© Unofficial Royalty 2024

Ekaterina Pavlovna of Russia, Queen Catherina of Württemberg; Credit – Wikipedia

May 10, 1403 – Death of Katherine Swynford, Duchess of Lancaster, 3rd wife of John of Gaunt, 1st Duke of Lancaster, a son of King Edward III of England, in Lincoln, England; buried at Lincoln Cathedral in Lincoln, England
Katherine Swynford was the long-time mistress and the third wife of John of Gaunt, 1st Duke of Lancaster, the fourth but the third surviving son of King Edward III of England and Philippa of Hainault. The descendants of Katherine Swynford and John of Gaunt are significant in English and Scottish history. The Tudor dynasty was directly descended from their eldest son John Beaufort, great-grandfather of King Henry VII of England, the first monarch of the House of Tudor. Katherine and John of Gaunt are the great-grandparents of King Edward IV and King Richard III from the House of York. Their granddaughter Joan Beaufort married James I, King of Scots, and was an ancestor of the Scots House of Stuart and the English House of Stuart.
Unofficial Royalty: Katherine Swynford, Duchess of Lancaster

May 10, 1726 – Death of Charles Beauclerk, 1st Duke of St Albans, an illegitimate son of King Charles II of England and Nell Gwynne in Bath, England; buried at Westminster Abbey in London, England
Wikipedia: Charles Beauclerk, 1st Duke of St Albans

May 10, 1743 – Death of Melusine von der Schulenburg, Duchess of Kendal, mistress of King George I of Great Britain, at her home Kendal House in Isleworth, London, England; buried at Grosvenor Chapel in South Audley Street, London, England
In 1691, Melusine became the mistress of George, Electoral Prince of Hanover, the future Elector of Hanover and King George I of Great Britain. Despite the fact that the future King George I had affairs while he lived in Hanover, when his wife had one, she was divorced, sent off to a German castle for the rest of her life, and her lover disappeared, supposedly murdered. Melusine was more like a wife to George. She accompanied him to London when he became King of Great Britain and became a naturalized British citizen. After George I’s death, Melusine lived out the remainder of her life at her London home in the companionship of a large bird, probably a raven, in which she believed that George’s soul had been reincarnated. Melusine died, aged 75, at her London home Kendal House.
Unofficial Royalty: Melusine von der Schulenburg, Duchess of Kendal, mistress of King George I of Great Britain

May 10, 1752 – Birth of Amalie of Zweibrücken-Birkenfeld-Bischweiler, Queen of Saxony, wife of King Friedrich August I of Saxony, in Mannheim, Palatinate-Zweibrücken-Birkenfeld-Bischweiler, now in Baden-Württemberg Germany
Full name: Maria Amalie Auguste
At the time of her marriage, Amalie became the Electress of Saxony, the last to hold this title. In addition to three stillborn children, Amalie and her husband had one daughter.  In 1806, Amalie became the first Queen of Saxony when the Electorate of Saxony was elevated to a Kingdom, and her husband assumed the throne as King Friedrich August I.
Unofficial Royalty: Amalie of Zweibrücken-Birkenfeld-Bischweiler, Queen of Saxony

May 10, 1774 – Death of King Louis XV of France at the Palace of Versailles; buried at the Basilica of Saint-Denis near Paris, France
When he was five years old, Louis XV succeeded his great-grandfather King Louis XIV and reigned as King of France for 59 years. He is the second-longest reigning King of France after his great-grandfather King Louis XIV who reigned for 72 years. In 1725, Louis XV married Maria Leszczyńska, daughter of the deposed King Stanisław I of Poland. The couple had ten children but all their sons predeceased Louis XV and so he was succeeded by his grandson, the ill-fated King Louis XVI. King Louis XV’s reign saw France’s entry in The War of the Austrian Succession in 1740, with France gaining significant amounts of territory.  However, at the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle in 1748, Louis returned the lands back to their rightful owners.  For this, he was greatly praised throughout Europe but became very unpopular within his own country.  A few years later, Louis would find France at war with Great Britain in the French and Indian War and soon pulled into the Seven Years’ War. King Louis XV died of smallpox at the Palace of Versailles on May 10, 1774.
Unofficial Royalty: King Louis XV of France

May 10, 1775 – Death of Caroline Matilda of Wales, Queen of Denmark, wife of King Christian VII of Denmark, sister of King George III of the United Kingdom, at Celle Castle in Celle, Duchy of Brunswick-Lüneburg, now in Lower Saxony, Germany; buried at Stadtkirche St. Marien in Celle
Soon after her marriage to her first cousin Christian VII, Caroline Matilda discovered he was severely mentally ill. Johann Friedrich Struensee, Christian’s doctor, had some success dealing with the king but he also became the lover of the ill-treated Caroline Matilda, whose marriage was less than satisfactory. When the affair became known, Sturensee was brutally executed and Caroline Matilda’s marriage was dissolved, she lost her title of Queen and was forcibly separated from her children whom she never saw again. She was held in custody for the rest of her life at Celle Castle in the Kingdom of Hanover. Her time in custody proved to be short.  Three years later, Caroline Matilda died of “a putrid fever and sore throat,” probably scarlet fever at the age of 23.
Unofficial Royalty: Caroline Matilda of Wales, Queen of Denmark

May 10, 1788 – Birth of Queen Catherina of Württemberg, second wife of King Wilhelm I of Württemberg, born Grand Duchess Ekaterina Pavlovna of Russia at the Catherine Palace in Tsarskoye Selo, Russia
Catherina was the daughter of Paul I, Emperor of All Russia and the sister of Alexander I, Emperor of All Russia, and Nicholas I, Emperor of All Russia. She had a short marriage and two sons with her first cousin Duke Georg of Oldenburg, who died from typhoid fever. She then married the future King Wilhelm I of Württemberg in 1816 and they had two daughters. Despite having a happy marriage, Wilhelm continued his relationships with numerous mistresses, including the Italian Blanche de la Flèche. When Catharina was made aware of this, she drove to Scharnhausen Castle on January 3, 1819, where she found Wilhelm and his mistress together. She quickly returned to Stuttgart and just six days later, 30-year-old Catharina died of complications from pneumonia
Unofficial Royalty: Grand Duchess Catherine Pavlovna of Russia, Queen of Württemberg

May 10, 1794 – Execution of Madame Elisabeth of France, sister of King Louis XVI of France, at the Place de la Révolution in Paris; first buried in a common grave at the Errancis Cemetery in Paris, later reburied with other victims of the guillotine in the Catacombs of Paris
Elisabeth was devoted to her brother King Louis XVI and with his permission declined all marriage offers so that she could remain in France. She accompanied her brother and his family to imprisonment in the notorious Temple where they were imprisoned. On May 9, 1794, Elisabeth was transferred to the Conciergerie where she was tried and condemned to be executed the next day.  She was executed by the guillotine at the Place de la Révolution in Paris (now called Place de la Concorde) with 23 other people.  A very religious person, Elisabeth comforted and prayed with several others awaiting execution.
Unofficial Royalty: Madame Elisabeth of France

May 10, 1978 – Birth of Princess Lalla Salma of Morocco, former wife of King Mohammed VI of Morocco, born Salma Bennani in Fez, Morocco
On March 21, 2002, Salma Bennani married King Mohammed VI of Morocco at the Royal Palace in Rabat. She was granted the style Her Royal Highness and the title Princess Lalla. The couple had two children, Crown Prince Moulay Hassan, born in 2003 and Princess Lalla Khadija, born in 2007. A March 2018 article in the Spanish magazine Hola! mentioned that King Mohammed and Princess Lalla Salma had divorced according to sources close to the palace, however, there has been no formal announcement from the royal court.
Unofficial Royalty: Princess Lalla Salma of Morocco

May 10, 2020 – Birth of Prince Charles of Luxembourg, son of Hereditary Prince Guillaume of Luxembourg, at the Grand Duchess Charlotte Maternity Hospital in Luxembourg City, Luxembourg
Full Name: Charles Jean Philippe Joseph Marie Guillaume
Prince Charles is the second in the line of succession to the throne of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg after his father.
Unofficial Royalty: Prince Charles of Luxembourg

