compiled by Susan Flantzer

Until the advent of modern medicine, childbirth was a danger to women, both royals and commoners. Many women died from puerperal fever or childbed fever, a bacterial infection. The majority of childbed fever cases were caused by the birth attendants themselves. With no knowledge of germs, it was believed that hand washing was unnecessary. Other women died from problems that caesarean sections now prevent. I have always had a soft spot in my heart for those women who died in childbirth. Without the modern caesarean section, my two children, who were both breech babies, and I may not have survived.

Maternal deaths due to childbirth complications, although infrequent, still occur, and I would like to remember an online friend who passed away shortly after giving birth. I was an AOL Royalty Community Leader from 1998-2005 when the Community Leader program ceased to exist. During that time, I met many people on AOL who were interested in royalty via the message boards and chats I hosted. One of them was ALMACKS, whose real name was Dana Sherman. I remember Dana as a person who had strong opinions on royals and was not afraid to express her opinions and defend them. She always wanted to go to London and did so by herself during the 2002 Golden Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II. On February 25, 2003, after giving birth to her second child, Dana passed away, aged 37. I dedicate this article to the memory of Dana.

This does not purport to be a complete list. All images are from Wikipedia unless otherwise indicated.

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AUSTRIA

Maria Anna of Spain, Holy Roman Empress

• Born: August 18, 1606 at the Palace of El Escorial in El Escorial, Spain
• Parents: King Felipe III of Spain and Margaret of Austria
• Married: Ferdinand III, Holy Roman Emperor in 1631
• Died: May 13, 1646, aged 39, at Linz Castle in Linz, Austria
• Buried: Imperial Crypt at the Capuchin Church in Vienna, Austria
• Wikipedia: Maria Anna of Spain

Maria Anna’s sixth pregnancy became known in January 1646. On May 12, 1646, she suddenly felt ill with fever and had heavy bleeding.  Maria Anna died the next morning. Her unborn child, a girl, was taken out alive from her womb. She was named Maria after her mother but only lived a few hours.

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Maria Leopoldine of Austria, Holy Roman Empress

• Born: April 6, 1632 in Innsbruck, Tyrol, Austria
• Parents: Leopold V, Archduke of Austria and Claudia de’ Medici
• Married: Ferdinand III, Holy Roman Emperor in 1648
• Died: August 7, 1649, aged 17, in Vienna, Austria
• Buried: Imperial Crypt at the Capuchin Church in Vienna, Austria
• Wikipedia: Maria Leopoldine of Austria

Maria Leopoldine died following a difficult childbirth after delivering her only child Karl Josef, who lived until he was 14.

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Margarita Teresa of Spain, Holy Roman Empress

• Born: July 12, 1651 at the Royal Alcazar in Madrid, Spain
• Parents: King Felipe IV of Spain and Mariana of Austria
• Married: Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor in 1666
• Died: March 12, 1673, aged 21, at Hofburg Palace in Vienna, Austria
• Buried: Imperial Crypt at the Capuchin Church in Vienna, Austria
• Wikipedia: Margarita Teresa of Spain

During her last pregnancy, Margarita Teresa was ill with bronchitis. She was already in a weakened state after giving birth to four living childbirths (only one survived infancy) and having at least two miscarriages during her six-year marriage. Her last child did not survive birth.

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Maria Anna of Austria, Princess of Lorraine

• Born: September 18, 1718 at Hofburg Palace in Vienna, Austria
• Parents: Charles VI, Holy Roman Emperor and Elisabeth Christine of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel
• Married: Prince Charles Alexander of Lorraine in 1744
• Died: December 16, 1744, aged 26, in Brussels, Austrian Netherlands, now in Belgium
• Buried: Imperial Crypt at the Capuchin Church in Vienna, Austria
• Wikipedia: Maria Anna of Austria

Maria Anna went into labor on October 9, 1744 and delivered a stillborn son. She never recovered and died two months later.

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Elisabeth of Württemberg, Archduchess of Austria

• Born: April 21, 1767, in Treptow an der Rega in Brandenburg-Pomerania, now Trzebiatów, Poland
• Parents: Friedrich II Eugene, Duke of Württemberg and Sophia Dorothea of Brandenburg-Schwedt
• Married: Archduke Franz of Austria, the future Holy Roman Emperor Franz II and Emperor Franz I of Austria, in 1788
• Died: February 18, 1790, aged 22, in Vienna, Austria
• Buried: Imperial Crypt at the Capuchin Church in Vienna, Austria
• Unofficial Royalty: Elisabeth of Württemberg, Archduchess of Austria

Elisabeth was very close to her husband’s uncle Holy Roman Emperor Joseph II and his final illness in February 1790 greatly upset the then-pregnant Elisabeth. She fainted upon seeing the dying emperor and on February 18, 1790, gave premature birth to a daughter Archduchess Ludovika Elisabeth, who died the following year. The labor had lasted more than 24 hours and Elisabeth, age 22, died because of complications. Holy Roman Emperor Joseph died two days later.

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Alexandra Pavlovna of Russia, Archduchess of Austria

• Born: August 9, 1783 at Tsarskoye Selo in St. Petersburg, Russia
• Parents: Paul I, Emperor of All Russia and Sophie Dorothea of Württemberg
• Married: Archduke Joseph of Austria in 1799
• Died: March 16, 1801, aged 17, at Alcsút Castle in Buda, Kingdom of Hungary, now Budapest, Hungary
• Buried: Chapel of Grand Duchess Alexandra Pavlovna in Üröm, Pest, Hungary
• Wikipedia: Alexandra Pavlovna of Russia

Alexandra Pavlovna died from puerperal fever (childbed fever) after giving birth to a daughter Paulina who also died. Her death occurred the same week as her father’s murder.

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Maria Theresa of Naples and Sicily, Empress of Austria

• Born:  June 6, 1772 at the Royal Palace of Portici in Naples, Kingdom of Naples and Sicily, now in Italy
• Parents: King Ferdinand IV & III of Naples and Sicily (later King Ferdinand I of the Two Sicilies) and Maria Carolina of Austria
• Married: Archduke Franz of Austria, the future Holy Roman Emperor Franz II and Emperor Franz I of Austria, in 1790
• Died: April 13, 1807, aged 34, at Hofburg Palace in Vienna, Austria
• Buried: Imperial Crypt at the Capuchin Church in Vienna, Austria
• Unofficial Royalty: Maria Theresa of Naples and Sicily, Empress of Austria

While pregnant with her twelfth child, Maria Theresa fell ill with the lung infection pleurisy. Her doctor bled her and this caused premature labor. Maria Theresa gave birth to her twelfth child Amalia Theresa who lived only three days. On April 13, 1807, a week after giving birth, Maria Theresa died at the age of 34. Her husband Franz was inconsolable and had to be forcibly removed from his wife’s body.

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BRUNSWICK-WOLFENBÜTTEL

Marie of Baden, Duchess of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel

• Born: September 7, 1782 in Karlsruhe, Margraviate of Baden, now in Baden-Württemberg, Germany
• Parents: Karl Ludwig, Hereditary Prince of Baden and Amalie of Hesse-Darmstadt
• Married: Friedrich Wilhelm, Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel in 1802
• Died: April 20, 1808, aged 25, in Bruchsal, Margraviate of Baden, now in Baden-Württemberg, Germany
• Buried: Brunswick Cathedral in Brunswick, Duchy of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, now in Lower Saxony, Germany
• Wikipedia: Marie of Baden, Duchess of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel

Marie had two children before dying of puerperal fever (childbed fever) four days after giving birth to a stillborn daughter.

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BULGARIA

Maria Luisa of Bourbon-Parma, Princess of Bulgaria

• Born: January 17, 1870 in Rome, Italy
• Parents: Robert I, Duke of Parma and Maria Pia of Bourbon-Two Sicilies
• Married: Ferdinand I, Prince of Bulgaria, the future Tsar Ferdinand I of Bulgaria, in 1893
• Died: January 31, 1899, aged 29, in Sofia, Bulgaria
• Buried: Roman Catholic Cathedral of St Louis of France in Plovdiv, Bulgaria
• Unofficial Royalty: Maria Luisa of Bourbon-Parma, Princess of Bulgaria

Having given birth to three children and expecting a fourth within five years had taken a toll on Maria Luisa’s already frail health. She developed pneumonia while pregnant with her youngest child and died a day after giving birth.

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DENMARK

Philippa of England, Queen of Denmark, Sweden, and Norway

• Born:  June 4, 1394 at Peterborough Castle in Petersborough, Cambridgeshire, England
• Parents: Henry Bolingbroke, Earl of Northampton, Earl of Derby (the future King Henry IV of England) and Mary de Bohun
• Married: Eric of Pomerania, King of Denmark, Sweden, and Norway in 1406
• Died: January 5, 1430, aged 35, at Vadstena Abbey in Vadstena, Sweden
• Buried: St. Anna’s Chapel, which she had built at the Vadstena Abbey church
• Unofficial Royalty: Philippa of England, Queen of Denmark, Sweden, and Norway

After 23 years of marriage, Philippa gave birth, for the first and last time, to a stillborn boy. Her health deteriorated after the stillbirth, and Philippa died.

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Louisa of Great Britain, Queen of Denmark and Norway

• Born: December 18, 1724 at Leicester House in London, England
• Parents: King George II of Great Britain and Caroline of Ansbach
• Married: King Frederik V of Denmark in 1743
• Died: December 19, 1751, aged 27, at Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen, Denmark
• Buried: Roskilde Cathedral in Roskilde, Denmark
• Unofficial Royalty: Louisa of Great Britain, Queen of Denmark and Norway

While pregnant with her sixth child, Louisa died due to complications from a miscarriage.

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ENGLAND/GREAT BRITAIN/UNITED KINGDOM

Elizabeth of Rhuddlan, Countess of Hereford

• Born: August 7, 1282 at Rhuddlan Castle in Denbighshire, Wales
• Parents: King Edward I of England and Eleanor of Castile
• Married: (1) John I, Count of Holland in 1297 (2) Humphrey de Bohun, 4th Earl of Hereford in 1302
• Died: May 5, 1316, aged 33, in Quendon, Essex, England
• Buried: Walden Abbey in Essex, England
• Unofficial Royalty: Elizabeth of Rhuddlan

Elizabeth had eleven children with her second husband Humphrey de Bohun. She died shortly after giving birth to her 11th child Isabella, who also died.

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Mary de Bohun, Countess of Northampton, Countess of Derby

• Born: circa 1369/70
• Parents: Humphrey de Bohun, 7th Earl of Hereford and Joan Fitzalan
• Married: Henry Bolingbroke, Earl of Derby, Earl of Northampton, the future King Henry IV of England, in 1380
• Died: June 4, 1394, aged about 26, at Peterborough Castle in Northamptonshire, England
• Buried: Collegiate Church of the Annunciation of Our Lady of the Newarke in Leicester, England
• Unofficial Royalty: Mary de Bohun, Countess of Northampton, Countess of Derby

Mary died giving birth to her seventh child Philippa, who survived and married Eric of Pomerania, King of Denmark and Norway. Mary’s husband, the future King Henry IV of England, was the son of John of Gaunt, son of King Edward III of England.  She was the mother of King Henry V of England.

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Elizabeth of York, Queen of England

• Born: February 11, 1466 at the Palace of Westminster in London, England
• Parents: King Edward IV of England and Elizabeth Woodville
• Married: King Henry VII of England in 1486
• Died: 11 February 11, 1503, aged 37, at the Tower of London in London, England
• Buried: Henry VII Chapel at Westminster Abbey in London, England
• Unofficial Royalty: Elizabeth of York, Queen of England

Elizabeth was the daughter of Edward IV, the sister of Edward V, the niece of Richard III, the wife of Henry VII, the mother of Henry VIII and the grandmother of Edward VI, Mary I, and Elizabeth I. After giving birth to her seventh child Katherine on February 2, 1503, Elizabeth died of puerperal fever (childbed fever) on her 37th birthday. Henry VII was so shaken by her death that he went into seclusion and would only see his mother. Little Katherine died on February 18, 1503.

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Jane Seymour, Queen of England

• Born: circa 1508, most likely at the family home, Wolf Hall in Wiltshire, England
• Parents: Sir John Seymour and Margery Wentworth
• Married: King Henry VIII of England in 1536
• Died: October 25, 1537, aged 28-29 at Hampton Court Palace in Richmond upon Thames,  England
• Buried: St. George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle in Windsor, England
• Unofficial Royalty: Jane Seymour, Queen of England

After a difficult labor, lasting two days and three nights, Jane finally gave King Henry VIII his long-awaited son, King Edward VI of England. On October 17, 1537, Jane’s condition deteriorated and she was given the last rites.  Seven days later, she died from puerperal fever (childbed fever). Henry VIII decided his final resting place would be next to Jane.

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Catherine Parr, Queen of England

• Born: 1512 in Blackfriars, London, England
• Parents: Sir Thomas Parr and Maud Green
• Married: (1) Sir Edward Borough (2) John Neville, 3rd Baron Latymer (3) King Henry VIII of England (4) Thomas Seymour, 1st Baron Seymour of Sudeley
• Died: September 5, 1548, aged 36, at Sudeley Castle in Gloucestershire, England
• Buried: St. Mary’s Chapel at Sudeley Castle in Gloucestershire, England
• Unofficial Royalty: Catherine Parr, Queen of England

After the death of Henry VIII, Catherine married Thomas Seymour, the brother of Henry’s third wife Jane Seymour. It was during this marriage that Catherine became pregnant for the first time. She gave birth to a daughter Mary but died from puerperal fever (childbed fever) six days later. After Mary’s father was beheaded, she came under the care of the Dowager Duchess of Suffolk. The last mention of Mary Seymour was when she was two. It is thought she died as a child.

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Princess Charlotte of Wales

• Born: January 7, 1796 at Carlton House in London, England
• Parents: George, Prince of Wales, the future King George IV of the United Kingdom, and Caroline of Brunswick
• Married: Prince Leopold of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld in 1816; Leopold was the uncle of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert and became King of the Belgians in 1831.
• Died: November 6, 1817, aged 21, at Claremont House in Surrey, England
• Buried: St. George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle in Windsor, England
• Unofficial Royalty: Princess Charlotte of Wales
• Unofficial Royalty: Death of Princess Charlotte of Wales in childbirth and its impact on the succession to the British throne

Twenty-one-year-old Princess Charlotte, the only child of George, Prince of Wales, died after delivering a stillborn son. She was mourned by the British people in a manner similar to the mourning of Diana, Princess of Wales. Charlotte’s pregnancy and delivery had been grossly mismanaged and the doctor in charge later committed suicide. Charlotte was buried at St. George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle with her stillborn son at her feet.

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FRANCE

Isabella of Hainault, Queen of France

• Born: April 5, 1170 in Valenciennes, County of Hainault, now in France
• Parents: Baldwin V, Count of Hainault, and Margaret I, Countess of Flanders
• Married: King Philippe II of France in 1180
• Died: March 15, 1190, aged 19, in Paris, France
• Buried: Cathedral of Notre-Dame de Paris in Paris, France
• Wikipedia: Isabella of Hainault, Queen of France

Isabella’s first child was the future King Louis VIII of France. Her second pregnancy was extremely difficult. She gave birth to twin boys named Robert and Philip. However, due to complications, Isabella died the next day. The twin boys lived only four days.

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Joan of England, Queen of Sicily, Countess of Toulouse

• Born: October 1165 at Château d’Angers in the  County of Anjou, now in France
• Parents: King Henry II of England and Eleanor of Aquitaine
• Married:  (1) King William II of Sicily in 1177  (2) Raymond VI, Count of Toulouse in 1196
• Died: September 4, 1199, aged 33, at Fontevrault Abbey Fontevraud-l’Abbaye, near Chinon, in the Duchy of Anjou, now in France
• Buried: Fontevrault Abbey Fontevraud-l’Abbaye, near Chinon, in the County of Anjou, now in France
• Unofficial Royalty: Joan of England, Queen of Sicily, Countess of Toulouse

Joan gave birth to a son while married to William II of Sicily but the child died in infancy. She may also have had miscarriages during her first marriage. Joan had successfully given birth to a son and a daughter by Raymond VI of Toulouse.  While Joan was pregnant with her third child, she was left to deal with a rebellion in Toulouse. Fearing her safety, she traveled to northern France, hoping for protection from her brother King Richard I of England but he had died earlier in the year.  Joan then fled to her mother’s court at Rouen, Normandy.  Joan died shortly after giving birth to a son who lived just long enough to be baptized Richard.  She was veiled as a nun on her deathbed.

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Marie of Luxembourg, Queen of France and Navarre

• Born: circa 1304
• Parents: Heinrich VII, Holy Roman Emperor and Margaret of Brabant
• Married: King Charles IV of France in 1322
• Died: March 26, 1324, aged 19
• Buried: Dominican Abbey in Montargis, France
• Wikipedia: Marie of Luxembourg, Queen of France and Navarre

Marie gave birth to a stillborn daughter in 1323. During her second pregnancy, she was seriously injured in a road accident when her cart overturned in a ditch.  The accident caused her to give birth to a premature son who died the next day. Marie died from childbirth complications and injuries from the accident.

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Jeanne of Bourbon, Queen of France

• Born: February 3, 1338 at the Château de Vincennes in Vincennes, France
• Parents: Peter I, Duke of Bourbon, and Isabella of Valois
• Married: King Charles V of France in 1350
• Died: February 6, 1378, aged 40, at the Hôtel Saint-Pol in Paris, France
• Buried: Basilica of Saint-Denis near Paris, France
• Wikipedia: Jeanne of Bourbon, Queen of France

Jeanne gave birth to nine children but only two reached adulthood. The chronicler Jean Froissart recorded that Jeanne took a bath against her physicians’ advice. Soon after, she went into labor and died two days after giving birth to her daughter Catherine.

