© Unofficial Royalty 2024

Queen Christina of Sweden; Credit – Wikipedia

December 18, 1075 – Death of Edith of Wessex, Queen Consort of Edward the Confessor, King of England, at St. Mary’s Abbey in Winchester, England; buried at Westminster Abbey in London, England
Edith was the daughter of Godwin, Earl of Wessex one of the most powerful earls in England. In 1045, Edith married Edward the Confessor, King of England. The marriage was childless and Edward, about twenty years older than Edith, treated her with great respect and endowed her with valuable property all over England. It is possible that Edward had a series of strokes in 1065. He was too ill to attend the dedication of his greatest achievement Westminster Abbey and Edith represented him. Edward the Confessor died several days later, on January 5, 1066. The Witan elected Edith’s brother Harold Godwinson to succeed Edward as King Harold II. However, Edward the Confessor had named William II, Duke of Normandy his successor, so William invaded England.  He won the English crown by conquest at the Battle of Hastings in which Edith’s brothers Harold,  Gyrth, and Leofwine were killed. The new King William I of England treated Edith with great respect and although she lost some of her dower lands, she remained an important landowner. Edith died at around the age of 50, apparently from a disease that she had suffered from for some time.
Unofficial Royalty: Edith of Wessex, Queen of England

December 18, 1574 – Birth of Maria Anna of Bavaria, Archduchess of Inner Austria, 1st wife of Ferdinand II, Holy Roman Emperor, in Munich, Duchy of Bavaria, now in the German state of Bavaria
Maria Anna of Bavaria was the first wife of Ferdinand II, Holy Roman Emperor. She died before her husband became King of Bohemia, King of Hungary and Croatia, and Holy Roman Emperor, so she held only the title Archduchess of Inner Austria. Maria Anna and Ferdinand had seven children but only four survived childhood. Maria Anna was ill for a long time before she died on March 8, 1616, at the age of forty-one, in Graz, Inner Austria, now in Austria.
Unofficial Royalty: Maria Anna of Bavaria, Archduchess of Inner Austria

December 18, 1577 – Death of Anna of Saxony, the divorced second wife of Willem I, Prince of Orange, at the Palace of the Elector of Saxony in Dresden, Electorate of Saxony, where she was imprisoned because of adultery; buried in the Meissen Cathedral in the Electorate of Saxony, now in Saxony, Germany, in a nameless tomb near her ancestors
Three years after the death of his first wife, Willem I (the Silent), Prince of Orange married Anna of Saxony. The marriage was not happy and Anna and Willem often lived apart. In early 1571, Anna realized she was pregnant. She was accused of adultery, later admitted adultery, and was forced to agree to a divorce. In 1572, Anna was sent to her family in Saxony where they imprisoned her as an adulteress. The windows of her room were walled up and fitted with additional iron bars. A square hole was made in the door through which food and drink were given to her. An iron gate was installed on the outside of the door prohibiting any attempt to escape. Anna died shortly before her 33rd birthday.
Unofficial Royalty: Anna of Saxony, Princess of Orange

December 18, 1626 – Birth of Queen Christina of Sweden at Tre Kronor Castle in Stockholm, Sweden
Considered one of the most learned women of the 17th century, Queen Christina is remembered for refusing to marry, abdicating her throne, converting to Roman Catholicism, living the rest of her life in Rome, and being one of only three women to be interred in the crypt at St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. Christina is one of three women who have been reigning queens of Sweden. She was the only surviving child of Gustavus II Adolphus the Great, King of Sweden, and succeeded him upon his death when she was only six years old. Born a Lutheran, Christina wanted to convert to Roman Catholicism. Christina’s wish to convert to Roman Catholicism was not the only reason for her abdication. After reigning for twenty years and working at least ten hours a day, Christina had what may be interpreted as a nervous breakdown, or perhaps in more modern terms, she was burned out. She abdicated in 1654 in favor of her cousin Karl X Gustav, King of Sweden, and within a few days, 28-year-old Christina left Sweden. She eventually settled in Rome where she played a prominent role in Rome’s cultural life.
Unofficial Royalty: Queen Christina of Sweden

December 18, 1724 – Birth of Louisa of Great Britain, Queen of Denmark, daughter of King George II of Great Britain and wife of King Frederik V of Denmark, at Leicester House in London, England
In 1743, 19-year-old Louisa married the future King Frederik V of Denmark and Norway, the son and heir of King Christian VI of Denmark and Norway.  King Christian hoped that this marriage would cause the British government to support his or his son’s claim to the Swedish throne.  Furthermore, the Danish government hoped (incorrectly) that marriage would put a damper on Crown Prince Frederik’s affairs and drunkenness.  The couple had five children, got along reasonably well and although Frederik continued his affairs, Louisa pretended not to notice them. Louisa was popular with the Danish people and was interested in music, dance, and theater. The Danish people greatly appreciated Louisa’s efforts to learn and speak Danish and her insistence that her children learn Danish, a rarity in an almost German-language Danish court.
Unofficial Royalty: Louisa of Great Britain, Queen of Denmark

December 18, 1863 – Birth of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria, whose assassination in 1914 sparked World War I, in Graz, Austria
Full name: Franz Ferdinand Carl Ludwig Joseph Maria
Franz Ferdinand was the eldest son of Archduke Karl Ludwig of Austria and his second wife Princess Maria Annunciata of Bourbon-Two Sicilies. Archduke Karl Ludwig’s elder brothers were Franz Joseph, Emperor of Austria and Maximilian, the executed Emperor of Mexico. Franz Ferdinand’s life changed when his first cousin Crown Prince Rudolf died by suicide in 1889. Rudolf, the only son of Emperor Franz Joseph, had no sons so the succession would pass to Emperor Franz Joseph’s brother Archduke Karl Ludwig and his eldest son Archduke Franz Ferdinand. When Karl Ludwig died in 1896, Franz Ferdinand became the heir to his uncle’s throne. Franz Ferdinand fell in love with Countess Sophie Chotek von Chotkow und Wognin. Because Sophie was not a member of a reigning or formerly reigning family, she could not marry a member of the Imperial Family. Emperor Franz Joseph finally agreed to the marriage with the stipulations that Franz Ferdinand would keep his place in the succession but Sophie could never be empress and their children would never have succession rights. Franz Ferdinand and Sophie married in 1900 and had three children.
Unofficial Royalty: Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria

December 18, 1941 – Birth of Prince William of Gloucester, son of Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester, in Barnet, Hertfordshire, England
Full name: William Henry Andrew Frederick
Prince William was the elder of the two sons of Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester, the third son of King George V, and  Lady Alice Montagu Douglas Scott. William attended Magdalene College, Cambridge to read history, graduating with a BA degree in 1963, which was raised to an MA degree in 1968. Following Cambridge, he spent a year at Stanford University in California studying political science, American history, and business. He worked for Lazard, an investment bank, and in the British diplomatic service in Lagos, Nigeria as the third secretary at the British High Commission, and in Tokyo, Japan as the second secretary in the British Embassy. 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 races at Halfpenny Green, near Wolverhampton, England. Sadly, William was killed when his plane crashed during the competition.
Unofficial Royalty: Prince William of Gloucester

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

© Unofficial Royalty 2024

Désirée Clary, Queen Desideria of Sweden; Credit – Wikipedia

December 17, 1732 – Death of Prince Josef Johann Adam of Liechtenstein in Valtice, Kingdom of Bohemia, now in the Czech Republic; buried in the Old Crypt at Chuch of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary in Vranov, Moravia, now in the Czech Republic.
Josef Johann Adam became the reigning Prince of Liechtenstein upon the death of his father Anton Florian, Prince of Liechtenstein on October 11, 1721.  He married four times and had a total of eight children but only two children, including his successor Johann Nepomuk Karl, Prince of Liechtenstein, survived childhood.
Unofficial Royalty: Prince Josef Johann Adam of Liechtenstein

December 17, 1734 – Birth of Maria I, Queen of Portugal at Ribeira Palace in Lisbon, Portugal
Full name: Maria Francisca Isabel Josefa Antonia Gertrudes Rita Joana
The first of the two Queen Regnants of Portugal, Maria was the eldest of the four children and the eldest of the four daughters of José I, King of Portugal. It was inevitable that Maria would become the reigning Queen of Portugal. However, since female succession to the throne of Portugal had never happened before, her father decided that Maria would marry his younger brother Infante Pedro of Portugal, the first male in the line of succession. In 1760, 25-year-old Maria married her 42-year-old paternal uncle Pedro. Maria and Pedro had six children. Maria is considered to have been a good ruler in the period before her mental instability, which was first noticed in 1786 when she had to be carried back to her apartments in a state of delirium. Her mental instability continued to worsen. The deaths of her husband Pedro in 1786, her eldest son and heir José in 1788, and her confessor Inácio de São Caetano, Archbishop of Salonica in 1788 may have caused her to develop a major depressive disorder. Her second son João, now heir to the throne, served as prince regent.
Unofficial Royalty: Maria I, Queen of Portugal

December 17, 1800 – Birth of Bernhard II, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen in Meiningen, Duchy of Saxe-Meiningen, now in Thuringia, Germany
Full name: Bernhard Erich Freund
Bernhard was the only son of Georg I, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen and the younger brother of Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen who married King William IV of the United Kingdom.  In 1803, three-year-old Bernhard became Duke of Saxe-Meiningen upon his father’s death. In 1825, Bernhard married Princess Marie Friederike of Hesse-Kassel and the couple had two children. Although he had earlier aligned himself with Prussia, in the mid-1860s, Bernhard instead sided with Austria during the Austro-Prussian War of 1866. Following Austria’s defeat, the Prussians forced Bernhard to abdicate on September 20, 1866, in favor of his son, Georg II. Bernhard took up residence at the Great Palace in Meiningen, previously built as a dower home for his mother. He died there at the age of 81.
Unofficial Royalty: Bernhard II, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen

December 17, 1802 – Birth of Archduke Franz Karl of Austria in Vienna, Austria
Full name: Franz Karl Joseph
Archduke Franz Karl was the son of Emperor Franz I of Austria, the father of Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria and Emperor Maximilian I of Mexico, the grandfather of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria whose assassination led to World War I, and the great-grandfather of Karl I, the last Emperor of Austria. In 1824, Franz Karl married 1824, Franz Karl married Princess Sophie of Bavaria, daughter of King Maximilian I Joseph of Bavaria and the couple had five children. Franz Karl had no ambitions of power and had never been interested in politics, the exact opposite of his wife Sophie. Sophie’s biggest ambition was to place her oldest son Franz Joseph on the Austrian throne. During the Revolutions of 1848, she persuaded her husband to give up his rights to the throne in favor of their son Franz Joseph. On December 2, 1848, Franz Karl’s mentally incapacitated brother Emperor Ferdinand abdicated the throne in favor of his 18-year-old nephew Franz Joseph.
Unofficial Royalty: Archduke Franz Karl of Austria

December 17, 1847 – Death of Marie Louise of Austria, Empress of France, second wife of Napoléon Bonaparte, at Parma, Duchy of Parma, now in Italy; buried at the Imperial Crypt in the Kapuzinerkirche in Vienna, Austria
Archduchess Maria Ludovica of Austria was the second wife of Napoleon I, Emperor of the French and later Duchess of Parma, Piacenza, and Guastalla in her own right. Because his wife Josephine had not provided him with an heir, French Emperor Napoleon was searching for a new bride who could bear him an heir and set his sights on the leading royal families of Europe. After Napoleon divorced his first wife, Maria Ludovica married him in 1810, became Empress of the French and Queen of Italy, and took the French version of her name, Marie Louise. The couple did have one child, a son, who died at the age of 23. After Napoleon’s final defeat at the Battle of Waterloo and his exile to Saint Helena in 1815, Marie Louise had no further contact with him. Marie Louise married two more times and had three children with her second husband. As Duchess of Parma, Marie Louise supported many causes, with much of her efforts going toward improving medical care and treatment. She established a childbirth hospital and a training school for nurses, as well as a hospital for those with mental illness. In early December 1847, Maria Louise fell ill with pleurisy and her condition quickly worsened. She died at the age of 56.
Unofficial Royalty: Marie Louise of Austria, Empress of France