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

Zita of Bourbon-Parma, Empress of Austria; Credit – Wikipedia

May 9, 1849 – Birth of Empress Shōken of Japan, wife of Emperor Meiji of Japan, born Lady Masako Ichijō in Heian-kyō, Japan
Lady Masako Ichijō, the third daughter of Tadaka Ichijō, a government minister and the head of the Ichijō branch of the Fujiwara clan, married Emperor Meiji in 1869. The new Empress would be the first Empress Consort of Japan to play a public role but sadly, she had no children. Emperor Meiji had fifteen children by five official ladies-in-waiting but only five children survived to adulthood. The Empress officially adopted Yoshihito, her husband’s eldest surviving son by a concubine, as was the custom. Yoshihito succeeded his father as Emperor and is known as Emperor Taishō, his posthumous name.
Unofficial Royalty: Empress Shōken of Japan

May 9, 1867 – Birth of Marie Juliette Louvet, mistress of Prince Louis II of Monaco, mother of his only child Princess Charlotte of Monaco, grandmother of Prince Rainier III of Monaco, great-grandmother of Prince Albert II of Monaco, in Pierreval, France
Marie Juliette and Prince Louis met while she was working as a hostess in a cabaret in Paris, France. By the following year, she was working as a seamstress in a military barracks in Constantine, Algeria, where Prince Louis was also based. Later that year, Marie Juliette gave birth to the couple’s daughter Charlotte. The couple was not allowed to marry but their daughter Charlotte was later recognized as a member of the Princely Family of Monaco, and in 1919, was formally adopted by Prince Louis, becoming Princess Charlotte of Monaco, Duchess of Valentinois.
Unofficial Royalty: Marie Juliette Louvet

May 9, 1871 – Birth of Grand Duke George Alexandrovich of Russia, son of Alexander III, Emperor of All Russia, at the Alexander Palace at Tsarskoye Selo outside of St. Petersburg, Russia
George was the second surviving son of Alexander III, Emperor of All Russia, and the brother of Nicholas II, Emperor of All Russia. At birth, George was weak and suffered from respiratory issues, and for a while, his survival was questionable. In childhood, George’s health was problematic and was a great worry to his mother. He later developed tuberculosis which caused his death at the age of 28. In July 1994, George’s remains were exhumed for DNA testing to compare his DNA with the DNA of the suspected remains of Nicholas II and his children. The results proved beyond a doubt that the remains were those of Nicholas II and his children.
Unofficial Royalty: Grand Duke George Alexandrovich of Russia

May 9, 1892 – Birth of Zita of Bourbon-Parma, Empress of Austria, wife of Emperor Karl I of Austria, at the Villa Pianore, Tuscany, Italy
Full name: Zita Maria delle Grazie Adelgonda Micaela Raffaela Gabriella Giuseppina Antonia Luisa Agnese
Zita was the daughter of the deposed Robert I, Duke of Parma and his second wife Maria Antonia of Portugal. She had eleven siblings and twelve half-siblings from her father’s first marriage. In 1911, she married Archduke Karl, who would be the last Emperor of Austria, and the couple had eight children. Karl died in 1922 at the age of 34. Zita never married again and wore black for the 67 years of her widowhood. She died in 1989 at the age of 96.
Unofficial Royalty: Zita of Bourbon-Parma, Empress of Austria

May 9, 1949 – Death of Prince Louis II of Monaco at the Prince’s Palace in Monaco; buried at Saint Nicholas Cathedral in Monaco
Because Louis was unmarried and without an heir, the throne of Monaco was likely to pass to his first cousin once removed Wilhelm, Duke of Urach, a German nobleman who was the son of his father’s aunt Princess Florestine of Monaco.  To avoid this, Louis’ father Prince Albert I had a law passed recognizing Louis’ illegitimate daughter Charlotte as Louis’ heir and part of the sovereign family. However, this law was later ruled invalid under earlier statutes. In October 1918, another law was passed allowing for the adoption of an heir with succession rights. Louis legally adopted Charlotte, giving her the Grimaldi surname. Her grandfather created her Princess Charlotte of Monaco and Duchess of Valentinois. Upon Louis’ accession in 1922, Charlotte became the Hereditary Princess of Monaco. She eventually relinquished her succession rights in favor of her son who eventually became Rainer III, Prince of Monaco.
Unofficial Royalty: Louis II, 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

Natalija Keschko, Queen of Serbia; Credit – Wikipedia

May 8, 1670 – Birth of Charles Beauclerk, 1st Duke of St Albans, the illegitimate son of King Charles II of England and Nell Gwynne
Wikipedia: Charles Beauclerk, 1st Duke of St Albans (Unofficial Royalty article coming soon)

May 8, 1893 – Death of Adolf I, Prince of Schaumburg-Lippe in Bückeburg, Principality of Schaumburg-Lippe, now in Lower Saxony, Germany; buried in the Princely Mausoleum at the St. Martin Church in Stadthagen, Principality of Schaumburg-Lippe, now in Lower Saxony, Germany
Adolf married his maternal first cousin Princess Hermine of Waldeck and Pyrmont. The couple had eight children including Adolf’s successor Georg, Prince of Schaumburg-Lippe and Prince Adolf of Schaumburg-Lippe who married Princess Viktoria of Prussia, daughter of Friedrich III, German Emperor and Victoria, Princess Royal, eldest daughter of Queen Victoria. On November 21, 1860, upon the death of his father Georg Wilhelm, Prince of Schaumberg-Lippe, Adolf became the reigning Prince of Schaumberg-Lippe. After a reign of 33 years, Adolf I, Prince of Schaumberg-Lippe died at the age of 75, on May 8, 1893.
Unofficial Royalty: Adolf I, Prince of Schaumburg-Lippe

May 8, 1935 – Birth of Princess Elisabeth of Denmark, daughter of Hereditary Prince Knud of Denmark, at Sorgenfri Palace in Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
Full Name: Elisabeth Caroline-Mathilde Alexandrine Helena Olga Thyra Feodora Estrid Margarethe Désirée
Princess Elisabeth was the first cousin of Queen Margrethe II of Denmark.  She never married, perhaps to retain her position within the Danish Royal Family. Until her death in 2018, she was the last person in the line of succession to the Danish throne. Elisabeth had a long-term relationship with Claus Hermansen, a videographer, until he died in 1997. She served as Patron of several organizations in Denmark and was usually seen at most State events.
Unofficial Royalty: Princess Elisabeth of Denmark

May 8, 1941 – Death of Natalija Keschko, Queen of Serbia, wife of King Milan of Serbia, at the Monastery of Saint-Denis near Paris, France; buried at the Cemetery of Lardy in Seine et Oise, France
After the horrendous assassination of her son Alexander I, King of Serbia and his wife in 1903, Natalija was the only member of the Obrenović dynasty. She donated the Obrenović inheritance to the University of Belgrade and churches and monasteries in Serbia. Natalija became a nun and died at the age of 81 at the Monastery of Saint-Denis near Paris, France.
Unofficial Royalty: Natalija Keschko, Queen of Serbia

May 8, 2003 – Birth of Crown Prince Moulay Hassan of Morocco, son of King Mohammed VI of Morocco, at the Royal Palace in Rabat, Morocco
Crown Prince Moulay Hassan of Morocco is the heir apparent to the throne of Morocco. He is the eldest child and the only son of King Mohammed VI of Morocco and Salma Bennani, now known as Princess Lalla Salma. The Crown Prince was named after his paternal grandfather King Hassan II of Morocco.
Unofficial Royalty: Crown Prince Moulay Hassan of Morocco

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

Feodor III, Tsar of All Russia;  Credit – Wikipedia

May 7, 1682 – Death of Feodor III, Tsar of All Russia in Moscow, Russia; buried at the Cathedral of the Archangel in Moscow, Russia
When Feodor’s father Alexei I, Tsar of All Russia died in 1676, he was succeeded by 15-year-old Feodor. Even though Feodor had been well educated and had a fine intellect, he had a  debilitating physical condition that prevented him from really reigning. In 1682, at the age of 20, Feodor died childless and without making an order concerning the succession to the throne. This was eventually resolved by the decision to have two tsars at the same time – Feodor’s brother Ivan V and his half-brother Peter I (the Great) under the regency of Sofia Alexeevna, Feodor’s eldest sister.
Unofficial Royalty: Feodor III, Tsar of All Russia