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Isabella of Valois, Queen of England, Duchess of Orléans

• Born: November 9, 1389, at the Louvre Palace in Paris, France
• Parents: King Charles VI of France and Isabeau of Bavaria
• Married: (1) King Richard II of England in 1396  (2) Charles, Duke of Orléans in 1406
• Died: September 13, 1409, aged 19, in Blois, France
• Buried: Abbey of St. Saumer in Blois, France; in 1624, Isabella’s remains were transferred to the Church of the Celestines in Paris, France
• Unofficial Royalty: Isabella of Valois, Queen of England, Duchess of Orléans

Isabella was the second wife of King Richard II of England who was twenty-two years older. In 1399, Richard was deposed by his cousin King Henry IV of England and imprisoned at Pontefract Castle in Yorkshire, England where he died on or around February 14, 1400. The exact cause of his death, thought to have been starvation, is unknown. Isabella returned to France and married her cousin Charles, Duke of Orléans in 1406. Three years later, Isabella died a few hours after giving birth to her only child, a daughter named Joan who survived.  Isabella’s younger sister Catherine married King Henry V of England and was the mother of King Henry VI of England.

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Auguste of Baden-Baden, Duchess of Orléans

 

• Born: November 10, 1704 at Schloss Johannisburg in Aschaffenburg, Kingdom of Bavaria, now in Bavaria, Germany
• Parents: Ludwig Wilhelm, Margrave of Baden-Baden, and Sibylle of Saxe-Lauenburg
• Married: Louis d’Orléans, Duke of Orléans, the grandson of King Louis XIV of France, in 1724
• Died: August 8, 1726, aged 21, at the Palais-Royal in Paris, France
• Buried: Val-de-Grâce Convent in Paris, France
• Wikipedia: Auguste of Baden-Baden, Duchess of Orléans

Known in France as Auguste de Bade, she died three days after giving birth to her second child who survived for less than two years. Auguste de Bade was the paternal great-grandmother of Louis-Philippe I, King of the French.

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Louise Diane d’Orléans, Princess of Conti

• Born: June 27, 1716 at the Palais-Royal in Paris, France
• Parents: Philippe d’Orléans, Duke of Orléans and Françoise Marie de Bourbon, legitimized daughter of King Louis XIV of France and his mistress Madame de Montespan
• Married: Louis François de Bourbon, Prince of Conti in 1732
• Died: September 26, 1736, aged 20, at the Château d’Issy in Issy, France
• Buried: Saint-André-des-Arcs Church in L’Isle d’Adam, France
• Wikipedia: Louise Diane d’Orleans, Princess of Conti

In 1734, Louise Diane gave birth to her first child, a son, but died at age 20 while delivering a stillborn son.

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Anne Thérèse of Savoy, Princess of Soubise

• Born: November 1, 1717 at the Hôtel de Soissons in Paris, France
• Parents: Victor Amadeus, Prince of Carignano and Maria Vittoria Francesca of Savoy
• Married: Charles de Rohan, Prince of Soubise in 1741
• Died: April 5, 1745, aged 27,  at the Hôtel de Soubise in Paris, France
• Buried:
• Wikipedia: Anne Thérèse of Savoy, Princess of Soubise, 

Anne Thérèse gave birth to a daughter in 1743, but two years later died in childbirth along with her second child. Her daughter, Victoire Armande Josèphe de Rohan, was the governess of the children of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette.

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Maria Teresa Rafaela of Spain, Dauphine of France

• Born: June 11, 1726 at the Royal Alcazar of Seville in Seville, Spain
• Parents: King Felipe V of Spain and Elisabeth Farnese
• Married: Louis, Dauphin of France, son of King Louis XV of France, in 1745
• Died: July 22, 1746, aged 20, at the Palace of Versailles in Versailles, France
• Buried: Basilica of Saint-Denis near Paris, France
• Wikipedia: Maria Teresa Rafaela of Spain, Dauphine of France

Marie Thérèse Raphaëlle d’Espagne, as she was known in France, died three days after giving birth to her first child, a daughter who died less than two years later. Her husband was so distressed by her death that his father Louis XV had to physically drag him away from Maria Teresa Rafaela’s deathbed.

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Maria Teresa Felicitas d’Este of Modena, Duchess of Penthièvre

• Born: October 6, 1726 at the Ducal Palace, Modena, Duchy of Modena, now in Italy
• Parents: Francesco III, Duke of Modena and Reggio and Charlotte Aglaé d’Orléans, granddaughter of King Louis XIV of France and his mistress Françoise-Athénaïs, Marquise de Montespan
• Married: Louis Jean Marie de Bourbon, Duke of Penthièvre, grandson of King Louis XIV and his mistress Françoise-Athénaïs, Marquise de Montespan, in 1744
• Died: April 30, 1754, aged 27, at the Château de Rambouillet in Rambouillet, France
• Buried: Originally buried at the Château de Rambouillet chapel,  moved to Chapelle Royale de Dreux in Dreux, France
• Wikipedia: Maria Teresa Felicitas d’Este, Duchess of Penthièvre 

Maria Teresa gave birth to six children before she died in childbirth along with her seventh child.  Maria Teresa was the maternal grandmother of Louis-Philippe I, King of the French.

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Victoria of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, Duchess of Nemours

• Born: February 14, 1822 in Vienna, Austria
• Parents: Prince Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha and Princess Maria Antonia Koháry
• Married:  Prince Louis d’Orléans, Duke of Nemours, second son of Louis Philippe I, King of the French
• Died: November 10, 1857, aged 35, at Claremont House in Esher, England
• Buried: Chapel of Saint Charles Borromeo in Weybridge, England; in 1979 her remains were transferred to the Royal Chapel of Dreux in Dreux, France, the traditional burial place of the House of Orléans
• Wikipedia: Victoria of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, Duchess of Nemours

Victoria was a first cousin of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. In 1848, when her father-in-law lost his throne, the Orléans family settled in England where they were welcomed by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. Victoria died from puerperal fever (childbed fever) ten days after giving birth to her fourth child Blanche who survived.

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HESSE-KASSEL

Alexandra Nikolaevna of Russia, Princess Friedrich Wilhelm of Hesse-Kassel

• Born: June 24, 1825 at Tsarkoye Selo in St. Petersburg, Russia
• Parents: Nicholas I, Emperor of All Russia and Charlotte of Prussia
• Married: Prince Wilhelm of Hesse-Kassel in 1844
• Died: August 10, 1844, aged 19, at Tsarkoye Selo in St. Petersburg, Russia
• Buried: Peter and Paul Cathedral in St. Petersburg, Russia
• Wikipedia: Alexandra Nikolaevna of Russia, Princess Friedrich Wilhelm of Hesse-Kassel

Shortly before her wedding in January 1844, Alexandra became ill with tuberculosis and this complicated the pregnancy which soon followed. She was never well enough to travel to Hesse-Kassel and so the newlyweds stayed in St. Petersburg, where Alexandra’s health rapidly declined. Three months before her due date, Alexandra went into labor. She gave birth to a boy named Wilhelm but he died shortly after his birth and Alexandra died later the same day.

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INDIA – MUGHAL EMPIRE

Mumtaz Mahal

• Born: Arjumand Banu on April 27, 1593 in Agra, Mughal Empire, now in India
• Parents: Abu’l-Hasan Asaf Khan and Diwanji Begum
• Married: Prince Khurram, known as Shah Jahan, in 1612
• Died: June 17, 1631, aged 38, in Burhanpur, Mughal Empire, now in India
• Buried: Originally buried at Burhanpur, moved to the  Taj Mahal in Agra, Mughal Empire, now in India
• Wikipedia: Mumtaz Mahal

Mumtaz died after a prolonged labor of approximately 30 hours while giving birth to her fourteenth child, Gauhara Begum who lived for 75 years. She was originally buried at Burhanpur. Her distraught husband planned a suitable mausoleum in Agra for his wife…the Taj Mahal.  When he died, Shah Jahan was buried next to his wife.

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MECKLENBURG-SCHWERIN

Anna of Hesse and by Rhine, Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg-Schwerin

• Born: May 25, 1843 in Bessungen, Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine
• Parents: Prince Karl of Hesse and by Rhine and Princess Elisabeth of Prussia
• Married: Friedrich Franz II, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin in 1864
• Died: April 16, 1865, aged 21, in Schwerin, Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, now in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany
• Buried: Schwerin Cathedral in Schwerin, Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, now in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany
• Unofficial Royalty: Anna of Hesse and by Rhine, Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg-Schwerin

Anna died of puerperal fever (childbed fever) a week later after giving birth to her only child, a daughter Anna, who died at age 16.

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MECKLENBURG-STRELITZ

Friederike of Hesse-Darmstadt

• Born: August 20, 1752 in Darmstadt, Landgraviate of Hesse-Darmstadt, now in Hesse, Germany
• Parents: Prince Georg Wilhelm of Hesse-Darmstadt and Countess Maria Luise Albertine of Leiningen-Falkenburg-Dagsburg
• Married: Carl II, Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (future Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz) in 1768
• Died: May 22, 1782, aged 29, in Hanover, Electorate of Hanover
• Buried: New Crypt at the Johanniterkirche in Mirow, Duchy of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, now in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany
• Unofficial Royalty: Friederike of Hesse-Darmstadt

Friederike died of childbirth complications three days after giving birth to her tenth child Augusta who lived just one day, in Hanover, where her husband was Field Marshal of the Household Brigade.

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Charlotte of Hesse-Darmstadt, Duchess of Mecklenburg-Strelitz

• Born: November 5, 1755 in Darmstadt, Landgraviate of Hesse-Darmstadt, now in Hesse, Germany
• Parents: Prince Georg Wilhelm of Hesse-Darmstadt and Countess Maria Louise Albertine of Leiningen-Falkenburg-Dagsburg
• Married: Carl II, Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (future Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz) in 1784. Her sister Friederike (see above) was Carl’s first wife and had died in childbirth two years earlier.
• Died: December 12, 1785, aged 30, in Hanover, Electorate of Hanover
• Buried: New Crypt at the Johanniterkirche in Mirow, Duchy of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, now in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany
• Unofficial Royalty: Charlotte of Hesse-Darmstadt, Duchess of Mecklenburg-Strelitz 

Charlotte died after giving birth to her only child, a son, in Hanover where her husband Carl was serving as Governor-General for his brother-in-law, King George III of Great Britain. Charlotte’s son Carl served in the Prussian army during the Napoleonic Wars and later served as President of the Prussian State Council.

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MODENA

Isabella of Savoy, Hereditary Princess of Modena

• Born: March 2, 1591 in Turin, Duchy of Savoy, now in Italy
• Parents: Carlo Emanuele I, Duke of Savoy and Catherine Michelle of Spain, daughter of King Felipe II of Spain
• Married: Alfonso d’Este, Hereditary Prince of Modena, the future Alfonso III d’Este, Duke of Modena, in 1608
• Died: August 22, 1626, aged 35, in the Duchy of Modena, now in Italy
• Buried:
• Wikipedia: Isabella of Savoy, Hereditary Princess of Modena

Isabella gave birth to a total of fourteen children but only seven survived infancy. She died giving birth to her fourteenth child, Anna Beatrice d’Este, who lived to be 64-years-old.

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Maria Caterina Farnese, Duchess of Modena

• Born: February 18, 1615 in the Duchy of Parma, now in Italy
• Parents: Ranuccio I Farnese, Duke of Parma and Margherita Aldobrandini
• Married: Francesco I d’Este, Duke of Modena in 1631
• Died:  July 25, 1646, aged 31, at the Ducal Palace of Sassuolo, in the Duchy of Modena, now in Italy
• Buried:
• Wikipedia: Maria Caterina Farnese, Duchess of Modena

Maria Caterina died giving birth to her last child, a son, who died in infancy like three of her other children.

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Charlotte of Brunswick-Lüneburg, Duchess of Modena

• Born: March 6, 1671 at Schloss Herrenhausen in Hanover, Brunswick-Lüneburg, now in Lower Saxony, Germany
• Parents: Johann Friedrich Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg and Benedicta Henrietta of the Palatinate
• Married: Rinaldo d’Este, Duke of Modena in 1696
• Died: September  29, 1710, aged 39, at the Ducal Palace of Modena, in the Duchy of Modena, now in Italy
• Buried: Church of San Vincenzo in Modena, Duchy of Modena, now in Italy
• Wikipedia: Charlotte of Brunswick-Lüneburg, Duchess of Modena

Charlotte gave birth to seven children but she died giving birth to her last child, a daughter, who died at birth.

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NASSAU

Elizabeth Mikhailovna of Russia, Duchess of Nassau

• Born: May 26, 1826 at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia
• Parents: Grand Duke Mikhail Pavlovich of Russia and Princess Charlotte of Württemberg
• Married: Adolf, Duke of Nassau (the future Adolphe I, Grand Duke of Luxembourg) in 1844
• Died: January 28, 1845, aged 18 in Wiesbaden, Duchy of Nassau, now in Hesse, Germany
• Buried: St. Elizabeth’s Church in Neroberg Park in Wiesbaden, Duchy of Nassau, now in Hesse, Germany
• Unofficial Royalty: Elizabeth Mikhailovna of Russia, Duchess of Nassau

Elizabeth Mikhailovna was the granddaughter of Paul I, Emperor of All Russia, and the great-granddaughter of Catherine the Great. She died at age 18 while giving birth to her first child, a daughter who did not survive. Her marriage had been a love match and her grieving husband had a Russian Orthodox church built around her grave in Wiesbaden (now in Germany). The church was dedicated to St. Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist, who had been Elizabeth Mikhailovna’s patron saint.

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NORWAY

Margaret of Scotland, Queen of Norway

• Born: February 28, 1261 at Windsor Castle in Windsor, Berkshire, England
• Parents: King Alexander III of Scotland and Margaret of England, daughter of King Henry III of England
• Married: King Eric II of Norway in 1281
• Died: April 9, 1283, aged 22, in Tønsberg, Vestfold, Norway
• Buried: Christ Church in Bergen, Norway
• Wikipedia: Margaret of Scotland, Queen of Norway

Queen Margaret died in Tønsberg, shortly after giving birth to her only child Margaret, Maid of Norway, who would become Queen of the Scots upon the death of her grandfather King Alexander III in 1286. Margaret, Maid of Norway died in 1290 while traveling to Scotland. She never set foot in Scotland and some do not consider her a Queen of Scots. Her death set off a battle for the Scottish succession.

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OLDENBURG

Cecilia of Sweden, Grand Duchess of Oldenburg

• Born: June 22, 1807 at the Royal Palace in Stockholm, Sweden
• Parents: King Gustav IV Adolf of Sweden and Friederike of Baden
• Married: Friedrich August II, Grand Duke of Oldenburg in 1831
• Died: January 27, 1844, aged 36, in Oldenburg, Grand Duchy of Oldenburg, now in Lower Saxony, Germany
• Buried: Grand Ducal Mausoleum in Saint Gertrude’s Cemetery in Oldenburg, Grand Duchy of Oldenburg, now in Lower Saxony, Germany
• Unofficial Royalty: Cecilia of Sweden, Grand Duchess of Oldenburg

Cecilia died from puerperal fever (childbed fever) a few days after giving birth to her third child.

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PARMA

Margherita Violante of Savoy, Duchess of Parma

• Born: November 15, 1635 at the Castello del Valentino in Turin, Duchy of Savoy, now in Italy
• Parents: Vittorio Amedeo I, Duke of Savoy and Christine Marie of France, daughter of King Henri IV of France
• Married: Ranuccio II Farnese, Duke of Parma in 1660
• Died: April 29, 1663, aged 27, at the Ducal Palace of Colorno, in the Duchy of Parma, now in Italy
• Buried: Basilica of Santa Maria della Steccata in Parma, Duchy of Parma, now in Italy
• Wikipedia: Margherita Violante of Savoy, Duchess of Parma

In 1661, Margherita Violante gave birth to a stillborn daughter. Two years later, she died giving birth to a stillborn son.

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Isabella d’Este of Modena, Duchess of Parma

• Born: October 3, 1635 at the Ducal Palace of Modena in the Duchy of Modena, now in Italy
• Parents: Francesco I d’Este, Duke of Modena and Maria Caterina Farnese
• Married: Ranuccio II Farnese, Duke of Parma in 1663
• Died: August  21, 1666, aged 30, at the Ducal Palace of Colorno in the Duchy of Parma, now in Italy
• Buried: Basilica of Santa Maria della Steccata in Parma, Duchy of Parma, now in Italy
• Wikipedia: Isabella d’Este of Modena, Duchess of Parma

After the death of Margherita Violante of Savoy, his childless first wife, Ranuccio II Farnese, Duke of Parma married her cousin Isabella d’Este of Modena. The couple had three children and all survived. However, Isabella died of childbirth complications nine days after the birth of her third child.

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Maria Pia of the Two Sicilies, Duchess of Parma

• Born: August 2, 1849 in Gaeta, Kingdom of Two Sicilies, now in Italy
• Parents: King Ferdinand II of the Two Sicilies and Maria Theresa of Austria
• Married: Robert I, Duke of Parma in 1869
• Died: September 29, 1882, aged 33, in Biarritz, France
• Buried: Villa Borbone in Viareggio, Tuscany, Italy
• Unofficial Royalty: Maria Pia of the Two Sicilies, Duchess of Parma

Maria Pia and her husband had twelve children, six of whom were mentally disabled.  Dangerous pregnancies and consecutive births – twelve children in thirteen years of marriage – made Maria Pia obese and ill. She died of puerperal fever (childbed fever) a week after giving birth to a stillborn son.  Maria Pia’s widower Robert married again in 1884 to Maria Antonia of Portugal,  who bore him another twelve children.

