© Unofficial Royalty 2024

King Edward III of England; Credit – Wikipedia

June 21, 1377 – Death of King Edward III of England at Sheen Palace in Richmond, England; buried at Westminster Abbey in London, England
From about 1371, Edward III’s health was failing and he became senile. Edward’s third surviving son, John of Gaunt, 1st Duke of Lancaster, led the affairs of state but he could not prevent military failures during the Hundred Years War. King Edward III suffered a stroke in May 1377, and on June 21, 1377, at the age of 64. Edward III’s eldest son Edward, Prince of Wales, who has come to be known as the Black Prince, had died at the age of 45, probably of dysentery, in 1376, a year before his father died, and his 10-year-old son succeeded his grandfather as King Richard II.
Unofficial Royalty: King Edward III of England

June 21, 1528 – Birth of Maria of Spain and Austria, Holy Roman Empress, at the Royal Alcázar of Madrid, Kingdom of Spain
Maria, Infanta of Spain, Archduchess of Austria was the wife of her first cousin Maximilian II, Holy Roman Emperor. She was the daughter of Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor (also Carlos I, King of Spain; Karl I, Archduke of Austria; Charles II, Lord of the Netherlands, Duke of Burgundy, among many other titles) and Isabella of Portugal. Maria and Maximilian had fifteen children. After Maximilian’s death, Maria remained in Vienna for six years and had great influence over her sons Rudolf and Matthias, both Holy Roman Emperors. She then retired to the Monastery of Santa Clara de las Descalzas Reales in Madrid, Spain, founded in 1559 by her younger sister Juana, where she died in 1603 and was buried.
Unofficial Royalty: Maria of Spain and Austria, Holy Roman Empress, Queen of Bohemia, Queen of Hungary and Croatia, Archduchess of Austria

June 21, 1646 – Birth of Marie Francisca of Savoy, Queen of Portugal, first wife of King Afonso VI of Portugal and his brother King Pedro II of Portugal, at the Hôtel de Nemours in Paris, France
Full name: Marie Françoise Élisabeth
Maria Francisca of Savoy was Queen of Portugal twice, once as the wife of Afonso VI, King of Portugal, and then as the wife of his brother Pedro II, King of Portugal. In 1666, she married King Afonso VI who was debilitated mentally and physically due to the effects of a disease he contracted in childhood. Maria Francisca cooperated with her brother-in-law Pedro in a coup that led to Pedro assuming the role of Prince Regent in 1668. While Pedro never formally usurped the throne, Afonso VI was king in name only for the rest of his life. After Maria Francisca’s marriage to Afonso VI was annulled on the grounds of non-consummation, she married Pedro. In 1683, Afonso VI died and his brother succeeded him as Pedro II, King of Portugal, and Maria Francisca was Queen of Portugal for a second time. She died on December 27, 1683.
Unofficial Royalty: Marie Françoise of Savoy, Queen of Portugal

June 21, 1818 – Birth of Ernst II, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha at Ehrenburg Palace in Coburg, Duchy of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, now in Bavaria, Germany
Full name:  Ernst August Karl Johann Leopold Alexander Eduard
Ernst was the elder brother of Prince Albert, Queen Victoria’s husband, and succeeded their father as Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha in 1844. At the urging of his brother Albert,  Ernst began his search for a bride. Ernst was suffering from a venereal disease as a result of his many affairs and had been warned that continued promiscuity could leave him unable to father children. In 1842, Ernst married Princess Alexandrine of Baden. Ernst had at least three illegitimate children, but his marriage was childless, perhaps due to Ernst passing the venereal disease to Alexandrine causing her to become infertile. Alexandrine was loyal and devoted to her husband despite his infidelities and believed their lack of children was her fault.
Unofficial Royalty: Ernst II, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha

June 21, 1831 – Birth of Charlotte of Prussia, Hereditary Princess of Saxe-Meiningen, first wife of the future Georg II, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen, at Schönhausen Palace in Berlin, Kingdom of Prussia, now in Brandenburg, Germany
Full name: Friederike Luise Wilhelmine Marianne Charlotte
Charlotte’s marriage in 1850 to the future Georg II, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen was truly a love match although it was most certainly encouraged by Charlotte’s uncle, King Friedrich Wilhelm IV of Prussia. Charlotte and Georg shared many of the same interests and unlike many marriages of the time, both were very happy to spend as much time together as possible. The couple had four children but sadly, Charlotte, aged 23, died in childbirth along with her fourth child.
Unofficial Royalty: Charlotte of Prussia, Hereditary Princess of Saxe-Meiningen

