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Royal News Recap for Thursday, February 6, 2025

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Royal News Recaps are published Mondays-Fridays and Sundays, except for Thanksgiving in the United States, Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve. The Royal News Recap for Sundays will be a weekend recap. If there is any breaking or major news, we will add an update as necessary.

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Unofficial Royalty

Denmark

Norway

Spain

United Kingdom

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

March 7: Today in Royal History

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Margaret Douglas, Countess of Lennox; Credit – Wikipedia

March 7, 1226 – Death of William Longespée, 3rd Earl of Salisbury, illegitimate son of King Henry II of England and his mistress Ida de Tosny, at his home, Salisbury Castle in Salisbury, Wiltshire, England; buried at Salisbury Cathedral in Salisbury, Wiltshire, England
In 1196, William married a great heiress, Ela of Salisbury, 3rd Countess of Salisbury. Earlier in 1196, Ela’s father died and she succeeded him as 3rd Countess of Salisbury in her own right. After the marriage, William became the 3rd Earl of Salisbury by Jure uxoris, by right of his wife. William participated in military campaigns of his half-brothers King Richard I of England and King John of England. During King John’s troubles with the English nobles, William was one of the few nobles who was loyal to John. In 1225, returning to England from Gascony (now in France), William was shipwrecked off the coast of Brittany (now in France). He spent several months in a monastery on the French island of Île de Ré. Shortly after returning to England, William Longespée, 3rd Earl of Salisbury, aged about fifty.
Unofficial Royalty: William Longespée, 3rd Earl of Salisbury, Illegitimate Son of King Henry II of England

March 7, 1578 – Death of Lady Margaret Douglas, Countess of Lennox, daughter of Margaret Tudor and mother of Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley, in Hackney, London, England; buried in the Henry VII Chapel at Westminster Abbey in London, England
Lady Margaret Douglas was the only child of Margaret Tudor, Dowager Queen of Scots and the second of her third husbands, Scottish noble Archibald Douglas, 6th Earl of Angus. She was third in the line of succession to the English throne at the time of her birth. Her elder son was Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley who married his first cousin Mary, Queen of Scots, the daughter and successor of Lady Margaret’s half-brother James V, King of Scots. Darnley and Mary’s son James VI, King of Scots succeeded as King James I of England upon the death of Queen Elizabeth I of England. Margaret and her family suffered the dangerous misfortune of being a threat to the English throne. All British monarchs from King James I onward, and many European royals are the descendants of Lady Margaret Douglas.
Unofficial Royalty: Lady Margaret Douglas, Countess of Lennox

March 7, 1802 – Death of Marie Clotilde of France, Queen of Sardinia in Naples, Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, now in Italy; buried at the Church of Santa Caterina a Chiaia in Naples
Marie Clotilde was the daughter of Louis, Dauphin of France who predeceased his father Louis XV, King of France. Three of Marie Clotilde’s brothers were Kings of France: the ill-fated Louis XVI, and two kings of the Bourbon Restoration: Louis XVIII and Charles X. For political reasons, her brother Louis XVI arranged for her to marry the future Carlo Emanuele IV, King of Sardinia. Their marriage was childless. Marie Clotilde died from typhoid fever on March 7, 1802, aged 42. Pope Pius VII, who had personally known Marie Clotilde, declared her The Venerable Marie Clotilde of France in 1808. In the Catholic Church, after a deceased Catholic has been declared a Servant of God by a bishop and proposed for beatification by the Pope, they may next be declared Venerable (“heroic in virtue”) during the investigation and process leading to possible canonization as a saint.
Unofficial Royalty: Marie Clotilde of France, Queen of Sardinia

March 7, 1842 – Death of Paul Friedrich, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin in Schwerin, Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, now in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany; buried in Schwerin Cathedral
In 1822, Paul Friedrich married Alexandrine of Prussia, the daughter of King Friedrich Wilhelm III of Prussia and the couple had six children. Paul Friedrich became Grand Duke upon his grandfather’s death on February 1, 1837. He moved the official Grand Ducal residence from Ludwigslust to Schwerin and worked to improve the Grand Duchy’s judicial system and the infrastructure. Using his experience with the Prussian military, the Grand Duke modernized the Mecklenburg-Schwerin military, basing many of his reforms on the Prussian forces. As his reign continued, he became more reclusive, often shunning his family and spending time quietly with his mistress. Paul Friedrich died on March 7, 1842, aged 41. Several weeks earlier, he had contracted a cold while helping to battle a great fire in Schwerin and never recovered.
Unofficial Royalty: Paul Friedrich, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin

March 7, 1930 – Birth of Antony Armstrong-Jones, 1st Earl of Snowdon, husband of Princess Margaret of the United Kingdom (divorced 1978), in London, England
Full name: Antony Charles Robert
Antony Armstrong-Jones, 1st Earl of Snowdon was a gifted artist and photographer. In 1960, he married Princess Margaret, King George VI’s younger daughter and Queen Elizabeth II’s sister. The couple had two children. The marriage, while happy at the beginning, quickly turned sour. Both were rumored to have had affairs, and often battled publicly. After the couple’s divorce in 1978, Lord Snowdon remained close to the British Royal Family. Lord Snowdon married Lucy Mary Lindsay-Hogg (née Davies) and they had one daughter. This marriage would also end in divorce after it was revealed that Snowdon had fathered a son with another woman. At Princess Margaret’s funeral in 2002, he was among the leading mourners, alongside the couple’s two children, Queen Elizabeth II, and Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother. When Lord Snowdow died at the age of 86, his son David succeeded him as 2nd Earl of Snowdon.  His former sister-in-law Queen Elizabeth II and her husband the Duke of Edinburgh, their sons Prince Andrew and Prince Edward, and their grandson Prince William attended the memorial service for Antony Armstrong-Jones, 1st Earl of Snowdon on April 7, 2017, at the Church of St Margaret in Westminster, London, England on the grounds of Westminster Abbey.
Unofficial Royalty: Antony Armstrong-Jones, 1st Earl of Snowdon

March 7, 1965 – Death of Queen Louise of Sweden, second wife of King Gustaf VI Adolf of Sweden, born Princess Louise of Battenberg, from 1917 Lady Louise Mountbatten, at Saint Göran Hospital in Stockholm, Sweden; buried at the Royal Burial Ground in Haga, Sweden
Louise was the daughter of Prince Louis of Battenberg and Princess Victoria of Hesse and by Rhine, the granddaughter of Princess Alice of the United Kingdom, the great-granddaughter of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom, and the maternal aunt of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. In 1923, Crown Prince Gustaf Adolf of Sweden visited London and met Louise at a party. Gustaf Adolf had been a widower for three years following the death of his wife Margaret of Connaught, who was Louise’s first cousin once removed. They were married on November 3, 1923, in the Chapel Royal at St. James’s Palace in London. The marriage was a happy one, but unfortunately, they had a stillborn daughter in 1925 and no more children after that. In 1950, when his father died, Louise’s husband became King Gustaf VI Adolf of Sweden and she became queen. During the 1950s, Louise’s health began to suffer and she developed cardiac issues. Soon after she attended the Nobel Prize banquet in December 1964, her last public appearance, her health deteriorated. On March 4, 1965, Louise had a six-hour surgery to correct a severe circulatory disorder in the right leg as a result of changes in her aorta. Although the surgery went well, complications developed and the 75-year-old Louise died three days later.
Unofficial Royalty: Queen Louise of Sweden (Lady Louise Mountbatten)