December 17, 1860 – Death of Désirée Clary, Queen Desideria of Sweden, wife of King Carl XIV Johan of Sweden, at the Royal Palace of Stockholm in Sweden; buried at Riddarholm Church in Stockholm, Sweden
Désirée was the youngest of the nine children of François Clary, a wealthy French merchant. Through Désirée and her sister Julie, their parents are the ancestors of the royal families of Belgium, Denmark, Luxembourg, Norway, and Sweden. Désirée became engaged to Napoleon Bonaparte in April 1795, but Napoleon soon became involved with Joséphine de Beauharnais, and the engagement ended in September 1795. In 1798, she married Jean Baptiste Bernadotte, a noted French general and future King of Sweden and Norway. They had one son, born Joseph François Oscar Bernadotte, later King Oscar I of Sweden and Norway. In August 1810, Désirée’s husband was elected Crown Prince of Sweden and Norway to succeed the childless King Carl XIII of Sweden and Norway. Not wanting to leave Paris, Désirée did not initially accompany her husband to Sweden. When she eventually went to Sweden, she did not like it at all and returned to Paris. In 1818, King Carl XIII of Sweden died, and Désirée’s husband ascended the thrones of Sweden and Norway as King Carl XIV Johan. However, Désirée, now known as Queen Desideria, would not return to Sweden until 1823. Although she planned to make just a temporary visit, Désirée would instead remain in Sweden for the rest of her life and died there at the age of 83.
Unofficial Royalty: Désirée Clary, Queen Desideria of Sweden

December 17, 1887 – Birth of Hermine Reuss of Greiz, (titular) German Empress, Queen of Prussia, second wife of Wilhelm II, former German Emperor and King of Prussia, in Greiz, Principality of Reuss-Greiz, German Empire, now in Thuringia, Germany
Hermine was a widow with five children when one of Hermine’s sons sent birthday wishes to Wilhelm II, formerly German Emperor, living in exile at Huis Doorn in Doorn, the Netherlands, who then invited the boy and his mother to Doorn. Wilhelm found Hermine very attractive and greatly enjoyed her company. Having both been recently widowed, the two had much in common. Wilhelm was determined to marry Hermine despite objections from his children. 63-year-old Wilhelm and 34-year-old Hermine married on November 5, 1922, in Doorn. Although Wilhelm had abdicated, he continued to use his royal styles and titles, and therefore Hermine was styled Her Imperial Majesty The German Empress, Queen of Prussia. Hermine returned to Germany after Wilhelm died in 1941. After World War II, Hermine was held under house arrest at Frankfurt an der Oder in the Soviet Zone of Germany. She died at Paulinenhof, a Soviet internment camp near Brandenburg, Germany. She was buried at the Temple of Antiquities in Potsdam, Germany where Wilhelm’s first wife, Augusta Victoria of Schleswig-Holstein, and several other family members are also buried.
Unofficial Royalty: Hermine Reuss of Greiz, German Empress, Queen of Prussia

December 17, 1890 – Birth of Prince Joachim of Prussia, son of Wilhelm II, German Emperor, in Potsdam, Kingdom of Prussia, German Empire, now in Brandenburg, Germany
Full name: Joachim Franz Humbert
In 1916, Joachim married Princess Marie-Auguste of Anhalt and the couple had one son. After World War I and the fall of the German Empire, Joachim and Marie-Auguste divorced. Prince Joachim struggled to accept his status as a commoner and became greatly depressed. On the evening of July 18, 1920, he shot himself with a revolver at Villa Leignitz in Sanssouci Park in Potsdam, Germany. He was found by his elder brother August Wilhelm and taken to the Saint Joseph Hospital in Potsdam, where he died the following day.
Unofficial Royalty: Prince Joachim of Prussia

December 17, 1909 – Death of King Leopold II of the Belgians at the Royal Palace of Laeken in Laeken, Belgium; buried at Royal Vault at the Church of Our Lady in Laeken, Brussels, Belgium
Leopold II was the second-born but first surviving child of King Leopold I of the Belgians. His father was born Prince Leopold of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, uncle of both Queen Victoria and her husband Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, so Leopold II was the first cousin of both Victoria and Albert. In 1853, he married Marie Henriette of Austria. They had three daughters and one son who died young. The marriage was not happy and the couple lived mostly separate lives. After the death of their only son, Leopold and Marie Henriette tried to have another son, but the result was another daughter Clémentine. The couple completely separated after Clémentine’s birth. Leopold II was the second monarch of Belgium and is known for his exploitation of the Congo Free State for his personal gain and the horrendous atrocities committed against the native people. When Leopold II died at the age of 74, he was so unpopular with the Belgian people that his funeral procession was booed.
Unofficial Royalty: King Leopold II of the Belgians

December 17, 2007 – Birth of James Mountbatten-Windsor, Earl of Wessex, son of Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh, at Frimley Park Hospital in Surrey, England
Full name: James Alexander Philip Theo
As the eldest (and only) son of a Duke, James uses his father’s subsidiary title, Earl of Wessex. Under the terms of King George V’s Letters Patent of 1917, as grandchildren of the sovereign in the male line, they are Prince and Princess of the United Kingdom, with the style of Royal Highness. However, at the time of Edward and Sophie’s marriage, a press release was issued from Buckingham Palace. Along with announcing Prince Edward’s new title as Earl of Wessex, it stated that Queen Elizabeth II, with the agreement of Edward and Sophie, had decided that any children born to them should not be given the style of Royal Highness, but instead be given courtesy titles as children of a peer. In 2023, when his father was granted the title Duke of Edinburgh, James began to use his father’s secondary title Earl of Wessex.
Unofficial Royalty: James Mountbatten-Windsor, Earl of Wessex

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

© Unofficial Royalty 2024

King Alexander I of Yugoslavia, Credit – Wikipedia

December 16, 1485 – Birth of Catherine of Aragon, Queen of England, daughter of King Ferdinand II of Aragon and Queen Isabella I of Castile, first wife of King Henry VIII of England, mother of Queen Mary I of England, at the Archbishop’s Palace in Alcalá de Henares in the Kingdom of Castile, now in Spain
In 1501, Catherine married Arthur, Prince of Wales, the heir of King Henry VII of England. Less than five months later, Arthur died, probably of the sweating sickness, and 16-year-old Catherine was left a widow. Catherine was kept in England, never to return to Spain. King Henry VII died in 1509, and his 17-year-old Henry succeeded him as King Henry VIII. Two months later, King Henry VIII married 23-year-old Catherine. Catherine had six pregnancies, however, only one child, the future Queen Mary I, survived. By 1525, Henry VIII was infatuated with Anne Boleyn and dissatisfied that his marriage to Catherine had produced no surviving sons. He sought to have their marriage annulled, setting in motion events that led to the Reformation in England and the establishment of the Church of England. In 1533, Catherine and Henry’s marriage was declared invalid and Henry married Anne Boleyn. Catherine was banished from the court and Henry refused her the right to any title but “Dowager Princess of Wales” in recognition of her position as his brother’s widow. She was forbidden to see her daughter Mary. Catherine suffered these indignities with patience and told her women not to curse the new queen, Anne Boleyn. She spent most of her time doing needlework and praying.
Unofficial Royalty: Catherine of Aragon, Queen of England

December 16, 1702 – Death of Henry FitzJames, 1st Duke of Albemarle, Illegitimate son of King James II of England in Bagnols-sur-Cèze, France, his burial site is unknown.
Henry FitzJames, 1st Duke of Albemarle was the illegitimate son of King James II of England and his mistress Arabella Churchill. Like his full brother James FitzJames, Henry was raised in France. In 1688, the Glorious Revolution forced James’ father King James II of England to vacate the throne in favor of his daughter (and James’ half-sister) Queen Mary II and her husband and first cousin (also James’ first cousin) King William III. Unlike his full brother James, Henry was not created a duke while his father was still King of England. In 1696, Henry was created Duke of Albemarle, with the subsidiary titles of Earl of Rochford and Baron Romney but the title was only recognized by Jacobites. In 1700, Henry married Marie Gabrielle d’Audibert de Lussan, from a French noble family. The couple had one daughter who died five months after Henry’s death, Lady Christine Marie Jacqueline Henriette FitzJames, who became a nun. On December 16, 1702, in Bagnols-sur-Cèze, France, 29-year-old Henry suddenly died. His burial site is unknown.
Unofficial Royalty: Henry FitzJames, 1st Duke of Albemarle

December 16, 1790 – Birth of King Leopold I of the Belgians at Ehrenburg Palace in Coburg, Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, now in Bavaria, Germany
Birth name: Prince Leopold Georg Christian Friedrich of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld
Born Prince Leopold of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, King Leopold was the uncle of both Queen Victoria and her husband Prince Albert. Leopold’s first marriage in 1816 to Princess Charlotte of Wales, the heir and the only child of the future King George IV of the United Kingdom, tragically ended when Charlotte delivered a stillborn son and died of postpartum hemorrhage. In 1831, the southern provinces of the Netherlands rebelled against Dutch rule and became a new country, Belgium. Leopold agreed to become the first King of the Belgians. Leopold had to marry to provide for the Belgian succession, and so in 1832, he married Princess Louise-Marie of Orléans, daughter of Louis-Philippe I, King of the French. The couple had four children. Leopold again became a widower when Louise-Marie died in 1850, at the age of 38 from tuberculosis. Leopold helped arrange the marriage of his niece Queen Victoria, the daughter of his sister, to his nephew Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, son of his brother. Even before she succeeded to the throne, Leopold had been advising Victoria by letter, and after her accession continued to influence her. Leopold had a twenty-year relationship with Arcadie Claret with whom he had two sons.
Unofficial Royalty: King Leopold I of the Belgians

December 16, 1888 – Birth of King Alexander I of Yugoslavia in Cetinje, Principality of Montenegro, now in Montenegro
Alexander became King of the Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes upon the death of his father King Peter I in 1921. The following year, he married Princess Maria of Romania, the daughter of King Ferdinand of Romania and Princess Marie of Edinburgh. The couple had three sons including the future King Peter II of Yugoslavia. In 1929, King Alexander abolished the constitution and changed the country’s name to the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. He later ordered a new constitution that gave more power to the King and allowed him to appoint the government’s upper house. On October 9, 1934, while driving through the streets of Marseilles, France with the French Foreign Minister, King Alexander was killed when a gunman approached the car and shot him twice. The assassin was a member of the Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization.
Unofficial Royalty: King Alexander I of Yugoslavia
Unofficial Royalty: Assassination of Alexander I, King of Yugoslavia

December 16, 1909 – Death of Adelaide of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg, wife of King Miguel of Portugal (after he was deposed); at St. Cecilia’s Abbey in Ryde, Isle of Wight, United Kingdom, buried at the Monastery of São Vicente de Fora in Lisbon, Portugal
Adelaide married King Miguel I of Portugal after he was deposed and lived with him in exile in the Grand Duchy of Baden. Miguel died leaving 35-year-old Adelaide with seven young children. She arranged prominent marriages for her children and is the ancestor of the current royal families of Belgium, Liechtenstein, and Luxembourg, as well as the former royal families of Austria, Bavaria, Portugal, and Romania. In 1895, Adelaide retired to the Abbey of Sainte-Cécile in Solesmes, France, and two years later, she professed as a nun. The cloister later moved to the Isle of Wight in England, first in Cowes and then settling at Saint Cecilia’s Abbey in Ryde.
Unofficial Royalty: Adelaide of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg

December 16, 1955 – Birth of Prince Lorenz of Belgium, Archduke of Austria Este, at the Belvedere Clinic in Boulogne-Billancourt, Hauts-de-Seine, France
Full name: Lorenz Otto Carl Amadeus Thadeus Maria Pius Andreas Marcus d’Aviano
Lorenz is the husband of Princess Astrid of Belgium. In 1995, Lorenz was created Prince of Belgium in his own right. His father Archduke Robert of Austria-Este was the second son of Karl I, the last Emperor of Austria. Since 1996, Lorenz has been the head of the House of Austria-Este, a cadet branch of the House of Habsburg-Lorraine.
Unofficial Royalty: Prince Lorenz of Belgium, Archduke of Austria Este