May 7, 1718 – Death of Maria Beatrice of Modena, Queen of England, second wife of King James II of England, at Château St. Germain-en-Laye near Paris, France; buried at the Abbey of Visitation of St. Mary in Chaillot, France, her remains were lost when the convent was looted and destroyed during the French Revolution but her viscera were found and were reburied at the Chapel of the College of the Scots in Paris
15-year-old Maria Beatrice became the second wife of 40-year-old James, Duke of York, brother of King Charles II of England. Between 1675 and 1684, Maria Beatrice had ten pregnancies and gave birth to five live children, all of whom died young. After her husband, who had converted to Catholicism, succeeded to the throne as King James II of England, Maria Beatrice gave birth to a son who survived. Fearful of a return to Catholicism, some members of Parliament began what is called the Glorious Revolution. King James II was overthrown and the family fled to France. After her husband’s death, Maria Beatrice began to periodically stay at the Convent of the Visitations in Chaillot, France, where she befriended Louise de La Vallière, one of Louis XIV’s mistresses who had become a nun.  She was buried at the Convent of the Visitations in Chaillot, a place she greatly loved.
Unofficial Royalty: Maria Beatrice of Modena, Queen of England

May 7, 1767 – Birth of Princess Frederica of Prussia, Duchess of York, wife of Prince Frederick, Duke of York, at Charlottenburg Palace in Berlin, Kingdom of Prussia, now in Germany
Full name: Friederike Charlotte Ulrike Katharina
Frederica was the only child of the future King Friedrich Wilhelm II of Prussia and his first wife and first cousin, Elisabeth Christine of Brunswick-Lüneburg. Her mother was placed under house arrest as a prisoner of the state when she became pregnant with the child of her lover, a musician named Pietro. She remained imprisoned until her death, 71 years later. Frederica’s marriage to Frederick, Duke of York was unsuccessful. Frederick was unfaithful and the couple was unable to have children. In 1794, the couple separated and Frederica lived out her life at Oatlands Park in Weybridge, Surrey, England. Frederick and Frederica remained on good terms and the couple never caused any scandal.
Unofficial Royalty: Princess Frederica of Prussia, Duchess of York

May 7, 1818 – Wedding of Prince Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge, son of King George III of the United Kingdom, and Princess Augusta of Hesse-Kassel in the Landgraviate of Hesse-Kassel, now in Hesse, Germany
The groom was 44 and the bride was 20.  Despite the age difference, the marriage was a happy one and Adolphus was very much in love with Augusta.  The couple lived in the Kingdom of Hanover from 1818 – 1837 while Adolphus served his father and then his two brothers, King George IV and King William IV, as Viceroy of Hanover. Upon their return to England, Adolphus and Augusta lived at Cambridge House and later at St. James’s Palace, both in London.  Adolphus and Augusta are ancestors of the British Royal Family through their daughter Mary Adelaide, the mother of Queen Mary, wife of King George V.
Unofficial Royalty: Prince Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge
Unofficial Royalty: Princess Augusta of Hesse-Kassel, Duchess of Cambridge

May 7, 1895 – Death of Susanna Innes-Ker, Duchess of Roxburghe, Lady of the Bedchamber to Queen Victoria, at her home in Hereford Gardens, London, England; buried in the Innes-Ker family crypt at the Bowden Kirk, in Bowden, Roxburghshire, England
Born Susanna Stephania Dalbiac, she was the daughter of Lieutenant-General Sir James Dalbiac, a British Army officer and Member of Parliament. She married James Innes-Ker, 6th Duke of Roxburghe.
Unofficial Royalty: Susanna Innes-Ker, Duchess of Roxburghe

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 Edward VII of the United Kingdom; Credit – Wikipedia

May 6, 1685 – Birth of Sophie Luise of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, Queen in Prussia, third wife of Friedrich I, King in Prussia, at Grabow Castle in Grabow, Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, now in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Germany
Sophie Luise and her husband had no children. Being so much younger than her husband, and close in age to his children, Sophie struggled to find acceptance at the Prussian court. It did not help that her predecessor, Friedrich’s second wife Sophie Charlotte of Hanover, was greatly loved and admired by the Prussian people, and many saw Sophie Luise as a poor replacement. Sophie Luise became deeply religious and her devotion became obsessive and manic. During his final illness, her husband Friedrich awoke to find his wife standing before him, covered in blood and screaming at him. She had crashed through a glass door in a fit of hysteria while running from her apartments to his, apparently to confront him. Sophie Luise had no recollection of the event. Her husband sent her back to Mecklenburg to be with her family. She lived the rest of her life with her widowed mother.
Unofficial Royalty: Sophie Luise of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, Queen in Prussia

May 6, 1737 – Death of Lady Barbara FitzRoy, never publically acknowledged by King Charles II of England as his child by Barbara Palmer, 1st Duchess of Cleveland, died and buried at the English Priory of St. Nicholas in Pontoise, Normandy, France where she was a nun
There are questions about Lady Barbara’s paternity. Barbara Palmer had several lovers before Lady Barbara’s conception. Her mother claimed that she was King Charles II’s daughter but possibly she was the daughter of her mother’s second cousin and lover John Churchill, later the 1st Duke of Marlborough. Philip Stanhope, 2nd Earl of Chesterfield, who Lady Barbara resembled, was also a lover of Barbara Palmer. Roger Palmer, 1st Earl of Castlemaine, the husband of Lady Barbara’s mother, believed her to be his daughter, and left his estate to her. King Charles II informally recognized Lady Barbara by giving her the surname Fitzroy. 1689, 17-year-old Lady Barbara became a novice at the Benedictine English Priory of St. Nicholas in Pontoise, Normandy, France, taking the name Sister Benedicta. On April 2, 1691, Lady Barbara professed her final vows as a nun. In 1721, Lady Barbara became prioress of the convent. On May 6, 1737, Lady Barbara, aged sixty-five, died at the Benedictine English Priory and was buried in the church there.
Unofficial Royalty: Lady Barbara FitzRoy

May 6, 1747 – Birth of Georg I, Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont in Arolsen, Principality of Waldeck and Pyrmont, now in Hesse, Germany
In 1784, Georg married Augusta of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen. They had had thirteen children but seven of their children died either in childhood or in their early twenties. In 1812, after the death of his childless elder brother, 65-year-old Georg succeeded him. Because of his age and perhaps illness, Georg knew that he would not be able to reign for long and died less than a year later.
Unofficial Royalty: Georg I, Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont

May 6, 1769 – Birth of Ferdinando III, Grand Duke of Tuscany in Florence, Grand Duchy of Tuscany, now in Italy
In 1790, when Ferdinando’s father Pietro Leopoldo I, Grand Duke of Tuscany was elected Holy Roman Emperor as Leopold II, he abdicated the throne of the Grand Duchy of Tuscany in favor of his second son Ferdinando who officially became Grand Duke of Tuscany. Ferdinando’s elder brother Franz would succeed to the Habsburg hereditary titles and be elected Holy Roman Emperor upon his father’s death in 1792.  In 1790, Ferdinando married his double first cousin Luisa of Naples and Sicily, and they had five children. Luisa died in childbirth delivering a stillborn son in 1802. Twenty years after Luisa’s, death Ferdinando married Maria Ferdinanda of Saxony but the couple had no children. Ferdinando I, Grand Duke of Tuscany, aged 55, died three years later.
Unofficial Royalty: Ferdinando III, Grand Duke of Tuscany

May 6, 1882 – Birth of Crown Prince Wilhelm of Germany, son of Wilhelm II, German Emperor and King of Prussia at the Marmorpalais in Potsdam, Kingdom of Prussia, now in Brandenburg, Germany
Full name: Friedrich Wilhelm Victor August Ernst
The last German Crown Prince and Crown Prince of Prussia, Wilhelm married Cecilie of Mecklenburg-Schwerin in 1905 and the couple had six children. After the German defeat in World War I, Wilhelm and Cecilie went into exile in the Netherlands with much of the rest of the German imperial family following the ending of the monarchy in 1918. Shortly afterward, the marriage of Cecilie and Wilhelm became a marriage in name only. When his father, the former Wilhelm II, German Emperor, died in 1941, Wilhelm became Head of the House of Hohenzollern.
Unofficial Royalty: Crown Prince Wilhelm of Germany