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March 6: Today in Royal History

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John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster; Credit – Wikipedia

March 6, 1052 – Death of Emma of Normandy, Queen of England, Norway, and Denmark at St. Mary’s Abbey in Winchester, England; first buried at the Old Minster in Winchester, England, in 1093 Emma’s remains were moved to Winchester Cathedral when the Old Minster was demolished
The eldest daughter of Richard I, Duke of Normandy, Emma was successively the wife of Æthelred II the Unready of England and Cnut the Great, King of Denmark, Norway, and England. She was the mother of English kings Harthacnut and Edward the Confessor.  In 1042, Emma’s son Edward the Confessor became King of England upon the death of his half-brother Harthacnut. Emma was present at Edward’s coronation on Easter, April 3, 1043, at the Old Minster in Winchester, England. Emma died on March 6, 1052, and was buried at the Old Minster in Winchester beside her second husband Cnut and their son Harthacnut. When the Old Minster was demolished in 1093, Emma’s remains were moved to Winchester Cathedral. They were among the remains in the labeled mortuary chests that rest on top of the choir screen. During the English Civil War, Winchester Cathedral was ransacked and the remains were scattered. The remains were returned to the mortuary chests but were mixed up. In 2012, an examination of the remains in the chests began. The examination included DNA testing, reassembly of the skeletons, and analysis to determine the sex, age, and other characteristics of the remains. In May 2019, it was announced that Emma’s remains were found in several chests.
Unofficial Royalty: Emma of Normandy, Queen of England, Norway, and Denmark

March 6, 1340 – Birth of John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster, son of King Edward III of England, at the Abbey of St. Bavon in Ghent, County of Flanders, now in Belgium
A younger son of King Edward III of England, John of Gaunt was a military leader and statesman and the father of King Henry IV of England. Due to his royal birth and marriages, he was one of the richest men of his time and was very influential during the reigns of his father King Edward III and his nephew King Richard II. As Duke of Lancaster, he was the founder of the House of Lancaster, whose members would become Kings of England after his death. All British monarchs since King Henry IV are descended from John of Gaunt, and most European monarchies are also descended from John. The Houses of Lancaster, York, and Tudor were all descended from John of Gaunt’s children.
Unofficial Royalty: John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster

March 6, 1725 – Birth of Cardinal Henry Benedict Stuart, younger of the two sons of James Francis Edward Stuart, The Old Pretender who was the son of the exiled King James II of England/VII of Scotland, at the Palazzo Muti in Rome, Italy
Full name: Henry Benedict Thomas Edward Maria Clement Francis Xavier
Cardinal Henry Benedict Stuart was the younger of the two sons of James Francis Edward Stuart, The Old Pretender, who was the son of the exiled King James II of England/VII of Scotland.  In 1748, Henry was ordained a priest and then made a Cardinal-Priest.  He was created Cardinal-Bishop of the Diocese of Frascati near Rome in 1761. Henry became Dean of the College of Cardinals, who is often, but not necessarily, the longest-serving member of the whole College of Cardinals in 1803. Henry was a Cardinal for fifty-six years and is the longest-serving Cardinal in Roman Catholic Church history.  However, in modern times it is virtually impossible to become a Cardinal at the age of 22 as Henry did. With Henry’s death, the male line of the Royal House of Stuart was extinct. The Jacobite line of succession passed to King Carlo Emanuele IV of Sardinia through the line of Henrietta of England, Duchess of Orléans, the youngest child of King Charles I of England. The Jacobite line of succession has proceeded over the years to the House of Savoy, the House of Austria-Este, and the House of Wittelsbach. It appears in the future, that it will proceed to the House of Liechtenstein.
Unofficial Royalty: Cardinal Henry Benedict Stuart
Unofficial Royalty: The Jacobite Succession – Pretenders to the British Throne

March 6, 1823 – Birth of King Karl I of Württemberg in Stuttgart, Kingdom of Württemberg, now in Baden-Württemberg, Germany
Full name: Karl Friedrich Alexander
In 1846, Karl married Grand Duchess Olga Nikolaevna of Russia, the daughter of Nicholas I, Emperor of All Russia. The marriage appeared to be happy, although possibly it was never consummated. By most accounts, Karl was homosexual and enjoyed very close relationships with several men through the years. Karl and Olga adopted Olga’s niece, Grand Duchess Vera Konstantinovna. Karl became King of  Württemberg upon his father’s death in 1864. He was far more liberal than his father, and this was reflected in his actions. He restored the freedom of the press and universal suffrage. Although he sided with Austria during the Austro-Prussian War of 1866, he soon entered into a treaty with Prussia, and would later fight alongside them in the Franco-Prussian War of 1870.
Unofficial Royalty: King Karl I of Württemberg

March 6, 1876 – Death of Louise Rasmussen, Countess Danner, former mistress and morganatic third wife of King Frederik VII of Denmark, in Genoa, Italy; buried at Jægerspris Castle in Jægerspris, Denmark
Louise, a dancer with the Danish Royal Ballet, became acquainted with the son of King Christian VIII, Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark, who had already divorced two wives. Louise and Frederik had a relationship during the 1840s. In 1848, Frederik’s father died and he succeeded to the Danish throne as King Frederik VII. Upon becoming king, Frederik wished to marry Louise but the government was not in favor of the marriage. In 1849, King Frederik VII signed a new constitution, changing the monarchy from an absolute monarchy to a constitutional monarchy. The signing of the new constitution made Frederik so popular that the government permitted him to morganatically marry Louise Rasmussen. Louise was not queen consort and was officially styled as Countess Danner. The marriage appears to have been happy, but had much opposition and Louise was treated poorly in social circles. Frederik and Louise did not have any children. Frederik died in 1863 and Louise survived him by eleven years, dying in Genoa, Italy on March 6, 1874, at the age of 58. While King Frederik VII was buried at Roskilde Cathedral, the traditional burial place of the Danish Royal Family, Louise was not accorded a resting place near her husband. She was buried in a burial mound in the castle garden of her home Jægerspris Castle.
Unofficial Royalty: Louise Rasmussen, Countess Danner