December 16, 1965 – Death of Queen Sālote Tupou III of Tonga at Auckland City Hospital in Auckland, New Zealand; buried at the Malaʻekula Royal Burial Grounds in Nukuʻalofa, Tonga 
Famed for her stature (6 feet 3 inches, 270 pounds) and her appearance at the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, Queen Sālote Tupou III of Tonga was the first Queen Regnant of the Kingdom of Tonga and its longest-reigning monarch. In 1918, her father King George Tupou II died at the age of 43 and 18-year-old Sālote became Queen of Tonga. During her reign, Sālote sought to improve the quality of life of the people of Tonga through the expansion of women’s rights and the construction of roads and health facilities. In December 1953, Queen Elizabeth II and her husband Prince Philip visited Queen Sālote in Tonga during their world tour of Commonwealth nations. Since then, the British royal family has remained close to the Tongan royal family. In November 1965, Queen Sālote flew to Auckland, New Zealand for treatment of diabetes and cancer. She was admitted to the hospital on December 12, 1965, with pleurisy and her condition steadily worsened, and she died at the age of 65.
Unofficial Royalty: Queen Sālote Tupou III of Tonga

December 16, 2023 – Death of Sheikh Nawaf Al Ahmad Al Sabah, Emir of Kuwait
Upon the death of his half-brother Sabah IV Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, Emir of Kuwait on September 29, 2020, 83-year-old Crown Prince Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah was named by the Kuwaiti Council of Ministers as his successor. During a special session of the National Assembly on September 30, 2020, Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, 16th Ruler and 6th Emir of Kuwait, took the constitutional oath as Emir of Kuwait.
Unofficial Royalty: Sheikh Nawaf Al Ahmad Al Sabah, Emir of Kuwait

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

© Unofficial Royalty 2024

Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, King Consort of Portugal; Credit – Wikipedia

December 15, 1618 – Death of Anna of Tyrol, Holy Roman Empress, wife of Matthias, Holy Roman Emperor, King of Bohemia, Archduke of Austria, Archduke of Further Austria, King of Hungary and Croatia, in Vienna, Archduchy of Austria, now in Austria; first buried at the Poor Clares Convent of St. Maria, Queen of the Angels in Vienna, on Easter 1633, the remains of Anna and her husband Matthias were transferred to the Capuchin Church in Vienna and placed in the Founders Vault in the Imperial Crypt
Anna of Tyrol and her husband and first cousin of Matthias, Holy Roman Emperor, King of Bohemia, Archduke of Austria, Archduke of Further Austria, King of Hungary and Croatia are the founders of the Capuchin Church in Vienna, Austria, the site of the Imperial Crypt, the traditional burial site of the Habsburgs.
Unofficial Royalty: Anna of Tyrol, Holy Roman Empress

December 15, 1621 – Death of Charles d’Albert, Duke of Luynes, favorite of King Louis XIII of France, at Château de Longueville in Guienne, France
Charles d’Albert, Duke of Luynes, was a close advisor and favorite of King Louis XIII of France from childhood until his death. He held numerous top positions within the French court and died at the age of 43 from scarlet fever.
Unofficial Royalty: Charles d’Albert, Duke of Luynes

December 15, 1854 – Death of Kamehameha III, King of the Hawaiian Islands at the ʻIolani Palace in Honolulu, Kingdom of the Hawaiian Islands; buried at Mauna ʻAla (Fragrant Hills), the Royal Mausoleum of Hawaii in Honolulu
Kamehameha III, King of the Hawaiian Islands reigned from 1825 to 1854. He was the longest-reigning monarch of the Kingdom of the Hawaiian Islands, reigning ruling for 29 years and 192 days. In 1837, Kamehameha III married Kalama Hakaleleponi Kapakuhaili, the only child of High Chief Naihekukui, who was commander of the native Hawaiian fleet at Honolulu. The couple had two sons, but they both died in infancy. During his reign, Kamehameha III’s goal was a careful balancing of modernization by adopting Western ways while keeping his nation intact. On December 15, 1854, at the ʻIolani Palace in Honolulu, Kamehameha III suddenly died, aged 40, after a brief illness, possibly related to a stroke.
Unofficial Royalty: Kamehameha III, King of the Hawaiian Islands

December 15, 1885 – Death of Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, King Consort of Portugal, husband of Queen Maria II of Portugal, at Pena National Palace in Sintra, Portugal; buried at the Monastery of São Vicente de Fora in Lisbon, Portugal
Ferdinand was a first cousin of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom and her husband, Prince Albert, as well as Leopold II, King of the Belgians and Empress Carlota of Mexico, born Princess Charlotte of Belgium. In 1836, Ferdinand married Queen Maria II of Portugal and the couple had eleven children. In keeping with tradition, Ferdinand was elevated to King Consort following the birth of their eldest son, the future King Pedro V. Although titled as King, Ferdinand preferred to stay out of politics and left state affairs to his wife. In 1853, Queen Maria II died after giving birth to their last child. Ferdinand served as Regent for his eldest son King Pedro V until he came of age. In 1869, in Lisbon, Ferdinand married Elise Hensler, a Swiss-born American actress.  The couple had no children. Ferdinand died at the age of 69.
Unofficial Royalty: Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, King Consort of Portugal

December 15, 1888 – Death of Prince Alexander of Hesse and by Rhine, son of Ludwig II, Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine, in Seeheim, Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine, now in Hesse, Germany; first buried in the Altes Mausoleum in the Rosenhöhe in Darmstadt, Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine, now in Hesse, Germany; in 1894 his remains were moved to the mausoleum at Heiligenberg Castle in Seeheim, Grand Duchy of Hesse and by the Rhine, in 1902, the mausoleum was converted to a memorial chapel and his remains were moved to a gravesite just outside of the mausoleum.
The Battenberg /Mountbatten family descends from Alexander and his morganatic wife Countess Julia von Hauke. Alexander had fallen in love with Julia Hauke, a lady-in-waiting to his sister Marie who had married the future Alexander II, Emperor of All Russia. Although forbidden by Nicholas I, the current Emperor of All Russia, to marry, the couple married anyway as Julia was already pregnant with their first child. The marriage forced the couple to leave Russia, but the two were allowed to settle in the Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine. The marriage was viewed as morganatic (unequal) which removed any future children from the Hesse and by Rhine line of succession. Julia was granted the title of Countess of Battenberg, a castle in Hesse and by Rhine. Eventually, the two regained some of their favor in Russia and Hesse and Hesse and by Rhine. Alexander and Julia had five children.  Through their son Louis, they are the ancestors of the British Royal Family and through their son Henry, they are ancestors of the Spanish Royal Family. Alexander died of cancer at the age of 65.
Unofficial Royalty: Prince Alexander of Hesse and by Rhine

December 15, 1907 – Death of Carola of Vasa, Queen of Saxony, wife of King Albert of Saxony, at her villa in Strehlen, Kingdom of Saxony, now Strzelin, Poland; buried in the Wettin Crypt at the Dresden Cathedral in Dresden, Kingdom of Saxony, now in Saxony, Germany
Carola married the future King Albert of Saxony but the couple never had children. Between 1853 – 1860, Carola had ten miscarriages. Carola was very active in charity work. In addition to supporting organizations that provided medical care, she was also instrumental in establishing several organizations to provide training for a growing workforce due to increased industrialization. Through her efforts, homes were built for families who needed housing, nurses received more proper training, and advances were made in the care and treatment of tuberculosis within Saxony. Schools and nursing homes were established, along with several women’s organizations that provided vocational training. Carola was widowed in 1902 and retired to her country home in Strehlen, Kingdom of Saxony, now Strzelin, Poland, appearing in public only occasionally. Her health began to decline, as a result of diabetes, which she had suffered from for several years and she died at the age of 74.
Unofficial Royalty: Carola of Vasa, Queen of Saxony

December 15, 1929 – Birth of Dina bint Abdul-Hamid, Princess Dina Abdul-Hamid of Jordan, the former Queen Dina of Jordan, in Cairo, Egypt
In 1955, Dina became the first of four wives of the late King Hussein I of Jordan. The marriage was full of discord from the beginning. A daughter Princess Alia was born in 1956, but the marriage was beyond saving and the couple divorced the following year. At that time, Dina lost her title of Queen and became HRH Princess Dina Abdul-Hamid of Jordan. Dina later returned to her birthplace Egypt, and in 1970, she married Asad Sulayman Abd al-Qadir, a high-ranking official in the Palestine Liberation Organization. In 1983, a year after al-Qadir was imprisoned by the Israelis, Dina negotiated his release, along with 8,000 other prisoners. Dina died in 2019 at the age of 89.
Unofficial Royalty: Queen Dina of Jordan

December 15, 1948 – Birth of Alia Baha Ad-Din Touqan, Queen Alia of Jordan, in Cairo, Egypt
Queen Alia was the third of the four wives of King Hussein I of Jordan. Her father Baha Ad-Din Touqan served as Jordan’s first ambassador to the United Nations and as Jordanian ambassador to the United Kingdom, Italy, Turkey, and Egypt. In 1972, Alia married King Hussein I of Jordan. The couple had two children (Princess Haya and Prince Ali) and one adopted daughter Abir Muhaisen. On February 9, 1977, Queen Alia was killed in a helicopter crash in Amman. She was returning from a trip to Tafileh, about 140 miles south of Amman, where she was inspecting a hospital after reading negative reports about it in the media. Flying in a violent rainstorm, the military helicopter crashed and all aboard were killed.
Unofficial Royalty: Queen Alia of Jordan

December 15, 1960 – Wedding of King Baudouin of the Belgians and Fabiola de Mora y Aragon at the Cathedral of St. Michael and St. Gudula in Brussels, Belgium
Baudouin and Fabiola’s engagement was announced on September 16, 1960, by Prime Minister Gaston Eyskens. The news was quite a surprise in Belgium, as there had been no public indication that Baudouin was involved with anyone. The couple had first met through mutual friends and continued to see each other very privately. They had become engaged many weeks earlier, but the announcement had been delayed because of the recent events in the Belgian Congo.
Unofficial Royalty: Wedding of King Baudouin of the Belgians and Fabiola de Mora y Aragon

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

© Unofficial Royalty 2024

Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, Prince Consort of the United Kingdom; Credit – Wikipedia

December 14, 1542 – Death of James V, King of Scots at Falkland Palace in Fife, Scotland; buried at Holyrood Abbey in Edinburgh, Scotland; his six-day-old daughter Mary becomes Queen of Scots
James V was the son of James IV, King of Scots and Margaret Tudor, daughter of King Henry VII of England and sister of King Henry VIII of England. In 1513, 30-year-old James IV was killed in the Battle of Flodden and 17-month-old James V succeeded his father. In 1537, James married Madeleine of Valois, daughter of King François I of France. Already ill with tuberculosis, Madeleine died six months after the wedding. Less than a year later, James married another French bride, Marie of Guise, the eldest daughter of Claude of Lorraine, Duke of Guise. The couple had two sons who died in infancy, and one daughter, the future Mary, Queen of Scots. When Henry VIII of England broke from the Roman Catholic Church, he asked James V, his nephew, to do the same. James ignored his uncle’s request and further insulted him by refusing to meet with Henry VIII in York. Furious, Henry VIII sent troops against Scotland. In retaliation for the English raid into Scotland, James raised an army and attacked England. On November 24, 1542, the Battle of Solway Moss resulted in a decisive English victory. After the battle,  James V fled to Falkland Palace where he became ill and took to his bed. Overcome with grief and shame about the Battle of Solway Moss, James V lost the will to live. The news that his wife Marie of Guise had given birth to a daughter did nothing to raise his spirits, and he died at the age of 30 and was succeeded by his only surviving legitimate child, six-day-old Mary, Queen of Scots.
Unofficial Royalty: James V, King of Scots