May 6, 1910 – Death of King Edward VII of the United Kingdom at Buckingham Palace in London, England; buried at St. George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle
The habits of Edward VII, known in the family as Bertie, did not keep him in the best of health.  He ate too much and usually smoked twenty cigarettes and twelve cigars a day.  He began to suffer from chronic bronchitis. In March 1910 while vacationing in Biarritz, France, Bertie collapsed and remained in Biarritz to recuperate. On April 27, 1910, he returned to Buckingham Palace but his condition worsened.  After waiting 59 years to become king and reigning for just nine years, he lapsed into a coma and died peaceably just before midnight on May 6, 1910, at the age of 68.
Unofficial Royalty: King Edward VII of the United Kingdom

May 6, 1954 – Death of Cecilie of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, Crown Princess of Germany, wife of Crown Prince Wilhelm of Germany, in Bad Kissingen, Germany; buried in the grounds at Hohenzollern Castle, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany
In 1905, Cecilie married Crown Prince Wilhelm of Germany, the son of Wilhelm II, German Emperor and King of Prussia, and had six children. Shortly after the end of World War I and the fall of the German monarchies, the marriage of Cecilie and Wilhelm became a marriage in name only. After the death of her husband in 1951, Cecilie moved to an apartment in the Frauenkopf district in Stuttgart, Germany. That same year, her memoirs were published and she made a visit to England where she attended the christening of her granddaughter and enjoyed a final visit with Queen Mary. Later that year, her sister Queen Alexandrine of Denmark died and Cecilie never fully recovered from the loss. Cecilie died on what would have been her husband’s 72nd birthday.
Unofficial Royalty: Cecilie of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, Crown Princess of Germany

May 6, 1960 – Wedding of Princess Margaret of the United Kingdom and Antony Armstrong-Jones at Westminster Abbey
In 1958, Margaret met Antony Armstrong-Jones (Tony) at a dinner party. A few months later, Tony was chosen to photograph Margaret. A relationship developed and in 1960, Margaret’s sister consented to the marriage. The couple had one son and one daughter. However, Margaret and Tony’s marriage was anything but calm and peaceful. The two very strong personalities, often at odds, led to volatile rows and many affairs for both of them. The couple divorced in 1978. Tony married again, but Margaret did not.
Unofficial Royalty: Wedding of Princess Margaret of the United Kingdom and Antony Armstrong-Jones

May 6, 2019 – Birth of Prince Archie of Sussex, son of Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, at Portland Hospital for Women and Children in London, England
Archie is the elder of the two children of The Duke and Duchess of Sussex. Under the 1917 Letters Patent, Archie was entitled to the style and title His Royal Highness Prince, when his grandfather King Charles III succeeded to the throne.
Unofficial Royalty: Prince Archie of Sussex

May 6, 2023 – Coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla of the United Kingdom at Westminster Abbey in London, England
Unofficial Royalty: Coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla of the United Kingdom

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 II, Holy Roman Emperor, Pietro Leopoldo I, Grand Duke of Tuscany; Credit – Wikipedia

May 5, 1316 – Death of Elizabeth of Rhuddlan, Countess of Holland, Countess of Hereford, daughter of King Edward I of England, in Quendon, Essex, England; buried at Waltham Abbey in Essex, England
Elizabeth died in childbirth giving birth to her tenth child who died shortly after birth.
Unofficial Royalty: Elizabeth of Rhuddlan, Countess of Holland, Countess of Hereford

May 5, 1572 – Death of Lady Margaret Erskine, mistress of James V, King of Scots
James V, King of Scots had several mistresses. Lady Margaret Erskine was his favorite and the mother of the most important of his nine illegitimate children, James Stewart, 1st Earl of Moray. James was an advisor to his half-sister Mary, Queen of Scots, and served as Regent of Scotland for his nephew, the infant King James VI, from 1567 until his assassination in 1570.
Unofficial Royalty: Lady Margaret Erskine, mistress of James V, King of Scots

May 5, 1582 – Death of Charlotte de Bourbon-Monpensier, Princess of Orange, third wife of Willem I, Prince of Orange (the Silent) in Antwerp (now in Belgium); buried at the Cathedral of Our Lady in Antwerp but her tomb has not survived
Charlotte and Willem I, Prince of Orange had six daughters. After an unsuccessful assassination attempt on Willem on March 18, 1582, Charlotte took great care of her wounded husband. Exhausted from caring for Willem, she fell ill with pneumonia and a high fever and died.
Unofficial Royalty: Saxony, Charlotte de Bourbon-Monpensier, Princess of Orange

May 5, 1705 – Death of Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor, in Vienna, then in the Archduchy of Austria, now in Austria; buried in the Imperial Crypt at the Capuchin Church in Vienna 
A contemporary and first cousin of King Louis XIV of France, Leopold was not expected to be the heir of his father’s heir, but his elder brother died from smallpox at the age of twenty-one. When his father died in 1657, seventeen-year-old Leopold succeeded to his father’s Habsburg hereditary lands but was not elected as Holy Roman Emperor until July 18, 1658. Leopold’s reign was dominated by the defense against French expansion under his first cousin King Louis XIV of France.
Unofficial Royalty: Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor

May 5, 1724 – Birth of Bernardina Christina of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, Princess of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt, wife of Johann Friedrich, Prince of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt, in Weimar, then in the Duchy of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, now in the German state of Thuringia
In 1744, in Eisenach, 20-year-old Bernardina Christina married 23-year-old Johann Friedrich, who had become the reigning Prince of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt just two months earlier. Bernadina Christina and Johann Friedrich had six children but only two daughters survived childhood. Bernadina Christina was active in charitable causes. In 1756, she founded the Bernardina Abbey for noblewomen in Rudolstadt. However, she did not live to see the inauguration of the abbey in 1757. On June 5, 1757, aged 33, Bernadina Christina died in Rudolstadt, then in the Principality of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt, now in the German state of Thuringia.
Unofficial Royalty: Bernardina Christina of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, Princess of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt

May 5, 1747 – Birth of Leopold II, Holy Roman Emperor, King of Hungary and Bohemia, Archduke of Austria, and Grand Duke of Tuscany, in Vienna, Austria
Full name: Peter Leopold Joseph Anton Joachim Pius Gotthard
Leopold was the ninth of the sixteen children and the third but the second surviving of the five sons of Francis Stephen, Duke of Lorraine, Grand Duke of Tuscany, Holy Roman Emperor and Maria Theresa, Archduchess of Austria, and Queen of Hungary, Croatia, and Bohemia in her own right. When Leopold’s father became Grand Duke of Tuscany, it was decided that the second son would inherit that title and territory. However, Karl Joseph, the second son, died from smallpox at the age of fifteen, and Leopold, the third son became the second surviving son and the heir to the Grand Duchy of Tuscany. In 1764, Leopold married Infanta Maria Luisa of Spain, daughter of Carlos III, King of Spain. The couple had sixteen children. Just days after, Leopold’s wedding, his father suddenly died and Leopold became Grand Duke of Tuscany. Leopold was elected Holy Roman Emperor in 1790 after the death of his childless brother Joseph. At that time, he abdicated the throne of Tuscany in favor of his second son Ferdinand. After only seventeen months as Holy Roman Emperor, Leopold II died suddenly and unexpectedly on March 1, 1792, aged 44, in Vienna, Austria.
Unofficial Royalty: Leopold II, Holy Roman Emperor, Pietro Leopoldo I, Grand Duke of Tuscany

May 5, 1821 – Death of Napoleon I, Emperor of the French, on the island of St. Helena, originally buried on St. Helena, re-interred at St Jerome’s Chapel in Paris in 1840, and finally at Les Invalides in Paris in 1861
Napoleon died at his second place of exile, the island of Saint Helena, a British possession, in the Atlantic Ocean and was buried in a nameless tomb in the Valley of the Willows on St. Helena. In 1840, Louis Philippe I, King of the French, received permission from the British to return Napoléon’s remains to France.  He was interred at St. Jerome’s Chapel, where his remains stayed until the tomb designed by Louis Visconti was completed. On April 2, 1861, Naploéon’s coffin was transferred to a huge tomb made of red quartzite on a green granite base under the dome of Les Invalides in Paris, France.
Unofficial Royalty: Napoleon I, Emperor of the French