March 6, 1896 – Birth of King Norodom Suramarit of Cambodia in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, then in the French Protectorate of Cambodia
Norodom Suramarit was the son of half-siblings, Prince Norodom Sutharot of Cambodia (1872–1945) and Princess Norodom Phangangam of Cambodia (1874–1944), both children of King Norodom Prohmbarirak of Cambodia but by different mothers. Norodom Suramarit, the father of King Norodom Sihanouk, reigned as King of Cambodia from 1955 -1960. His son King Norodom Sihanouk had been chosen over him to be king in 1941 but abdicated in 1955 so he could directly participate in politics. The reign of King Suramarit was peaceful due to the powerful political leadership and strict neutral policy of his son Prime Minister Norodom Sihanouk. King Norodom Suramarit, aged 64, died in 1960 after a long illness.
Unofficial Royalty: King Norodom Suramarit of Cambodia

March 6, 1903 – Birth of Empress Kōjun of Japan, wife of Emperor Shōwa of Japan, born Princess Nagako Kuni at her family’s home in Tokyo, Japan
Born Princess Nagako Kuni, she was the eldest daughter of Prince Kuniyoshi Kuni, a lieutenant general in the Imperial Japanese Army and a member from one of the branch houses of the imperial dynasty entitled to provide a successor to the throne of Japan by adoption. In 1924, she married the future Emperor Hirohito of Japan, now known by his posthumous name Emperor Shōwa. The couple had five daughters and two sons, including Emperor Akihito. In 1926, when Hirohito’s father Emperor Taishō died of a heart attack at the age of 47, Hirohito began his 62-year-reign as Emperor of Japan and Nagako became Empress of Japan. Empress Nagako performed her duties according to tradition. After her husband died in 1989, Nagako assumed the title of Empress Dowager and she remained in seclusion for the rest of her life due to her ill health. In 1995, she became the longest-living Dowager Empress of Japan, breaking the record of Empress Kanshi, who died in 1102. On June 16, 2000, at her home, the Fukiage Ōmiya Palace in Tokyo, Japan, Dowager Empress Nagako died at the age of 97. She is now known by her posthumous name Empress Kōjun.
Unofficial Royalty: Empress Kōjun of Japan

March 6, 1939 – Birth of Infanta Margarita of Spain, Duchess of Soria, daughter of Infante Juan of Spain, Count of Barcelona, sister of King Juan Carlos of Spain, in Rome, Italy
Full name: Margarita María de la Victoria Esperanza Jacoba Felicidad Perpetua y Todos los Santos
Margarita is the third of the four children of Infante Juan of Spain, Count of Barcelona (son of King Alfonso III of Spain and Victoria Eugenie of Battenberg)  and Princess María Mercedes of Bourbon-Two Sicilies. Margarita has been blind since her birth. In 1972, Margarita married Carlos Zurita y Delgado, a medical doctor, and renounced her succession rights. The couple had two children. In 1989, Margarita and her husband created the Fundación Cultural Duques de Soria (The Duke and Duchess of Soria Cultural Foundation) based in the former Convent of Mercy in Soria, Spain. Margarita is also the honorary president of the Spanish delegation of UNICEF, the Fundación ONCE, the Spanish Heart Foundation, and the Spanish Federation of Hemophilia.
Unofficial Royalty: Infanta Margarita of Spain, Duchess of Soria

March 6, 1954 – Death of Charles Edward, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, grandson of Queen Victoria, in Coburg, Bavaria, Germany; buried in the family cemetery in the forest of Schloss Callenberg in Coburg, Bavaria, Germany
Charles Edward’s father Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany died three months before he was born. Prince Leopold inherited hemophilia from his mother Queen Victoria. He died at age 30 from a fall that caused a cerebral hemorrhage. The hemophilia exacerbated by his injuries. At his birth, Charles Edward inherited his father’s title Duke of Albany. In 1900, he became Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha upon the death of his uncle Alfred, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha and Duke of Edinburgh. In 1905, Charles Edward married Princess Viktoria Adelheid of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg. The couple had five children, including Princess Sibylla of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha who married Prince Gustav Adolf of Sweden, Duke of Västerbotten, and is the mother of  Carl XVI Gustaf, the current King of Sweden. At the end of World War I, Charles Edward was deposed and signed a declaration relinquishing his rights to the throne. In 1933, he joined the Nazi Party. After the end of World War II, Charles Edward was placed under house arrest because of his Nazi sympathies. Several times Charles Edward faced trial for his alleged Nazi activities. In 1949, a denazification appeals court classified Charles Edward as a Nazi Follower, Category IV. He was heavily fined and almost bankrupted. Some of the Saxe-Coburg and Gotha properties that were now in East Germany were seized. The family was left with Schloss Callenberg in Coburg, Bavaria, Germany and Schloss Greinburg an der Donau in Grein, Austria. Charles Edward spent the last years of his life in seclusion. He died of cancer at the age of 69 in his apartment on Elsässer Straße (Street) in Coburg, Bavaria, Germany.
Unofficial Royalty: Charles Edward, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha

March 6, 1964 – Death of King Paul I of Greece at Tatoi Palace near Athens, Greece; buried at the Tatoi Royal Cemetery
A Greek great-grandson of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, Paul was born on December 14, 1901, 11 months after Queen Victoria’s death and on the 40th anniversary of Prince Albert’s death. The future King Paul I of Greece was the son of King Constantine I of Greece and Princess Sophie of Prussia, the daughter of Queen Victoria’s eldest child Victoria, Princess Royal. Paul married Princess Frederica of Hanover, who was also a great-grandchild of Queen Victoria through Victoria, Princess Royal. They were the parents of Queen Sofia of Spain, the wife of King Juan Carlos of Spain, and Constantine II, the last King of Greece. In 1946, Paul ascended the Greek throne following the sudden death of his brother King George II.  After a state visit to the United Kingdom in July 1963, King Paul fell ill. He was later diagnosed with stomach cancer and died on March 6, 1964.
Unofficial Royalty: King Paul of Greece

March 6, 1999 – Death of Sheikh Isa II bin Salman Al Khalifa, Emir of Bahrain at the al-Sakhir Palace in Sakhir, Bahrain; buried at the Al-Rifa’a Cemetery in Bahrain
Isa became Hakim of Bahrain upon the death of his father in 1961. In 1971, Bahrain declared its independence from the United Kingdom and signed a new treaty of friendship with the United Kingdom. Isa changed the title of the ruler of Bahrain to the Emir of Bahrain and appointed his brother Khalifa bin Salman al-Khalifa as the first Prime Minister of the newly sovereign country, the Emirate of Bahrain. Despite dissolving Parliament in 1975, and taking on absolute power, during his 38 years as Emir, Isa transformed Bahrain into a modern nation and it became an important financial center in the Persian Gulf area. On March 6, 1999, 65-year-old Isa bin Salman al-Khalifa died of a heart attack just minutes after concluding a meeting with the United States Secretary of Defense William Cohen.
Unofficial Royalty: Sheikh Isa II bin Salman Al Khalifa, Emir of Bahrain

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Royal News Recap for Tuesday, March 4, 2025

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Royal News Recaps are published Mondays-Fridays and Sundays, except for Thanksgiving in the United States, Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve. The Royal News Recap for Sundays will be a weekend recap. If there is any breaking or major news, we will add an update as necessary.