December 14, 1784 – Birth of Maria Antonia of Naples and Sicily, Princess of Asturias, first of the four wives of King Ferdinand VII of Spain, at the Royal Palace of Caserta in Caserta, Kingdom of Naples and Sicily, now in Italy; buried in the Pantheon of Infantes in the Royal Crypt of the Monastery of El Escorial in Spain
Full name: Maria Antonietta Teresa Amelia Giovanna Battista Francesca Gaetana Maria Anna Lucia
Maria Antonia was the daughter of King Ferdinand I of the Two Sicilies and Archduchess Maria Carolina of Austria. She was named after her mother’s favorite sister Marie Antoinette, Queen of France, born Archduchess Maria Antonia of Austria. In 1802, Maria Antonia married her first cousin, the future King Ferdinand VII of Spain. Her two pregnancies in 1804 and 1805 ended in miscarriages. Maria Antonia died, aged 21, in 1806, from tuberculosis. Rumors at the time said she had been poisoned but there is no evidence that this is true.
Unofficial Royalty: Maria Antonia of Naples and Sicily, Princess of Asturias

December 14, 1787 – Birth of Maria Ludovika of Austria-Este, Empress of Austria, the third of the four wives of Emperor Franz I of Austria, at the Royal Villa of Monza, in Lombardy, Austrian Empire, now in Italy; buried at the Capuchin Church in the Imperial Crypt in the Franzensgruft (Franz’s Vault) in Vienna, Austria
Full name: Maria Ludovika Beatrix
Maria Ludovika was the daughter of the heiress Maria Beatrice Ricciarda d’Este and Archduke Ferdinand Karl of Austria-Este. Her father was the son of Maria Theresa, Archduchess of Austria, and (in her own right) Queen of Hungary, Croatia, and Bohemia and Franz Stefan, Duke of Lorraine, Holy Roman Emperor. In 1807, Maria Ludovika’s first cousin, Franz I, Emperor of Austria, became a widower for the second time when his second wife Maria Theresa of Naples and Sicily (his double first cousin, also a first cousin of Maria Ludovika) died after childbirth along with her 12th child. The 39-year-old Emperor consoled his grief with visits to his aunt (by marriage) Maria Beatrice Ricciarda and fell in love with the beautiful and literate Maria Ludovika who was 19 years old. Maria Ludovika and Franz were married on January 6, 1808, but they had no children. Maria Ludovika died eight years later from tuberculosis.
Unofficial Royalty: Maria Ludovika of Austria-Este, Empress of Austria

December 14, 1788 – Death of King Carlos III of Spain at the Royal Alcazar of Madrid in Spain; buried at the Royal Seat of San Lorenzo de El Escorial in Spain
Carlos III, King of Spain was also Duke of Parma and Piacenza, as Carlo I (1731 – 1735), King of Naples, as Carlo VII (1735 – 1759), and King of Sicily, as Carlo V (1734 – 1759). In 1738, Carlos’ mother Elisabeth Farnese arranged a marriage for him to fourteen-year-old Maria Amalia of Saxony. Carlos III and Maria Amalia had thirteen children but only seven survived childhood. In in 1759, Carlos’ childless elder surviving half-brother Fernando VI, King of Spain died and Carlos succeeded him as King of Spain. When Carlos became King of Spain, he was 43 years old and had ruled Naples and Sicily for twenty-five years, so he had far more experience than his predecessors. Carlos III was responsible for some of Spain’s national symbols. In 1770, he declared the Marcha Granadera to be used during official ceremonies. Since that time, it has been Spain’s national anthem except under the Second Republic ( 1931 – 1939 ). Carlos III also chose the colors and design of the Spanish flag as we see it today.
Unofficial Royalty: Carlos III, King of Spain

December 14, 1788 – Birth of Sir James Clark, 1st Baronet, Queen Victoria’s Physician-in-Ordinary from 1837 – 1860, at Cullen House in Cullen, Banffshire, Scotland
During the summers, Clark acted as physician to Prince Leopold of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld (King Leopold I of the Belgians from 1831) as he traveled through the spa towns of Germany. Through this connection, in 1835, Clark was appointed physician to Leopold’s sister the Duchess of Kent (born Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld), the widow of King George III’s son Prince Edward, Duke of Kent. The Duchess’ only child Princess Victoria of Kent was the heir to the British throne. Several months after her accession to the throne in June 1837, Queen Victoria appointed Clark her Physician-in-Ordinary. In 1839, Clark’s misdiagnosis and a desire to please Queen Victoria led the court into the Lady Flora Hastings scandal in which pregnancy was intimated as the cause of her swollen abdomen. After Lady Flora’s death, an autopsy showed that she had a cancerous liver tumor. In 1842, Clark prescribed calomel, a laxative and common medicine at the time, to 14-month-old Victoria, Princess Royal. Unknown at that time, calomel contained toxic mercury chloride. Vicky did not become better but rather became seriously ill. Albert confronted Victoria with a furious note to his wife, “Dr. Clark has mismanaged the child and poisoned her with calomel and you have starved her. I shall have nothing more to do with it, take the child away and do as you like and if she dies you will have it on your conscience.” Vicky survived and Clark still remained in royal service. Although Clark was considered incompetent, he remained in royal service until 1860.
Unofficial Royalty: Sir James Clark, 1st Baronet

December 14, 1861 – Death of Prince Albert, The Prince Consort, husband of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom, at Windsor Castle in Windsor, England; buried at the Royal Mausoleum, Frogmore in Windsor, England
In November 1861, Albert complained of shoulder, leg, back, and stomach pain and could not eat or sleep. He was examined by doctors who assured Victoria that Albert would be better in two or three days. Even while Albert was feeling ill, he was still working. When the Trent Affair, the forcible removal of Confederate diplomats from a British ship by Union forces during the American Civil War, threatened war between the United States and the United Kingdom, Albert intervened on November 30, 1861, to soften the British diplomatic response. His action probably prevented war between the United States and the United Kingdom. However, Albert’s condition continued to worsen. Victoria continued to hope for a recovery, but finally, on December 11, the doctors told her the dismal prognosis. At 10:50 PM on December 14, 1861, Albert died in the presence of his wife and five of their nine children. Sir William Jenner, one of Prince Albert’s doctors, diagnosed his final illness as typhoid fever, but Albert’s modern biographers have argued that the diagnosis is incorrect. Albert had been complaining of stomach pains for two years and this may indicate that he died of some chronic disease, perhaps Crohn’s disease, kidney failure, or cancer.
Unofficial Royalty: Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, The Prince Consort
Unofficial Royalty: December 14 – Queen Victoria’s Dire Day

December 14, 1873 – Death of Elisabeth Ludovika of Bavaria, Queen of Prussia, wife of King Friedrich Wilhelm IV of Prussia, in Dresden, Kingdom of Saxony, now in Saxony, Germany; buried at the Friedenskirche in Potsdam, Kingdom of Prussia, now in Brandenburg, Germany
Elisabeth Ludovika was the daughter of King Maximilian I Joseph of Bavaria and his second wife Princess Caroline of Baden. She was the twin sister of Amalie Auguste. In 1823, Elisabeth Ludovika married the future King Friedrich Wilhelm IV of Prussia, after four years of negotiations regarding religion. Friedrich Wilhelm was required to be Lutheran, while Elisabeth Ludovika was Catholic. Eventually, it was agreed that she could retain her religion with the expectation that she would eventually convert. She did convert, but not until 1830. Other than a stillborn child born early in their marriage, the couple had no children. After becoming Queen in 1840, Elisabeth Ludovika welcomed her role and became greatly involved in charity work throughout Prussia. After her husband died in 1861, she continued her charity work, mostly to honor her late husband. Elisabeth Ludovika had a close relationship with the wife of her nephew by marriage, Crown Princess Victoria, born Victoria, Princess Royal. Victoria had been a great comfort to the widowed Elisabeth Ludovika and she bequeathed her jewels to Victoria instead of following the tradition and leaving them to the new Queen Augusta. This act of kindness ended up causing a rift between Victoria and her mother-in-law that would last until Queen Augusta’s death. Elisabeth Ludovika died, aged 72, while visiting her twin sister Queen Amalie of Saxony.
Unofficial Royalty: Elisabeth Ludovika of Bavaria, Queen of Prussia

December 14, 1878 – Death of Princess Alice of the United Kingdom, Grand Duchess of Hesse and by Rhine, wife of Grand Duke Louis IV of Hesse and by Rhine, daughter of Queen Victoria, at Neues Palais in Darmstadt, Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine, now in Hesse, Germany; buried at the Mausoleum of Rosenhöhe in Darmstadt
In November 1878, Alice’s family began to fall ill with diphtheria. Alice quickly slipped into her role as caregiver, nursing her husband and children back to health. Sadly, her youngest child, Princess Marie, succumbed to the illness and died on November 16, 1878. Alice tried to keep the news from her husband and other children until they were in better health. Eventually telling her son, Ernst Ludwig (who was quite devoted to the young May), she broke the one rule of nursing this horrible illness – she comforted him with hugs and a kiss. Soon after, Alice herself began to fall ill and was also diagnosed with diphtheria. Her condition quickly deteriorated, and in the early morning of December 14, 1878 — the 17th anniversary of her father’s death – Princess Alice, Grand Duchess of Hesse and by Rhine died at the age of 35.
Unofficial Royalty: Princess Alice of the United Kingdom, Grand Duchess of Hesse and by Rhine

December 14, 1895 – Birth of King George VI of the United Kingdom at York Cottage at Sandringham in Norfolk, England
Prince Albert Frederick Arthur George was born on the 34th anniversary of the deaths in 1861 of his great-grandfather Prince Albert and his great-aunt Princess Alice in 1878.  Queen Victoria received the news with mixed feelings. Her son, the Prince of Wales (later King Edward VII) wrote to his son (the future King George V), the new baby’s father: “Grandmama was rather distressed that this happy event should have taken place on a darkly sad anniversary for us, but I think – as well as most of us in the family here – that it will break the spell of this unlucky date.” George went on to succeed to the British throne upon the abdication of his brother King Edward VIII.
Unofficial Royalty: King George VI of the United Kingdom

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

December 14, 1940 – Death of Princess Maria of Greece, Grand Duchess Maria Georgievna of Russia, daughter of King George I of Greece and Grand Duchess Olga Konstantinovna of Russia, in Athens, Greece; buried at the Royal Cemetery, Tatoi Palace, Greece
In 1900, Maria married a maternal cousin Grand Duke George Mikhailovich of Russia, the son of Grand Duke Mikhail Nikolaevich of Russia and the grandson of Nicholas I, Emperor of All Russia. The couple had two daughters. The marriage was never happy. Maria was not in love with her husband, despite his devotion to her. She soon found excuses to leave Russia and spent more time in Greece and elsewhere in Europe. When World War I began, Maria was living in Harrogate, England with her two daughters and chose to remain there and not return to Russia. Her husband, like many in the Russian Imperial Family, was murdered by the Bolsheviks with three other Grand Dukes of Russia in January 1919, leaving Maria a widow. In 1920, Maria was able to return to Greece when her brother King Constantine I was brought back to power. She traveled aboard a Greek destroyer commanded by Admiral Pericles Ioannidis, and a romance developed. The couple married two years later in 1922. Maria, aged 64, died of a heart attack in 1940.
Unofficial Royalty: Princess Maria of Greece, Grand Duchess Maria Georgievna of Russia

December 14, 1945 – Death of Princess Maud, Countess of Southesk at a nursing home in London, England; buried at the home of the Carnegie family, the Earls of Southesk, Kinnaird Castle in Brechin, Angus, Scotland
Maud was the youngest child of Princess Louise, Princess Royal and Alexander Duff, 1st Duke of Fife, and a grandchild of King Edward VII of the United Kingdom. She married Charles Carnegie, 11th Earl of Southesk. After her marriage, Maud stopped using ‘Her Highness Princess Maud’ and was known as Lady Carnegie. In 1941, upon his father’s death, Maud’s husband became the 11th Earl of Southesk. Maud and her husband had one son. On December 14, 1945, Maud, aged 52, died of bronchitis on the 84th anniversary of the death of her great-grandfather Prince Albert.
Unofficial Royalty: Princess Maud, Countess of Southesk