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PORTUGAL

Isabella, Princess of Asturias, Queen of Portugal

• Born: October 2, 1470 in Palace of the Counts of Buendía in Dueñas, Palencia in the Kingdom of Castile, now in Spain
• Parents: King Ferdinand II of Aragon and Queen Isabella I of Castile
• Married: (1) Afonso, Prince of Portugal in 1490 (2) King Manuel I of Portugal in 1497
• Died: August 23, 1498, aged 27, at the Archbishop’s Palace of Zaragoza in the Kingdom of Aragon, now in Spain
• Buried: Convent of Santa Isabel in Toledo, Kingdom of Castile, now in Spain
• Wikipedia: Isabella, Princess of Asturias, Queen of Portugal

Isabella was the eldest child of King Ferdinand II of Aragon and Queen Isabella I of Castile. When her only brother Juan, Prince of Asturias died, she became Princess of Asturias and the heir presumptive to her parents’ thrones. Isabella died while giving birth to Miguel da Paz, who was heir to the thrones of Castile and Portugal until his death two years later.

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Maria Leopoldina of Austria, Empress of Brazil, Queen of Portugal

• Born: January 22, 1797 at Schönbrunn Palace in Vienna, Austria
• Parents: Franz II, Holy Roman Emperor and Maria Theresa of the Two Sicilies
• Married: King Pedro VI of Portugal (also Emperor Pedro I of Brazil) in 1817
• Died: December 11, 1826, aged 29, at the Palacio de São Cristovão in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
• Buried: Ajuda Convent in Cinelândia Square in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; when the convent was demolished in 1911, Leopoldina’s remains were transferred to the Convent of St. Anthony in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; in 1954, Leopoldina’s remains were transferred to the Brazilian Imperial Crypt and Chapel under the Monument of the Ipiranga (Monument to the Independence of Brazil) in São Paulo, Brazil
• Unofficial Royalty: Maria Leopoldina of Austria, Empress of Brazil, Queen of Portugal

After giving birth to seven children, Maria Leopoldina suffered a miscarriage on December 2, 1826. She died nine days later from puerperal fever (childbed fever).

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Maria II, Queen Regnant of Portugal

• Born: April 4, 1819 at the Palace of São Cristóvão in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
• Parents: Pedro IV and I, King of Portugal and first Emperor of Brazil and Maria Leopoldina, Archduchess of Austria
• Married: (1) Auguste Charles, 2nd Duke of Leuchtenberg, son of Eugène de Beauharnais, grandson of Empress Josephine in 1835 (2) Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha in 1836
• Died: November 15, 1853, aged 34, at the Palace of Necessidades in Lisbon, Portugal
• Buried: Royal Pantheon of the House of Braganza at the Monastery of São Vicente de Fora in Lisbon, Portugal
• Unofficial Royalty: Queen Maria II of Portugal

Maria II faced problems in giving birth with prolonged and extremely difficult labors. She had eleven pregnancies: seven resulted in children who survived childhood, two babies died within hours of birth, and two were stillbirths.  By the time Maria was 25 years old, she was obese and the births became even more complicated. The combination of many successive pregnancies, her obesity which eventually caused her heart problems, and the prolonged, difficult labors led doctors to warn Maria about the serious risks she would face in future pregnancies. Maria replied, “If I die, I die at my post.”  On November 15, 1853, Maria died after giving birth to a son, Infante Eugénio who died just after birth

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RUSSIA

Maria Ilyinichna Miloslavskaya, Tsaritsa of All Russia

• Born: April 11, 1624 in Moscow, Russia
• Parents: Ilya Danilovich Miloslavsky and Ekaterina Feodorovna Narbekova
• Married: Alexei I, Tsar of All Russia in 1648
• Died: August 18, 1669, aged 45 in Moscow, Russia
• Buried: first at the Ascension Convent in the Moscow Kremlin in Moscow, Russia; in 1929 moved to the Archangel Cathedral in the Moscow Kremlin in Moscow, Russia
• Unofficial Royalty: Maria Ilyinichna Miloslavskaya, Tsaritsa of All Russia

Maria Ilyinichna died of puerperal fever (childbed fever) five days after her most difficult childbirth. Her thirteenth child Yevdokia Alexeevna lived for only two days.

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Charlotte Christine of Brunswick-Lüneburg, Tsarevna of Russia

• Born: August 28, 1694 in Wolfenbüttel, Duchy of Brunswick-Lüneburg, now in Lower Saxony, Germany
• Parents: Ludwig Rudolf, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg and Christine Luise of Oettingen-Oettingen
• Married: Tsarevich Alexei Petrovich of Russia, son and heir of Peter I ( the Great), Emperor of All Russia in 1711
• Died: November 2, 1715, aged 21, in St. Petersburg, Russia
• Buried: Peter and Paul Cathedral in St. Petersburg, Russia
• Wikipedia: Charlotte Christine of Brunswick-Lüneburg, Tsarevna of Russia

During her second pregnancy, Charlotte Christine suffered from rheumatic pains. When she was seven months pregnant, she fell down the stairs. In severe pain, she was forced to spend the last weeks of her pregnancy in bed. Charlotte Christine gave birth to a son Peter Alexeivich, the future Peter II, Emperor of All Russia. The new mother felt well until the third day after the birth when abdominal pain, fever, and delirium developed. She died a week later from puerperal fever (childbed fever). Her son Peter II ruled Russia for three years until his death from smallpox at age 14.

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Grand Duchess Anna Petrovna of Russia, Duchess of Holstein-Gottorp

• Born: February 7, 1708 in Moscow, Russia
• Parents: Peter I (the Great), Emperor of All Russia and Catherine I, Empress of All Russia, born Marta Helena Skowrońska
• Married: Karl Friedrich, Duke of Holstein-Gottorp in 1724
• Died: March 4, 1728, aged 20, at Kiel Castle in Kiel, Duchy of Holstein-Gottorp, now in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany
• Buried: Peter and Paul Cathedral in St. Petersburg, Russia
• Unofficial Royalty: Anna Petrovna of Russia, Duchess of Holstein-Gottorp

Anna Petrovna gave birth to her only child, a son named Carl Peter Ulrich. He would rule Russia as Peter III, Emperor of All Russia for six months until he was deposed by his wife, born Sophie of Anhalt-Zerbst, who succeeded him on the throne as Catherine II (the Great), Empress of All Russia.  Anna Petrovna died from puerperal fever (childbed fever) two weeks after the birth of her son. Before her death, Anna expressed her desire to be buried at the Peter and Paul Cathedral in St. Petersburg. Anna’s coffin was taken by boat to St. Petersburg where it was buried at the Peter and Paul Cathedral across an aisle from her parents’ tomb.

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Anna Leopoldovna of Russia

• Born: December 18, 1718 in Rostock, Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, now in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany
• Parents: Karl Leopold, Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin and Tsarevna Catherine Ivanovna of Russia, daughter of Ivan V, Tsar of All Russia
• Married: Duke Anton Ulrich of Brunswick-Lüneburg in 1739
• Died: March 19, 1746, aged 27, in Kholmogory, Archangelgorod Governorate, Russia
• Buried: Annunciation Church at the Alexander Nevsky Monastery in St. Petersburg, Russia
• Wikipedia: Anna Leopoldovna of Russia

The story of Anna Leopoldovna and her family is one of the most tragic stories in royal history. Her eldest child Ivan Antonovich succeeded to the Russian throne in 1740 at the age of two months as Ivan VI, Emperor of All Russia. A little more than a year later, Ivan was deposed and spent the next 23 years imprisoned before being murdered during the reign of Catherine II (the Great). His parents spent the rest of their lives imprisoned and with the exception of their eldest daughter, all their other children were born in prison. Their children remained imprisoned until 1780. Anna Leopoldovna died of puerperal fever (childbed fever), nine days after the birth of her son Alexei Antonovich.

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Wilhelmina Luise of Hesse-Darmstadt, Natalia Alexeievna, Tsarevna of Russia

• Born: June 25, 1755 in Prenzlau, Kingdom of Prussia, now in Brandenburg, Germany
• Parents: Ludwig IX, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt and Caroline of Zweibrücken
• Married: Paul Petrovich, Tsarevich of Russia, the future Paul I of Russia, Emperor of All Russia, in 1773
• Died: April 26, 1776, aged 20, in St. Petersburg, Russia
• Buried: Annunciation Church at the Alexander Nevsky Monastery in St. Petersburg, Russia
• Unofficial Royalty: Wilhelmina Luise of Hesse-Darmstadt, Natalia Alexeievna, Tsarevna of Russia

On the morning of Sunday, April 10, 1776, Paul awakened his mother, Catherine II (the Great),  with the news that Natalia had been in labor since midnight. By noon, Natalia was in such pain that it seemed the birth would happen very soon. The afternoon and evening passed without a birth and Natalia was either in terrible pain or exhausted sleep. Monday passed and there was still no birth. On Tuesday, the doctors and midwives agreed that the child was probably dead. On Wednesday, the doctors all but gave up hope of saving Natalia and she was given the last rites. At six in the evening of Friday, April 15, 1776, Natalia died after six days of agony. Neither Catherine nor Paul had left her side. Catherine was further saddened that her dead grandchild had been a perfectly formed boy who had been too large to pass through the birth canal. Despite her exhaustion and sadness, Catherine remained in control. She had to because Paul’s grief was so severe that he was refusing to allow Natalia’s body to be removed.

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Alexandra of Greece and Denmark, Grand Duchess Alexandra Georgievna of Russia

• Born: August 30, 1870 at the Mon Repos Villa in Corfu, Greece
• Parents: King George I of Greece and Olga Konstantinovna of Russia
• Married: Grand Duke Paul Alexandrovich of Russia, son of Emperor Alexander II of Russia, in 1889
• Died: September 24, 1891, aged 21, at the Ilinskoye Estate outside Moscow, Russia
• Buried: Peter and Paul Cathedral in St. Petersburg, Russia; in 1939 moved to Royal Cemetery on the grounds of Tatoi Palace near Athens, Greece
• Unofficial Royalty: Alexandra of Greece and Denmark, Grand Duchess Alexandra Georgievna of Russia, 

Alexandra, who was seven months pregnant with her second child, took a walk with her friends on the bank of the Moskva River at Ilinskoye, the estate of her husband’s brother Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich. She jumped directly into a boat that was permanently moored there and fell. The next day, she collapsed in the middle of a ball from violent labor pains. Alexandra gave birth prematurely to a son, Grand Duke Dmitri Pavlovich and then she lapsed into a coma. Alexandra did not recover consciousness and died six days later.

It seems that the fall in the boat was not the actual cause of the premature labor. An autopsy showed that Alexandra’s premature labor was caused by eclampsia, a condition that causes a pregnant woman, usually previously diagnosed with preeclampsia (high blood pressure and protein in the urine), to develop seizures or coma. Nephritis, a kidney disorder, and heart damage were also detected. Her son Dmitri Pavlovich was one of the conspirators in the murder of Grigori Rasputin.

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SARDINIA

Anne Christine of Sulzbach, Princess of Piedmont

• Born: February 5, 1704 at the Palace of Sulzbach-Rosenberg in Amberg-Sulzbach, Kingdom of Bavaria, now in Bavaria, Germany
• Parents: Theodore Eustace, Prince Palatine of Sulzbach and Princess Eleonore of Hesse-Rheinfels-Rotenburg
• Married: Carlo Emanuele, Prince of Piedmont, the future Carlo Emanuele III, King of Sardinia, in 1722
• Died: March 12, 1723, aged 19, at the Royal Palace of Turin, Kingdom of Sardinia, now in Italy
• Buried: Basilica of Superga in Turin, Kingdom of Sardinia, now in Italy
• Unofficial Royalty: Anne Christine of Sulzbach, Princess of Piedmont

Five days after giving birth to her only child, a son who died a year later, Anne Christine died from childbirth complications.

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Elisabeth Therese of Lorraine, Queen of Sardinia

• Born: October 15, 1711 at the Château de Lunéville in Lunéville, Duchy of Lorraine, now in France
• Parents: Leopold, Duke of Lorraine and Élisabeth Charlotte d’Orléans
• Married: Carlo Emanuele III, King of Sardinia in 1737
• Died: July 3, 1741, aged 29, at the Palace of Venaria in Turin, Kingdom of Sardinia, now in Italy
• Buried: Basilica of Superga in Turin, Kingdom of Sardinia, now in Italy
• Unofficial Royalty: Elisabeth Therese of Lorraine, Queen of Sardinia

Elisabeth Therese was a granddaughter of Philippe I, Duke of Orléans, the only sibling of King Louis XIV of France. She died from puerperal fever (childbed fever) two weeks after giving birth to her third child.

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SAXE-ALTENBURG

Marie of Prussia, Princess Albert of Saxe-Altenburg

• Born: September 14, 1855 at the Marmorpalais in Potsdam, Kingdom of Prussia, now in Brandenburg, Germany
• Parents: Prince Friedrich Karl of Prussia and Princess Maria Anna of Anhalt-Dessau
• Married  (1) Prince Hendrik of the Netherlands in 1878, died 1879  (2) Prince Albert of Saxe-Altenburg in 1885
• Died: June 20, 1888, aged 32, at Schloss Abrechtesberg in Dresden, Kingdom of Saxony, now in Saxony, Germany
• Buried: Ducal Mausoleum in the Altenburg Cemetery in Altenburg, Duchy of Saxe-Altenburg, now in Thuringia, Germany
• Wikipedia: Marie of Prussia, Princess Albert of Saxe-Altenburg

Marie died of puerperal fever (childbed fever) after giving birth to her second daughter. She was the sister of Princess Louise Margaret of Prussia who married Queen Victoria’s son Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught. Marie was a godmother to the Connaughts’ only son Prince Arthur of Connaught.

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 SAXE-GOTHA-ALTENBURG

Luise Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, Hereditary Princess of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg

• Born: November 19, 1779 in Schwerin, Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, now in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany
• Parents: Friedrich Franz I, future Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin and Louise of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg
• Married: Augustus, Hereditary Prince of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg, the future Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg, in 1797
• Died: January 4, 1801, aged 21, at Schloss Friedenstein in Gotha, Duchy of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg, now in Thuringia, Germany
• Buried: ?
• Wikipedia: Luise Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, Hereditary Princess of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg

Luise Charlotte gave birth to her only child, a daughter named Luise after her. She never recovered from childbirth and died eleven days later. Her daughter Luise of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg married Ernst I, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. Luise and Ernst had two sons: Ernst II, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha and Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha who married Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom.

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SAXE-HILDBURGHAUSEN

Christiane Sophie Charlotte of Brandenburg-Bayreuth, Duchess of Saxe-Hildburghausen

• Born: October 15, 1733 in Neustadt an der Aisch, Kingdom of Prussia, now in Bavaria, Germany
• Parents: Friedrich Christian, Margrave of Brandenburg-Bayreuth and Victoria Charlotte of Anhalt-Zeitz-Hoym
• Married: Ernst Friedrich III, Duke of Saxe-Hildburghausen in 1757
• Died: October 8, 1757, aged 23, at Jagdschloss Seidingstadt in Straufhain, Duchy of Saxe-Hildburghausen, now in Thuringia, Germany
• Buried: ?
• Wikipedia: Christiane Sophie Charlotte of Brandenburg-Bayreuth, Duchess of Saxe-Hildburghausen

Christiane Sophie Charlotte died four days after giving birth to her only child Princess Marie Sophie Friederike Caroline, who died nine days later.

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SAXE-MEININGEN

Charlotte of Prussia, Hereditary Princess of Saxe-Meiningen

• Born: June 21, 1831 at Schönhausen Palace in Berlin, Kingdom of Prussia, now in Brandenburg, Germany
• Parents: Prince Albrecht of Prussia and Princess Marianne of the Netherlands
• Married: Hereditary Prince Georg of Saxe-Meiningen, the future Georg II, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen, in 1850
• Died: March 30, 1855, aged 23, in Meiningen, Duchy of Saxe-Meiningen, now in Thuringia, Germany
• Buried: Park Cemetery in Meiningen, Duchy of Saxe-Meiningen, now in Thuringia, Germany
• Unofficial Royalty: Charlotte of Prussia, Hereditary Princess of Saxe-Meiningen

Charlotte was the granddaughter of two kings, Friedrich Wilhelm III of Prussia and Willem I of the Netherlands. She died of childbirth complications following the birth of her fourth child, a son, who did not survive.

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SCOTLAND

Isabella of Mar, Countess of Carrick

• Born: about 1277 at Kildrummy Castle in Kildrummy, Aberdeenshire, Scotland
• Parents: Domhnall (Donald), 6th Earl of Mar and Elen the Younger ferch Llywelyn, an illegitimate daughter of the de facto Prince of Wales, Llywelyn Fawr (Llywelyn the Great), Prince of Gwynedd and Prince of Powys Wenwynwyn
• Married: Robert the Bruce, Earl of Carrick, the future Robert I, King of Scots, in 1295
• Died: December 12, 1296, aged 19, at the Manor of Cardross in Dunbartonshire, Scotland
• Buried: Paisley Abbey in Paisley, Renfrewshire, Scotland
• Unofficial Royalty: Isabella of Mar, Countess of Carrick

Isabella had a healthy pregnancy but died soon after giving birth to a daughter named Marjorie. Some sources say a caesarean section, which would have been fatal for the mother, was necessary to deliver Marjorie.