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This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

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Unofficial Royalty

Belgium

Denmark

Japan

Jordan

Monaco

Netherlands

Spain

United Kingdom

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

March 5: Today in Royal History

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King Henry II of England; Credit – Wikipedia

March 5, 1133 – Birth of King Henry II of England in Le Mans, the capital of the County of Maine, now in France
Henry II was the eldest of the three sons of Geoffrey V, Count of Anjou, Touraine, and Maine, and Empress Matilda, the only surviving, legitimate child of King Henry I of England and Duke of Normandy. On Christmas Day 1126, King Henry I of England had gathered his nobles at Westminster where they swore to recognize Matilda and any future legitimate heir she might have as his successors. However, when Henry I died in 1135, his nephew Stephen of Blois quickly crossed from Boulogne (France) to England, seized power in England, and was crowned King Stephen of England on December 22, 1135. Empress Matilda did not give up her claim to England and Normandy, leading to the long civil war known as The Anarchy between 1135 and 1153. Eventually, Stephen and Matilda’s son Henry agreed upon a negotiated peace, the Treaty of Winchester, in which Stephen recognized Henry as his heir. Stephen died in 1154, and Henry ascended the throne as King Henry II, the first Angevin King of England.
Unofficial Royalty: King Henry II of England

March 5, 1723 – Birth of Princess Mary of Great Britain, daughter of King George II of Great Britain, at Leicester House in London, England
In 1740, Mary married Friedrich II, the future Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel. As Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel, Friedrich became famous during the American Revolution as a supplier of thousands of Hessian soldiers who fought on behalf of the British. Mary and Friedrich had four sons and are the ancestors of six of the ten current European monarchs. The marriage was unhappy, and Friedrich reportedly abused Mary. The couple separated in 1754 on Friedrich’s conversion to Roman Catholicism. Mary’s father-in-law supported her as she did not wish to return to Great Britain because she believed it was her duty to remain in the place that God had placed her and ensure her sons would be brought up Protestant. In 1756, Mary moved to Denmark, to take care of the children of her sister Louisa of Great Britain (wife of King Frederik V above), who died in 1751. She took her children with her, who were raised at the Danish court, and married to Danish princesses. Her husband succeeded his father as Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel in 1760. Mary was technically Landgravine consort for the last twelve years of her life, despite her estrangement from her husband. Mary died on January 14, 1772, in Hanau, Landgraviate of Hesse-Kassel, now in Hesse, Germany, at the age of 48.
Unofficial Royalty: Princess Mary of Great Britain, Landgravine of Hesse-Kassel

March 5, 1942 – Death of Grand Duke Dmitri Pavlovich of Russia, son of Grand Duke Paul Alexandrovich of Russia and Princess Alexandra of Greece and Denmark, at the Schatzalp Sanatorium in Davos, Switzerland; initially buried at Waldfriedhof in Davos, Switzerland, his remains were transferred to the Mainau Palace Church, on Mainau Island in Lake Constance, Germany, on the estate of his nephew Count Lennart Bernadotte of Wisborg
Dmitri was one of the conspirators in the murder of Grigori Yefimovich Rasputin. He was exiled to Persia (now Iran), a move that most likely saved his life during the Russian Revolution. Dmitri’s half-brother Prince Vladimir Paley, his father Grand Duke Paul Alexandrovich, and Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna, Dmitri’s aunt by marriage and his former guardian, were murdered by the Bolsheviks. In addition, amazingly, Dmitri was a first cousin of both Nicholas II, the last Emperor of All Russia and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. Dmitri participated in the 1912 Olympics in Stockholm in the Equestrian Individual and Team Jumping events, placing ninth in Individual Jumping and fifth in Team Jumping. In 1926, Dmitri married the rich American heiress Audrey Emery. The couple had one son and divorced in 1937. It is believed that Dmitri’s ill health was caused by tuberculosis which he probably contracted around 1929. In 1939, Dmitri entered Schatzalp Sanatorium in Davos, Switzerland and he died there on March 5, 1942, at the age of 50. Because the sanatorium’s medical records were destroyed when the sanatorium was converted into a hotel in the 1950s, there is no definite cause for Dmitri’s death. Both tuberculosis and uremia have been cited.
Unofficial Royalty: Grand Duke Dmitri Pavlovich of Russia

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

March 4: Today in Royal History

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David II, King of Scots; Credit – Wikipedia

March 4, 1238 – Death of Joan of England, Queen of Scots, wife of Alexander II, King of Scots, daughter of King John of England, at Havering-atte-Bower in Essex, England; buried at Tarrant Crawford Abbey in Dorset, England
Joan was the eldest of the three daughters and the third of the five children of King John of England and Isabella of Angoulême.  Joan’s father died when she was six years old, leaving his eldest son King Henry III, a nine-year-old, to inherit his throne. Five years later, marriage negotiations were occurring for Joan. Twelve years older than Joan, Alexander II, King of Scots was the only son of William I, King of Scots (the Lion), and became King of Scots in 1214 when he was sixteen. On June 21, 1221, at York Minster in York, England, eleven-year-old Joan married 23-year-old Alexander. Alexander’s court was dominated by his mother Dowager Queen Ermengarde, so Joan’s position was not strong. Joan and Alexander never had any children, which left Alexander without an heir, a major issue for any king. An annulment of the marriage was risky as it could provoke a war with England. While visiting England, Joan became ill and died in the arms of her brothers King Henry III and Richard, Earl of Cornwall on March 4, 1238, at the age of 27.
Unofficial Royalty: Joan of England, Queen of Scots

March 4, 1324 – Birth of David II, King of Scots at Dunfermline Palace in Fife, Scotland
The second and last monarch of the House of Bruce, David II, King of Scots is one of the longest-reigning monarchs of Scotland, having reigned for 41 years, 260 days. He was the only surviving son of Robert I, King of Scots (also known as Robert the Bruce) and his second wife Elizabeth de Brugh. In 1328, four-year-old David married seven-year-old Joan of the Tower, the youngest daughter of King Edward II of England and Isabella of France. David’s mother died in 1327 and upon the death of his father on June 7, 1329, five-year-old David succeeded to the Scottish throne. Joan died in 1362, at the age of 41, without giving her husband an heir. David married his mistress Margaret Drummond in 1364. He divorced her in 1370 on the grounds of infertility. However, Margaret successfully petitioned Pope Urban V to reverse the divorce because it seemed likely that David was infertile as his 34-year marriage to his first wife produced no issue. In the later years of his reign, David continued to pursue peace with England and worked to make Scotland a stronger kingdom with a more prosperous economy. David, aged 46, died unexpectedly in 1371. Because both his marriages were childless, David was succeeded by his nephew, the son of his half-sister Marjorie Bruce, who became Robert II, King of Scots, the first monarch of the House of Stewart.
Unofficial Royalty: David II, King of Scots