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

© Unofficial Royalty 2024

King Henri IV of France, Credit – Wikipedia

December 13, 1533 – Birth of King Erik XIV of Sweden at Stockholm Castle in Stockholm, Sweden
Erik was the only child of King Gustav I Vasa of Sweden and his first wife Katharina of Saxe-Lauenburg. Early in his reign, he showed signs of mental instability, a condition that eventually led to insanity. Some scholars claim that his illness began early during his reign, while others believe that it first manifested with the Sture murders in which he and his guards killed six men. Deposed by his half-brother who became King Johan III of Sweden, Erik was imprisoned and likely murdered by arsenic poisoning. An examination of his remains in 1958 confirmed that Erik probably died of arsenic poisoning.
Unofficial Royalty: King Eric XIV of Sweden

December 13, 1553 – Birth of King Henri IV of France in Pau, Kingdom of Navarre, now in France
King Henri IV of France was the first French king of the House of Bourbon. He was the son of Queen Jeanne III of Navarre and Antoine de Bourbon, Duke de Vendôme. Although he was baptized in the Catholic Church, Henri was raised as a Protestant. Upon his mother’s death in 1572, Henri took the throne as King Henri III of Navarre. Two months later, he married Marguerite of Valois, the daughter of King Henri II of France. In 1584, Henri became the heir-presumptive to the French throne, as the last heir to King Henri III of France had died. Henri was King Louis IX’s most senior agnatic descendant, and therefore the rightful heir. When King Henri III of France was assassinated in 1589, King Henri III of Navarre, as the heir-presumptive, became King Henri IV of France. In a loveless and childless marriage, and knowing that he needed an heir, Henri began negotiations to end his first marriage to Marguerite of Valois. Henri married Marie de’ Medici in 1600 and they had six children. In 1610, Henri IV was stabbed to death while his carriage was traveling through Paris.
Unofficial Royalty: King Henri IV of France
Unofficial Royalty: Assassination of Henri IV, King of France

December 13, 1621 – Death of Katarina Stenbock, Queen of Sweden, third wife of King Gustav I of Sweden at Strömsholm Palace in Sweden; buried at Uppsala Cathedral in Sweden
Katarina’s mother was the sister of King Gustav I Vasa of Sweden’s second wife Margareta Eriksdotter Leijonhufvud. Therefore, Katarina was the first cousin of the ten children of Gustav Vasa and Margareta Leijonhufvud. Katarina’s parents were part of the Kungafränderna (The King’s Relatives). They were given prominent positions and had much influence at court. It is quite probable that Katerina served as a maid of honor to her aunt Margareta Leijonhufvud. When Katerina’s aunt died in 1551, Gustav Vasa decided to marry Katarina despite the king being 56 and Katarina being 17. Gustav Vasa saw this marriage as a way to forgo the costs and the time-consuming negotiations necessary to arrange a marriage with a foreign princess in the complicated political climate in Europe, result of the ongoing conflicts caused by the Protestant Reformation. Katarina’s family saw the marriage as a way to preserve the family connection they had made with Gustav Vasa through his previous marriage with Margareta Leijonhufvud. Katarina and Gustav Vasa had no children but Katarina served as a stepmother to her first cousins, the children of Gustav Vasa and her aunt Margareta Leijonhufvud. King Gustav I Vasa died in 1560, aged 64. Katarina never remarried despite being only 25 years old when King Gustav I died. She dressed in mourning for the rest of her life. Katarina survived her husband by sixty-one years, dying at the age of 86.
Unofficial Royalty: Katarina Stenbock, Queen of Sweden

December 13, 1826 – Death of Louise d’Aumont Mazarin, Hereditary Princess of Monaco, wife of Prince Honoré IV of Monaco, in Paris, France; buried first at Père-Lachaise Cemetery in Paris, in 1885 her remains were moved to Saint Nicholas Cathedral in Monaco
Louise d’Aumont, a wealthy heiress, was the wife of Honoré IV, Prince of Monaco. However, Louise divorced Honoré before he became Prince of Monaco, and so the title she held during their marriage was Hereditary Princess of Monaco. Louise and Honoré IV had two sons, both Sovereign Princes of Monaco. In 1794, while Honoré IV was in prison during the French Revolution, Louise gave birth to an illegitimate daughter Amélie Céleste Erodore d’Aumont. The  child’s father is believed to be Antoine de Montazet, Archbishop of Lyon. After Honoré IV’s release from prison, Louise and Honoré IV’s marriage became unhappy and the couple separated. In 1798, Louise divorced Honoré IV, giving Louise sole access to her fortune.
Unofficial Royalty: Louise d’Aumont Mazarin, Hereditary Princess of Monaco

December 13, 1906 – Birth of Princess Marina of Greece, Duchess of Kent, wife of Prince George, Duke of Kent, at Nicholas Palace in Athens, Greece
Marina was the youngest of the three daughters of Prince Nicholas of Greece and Denmark (a son of King George I of the Hellenes, born Prince Vilhelm of Denmark) and Grand Duchess Elena Vladimirovna of Russia (a granddaughter of Alexander II, Emperor of All Russia). Through her father, Marina was the first cousin of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. In 1934, she married Prince George, Duke of Kent, son of King George V of the United Kingdom. The two were second cousins, through their mutual descent from King Christian IX of Denmark. This would be the last marriage of a foreign princess into the British Royal Family. Marina and George had three children, the first cousins of Queen Elizabeth II: Prince Edward who succeeded his father as Duke of Kent, Princess Alexandra, and Prince Michael. Sadly, just six weeks after the birth of Prince Michael, Prince George was killed when his military plane crashed in Scotland. Marina remained a very active and highly popular member of the Royal Family. She is perhaps best known for serving 26 years as President of the All-England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club.
Unofficial Royalty: Princess Marina of Greece, Duchess of Kent

December 13, 1946 – Birth of Princess Maria da Glória of Orléans-Bragança, first wife of Crown Prince Alexander of Serbia, in Petrópolis, Brazil
Maria da Glória is the daughter of Prince Pedro Gastão of Orléans-Bragança and Princess Maria de la Esperanza of Bourbon-Two Sicilies. She is a direct descendant of King Pedro II of Brazil and King Francisco I of the Two Sicilies. Through her mother, she is directly descended from King Ferdinand II of the Two Sicilies, King Ferdinand VII of Spain, and Leopold II, Holy Roman Emperor. Through both parents, she is descended from King Louis Philippe I of the French. She is also a first cousin, through her mother, of King Juan Carlos I of Spain. In 1972, Maria da Glória married Crown Prince Alexander, the pretender to the throne of Serbia. The couple had three sons before divorcing in 1985. Later that year, Maria da Glória married Ignacio de Medina y Fernández de Córdoba, 19th Duke of Segorbe and the couple had two daughters.
Unofficial Royalty: Princess Maria da Glória of Orléans-Bragança

December 13, 1958 – Death of Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna of Russia, daughter of Grand Duke Paul Alexandrovich of Russia, in a hospital in Konstanz, Germany; buried next to her brother Grand Duke Dmitri in a side altar of the Mainau Palace Church at Mainau Castle, the estate of her son Count Lennart Bernadotte of Wisborg on the island of Mainau in Lake Constance in Germany
A first cousin of both Nicholas II, the last Emperor of All Russia and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, Maria Pavlovna made an unsuccessful marriage to Prince Wilhelm, Duke of Södermanland, son of King Gustav V of Sweden. She left her husband and son and returned to Russia which caused a great scandal in Sweden. The marriage was officially dissolved and Maria’s son Lennart remained in his father’s custody and rarely saw his mother during his childhood. In 1917, Maria Pavlovna married Prince Sergei Mikhailovich Putyatin, the son of the former palace commandant at Tsarkoye Selo, where they had met as children. They had one son who died in infancy. Maria Pavlovna and her husband managed to escape Russia during the Russian Revolution which was disastrous for her family. Maria Pavlovna’s half-brother Prince Vladimir Paley, her aunt and her former guardian Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna, and her father Grand Duke Paul Alexandrovich were all murdered by the Bolsheviks. Maria and her husband divorced in 1923. Maria led an interesting life. She lived in Paris, London, New York, and Argentina, and worked as an embroiderer for Coco Chanel, a fashion buyer for Bergdorf Goodmans and a photojournalist in New York, and wrote two memoirs. In 1937, Maria Pavlovna was reunited with her son Lennart at his estate on the island of Mainau in Lake Constance, Germany. She lived with her son at his estate during her final years and died in a nearby hospital from pneumonia at the age of 68.
Unofficial Royalty: Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna (the Younger) of Russia

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

© Unofficial Royalty 2024

Anne of Denmark, Queen of Scots, Queen of England; Credit – Wikipedia

December 12, 1212 – Death of Geoffrey, Archbishop of York, the illegitimate son of King Henry II of England; died and buried at the Priory of Saint Michael in Grandmont, Duchy of Normandy, now in France
The identity of Geoffrey’s mother is uncertain. Henry II’s plan was for Geoffrey to enter the Church and so Geoffrey was sent to schools in Northhampton, England and Tours, County of Torraine, one of Henry’s possessions, now in France. Before 1170, the teenage Geoffrey took minor orders, lower ranks of Roman Catholic Church ministry. In 1170, when he was about eighteen years old, Geoffrey was appointed Archdeacon of Lincoln. In May 1173, Henry arranged for Geoffrey to be elected Bishop of Lincoln and in 1181, he was appointed him Chancellor of England in 1181. In 1189, at odds with his legitimate sons and suffering from a bleeding ulcer, King Henry II retreated to his favorite residence, the Château de Chinon in Anjou, now in France. Only Henry II’s illegitimate son Geoffrey was at his deathbed when he died on July 6, 1189. Henry II had made a deathbed wish that Geoffrey be named Archbishop of York, and his half-brother King Richard I did nominate Geoffrey as Archbishop of York.
Unofficial Royalty: Geoffrey, Archbishop of York, Illegitimate Son of King Henry II of England

December 12, 1296 – Death of Isabella of Mar, Countess of Carrick, first wife of Robert I, King of Scots (Robert the Bruce), due to childbirth complications at the Manor of Cardross in Dunbartonshire, Scotland; buried at Paisley Abbey in Paisley, Renfrewshire, Scotland, her tomb has not survived
Isabella of Mar was the first wife of Robert I (the Bruce), King of Scots, but she died before her husband became king. She was the daughter of 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). In 1295, Robert the Bruce, Earl of Carrick and Isabella of Mar married. Shortly after the wedding, Isabella became pregnant. Nineteen-year-old Isabella had a healthy pregnancy but died soon after giving birth to a daughter named Marjorie on December 12, 1296. Marjorie Bruce married Walter Stewart, 6th High Steward of Scotland. Marjorie was 19-years-old at the time of her death, like her mother, who was the same age when she died in childbirth. Marjorie’s son became Robert II, King of Scots, the first monarch of the House of Stewart. Marjorie’s descendants include the House of Stuart, all their successors on the thrones of Scotland, Great Britain, and the United Kingdom, and many other European royal families.
Unofficial Royalty: Isabella of Mar, Countess of Carrick

December 12, 1574 – Birth of Anne of Denmark, Queen of Scots, Queen of England, wife of James VI, King of Scots/James I, King of England and daughter of King Frederik II of Denmark, at Skanderborg Castle in Skanderborg, Denmark
In 1589, Anne married James VI, King of Scots, the son of Mary, Queen of Scots. In 1603, James succeeded to the English throne upon the death of Queen Elizabeth I of England as King James I of England. Anne and James had seven children but only three survived childhood: Henry Frederick, Prince of Wales who died of typhoid fever, aged 18; Elizabeth who married Frederick V, Elector Palatine, and whose daughter Sophia of Hanover became heiress presumptive to the British throne under the Act of Settlement 1701 (Sophia’s son was King George I) and King Charles I of England who was beheaded during the English Civil War. When Anne’s son Henry Frederick died, it was a great tragedy for Anne and the entire nation. Anne could not bear to have Henry’s death mentioned and people were advised not to give her condolences. After her son’s death, Anne’s health began to deteriorate and she withdrew from social activities. By 1617, Anne’s condition became debilitating. Her surviving son Charles was often with her and was at her bedside when Anne died at the age of 44 from dropsy (edema).
Unofficial Royalty: Anne of Denmark, Queen of Scots, Queen of England

