited the islands. This led to increased trade and the introduction of new technologies and ideas. In the mid-19th century, American influence in Hawaii dramatically increased when American merchants, missionaries, and settlers arrived on the islands. Protestant missionaries converted most of the native people to Christianity. Merchants set up sugar plantations and the United States Navy established a base at Pearl Harbor. The newcomers brought diseases that were new to the indigenous people including influenza, measles, smallpox, syphilis, tuberculosis, and whooping cough. At the time of James Cook’s arrival in 1778, the indigenous Hawaiian population is estimated to have been between 250,000 and 800,000. By 1890, the indigenous Hawaiian population declined had to less than 40,000.

In 1893, a group of local businessmen and politicians composed of six non-native Hawaiian Kingdom subjects, five American nationals, one British national, and one German national overthrew Queen Liliʻuokalani, her cabinet, and her marshal, and took over the government of the Kingdom of Hawaii. This led to the 1898 annexation of Hawaii as a United States territory. On August 21, 1959, Hawaii became the 50th state of the United States.

In 1993, one hundred years after the Hawaiian monarchy was overthrown, the United States Congress passed and President Bill Clinton signed the Apology Resolution which “acknowledges that the overthrow of the Kingdom of Hawaii occurred with the active participation of agents and citizens of the United States and further acknowledges that the Native Hawaiian people never directly relinquished to the United States their claims to their inherent sovereignty as a people over their national lands, either through the Kingdom of Hawaii or through a plebiscite or referendum”. As a result, the Hawaiian sovereignty movement, a grassroots political and cultural campaign to reestablish an autonomous or independent nation or kingdom in Hawaii, was established along with ongoing efforts to redress the indigenous Hawaiian population.

Unofficial Royalty Index: Kingdom of Hawaii Index

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Emma, Queen Consort of the Hawaiian Islands, circa 1880; Credit – Wikipedia

Born on January 2, 1836, in Honolulu, on the island of Oahu, then in the Kingdom of the Hawaiian Islands, Emma Kalanikaumakaʻamano Kaleleonālani Naʻea Rooke was the only surviving child of the three children of High Chief George Naʻea and High Chiefess Fanny Kekelaokalani Young. Queen Emma is known for having a long-term friendship via letters with Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom. The two Queens met in the United Kingdom in 1865.

Emma’s two full siblings died young but she had an elder half-sister from her mother’s marriage/relationship with Henry Coleman Lewis:

Mary Polly Paʻaʻāina (circa 1833 – 1853), married American James Augustus Griswold who became a Hawaiian citizen, had one child Mary Paʻaʻāina Griswold

Emma’s father George Naʻea was a high chief of the Kingdom of Hawaii and was descended from the high chiefs of the northern area of the island of Hawaii. He served under King Kamehameha III as a member of his Council of Chiefs. Emma’s mother Fanny Kekelaokalani Young was the daughter of High Chiefess Kaʻoanaʻeha, a niece of King Kamehameha I, and the British-born John Young who was an important military advisor to King Kamehameha I during the formation of the Kingdom of Hawaii. John Young had first come to Hawaii in 1789 on an American trading ship and spent the rest of his life in Hawaii.

Emma with her adoptive parents Dr. Thomas Rooke and Grace Kamaʻikuʻi Young in 1853, Credit – Wikipedia

Emma was adopted under the Hawaiian tradition of hānai by her childless maternal aunt, High Chiefess Grace Kamaʻikuʻi Young, and her husband Dr. Thomas Rooke, a British physician – hence Emma’s surname of Rooke. The Rookes built a splendid home, Rooke House, that faced the Nuʻuanu Valley, on the island of Oahu. Rooke House, one of the largest private homes in Honolulu at the time, had a large library and was used for Dr. Rooke’s medical practice and entertaining guests. It was at Rooke House that Emma grew up with elaborate dinners, parties, teas, and receptions attended by important guests including members of the Hawaiian royal family.

Emma was raised as a Christian and was first educated by Congregationalist missionaries at the Chiefs’ Children’s School, later known as the Royal School, in Honolulu, which is still in existence as a public elementary school, the Royal Elementary School, the oldest school on the island of Oahu. It was at this school that Emma met her future husband King Kamehameha IV, known as Alexander. After the Chiefs’ Children’s School ceased to be a boarding school, Emma was educated at home by an English governess, Sarah Rhodes von Pfister. Dr. Rooke had an extensive library and influenced Emma’s interest in reading and books. At the age of twenty, Emma was quite an accomplished young woman. A skilled equestrian, Emma excelled at singing, dancing, and playing the piano.

Emma’s husband, Kamehameha IV, King of the Hawaiian Islands; Credit – Wikipedia

On December 15, 1854, King Kamehameha III died and his 20-year-old nephew Alexander Liholiho ‘Iolanian, succeeded him as King Kamehameha IV. Alexander was the son of High Chief Mataio Kekūanaōʻa, Royal Governor of Oʻahu, and Princess Elizabeth Kīnaʻu, daughter of King Kamehameha I. He had been adopted by his uncle King Kamehameha III who had no surviving sons. His uncle proclaimed Alexander as heir to the throne and raised him as the crown prince. On June 19, 1856, 20-year-old Emma became Queen of the Hawaiian Islands when she married 22-year-old King Kamehameha IV, known as Alexander. Some at the Hawaiian royal court felt Emma’s British descent made her unfit to be the Hawaiian queen and her lineage was not suitable enough to be Alexander’s wife.