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Marjorie Bruce

• Born: December 12, 1296 at the Manor of Cardross in Dunbartonshire, Scotland
• Parents: Robert I the Bruce, King of Scots and Isabella of Mar
• Married: Walter Stewart, 6th High Steward of Scotland in 1315
• Died: March 2, 1316, aged 19, at Paisley Abbey in Paisley, Renfrewshire, Scotland
• Buried: Paisley Abbey in Paisley, Renfrewshire, Scotland
• Wikipedia: Marjorie Bruce

Like her mother Isabella of Mar, who died in childbirth delivering her only child, Marjorie also died in childbirth at age 19. Princess Marjorie, once her father became Robert I, King of Scots in 1306, married Walter Stewart, 6th High Steward of Scotland in 1315. Marjorie, who was pregnant, was riding in Paisley, Renfrewshire. Scotland. Her horse was suddenly startled and threw her to the ground. Marjorie went into premature labor and her child Robert was delivered by caesarean section causing Marjorie to die. Her son became Robert II, King of Scots, the first monarch of the House of Stewart. Marjorie’s descendants include the House of Stewart/Stuart, all their successors on the thrones of Scotland, Great Britain, and the United Kingdom, and many other European royal families.

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SERBIA

Zorka of Montenegro, Princess Karađorđević

• Born: December 23, 1864, in Cetinje, Montenegro
• Parents: King Nicholas I of Montenegro and Milena Vukotić
• Married: Prince Peter Karađorđević, the future  King Peter I of Serbia, in 1883
• Died: March 16, 1890, aged 25, in Cetinje, Montenegro
• Buried: first at the Cetinje Monastery in Cetinje, Montenegro, later moved to the Mausoleum of the Serbian Royal Family at St. George’s Church, Oplenac, Serbia
• Unofficial Royalty: Zorka of Montenegro, Princess Karađorđević 

Zorka died due to birth complications following the birth of her fifth child Andrija who died a few days after his mother.

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SICILY

Isabella of England, Holy Roman Empress, Queen of Sicily

• Born: 1214 in Gloucester, England
• Parents: King John of England and Isabella of Angoulême
• Married: Friedrich II, Holy Roman Emperor and King of Sicily in 1235
• Died: December 1, 1241, aged 27, at the Palace of Foggia in Apulia, Kingdom of Sicily, now in Italy
• Buried: Andria Cathedral in Andria, Apulia, Italy, next to her husband’s second wife Queen Isabella II of Jerusalem (Yolande of Brienne), who also died after childbirth
• Unofficial Royalty: Isabella of England, Holy Roman Empress, Queen of Sicily

Isabella had at least four children and died due to childbirth complications after delivering her last child Margaret who survived.

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SPAIN

Isabella of Portugal, Holy Roman Empress and Queen of Spain, Germany, Italy, Naples and Sicily and Duchess of Burgundy

• Born: October 24, 1503 in Lisbon, Portugal
• Parents: King Manuel I of Portugal and Maria of Aragon
• Married: Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, King of Spain, Germany, Italy, Naples and Sicily and Duke of Burgundy in 1526
• Died May 1, 1539, aged 35, at theFuensalida Palace in Toledo, Spain
• Buried: Royal Chapel of Granada in Granada, Spain; transferred in 1574 by her son King Felipe II of Spain to the Royal Crypt of the Monastery of El Escorial in El Escorial, Spain
• Unofficial Royalty: Isabella of Portugal, Holy Roman Empress, Queen of Spain

Isabella had a total of seven pregnancies. She gave birth to five live children, including King Felipe II of Spain, but only three children survived to adulthood. She also had two stillbirths, including her seventh pregnancy. Isabella suffered from chronic malaria, causing her health to be very fragile. During the third month of her seventh pregnancy, she became ill, suffered pregnancy complications that resulted in a stillbirth and her death. Her husband was so devastated by her death that he locked himself up in a monastery for two months, where he prayed and mourned for his wife alone.

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Maria Manuela of Portugal, Princess of Asturias

• Born: October 15, 1527 in Coimbra, Portugal
• Parents: King João III of Portugal and Catherine of Austria
• Married: Felipe, Prince of Asturias, the future King Felipe II of Spain, in 1543
• Died: July 12, 1545, aged 17, in Valladolid, Spain
• Buried: first at the Royal Chapel of Granada in Granada, Spain; but later transferred to Royal Crypt of the Monastery of El Escorial in El Escorial, Spain
• Unofficial Royalty: Maria Manuela of Portugal, Princess of Asturias

Maria Manuela died due to hemorrhaging four days after giving birth to her only child Carlos who was born with both physical and psychological issues and predeceased his father.

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Elisabeth of Valois, Queen of Spain

• Born: April 2, 1545 at the Palace of Fontainebleau in Fontainebleau, France
• Parents: King Henri II of France and Catherine de’ Medici
• Married: King Felipe II of Spain in 1559
• Died: October 3, 1568, aged 23, at the Royal Palace of Aranjuez in Aranjuez, Spain
• Buried: Royal Crypt of the Monastery of El Escorial in El Escorial, Spain
• Unofficial Royalty: Elisabeth of Valois, Queen of Spain

Elisabeth’s first pregnancy resulted in a stillborn son. Next, she miscarried twin daughters. She then successfully gave birth to two daughters a year apart. A fifth pregnancy caused severe vomiting and dizziness which the doctors tried to relieve by bleeding which would have further weakened her and not helped her as the doctors then believed. On October 3, 1568, Elisabeth went into premature labor that turned out to be very complicated and so all of the doctors of the royal court were called. After much suffering, Elisabeth gave birth to a daughter of five months of gestation. The daughter was baptized Juana but only lived for ninety minutes. An hour after her daughter died, 23-year-old Elisabeth died.

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Margaret of Austria, Queen of Spain

• Born: December 25, 1584 in Graz, Austria
• Parents: Archduke Charles II of Austria and Maria Anna of Bavaria
• Married: King Felipe III of Spain in 1599
• Died: October 3, 1611, aged 26, in San Lorenzo de El Escorial, Spain
• Buried: Royal Crypt of the Monastery of El Escorial in El Escorial, Spain
• Unofficial Royalty: Margaret of Austria, Queen of Spain

Margaret died from complications while giving birth to her eighth child Alfonso who only lived a year. Through her eldest child, Margaret was the maternal grandmother of King Louis XIV of France.

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Maria Isabel of Portugal, Queen of Spain

• Born: May 19, 1797, at the Palace of Queluz in Queluz, Portugal
• Parents: King João VI of Portugal and Infanta Carlota Joaquina of Spain
• Married: King Ferdinand VII of Spain in 1816
• Died: December 26, 1818, aged 21, at the Royal Palace of Aranjuez in Aranjuez, Spain
• Buried: Pantheon of Infantes of the Monastery of El Escorial in El Escorial, Spain
• Unofficial Royalty: Maria Isabel of Portugal, Queen of Spain

Maria Isabel had a daughter, María Luisa Isabel, who was born on August 21, 1817 but died five months later. However, Maria Isabel soon became pregnant again, but the pregnancy was difficult. Maria Isabel went into labor and there were terrible complications. The child, a daughter, was in breech position and died in utero. Maria Isabel had lost consciousness and appeared to have stopped breathing so the doctors believed she had died. When they began to cut her open to remove the dead child, she let out a cry of pain, fainted, and bled to death.

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Maria de las Mercedes of Orléans, Queen of Spain

• Born: June 24, 1860 at the Royal Palace of Madrid in Madrid, Spain
• Parents: Antoine of Orléans, Duke of Montpensier (son of King Louis Philippe of France) and Infanta Luisa Fernanda of Spain (daughter of King Ferdinand VII of Spain)
• Married: her first cousin King Alfonso XII of Spain in 1878
• Died: June 26, 1878, aged 18, at the Royal Palace of Madrid in Madrid, Spain
• Buried: Pantheon of Infantes of the Monastery of El Escorial in El Escorial, Spain; in 2000 re-interred at the Cathedral of Santa María la Real de La Almudena in Madrid, Spain
• Unofficial Royalty: Maria de las Mercedes of Orléans, Queen of Spain

In June 1878, it was announced that Mercedes was pregnant and the country rejoiced. However, the joy was short-lived as Mercedes suffered a miscarriage. Shortly after the miscarriage, Mercedes became suddenly ill. Within hours, she was at death’s door with typhoid fever.

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TUSCANY

Luisa Maria of Naples and Sicily, Grand Duchess of Tuscany

• Born: July 27, 1773 at the Royal Palace in Naples, Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, now in Italy
• Parents: King Ferdinand I of the Two Sicilies and Maria Carolina of Austria
• Married: Ferdinand III, Grand Duke of Tuscany in 1790
• Died: September 19, 1802, aged 29, at the Hofburg Palace in Vienna, Austria
• Buried: Imperial Crypt at the Capuchin Church in Vienna, Austria
• Unofficial Royalty: Luisa Maria of Naples and Sicily, Grand Duchess of Tuscany

Luisa Maria died while giving birth to her sixth child, a stillborn son.

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TWO SICILIES

Blessed Maria Cristina of Savoy, Queen of the Two Sicilies

• Born: 14 November 14, 1812 in Cagliari, Kingdom of Sardinia, now in Italy
• Parents: King Vittorio Emanuele I of Sardinia and Maria Teresa of Austria-Este
• Married: King Ferdinando II of the Two Sicilies in 1832
• Died: January 21, 1836, aged 23, in Naples, Kingdom of the Two Sicilies
• Buried: Basilica of Santa Chiara in Naples, Kingdom of the Two Sicilies
• Unofficial Royalty: Blessed Maria Cristina of Savoy, Queen of the Two Sicilies

Maria Cristina died five days after giving birth to her only child, the future King Francesco II of the Two Sicilies. Maria Cristina had been an extremely religious, fervent Roman Catholic. After her death, she was called “The Holy Queen.” Her husband started the beatification process and in 1859, she was proclaimed Venerable. In 2013, Pope Francis authorized a miracle attributed to the intercession of Maria Cristina. On January 25, 2014, a beatification ceremony was held at the Basilica of Santa Chiara in Naples, Italy, Maria Cristina’s burial site, where she was proclaimed Blessed Maria Cristina of Savoy, one step away from sainthood.

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María de las Mercedes, Princess of Asturias, Princess of Bourbon-Two Sicilies

• Born: September 11, 1880 at the Royal Palace of Madrid in Madrid, Spain
• Parents: King Alfonso XII of Spain and Maria Christina of Austria
• Married: Prince Carlos of Bourbon-Two Sicilies in 1901
• Died: October 17, 1904, aged 24, at the Royal Palace of Madrid in Madrid, Spain
• Buried: Pantheon of Infantes of the Monastery of El Escorial in El Escorial, Spain
• Wikipedia: María de las Mercedes, Princess of Asturias, Princess of Bourbon-Two Sicilies

In 1885, Mercedes’ father died. Her mother was pregnant and served as Regent while awaiting the birth. Mercedes’ brother was King Alfonso XIII from birth and because he did not marry until after her death, she was Princess of Asturias, the heir to the Spanish throne for the rest of her life. Mercedes and her husband had two sons within two years of their marriage. In 1904, Mercedes was once again pregnant. Three weeks before her due date, Mercedes became very ill.  She had appendicitis but it was initially misdiagnosed as intestinal cramps. Peritonitis set in and Mercedes gave birth to her third child but she died the following day.

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WALES

Eleanor de Montfort, Princess of Wales

• Born: 1252
• Parents: Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester and Eleanor of England, a daughter of King John of England
• Married: Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, Prince of Wales in 1275
• Died: June 19, 1282, aged 29–30, in Palace of Aber Garth Celyn in Gwynedd, Wales
• Buried: Franciscan Friary in Llanfaes, Anglesey, Wales
• Wikipedia: Eleanor de Montfort, Princess of Wales

Eleanor died in childbirth giving birth to her only child Gwenllian ferch Llywelyn. A few months after Gwenllian’s birth, her father and uncle were put to death by the English army under King Edward I. The infant Gwenllian was sent to Gilbertine Priory in Sempringham, England to prevent her from marrying and having sons who could claim to be Prince of Wales. She died at the priory 54 years later.

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WÜRTTEMBERG

Augusta of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, Princess Friedrich of Württemberg

• Born: December 3, 1764, in Brunswick, Duchy of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, now in Lower Saxony, Germany
• Parents: Karl Wilhelm Ferdinand, Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel and Princess Augusta of Wales, a sister of King George III of the United Kingdom
• Married: Prince Friedrich of Württemberg, the future King Friedrich I of Württemberg, in 1780
• Died September 27, 1788, aged 23, at Koluvere Castle in Lohde, Estonia
• Buried: Kullamaa Church in Kullamaa, Estonia
• Unofficial Royalty: Augusta of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, Princess Friedrich of Württemberg

Despite having four children, Augusta and her husband Friedrich had a very unhappy marriage. Friedrich had impressed Empress Catherine the Great while visiting Russia, and she made him Governor-General of Eastern Finland.  Augusta asked Catherine for protection from her husband. She claimed that Friedrich was abusive to her, and was having affairs with several men. The Empress took Augusta in and told Friedrich to leave the country. Augusta hoped to obtain a divorce, but her father would not permit it. The Empress provided Augusta with a home at Koluvere Castle in Estonia, along with a custodian, Wilhelm von Pohlmann. Soon, Augusta and von Pohlmann began an affair and she became pregnant. Augusta went into premature labor and delivered a stillborn baby. Fearing that their affair would become known, von Pohlmann refused to call for a doctor and Augusta died of blood loss.

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Marie of Waldeck and Pyrmont, Princess Wilhelm of Württemberg

• Born: 23 May 23, 1857 in Arolsen, Principality of  Waldeck and Pyrmont, now in Hesse, Germany
• Parents: Georg Viktor, Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont and Helena of Nassau
• Married: Prince Wilhelm of Württemberg, the future King Wilhelm II of Württemberg, in 1877
• Died: April 30, 1882, aged 24, at Ludwigsburg Palace in Ludwigsburg, Kingdom of Württemberg, now in Baden-of Württemberg, Germany
• Buried: Old Cemetery on the grounds of Ludwigsburg Palace in Ludwigsburg, Kingdom of Württemberg, now in Baden-of Württemberg, Germany
• Unofficial Royalty: Marie of Waldeck and Pyrmont, Princess Wilhelm of Württemberg

After giving birth to two children, Marie gave birth to a stillborn daughter, suffered serious complications, and died six days later. Marie was the sister of Helena of Waldeck and Pyrmont, the wife of Queen Victoria’s son Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany, and Emma of Waldeck and Pyrmont who married King Willem II of the Netherlands.

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compiled by Susan Flantzer

This does not purport to be a complete list. All images are from Wikipedia unless otherwise indicated.

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Georg Wilhelm, Hereditary Prince of Hanover

• Born: October 28, 1880 at Schloss Cumberland in Gmunden, Austrian Empire, now in Austria
• Parents: Ernst August, Crown Prince of Hanover, 3rd Duke of Cumberland and Teviotdale and Princess Thyra of Denmark
• Died: May 20, 1912, aged 31, in Nackel, Kingdom of Prussia, now in Brandenburg, Germany
• Buried: Mausoleum at Schloss Cumberland in Gmunden, Austrian Empire, now in Austria
• Wikipedia: Georg Wilhelm, Hereditary Prince of Hanover (in German)

Georg Wilhelm was the eldest child of his parents. He was an enthusiastic fan of automobile racing and took part in races several times. Georg Wilhelm was killed in a car accident after skidding on a newly laid road surface and hitting a tree while driving to the funeral of his uncle King Frederik VIII of Denmark. His valet was also killed in the accident.

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Princess Astrid of Sweden, Queen of the Belgians

• Born: November 17, 1905 at Arvfurstens Palace in Stockholm, Sweden
• Parents: Prince Carl of Sweden, Duke of Västergötland and Princess Ingeborg of Denmark
• Married: King Leopold III of the Belgians in 1926
• Died: August 29, 1935, aged 29, in Küssnacht am Rigi, Schwyz, Switzerland
• Buried: Church of Our Lady of Laeken in Brussels, Belgium
• Unofficial Royalty: Astrid of Sweden, Queen of the Belgians

In August 1935, Astrid’s family was on holiday in Switzerland. On August 29, 1935, having sent their three children ahead, Leopold and Astrid decided to take one last outing before returning to Belgium. On a drive in the mountains near Lake Lucerne, with King Leopold at the wheel, and Astrid beside him, the king was distracted by something Astrid pointed out to him and lost control of the car. The convertible went off the road and down a steep slope, crashing into a tree. Both of them were thrown from the car, but Leopold was not seriously injured. Astrid, however, was thrown into another tree and died from her injuries. Later, a chapel and memorial were built in her honor in Küssnacht am Rigi, at the scene of the accident.

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King Ghazi bin Faisal of Iraq

• Born: March 21, 1912 in Mecca, Emirate of Mecca, Ottoman Empire, now in Saudi Arabia
• Parents: King Faisal I of Iraq and Huzaima bint Nasser
• Married: Princess Aliya bint Ali of Hejaz in 1934
• Died: April 4, 1939, aged 27 in Baghdad, Iraq
• Buried: Royal Mausoleum in Al-Adhamiyah, Baghdad, Iraq
• Wikipedia: King Ghazi bin Faisal of Iraq

Ghazi died in a mysterious crash while driving a sports car. Some believe he was killed on the orders of Prime Minister Nuri as-Said because of his plans for the unification of Iraq with Kuwait.

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Princess Grace of Monaco

• Born: Grace Patrica Kelly on November 12, 1929 at Hahnemann University Hospital in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.A.
• Parents: John B. Kelly Sr. and Margaret Katherine Majer
• Married: Rainier III, Prince of Monaco in 1956
• Died: September 14, 1982, aged 52, at Monaco Hospital (later named the Princess Grace Hospital Centre) in La Colle, Monaco
• Buried: Cathedral of Our Lady Immaculate (St. Nicholas Cathedral) in Monaco-Ville, Monaco
• Unofficial Royalty: Princess Grace of Monaco

On September 13, 1982, while returning home from a family home in Roc Agel, France, Grace suffered a stroke while driving. She lost control of the car which veered off the road, overturned and plunged down a 120-foot high mountainside road. Grace survived the crash but died from her injuries the following night. Her youngest daughter Princess Stéphanie was a passenger and suffered a concussion and a hairline fracture of a cervical vertebra.