December 12, 1785 – Death of Charlotte of Hesse-Darmstadt, Duchess of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, second wife of the future Grand Duke Carl II of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, in Hanover, Electorate of Hanover, now in Lower Saxony, Germany; buried in the New Crypt of the Johanniterkirche in Mirow, Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg- Strelitz, now in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany
In 1784, Charlotte married the future Grand Duke Carl II of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. Carl had previously been married to her older sister Friederike who had died after giving birth to her tenth child two years earlier. Charlotte and Carl had one son, however, twelve days after giving birth to her son, Charlotte died of complications from childbirth.
Unofficial Royalty: Charlotte of Hesse-Darmstadt, Duchess of Mecklenburg- Strelitz

December 12, 1791 – Birth of Marie Louise of Austria, Empress of France, second wife of Napoléon Bonaparte and daughter of Franz II, Holy Roman Emperor (later Emperor Franz I of Austria), at Hofburg Palace in Vienna, Austria
Full name: Maria Ludovica Leopoldina Franziska Therese Josepha Lucia
Archduchess Maria Ludovica of Austria was the second wife of Napoleon I, Emperor of the French and later Duchess of Parma, Piacenza, and Guastalla in her own right. Because his wife Josephine had not provided him with an heir, French Emperor Napoleon was searching for a new bride who could bear him an heir and set his sights on the leading royal families of Europe. After Napoleon divorced his first wife, Maria Ludovica married him in 1810, became Empress of the French and Queen of Italy, and took the French version of her name, Marie Louise. The couple did have one child, a son, who died at the age of 23. After Napoleon’s final defeat at the Battle of Waterloo and his exile to Saint Helena in 1815, Marie Louise had no further contact with him. Marie Louise married two more times and had three children with her second husband. As Duchess of Parma, Marie Louise supported many causes, with much of her efforts going toward improving medical care and treatment. She established a childbirth hospital and a training school for nurses, as well as a hospital for those with mental illness.
Unofficial Royalty: Marie Louise of Austria, Empress of France

December 12, 1801 – Birth of King Johann of Saxony in Dresden, Electorate of Saxony, now in Saxony, Germany
Full name: Johann Nepomuk Maria Joseph Anton Vincenz Aloys Franz de Paula Stanislaus Bernhard Paul Felix Damasus
In 1822, Johann married Princess Amalie Auguste of Bavaria. They had nine children including two kings of Saxony. Johann became King of Saxony upon the death of his childless brother King Friedrich August II in 1854. His reign saw much progress within Saxony, including extending the railroad network, introducing free trade – including a commercial treaty with France – and establishing the Judiciary Organization. Under King Johann’s oversight, Saxony became one of the most modern and progressive of the German states.
Unofficial Royalty: King Johann of Saxony

December 12, 1843 – Death of King Willem I of the Netherlands in exile in Berlin, Kingdom of Prussia, now in Brandenburg, Germany; buried at Nieuwe Kerk in Delft, the Netherlands
Willem was the eldest surviving son of Willem V, Prince of Orange, the last Stadtholder of the Dutch Republic. The Napoleonic Wars disrupted Willem’s life. The French invaded the Dutch Republic in 1795 and the family went into exile first in England and then in 1796 in Prussia where they lived until 1813. In 1806, Willem’s father died and he inherited the title Prince of Orange.  After the defeat of Napoleon, the Dutch Republic was proclaimed the Kingdom of the Netherlands and Willem became its first king. King Willem I abdicated in 1840 due to constitutional changes he disagreed with, his anger over the loss of Belgium, and his desire to make a morganatic second marriage with Henriëtte d’Oultremont after the death of his first wife Wilhelmine of Prussia in 1837.  His eldest son succeeded him as Willem II.  After his abdication, Willem was styled King Willem Frederick, Count of Nassau. Willem died at the age of 71.
Unofficial Royalty: King Willem I of the Netherlands

December 12, 1912 – Death of Luitpold, Prince Regent of Bavaria in Munich, Kingdom of Bavaria, now in Bavaria, Germany; buried at the Theatine Church St. Cajetan in Munich
Luitpold was regent and the real ruler of Bavaria from 1886 to 1912, due to the mental incompetency of his nephews, King Ludwig II and King Otto. He was the third son of King Ludwig I of Bavaria and Princess Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen. In 1844, Luitpold married Archduchess Auguste Ferdinande of Austria and they had four children including Ludwig III, the last King of Bavaria. On June 10, 1886, Luitpold became Prince Regent after his nephew King Ludwig II was declared mentally incompetent. Ludwig II died three days later under mysterious circumstances, and the throne passed to Ludwig’s brother Otto. However, by this time, Otto had also been declared mentally ill, and Luitpold continued as Prince Regent. Luitpold died at the age of 91, after having developed bronchitis. He was succeeded as Regent by his eldest son, who became King Ludwig III the following year, after deposing his cousin King Otto.
Unofficial Royalty: Luitpold, Prince Regent of Bavaria

December 12, 1992 – Wedding of Anne, Princess Royal, daughter of Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, and Timothy Laurence at Crathie Church in Ballater, Scotland
Timothy Laurence first met his future wife, Anne, Princess Royal when he was Equerry to Queen Elizabeth II. As the Queen’s Equerry for three years, Timothy learned the ways of the Royal Family. He often ate with the family, accompanied them on outings, cruised on the royal yacht, and made formal introductions when important guests visited. Anne’s marriage to Mark Phillips was in trouble and Timothy caught her eye. However, it was not until 1989, when four of Timothy’s love letters were stolen from Anne’s briefcase at Buckingham Palace that the romance came to light. In the same year, Anne separated from her first husband, but her courtship with Timothy remained discreet. The couple was seldom seen together until Anne’s divorce became final in April 1992. The couple’s intention to marry was announced by Buckingham Palace on December 5, 1992, just a week before the wedding.
Unofficial Royalty: Wedding of Princess Anne and Timothy Laurence

December 12, 1995 – Death of Caroline-Mathilde of Denmark, Hereditary Princess of Denmark, wife of her first cousin Hereditary Prince Knud of Denmark, at Sorgenfri Palace in Kongens Lyngby, Denmark; buried at Roskilde Cathedral in Roskilde, Denmark
Caroline-Mathilde was the granddaughter of King Frederik VIII of Denmark. In 1933, Caroline-Mathilde married her first cousin Prince Knud of Denmark. Knud was the younger son of King Christian X of Denmark, the brother of Caroline-Mathilde’s father Prince Harald. Caroline-Mathilde and Knud had one daughter and two sons. From 1947 to 1953, Knud was the heir presumptive of his older brother King Frederick IX. Knud would have become king and Caroline Mathilde queen, but a 1953 change in the succession law caused Knud to lose his place in the succession to his niece, who became Queen Margrethe II upon her father’s death in 1972. After the change, Prince Knud was given the title of Hereditary Prince and Caroline Mathilde became Hereditary Princess.  Prince Knud died in 1976, and Caroline-Mathilde survived him by 19 years, dying at the age of 83.
Unofficial Royalty: Caroline-Mathilde of Denmark, Hereditary Princess of Denmark

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

© Unofficial Royalty 2024

Kamehameha V, King of the Hawaiian Islands; Credit – Wikipedia

December 11, 1282 – Death of Llywelyn ap Gruffydd, Prince of Wales at the Battle of Orewin Bridge near Builth Wells, Wales
Llywelyn ap Gruffydd was the native Prince of Wales from 1258 until he died in 1282. Llywelyn was the son of Gruffydd ap Llywelyn Fawr and grandson of Llywelyn the Great (Llywelyn I), and he was one of the last native and independent princes of Wales before its conquest by Edward I of England and English rule in Wales that followed.
Unofficial Royalty: Llywelyn ap Gruffydd, Prince of Wales

December 11, 1718 – Death of King Karl XII of Sweden during a siege at Fredriksten Fortress in Halden, Norway; buried at Riddarholmen Church in Stockholm, Sweden
Karl XII became King of Sweden at the age of fifteen in 1697 upon the death of his father Karl XI, King of Sweden, and reigned for twenty-one years.  Karl never married. For almost all of his reign, Karl XII led Sweden in the Great Northern War (1700 – 1721). He acted as the army’s general and achieved significant success for several years. After losing a decisive battle in which he was wounded and lost one-third of his forces, Karl fled to the Ottoman Empire and remained there for five years. Upon his return to Sweden, he started an offensive military campaign and ultimately lost his life in battle. In 1718, Karl again invaded Norway by laying siege to Fredriksten Fortress. On December 11, 1718, while in the trenches close to the perimeter of Fredriksten Fortress, 36-year-old Karl was hit in the head by a projectile that entered the left side of his skull and exited on the right side of his skull, instantly killing him. The invasion was abandoned and Karl’s body was returned to Sweden where he was buried at Riddarholmen Church in Stockholm.
Unofficial Royalty: King Karl XII of Sweden

December 11, 1756 – Death of Archduchess Maria Amalie of Austria, wife of Karl VII, Holy Roman Emperor who was also Karl I, Elector of Bavaria, at Nymphenburg Palace in Munich, Electorate of Bavaria, now in the German state of Bavaria; buried in the Theatinerkirche in Munich
The daughter of Joseph I, Holy Roman Emperor, Maria Amalie married Karl of Bavaria, the heir to the Electorate of Bavaria. They had seven children but only four survived to adulthood. During the War of the Austrian Succession, Karl, now Elector of Bavaria was elected Holy Roman Emperor Karl VII in 1742, and his wife Maria Amalie was now Holy Roman Empress. The War of Austrian Succession greatly overshadowed Karl VII’s three-year reign as Holy Roman Emperor. After the death of her husband in 1745, Maria Amalie lived at the home her husband had given her, Fürstenried Palace, for the rest of her life. She died at Nymphenburg Palace in Munich on December 11, 1756, aged 55. Like her husband, she was buried in the Theatinerkirche in Munich.
Unofficial Royalty: Maria Amalie of Austria, Holy Roman Empress, Electress of Bavaria

December 11, 1817 – Death of Countess Maria Walewska, mistress of Emperor Napoleon I of France, born Countess Maria Łączyńska, Countess d’Ornano via her second marriage, in Paris, France; her heart was interred in the Ornano family crypt at the Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris, France, and her body was buried with her birth family in Kiernozia, Poland
Maria Walewska was a member of the Polish nobility, and from 1807 – 1810, was the mistress of the French Emperor Napoleon I, with whom she had one son. The end of her relationship with Napoleon was very amicable, and Napoleon ensured that Marie and their son were very well provided for financially. In 1812, Marie divorced her husband and received half of his estates, which in addition to the money provided by Napoleon, made Marie a very wealthy woman. In 1816, she married for a second time, to Philippe Antoine, Count d’Ornano, a prominent military leader and a second cousin of Napoleon. In January 1817, while on a visit to Poland, she was diagnosed with a kidney disease, which became worse during her pregnancy and resulted in the birth of a son. Marie’s health continued to deteriorate and she died at just 31 years old.
Unofficial Royalty: Countess Maria Walewska, Mistress of Emperor Napoleon I of France