May 5, 1826 – Birth of Eugénie de Montijo, Empress of the French, wife of Napoleon III, Emperor of the French, in Granada, Spain
Full name: María Eugenia Ignatia Augustina Palafox de Guzmán Portocarrero y Kirkpatrick
In 1849, Eugénie first met her future husband Prince Louis Napoléon, the nephew of Emperor Napoleon I and the grandson of Empress Joséphine, the first wife of Napoleon I. At the time, he was president of the French Second Republic. His attempts to seduce her failed, as she insisted on marriage before any physical relationship. Louis Napoleon became Emperor Napoleon III in December 1852. The following month, on January 22, 1853, he announced his engagement to Eugénie and the couple married a week later. The couple had one son, Louis Napoléon, Prince Imperial who died fighting in the Zulu War in South Africa in 1879.
Unofficial Royalty: Eugénie de Montijo, Empress of the French

May 5, 1827 – Death of Friedrich August I, King of Saxony in Dresden, Kingdom of Saxony, now in Saxony, Germany; buried at the Dresden Cathedral
Friedrich August I was the first King of Saxony, reigning from 1806 to 1827. His family had been rulers of the Electorate of Saxony of the House of Wettin and held the title of Elector for several centuries. In 1769, Friedrich August married Amalie of Zweibrücken-Birkenfeld and they had one daughter. As he had no male heirs, Friedrich August was succeeded by his younger brother Anton.
Unofficial Royalty: Friedrich Augustus I, King of Saxony

May 5, 2012 – Death of Count Carl Johan Bernadotte of Wisborg, son of King Gustaf VI Adolf of Sweden and Princess Margaret of Connaught, in Ängelholm, Sweden; buried in the Royal Cemetery in Haga Park, Solna, Sweden.
The youngest surviving child of King Gustav VI Adolf of Sweden and Margaret of Connaught, Carl Johan was the last of Queen Victoria’s great-grandchildren at the time of his death in 2012. Carl Johan was the uncle of both King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden and Queen Margrethe II of Denmark.
Unofficial Royalty: Count Carl Johan Bernadotte of Wisborg

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 George Tupou V of Tonga; Credit – Wikipedia

May 4, 1471 – Death of Edward of Westminster, Prince of Wales, the only child of King Henry VI of England, at the Battle of Tewkesbury; buried at Tewkesbury Abbey in Gloucester, England
The final decisive Yorkist victory in the Wars of the Roses was at the Battle of Tewkesbury, where Margaret of Anjou, wife of King Henry VI of England, led the Lancastrian forces and her son Edward, Prince of Wales was killed.  The only Prince of Wales to be killed in battle, he was buried at Tewkesbury Abbey where a plaque on the floor in the center of the sanctuary marks his grave.  The plaque has an inscription in Latin, translated into English says: “Here lies Edward, Prince of Wales, cruelly slain whilst but a youth. Anno Domini 1471, May 4th. Alas, the savagery of men. Thou art the sole light of thy Mother, and the last hope of thy race.”
Unofficial Royalty: Edward of Westminster, Prince of Wales

May 4, 1661 – Birth of Countess Eleonore Barbara Catharina von Thun-Hohenstein, wife of Anton Florian, Prince of Liechtenstein, in Prague, Kingdom of Bohemia, now in the Czech Republic
Eleonore Barbara married Anton Florian, the future sovereign Prince of Liechtenstein, and the couple had eleven children. Anton Florian became Prince of Liechtenstein in 1718 but he died after a reign of only three years. Eleonore Barbara survived him by less than two years, dying at the age of 62 on February 10, 1723, in Vienna, Austria. She was buried in a crypt under the Pauline Church in Vienna, Austria. The crypt no longer exists and the tombs were not preserved.
Unofficial Royalty: Eleonore Barbara Catharina von Thun-Hohenstein, Princess of Liechtenstein

May 4, 1679 – Birth of Elisabeth Helene von Vieregg, mistress and bigamous wife of Frederik IV, King of Denmark and Norway, probably at her father’s estate in Wattmannshagen, now in Lalendorf in the German state of Mecklenburg-West Pomerania
In 1703, without divorcing his wife Queen Louise, Frederik IV made a bigamous marriage to Elisabeth. On the same day, Elisabeth was created Countess of Antvorskov and was given Antvorskov Castle. She gave birth to a son, Frederik Gyldenløve. Following the practice of his predecessors, Frederik IV gave his illegitimate children the surname Gyldenløve which means Golden Love. However, Elisabeth developed complications after the birth and died on June 27, 1704, aged 25. She was greatly mourned by Frederik IV who gave her a lavish funeral and commanded that the bells of three churches should ring for two hours.
Unofficial Royalty: Elisabeth Helene von Vieregg, mistress of Frederik IV, King of Denmark

May 4, 1728 – Death of Grand Duchess Anna Petrovna of Russia, Duchess of Holstein-Gottorp in Kiel, Duchy of Holstein-Gottorp, now in the German state of Schleswig-Holstein; buried at the Peter and Paul Cathedral in St. Petersburg, Russia
Anna Petrovna was one of three of the fourteen children of Peter I (the Great), Emperor of All Russia to survive childhood. In 1725, Anna Petrovna married Karl Friedrich, Duke of Holstein-Gottorp. On February 21, 1728, at Kiel Castle in Kiel, then in the Duchy of Holstein-Gottorp, now in the German state of Schleswig-Holstein, Anna gave birth to a son named Karl Peter Ulrich. Sadly, Anna died three months later, on May 4, 1728, at the age of 20. Anna’s son Karl Peter Ulrich succeeded her younger sister Elizabeth, Empress of All Russia as Peter III, Emperor of All Russia. However, the reign of Peter III lasted only six months. He was deposed by his wife, born Princess Sophie of Anhalt-Zerbst, who reigned as Catherine II (the Great), Empress of All Russia.
Unofficial Royalty: Grand Duchess Anna Petrovna of Russia, Duchess of Holstein-Gottorp

May 4, 1884 – Death of Maria Anna of Savoy, wife of Emperor Ferdinand I of Austria at Hradčany Palace in Prague, Kingdom of Bohemia, now in the Czech Republic; buried at the Imperial Crypt in Vienna, Austria
Maria Anna married Emperor Ferdinand I of Austria. The marriage was childless and probably never consummated, but the couple remained devoted to each other. Emperor Ferdinand suffered from several ailments including epilepsy and hydrocephalus. He was considered incapable of ruling although he kept a coherent diary. Ferdinand abdicated the throne in favor of his nephew Franz Joseph during the Revolutions of 1848, and lived the rest of his life at Hradčany Palace in Prague, Kingdom of Bohemia, now in the Czech Republic, where he died in 1875. Maria Anna survived her husband by nine years and died at the age of 80 on May 4, 1884.
Unofficial Royalty: Maria Anna of Savoy, Empress of Austria

May 4, 1913 – Birth of Princess Katherine of Greece, The Lady Katherine Brandram, daughter of King Constantine I of Greece, at the New Royal Palace in Athens, Greece
Katherine married Major Richard Brandram, an officer in the British Royal Artillery, and lived the rest of her life in England. King George VI of the United Kingdom issued a decree granting Katherine the “style, title, place and pre-eminence as the daughter of a Duke”, and she became styled as Lady Katherine Brandram.  She died in 2007 and was the last surviving great-granddaughter of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom.
Unofficial Royalty: Princess Katherine of Greece, The Lady Katherine Brandram

May 4, 1948 – Birth of King George Tupou V of Tonga in Tongatapu, Tonga
King George Tupou V had a short reign from 2006 – 2012. His father had been an absolute monarch. George Tupou is known for introducing democracy to Tonga. During the period between his accession to the throne and his coronation, George Tupou and his advisors put together a framework for sweeping political reforms. Three days before the coronation ceremony, King George Tupou V announced he was ceding most of his executive powers to a democratically elected parliament.
Unofficial Royalty: King George Tupou V of Tonga