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King Moshoeshoe II of Lesotho

• Born: May 2, 1938 in Morija, Basutoland in now Lesotho
• Parents: Simon Seeiso Griffith, Paramount Chief of Basutoland and ‘Mabereng
• Married: Princess Tabitha ‘Masentle Lerotholi Mojela (later known as Queen ‘Mamohato of Lesotho) in 1962
• Died: January 15, 1996, aged 57 in the Maloti Mountains in Lesotho
• Buried: Thaba Bosiu, a plateau in Lesotho, the stronghold of King Moshoeshoe I (reigned 1822 – 1870) and once the capital of Lesotho, King Moshoeshoe I was buried there
• Wikipedia: King Moshoeshoe II of Lesotho

Moshoeshoe’s car plunged off a mountain road during the early hours of January 15, 1996. The accident also killed his chauffeur.

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Diana, Princess of Wales

• Born: The Honorable Diana Frances Spencer (later Lady Diana Spencer) on July 1, 1961 at
• Park House, Sandringham, in Norfolk, England
• Parents: John Spencer, 8th Earl Spencer and The Honourable Frances Roche
• Married: Prince Charles Prince of Wales in 1981, divorced 1996
• Died: August 31, 1997, aged 36 at Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital in Paris, France
• Buried: Althorp, the Spencer family home in Northamptonshire, England
• Unofficial Royalty: Diana, Princess of Wales

At 4 AM (Paris time) on Sunday, August 31, 1997, Diana, Princess of Wales died in Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital in Paris, France after being involved in a car crash that instantly killed her companion Dodi Fayed and the driver of the car Henri Paul. Diana’s car was being chased by photographers on motorbikes at high speeds when the crash happened in the Ponte l’Alma Tunnel in Paris, France. Investigation of the accident also brought to light that the driver of the car was more than three times over the French alcohol limit.

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Duke Friedrich of Württemberg

• Born: June 1, 1961 in Friedrichshafen, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
• Parents: Carl, Duke of Württemberg and Diane of Orléans
• Married: Princess Marie of Wied in 1993
• Died: May 9, 2018 on the road between Ebenweiler and Fronreute in Baden-Württemberg, Germany
• Wikipedia: Duke Friedrich of Württemberg

Friedrich was the heir to the headship of the House of Württemberg, no longer a reigning house. While overtaking the car in front of him, he collided with an oncoming vehicle and died of his injuries at the scene of the accident.

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compiled by Susan Flantzer

This does not purport to be a complete list. Of course, without modern medical diagnostic tools, it was impossible to accurately diagnose illnesses. Therefore, the people listed below all died, with one exception from 1900 onward.

All images are from Wikipedia unless otherwise indicated.

Bone Cancer

George Mountbatten, 2nd Marquess of Milford Haven

• Born: Prince George of Battenberg on December 6, 1892 at the Neues Palais in Darmstadt, Grand Duchy of Hesse, now in Hesse, Germany
• Parents: Prince Louis of Battenberg (later 1st Marquess of Milford Haven) and Princess Victoria of Hesse and by Rhine
• Married: Countess Nadejda Mikhailovna de Torby in 1916
• Died: April 8, 1938, aged 45, in London, England
• Buried: Bray Cemetery in Bray, Berkshire, England
• Unofficial Royalty: George Mountbatten, 2nd Marquess of Milford Haven

George became instrumental in the upbringing of his nephew Prince Philip of Greece (the future husband of Queen Elizabeth II) after Philip’s mother suffered a breakdown and his father was more-or-less separated from the family. George became Philip’s primary guardian, serving as a surrogate father and arranging for, and financing, Philip’s education.

In December 1937, George suffered a fall and broke his femur. A month later, when it did not appear to be healing, a further examination found that he was suffering from bone marrow cancer. Fearing that the diagnosis would cause him to decline quite quickly, the doctors chose to withhold it from him, in agreement with the family. He lingered for several months, finally losing his battle on April 8, 1938.

Princess Christina of the Netherlands

• Born: February 18, 1947 at Soestdijk Palace in Baarn, the Netherlands
• Parents: Queen Juliana of the Netherlands and Prince Bernhard of Lippe-Biesterfeld
• Married: Jorge Pérez y Guillermo in 1975, divorced in 1996
• Died: August 16, 2019, aged 72, at Noordeinde Palace in The Hague, the Netherlands
• Unofficial Royalty: Princess Christina of the Netherlands

Princess Christina was the youngest of the four daughters of Queen Juliana of the Netherlands. Her eldest sister Beatrix reigned as Queen of the Netherlands from 1980 until 2013 when she abdicated in favor of her son Willem-Alexander. In the fall of 2017, Princess Christina was diagnosed with bone cancer. This was announced publically in June 2018. Christina’s remains were cremated.

• New York Times: Christina, a Dutch Princess Who Married a Commoner, Dies at 72 

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Brain Cancer

Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark, Duchess of Kent

• Born: December 13, 1906 in Athens, Kingdom of Greece
• Parents: Prince Nicholas of Greece and Denmark and Grand Duchess Elena Vladimirovna of Russia
• Married: Prince George, Duke of Kent in 1934
• Died: August 27, 1968, aged 61, at Kensington Palace in London, England
• Buried: Royal Burial Grounds, Frogmore in Windsor, England
• Unofficial Royalty: Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark, Duchess of Kent

On July 16, 1968, Princess Marina, Duchess of Kent was admitted to the National Hospital for Nervous Diseases. She was discharged six days later. On August 27, 1968, at 12:05 PM, Kensington Palace issued the following statement: “Princess Marina, Duchess of Kent, died peacefully in her sleep at her home Kensington Palace, at 11.40 this morning, Tuesday, 27th August.” Her doctors had issued this statement: “The Princess had for some weeks been suffering from an inoperable tumour of the brain and her condition rapidly deteriorated during the past 24 hours.” At her bedside at the time of her death were her son, the Duke of Kent and his wife the Duchess of Kent; her daughter Princess Alexandra of Kent and her husband Angus Ogilvy; and her son Prince Michael of Kent. It was only several hours earlier that the severity of her condition became public when Kensington Palace issued a statement that her condition “was giving rise to anxiety.”

• New York Times: Princess Marina dead at 61

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Colon Cancer

Infanta Pilar of Spain, Duchess of Badajoz

• Born: July 30, 1936 at Ville Saint Blaise in Cannes, France
• Parents: Infante Juan of Spain, Count of Barcelona and Princess María de las Mercedes of Bourbon-Two Sicilies
• Married: Luis Gómez-Acebo y Duque de Estrada, 2nd Viscount of La Torre in 1967
• Died: January 8, 2020, aged 83, at the Ruber International Hospital in Madrid, Spain
• Buried: Cremated and her ashes were placed in her husband’s family mausoleum beside her husband at the Saint Isidore Cemetery in Madrid, Spain
• Unofficial Royalty: Infanta Pilar of Spain, Duchess of Badajoz

Infanta Pilar was the elder sister of King Juan Carlos of Spain and the aunt of King Felipe VI of Spain. She had surgery for an intestinal obstruction on February 2, 2019, and was subsequently diagnosed with colon cancer. A public announcement of her condition was made in May 2019. On January 5, 2020, Pilar was admitted to the hospital as her condition worsened. She died on January 8, 2020, at the Ruber International Hospital in Madrid, Spain with her family at her side.

Qaboos bin Said Al Said, Sultan of Oman

• Born: November 18, 1940 in Salalah, Sultanate of Muscat and Oman, now the Sultanate of Oman
• Parents: Said bin Taimur, Sultan of Muscat and Oman, and his second wife, Princess Mazoon bint Ahmed Ali al-Maashani
• Married: Princess Nawwal bint Tariq Al-Said of Oman in 1976, divorced in 1979
• Died: January 10, 2020 at the Al Alam Palace in Muscat, Oman
• Buried: Royal Cemetery in Muscat, Oman
• Unofficial Royalty: Qaboos bin Said Al Said, Sultan of Oman

Sultan Qaboos had been under treatment for colon cancer since at least 2014 and had spent much time in Germany undergoing treatment. In December 2019, he had traveled to Belgium for medical treatment. He died several weeks after returning from Belgium.

• New York Times: Sultan Qaboos, Quiet Peacemaker Who Built Oman, Dies at 79

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Esophageal Cancer, Laryngeal Cancer, Throat Cancer

Friedrich III, German Emperor, King of Prussia

• Born: October 18, 1831 at the Neues Palais in Potsdam, Kingdom of Prussia, now in Brandenburg, Germany
• Parents: Wilhelm I, German Emperor and Princess Augusta of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach
• Married: Victoria, Princess Royal in 1858
• Died: June 15, 1888, aged 56, at the Neues Palais in Potsdam, Kingdom of Prussia, now in Brandenburg, Germany
• Buried: Friedenskirche (Church of Peace) in Potsdam, Kingdom of Prussia, now in Brandenburg, Germany
• Unofficial Royalty: Friedrich III, German Emperor, King of Prussia

The year 1888 is called “The Year of Three Emperors” in German history. Friedrich’s father Wilhelm I died on March 9, 1888, and Friedrich succeeded him as Friedrich III. However, Friedrich was already gravely ill with cancer of the larynx and could no longer speak, but despite this, he did his best to fulfill his obligations as Emperor. In May 1888, Fritz lamented, “I cannot die … What would happen to Germany?” Fritz reigned for only 99 days, dying at the age of 56 on June 15, 1888. His son succeeded him as Wilhelm II and lost his throne in the aftermath of World War I.

• New York Times: The Kaiser died in peace

Prince Alfred, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, Duke of Edinburgh

• Born: August 6, 1844 at Windsor Castle in Windsor, England
• Parents: Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha and Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom
• Married: Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna of Russia in 1874
• Died: July 30, 1900, aged 55 at Schloss Rosenau in Coburg, Duchy of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, now in Bavaria, Germany
• Buried: Ducal Mausoleum in the Glockenburg Cemetery in Coburg, Duchy of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, now in Bavaria, Germany
• Unofficial Royalty: Prince Alfred, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, Duke of Edinburgh

Alfred’s years of smoking and drinking affected his health. In June 1900, an inoperable, cancerous tumor was discovered at the root of his tongue. It was estimated that he had six months to live but that was not to be. Apparently, the truth about Alfred’s condition was kept from him. At the end of July 1900, the doctors decided to perform a tracheotomy to ease Alfred’s breathing but on July 30, 1900, Alfred died in his sleep.

• New York Times: Duke of Saxe-Coburg Dead

Prince Heinrich of Prussia

• Born: August 14, 1862 at the Crown Prince’s Palace in Berlin, Kingdom of Prussia, now in Brandenburg, Germany
• Parents: Friedrich III, German Emperor, King of Prussian and Victoria, Princess Royal
• Married: Princess Irene of Hesse and by Rhine in 1888
• Died: April 20, 1929, aged 66 at Schloss Hemmelmark in Barkelsby, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany
• Buried: In a Russian-style chapel surrounded by trees, built on a field at Schloss Hemmelmark in Barkelsby, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany
• Unofficial Royalty: Prince Heinrich of Prussia

Heinrich was close to his elder brother Wilhelm II, German Emperor. After the end of World War I, when Wilhelm was exiled to Doorn, the Netherlands and was not allowed to enter Germany, Heinrich always visited Wilhelm for his birthday on January 27. Heinrich was a heavy smoker and had suffered from throat issues for several months and 1929 was the first year he had not visited Wilhelm for his birthday. Heinrich was eventually diagnosed with cancer similar to the one that had killed his father. Three days before his death, Heinrich developed pneumonia. He died with his wife Irene, his son Waldemar and Waldemar’s wife at his bedside. His other surviving son Sigismund was in Costa Rica.

• New York Times: Prince Henry Dies, Brother of Kaiser

King Edward VIII of the United Kingdom, The Duke of Windsor

• Born: June 23, 1894 at White Lodge in Richmond Park on the outskirts of London, England
• Parents: King George V of the United Kingdom and Princess Victoria Mary of Teck
• Married: Wallis Simpson in 1937
• Died: May 28, 1972, aged 77, at Villa Windsor located at 4 Route du Champ d’Entraînement in Paris, France
• Buried: Royal Burial Grounds, Frogmore in Windsor, England
• Unofficial Royalty: King Edward VIII of the United Kingdom, The Duke of Windsor

Famous for abdicating the British throne after a reign of less than eleven months to marry the woman he loved, the Duke of Windsor, along with his wife, lived the latter part of his life in Paris, France. The Duke’s health started to decline during the 1960s when he was treated for an aneurysm and detached retina. He was a heavy smoker and in late 1971 was diagnosed with throat cancer.

Early in 1972, the Duke underwent surgery for a hernia. On May 18, 1972, Queen Elizabeth II, along with the Duke of Edinburgh and the Prince of Wales, visited the Duke at his Paris home while on a state visit to France. The Duke was too ill to come downstairs to tea, but the Queen spent 15 minutes talking alone with her uncle in his sitting room after the Duchess of Windsor hosted tea in the downstairs drawing-room.

Ten days later, a statement from Buckingham Palace said: “It is announced with deep regret that His Royal Highness, the Duke of Windsor, has died at his home in Paris at 2:25 A.M., Sunday, May 28, 1972.”

• New York Times: Duke of Windsor Dies

Sir Angus Ogilvy
Embed from Getty Images 

• Born: September 14, 1928 in London, England
• Parents: David Ogilvy, 12th Earl of Airlie and Lady Alexandra Coke
• Married: Princess Alexandra of Kent in 1963
• Died: December 26, 2004, aged 76, at Kingston Hospital in Kingston upon Thames, England
• Buried: Royal Burial Grounds, Frogmore in Windsor, England
• Unofficial Royalty: Sir Angus Ogilvy

In 2002, Sir Angus was diagnosed with esophageal cancer and canceled all his public engagements. Despite his failing health, he did take part in The Queen’s Golden Jubilee festivities in June 2002 and accompanied his wife on an official visit to Thailand in February 2003. His final public appearances were at the Garter Service and Royal Ascot in June 2004.

• New York Times: Angus Ogilvy, 76, Banker With Ties to British Royalty, Dies

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Leukemia

Farida, Queen Consort of Egypt

• Born: Safinaz Zulficar September 5, 1921 in Alexandria, Egypt
• Parents: Youssef Zulficar Pasha and Zainab Sa’id
• Married: King Farouk of Egypt in 1938, divorced 1948
• Died: October 16, 1988, aged 67 in Maadi, Cairo, Egypt
• Buried: Al-Rifa’i Mosque in Cairo, Egypt
• Wikipedia: Farida, Queen Consort of Egypt

Farida was the first of the two wives of King Farouk of Egypt. After her marriage, she was renamed Farida in accordance with the tradition started by King Fuad I that all members of the royal family should have a name that starts with the letter F. After ten years of marriage and the birth of a third daughter, Farouk divorced Farida.

After feeling unwell for some time, Farida was diagnosed with leukemia. She had monthly blood transfusions and was treated in France, Switzerland, and the United States. She then developed hepatitis. With her condition worsening, Farida insisted upon returning to Egypt. On October 2, 1988, Farida, now ill with leukemia, hepatitis, and pneumonia, was put in the intensive care unit and lapsed into a coma. She died two weeks later.

• New York Times: Queen Farida of Egypt Dies at 68

Mihai (Michael) I, King of Romania

• Born: October 25, 1921 at Peleș Castle in Sinaia, Romania
• Parents: Carol II, King of Romania and Princess Helen of Greece and Denmark
• Married: Princess Anne of Bourbon-Parma in 1948
• Died: December 5, 2017, aged 96, at his residence in Aubonne, Switzerland
  Buried: Archdiocesan and Royal Cathedral in Curtea de Argeș, Romania
• Unofficial Royalty: King Mihai I of Romania

Mihai (Michael in English) reigned in Romania, 1927 – 1930 and 1940 – 1947. In 1947, he was forced to leave Romania. In December 1990, he was given permission for a 24-hour visit. However, this ended up being cut short and he was forced to leave early. He visited Romania in again 1992 but the mass outpouring of crowds and supporters concerned the current government and he was banned again for several years. Finally, in 1997, the Romanian government restored Mihai’s citizenship and in the following years, several properties were returned to the royal family where they were able to live.

On March 2, 2016, it was announced that Mihai had been diagnosed with chronic leukemia and metastatic epidermoid carcinoma and that he was withdrawing from public life. His daughter Margareta took on his public duties. Mihai’s wife Anne died on August 1, 2016, at the age of 92. Mihai survived her by seventeen months.

• New York Times: King Michael of Romania, Who Ousted a Hitler Puppet, Dies at 96

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Lung Cancer

Marie-José of Belgium, Queen of Italy

• Born: August 4, 1906 in Ostend, Belgium
• Parents: Albert I, King of the Belgians and Duchess Elisabeth of Bavaria
• Married: Umberto II, King of Italy in 1930
• Died: January 27, 2001, aged 94, in Thonex, Geneva, Switzerland
• Buried: Hautecombe Abbey in Saint-Pierre-de-Curtille, France
• Unofficial Royalty: Marie-José of Belgium, Queen of Italy

After World War II, May 9, 1946. Marie-José’s husband was briefly King of Italy, from May 9 – June 2, 1946. Umberto and Marie-José left Italy on June 13, 1946, and were barred under the terms of the new constitution from returning to Italy. The couple separated but never divorced. Marie- José lived a long life, dying of lung cancer at 94 in a clinic in Geneva, Switzerland. The emotions caused by her death prompted Italy to repeal the law of exile imposed on the former reigning family. Marie-José’s children and grandchildren were able to return to Italy in 2002.