June 21, 1982 – Birth of Prince William, The Prince of Wales at St. Mary’s Hospital in London, England
Full name: William Arthur Philip Louis
Prince William, The Prince of Wales, is the elder son of King Charles III of the United Kingdom and heir apparent to the British throne. On April 29, 2011, William married Catherine Middleton at Westminster Abbey. Earlier that morning, Williams’s grandmother Queen Elizabeth II created him Duke of Cambridge, Earl of Strathearn, and Baron Carrickfergus. The couple has three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis. With the birth of their younger son Prince Louis, their daughter Princess Charlotte became the first British princess not to be overtaken in the line of succession by her younger brother. This is due to The Succession to The Crown Act 2013, which formally went into effect on March 26, 2015, and put in place absolute primogeniture, which means that for those born after October 28, 2011, the eldest child born becomes the heir to his or her parent, regardless of gender.
Unofficial Royalty: Prince William, The Prince of Wales

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Hedwig Elizabeth Charlotte of Holstein-Gottorp, Queen of Sweden and Norway; Credit – Wikipedia

June 20, 1389 – Birth of John, Duke of Bedford, son of King Henry IV of England
In 1399, John’s father declared himself King Henry IV and imprisoned his cousin King Richard II, who died in 1400 under mysterious circumstances. In 1403, John was made Constable of England and in 1410 he was confirmed in that position for life. His father King Henry IV died in 1413 and his brother became King Henry V. In 1414, John’s brother created him Duke of Bedford, Earl of Kendal, and Earl of Richmond. When King Henry V died at the early age of 35 in 1422, he left his nine-month-old son to succeed him as King Henry VI. John served as Regent for his young nephew and fought many battles against the French. It was John who tried and executed Joan of Arc.
Unofficial Royalty: John, Duke of Bedford

June 20, 1566 – Birth of Sigismund III Vasa, King of Sweden and Poland, Grand Duke of Lithuania, at Gripsholm Castle in Mariefred, Sweden
Sigismund was the son of Johan III, King of Sweden and his first wife Katarina Jagellonica of Poland. He was not only King of Sweden but also King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania through his mother. Sigismund, who was Catholic, was deposed in 1599 as King of Sweden by his Protestant uncle who reigned as King Karl IX of Sweden and lived the remainder of his life in Poland.
Unofficial Royalty: Sigismund III Vasa, King of Sweden and Poland, Grand Duke of Lithuania

June 20, 1667 – Death of James Stuart, Duke of Cambridge, son of King James II of England, at Richmond Palace; buried at Westminster Abbey in London, England
James, the second son of James, Duke of York (later James II) and his first wife Anne Hyde was born on July 11, 1663.  Little James fell ill in April 1667 and died on June 20, 1667.
Unofficial Royalty: James Stuart, Duke of Cambridge

June 20, 1793 – Birth of Marianne Skerrett, Head Dresser and Wardrobe-Woman to Queen Victoria from 1837 to 1862, in London, England (Note: The depiction of Queen Victoria’s dresser in the series Victoria is completely false and an insult to the real person.)
Marianne Skerrett was born in 1793, so she was 44 years old when the 18-year-old Victoria became queen. She was intelligent, extremely well-read, and fluent in Danish, French, and German. Recommended to Queen Victoria by Louisa Petty-FitzMaurice, Marchioness of Lansdowne, a Lady of the Bedchamber, Marianne became one of Queen Victoria’s two dressers in 1837 and eventually became head dresser. As the head dresser, Marianne oversaw the ordering of Queen Victoria’s clothing, shoes, hats, gloves, and undergarments. Marianne kept the wardrobe accounts and was diligent in checking all the bills to make sure no one tried to cheat Victoria. She was also responsible for supervising the hairdressers, dressmakers, and seamstresses who kept the royal wardrobe in good repair. After 25 years of serving Queen Victoria, Marianne retired in 1862 at the age of 69. She received a pension of £70 and went to live with her sister in the Marylebone section of London. Marianne Skerrett remained in contact with Queen Victoria, visiting her and writing to her, until she died in London, England on July 29, 1887, at the age of 94.
Unofficial Royalty: Marianne Skerrett