May 4, 1972 – Death of Johann Leopold, Hereditary Prince of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha at Callenberg Castle in Grein, Austria; buried at St. Zeno Church in Bad Reichenhall, Germany
Johann Leopold was the eldest of the five children of Charles Edward, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, a grandson of Queen Victoria. At the time of his birth, Johann Leopold was the heir to the Duchy of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. Although the Duchy of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha ceased to exist at the end of World War I,  Johann Leopold had to give up his succession rights when he made a morganatic marriage in 1932. The Head of the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha then descended from his younger brother Friedrich Josias.
Unofficial Royalty: Johann Leopold, Hereditary Prince of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha

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 Carl XV of Sweden; Credit – Wikipedia

May 3, 1152 – Death of Matilda of Boulogne, Queen of England, wife of King Stephen of England, at Hedingham Castle in Essex, England; buried at Faversham Abbey in Kent, England
When Stephen’s uncle King Henry I of England died, Stephen quickly crossed from Boulogne to England, seized power in England, and was crowned King of England. Empress Matilda, Henry I’s only surviving child did not give up her claim to England and Normandy, leading to the long civil war known as The Anarchy between 1135 and 1153. During the civil war, Matilda of Boulogne was her husband’s strongest supporter. Matilda of Boulogne was as strong and resourceful as Stephen was weak and indecisive. Perhaps if she had not died in 1152 and her husband had not lost his strongest supporter, the result of the civil war would have turned out differently.
Unofficial Royalty: Matilda of Boulogne, Queen of England

May 3, 1257 – Death of Katherine of England, daughter of King Henry III of England at Windsor Castle; buried at Westminster Abbey in London, England
The description by 13th-century chronicler Matthew Paris that Katherine was “‘mute and useless
though with a most beautiful face” has often been interpreted that she had an intellectual disability or degenerative disease. However, it may indicate that Katherine had a stammer or some other speech impediment. There is much disagreement on what disease or disability Katherine may have had, or if she had one at all. Contemporary evidence suggests that the reaction of Katherine’s parents to her illnesses followed a similar reaction to the illnesses of her siblings and that Katherine was treated no differently than her siblings, suggesting that there were no serious or long-term health concerns. Katherine did have some kind of illness during the spring of 1257, that resulted in her death on May 3, 1257, when she was three and a half years old. Her parents King Henry III and Queen Eleanor deeply mourned her death and were emotionally distraught.
Unofficial Royalty: Katherine of England

May 3, 1415 – Birth of Cecily Neville, Duchess of York, mother of King Edward IV and King Richard III of England, at Raby Castle in Durham, England
A great-granddaughter of King Edward III of England, Cecily Neville was the wife of Richard Plantagenet, 3rd Duke of York, also a great-grandchild of King Edward III, who was a claimant to the English throne and the leader of the Yorkist faction during the Wars of the Roses. She was also the mother of King Edward IV of England and King Richard III of England, the grandmother of the ill-fated King Edward V of England, and the great-grandmother of King Henry VIII of England. Cecily outlived all but two of her twelve children. She was alive when her granddaughter Elizabeth of York, daughter of King Edward IV, married Henry Tudor who had defeated her son King Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth Field in 1485 and then succeeded to the English throne by right of conquest as King Henry VII, the first Tudor monarch. Cecily was alive when her granddaughter Elizabeth of York gave birth to her first three children, Cecily’s great-grandchildren Arthur, Prince of Wales, Margaret Tudor, and King Henry VIII. Through Margaret Tudor, who married James IV, King of Scots, Cecily is an ancestor of the British royal family and many other European royal families.
Unofficial Royalty: Cecily Neville, Duchess of York

May 3, 1446 – Birth of Margaret of York, Duchess of Burgundy, sister of King Edward IV and King Richard III of England, wife of Charles I, Duke of Burgundy, at Fotheringay Castle in Fotheringay, England
The daughter of Cecily Neville (above) and Richard Plantagenet, 3rd Duke of York, Margaret married Charles the Bold, Duke of Burgundy after the death of his second wife Isabella of Bourbon. Margaret and Charles were half-second cousins. They were both great-grandchildren of John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster, the third surviving son of King Edward III but from different wives of John. Margaret and Charles had no children but Margaret was the stepmother to Charles’s daughter and successor Mary, Duchess of Burgundy. After the death of Charles the Bold, Margaret proved to be invaluable to Burgundy. Regarded as skillful and intelligent, Margaret provided guidance and advice to her stepdaughter Mary, using her own experiences in the court of her brother King Edward IV of England.
Unofficial Royalty: Margaret of York, Duchess of Burgundy

May 3, 1514 – Death of Anna of Brandenburg, Duchess of Schleswig and Holstein, first wife of King Frederik I of Denmark and Norway, in Kiel, Duchy of Schleswig and Holstein, now in the German state of Schleswig-Holstein; buried at the Convent Church in Bordesholm, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany
Anna died before her husband became King of Denmark and Norway but she was the mother of his heir. She often accompanied her husband on his travels and she was very popular with the people of the duchies of Schleswig and Holstein. Apparently having two children during her teenage years weakened Anna’s health. She contracted tuberculosis and died, aged 26, while six months pregnant with her third child.
Unofficial Royalty: Anna of Brandenburg, Duchess of Schleswig and Holstein

May 3, 1764 – Birth of Madame Elisabeth of France, sister of King Louis XVI of France, at the Palace of Versailles in Versailles, France
Full name: Élisabeth Philippine Marie Hélène
Elisabeth was devoted to her brother King Louis XVI, and with his permission, declined all marriage offers so that she could remain in France. She accompanied her brother and his family to imprisonment in the notorious Temple. On May 9, 1794, Elisabeth was transferred to the Conciergerie where she was tried and condemned to be executed the next day.  She was executed by the guillotine at the Place de la Révolution in Paris (now called Place de la Concorde) with 23 other people.  A very religious person, Elisabeth comforted and prayed with several others awaiting execution.
Unofficial Royalty: Madame Elisabeth of France

May 3, 1783 – Death of Prince Octavius, son of King George III of the United Kingdom, at Kew Palace in Surrey, England; buried at St. George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle
Smallpox was a leading cause of death in the 18th century. By having their children inoculated against smallpox, King George III and Queen Charlotte were trying to protect them and starting down the long road that would eventually lead to the eradication of this terrible disease.  Before Edward Jenner developed the smallpox vaccine that contained the cowpox virus, variolation, first seen in China in the fifteenth century, was another way to provide protection against smallpox. Live smallpox virus in the liquid taken from a smallpox blister in a mild case of the disease was put into a cut of a healthy person who developed a very mild case of smallpox.  About 3% of those inoculated developed a severe case of smallpox and died but that was preferable to catching smallpox with its mortality rate of 20–40% and scarred survivors. In April 1783, Octavius and his sister Sophia had their smallpox inoculations. Sophia recovered without incident, but four-year-old Octavius became ill and died several days later, on May 3, 1783.
Unofficial Royalty: Prince Octavius of Great Britain
Unofficial Royalty: Smallpox Knew No Class Boundaries

May 3, 1826 – Birth of King Carl XV of Sweden/King Karl IV of Norway at the Royal Palace in Stockholm, Sweden
Full name: Carl Ludwig Eugen
Upon his father’s death in 1859, Carl ascended to the thrones of Sweden – as King Karl XV – and Norway – as King Karl IV. He was crowned in Sweden on May 3, 1860, and in Norway on August 5, 1860. Despite his abrupt manner, he is noted as one of the most successful  Swedish sovereigns. During his reign, he oversaw the enactment of communal law, ecclesiastical law, and criminal law, and in 1858, passed the law of legal majority for unmarried women
Unofficial Royalty: King Carl XV of Sweden/King Karl IV of Norway