Prince Albert Edward Kauikeaouli Leiopapa a Kamehameha, who wanted to be a fireman, in his fireman outfit on May 1, 1862; Credit – Wikipedia

Emma and Alexander had one son, Prince Albert Edward Kauikeaouli Kaleiopapa a Kamehameha, born on May 20, 1858. He was named in honor of Queen Victoria’s eldest son Albert Edward, Prince of Wales, the future King Edward VII. Alexander had met Queen Victoria’s husband Prince Albert – he did not meet Queen Victoria because she was about to give birth to her son Prince Arthur – on an around-the-world trip from 1849 to 1852. Queen Victoria agreed to become Albert Edward’s godmother by proxy and sent an elaborate silver christening cup.

The Queen’s Hospital in 1860; Credit – Wikipedia

Emma and Alexander were concerned that foreign diseases like measles, leprosy, and influenza were decimating the native Hawaiian population but the legislature refused to pass a healthcare plan. Emma and Alexander then lobbied businessmen, merchants, and wealthy residents to fund their healthcare plans. The fundraising was very successful and in 1859, The Queen’s Hospital in Honolulu was founded. Today it is known as The Queen’s Medical Center and is the largest private hospital in Hawaii.

Alexander and Emma (left) and Bishop Staley (next to them) on a stained glass window at St. Andrew’s Cathedral; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1860, Emma and Alexander petitioned the Church of England (also known as Anglican, the Episcopal Church in the United States is the same denomination) to help establish the Church of Hawaii. Upon the arrival of Anglican Bishop Thomas Nettleship Staley and two Anglican priests in 1862, the Church of Hawaii became the official royal church. After Alexander’s death, Emma continued their work by raising funds for the construction of St. Andrew’s Cathedral in Honolulu.

Sadly, four-year-old Prince Albert Edward died on August 27, 1862, at ʻIolani Palace, Honolulu, Oʻahu in Honolulu, possibly from meningitis but at a later time appendicitis was thought to be a more likely possibility. He was temporarily interred in a tomb in front of the palace below a tamarind tree. The mausoleum constructed near the ʻIolani Palace in Honolulu had become crowded and Alexander ordered that a new, larger mausoleum be built.

Alexander blamed himself for the 1862 death of his son Prince Albert Edward and he withdrew from public life. His continuing grief and worsening asthma contributed to his death on November 30, 1863, in Honolulu, Oahu, Kingdom of Hawaii, at the age of twenty-nine. Alexander’s burial was delayed until the west wing of the Royal Mausoleum, Mauna ʻAla (Fragrant Hills), was completed in January 1864. On February 3, 1864, Alexander’s casket was interred in the completed west wing. Later in the evening, the casket of his son Prince Albert Edward was interred next to his father. Emma was so overcome with grief that she slept in the mausoleum that night.

Queen Emma taken by famous American photographer Matthew Brady on August 1, 1866 while Emma was traveling in the United States. She is wearing the widow’s weeds Queen Victoria mentions in her 1865 journal entry below; Credit – Wikipedia

Queen Emma and Queen Victoria became long-term friends. They exchanged letters and commiserated over the loss of their husbands, the loss of Emma’s son, and the hemophilia of Queen Victoria’s youngest son Prince Leopold who would die from hemophilia complications in 1884, a year before Emma’s death. On her trip to Europe and the United States in 1865 – 1866, Emma met Queen Victoria on September 9, 1865, and again on November 27, 1865, when she spent a night at Windsor Castle. Queen Victoria wrote about their first meeting in her journal:

After luncheon, I received Queen Emma, the widowed Queen of the Sandwich Islands or Hawaii. Met her in the Corridor & nothing could be nicer or more dignified than her manner. She is dark, but not more so than an Indian, with fine feathers [features?] & splendid soft eyes. She was dressed in just the same widow’s weeds as I wear. I took her into the White Drawing room, where I asked her to sit down next to me on the sofa. She was moved when I spoke to her of her great misfortune in losing her only child.

Emma with Anglican church clergy in Oxford, England 1866; Credit – Wikipedia

From 1865 – 1866, Emma traveled to Europe, the United States, and Canada for her health and to raise funds for the growing Anglican Church of Hawaii. She visited London twice, spent the winter in the French Riviera, and visited Paris, Italy, Germany, and Ireland where she departed for the United States. While in Europe, Emma met with Queen Victoria, as already noted, and Napoleon III, Emperor of the French and his wife Empress Eugénie, Grand Duke Friedrich I of Baden and his wife Grand Duchess Luise, along with other royalty, government officials and Anglican clergy.

On August 14, 1866, American President Andrew Johnson and First Lady Eliza McCardle Johnson gave a reception for Emma at the White House. Secretary of State William Seward hosted a state dinner for Emma at his home on August 18, 1866. The following evening, she attended a private dinner at the White House with President Andrew Johnson, his family, and William Seward. While in Washington, Emma also met with American indigenous representatives including the Choctaw Chief Peter Pitchlynn and delegations of Chickasaw and Cherokee.

While in Montreal, Canada, Emma received a telegram informing her that her adoptive mother and maternal aunt Grace Kamaʻikuʻi Young Rooke had died on July 26, 1866. This prompted her to end her trip and return to Hawaii. On her return trip, she traveled from New York to Panama and then to California. In San Francisco, the United States government dispatched the USS Vanderbilt to bring her back to Honolulu, where she arrived on October 22, 1866.