• New York Times: Maria José, 94, Queen of Italy For Just 27 Days After the War

Prince Bernhard of Lippe-Biesterfeld, Prince Consort of the Netherlands

• Born: June 29, 1911 in Jena, Duchy of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach now in Thuringia, Germany
• Parents: Prince Bernhard of Lippe-Biesterfeld and Armgard von Cramm
• Married: Queen Juliana of the Netherlands in 1937
• Died: December 1, 2004, aged 93, at the University of Utrecht Medical Center in Utrecht, the Netherlands
• Unofficial Royalty: Prince Bernhard of Lippe-Biesterfeld, Prince Consort of the Netherlands

On November 17, 2004, eight months after the death of his wife who had abdicated in favor of their daughter Beatrix in 1980, it was announced that Prince Bernhard had lung cancer. An additional announcement was made two weeks later stating that he also had a malignant tumor in the intestines. At his request, Berhard received no treatment.

• New York Times: Prince Bernhard, Father of Dutch Queen, Dies at 93

Joséphine Charlotte of Belgium, Grand Duchess of Luxembourg
Embed from Getty Images

• Born: October 11, 1927 at the Royal Palace in Brussels, Belgium
• Parents: Leopold III, King of the Belgians and Princess Astrid of Sweden
• Married: Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg in 1953
• Died: January 10, 2005, aged 77, at Fischbach Castle in Fischbach, Grand Duchy of Luxembourg
• Unofficial Royalty: Joséphine Charlotte of Belgium, Grand Duchess of Luxembourg

In 2003, it was announced that Joséphine-Charlotte had been diagnosed with lung cancer and the planned ceremonies and celebrations for the couple’s 50th wedding anniversary were canceled. Two years later, Joséphine-Charlotte died at her residence, Fischbach Castle, surrounded by her family.

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Lymphoma

Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, Shah of Iran

• Born: October 26, 1919 in Tehran, Persia, now in Iran
• Parents: Reza Shah Pahlavi, Shah of Iran and Tadj ol-Molouk
• Married: (1) Princess Fawzia of Egypt in 1939, divorced 1948 (2) Soraya Esfandiary-Bakhtiari in 1951, divorced 1958 (3) Farah Diba in 1959
• Died: July 27, 1980, aged 60 in Cairo, Egypt
• Buried: Al-Rifa’i Mosque in Cairo, Egypt
• Wikipedia: Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, Shah of Iran

After being overthrown in 1979, Mohammad Reza spent the last year of his life ill and in exile. He had been diagnosed with cancer in 1974. As his condition worsened, he stopped appearing in public in 1978. After being deposed, he sought treatment in Mexico, the United States, and Panama, Mohammad Reza fled to Egypt where he died in a Cairo hospital.

King Hussein I of Jordan

• Born: November 14, 1935 in Amman, Transjordan, now in Jordan
• Parents: King Talal of Jordan and Zein Al-Sharaf
• Married: (1) Dina bint Abdul-Hamid (Queen Dina) in 1955, divorced 1957 (2) Antoinette Gardiner (Princess Muna) in 1961, divorced 1972 (3) Alia Toukan (Queen Alia) in 1972, died 1977 (4) Lisa Halaby (Queen Noor) in 1978
• Died: February 7, 1999, aged 63, at the King Hussein Medical Center in Amman, Jordan
• Unofficial Royalty: King Hussein I of Jordan

In July 1998, it was revealed that King Hussein was battling lymphatic cancer and was being treated at the Mayo Clinic in the United States. He returned to Jordan in early January 1999. After a brief return to the Mayo Clinic for more treatment, Hussein returned to Jordan for a final time, being taken immediately to the King Hussein Medical Center. Having suffered significant organ failure, he was in a coma and was on life-support systems. King Hussein died with Queen Noor and some of his children at his side.

• New York Times: DEATH OF A KING: THE OVERVIEW; Hussein of Jordan, Voice for Peace, Dies

Small Intestine Cancer

Emperor Shōwa of Japan (Hirohito)

• Born: April 29, 1901 at the Tōgū Palace in Aoyama, Tokyo, Japan
• Parents: Taishō, Emperor of Japan and Lady Sadako Kujō
• Married: Princess Nagako Kuni in 1924
• Died: January 7, 1989, aged 87, at Fukiage Ōmiya Palace on the grounds of the Imperial Palace in Tokyo, Japan
• Unofficial Royalty: Emperor Shōwa of Japan (Hirohito)

On September 22, 1987, Emperor Hirohito underwent surgery on his pancreas after several months of digestive problems. The doctors discovered small intestine cancer during the surgery. Hirohito seemed to recover well after the surgery but a year later, he collapsed. His health deteriorated and he suffered from constant internal bleeding. Emperor Hirohito died at the Fukiage Ōmiya Palace on the grounds of the Imperial Palace in Tokyo, Japan. He is now known by his posthumous name Shōwa.

• New York Times: Hirohito, 124th Emperor of Japan, Is Dead at 87

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Stomach Cancer

Prince Arthur of Connaught

• Born: January 13, 1883 at Windsor Castle in Windsor, England
• Parents: Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Princess Louise Margaret of Prussia
• Married: Princess Alexandra of Fife, 2nd Duchess of Fife in 1913
• Died: September 12, 1938, aged 55, in London, England
• Buried: Royal Burial Grounds, Frogmore in Windsor, England
• Unofficial Royalty: Prince Arthur of Connaught

Ill with stomach cancer, Prince Arthur died in his sleep on September 12, 1938. As Prince Arthur predeceased his father Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught, Arthur’s son Alastair became heir to the dukedom. In 1942, upon the death of his paternal grandfather Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught, Alastair succeeded him as the 2nd Duke of Connaught. On April 26, 1943, while on active duty with the British Army in Ottawa, Canada, the 28-year-old Alastair fell asleep or passed out in front of an open window, fell out the window, and died of hypothermia during the night. On his death, his titles became extinct.

• New York Times: PRINCE ARTHUR, 55, KIN OF KING GEORGE; Son of Duke of Connaught Is Dead in London-Grandson of Queen Victoria

King Paul of Greece

• Born: December 14, 1901 at Tatoi Palace, near Athens, Greece
• Parents: King Constantine I of Greece and Princess Sophia of Prussia
• Married: Princess Frederica of Hanover in 1938
• Died: March 6, 1964, aged 62, at Tatoi Palace, near Athens, Greece
• Buried: Royal Cemetery at Tatoi Palace, near Athens, Greece
• Unofficial Royalty: King Paul of Greece

After a state visit to the United Kingdom in July 1963, King Paul fell ill. He was later diagnosed with stomach cancer but put off having surgery until after the general election which saw the election of George Papandreou as Prime Minister. On February 20, 1964, the day after he swore in the new government, King Paul underwent surgery at Tatoi Palace, in a room which had been converted into an operating room. Sadly, he would never recover and died two weeks later.

• New York Times: Greek King Dead; Son, 23, Will Reign

Princess Farial of Egypt

• Born: November 17, 1938 at Montaza Palace in Alexandria, Egypt
• Parents: King Farouk of Egypt and Safinaz Zulficar (Queen Farida of Egypt)
• Married: Jean-Pierre Perreten in 1967, divorced 1968
• Died: November 29, 2009, aged 71, in Montreux, Switzerland
• Buried: Al-Rifa’i Mosque in Cairo, Egypt
• Wikipedia: Princess Farial of Egypt

Princess Farial was diagnosed with stomach cancer in 2002. She died seven years later in Montreux, Switzerland where she was receiving treatment.

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compiled by Susan Flantzer

Bronchitis is inflammation of the bronchi (large and medium-sized airways) in the lungs that causes coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath, and chest pain. 90% of bronchitis cases are caused by a viral infection. A small number of cases are caused by a bacterial infection. Bronchitis can also be chronic, occurring for long periods of time. Most cases of chronic bronchitis are caused by smoking.

Until the development of antibiotics and other drugs, it was impossible to successfully treat many infectious diseases. Sir Alexander Fleming, a Scottish biologist, physician, microbiologist, and pharmacologist, developed Penicillin, the world’s first antibiotic in 1928. Antibiotics are only effective against diseases caused by bacteria. They are not effective against diseases caused by viruses.

Of course, without modern medical diagnostic tools, it was impossible to accurately diagnose illnesses and so this does not purport to be a complete list.  All images are from Wikipedia unless otherwise indicated.

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Edward VII, King of the United Kingdom

• Born: November 9, 1841 at Buckingham Palace in London, England
• Parents: Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha and Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom
• Married: Princess Alexandra of Denmark in 1863
• Died: May 6, 1910, aged 68 at Buckingham Palace in London, England
• Buried: St. George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle in Windsor, England
• Unofficial Royalty: King Edward VII of the United Kingdom

King Edward VII, known as Bertie in the family, had habits that did not keep him in the best of health. He ate too much and usually smoked twenty cigarettes and twelve cigars a day. He began to suffer from chronic bronchitis. In March 1910 while vacationing in Biarritz, France, Bertie collapsed and remained in Biarritz to recuperate. On April 27, 1910, he returned to Buckingham Palace. Queen Alexandra had also been away but started her return trip home as soon as she knew about her husband’s condition and arrived in London on May 5.

On May 6, 1910, Bertie insisted that his valet dress him in his frock coat and formal clothes before he received his private secretary Francis Knollys and his good friend Ernest Cassel. During the afternoon, the king suffered a series of heart attacks, but he refused to be put into bed, sitting instead in a chair. Alix sent for Alice Keppel, Bertie’s mistress, and arranged for her to see the king during one of his periods of consciousness. His son George, soon to be king, told him that his horse, Witch of the Air, had won at Kempton Park that afternoon. The king replied, “I am very glad,” which were his last words. After waiting 59 years to become king and reigning for nine years, King Edward VII lapsed into a coma and died peaceably just before midnight on May 6, 1910.

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Luitpold, Prince Regent of Bavaria

• Born: March 12, 1821 at the Würzburg Residence in Würzburg, Kingdom of Bavaria, now in Bavaria, Germany
• Parents: King Ludwig I of Bavaria and Princess Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen
• Married: Archduchess Auguste Ferdinande of Austria in 1844
• Died: December 12, 1912, aged 91, in Munich, Kingdom of Bavaria, now in Bavaria, Germany
• Buried: Theatine Church in Munich, Kingdom of Bavaria, now in Bavaria, Germany
• Unofficial Royalty: Luitpold, Prince Regent of Bavaria

Luitpold served as Regent for his two mentally incompetent nephews, King Ludwig II and King Otto. On December 10, 1912, Luitpold was well enough to go for a walk in Munich’s famed Englische Garten. The next day, he developed bronchitis with a high fever. Luitpold died at 5 AM in the morning of December 12, 1912.

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Emma of Waldeck and Pyrmont, Queen of the Netherlands

• Born: August 2, 1858 at Arolsen Castle in Arolsen, Principality of Waldeck and Pyrmont, now in Hesse, Germany
• Parents: Georg Viktor, Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont and Princess Helena of Nassau
• Married: King Willem III of the Netherlands in 1879
• Died: March 20, 1934, aged 75, at Lange Voorhout Palace in The Hague, the Netherlands
• Buried: Nieuwe Kerk in Delft, the Netherlands
• Unofficial Royalty: Emma of Waldeck and Pyrmont, Queen of the Netherlands

Two years after the death of his first wife 61-year-old King Willem III of the Netherlands married 20-year-old Princess Emma of Waldeck and Pyrmont. In the same year as Willem and Emma’s wedding, Willem’s only surviving son of the three sons from his first marriage died. A year later Emma and Willem’s only child, a daughter, the future Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands was born. When Willem died in 1890 and ten-year-old Wilhelmina became Queen, Emma became Regent for her daughter until Wilhelmina’s eighteenth birthday.

Emma died on March 20, 1934, at the age of 75 from pneumonia. First, she had a cold that developed into bronchitis, and then because there were no antibiotics yet, the bronchitis developed into fatal pneumonia.

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Princess Maud, Countess of Southesk

• Born: April 3, 1893 in East Sheen Lodge in Richmond-upon-Thames, England
• Parents: Alexander Duff, 1st Duke of Fife and Louise, Princess Royal, daughter of King Edward VII of the United Kingdom
• Married: Charles Carnegie, 11th Earl of Southesk in 1923
• Died: December 14, 1945, aged 52, at a nursing home in London, England
• Buried: ?
• Unofficial Royalty: Princess Maud, Countess of Southesk

Maud died in a London nursing home from acute bronchitis.

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compiled by Susan Flantzer

This does not purport to be a complete list. All images are from Wikipedia unless otherwise indicated.

Dafydd ap Gruffydd, Prince of Wales

• Born: July 11, 1238 in Gwynedd, Wales
• Parents: Gruffudd ap Llywelyn, son of Llywelyn the Great, and Senana ferch Caradog
• Married: Elizabeth Ferrers
• Died: 3 October 3, 1283, aged 45, in Shrewsbury, England
• Wikipedia: Dafydd ap Gruffydd, Prince of Wales

Dafydd ap Gruffydd was the last independent ruler of Wales. Between 1277 and 1283, King Edward I of England completed a conquest of Wales that resulted in his annexation of the Principality of Wales. Dafydd appears to have been betrayed by some of his own men, taken prisoner by the English and sentenced to death for treason. He was dragged through the streets of Shrewsbury attached to a horse’s tail then hanged alive, revived, then disemboweled and his entrails burned before him. Dafydd was then beheaded and his body was cut into four quarters. Dafydd ap Gruffydd was the first prominent person in recorded history to have been hanged, drawn and quartered. His head was placed on a pole in the Tower of London near the head of his brother Llywelyn. In 1282, Dafydd’s elder brother Llywelyn ap Gruffydd had been ambushed, horribly murdered and beheaded.

King Edward I wanted to make sure that there were no more claimants to the Welsh throne. Llywelyn ap Gruffydd’s daughter Gwenllian ferch Llywelyn and Dafydd ap Gruffydd’s daughter Gwladys ferch Dafydd were confined for life in remote convents in Lincolnshire and never allowed freedom. Dafydd ap Gruffydd’s two sons Llywelyn ap Dafydd and Owain ap Dafydd were imprisoned for the rest of their lives at Bristol Castle. Much of the time they were kept in cages.

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Thomas, 2nd Earl of Lancaster

• Born: circa 1278
• Parents: Edmund Crouchback, 1st Earl of Lancaster, son of King Henry III of England, and Blanche of Artois
• Married: Alice de Lacy, 4th Countess of Lincoln in 1294, divorced circa 1318
• Died: March 22, 1322, aged circa 43-44 at Pontefract Castle in Yorkshire, England
• Buried: Pontefract Priory in Yorkshire, England
• Wikipedia: Thomas, 2nd Earl of Lancaster

Thomas was was the eldest son of Edmund Crouchback, 1st Earl of Lancaster who was the second eldest surviving son of King Henry III of England. He was an opposing power during the reign of his first cousin King Edward II. However, Thomas’ policies eventually failed and ended in an unsuccessful rebellion against the king. He was sentenced to death as a traitor to be hanged, drawn, and quartered. Because Thomas was his cousin, Edward II commuted his sentence to beheading. Dressed in a penitent robe, Thomas was led by an old mule to a hill in front of Pontefract Castle where a cheering crowd witnessed his beheading.

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Edmund of Woodstock, 1st Earl of Kent

• Born: August 5, 1301 at Woodstock Palace near Oxford, England
• Parents: King Edward I of England and his second wife Margaret of France, daughter of King Philippe III of France
• Married: Margaret Wake, 3rd Baroness Wake of Liddell in 1325
• Died: March 19, 1330, aged 28, at Winchester Castle in Winchester, England
• Buried: Initially buried at the Franciscan Friary in Winchester, England, in 1331 his remains were moved to Westminster Abbey in London, England
• Unofficial Royalty: Edmund of Woodstock, 1st Earl of Kent

In 1327, Edmund’s half-brother King Edward II of England had been forced to abdicate by his wife Isabella of France and her lover Roger Mortimer, 1st Earl of March in favor of his son 14-year-old son Edward III, with Isabella and Mortimer acting as regents. Edward II died in Berkeley Castle on September 21, 1327, probably murdered on the orders of Isabella and Mortimer.

In 1329, Edmund had been persuaded by an unknown friar that his half-brother Edward II was still alive and set about raising forces to free him and restore him to the throne. It later emerged that Roger Mortimer himself 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. Apparently, 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.

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Edward Plantagenet, 17th Earl of Warwick

• Born: February 25, 1475 at Warwick Castle in Warwick, England
• Parents: George Plantagenet, 1st Duke of Clarence and Lady Isabel Neville
• Died: November 28, 1499, aged 24, at the Tower of London in London, England
• Buried: Bisham Abbey in Bisham, Berkshire, England
• Wikipedia: Edward Plantagenet, 17th Earl of Warwick

Edward’s father was George Plantagenet, 1st Duke of Clarence, the son of Richard Plantagenet, 3rd Duke of York whose claim to the English throne led to the Wars of the Roses.  George was the brother of King Edward IV and King Richard III from the House of York and was executed for treason against his brother Edward IV. Edward had one surviving sibling Margaret Pole, 8th Countess of Salisbury who was also beheaded, in 1541 (see below).

After the death of King Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth Field, when Henry Tudor became King of England as Henry VII from the new House of Tudor, ten-year-old Edward was imprisoned in the Tower of London because he was a Plantagenet claimant to the throne. In 1499, Edward became involved, willingly or unwillingly, in a plot to escape with Perkin Warbeck who claimed to be Richard, Duke of York, the second son of King Edward IV and one of the “Princes in the Tower.” Warbeck was hanged at Tyburn in London, a traditional place for executions. Edward was beheaded just outside the Tower of London at Tower Hill.