May 3, 1870 – Birth of Princess Helena Victoria of Schleswig-Holstein, granddaughter of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom, at Frogmore House in Windsor, England
Full name: Victoria Louise Sophia Augusta Amelia Helena
Helena Victoria, known as Thora, was the daughter of Princess Helena and Prince Christian of Schleswig-Holstein. Thora never married and remained at home. Following her mother’s example, Thora was involved in many charities and organizations. These included the YMCA, YWCA, and Princess Christian’s Nursing Home in Windsor (established by her mother). She was also, with her sister Marie Louise, an avid supporter of the arts, and often held small concerts and performances at their various homes. Like her mother, Thora also assisted her aunt Beatrice in serving as an unofficial secretary to Queen Victoria. In the last few months of the Queen’s life, she often dictated her journal to Helena Victoria.
Unofficial Royalty: Princess Helena Victoria of Schleswig-Holstein

May 3, 1905 – Birth of Albrecht, Duke of Bavaria, Head of the House of Wittelsbach and pretender to the former Bavarian throne from 1955 until his death in 1996, in Munich, Kingdom of Bavaria, now in the German state of Bavaria
Albrecht, Duke of Bavaria was Head of the House of Wittelsbach and pretender to the former Bavarian throne from 1955 until he died in 1996. He was the eldest surviving grandson of the last reigning King of Bavaria, Ludwig III, and also the heir to the Jacobite succession.
Unofficial Royalty: Albrecht, Duke of Bavaria
Unofficial Royalty: The Jacobite Succession – Pretenders to the British Throne

May 3, 1918 – Death of Princess Marie Anna of Saxe-Altenburg, wife of Georg, Prince of Schaumburg-Lippe, in Bückeburg, Principality of Schaumberg-Lippe, now in the German state of Lower Saxony; buried at the Bückeburg Mausoleum in the park surrounding Bückeburg Castle
In 1882, Maria Anna married the future Georg, Prince of Schaumburg-Lippe and the couple had nine children. Upon the death of his father in 1893, Maria Anna’s husband Georg became the reigning Prince of Schaumburg-Lippe. As Princess of Schaumburg-Lippe, Maria Anna supported churches and schools. Maria Anna’s husband died in 1911, and Marie Anna survived her husband by seven years, dying on May 3, 1918, at age 54.
Unofficial Royalty: Marie Anna of Saxe-Altenburg, Princess of Schaumberg-Lippe

May 3, 1974 – Birth of Princess Haya bint Hussein, daughter of King Hussein of Jordan and his third wife Queen Alia al-Hussein, in Amman, Jordan
A skilled equestrian, Princess Haya was the first female to represent Jordan internationally in show jumping. She won individual bronze at the 1992 Pan Arab Games (becoming the first female ever to have won a Pan-Arab medal in equestrian sports). She was named Equestrian Personality of the Year in 1996, by the Spanish Equestrian Federation. In 2000, she competed in the Sydney Olympic Games and was the flag-bearer for the Jordanian athletes. In 2004, Haya became the junior wife of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Emir of Dubai, Vice President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates. The couple had two children. Sheikh Mohammed divorced Princess Haya under Sharia Law in February 2019 but he did not inform Haya. In the early summer of 2019, Princess Haya took her two children and fled to London where she sought political asylum. In 2021, Princess Haya was granted full custody of her children by a British court. In March 2022, the British High Court declared that Princess Haya had been a victim of “domestic abuse”, and she was announced as the sole person in charge of the children’s schooling and medical care.
Unofficial Royalty: Princess Haya bint Hussein

May 3, 1986 – Birth of Jack Brooksbank, husband of Princess Eugenie of York, born at St. Thomas’ Hospital in London, Lambeth, England
Full name: Jack Christopher Stamp
Jack and Eugenie are third cousins twice removed via their mutual descent from Thomas Coke, 2nd Earl of Leicester. They were married on October 12, 2018, at St. George’s Chapel, Windsor. The couple has two sons.
Unofficial Royalty: Jack Brooksbank

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

Helen of Greece, Queen Mother of Romania Credit – Wikipedia

May 2, 1729 – Birth of Catherine II (the Great), Empress of All Russia, born Princess Sophie  of Anhalt-Zerbst, in Stettin, Pomerania, Kingdom of Prussia, now Szczecin, Poland
Never destined at birth to be a monarch or even married to a monarch, Princess Sophie Auguste Friederike of Anhalt-Zerbst achieved both. She married Grand Duke Peter Feodorovich (born Carl Peter Ulrich of Holstein-Gottorp), the grandson of Peter I (the Great), Emperor of All Russia, and the successor of his unmarried aunt Elizabeth, Empress of All Russia as Peter III, Emperor of All Russia. A conspiracy to overthrow Peter was planned and centered around the five Orlov brothers. After a reign of five months, Peter III was deposed, died under circumstances that remain unclear, and his wife became Catherine II, Empress of All Russia, now known as Catherine the Great. During Catherine’s reign, Russia grew larger and stronger and was recognized as one of the great powers of Europe.
Unofficial Royalty: Catherine II (the Great), Empress of All Russia

May 2, 1816 – Wedding of Princess Charlotte of Wales and Prince Leopold of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, later Leopold I, King of the Belgians, at Carlton House in London, England
In 1814, the handsome Prince Leopold of Saxe-Coburg-Saafeld (after 1826, Prince of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha) visited London and met Charlotte. It was love at first sight. The newlywed couple settled at Claremont House which the British nation had purchased by an Act of Parliament as a wedding gift for Charlotte and Leopold. Charlotte was second in the line of succession to the British throne and would have succeeded her father, the future George IV, as Queen but on November 6, 1817, a great tragedy struck the British Royal Family.  After a labor of over 50 hours, Charlotte delivered a stillborn son. Several hours later, twenty-one-year-old Princess Charlotte, the only child of George, Prince of Wales and King George III’s only legitimate grandchild, died of postpartum hemorrhage.
Unofficial Royalty: Princess Charlotte of Wales
Unofficial Royalty: Leopold I, King of the Belgians

May 2, 1896 – Birth of Princess Helen of Greece, Queen Mother of Romania, wife of King Carol II of Romania, in Athens, Greece
Helen’s marriage to Carol was unsuccessful and the couple divorced. She was the Queen Mother of Romania during the reign of her son King Michael. Helen was noted for her humanitarian efforts to save Romanian Jews during World War II, which led to her being named Righteous Among the Nations by Israel.
Unofficial Royalty: Princess Helen of Greece, Queen Mother of Romania

May 2, 1914 – Death of John Campbell, 9th Duke of Argyll, husband of Princess Louise of the United Kingdom, daughter of Queen Victoria, at Kent House in Cowes, Isle of Wight, England; buried at St. Munn’s Parish Church in Kilmun, Scotland
In 1878, Lorne, as he was called, was appointed Governor-General of Canada, where he served for five years. Lorne and his wife Princess Louise traveled extensively throughout Canada, bringing a royal touch to the country. From 1892 until his death, he was the Governor and Constable of Windsor Castle, appointed by his mother-in-law Queen Victoria. Although more of a title than an actual job, Lorne took the position very seriously. He wrote an extensive history of the castle – The Governor’s Guide to Windsor Castle.
Unofficial Royalty: John Campbell, 9th Duke of Argyll

May 2, 1938 – Birth of King Moshoeshoe II of Lesotho in Morija, Basutoland, now in Lesotho
Moshoeshoe II was Paramount Chief of Basutoland (the former name of Lesotho) from 1960 – 1965 and King of Lesotho from 1965 – 1990. The Kingdom of Lesotho is a country completely within the borders of South Africa. In December 1990, he was deposed and his elder son became king, reigning as King Letsie III. Letsie III was embarrassed at being king while his father was still alive, and tried to persuade the government to reinstate his father as king. In August 1994 he enacted a new coup d’état with the army. Having obtained power, Letsie promised to return power to the previous government on the condition that Moshoeshoe II would return to being King of Lesotho. Moshoeshoe II’s second reign was brief. In the Maloti Mountains in Lesotho, Moshoeshoe’s car plunged off a mountain road during the early hours of January 15, 1996, killing him and his chauffeur.
Unofficial Royalty: King Moshoeshoe II of Lesotho