In 1874, after a reign of only one year, Lunalilo, King of the Hawaiian Islands died without naming an heir. Because of this, the Legislature of the Hawaiian Kingdom would choose the next monarch from the eligible royal family members. Emma claimed that King Lunalilo had wanted her to succeed him, but died before a formal proclamation could be made. She decided to run in the election against David Kalākaua who had lost to Lunalilo in a similar election in 1873.

Many Hawaiians supported Emma not only because her husband was a member of the Kamehameha Dynasty, but because Emma was also closer in descent to Hawaii’s first king, Kamehameha I (the Great) than David Kalākaua. While the Hawaiian people supported Emma, it was the legislature that elected the new monarch. They favored Kalākaua, who won the election 39 – 6. News of Emma’s defeat caused a large riot called, the Honolulu Courthouse riot, in which thirteen legislators who voted for Kalākaua were severely injured, with one eventually dying of his injuries. To control the riot, American and British troops stationed on warships in Honolulu Harbor were landed with the permission of the Hawaiian government, and the rioters were arrested. Emma had no part in the riot, but the opinion was that she supported the actions of the rioters. David Kalākaua took his oath on February 13, 1874, and became Kalākaua, King of the Hawaiian Islands, becoming the first of the last two Hawaiian monarchs.

After the election, Emma retired from public life. She would eventually recognize Kalākaua as the rightful king but she never again spoke to his wife Queen Kapiʻolani. In 1883, Emma had the first of several small strokes. On April 25, 1885, Emma died from a series of strokes, aged 49, in Honolulu.

Queen Emma lying in state at the Kawaiahaʻo Church; Credit – Wikipedia

Emma lay in state at her home but one of her friends who had settled in Hawaii, Alexander Cartwright, a founding member of the New York Knickerbockers Base Ball Club in the 1840s and a future member of the Baseball Hall of Fame, moved Emma’s casket to Kawaiahaʻo Church because he thought her house was not large enough for her funeral. Kawaiahaʻo Church was a Congregational church and Emma was a member of the Anglican Church of Hawaii. The members of the Kawaiahaʻo Church were none too happy that Emma’s coffin lay in state at their church. However, Alfred Willis, the Anglican Bishop of Honolulu conducted Emma’s funeral service at the Congregational church using the Anglican liturgy. Emma was interred in the Royal Mausoleum, Mauna ʻAla (Fragrant Hills), next to her husband Alexander (King Kamehameha IV) and her son Prince Albert Edward.

In the background, the Royal Mausoleum, Mauna ʻAla, now a chapel; Credit – Wikipedia

On November 9, 1887, after the Royal Mausoleum became too crowded, the caskets of the members of the House of Kamehameha were moved to the newly built Kamehameha Tomb, an underground vault, under the Kamehameha Dynasty Tomb. Two additional underground vaults were built over the years. In 1922, the Royal Mausoleum, Mauna ʻAla was converted to a chapel after the last royal remains were moved to tombs constructed on the grounds.

Kamehameha Dynasty Tomb – Royal Mausoleum, Honolulu, Hawai; Credit – By Daderot. – Self-photographed, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1101293

Works Cited

Flantzer, Susan. (2024). Kamehameha IV, King of the Hawaiian Islands. Unofficial Royalty. https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/kamehameha-iv-king-of-the-hawaiian-islands/
The New York Times/Obituary – Queen Emma. Wikisource, The Free Online Library. (n.d.). https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/The_New_York_Times/Obituary_-_Queen_Emma
Wikimedia Foundation. (2023). Albert Kamehameha. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_Kamehameha
Wikimedia Foundation. (2023). Fanny Kekelaokalani. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fanny_Kekelaokalani
Wikimedia Foundation. (2024). George Naea. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Naea
Wikimedia Foundation. (2024). Kamehameha IV. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kamehameha_IV
Wikimedia Foundation. (2023). Queen Emma of Hawaii. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queen_Emma_of_Hawaii
Wikimedia Foundation. (2023). Royal Mausoleum (Mauna ʻAla). Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Mausoleum_(Mauna_%CA%BBAla)
Wikimedia Foundation. (2023). Hawaiian Kingdom. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawaiian_Kingdom

March 19: Today in Royal History

Friedrich Franz III, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin; Credit – Wikipedia

March 19, 1330 – Execution of Edmund, 1st Earl of Kent, son of King Edward I of England, for high treason at Winchester Castle in Winchester, England; initially buried at the Franciscan Friary in Winchester, in 1331 his remains were moved to Westminster Abbey
Edmund had been persuaded by an unknown friar that his half-brother, the deposed King Edward II, was still alive and he then set about raising forces to free him and restore him to the throne. It later emerged that Roger Mortimer who helped overthrow Edward II was responsible for leading Edmund to believe the former king was still alive, in a form of entrapment. Edmund was executed by beheading for high treason. The execution had to be held up for a day because no one wanted to be responsible for a prince’s death. Eventually, a convicted murderer agreed to be the executioner in return for a pardon.
Unofficial Royalty: Edmund, 1st Earl of Kent

March 19, 1604 – Birth of King João IV of Portugal at the Ducal Palace of Vila Viçosa, in Vila Viçosa, Portugal
João IV was the first King of Portugal from the Portuguese House of Braganza. The Braganzas came to power after deposing the Spanish Habsburg Philippine dynasty, which had reigned in Portugal since 1580. In 1633, João married Luisa de Guzmán. They had seven children including two kings of Portugal and Catherine of Braganza, the wife of King Charles II of England. In 1646, João IV placed the crown of Portugal on the head of a statue of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception and proclaimed the Virgin Mary to be the queen, the patron saint, and the protector of Portugal. After this, no Portuguese monarch would ever wear the crown. Instead, the crown was always placed on a cushion next to the monarch. João IV, King of Portugal died on November 6, 1656, aged 52, at Ribeira Palace in Lisbon, Portugal.
Unofficial Royalty: King João IV of Portugal