December 11, 1826 – Death of Maria Leopoldina of Austria, Empress of Brazil, Queen of Portugal, first wife of Pedro I of Brazil/Pedro IV of Portugal, in childbirth at the Palacio de São Cristovão in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; buried first in the Ajuda Abbey in Rio de Janeiro, since 1954 in the Ipiranga monument in São Paulo, Brazil
Maria Leopoldina was the daughter of Emperor Franz I of Austria and the second of his four wives, Maria Theresa of Naples and Sicily. In 1817, Maria Leopoldina married Pedro, Crown Prince of Portugal and Prince of Brazil.  At that time, Brazil was ruled as a kingdom united with Portugal.  In 1807, the Portuguese royal family had moved to Brazil to escape the Napoleonic invasion and had remained in Brazil where Rio de Janeiro became the de facto capital of the Portuguese Empire. Maria Leopoldina and Pedro had seven children including Queen Maria II of Portugal. Pedro was quite uneducated and the intelligent and well-educated Leopoldina quickly gained influence over her husband. Pedro discussed all government affairs with her and usually followed her advice. In August 1822, Pedro appointed Leopoldina Regent while he went on a political trip. While Pedro was away, Leopoldina received news that Portugal was about to take action, and without waiting for Pedro’s return, met with the Council of State and signed the Decree of Independence, declaring Brazil independent from Portugal. Pedro I was declared Emperor of Brazil. 29-year-old Leopoldina died at the Palacio de São Cristovão on December 11, 1826, from puerperal fever (childbed fever) after a miscarriage.
Unofficial Royalty: Maria Leopoldina of Austria, Empress of Brazil, Queen of Portugal

December 11, 1830 – Birth of Kamehameha V, King of the Hawaiian Islands in Honolulu on the island of Oahu in the Kingdom of the Hawaiian Islands, now in the state of Hawaii
December 11, 1872 – Death of Kamehameha V, King of the Hawaiian Islands in Honolulu on the island of Oahu in the Kingdom of the Hawaiian Islands, now in the state of Hawaii
Kamehameha V, King of the Hawaiian Islands was the son of High Chief Mataio Kekūanaōʻa, Royal Governor of Oʻahu, and Princess Elizabeth Kīnaʻu, daughter of Kamehameha I, King of the Hawaiian Islands. Both parents of Kamehameha IV were converts to Christianity so Kamehameha V was given the name Lot Kapuāiwa. From 1849 to 1852, Lot traveled around the world with his brother Alexander, the future King Kamehameha IV, and their guardian Gerrit P. Judd, an American physician and missionary. On November 30, 1863, Lot’s brother, 29-year-old brother King Kamehameha IV died, and Lot succeeded him as Kamehameha V, King of the Hawaiian Islands. Travel to the Hawaiian Islands increased during Lot’s reign. The American author Mark Twain came in March 1866 and stayed for four months. In 1869, Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom sent her second son Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh on a state visit. Lot never married. As he lay dying on December 11, 1872, his forty-second birthday, he told those who came to visit him, “It is hard to die on my birthday, but God’s will be done.” Lot was interred in the Royal Mausoleum, Mauna ʻAla (Fragrant Hills) in Honolulu, on the island of Oahu. In 1887, after the Royal Mausoleum became too crowded, the caskets of the members of the House of Kamehameha were moved to the newly built Kamehameha Tomb, an underground vault, under the Kamehameha Dynasty Tomb.
Unofficial Royalty: Kamehameha V, King of the Hawaiian Islands

December 11, 1850 – Birth of Lady Mary Victoria Hamilton, Hereditary Princess of Monaco, first wife of Prince Albert I of Monaco, daughter of William Hamilton, 11th Duke of Hamilton, at Hamilton Palace in Hamilton, South Lanarkshire, Scotland
Besides having an American mother, Prince Albert II of Monaco has a Scottish great-grandmother, and not on his mother’s side, but on his father’s side. Lady Mary Victoria Hamilton was the daughter of William Alexander Anthony Archibald Hamilton, 11th Duke of Hamilton and Princess Marie Amelie of Baden. French Emperor Napoléon III suggested a match between the future Prince Albert I of Monaco and Lady Mary Victoria. The couple married in 1869 but the marriage was unsuccessful. Mary Victoria did not like her husband and did not like Monaco and the Mediterranean, which was so unlike her native Scotland. 19-year-old, pregnant Mary Victoria left Monaco with her mother and headed to her mother’s family home in the Grand Duchy of Baden where she gave birth to the future Prince Louis II of Monaco in 1870. Mary Victoria and Albert never reconciled. Their marriage was annulled by the Roman Catholic Church in 1880 and civilly dissolved the same year by Prince Charles III of Monaco. Their son Prince Louis was raised in Baden by his maternal grandmother and did not see his father until he was 11-years-old. Mary Victoria married a second time in 1880 to Count Tassilo Festetics de Tolna, a Hungarian noble, and the couple had four children. Mary Victoria’s second marriage was a happy one and lasted over 40 years until the death of her second husband.
Unofficial Royalty: Lady Mary Victoria Hamilton, Hereditary Princess of Monaco

December 11, 1898 – Death of Sir William Jenner, 1st Baronet, Queen Victoria’s Physician-in-Ordinary from 1861 – 1890, at his estate Greenwood in Durley, Hampshire, England; buried at Holy Cross Churchyard in Durley, Hampshire, England
Jenner took an interest in pathology, particularly in typhus and typhoid fever. Through his work, Jenner confirmed in 1849 that typhus and typhoid fever were two distinct diseases with very different causes. His work on the subject earned him an international reputation and made a huge impact on public health. With the importance of Jenner’s pathology work, his career quickly progressed. He taught pathological anatomy at the University College of London and became a staff doctor at University College Hospital. In 1861, his fame reached Queen Victoria who appointed him her Physician-Extraordinary. Jenner was one of the doctors who treated Prince Albert during his final illness. Despite his failure to save Albert, Jenner made a favorable impression on Queen Victoria, who appointed him her Physician-In-Ordinary in 1862. Queen Victoria and Jenner became lifelong friends, and in 1868, she created Jenner a Baronet. In December 1878, Jenner went to Darmstadt to attend Princess Alice, Grand Duchess of Hesse and by Rhine, Queen Victoria’s daughter who had become ill with diphtheria while nursing her family, also ill with the disease. Sadly, Alice died seventeen years to the day of her father’s death. In 1890, Jenner was forced to retire from his position as Physician-In-Ordinary due to ill health. He went to live at his estate, Greenwood in Durley, Hampshire, England, where he died at the age of 83.
Unofficial Royalty: Sir William Jenner, 1st Baronet

December 11, 1936 – Abdication of King Edward VIII of the United Kingdom; his brother becomes King George VI of the United Kingdom
On December 11, 1936, King Edward VIII performed the last act of his reign, the royal assent to His Majesty’s Declaration of Abdication Act 1936, necessary because only Parliament can change the succession to the throne. On the evening of December 11, 1936, once again His Royal Highness Prince Edward, the former king gave his famous radio speech in which he said, “I have found it impossible to carry the heavy burden of responsibility and to discharge my duties as king as I would wish to do without the help and support of the woman I love.” On December 12, 1936, at the accession meeting of the Privy Council, the new King George VI announced he was going to give his brother the title Duke of Windsor with the style of Royal Highness. Letters Patent dated May 27, 1937 re-conferred the “title, style, or attribute of Royal Highness” upon the Duke of Windsor, but specifically stated that “his wife and descendants, if any, shall not hold said title or attribute”.
Unofficial Royalty: Duke of Windsor, former King Edward VIII

December 11, 1950 – Death of Ernst II, Prince of Hohenlohe-Langenburg in Langenburg, Baden-Württemberg, Germany; buried in the family cemetery at Schloss Langenburg in Langenburg
In 1896, Ernst married Alexandra of Edinburgh and Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, a granddaughter of Queen Victoria. The couple was second cousins. Their grandmothers, Queen Victoria and Princess Feodora of Leiningen were half-sisters. Ernst and Alexandra had five children including Gottfried, Prince of Hohenlohe-Langenburg who married Princess Margarita of Greece and Denmark, a sister of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. In 1900, Ernst’s father-in-law Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh and Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha died, and the ducal throne of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha passed to Alexandra’s cousin, Charles Edward, Duke of Albany. Because Charles Edward was just sixteen, Ernst was appointed as Regent until the new Duke reached his majority in 1905. During World War I, Ernst served the German Empire as General Delegate to the Eastern Front and also served as a special envoy to Constantinople and the Balkans in 1915. In 1936, Ernst joined the Nazi Party. Following World War II, Ernst retired from official service and lived a quiet and more private life. Ernst died at the age of 87, having survived his wife by eight years.
Unofficial Royalty: Ernst II, Prince of Hohenlohe-Langenburg

December 11, 1980 – Death of Princess Viktoria Luise of Prussia, Princess of Hanover, Duchess of Brunswick, daughter of Wilhelm II, German Emperor and King of Prussia, in Hanover, Germany; buried in the Royal Mausoleum in the Berggarten at Herrenhausen Gardens in Hanover, Germany
Viktoria Luise was the youngest child of the seven children and the only daughter of Wilhelm II, German Emperor and King of Prussia. Through her father, she was a great-granddaughter of Queen Victoria. In 1913, Viktoria Luise married Ernst August III, Duke of Brunswick. Viktoria Luise and Ernst August had five children. Viktoria Luise’s husband was forced to abdicate on November 8, 1918, when the monarchies in Germany were abolished. The following year, he also lost his British title as a Prince of the United Kingdom under the Titles Deprivation Act. Viktoria Luise was widowed in 1953. After living many years in Brunswick, her health began to fail in the fall of 1980, and she moved to the Friederikestift, a hospital in Hanover, where she died at the age of 88.
Unofficial Royalty: Princess Viktoria Luise of Prussia, Princess of Hanover, Duchess of Brunswick

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

© Unofficial Royalty 2024

Leopold I, King of the Belgians, Credit – Wikipedia

Royal Events Today

• Unofficial Royalty: Nobel Peace Prize – Norway – December 10
• Unofficial Royalty: Nobel Prizes – Sweden – December 10

Today in Royal History

December 10, 1756 – Birth of Friedrich Franz I, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin in Schwerin, then in the Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, now in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany
In 1775, Friedrich Franz married Princess Luise of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg and had six children. He also had numerous mistresses and fathered at least 15 illegitimate children. He maintained close contact with all of them, providing financial support and arranging for the best education possible for his sons. Friedrich Franz became the reigning Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin in 1785, following the death of his childless uncle Friedrich II. After Napoleon’s defeat, Friedrich Franz was raised to Grand Duke in 1815 by the Congress of Vienna. The remaining years of his reign were focused on strengthening the education system in the Grand Duchy, as well as pushing for legal reforms and the abolishment of serfdom.
Unofficial Royalty: Friedrich Franz I, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin

December 10, 1825 – Birth of Sir Henry Ponsonby, Private Secretary to Queen Victoria, in Corfu, Greece, where his father was stationed with the British Army
In 1857, Henry was appointed Equerry to Prince Albert, beginning his service in the Royal Household which would continue until just months before his death in 1895. He was Queen Victoria’s Private Secretary from 1870-1895 as well as Keeper of the Privy Purse from 1878-1895.
Unofficial Royalty: Sir Henry Ponsonby

December 10, 1861 – Birth of Daisy Greville, Countess of Warwick, mistress of King Edward VII of the United Kingdom, born Frances Evelyn Maynard at 27 Berkeley Square in London, England
Daisy Greville, Countess of Warwick, was the mistress of King Edward VII of the United Kingdom from 1889 until 1898, while he was The Prince of Wales. A renowned social hostess, she later put much of her time and effort, and fortune into helping those less fortunate. Interestingly, Daisy was descended from King Charles II of England in several different ways, through his mistresses Nell Gwyn, Barbara Palmer, and Louise de Kéroualle.
Unofficial Royalty: Daisy Greville, Countess of Warwick, mistress of King Edward VII of the United Kingdom

December 10, 1865 – Death of Leopold I, King of the Belgians at the Royal Palace of Laeken in Laeken, Brussels, Belgium; buried in the  Royal Vault at the Church of Our Lady in Laeken, Brussels, Belgium
Born Prince Leopold of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, King Leopold was the uncle of both Queen Victoria and her husband Prince Albert. Leopold’s first marriage in 1816 to Princess Charlotte of Wales, the heir and the only child of the future King George IV of the United Kingdom, tragically ended when Charlotte delivered a stillborn son and died of postpartum hemorrhage. In 1831, the southern provinces of the Netherlands rebelled against Dutch rule and became a new country, Belgium. Leopold agreed to become the first King of the Belgians. Leopold had to marry to provide for the Belgian succession, and so in 1832, he married Princess Louise-Marie of Orléans, daughter of Louis-Philippe I, King of the French. The couple had four children. Leopold again became a widower when Louise-Marie died in 1850, at the age of 38 from tuberculosis. Leopold helped arrange the marriage of his niece, Queen Victoria, the daughter of his sister, to his nephew, Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, son of his brother. Even before she succeeded to the throne, Leopold had been advising Victoria by letter, and after her accession continued to influence her. Leopold had a twenty-year relationship with Arcadie Claret with whom he had two sons. Leopold died at the age of 74. Among his last words were “Charlotte…Charlotte.” Was he calling to his daughter Charlotte or to his beloved first wife Princess Charlotte of Wales?
Unofficial Royalty: King Leopold I of the Belgians