May 2, 2015 – Birth of Princess Charlotte of Wales, daughter of Prince William, The Prince of Wales, at St. Mary’s Hospital in Paddington, London, England
Full name: Charlotte Elizabeth Diana
Regardless of the gender of any younger siblings, Princess Charlotte will retain her place in the line of succession to the British throne until her older brother has children. The Succession to The Crown Act 2013, which formally went into effect on March 26, 2015, put in place absolute primogeniture, which means that for those born after October 28, 2011, the eldest child becomes the heir to his or her parent, regardless of gender. With the birth of her younger brother Prince Louis in 2018, Charlotte became the first British princess not to be overtaken in the line of succession by her younger brother.
Unofficial Royalty: Princess Charlotte of Wales

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

Isabel of Portugal, Holy Roman Empress; Credit – Wikipedia

May 1, 1118 – Death of Matilda of Scotland, Queen of England, first wife of King Henry I of England, at the Palace of Westminster in London, England; probably buried at Westminster Abbey in London, England
In 1100, Matilda, the daughter of King Malcolm III of Scotland and his second wife Saint Margaret of Scotland, married King Henry I of England. Matilda and Henry had four children, but only two survived childhood. Matilda accompanied her husband in his travels throughout England and Normandy. She was a patron of music and poetry and commissioned a biography of her mother, The Life of Saint Margaret, attributed to Turgot of Durham. Influenced by her abbey upbringing and her mother Saint Margaret of Scotland, Matilda was pious and generous to the poor. She died when she was about the age of 38 on May 1, 1118, at the Palace of Westminster in London. Matilda’s place of her burial is uncertain. One tradition says that she was buried at Winchester Cathedral in the old monastery and that around 1158 Henry of Blois, Bishop of Winchester had her remains placed in a mortuary chest that is now lost. Another tradition says Matilda was buried in Westminster Abbey at the entrance of the chapter house and then later reburied to the south of Edward the Confessor’s shrine by King Henry III.
Unofficial Royalty: Matilda of Scotland, Queen of England

May 1, 1539 – Death of Isabel of Portugal, Holy Roman Empress, Queen of Spain wife of Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor/Carlos I, King of Spain and mother of King Felipe II of Spain, in Toledo, Spain; originally buried in the Royal Chapel of Granada in Spain, later her remains were moved to buried to the Royal Site of San Lorenzo de El Escorial in El Escorial, Spain
Isabella, Infanta of Portugal was the wife of her first cousin Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor who was also King of Spain, Archduke of Austria, Lord of the Netherlands, Duke of Burgundy, among many other titles. Charles and Isabella had five children but only three survived to adulthood. Their son Felipe would become King of Spain (1555 – 1598), King of Portugal (1581 – 1598), King of Naples and Sicily (1554 – 1598), Duke of Milan (1540 – 1598), Lord of the Seventeen Provinces of the Netherlands (1555 – 1598) and jure uxoris (by right of his wife) King of England and Ireland during his marriage to his second wife Queen Mary I of England from 1554 until Mary’s death in 1558. Isabella and Charles’ happy marriage lasted for thirteen years. In 1539, during the third month of Isabella’s seventh pregnancy, she developed a fever causing her to miscarry. The fever caused her condition to worsen and Isabella died two weeks later in Toledo, Spain, on May 1, 1539, aged thirty-five.
Unofficial Royalty: Isabella of Portugal, Queen of Spain, Holy Roman Empress

May 1, 1850 – Birth of Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught, son of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom, at Buckingham Palace in London, England
Full name: Arthur William Patrick Albert
Prince Arthur’s first two names were given in honor of his two godfathers: Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, Commander of the Coalition Army that defeated Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo and a former Prime Minister (the prince was born on the Duke’s 81st birthday) and Prince Wilhelm of Prussia (later Wilhelm I, German Emperor, King of Prussia). Patrick was chosen to show his parents’ gratitude for the hospitality of the Irish people during their visit the previous year, and Albert, as his father Prince Albert wrote, “…Victoria’s love has always insisted on my name to finish up with.” Arthur was very much like his father in looks and was obedient, conscientious, and disciplined. He was Victoria’s favorite son: “This child is dear, dearer than any of the others put together, [after Albert] the dearest and most precious object to me on earth.” In 1879, Arthur married Princess Luise Margarete of Prussia, and the couple had three children. In 1911, in order to strengthen the links between the British monarchy and Canada, Arthur was appointed the first Governor-General of Canada who was a member of the Royal Family.
Unofficial Royalty: Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught

May 1, 1869 – Birth of Prince Friedrich Karl, Landgrave of Hesse, husband of Princess Margarete of Prussia, at his family’s estate Gut Panker in Plön, Holstein, Kingdom of Prussia, now in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany
Full name: Friedrich Karl Ludwig Konstantin
Known as Fischy, he married Princess Margarete of Prussia, who was a daughter of Friedrich III, German Emperor, King of Prussia and a granddaughter of Queen Victoria. They had six sons including two sets of twins. Two of their sons were killed in action during World War I and one was killed in action during World War II.
Unofficial Royalty: Prince Friedrich Karl, Landgrave of Hesse

May 1, 1920 – Death of Crown Princess Margaret of Sweden, born Princess Margaret of Connaught, wife of Crown Prince Gustaf Adolf of Sweden, at the Royal Palace in Stockholm, Sweden; buried at Royal Burial Ground in Haga, Sweden
Margaret was the daughter of Queen Victoria’s son Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught. In 1905, Margaret married the future King Gustaf VI Adolf, then Prince Gustaf Adolf of Sweden, Duke of Skåne. The couple had four sons and one daughter, and the Danish and Swedish Royal Families are the descendants of Margaret and Gustaf Adolf. Margaret was eager to learn the Swedish language and history, endearing her to the Swedish public. During World War I in neutral Sweden, Margaret organized supply drives and acted as a go-between for her relatives whose Allied and Axis countries were divided by the war. In 1907, when Gustaf Adolf’s grandfather King Oscar II died and his father became King Gustaf V, Gustaf Adolf and Margaret became the Crown Prince and Princess of Sweden. Margaret was eight months pregnant with her sixth child in 1920 when she underwent mastoid surgery. An infection set in, killing Margaret, at the age of 38, and her unborn child on May 1, 1920, her father’s 70th birthday. Her family along with the Swedish and British public mourned her death greatly.
Unofficial Royalty: Margaret of Connaught, Crown Princess of Sweden

May 1, 1963 – Birth of Prince Guillaume of Luxembourg, son of Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg, at Betzdorf Castle in Betzdorf,  Luxembourg
Full name: Guillaume Marie Louis Christian
Guillaume is the youngest of the five children of Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg and Princess Joséphine-Charlotte of Belgium. In 1994, he married Sibilla Weiller, a distant cousin. Sibilla is a descendant of Queen Victoria via her youngest child Princess Beatrice. She is a granddaughter of Infanta Beatriz of Spain and a second cousin of King Felipe VI of Spain. Guillaume and his wife have four children. Guillaume and his wife live in Luxembourg and are often attend the major events in the Grand Duchy, as well as most family functions.
Unofficial Royalty: Prince Guillaume of Luxembourg

May 1, 1964 – Birth of Lady Sarah Chatto, daughter of Princess Margaret of the United Kingdom, born Lady Sarah Armstrong-Jones at Kensington Palace in London, England
Full name: Sarah Frances Elizabeth
Sarah attended Bedales School where she developed an interest in art. This interest led her to attend the Camberwell College of Arts followed by coursework in Printed Textiles at Middlesex Polytechnic, before completing her studies at Royal Academy Schools where she won the Winsor & Newton Prize for emerging artists in painting and drawing in 1988 and the Creswick Landscape Prize in 1990.  Sarah continues to pursue her career as a painter and her work can be seen on the website of the gallery that represents her in the article linked below. In 1994, Sarah married Daniel Chatto, and the couple had two sons. Sarah and her family typically attend all the family functions and often spend the holidays with the Royal Family.
Unofficial Royalty: Lady Sarah Chatto

May 1, 2019 – Crown Prince Naruhito ascends the Chrysanthemum Throne of Japan as the 126th Emperor of Japan after the abdication of his father Emperor Akihito
Unofficial Royalty: Emperor Akihito of Japan
Unofficial Royalty: Emperor Naruhito of Japan
Unofficial Royalty: Ceremonies: Abdication of Emperor Akihito and Accession and Enthronement of Emperor Naruhito