March 19, 1629 – Birth of Alexei I, Tsar of All Russia in Moscow, Russia
Alexei was the son of the first Romanov ruler, Michael I, Tsar of All Russia. Sixteen-year-old Alexei succeeded his father upon his death in 1645. In 1648, Alexei married Maria Ilyinichna Miloslavskaya. They had thirteen children including Feodor III, Tsar of All Russia and Ivan V, Tsar of All Russia. In 1669, Alexei’s wife Maria Ilyinichna Miloslavskaya died due to childbirth complications. Alexei’s only surviving sons were the future Tsars, Feodor III, who was disabled by an unknown disease that left him disfigured and partially paralyzed, and Ivan V, who had serious physical and mental disabilities. Alexei married again to Natalya Kirillovna Naryshkina, and hoped his second marriage would give him a healthy son, and it did, Peter I the Great, Emperor of All Russia. On February 8, 1676, five years after marrying Natalya Kiillovna, Alexei I, Tsar of All Russia died of a heart attack at the age of 46.
Unofficial Royalty: Alexei I, Tsar of All Russia

March 19, 1749 – Birth of Princess Louisa Anne of Wales, daughter of Frederick, Prince of Wales and sister of King George III of the United Kingdom, at Leicester House in London, England
Louisa Anne’s father Frederick, Prince of Wales predeceased his father King George II and her brother King George III succeeded their grandfather. died from tuberculosis at the age of 19. In 1764, an agreement had been reached for Louisa Anne to marry Crown Prince Christian of Denmark and Norway, the heir to the Danish and Norwegian thrones. However, because of Louisa Anne’s poor health, it was decided that Louisa Anne’s younger sister Caroline Matilda would marry the future King Christian VII of Denmark and Norway. Later in 1764, Louisa Anne received a marriage proposal from Adolf Friedrich IV, Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, the brother of Queen Charlotte, the wife of King George III. However, the negotiations were once again broken off because of concerns about Louisa Anne’s health. By the time Caroline Matilda left for Denmark, Louisa Anne’s health was deteriorating due to tuberculosis and she became an invalid. On May 13, 1768, nineteen-year-old Louisa Anne died from tuberculosis.
Unofficial Royalty: Princess Louisa Anne of Wales

March 19, 1819 – Birth of Princess Caroline Amalie of Hesse-Homburg, second wife of Heinrich XX, 4th Prince Reuss of Greiz, in Homburg vor der Höhe, Landgraviate of Hesse-Homburg, now in Hesse, Germany
Full name: Caroline Amalie Elisabeth Auguste Friederike Ludowike Christiane Josephine Leopoldine George Bernhardine Wilhelmine Woldemare Charlotte
45-year-old Heinrich XX, 4th Prince Reuss of Greiz needed an heir. His first wife had died childless and so he married 20-year-old Caroline Amalie and the couple had five children. Heinrich XX died in 1859, Heinrich XXIII, his thirteen-year-old son, succeeded him as the 5th Prince Reuss of Greiz. Caroline Amalie was Regent of the Principality of Reuss-Greiz from 1859 until 1867. Carolina Amalie survived her husband by thirteen years, dying on January 18, 1872, aged 52.
Unofficial Royalty: Caroline Amalie of Hesse-Homburg, Princess Reuss of Greiz

March 19, 1851 – Birth of Friedrich Franz III, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin at Ludwigslust Palace in Ludwigslust, Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin now in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany
Full name: Friedrich Franz Paul Nikolaus Ernst Heinrich
A rather sickly child, Friedrich Franz suffered from severe bronchial asthma and a weak heart that would plague him his entire life. In 1879, Friedrich Franz married Grand Duchess Anastasia Mikhailovna of Russia, the daughter of Grand Duke Mikhail Nikolaevich of Russia and Princess Cecilie of Baden. The couple had three children and they are ancestors of the Danish royal family through his daughter Alexandrine who married King Christian X of Denmark. Friedrich Franz became Grand Duke upon his father’s death on April 15, 1883. Because of his asthma, it was agreed that he would reside in Schwerin for five months of the year and was free to live elsewhere the rest of the year provided that any further children would be born in Schwerin.
Unofficial Royalty: Friedrich Franz III, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin

March 19, 1871 – Birth of Baroness Mary von Vetsera, mistress of Crown Prince Rudolf of Austria, in Vienna, Austria
Mary was the younger of the two daughters and the third of the four children of Albin von Vetsera, a diplomat in foreign service at the Austrian court, originally from Bratislava, Slovakia, and his wife Helene Baltazzi, daughter of a wealthy Greek banker. The affair of Crown Prince Rudolf and Mary was short-lived. On October 14, 1888, Emperor Franz Joseph, Crown Prince Rudolf, and The Prince of Wales, the future King Edward VII of the United Kingdom, attended the gala opening of the new Burgtheater in Vienna. The Prince of Wales noticed Mary von Vetsera in the audience and pointed her out to Rudolf. A meeting between Rudolf and Mary was later arranged by Countess Marie Larisch, Empress Elisabeth’s niece and Rudolf’s cousin, who had become Mary’s friend. On November 5, 1888, Countess Marie brought Mary to Rudolf’s rooms at the Hofburg Palace in Vienna and formally introduced them. On January 30, 1889, at Mayerling, a hunting lodge in the Vienna Woods that Rudolf had purchased, 30-year-old Rudolf shot his 17-year-old mistress Baroness Mary Vetsera and then shot himself in an apparent suicide plot.
Unofficial Royalty: Baroness Mary von Vetsera, Mistress of Crown Prince Rudolf of Austria