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Edmund de la Pole, 3rd Duke of Suffolk

• Born: circa 1471 in England
• Parents: John de la Pole, 2nd Duke of Suffolk and Elizabeth Plantagenet
• Married: Margaret Scrope in 1496
• Died: April 30, 1513, aged 41–42, on Tower Hill, outside of the Tower of London in London, England
• Buried: Minoresses Convent in Aldgate, London, England
• Wikipedia: Edmund de la Pole, 3rd Duke of Suffolk

Edmund’s mother was the daughter of Richard Plantagenet, 3rd Duke of York whose claim to the English throne led to the Wars of the Roses. She was the sister of King Edward IV and King Richard III from the House of York and so Edmund was another Yorkist claimant to the English throne. However, Edmund recognized Henry VII as King of England. After Henry VII executed Edward Plantagenet, 17th Earl of Warwick in 1499, Edmund became the Yorkist claimant to the English throne and supported Henry VII for a time.

In 1501, Edmund left England to seek foreign support for his claim to the throne. Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I initially agreed to support Edmund but backed off due to financial issues. Edmund then threw his lots in with Philip of Burgundy, the son of Maximilian I, hoping he would eventually support Edmund. In 1506, Philip of Burgundy’s ship was caught in a storm and forced to land in England. Edmund was onboard the ship.

Henry VII would not let the ship leave England until Philip agreed to turn over Edmund. Philip agreed but with the condition that Edmund would not be harmed but merely imprisoned. Henry VII kept his word but supposedly instructed his son and heir, the future Henry VIII, to execute Edmund when he became king. Henry VII died in 1509 but Henry VIII was reluctant to execute Edmund, his first cousin once removed. In 1512, when Henry VIII went to war with King Louis XII of France, France officially recognized Edmund de la Pole as the rightful King of England. After being a prisoner in the Tower of London for seven years, Edmund was beheaded on Tower Hill, outside of the Tower of London in London, England.

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Anne Boleyn, Queen of England

• Born: circa July 1501 – 1507 at Blickling Hall in Norfolk, England or Hever Castle in Kent, England
• Parents: Thomas Boleyn and Lady Elizabeth Howard
• Married: King Henry VIII of England in 1533, his second wife
• Died: May 19, 1536, aged 28–35, at the Tower of London in London, England
• Buried: Chapel of St Peter ad Vincula at the Tower of London in London, England
• Unofficial Royalty: Anne Boleyn, Queen of England

When Anne gave birth to her first child, a daughter Elizabeth, Henry was greatly disappointed and did not even attend Elizabeth’s christening. Anne soon found herself supplanted as she had done to Catherine of Aragon. Jane Seymour, one of her maids of honor, eventually Henry’s third wife, attracted Henry’s attention starting in 1534. By late 1535, Anne was pregnant again. However, during a tournament in January 1536, Henry fell from his horse and was unconscious for hours. The stress resulted in premature labor, and Anne miscarried a son.

The loss of this son sealed Anne’s fate. Henry was determined to be rid of her, and her fall and execution were engineered by Thomas Cromwell, Henry’s chief minister. Many historians believe that the case charging Anne with adultery with her brother George Boleyn and four other men (Francis Weston, Henry Norris, William Brereton, and Mark Smeaton) was completely fabricated. Anne was arrested on May 2, 1536, and taken to the Tower of London. On May 14, 1536, Thomas Cranmer, Archbishop of Canterbury declared her marriage to Henry was null and void. Her trial, presided over by her uncle Thomas Howard, 3rd Duke of Norfolk, occurred at the Tower on May 15, 1536, and she was found guilty of adultery, incest, and high treason. On May 18, 1536, Anne’s brother and the four other men were executed.

Anne’s execution was scheduled for May 19, 1536, on Tower Green within the Tower of London. Henry arranged for an expert swordsman from Calais, France who used a sword rather than an ax. After saying goodbye to her ladies, Anne knelt down and a blindfold was tied over her eyes. Anne remained in an upright kneeling position and kept repeating, “Jesu receive my soul; O Lord God have pity on my soul.” With one stroke of the executioner’s sword, Anne was dead.

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Margaret Pole, 8th Countess of Salisbury

• Born: August 14, 1473 at Farleigh Hungerford Castle in Somerset, England
• Parents: George Plantagenet, 1st Duke of Clarence and Lady Isabel Neville
• Married: Sir Richard Pole circa 1491
• Died: May 27, 1541, aged 67, at the Tower of London in London, England
• Buried: Chapel of St. Peter ad Vincula at the Tower of London in London, England
• Unofficial Royalty: Margaret Pole, 8th Countess of Salisbury

Margaret’s father was George Plantagenet, 1st Duke of Clarence, the son of Richard Plantagenet, 3rd Duke of York whose claim to the English throne led to the Wars of the Roses. George was the brother of King Edward IV and King Richard III from the House of York and was executed for treason against his brother Edward IV. Margaret had one surviving sibling Edward Plantagenet, 17th Earl of Warwick who was also beheaded, in 1499. (see above)

After the accession of King Henry VIII in 1509, Margaret was initially in favor at court. She was created Countess of Salisbury in her own right in 1513 and was godmother and later governess of Mary Tudor (later Queen Mary I), daughter of King Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon.

Margaret had a strong and independent personality and eventually, she angered the king. In 1539, Margaret was accused of conducting treasonable correspondence with her son Cardinal Reginald Pole and was imprisoned in the Tower of London. An Act of Attainder was passed by Parliament and Margaret lost all her land and her title. It is suspected that the charges and the evidence were fabricated by Thomas Cromwell who himself fell out of favor and was executed in 1540.

On May 27, 1541, Margaret was told that she would be executed that day. She argued that there was no proof that she had committed a crime. The 67-year-old Margaret was dragged to the block at Tower Green within the Tower of London where she refused to place her head saying, “So should traitors do, and I am none.” The inexperienced executioner proceeded to “hack her head and shoulders to pieces” with ten blows of the ax. Pope Leo XIII beatified her as a martyr of the Roman Catholic Church on December 29, 1886, and she is known as Blessed Margaret Pole.

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Catherine Howard, Queen of England

• Born: circa 1523 in Lambeth, London, England
• Parents: Lord Edmund Howard and Joyce Culpeper
• Married: King Henry VIII of England, his fifth wife
• Died: February 13, 1542, aged about 18-19, at the Tower of London in London, England
• Buried: Chapel of St Peter ad Vincula at the Tower of London in London, England
• Unofficial Royalty: Catherine Howard, Queen of England

Henry VIII called his teenage bride his “rose without a thorn.” Catherine adopted the motto Non autre volonte que la sienne (No other will but his), which would soon prove quite ironic.

In 1540, Thomas Culpeper, a Gentleman to the King’s Privy Chamber, caught Catherine’s attention. By 1541, they were spending time together, often alone and late at night, aided and abetted by Catherine’s lady-in-waiting, Jane Boleyn, Viscountess Rochford, the widow of George Boleyn, who had been accused, convicted, and executed for adultery with his sister Anne Boleyn. The affair would cause the downfall of all involved.

Catherine also employed her previous lover Francis Dereham, first as her Private Secretary and then as a Gentleman Usher of the Queen’s Chamber. Dereham’s bragging about being Catherine’s former lover was brought to the attention of Thomas Cranmer, Archbishop of Canterbury, who brought evidence of Catherine’s previous affair with Dereham to the king’s attention. Dereham also exposed Catherine’s relationship with Thomas Culpeper.

On December 1, 1541, Francis Dereham and Thomas Culpeper were executed at Tyburn, the principal place of execution of London criminals and convicted traitors. Both men were to be hanged, drawn, and quartered. However, Henry VIII had mercy on his Gentleman to the King’s Privy Chamber and commuted Thomas Culpeper’s execution to a beheading. Francis Dereham was not as lucky and was hanged, drawn and quartered. Both their heads were placed on spikes on top of London Bridge.

Catherine was brought to the Tower of London on February 10, 1542, by barge, passing under London Bridge where Dereham and Culpepper’s heads were displayed and remained displayed until 1546. Her execution by beheading was to take place on February 13, 1542, at 7:00 AM. The night before her execution, Catherine is believed to have practiced how to lay her head upon the block, which had been brought to her at her request. Catherine was beheaded with one stroke on Tower Green within the Tower of London. Jane Boleyn, Viscountess Rochford, was executed immediately afterward.

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Lady Jane Grey, Queen of England

• Born: 1536 or 1537, possibly London, England or Bradgate Park, Leicestershire, England
• Parents: Henry Grey, 1st Duke of Suffolk and Lady Frances Brandon
• Married: Lord Guildford Dudley in 1553
• Died: February 12, 1554, aged 16-17 at the Tower of London in London, England
• Buried: Chapel of St Peter ad Vincula at the Tower of London in London, England
• Unofficial Royalty: Lady Jane Grey, Queen of England

Lady Jane Grey’s mother Lady Frances Brandon was the granddaughter of the first Tudor king, Henry VII, and the daughter of King Henry VIII’s younger sister Mary Tudor and Charles Brandon, Duke of Suffolk. According to the Third Succession Act, Lady Frances and Lady Jane were numbers three and four in the line of succession to the English throne, following King Henry VIII’s daughters Mary and Elizabeth.

As King Edward VI, Henry VIII’s only son lay dying in the early summer of 1553, John Dudley, 1st Duke of Northumberland, headed the Privy Council as Lord Protector, and also Jane’s father-in-law, hatched a plan for Jane to succeed Edward VI instead of the Roman Catholic Mary. Northumberland had Edward VI composed a document “My devise for the succession” in which he passed over his half-sisters and the Duchess of Suffolk (Frances Brandon). Edward meant for the throne to go to the Duchess’ daughters and their male heirs.

Upon Edward VI’s death, Jane became Queen of England but her reign lasted only nine days. The nobility was incensed with Northumberland and the people, for the most part, wanted Mary as their Queen, not Jane. In Northumberland’s absence, the Privy Council switched their allegiance from Jane to Mary and proclaimed her Queen on July 19, 1553.

Jane and her husband Lord Guildford Dudley were charged with high treason and condemned to death. Also condemned to death was Jane’s father Henry Grey, 1st Duke of Suffolk and Guildord’s father John Dudley, 1st Duke of Northumberland. The teenage couple was to be beheaded on February 12, 1534. About ten o’clock on the morning of February 12, 1534, Guildford was led to Tower Hill outside the Tower of London where he was to have a public execution. From the window of her room, Jane witnessed a horse and cart bringing Guildford’s body back to the Tower. Jane was then brought out to Tower Green inside the Tower of London where she was to have a private execution.

After giving a speech, Jane then recited a psalm and handed her gloves and handkerchief to her maid. The executioner asked for her forgiveness, which she granted him. Jane then blindfolded herself but she failed to find the block with her hands, and cried, “What shall I do? Where is it?” Probably Sir Thomas Brydges, the Deputy Lieutenant of the Tower, helped her find her way. With her head on the block, Jane spoke the last words of Jesus, “Lord, into thy hands I commend my spirit!”

• Unofficial Royalty: Execution of Lady Jane Grey, Queen of England

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Mary, Queen of Scots

• Born: December 8, 1542 at Linlithgow Palace in Scotland
• Parents: James V, King of Scots and Mary of Guise
• Married: (1) François II, King of France in 1558 (2) Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley in 1565 (3) James Hepburn, 4th Earl of Bothwell in 1567
• Died: February 8, 1587, aged 44, at Fotheringhay Castle in Northamptonshire, England
• Buried: Initially at Peterborough Cathedral in Cambridgeshire, England, then moved by her son King James I of England/James VI, King of Scots in 1612 to Westminster Abbey in London, England
• Unofficial Royalty: Mary, Queen of Scots

On July 24, 1567, Mary was forced to abdicate in favor of her one-year-old son James. In 1568, Mary escaped from her imprisonment at Loch Leven Castle in Scotland. After being defeated at the Battle of Langside by the forces of her half-brother, the Earl of Moray, Mary was forced to flee to England, where she was subsequently imprisoned by Queen Elizabeth I of England. She was first taken to Carlisle Castle and then moved to Bolton Castle because it was further from the Scottish border. Mary was moved from castle to castle, all of which were in the interior of England and away from the sea for security reasons.

In August of 1586, Mary was implicated in the Babington Plot, a plot to assassinate Queen Elizabeth I. Shortly afterward, Mary was moved to her final place of imprisonment, Fotheringhay Castle in Northamptonshire where King Richard III of England had been born. In October of 1586, Mary was tried for treason. She protested that as a foreign anointed queen she had never been an English subject and therefore could not be convicted of treason. On October 25, 1586, Mary was convicted of treason and condemned to death.

Elizabeth I was reluctant to sign the death warrant of an anointed queen as she felt it would set a bad precedent and feared that Mary’s son James VI, King of Scots, now 20 years old, would form an alliance and invade England. However, on February 1, 1587, Elizabeth signed the death warrant. Having just found out she was to be executed the next day, Mary spent her final night praying in Fotheringhay Castle’s small chapel. She was beheaded on a scaffold in the Great Hall of Fotheringhay Castle on February 8, 1587. Mary was 44 years old and had spent the last nineteen years of her life imprisoned in English castles.

In 1603, as Queen Elizabeth I, the childless, last of the Tudors lay dying, she gave her assent that Mary, Queen of Scots’ son James VI, King of Scots, should succeed her. By primogeniture, James, who was descended from Margaret Tudor, the eldest daughter of King Henry VII of England, was the next in line to the English throne.

In 1612, the remains of Mary, Queen of Scots were exhumed upon the orders of her son and were reburied in a marble tomb with a beautiful effigy in Westminster Abbey in a chapel directly across the aisle from the chapel containing the tomb of Queen Elizabeth I. Mary, Queen of Scots is the ancestor of the current British royal family and many other European royal families.

• Unofficial Royalty: Execution of Mary, Queen of Scots

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Charles I, King of England, King of Scots

• Born: November 19, 1600 at Dunfermline Palace in Dunfermline, Scotland
• Parents: James VI, King of Scots/James I, King of England and Anne of Denmark
• Married: Henrietta Maria of France in 1625
• Died: January 30, 1649, aged 48, at Whitehall in London, England
• Buried: St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle in Windsor, England
• Unofficial Royalty: King Charles I of England

Charles had the same issues with Parliament as his father had, clashing with its members over financial, political, and religious issues. On January 4, 1642, a point of no return was reached. On that day, Charles committed the unprecedented act of entering the House of Commons with an armed guard and demanding the arrest of five Members of Parliament. There was a great public outcry, Charles fled London and Civil War appeared inevitable. Since that day no British monarch has entered the House of Commons when it is sitting.

On August 22, 1642, at Nottingham, Charles raised the Royal Standard and called for his loyal subjects to support him, and the Civil War between the Royalists or Cavaliers (Charles’ supporters) and the Roundheads (Parliament’s supporters) had begun. In 1646, after a series of battles that went badly for Charles, he surrendered to the Scottish Army expecting to be safe and well-treated. However, the Scots delivered Charles to Parliament in 1647. Except for one brief period in 1647, when he escaped, Charles was confined in several castles and great homes for the rest of his life. In January 1649, Charles was tried for treason against England for using his power to pursue his personal interest rather than the good of England. He was declared guilty and sentenced to death.

Charles awoke early on January 30, 1649, the day of his execution, and dressed all black and wore a blue sash. He requested one extra shirt from Thomas Herbert, his Gentleman of the Bedchamber so that the crowd gathered would not see him shiver from the cold and mistake it for fear. Charles walked the short distance from St. James’ Palace to the Palace of Whitehall where a scaffold had been built outside the Banqueting House. From the first floor of the Banqueting House, Charles stepped onto the scaffold from a window. Before his execution, Charles delivered a speech. Then, after a conversation with the executioner about what would happen, Charles stretched out his hands, and the executioner, with one blow, severed his head from his body. England was a republic (Commonwealth of England) for eleven years until the monarchy was restored and Charles I’s eldest son Charles II became king in 1660.

• Unofficial Royalty: Execution of Charles I, King of England

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James Scott, 1st Duke of Monmouth

• Born: April 9, 1649 in Rotterdam, Dutch Republic, now in the Netherlands
• Parents: King Charles II of England and his mistress Lucy Walter
• Married: Anne Scott, 1st Duchess of Buccleuch in 1663
• Died: July 15, 1685, aged 36, at Tower Hill, outside the Tower of London in London, England
• Buried: Chapel of St. Peter ad Vincula at the Tower of London in London, England
• Unofficial Royalty: James Scott, 1st Duke of Monmouth

James was the eldest illegitimate child of King Charles II of England. He was born before his father became king, while England was being ruled as a republic, and Charles was living in exile in the Dutch Republic. In 1660, the monarchy was restored in England and James’ father became king. James served in various military and government roles.

Because King Charles II had no legitimate children, his Catholic brother James, Duke of York was heir to the throne. In 1678, there was a popular outcry for a Protestant heir and James, Duke of Monmouth was touted as that heir. It was at this time that King Charles II issued a proclamation squelching the possibility that his son James was a legitimate heir. James was then sent out of England to Scotland to suppress an uprising. His success in Scotland only made James more popular and he was sent to the Netherlands into temporary exile. When James returned to England, his popularity had not decreased. King Charles II refused to see his son and deprived him of most of his positions. Over the next several years, there were several failed attempts of reconciliation between father and son.

In 1683, James was used as a tool in the unsuccessful Rye House Plot to assassinate King Charles II and James, Duke of York. James was obliged to go into exile in the Netherlands and he was there when his father, King Charles II, died on February 6, 1685, and his uncle became King James II.

Upon his father’s death, James, Duke of Monmouth asserted his claim to the throne and planned an invasion of England and Scotland. He landed at Lyme Regis, Dorset, England on June 11, 1685, and proclaimed himself king on June 20, 1685. On July 6, 1685, the armies of uncle and nephew met at the Battle of Sedgemoor where the army of James, Duke of Monmouth was defeated. James had left the battlefield disguised as a peasant and was discovered hiding in a ditch three days later.