December 10, 1936 – King Edward VIII of the United Kingdom signs the Instrument of Abdication
King Edward VIII signed the Instrument of Abdication at Fort Belvedere, his home in Windsor Great Park, in the presence of his brothers: Prince Albert, Duke of York, the heir to the throne; Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester; and Prince George, Duke of Kent. The next day, the last act of his reign was the royal assent to His Majesty’s Declaration of Abdication Act 1936, necessary because only Parliament can change the succession to the throne. On the evening of December 11, 1936, once again His Royal Highness Prince Edward, the former king gave his famous radio speech in which he said, “I have found it impossible to carry the heavy burden of responsibility and to discharge my duties as king as I would wish to do without the help and support of the woman I love.”
Unofficial Royalty: King Edward VIII of the United Kingdom, Duke of Windsor

December 10, 2014 – Birth of Princess Gabriella of Monaco, Countess of Carladès and Hereditary Prince Jacques of Monaco, Marquis of Baux, children of Prince Albert II of Monaco, at the Princess Grace Hospital Center in Monaco
Full names: Gabriella Thérèse Marie and Jacques Honoré Rainier
Princess Gabriella, Countess of Carladès and Hereditary Prince Jacques of Monaco, Marquis of Baux are the twin children of Prince Albert II of Monaco and his wife Princess Charlene (born Charlene Wittstock). Gabriella was born two minutes before her twin brother, however, she is second in the line of succession to the throne of Monaco. Because the succession to the throne is male-preference cognatic primogeniture, Gabriella’s brother Jacques is ahead of her in the line of succession even though she was born first.
Unofficial Royalty: Princess Gabriella of Monaco
Unofficial Royalty: Jacques, Hereditary Prince of Monaco

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

© Unofficial Royalty 2024

Pedro II, King of Portugal; Credit – Wikipedia

December 9, 1706 – Death of King Pedro II of Portugal at the Palhavã Palace in Alcântara, Portugal; buried at the Monastery of São Vicente de Fora in Lisbon, Portugal
Pedro was King of Portugal from 1683 until his death, previously serving as regent for his mentally disabled brother King Afonso VI from 1668 until his accession. Pedro not only inherited his brother’s throne but also married his widow Marie-Françoise of Savoy. After his first wife died, Pedro married again to Maria Sophia of Neuberg because he had only one daughter with his first wife and wanted sons. On December 5, 1706, he had a seizure that resulted in a stroke and he died four days later. Pedro was succeeded by was 17-year-old son João V, King of Portugal.
Unofficial Royalty: King Pedro II of Portugal

December 9, 1709 – Birth of Louise-Élisabeth of Orléans, Queen of Spain, wife of King Luis I of Spain, at the Palace of Versailles in Versailles, France
Louise-Élisabeth was the daughter of Philippe II, Duke of Orléans and Françoise Marie de Bourbon, the legitimized daughter of King Louis XIV of France and his mistress Françoise-Athénaïs de Rochechouart, Marquise de Montespan. In 1721, eleven-year-old Louise Élisabeth married the future King Luis I of Spain. The marriage was unsuccessful and resulted in no children due to Louise Élisabeth’s being young and her increasingly erratic and impulsive behavior. In 1724, King Luis I died from smallpox. Louise Élisabeth was a widow at the age of fourteen. Because the marriage of Luis I and Louise Élisabeth had not been consummated, Louise Élisabeth was to be sent back to France. She lived at the Palais du Luxembourg in Paris, away from the court of King Louis XV, her first cousin once removed. Louise Élisabeth died lonely and forgotten, seventeen years later, on June 16, 1742. She was buried in the Church of Saint-Sulpice in Paris but her tomb was desecrated and destroyed during the French Revolution.
Unofficial Royalty: Louise-Élisabeth of Orléans, Queen of Spain

December 9, 1751 – Birth of Maria Luisa of Parma, Queen of Spain, wife of King Carlos IV of Spain, in the Duchy of Parma, now in Italy
Full name: Luisa María Teresa Ana
The daughter of Felipe, Infante of Spain, Duke of Parma (founder of the House of Bourbon-Parma) and Louise Élisabeth of France, Maria Luisa married her first cousin, the future King Carlos IV of Spain in 1765. Maria Luisa had twenty-three pregnancies. Thirteen of the pregnancies resulted in live births, including a set of twins. The other ten pregnancies ended in miscarriages. Of the fourteen children who were born alive, only seven survived childhood. In 1808, after riots and a revolt, King Carlos IV was forced to abdicate in favor of his son King Fernando VII. Less than two months later, Carlos IV and his son Fernando VII were summoned to a meeting with Napoleon I, Emperor of the French where he forced them both to abdicate, declared the Bourbon dynasty of Spain deposed, and installed his brother Joseph Bonaparte as King of Spain. Napoleon kept Carlos and Maria Luisa’s son Fernando VII under guard in France for more than five years until the 1813 Treaty of Valençay provided for the restoration of Fernando VII as King of Spain. After Napoleon’s final defeat in 1815, King Fernando VII refused to allow his parents to return to Spain. Carlos IV and Maria Luisa settled in Rome at the Palazzo Barberini where they both died in 1819.
Unofficial Royalty: Maria Luisa of Parma, Queen of Spain

December 9, 1793 – Death of Gabrielle de Polastron, Duchesse de Polignac, favorite of Marie Antoinette, Queen of France, in Vienna, Austria; buried in Vienna, Austria
In 1775, Gabrielle and her husband were invited to visit Versailles by her sister-in-law, Diane de Polignac, who was a lady-in-waiting to Princess Elizabeth of France, the younger sister of King Louis XVI. Gabrielle was formally presented to Queen Marie Antoinette who instantly took a liking to her and soon asked her to move permanently to Versailles. Heavily in debt, this was not a move that Gabrielle and her husband could afford. Despite their aristocratic background, there was little money for extravagance. They lived on Jules’s military salary of just 4,000 livres and were heavily in debt. Becoming aware of this, Marie Antoinette quickly arranged to settle their debts and find a better position for Jules within the royal household. In 1782, Gabrielle was appointed Governess to the children of France. Following the storming of the Bastille in July 1789, Gabrielle and her family fled France, traveling throughout Europe before eventually settling in Vienna, Austria. During this time, she remained in close contact with Marie Antoinette for the next several years. Having developed what is believed to be cancer, her health quickly began to decline. Just two months after the Queen’s execution, Gabrielle died at the age of 44. Gabrielle is an ancestor of Albert II, Sovereign Prince of Monaco.
Unofficial Royalty: Gabrielle de Polastron, Duchesse de Polignac

December 9, 1799 – Birth of Lord Frederick FitzClarence, illegitimate son of King William IV of the United Kingdom, at Bushy House in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, England
Frederick was one of the ten illegitimate children of the future King William IV of the United Kingdom and his mistress Dorothea Jordan. Frederick married Lady Augusta Boyle, the daughter of George Boyle, 4th Earl of Glasgow, and they had two children. Frederick had a military career. His highest military rank was Lieutenant-General. Frederick, aged fifty-four, died on October 30, 1854, in Pune, Maharashtra, India in active service as Commander-in-Chief of the Bombay Army.
Unofficial Royalty: Frederick FitzClarence, Illegitimate Son of King William IV of the United Kingdom

December 9, 1806 – Death of Franz Friedrich Anton, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld in Coburg, Duchy of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, now in Bavaria, Germany; buried in a mausoleum in the Coburg Court Garden in Coburg
Franz Friedrich Anton was the grandfather of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. In 1777, Franz married Augusta Reuss of Ebersdorf. They had nine children including Franz’s successor and Prince Albert’s father Ernst I, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, Queen Victoria’s mother Victoria, and Leopold who was the first King of the Belgians. In 1775, he began a print collection that ultimately consisted of 300,000 prints. The collection can be visited at the Veste Coburg. Because of Franz, the family’s library had an extensive collection of books. Franz conducted an extensive renovation of the family castles. Walls, ditches, and towers were demolished and replaced by gardens and other green areas. In 1805, Franz bought back Schloss Rosenau which the family had been forced to sell in 1704 due to debts. Franz Frederick Anton died, aged 56.
Unofficial Royalty: Franz Friedrich Anton, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld

December 9, 1810 – Birth of Auguste de Beauharnais, 2nd Duke of Leuchtenberg, first husband of Queen Maria II of Portugal, at the Royal Villa of Monza, just outside of Milan, Italy
Full name: Auguste Charles Eugène Napoléon
Auguste was the eldest son of Eugène de Beauharnais and Princess Augusta of Bavaria, a daughter of King Maximilian I of Bavaria. Auguste’s father Eugène was the son of the French Empress Joséphine from her first marriage, and therefore a stepson of Emperor Napoleon I. on January 26, 1835, Auguste married Queen Maria II of Portugal. Sadly, their marriage was to be very short-lived. On March 20, 1835, Auguste complained of a sore throat but refused to see a doctor. By March 23, 1835, his condition was worse and he finally consented to see a doctor. Within days, his condition became extremely grave, doctors told the family there was no hope, and Auguste was given the last rites. Auguste died on March 28, 1835, at the age of 24, most likely from diphtheria.
Unofficial Royalty: Auguste de Beauharnais, 2nd Duke of Leuchtenberg

December 9, 1963 – Birth of Empress Masako of Japan, wife of Emperor Naruhito of Japan, born Masako Owada at Toranomon Hospital in Tokyo, Japan
Masako’s father Hisashi Owada, was a former Japanese diplomat and served as Japanese Ambassador to the United Nations and as a member of the International Court of Justice, located in the Netherlands. Masako has a Bachelor’s degree in economics from Radcliffe College, part of Harvard University, and a Master’s Degree in International Relations from Balliol College, Oxford University. In 1986, Masako met her future husband, Emperor Naruhito of Japan, at a tea held in honor of Infanta Elena of Spain. She finally accepted his third proposal in December 1992.  On June 9, 1993, Naruhito and Masako were married in a traditional ceremony. The couple has one daughter Princess Aiko, born in 2001. In 2004, it was announced that she was suffering from Adjustment Disorder, although many speculate that she was dealing with clinical depression, brought on by the pressures and constraints placed upon her by the strict Imperial Household Agency. It would be many years before she would return to the public eye. In 2019, upon the abdication of his father Emperor Akihito, Masako’s husband became Emperor of Japan and she became Empress.
Unofficial Royalty: Empress Masako of Japan

December 9, 1987 – Death of Ernst August (IV), the former Hereditary Prince of Brunswick and Prince of Hanover, at Calenberg Castle in Schulenburg in Lower Saxony, Germany; buried at Marienburg Castle in Pattensen in Lower Saxony, Germany
Ernst August (IV) was the eldest son of Ernst August (III), Duke of Brunswick and Princess Viktoria Luise of Prussia, the only daughter of Wilhelm II, German Emperor and King of Prussia. He was the senior male-line descendant of King George III of the United Kingdom, which made him the pretender to the former Kingdom of Hanover. He was also a great-great-grandson of Queen Victoria via his mother. In 1951, Ernst August (IV) married Princess Ortrud of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg. They had six children including the present Prince Ernst August (V), the husband of Princess Caroline of Monaco. After his first wife’s death, Ernst August (IV) married Countess Monika zu Solms-Laubach. Ernst August (IV) died at the age of 73.
Unofficial Royalty: Ernst August (IV), Hereditary Prince of Brunswick and Prince of Hanover

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