March 4, 1665 – Birth of Count Philip Christoph von Königsmarck, lover of Sophia Dorothea of Celle, Electoral Princess of Hanover, wife of the future King George I of Great Britain, in Stade, then part of the Swedish province of Bremen-Verden-Wildeshausen, now in Lower Saxony, Germany
The marriage of first cousins Sophia Dorothea of Celle and George, Electoral Prince of Hanover, the future King George I of Great Britain, was happy at first, but soon both George and Sophia Dorothea found affection elsewhere. George fell in love with one of his mother’s ladies-in-waiting, Melusine von der Schulenburg, and Sophia Dorothea fell in love with her childhood friend Philip Christoph von Königsmarck. In 1694, Sophia Dorothea’s affair was revealed to her father-in-law and uncle Ernst August, Elector of Hanover, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg. On the morning of July 2, 1694, after a meeting with Sophia Dorothea, 29-year-old Philip Christoph von Königsmarck disappeared from the Leineschloss in Hanover and was never seen again. It was widely believed he was secretly murdered that same day. Officially, Philip Christoph von Königsmarck is still a missing person.
Unofficial Royalty: Philip Christoph von Königsmarck, Lover of Sophia Dorothea of Celle, Electoral Princess of Hanover

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Danish Styles and Titles

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2025

Queen Mary and King Frederik X; Photo: © Hasse Nielsen

A unified Danish monarchy can be traced back to Gorm the Old who died in 958. In the 10th and 11th centuries, several Kings of Denmark were also Kings of England. Denmark, Sweden, and Norway were ruled together under one monarch from 1397 until 1523 when Sweden seceded and became its own kingdom. In 1814, after the Napoleonic Wars, Denmark lost Norway to Sweden. Eventually, in 1905, the union between Sweden and Norway was dissolved and Norway became its own kingdom. Norway’s first king, Haakon VII, was born Prince Carl of Denmark, a son of King Frederik VIII of Denmark. The House of Oldenburg reigned in Denmark from 1448 – 1863 when the crown passed to the House of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg, a cadet branch of the same house, because there were no Oldenburg heirs.

The Danish Monarch

King Frederik X of Denmark

His Majesty King Frederik X is the current monarch of Denmark. In her New Year’s Speech on December 31, 2023, Frederik’s mother Queen Margrethe II announced that she would step down as Queen of Denmark on January 14, 2024, the 52nd anniversary of her accession.

The monarchs of Denmark have a long history of royal and noble titles. Historically Danish monarchs also used the titles King of the Wends and King of the Goths. In 1972, when Queen Margrethe II succeeded to the throne, she eliminated all titles except the style and title Her Majesty Queen of Denmark.

Only descendants of King Christian X and his wife Queen Alexandrine may inherit the Danish throne. The monarch must be a member of the Lutheran Evangelical Church and must have Parliament’s permission to marry. The succession law was changed in 1953 to allow female succession. The monarch at that time, King Frederik IX, had only three daughters. Before 1953, the Salic Law, which prohibits female succession, was in effect. As of 2008, the succession has been based on absolute primogeniture, meaning the eldest child is heir, regardless of gender. Since 1513, the regnal names of male Danish monarchs have traditionally alternated between Frederik and Christian.

The Danish Royal Consort

Queen Mary of Denmark; Credit – Wikipedia

The wives of Danish monarchs have been titled Queen of Denmark and styled Her Majesty. Her Majesty Queen Mary of Denmark, born Mary Donaldson in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia, is the current royal consort.

There have been only two reigning Queens of Denmark: Margarethe I, Queen of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden (reigned in Denmark 1387 –1412, reigned in Norway 1388 – 1412, reigned in Sweden 1389 – 1412) and Margrethe II, Queen of Denmark (reigned 1972 – 2024, abdicated). Queen Margrethe I’s husband was also a monarch, Haakon VI, King of Norway and Sweden, so a royal Danish title was unnecessary.

In 1967, the future Queen Margrethe II of Denmark married a commoner, Henri de Laborde de Monpezat, born in Talence, France. After his marriage, Henri was known by Henrik, the Danish version of his name, and was created a Prince of Denmark with the style His Royal Highness. In 2005, Queen Margrethe II gave her husband the title The Prince Consort of Denmark. In her New Year’s speech on December 31, 2015, Queen Margrethe II announced that Prince Henrik would slow down and give up most of his official duties beginning January 1, 2016. On April 14, 2016, Prince Henrik renounced the title of Prince Consort and reverted to His Royal Highness Prince Henrik of Denmark.

The Heir to the Danish Throne – Crown Prince of Denmark or Crown Princess of Denmark

Crown Prince Christian of Denmark; Photo: © Dennis Stenild

The eldest child of the Danish monarch, regardless of gender, automatically becomes the Crown Prince of Denmark or the Crown Princess of Denmark when his/her father or mother succeeds to the Danish throne. His Royal Highness Crown Prince Christian of Denmark, the eldest of the four children of King Frederik X, is the current heir to the throne. He automatically became Crown Prince of Denmark after his grandmother’s abdication and his father’s subsequent ascension to the Danish throne on January 14, 2024.

Count of Monpezat

Although the right to use the title is disputed, members of the Laborde de Monpezat family, the family of the late Prince Henrik of Denmark, born Henri Laborde de Monpezat in Talence, France, the husband of Queen Margrethe II, have styled themselves as Comte de Laborde de Monpezat (English: Count of Laborde of Monpezat) since the late nineteenth century.

On April 30, 2008, Queen Margrethe II conferred the title of Count of Monpezat (Greve af Monpezat in Danish), as a Danish title of nobility, on her two sons Crown Prince Frederik (now King Frederik X) and Prince Joachim. Crown Princess Mary (now Queen Mary of Denmark) became Countess of Monpezat, and when Prince Joachim married Marie Cavallier on May 24, 2008, she became Princess Marie of Denmark and Countess of Monpezat. Descendants born in a legal marriage also bear the title, so the sons of King Frederik X and Prince Joachim are all Counts of Monpezat and their daughters are all Countesses of Monpezat.