March 18: Today in Royal History

Maria Caterina Brignole, Princess of Monaco. Credit: Wikipedia

March 18, 979 – Assassination of Saint Edward the Martyr, King of England at Corfe Castle in Dorset, England; initially buried at St. Mary’s Church in Wareham, Dorset, England, later buried at Shaftesbury Abbey and finally in at St. Edward the Martyr Orthodox Church in Woking, Surrey, England
In 975, when King Edgar the Peaceful died, he left two surviving sons: Edward around 13 years of age, and Æthelred around 7 years old. Various nobles and clergy formed factions that supported each of the brothers’ succession to the throne. Both boys were too young to have played any significant role in the political maneuvering, and so it was the brothers’ supporters who were responsible for the turmoil that accompanied the choice of a successor to the throne. In the end, Edward’s supporters, mainly Saint Dunstan, Archbishop of Canterbury and Oswald of Worcester, Archbishop of York, proved more powerful and persuasive, and he was crowned king before the year was out. Ælfthryth, the mother of Edward’s half-brother Æthelred, was not happy that her son, born of a legal marriage, was not king. Aelfthryth invited her stepson Edward to Corfe Castle and arranged for him to be welcomed with a cup of wine. As Edward drank the wine, he was stabbed in the back while still mounted on his horse. He fell off, but his foot caught in the stirrup and he was dragged to his death.
Unofficial Royalty: Assassination of Saint Edward the Martyr, King of England
Unofficial Royalty: Saint Edward the Martyr, King of England

March 18, 1496 – Birth of Mary Tudor, Queen of France, Duchess of Suffolk, daughter of King Henry VII of England, at Richmond Palace in Surrey, England
The daughter of King Henry VII and Elizabeth of York, and the sister of King Henry VIII, 18-year-old Mary was first married to 52-year-old twice-married King Louis XII of France who was eager to have a son to succeed him but Louis XII died just three months after the wedding. Through her second marriage to Charles Brandon, 1st Duke of Suffolk, Mary was the grandmother of the ill-fated Lady Jane Grey. Mary got along well with her brother Henry VIII. However, in the late 1520s, their relationship became strained because Mary opposed Henry’s attempt to obtain an annulment of his marriage to Catherine of Aragon so he could marry Anne Boleyn. Mary had known Catherine for many years and had a great fondness for her, but had developed a strong dislike for Anne Boleyn when she served as one of her maids of honor in France.
Unofficial Royalty: Mary Tudor, Queen of France, Duchess of Suffolk

March 18, 1609 – Birth of King Frederik III of Denmark and Norway at Haderslevhus Castle in Haderslev, Denmark
Frederik had an elder brother so he was not expected to become king. In 1643, he married Sophie Amalie of Brunswick-Lüneburg, and the couple had eight children. In 1647, Frederik’s 44-year-old childless elder brother Christian, Prince-Elect of Denmark and heir apparent to the Norwegian throne, died and his death opened up the possibility for Frederik to be elected heir apparent to the Danish throne. However, when King Christian IV died less than nine months later, Frederik had not yet been elected heir apparent to the Danish throne. After long deliberations between the Danish Estates and the Rigsraadet (royal council), he was finally elected King of Denmark. In 1660, Frederik III used his popularity to end the elective monarchy in favor of a hereditary, absolute monarchy in which the legislature was dissolved and the monarch ruled by decree. This lasted until 1849 when Denmark-Norway became a hereditary, constitutional monarchy. Frederik was an enthusiastic collector of books and his collection became the foundation for the Royal Library in Copenhagen which he founded in 1648. Frederik died at the age of 60, after three days of a painful illness, on February 9, 1670.
Unofficial Royalty: King Frederik III of Denmark

March 18, 1722 – Birth of Heinrich XI, 1st Prince Reuss of Greiz in Greiz, County of Reuss-Obergreiz, now in Thuringia, Germany
Heinrich XI was only eight-months-old when his father died on November 17, 1722. His four-year-old brother Heinrich IX succeeded their father as Count Reuss of Obergreiz but he reigned only four months, dying on March 17, 1723. Heinrich XI became Count Reuss of Obergreiz the day before his first birthday. Heinrich XI was a reigning Count and then a reigning Prince from 1723 until his death in 1800, a total of 77 years.
Unofficial Royalty: Heinrich XI, 1st Prince Reuss of Greiz

March 18, 1813 – Death of Maria Caterina Brignole, Princess of Monaco, wife of Honoré III, Prince of Monaco, at Wimbledon House in Wimbledon, London, England; buried at St. Aloysius Church in London, England
In 1757, Maria Caterina married Honoré III, Prince of Monaco, who was eager to marry to provide Monaco with an heir and to obtain Maria Caterina’s large dowry. The couple had two sons including Honoré IV, Prince of Monaco. Maria Caterina and Honoré III lived mostly in Paris where Maria Caterina spent a lot of time with Louis Joseph de Bourbon, Prince of Condé, a great-grandson of Louis XIV, King of France and his mistress Françoise-Athénaïs de Rochechouart, Marquise de Montespan. Louis Joseph used his influence to obtain a legal separation for Maria Caterina from Honoré and the right to manage her own finances. Honoré finally realized his relationship with Maria Caterina was over and eventually accepted Maria Caterina’s relationship with Louis Joseph. There was never a divorce or annulment. Honoré continued with his mistresses and he allowed Maria Caterina to see her two sons.
Unofficial Royalty: Maria Caterina Brignole, Princess of Monaco