James, Duke of Monmouth had previously been attainted of treason by Parliament on June 16, 1685, and was to “suffer Paines of Death and Incurr all Forfeitures as a Traitor Convicted and Attainted of High Treason.” Apparently, he groveled at the feet of his uncle King James II, begging for his life. James was sent to the Tower of London and beheaded on Tower Hill on July 15, 1685. It took several blows of the ax to behead him.

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Louis XVI, King of France

• Born: August 23, 1754 at the Palace of Versailles in Versailles, France
• Parents: Louis, Dauphin of France and Maria Josepha of Saxony
• Married: Archduchess Maria Antonia of Austria, known in France as Marie Antoinette, in 1770
• Died: January 21, 1793, aged 38 at the Place de la Révolution, now the Place de la Concorde, in Paris, France
• Buried: Initially at the Madeleine Cemetery in Paris, France, in 1815, his remains, along with those of his wife, were reinterred at the Basilica of Saint-Denis near Paris, the traditional burial site of the French royal family
• Unofficial Royalty: Louis XVI, King of France

Louis XVI’s attempts at financial reforms angered the French people and contributed to the fall of the monarchy. As he saw his power diminishing, he was forced to convoke the Estates-General, the legislative body, for the first time since 1614, to come up with solutions to the dire financial problems of the French government. Within months, King Louis XVI saw the majority of his power handed over to the elected representatives of the French people.

With the future of the monarchy looking very bleak, in 1791, Louis began to make plans to escape the city and take refuge along the northeastern border where he could be protected by Austria, his wife’s home country. The plan failed and in August 1791, Louis XVI was arrested and imprisoned. On September 21, the National Assembly declared a Republic, abolishing the monarchy, and stripping Louis and his family of all their titles and honors. The former King of France was now known as Citizen Louis Capet. Louis was brought to trial with 33 charges lodged against him. He was found guilty and sentenced to be executed.

On the morning of January 21, 1793, Louis made his final confession and attended Mass. He then traveled by carriage through the streets of Paris, to the Place de la Révolution (now the Place de la Concorde) where he was beheaded by guillotine.

• Unofficial Royalty: Executions of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette, King and Queen of France

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Marie Antoinette, Queen of France

• Born: Archduchess Maria Antonia of Austria on November 2, 1755 at Hofburg Palace in Vienna, Austria
• Parents: Franz I, Holy Roman Emperor and Maria Theresa, Archduchess of Austria, and Queen of Hungary, Croatia, and Bohemia
• Married: King Louis XVI of France in 1770
• Died: October 16, 1793, aged 37, at the Place de la Révolution, now the Place de la Concorde, in Paris, France
• Buried: Iinitially at the Madeleine Cemetery in Paris, France, in 1815, her remains, along with those of her husband, were reinterred at the Basilica of Saint-Denis near Paris, the traditional burial site of the French royal family.
• Unofficial Royalty: Maria Antonia of Austria, Queen of France (Marie Antoinette)

By 1789, King Louis XVI had lost much of his absolute power to the National Assembly, and the majority of the French people saw no benefit of retaining the monarchy. After a failed attempt to escape Paris in 1791 ended what little support was left for the monarchy, the royal family was held under house arrest at the Tuileries Palace. On June 20, 1792, a mob broke into the Palace, threatening the Queen’s life. Spared this time, her luck would not be so good several months later when another mob stormed the palace on August 10, 1792. This time, the family sought refuge at the Legislative Assembly, but were arrested several days later, and imprisoned at the Temple.

On September 21, 1792, France officially abolished the monarchy and became a Republic. Marie Antoinette, her husband, and their family were stripped of their titles and honors, becoming known simply as Monsieur and Madame Capet. Louis XVI was soon separated from his family and charged with undermining the French Republic. He was tried, found guilty and sentenced to death. The former King Louis XVI was executed by guillotine on January 21, 1793. In July 1793, Marie Antoinette’s son was taken from her, with the intent of turning him against his mother. On August 1, 1793, the former queen was taken from the Temple and placed in a small cell in the Conciergerie. where she was known as Prisoner No. 280.

On October 14, 1793, Marie Antoinette was tried by the Revolutionary Tribunal. Among other things, she was charged with organizing orgies at Versailles, sending millions in French treasury money to Austria, and planning the massacre of the National Guards. Two days later, she was found guilty and sentenced to death. Just after noon on October 16, 1793, Marie Antoinette was executed by guillotine in the Place de la Révolution (now the Place de la Concorde).

• Unofficial Royalty: Executions of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette, King and Queen of France

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Madame Élisabeth, Princess of France

• Born: May 3, 1764 at the Palace of Versailles in Versailles, France
• Parents: Louis, Dauphin of France and Maria Josepha of Saxony
• Died: 10 May 10, 1794, aged 30, at the Place de la Révolution, now the Place de la Concorde, in Paris, France
• Buried: Initially buried in a common grave at the Errancis Cemetery in Paris, France, later Élisabeth’s remains, with that of other victims of the guillotine buried at the Errancis Cemetery, were placed in the Catacombs of Paris
• Unofficial Royalty: Madame Élisabeth of France

Élisabeth was devoted to her brother King Louis XVI and with his permission declined all marriage offers so that she could remain in France. Several times during the French Revolution, Élisabeth refused to leave France when she had the opportunity, choosing to remain with her brother and his family. She accompanied her brother and his family to imprisonment in the notorious Temple.

On May 9, 1794, Élisabeth was transferred to the Conciergerie where she was tried and condemned to be executed the next day. She was executed by the guillotine at the Place de la Révolution in Paris (now called Place de la Concorde) with 23 other people on May 10, 1794. A very religious person, Élisabeth comforted and prayed with several others awaiting execution.

The Roman Catholic Church views Élisabeth as a martyr and a Servant of God. The Cause of Beatification of Élisabeth was introduced in 1924 but has not yet been completed.

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Prince Faisal bin Musaid bin Abdulaziz Al Saud of Saudi Arabia

• Born: April 4, 1944, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
• Parents: Prince Musaid bin Abdulaziz Al Saud of Arabia and Watfa bint Muhammad bin Talal
• Died: June 18, 1975, aged 31, at Deera Square in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
• Wikipedia: Faisal bin Musaid of Saudi Arabia

Prince Faisal’s father Prince Musaid was one of the forty-five sons (of whom 36 survived to adulthood) of Abdulaziz ibn Abdul Rahman Al Saud, also known as Ibn Saud, the founder and the first king of Saudi Arabia. Prince Musaid was the half-brother of King Faisal of Saudi Arabia and therefore, Prince Faisal was the king’s nephew.

On March 25, 1975, at the Royal Palace in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, King Faisal was holding a reception. Prince Faisal bin Musaid bin Abdulaziz Al Saud joined the Kuwaiti delegation that had lined up to meet King Faisal. The king recognized his nephew Prince Faisal and bent his head forward so that his nephew could kiss the king’s head as a sign of respect. Prince Faisal took out a revolver from his robe and shot King Faisal twice in the head. The third shot missed and he threw the gun away. King Faisal fell to the floor. A bodyguard hit Prince Faisal with a sheathed sword but Saudi oil minister Ahmed Zaki Yamani yelled repeatedly not to kill the prince. Then bodyguards with swords and submachine guns subdued Prince Faisal and arrested him.

Prince Faisal was tried, convicted, and executed on June 18, 1975. The trial took place in a sharia court that met in a closed session. Within hours, the sharia court reached their verdict that Prince Faisal was guilty of having shot his uncle, King Faisal, to death. Public beheading is the traditional form of execution for a convicted murderer in Saudi Arabia and the sentence was carried out a few hours later.

Prince Faisal bin Musaid, wearing a white robe, was led by a soldier to the execution site and was reported to have walked unsteadily. Prince Faisal was then blindfolded and the large crowd watched silently until he was beheaded with one swing of a sword with a golden hilt. The crowd then broke into chants of “God is great!” and “Justice is done!”

• Unofficial Royalty: Assassination of King Faisal of Saudi Arabia

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compiled by Susan Flantzer

This does not purport to be a complete list. All images are from Wikipedia unless otherwise indicated.

Adolf II, Prince of Schaumburg-Lippe

• Born: February 23, 1883 in Stadthagen, Principality of Schaumburg-Lippe, now in Lower Saxony, Germany
• Last reigning Prince of Schaumburg-Lippe, abdicated 1918
• Parents: Georg, Prince of Schaumburg-Lippe and Princess Marie Anne of Saxe-Altenburg
• Married: Ellen von Bischoff-Korthaus in 1920, who also died in the accident
• Died: March 26, 1936, aged 53, in Zumpango, Mexico
• Buried: Family mausoleum in the park of Schloss Bückeburg in Bückeburg, Germany
• Wikipedia: Adolf II, Prince of Schaumburg-Lippe

Adolf II, Prince of Schaumburg-Lippe, his wife, eight other passengers, and four crew members were killed when their plane developed engine trouble and crashed between the volcanoes Popocatepetl and Ixtaccihuatl as they were flying from Mexico City, Mexico to Guatemala City, Guatemala.

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The Grand Ducal Family of Hesse and by Rhine

Hereditary Grand Duke Georg Donatus of Hesse and by Rhine

• Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine abolished in 1918
• Born: November 8, 1906 in Darmstadt, Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine, now in Hesse, Germany
• Parents: Ernst Ludwig, last Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine and Princess Eleonore of Solms-Hohensolms-Lich
• Married: Princess Cecile of Greece and Denmark in 1931
• Died: November 16, 1937, aged 31, in Ostend, Belgium
• Buried: Rosenhöhe Park Cemetery in Darmstadt, Hesse, Germany
• Unofficial Royalty: Hereditary Grand Duke Georg Donatus of Hesse and by Rhine

Princess Cecilie of Greece, Hereditary Grand Duchess of Hesse and by Rhine

• Born: June 22, 1911 at Tatoi Palace in Tatoi, Greece
• Parents: Prince Andrew of Greece and Princess Alice of Battenberg
• Married: Hereditary Grand Duke Georg Donatus of Hesse and by Rhine in 1931
• Died: November 16, 1937, aged 26, in Ostend, Belgium
• Buried: Rosenhöhe Park Cemetery in Darmstadt, Hesse, Germany
• Unofficial Royalty: Princess Cecilie of Greece, Hereditary Grand Duchess of Hesse and by Rhine

Prince Ludwig of Hesse and by Rhine

• Born: October 25, 1931 in Darmstadt, Hesse, Germany
• Parents: Hereditary Grand Duke Georg Donatus of Hesse and by Rhine and Princess Cecilie of Greece
• Died: November 16, 1937, aged 6, in Ostend, Belgium
• Buried: Rosenhöhe Park Cemetery in Darmstadt, Hesse, Germany
• Wikipedia: Prince Ludwig of Hesse and by Rhine

Prince Alexander of Hesse and by Rhine

• Born: April 14, 1933 in Darmstadt, Hesse, Germany
• Parents: Hereditary Grand Duke Georg Donatus of Hesse and by Rhine and Princess Cecilie of Greece
• Died: November 16, 1937, aged 4, in Ostend, Belgium
• Buried: Rosenhöhe Park Cemetery in Darmstadt, Hesse, Germany
• Wikipedia: Prince Alexander of Hesse and by Rhine

Princess Eleonore of Solms-Hohensolms-Lich, Dowager Grand Duchess of Hesse and by Rhine

• Born: September 17, 1871 in Lich, Principality of Solms-Hohensolms-Lich, now in Hesse, Germany
• Parents: Prince Hermann of Solms-Hohensolms-Lich and Countess Agnes of Stolberg-Wernigerode
• Married: Ernst Ludwig, Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine (his second wife) in 1905
• Died: November 16, 1937, aged 66, in Ostend, Belgium
• Buried: Rosenhöhe Park Cemetery in Darmstadt, Hesse, Germany
• Unofficial Royalty: Princess Eleonore of Solms-Hohensolms-Lich, Grand Duchess of Hesse and by Rhine

The family was flying to London for the wedding of Georg Donatus’ younger brother Prince Ludwig and Margaret Geddes, scheduled for November 20, 1937. Traveling with the family were the children’s nurse and Baron Joachim Riedesel zu Eisenbach, the groom’s best man. Georg Donatus and Cecilie’s youngest child Johanna had remained in Darmstadt. Less than two years later, Johanna contracted meningitis and died.

The plane was scheduled to stop in Brussels, Belgium, however, the weather did not allow for a safe landing and the pilot continued on to Ostend, Belgium, with the intent of landing there. Unfortunately, the weather was just as bad, with almost no visibility. While attempting to land, the plane clipped a chimney on a factory near the airport. The plane was torn apart and crashed. The seven passengers, the pilot, and three crew members were all killed.

• Unofficial Royalty: November 16, 1937 – Deaths of the Grand Ducal Family of Hesse and by Rhine

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Prince George, Duke of Kent

• Born: December 20, 1902 at York Cottage on the Sandringham Estate in Norfolk, England
• Parents: King George V of the United Kingdom and Princess Victoria Mary of Teck
• Married: Princess Marina of Greece in 1934
• Died: August 25, 1942, aged 39 in Dunbeath, Caithness, Scotland
• Buried: St. George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle, following his wife’s death in 1968, he was buried with her at the Royal Burial Grounds at Frogmore in Windsor, England
• Unofficial Royalty: Prince George, Duke of Kent

Just six weeks after the birth of his youngest child, George boarded a Royal Air Force flying boat patrol bomber in Scotland, headed for Iceland. Sadly, the plane crashed due to an error of navigation into a hillside near Dunbeath, Caithness, Scotland, killing all on board except for one person. There is much speculation as to the nature of this trip. While officially it was a standard visit to troops in Iceland, there are allegations and suggestions that it was some sort of “secret mission”. The Duke of Kent’s body was found with a briefcase handcuffed to his wrist, full of 100 kroner notes.

• Wikipedia: Dunbeath Air Crash

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Prince Christoph of Hesse

• Born: May 14, 1901 in Frankfurt am Main, Kingdom of Prussia, now in Hesse, Germany
• Parents: Prince Friedrich Karl of Hesse and Princess Margarete of Prussia
• Married: Princess Sophie of Greece in 1930
• Died: October 7, 1943, aged 42 in the Apennine Mountains near Forlì, Italy
• Buried: German military cemetery near Forlì, Italy
• Wikipedia: Prince Christoph of Hesse

During World War II, Christoph served in the Luftwaffe (German Air Force) Research Office and then joined the Jagdgeschwader (Fighter Squadron) 53 in 1942. Christoph and his co-pilot Wilhelm Gsteu took off from an airfield near Rome, Italy, Their destination was Mannheim, Germany. They crashed in the Apennine Mountains near Forlì, Italy. The plane was completely destroyed and the two bodies were not found until two days later. The exact cause of the plane crash remains unclear.

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Prince Gustaf Adolf of Sweden, Duke of Västerbotten

• Born: April 22, 1906 at Stockholm Palace in Stockholm, Sweden
• Parents: King Gustaf VI Adolf of Sweden and Princess Margaret of Connaught
• Married: Princess Sibylla of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha in 1932
• Died: January 26, 1947, aged 40, at Kastrup Airfield in Copenhagen, Denmark
• Buried: Royal Cemetery at Haga Park in Solna, Sweden
• Unofficial Royalty: Prince Gustaf Adolf of Sweden, Duke of Västerbotten

Gustaf Adolf would have become King of Sweden had he not died in a commercial airplane crash at the Kastrup Airport in Kastrup, Denmark, near Copenhagen. He was returning from a hunting trip and a visit to Princess Juliana and Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands. The plane had landed at Kastrup for a routine stop before continuing to Stockholm. After taking off, the plane climbed to an altitude of only 150 feet, stalled, and plummeted nose-first to the ground, where it exploded upon impact. All 22 people aboard the plane were killed. Also killed in the accident were the prince’s aide, Count Albert Stenbock, Danish actress Gerda Neumann, and American opera singer Grace Moore.

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Archduchess Maria Ileana of Austria, Baroness von Kottulin

• Born: December 18, 1933 in Mödling, Austria
• Parents: Archduke Anton of Austria and Princess Ileana of Romania
• Married: Count Jaroslaw Kottulinsky, Baron von Kottulin in 1957, who also died
• Died: January 11, 1959, aged 26, at the Rio de Janeiro–Galeão International Airport in Brazil

Maria Ileana was a granddaughter of King Ferdinand of Romania and Princess Marie of Edinburgh (a granddaughter of Queen Victoria). Twenty-nine passengers and seven crew members were killed when the Lufthansa airplane crashed and burned in a rainstorm while approaching the airport. Only the co-pilot and two flight attendants survived.

• Wikipedia: Lufthansa Flight 502

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Prince William of Gloucester

• Born: December 18, 1941 in Hadley Common, Barnet, Hertfordshire, England
• Parents: Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester and Lady Alice Montagu Douglas Scott
• Died: August 28, 1972, aged 30, in Halfpenny Green, Staffordshire, England
• Buried: Royal Burial Grounds at Frogmore in Windsor, England
• Unofficial Royalty: Prince William of Gloucester

Prince William was a licensed pilot, owned several airplanes, and enjoyed competing in air shows. On August 28, 1972, William planned on competing at the Goodyear International Air Trophy at Halfpenny Green, near Wolverhampton, England. Express and Star photographer Ray Bradbury, an eyewitness, described what happened: “I saw Prince William’s Piper, number 66, and another Piper, number 69, take off. Number 69 appeared to get airborne before the prince. Then it seemed he was in some sort of trouble. He banked to port. It looked as though the Prince might have been troubled by the other aircraft which was making a turn but at a higher altitude. His port wing seemed to hit the trees and he disappeared from view. Then there was an explosion.”

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