The Danish Royal House’s announcement:

Her Majesty the Queen has decided that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and His Royal Highness Prince Joachim will be given the title of “Count of Monpezat”. Her Royal Highness Crown Princess Mary and His Royal Highness Prince Joachim’s future spouse Ms. Marie Cavallier will consequently bear the title of “Countess of Monpezat”. The title will also be borne by descendants born in lawful marriage, in accordance with the general rules applicable to this, which means that the title “Count of Monpezat” will be carried on by male descendants, while female descendants will bear the title “Countess of Monpezat”. This is a new, additional title that can be used in connection with the existing ones. The title does not affect the currently applicable predicates.

Prince and Princess of Denmark

King Frederik X and his family on the day of his accession to the Danish throne (Left to right: Princess Isabella, Crown Prince Christian, King Frederik X, Queen Mary, Princess Josephine, and Prince Vincent)

On September 28, 2022, the Danish Royal House announced changes for royal titles within the Danish Royal Family. Queen Margrethe II decided that, as of January 1, 2023, the children of her son His Royal Highness Prince Joachim would no longer hold the style and title of His/Her Highness Prince/Princess. Instead, they would only hold the title Count/Countess of Monpezat, with the style of His/Her Excellency. Prince Joachim had two sons with his first wife Alexandra Manley (divorced 2005), styled after her divorce, Her Excellency Countess Alexandra of Frederiksborg. He had one son and one daughter with his second wife Marie Cavallier, styled after her marriage, Her Royal Highness Princess Marie. It is unclear if this is a permanent change, and only the children of the monarch and the heir apparent will be Princes and Princesses of Denmark, or if it is a change just for the children of Prince Joachim, the second of Queen Margrethe II’s two sons.

As of January 1, 2023, Prince Joachim’s children are styled:

Here is the full statement issued by the Danish Royal House:

In April 2008, Her Majesty The Queen bestowed upon her sons, their spouses and their descendants the titles of count and countess of Monpezat. In May 2016, it was also announced that His Royal Highness Prince Christian, as the only one of The Queen’s grandchildren, is expected to receive an annuity from the state as an adult.

As a natural extension of this, Her Majesty has decided that, as of 1 January 2023, His Royal Highness Prince Joachim’s descendants can only use their titles as counts and countess of Monpezat, as the titles of prince and princess that they have held up until now will be discontinued. Prince Joachim’s descendants will thus have to be addressed as excellencies in the future. The Queen’s decision is in line with similar adjustments that other royal houses have made in various ways in recent years.

With her decision, Her Majesty The Queen wishes to create the framework for the four grandchildren to be able to shape their own lives to a much greater extent without being limited by the special considerations and duties that a formal affiliation with the Royal House of Denmark as an institution involves. All four grandchildren maintain their places in the order of succession.

Count of Rosenborg

Count Ingolf of Rosenborg, his wife Countess Sussie (center), and his sister Princess Elisabeth of Denmark; Photo: BilledBladet.dk

The title Count of Rosenborg is named after Rosenborg Castle, a renaissance castle in Copenhagen, Denmark. The title Count of Rosenborg has been granted to seven Danish princes, all of whom relinquished their position within the Danish Royal Family upon marrying without official consent from the Danish monarch. The first three, Aage, Erik, and Viggo, retained some of their royal status, however, the others lost all of their official connection to royalty, being delegated to the highest level of the Danish aristocracy.

  • 1914 – HRH Prince Aage of Denmark – eldest son of Prince Valdemar (son of King Christian IX) became His Highness Prince Aage, Count of Rosenborg
  • 1924 – HRH Prince Erik of Denmark – third son of Prince Valdemar (son of King Christian IX) became His Highness Prince Erik, Count of Rosenborg
  • 1924 – HRH Prince Viggo of Denmark – fourth son of Prince Valdemar (son of King Christian IX) became His Highness Prince Viggo, Count of Rosenborg
  • 1948 – HH Prince Oluf of Denmark– younger son of Prince Harald (son of King Frederik VIII) became His Excellency Count Oluf of Rosenborg
  • 1949 – HH Prince Flemming of Denmark – son of Prince Axel (son of Prince Valdemar – son of King Christian IX) became His Excellency Count Flemming of Rosenborg
  • 1968 – HH Prince Ingolf of Denmark – elder son of Prince Knud (son of King Christian X) became His Excellency Count Ingolf of Rosenborg
  • 1971 – HH Prince Christian of Denmark – younger son of Prince Knud (son of King Christian X) became His Excellency Count Christian of Rosenborg

The first three in the list above all gave up their status during the reign of King Christian X, their first cousin. He allowed them to retain the title of Prince (without the “of Denmark” designation), with the lesser style of His Highness. This was limited to them and their wives only and did not pass to their children. However, the Rosenborg title was granted to them with the provision that it would be passed down through male-line descendants. Sons continue to carry the title, while daughters retain it until they marry.

However, by 1948 when Prince Oluf relinquished his status, there was a new King on the throne, King Frederik IX. Privately, King Frederik IX was more accepting of unequal’ marriages, however, he feared that giving his consent would encourage previous royals who had lost their titles to re-claim their royal status and succession rights. So Princes Oluf, Flemming, Ingolf, and Christian gave up their royal status and became His Excellency Count <Name> of Rosenborg. They were no longer considered part of the Danish Royal House or Danish Royal Family and were relegated to the top level of the Danish aristocracy.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Works Cited

  • Bidragsydere til Wikimedia-projekter. (2015). Greve af Monpezat. Wikipedia.org; Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. https://da.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greve_af_Monpezat
  • Changes in titles and forms of address in the Royal Family. (2022). Kongehuset.dk. https://www.kongehuset.dk/en/news/changes-in-titles-and-forms-of-address-in-the-royal-family
  • Mehl, Scott. (2022). Change of Titles within the Danish Royal Family as of January 1, 2023. Unofficial Royalty. https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/change-of-titles-within-the-danish-royal-family/
  • Mehl, Scott. (2014). King Frederik X of Denmark. Unofficial Royalty. https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/crown-prince-frederik-of-denmark/
  • Mehl, Scott. (2014). The Danish Counts of Rosenborg. Unofficial Royalty. https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/the-danish-counts-of-rosenborg/
  • Monarchy of Denmark. (2021). Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monarchy_of_Denmark
  • The Royal House. (2025). Kongehuset.dk. http://kongehuset.dk/en
  • Wikipedia Contributors. (2025). Count of Monpezat. Wikipedia; Wikimedia Foundation.