March 18, 1848 – Birth of Princess Louise of the United Kingdom, daughter of Queen Victoria, at Buckingham Palace in London, England
Full name: Louise Caroline Alberta
Louise developed a strong interest in the arts. Queen Victoria permitted her to enroll at The National Art Training School, to pursue her interests and she became a very skilled painter and sculptress. She sculpted a statue of Queen Victoria that stands on the grounds of Kensington Palace. In 1871, Louise married John Campbell, Marquess of Lorne and heir to the Dukedom of Argyll. Queen Victoria found this a wonderful match, infusing ‘new blood’ into the royal family. Others, including the Prince of Wales, found it appalling that the Princess should marry below her class. Louise and her husband had no children. From 1878 – 1883, Louise’s husband was Governor-General of Canada and the couple resided at Rideau Hall in Ottawa. Louise was widowed in 1914 when her husband passed away after a lengthy illness. Louise would survive him by more than 25 years. During this time, she remained an active member of the royal family, taking part in official events and maintaining contact with many of her patronages and charities. Louise spent her remaining years at Kensington Palace, where she died at the age of 91.
Unofficial Royalty: Princess Louise of the United Kingdom

March 18, 1895 – Death of Charlotte Montagu Douglas Scott, Duchess of Buccleuch and Queensberry, Queen Victoria’s Mistress of the Robes 1841–1846, at Ditton Park in Slough, Buckinghamshire, England; buried in the family crypt at The Church of St. Mary the Virgin, at Dalkeith Palace in Midlothian, Scotland
Born Lady Charlotte Thynne, the daughter of Thomas Thynne, 2nd Marquess of Bath, Charlotte married Walter Montagu Douglas Scott, 5th Duke of Buccleuch and 7th Duke of Queensberry, in 1829.
Unofficial Royalty: Charlotte Montagu Douglas Scott, Duchess of Buccleuch and Queensberry

March 18, 1913 – Assassination of King George I of Greece in Thessaloniki, Greece, buried at the Royal Cemetery at Tatoi, Greece
George was the son of King Christian IX of Denmark and the brother of King Frederik VIII of Denmark, Queen Alexandra of the United Kingdom, and Empress Maria Feodorovna of Russia. In 1863, he was unanimously elected King by the Greek National Assembly. In 1867, George married Grand Duchess Olga Konstantinovna of Russia. They had eight children including Prince Andreas of Greece, the father of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. George quickly learned Greek and was often seen informally strolling through the streets of Athens. His reign of nearly 50 years was characterized by territorial gains as Greece established its place in pre-World War I Europe. In 1913, while walking in Thessaloniki, Greece, George was killed when an assassin shot him at close range in the back.
Unofficial Royalty: Assassination of George I, King of Greece
Unofficial Royalty: King George I of Greece

March 18, 1914 – Birth of Ernst August (IV), Hereditary Prince of Brunswick, Prince of Hanover in Brunswick in the Duchy of Brunswick now in Lower Saxony, Germany
Full name: Ernst August Georg Wilhelm Christian Ludwig Franz Joseph Nikolaus Oskar
Ernst August (IV) was the eldest son of Ernst August (III), Duke of Brunswick and Princess Viktoria Luise of Prussia, the only daughter of Wilhelm II, German Emperor and King of Prussia. He was the senior male-line descendant of King George III of the United Kingdom, which made him the pretender to the former Kingdom of Hanover. He was also a great-great-grandson of Queen Victoria via his mother. In 1951, Ernst August (IV) married Princess Ortrud of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg. They had six children including the present Prince Ernst August (V), the husband of Princess Caroline of Monaco. After his first wife’s death, Ernst August (IV) married Countess Monika zu Solms-Laubach. He died in 1987 at the age of 73.
Unofficial Royalty: Ernst August (IV), Hereditary Prince of Brunswick, Prince of Hanover

March 18, 1929 – Death of Princess Elise of Hohenlohe-Langenburg, Princess Reuss of Gera, wife of Heinrich XXVII, 5th and the last reigning Prince Reuss of Gera, at Schloss Osterstein in Gera, Germany; buried in the family cemetery in the Park of Schloss Ebersdorf in Saalburg-Ebersdorf in Thuringia, Germany
Elise was christened Elise Victoria Feodora Sophie Adelheid and two of her names reflect that her paternal grandmother was Princess Feodora of Leiningen, the half-sister of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom. Elise’s two siblings have connections to Queen Victoria’s family through their marriages. In 1884, Elise married Heinrich XXVII, the future 5th Prince Reuss of Gera and the couple had five children. Upon the death of his father in 1913, Elise’s husband became the 5th Prince Reuss of Gera and the Regent of the Principality of Reuss-Greiz. His reign was only five years long. After the German defeat in World War I in 1918, Heinrich XXVII abdicated his position as 5th Prince Reuss of Gera, and as Regent abdicated for the disabled Heinrich XXIV, 6th Prince Reuss of Greiz. The new government of Reuss-Gera made an agreement with Heinrich XXVII that granted him some castles and land. Heinrich XXVII, the 5th and last Prince Reuss of Gera died at the age of 70 on November 21, 1928, at Schloss Osterstein in Gera, Germany. Elise survived her husband by only four months, dying on March 18, 1929, aged 64.
Unofficial Royalty: Princess Elise of Hohenlohe-Langenburg, Princess Reuss of Gera