March 3: Today in Royal History

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Princess Maria of Greece; Credit – Wikipedia

March 3, 1542 – Death of Arthur Plantagenet, 1st Viscount Lisle, illegitimate son of King Edward IV of England, at the Tower of London in London, England; buried at the Chapel Royal of St. Peter ad Vincula at the Tower of London
Arthur Plantagenet, 1st Viscount Lisle was born sometime between 1461 and 1475 in Calais, then an English possession in France. He was the illegitimate son of King Edward IV of England and probably Elizabeth Lucy, also known as Elizabeth Wayte. Arthur grew up at the court of his father King Edward IV who died in 1483. When Arthur’s nephew King Henry VIII succeeded his father as King Henry VIII in 1509, Arthur became an Esquire of the Body, the personal attendant to the King. After the birth in 1537 of his only son, the future King Edward VI, King Henry VIII focused on obtaining for his son a clear path to the succession to the throne in any way he could. One way was to eliminate Plantagenet relatives who could claim the throne. On May 19, 1540, Arthur was suddenly arrested for his alleged part in the Botolph Plot, a conspiracy to hand over Calais, a territory in northern France ruled by England, to France. The plot was probably a ruse concocted by Thomas Cromwell, King Henry VIII’s chief minister. On May 19, 1540, Arthur was “accused of secret intelligence with Cardinal Reginald Pole” and “certain practices to deliver the town of Calais to Pole,” and imprisoned in the Tower of London. Arthur was confined in the Tower of England for two years until his innocence was proven, or perhaps until King Henry VIII had second thoughts about the so-called conspiracy. The night after hearing the news that he would be released, Arthur died from a heart attack.
Unofficial Royalty: Arthur Plantagenet, 1st Viscount Lisle, Illegitimate Son of King Edward IV of England

March 3, 1778 – Birth of Frederica of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, wife of Ernst August, King of Hanover, Duke of Cumberland at the Altes Palais in Hanover, Kingdom of Hanover, now in Lower Saxony, Germany
Full name: Friederike Luise Caroline Sophie Alexandrine
In 1815, Frederica married her first cousin Prince Ernest Augustus of the United Kingdom, Duke of Cumberland, the son of King George III of the United Kingdom. Upon the death of Frederica’s husband’s brother King William IV of the United Kingdom, his niece succeeded to the throne as Queen Victoria. However, because the Kingdom of Hanover did not allow for female succession, Frederica’s husband succeeded him as King Ernst August I of Hanover, and she became Queen of Hanover. Frederica was only Queen of Hanover for a little less than three years. In April 1841, she fell ill and died two months later.
Unofficial Royalty: Frederica of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, Queen of Hanover, Duchess of Cumberland

March 3, 1862 – Death of Augusta Reuss of Köstritz, Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg-Schwerin in Schwerin, first wife of Friedrich Franz II, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, in Schwerin, Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin now in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany; buried in the Schwerin Cathedral
In 1849, Auguste married Grand Duke Friedrich Franz II, and the couple had six children including Friedrich Franz III, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin and Marie who married Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich of Russia. Three years after giving birth to her youngest child, Auguste, aged 39, died on March 3, 1862. The cause of Auguste’s death is unclear. At that time, there were mentions of “heart disease associated with a bronchial ailment” and “fever.” It is quite possible that she died from tuberculosis, widespread at the time.
Unofficial Royalty: Augusta Reuss of Köstritz, Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg-Schwerin

March 3, 1876 – Birth of Princess Maria of Greece, daughter of King George I of Greece, at the Royal Palace in Athens, Greece
In 1900, Maria married a maternal cousin Grand Duke George Mikhailovich of Russia, the son of Grand Duke Mikhail Nikolaevich of Russia and the grandson of Nicholas I, Emperor of All Russia. The couple had two daughters. The marriage was never happy. Maria was not in love with her husband, despite his apparent devotion to her. She soon found excuses to leave Russia and spent more time in Greece and elsewhere in Europe. When World War I began, Maria was living in Harrogate, England with her two daughters and chose to remain there and not return to Russia. Her husband, like many in the Russian Imperial Family, was murdered by the Bolsheviks with three other Grand Dukes of Russia in January 1919, leaving Maria a widow. In 1920, Maria was able to return to Greece when her brother King Constantine I was brought back to power. She traveled aboard a Greek destroyer commanded by Admiral Pericles Ioannidis, and a romance developed. The couple married two years later in 1922. Maria, aged 64, died of a heart attack in 1940.
Unofficial Royalty: Princess Maria of Greece, Grand Duchess Maria Georgievna of Russia

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March 2: Today in Royal History

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Nicholas I, Emperor of All Russia; Credit – Wikipedia

March 2, 1316 – Birth of Robert II, King of Scots at Paisley Abbey in Renfrewshire, Scotland
The first monarch of the House of Stewart, Robert II, King of Scots was the only child of Walter Stewart, 6th High Steward of Scotland and Marjorie Bruce, the daughter of Robert I the Bruce, King of Scots. Fortunately, Robert II’s reign was more peaceful than previous reigns. Hostilities with England were renewed in 1378 and continued intermittently for the rest of Robert II’s reign. In 1384, when Robert II became senile, he left the kingdom’s administration to his eldest son John, Earl of Carrick, who succeeded him as Robert III, King of Scots.
Unofficial Royalty: Robert II, King of Scots

March 2, 1619 – Death of Anne of Denmark, Queen of England, wife of King James I of England, at Hampton Court Palace in Richmond, England; buried at Westminster Abbey in London, England
In 1589, Anne married James VI, King of Scots, the son of Mary, Queen of Scots. In 1603, James succeeded to the English throne upon the death of Queen Elizabeth I of England as King James I of England. Anne and James had seven children but only three survived childhood: Henry Frederick, Prince of Wales who died of typhoid fever, aged 18; Elizabeth who married Frederick V, Elector Palatine whose daughter Sophia of Hanover became heiress presumptive to the British throne under the Act of Settlement 1701 (Sophia’s son was King George I) and King Charles I of England who was beheaded during the English Civil War. When Anne’s son Henry Frederick died, it was a great tragedy for Anne and the entire nation. Anne could not bear to have Henry’s death mentioned and people were advised not to give her condolences. After her son’s death, Anne’s health began to deteriorate and she withdrew from social activities. By 1617, Anne’s condition became debilitating. Her surviving son Charles was often with her and was at her bedside when Anne died at the age of 44 from dropsy (edema).
Unofficial Royalty: Anne of Denmark, Queen of England

March 2, 1681 – Death of Isabel Stuart, daughter of King James II of England and his second wife Maria Beatrice of Modena, at St. James’s Palace in London, England; buried at Westminster Abbey in London, England in the vault of her great-great-grandmother Mary, Queen of Scots
For most of her short life, Isabel was her parents’ only child and was fourth in line to the throne behind her father and her elder half-sisters Mary and Anne from her father’s first marriage. She moved down a place in the line of succession when her brother Charles Stuart, Duke of Cambridge was born in 1677. However, he lived for only one month, dying from smallpox. In 1678, Isabel was joined by another sister, Elizabeth, who was also short-lived. Isabel died on March 2, 1681, five months before her fifth birthday, at St. James’s Palace in London while her parents were still in Scotland. Her father regretted that he “could not have the satisfaction of seeing and assisting her in her sickness.”
Unofficial Royalty: Isabel Stuart