March 18, 1983 – Death of Umberto II, the last King of Italy in Geneva, Switzerland; buried at Hautecombe Abbey in France
King Umberto II was the last monarch of Italy, reigning for just 34 days. In 1930, Umberto married Princess Marie-José of Belgium, the daughter of King Albert I of the Belgians and the couple had four children. At the end of World War II, Italy held a referendum to decide on the continuation of the monarchy, Umberto’s father King Vittorio Emanuele III formally abdicated on May 9, 1946, hoping to help ensure a positive result in the vote and Umberto took the throne as King Umberto II. The referendum was held on June 2, 1946, with the majority voting to become a Republic. Umberto had promised to accept and support the result and encouraged the Italian people to support the new government. On June 12, 1946, King Umberto II of Italy was formally deposed and left Italy. He settled in Cascais, Portugal, where he would live for the remainder of his life. His wife Queen Marie-José also left and settled near Geneva, Switzerland. The couple led separate lives but remained married. On March 18, 1983, King Umberto II died in a hospital in Geneva, Switzerland. Despite the nearly 37 years since he sat on the Italian throne, his funeral was attended by members of most of the reigning and non-reigning royal houses of Europe.
Unofficial Royalty: King Umberto II of Italy

March 18, 2011 – Death of Princess Antoinette of Monaco, Baroness de Massy, sister of Prince Rainier III of Monaco, at The Princess Grace Hospital Centre; buried at the Chapelle de la Paix in Monaco
Antoinette was the elder of the two children of Princess Charlotte of Monaco, Duchess of Valentinois and Count Pierre de Polignac. Antoinette had one younger brother Prince Rainier III of Monaco. Princess Antoinette had a long-term affair with Alexandre-Athenase Noghès, a tennis player. The couple had three illegitimate children who were later legitimized when their parents married in 1951. The couple divorced three years later. Princess Antoinette married Dr. Jean-Charles Rey, President of the Conseil National, Monaco’s legislature, in 1961. Before they married, Antoinette and Rey had a long-term affair. Antoinette and Rey had no children and divorced in 1974. In 1983, Princess Antoinette married a former British ballet dancer John Gilpin. Gilpin died from a heart attack six weeks after marrying Antoinette. Princess Antoinette died at The Princess Grace Hospital Centre on March 18, 2011, at age 90.
Unofficial Royalty: Princess Antoinette of Monaco, Baroness de Massy

March 18, 2012 – Death of King George Tupou V of Tonga at Queen Mary Hospital in Pok Fu Lam, Hong Kong; buried at Malaʻekula Royal Burial Grounds, in Nukuʻalofa, Tonga
King George Tupou V had a short reign from 2006 – 2012. His father had been an absolute monarch. George Tupou is known for introducing democracy to Tonga. During the period between his accession to the throne and his coronation, George Tupou and his advisors put together a framework for sweeping political reforms. Three days before the coronation ceremony, King George Tupou V announced he was ceding most of his executive powers to a democratically elected parliament. On March 18, 2012, King George Tupou V, aged 63, died at Queen Mary Hospital in Pok Fu Lam, Hong Kong.
Unofficial Royalty: King George Tupou V of Tonga

March 17: Today in Royal History

James IV, King of Scots. Photo credit: Wikipedia

March 17, 1040 – Death of King Harold I (Harefoot) of England at Oxford, England; buried at St. Clement Danes Church in London, England
Harold Harefoot (also known as Harold I) was the son of Cnut the Great, King of England, Denmark, Norway and his first wife Ælfgifu of Northampton. Cnut had decreed that any sons of his second marriage should take precedence over the sons of his first marriage. This meant that his son Harthacnut from his second marriage to Emma of Normandy was the legitimate heir to England and Denmark. Harold was elected regent of England following the death of his father in 1035. He initially ruled England in place of his half-brother Harthacnut, who was stuck in Denmark due to a rebellion in Norway. Although Harold had wished to be crowned king the Archbishop of Canterbury refused to do so. It was not until 1037 that Harold was officially proclaimed king. 24-year-old Harold died after a reign of five years and was buried at St. Peter’s Abbey, the precursor to Westminster Abbey which would start to be built on the site two years later. Harthacnut arrived in England and ascended the English throne unchallenged. He had Harold Harefoot’s body exhumed, decapitated, and thrown into a swamp but then it was retrieved and thrown in the River Thames. Shortly afterward, Harold Harefoot’s body was pulled from the River Thames by a fisherman and was buried at St. Clement Danes Church in London which was originally founded by Danes in the ninth century.
Unofficial Royalty: King Harold I of England

March 17, 1473 – Birth of James IV, King of Scots, at Stirling Castle in Stirling, Scotland
James IV married Margaret Tudor, daughter of Henry VII of England and sister of Henry VIII of England, as part of a treaty between Scotland and England. James IV and Margaret had four sons and two stillborn daughters. Only one of their children, James V, King of Scots, the father of Mary, Queen of Scots survived infancy. Despite the great hopes of peace between England and Scotland as symbolized by the marriage of Margaret and James IV, Margaret’s brother Henry VIII did not have his father’s diplomatic patience and was heading toward a war with France. James IV was committed to his alliance with France and invaded England. Henry VIII was away on campaign in France and Flanders in 1513 and he had made his wife Catherine of Aragon regent in his absence. It was up to Catherine to supervise England’s defense when Scotland invaded. Ultimately, the Scots were defeated at the Battle of Flodden near Branxton, Northumberland, England on September 9, 1513, and 30-year-old King James IV was killed in the battle. Catherine sent Henry VIII the blood-stained coat of his defeated and dead brother-in-law. James IV’s seventeen-month-old son succeeded his father as James V, King of Scots.
Unofficial Royalty: James IV, King of Scots