March 2, 1835 – Death of Franz I, Emperor of Austria in Vienna, Austria; buried in the Imperial Crypt at the Capuchin Church in Vienna, Austria
Franz was the son of Pietro Leopoldo I, Grand Duke of Tuscany (later Leopold II, Holy Roman Emperor) and Infanta Maria Luisa of Spain. Franz’s paternal grandparents were the formidable and powerful Empress Maria Theresa, who was in her own right Archduchess of Austria, Queen of Hungary, Queen of Croatia, and Queen of Bohemia, and Francis Stephen, Holy Roman Emperor, Grand Duke of Tuscany, and Duke of Lorraine. Even though her husband was the nominal Holy Roman Emperor, Maria Theresa wielded the real power. Franz married four times but only his second wife Maria Theresa of Naples and Sicily had children – a total of twelve children, before dying in childbirth. Upon his father’s death in 1794, Franz became Franz II, Holy Roman Emperor. During the Napoleonic Wars of the early 19th-century, Holy Roman Emperor Franz II feared that Napoleon could take over the personal, hereditary Habsburg lands within the Holy Roman Empire, so in 1804 he proclaimed himself Emperor Franz I of Austria. As it turned out, Franz’s move was a wise one because the Holy Roman Empire was dissolved in 1806.
Unofficial Royalty: Franz I, Emperor of Austria

March 2, 1843 – Birth of Maria Clotilde of Savoy, Princess Napoleon, daughter of King Vittorio Emanuele II of Italy, at the Royal Palace of Turin in Savoy, now part of Italy
Full name: Ludovica Teresa Maria Clotilde
Maria Clotilde married Napoléon-Jérôme Bonaparte, son of Jérôme Bonaparte, the brother of Emperor Napoleon I, and Princess Catherine of Württemberg. Maria Clotilde was fifteen and Napoléon-Jérôme was 37. Maria Clotilde was not impressed by her portly, anti-clerical liberal fiancé. Her innocence, piety, and sense of duty clashed with Napoléon-Jérôme’s love of wine, women, and food. Several years after the fall of the Second French Empire in 1870, Maria Clotilde and her husband quietly separated and she returned to Turin, Italy with her daughter. Maria Clotilde continued her life of devotion and charity after returning to Italy. She spent her final years at the traditional summer residence of the Savoy family, the Castle of Moncalieri in Montcalieri, a town located just outside of Turin.
Unofficial Royalty: Maria Clotilde of Savoy, Princess Napoleon

March 2, 1854 – Death of Sir John Conroy, 1st Baronet of Llanbrynmair, Equerry to Queen Victoria’s father The Duke of Kent and Comptroller and Private Secretary to Queen Victoria’s mother The Duchess of Kent, at his home Arborfield Hall, near Reading, Berkshire, England
Conroy was a confidant and political agent to Victoria’s mother The Duchess of Kent. Together, they designed the Kensington System, an elaborate and strict system of rules for the upbringing of young Victoria, designed to make her dependent upon them in the hope of allowing them one day to wield power through her. Princess Victoria grew to hate Conroy, thanks to the oppressive system, and he was also unpopular among the rest of the British royal family. When Victoria became Queen, she immediately dismissed Conroy from her household but she could not dismiss him from her mother’s household. However, she sent both her mother and Conroy off to a distant wing of the palace and cut off personal contact with them. After Conroy’s death, the Duchess of Kent finally agreed to have her financial accounts audited and acknowledged that significant funds were missing. She admitted that Conroy had swindled her and at the same time hurt her relationship with her daughter for his own benefit.
Unofficial Royalty: Sir John Conroy, 1st Baronet of Llanbrynmair, Comptroller and Private Secretary to Queen Victoria’s mother The Duchess of Kent

March 2, 1855 – Death of Nicholas I, Emperor of All Russia in Taganrog, Russia; buried at the Peter and Paul Cathedral in St. Petersburg, Russia
Nicholas I, Emperor of All Russia was the third of the four sons and the ninth of the ten children of Paul I, Emperor of All Russia. Because he had two, much older brothers, he was not expected to become Emperor. Nicholas’ eldest brother Alexander I, Emperor of All Russia had no surviving children and the second brother Grand Duke Constantine Pavlovich was the heir to the throne. Grand Duke Constantine morganatically married Joanna Grudzińska. However, for Alexander I to give his approval to the marriage, Constantine was required to forfeit his rights to the Russian throne in favor of his younger brother Nicholas. Nicholas married Charlotte of Prussia (Alexandra Feodorovna), had ten children including Alexander II, Emperor of All Russia.  In 1855, Nicholas caught a chill, refused medical treatment, and developed pneumonia. Knowing he was dying, Nicholas retained his composure and said goodbye to his children and grandchildren. He blessed them and reminded them that they should remain friendly with each other. In the early afternoon of March 2, 1855, Nicholas I, Emperor of All Russia died at the age of 58 at the Winter Palace.
Unofficial Royalty: Nicholas I, Emperor of All Russia

March 2, 1916 – Death of Elisabeth of Wied, Queen of Romania, wife of King Carol I of Romania; buried beside her husband at the Cathedral of the Curtea de Argeş Monastery in Romania
In 1869, Elisabeth married Prince Carol I, born Prince Karl of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen, who had been elected Ruling Prince of the United Principalities of Romania. They had one daughter,  Maria, born in September 1870. Maria died of scarlet fever in 1874, and Elisabeth never fully recovered from the loss of her only child. In 1881, the Romanian parliament declared Romania a Kingdom, and Elisabeth’s husband became King Carol I. A  patron of the arts, Elisabeth often hosted writers, composers, and musicians, and helped promote their works. Her true passion was writing. Under the pseudonym Carmen Sylva, she wrote hundreds of poems, plays, novels, short stories, and essays, and thanks to her fluency in several languages, published numerous translations of other works.
Unofficial Royalty: Elisabeth of Wied, Queen of Romania

March 2, 2016 – Birth of Prince Oscar of Sweden, Duke of Skåne, son of Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden, at Karolinska Hospital in Solna, Sweden
Full name: Oscar Carl Olof
Prince Oscar’s elder sister Princess Estelle is second in the line of succession to the Swedish throne after her mother Crown Princess Victoria. In 1979, the Riksdag, the Swedish legislature, introduced an Act of Succession that changed the succession to absolute primogeniture, meaning that the monarch’s eldest child, regardless of gender, is first in the line of succession. This Act of Succession became law on January 1, 1980. The previous 1810 Act of Succession allowed only males to inherit the throne. Even after the birth of her brother Prince Oscar, Princess Estelle retains her place in the line of succession as the eldest child of Crown Princess Victoria who is the eldest child and the heir of King Carl XVI Gustaf.
Unofficial Royalty: Prince Oscar of Sweden

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Royal News Recap for Friday February 28, 2025

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