March 17, 1814 – Birth of Kamehameha III, King of the Hawaiian Islands in Keauhou Bay, on the island of Hawaiʻi in the Kingdom of Hawaii
Kamehameha III, King of the Hawaiian Islands reigned from 1825 to 1854. He was the longest-reigning monarch of the Kingdom of the Hawaiian Islands, reigning ruling for 29 years and 192 days. In 1837, Kamehameha III married Kalama Hakaleleponi Kapakuhaili, the only child of High Chief Naihekukui, who was commander of the native Hawaiian fleet at Honolulu. The couple had two sons, but they both died in infancy. During his reign, Kamehameha III’s goal was a careful balancing of modernization by adopting Western ways while keeping his nation intact. The Kingdon of the HawaOn December 15, 1854, at the ʻIolani Palace in Honolulu, Kamehameha III suddenly died, aged 40, after a brief illness, possibly related to a stroke. iian Islands changed from an absolute monarchy to a constitutional monarchy.
Unofficial Royalty: Kamehameha III, King of the Hawaiian Islands

March 17, 1817 – Birth of Kalama, Queen Consort of the Hawaiian Islands, wife of King Kamehameha III, in Kailua, on the island of Oahu, Kingdom of the Hawaiian Islands, now in the state of Hawaii
Kalama Hakaleleponi Kapakuhaili was the only wife of King Kamehameha III of the Hawaiian Islands, the first Hawaiian king not to practice polygamy. Kalama was the only child of Naihe Kukui Kapihe and Chiefess Iʻahuʻula, the younger sister of Charles Kanaʻina, who served on both the Privy Counsel as an advisor to the Kings of the Hawaiian Islands and in the House of Nobles. Kamehameha III and Kalama had two sons, but they both died in infancy. Kalama outlived both her husband Kamehameha III and his nephew Kamehameha IV, and was known as the Queen Dowager. In 1869, during the reign of Kamehameha V, she welcomed Queen Victoria’s son Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh on his visit to the Kingdom of the Hawaiian Islands. Kamala, aged 53, died during the reign of Kamehameha V, on September 20, 1870, in Honolulu, on the island of Oahu.
Unofficial Royalty: Kalama, Queen Consort of the Hawaiian Islands, wife of King Kamehameha III

March 17, 1849 – Death of King Willem II of the Netherlands in Tilburg, the Netherlands; buried at the Nieuwe Kerk in Delft, the Netherlands
When he was two years old, Willem’s family was forced into exile when the French invaded and occupied the Dutch Republic during the Napoleonic Wars. Willem spent his childhood at the Prussian court where he received military training, served in the Prussian Army, and then attended Oxford University in England. In 1811, he entered the British Army and was an aide-de-camp to Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington. Willem’s family returned to the Netherlands in 1813 after the French retreated. In 1816, Willem married Grand Duchess Anna Pavlovna of Russia and the couple had five children. Willem came to the Dutch throne in 1840 when his father King Willem I abdicated due to constitutional changes he did not agree with, anger over the loss of Belgium, and his desire to make a morganatic second marriage with Henriëtte d’Oultremont after the death of his wife. During Willem II’s reign, the power of many monarchs diminished. The revolutions of 1848 and 1849, in which Louis-Philippe of France was deposed and other European monarchs were forced by violence to make concessions, made him fear for his throne. Willem decided to institute a more liberal government, believing it was better to grant reforms instead of having them imposed on him on less favorable terms later. During the few months of his life, Willem had health issues. He died, aged 57, on March 17, 1849.
Unofficial Royalty: King Willem II of the Netherlands

March 17, 1886 – Birth of Princess Patricia of Connaught, granddaughter of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom, at Buckingham Palace in London, England
Full name: Victoria Patricia Helena Elizabeth
Known as Patsy in the family, she was the daughter of Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Princess Louise Margaret of Prussia. Upon her marriage to Sir Alexander Ramsay, she voluntarily relinquished the style of Royal Highness and the title of Princess of Great Britain and Ireland and assumed the style of Lady Patricia Ramsay. However, Lady Patricia remained a member of the British Royal Family, remained in the line of succession, and attended all major royal events including weddings, funerals, and coronations.
Unofficial Royalty: Princess Patricia of Connaught

March 17, 1904 – Death of Prince George, 2nd Duke of Cambridge, son of Prince Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge, at his home, Gloucester House in London, England; buried in a mausoleum at Kensal Green Cemetery in London, England
George was a male-line grandson of King George III, a first cousin of Queen Victoria, and the maternal uncle of Princess Victoria Mary (May) of Teck, the wife of King George V. Like his father, George had a career in the British army and was eventually Commander-in-Chief of the Forces. 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 Queen Victoria. In 1850, George’s father died and George became the 2nd Duke of Cambridge. Louisa died in 1890, at the age of 73. On March 17, 1904, Prince George, Duke of Cambridge died at the age of 84. Because George’s sons were illegitimate, his title Duke of Cambridge became extinct. 107 years later, the title Duke of Cambridge was created for Prince William, the great-great-great-great-grandson of George’s father Prince Adolphus, 1st Duke of Cambridge, on the occasion of William’s wedding.
Unofficial Royalty: Prince George, 2nd Duke of Cambridge

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