June 20, 1810 – Death by a lynch mob of Axel von Fersen the Younger, favorite of Marie Antoinette, Queen of France, in Stockholm, Sweden; initially buried at the Riddarholmen Church in Stockholm, Sweden, later buried with his family at Ljungs Church in Ljung, Östergötland, Sweden
In May 1810, the new Crown Prince of Sweden died suddenly after falling from his horse. Rumors quickly spread that he had been poisoned by the former King’s supporters – more specifically, at the hands of Axel von Fersen. On June 20, 1810, the funeral was held for the Crown Prince. As Marshal of the Realm, von Fersen was one of the leaders of the procession through Stockholm. Despite the heavy presence of guards, several people broke free from the crowd in attempts to get to von Fersen, while the guards mostly just looked on with disinterest. Fleeing the crowds, he tried to find safety in a nearby house but was quickly pursued and overtaken. He was dragged back into the street where he was quickly attacked and killed by the angry mob who blamed him for the Crown Prince’s death. Several months later, he was cleared of having any part in the Crown Prince’s death.
Unofficial Royalty: Axel von Fersen the Younger

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

June 20, 1837 – Death of King William IV of the United Kingdom at Windsor Castle in Windsor, England; buried at St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle in Windsor, England
Although William IV had ten children with his mistress Dorothea Jordan, he had no surviving children with his wife. Princess Victoria of Kent, the daughter of his deceased brother Prince Edward, Duke of Kent was his heir. Both William and his wife Adelaide were very fond of their niece and wanted to be closer to her. However, Victoria’s mother, the Duchess of Kent, did not allow this. In addition, she was rude to Queen Adelaide by refusing to recognize the Queen’s precedence, ignoring her letters, and taking space in royal stables and apartments for her own use. In August 1836 at a dinner in honor of his 71st birthday, William publically insulted the Duchess of Kent, who would have been her daughter’s Regent, in a speech that can be read in William’s article linked below. In the speech, William said, “I trust in God that my life may be spared for nine months longer, after which period, in the event of my death, no regency would take place.” William’s wish that his life would be spared for nine months was granted. Princess Victoria turned 18 on May 24, 1837, and a regency would no longer be required. The king had become ill with asthma or hay fever in May 1837, and pneumonia soon developed. King William IV died peacefully on June 20, 1837, at Windsor Castle and Princess Victoria ascended to the throne.
Unofficial Royalty: King William IV of the United Kingdom

June 20, 1856 – Death of Prince Florestan I of Monaco in Paris, France; buried at Saint Nicholas Cathedral in Monaco
Florestan succeeded his childless brother Honoré V in 1841. Florestan had lived in France his entire life and had never been to Monaco. He was ill-prepared to assume the role of Sovereign Prince. During his reign, the real power lay in the hands of his wife Maria Caroline Gibert de Lametz. She took over  Monaco’s finances just as she did with the family finances. Maria Caroline ruled Monaco with an iron fist because her indecisive and politically disinclined husband left all affairs of state to her. Florestan, Prince of Monaco died, aged 70, on June 20, 1856, in Paris, France. He was buried at the Church of Saint Nicholas in Monaco.
Unofficial Royalty: Prince Florestan I of Monaco

June 20, 1913 – Birth of Infante Juan of Spain, Count of Barcelona at the Palace of San Ildefonso in Segovia, Spain
Full name: Juan Carlos Teresa Silverio Alfonso de Borbón y Battenberg
Juan was the third surviving son of King Alfonso XIII of Spain and Victoria Eugenie of Battenburg. He was the father of King Juan Carlos of Spain. In 1933, both of his elder brothers renounced their rights of succession, and Juan became heir apparent to the Spanish throne. However, when dictator Francisco Franco declared a restoration of the monarchy in 1947, he named himself Regent. It would be another 22 years before he named his successor. Feeling that Juan would be too liberal, Franco instead passed over him and chose Juan’s son, Juan Carlos, as heir to the Spanish throne.
Unofficial Royalty: Infante Juan of Spain, Count of Barcelona

June 20, 1923 – Death of Marie of Battenberg, Princess of Erbach-Schönberg, daughter of Prince Alexander of Hesse and by Rhine, in Schönberg, Germany; buried in the cemetery of St. Mary’s Church in Schönberg, Hesse, Germany
The Battenberg / Mountbatten family descends from Marie’s parents Prince Alexander of Hesse and by Rhine and his morganatic wife Countess Julia von Hauke. In 1871, Marie married Gustaf Ernst, Count of Erbach-Schönberg and had four children. An avid writer, Marie published translations of several prominent works and wrote My Trip to Bulgaria, a memoir of her visit to her brother Alexander who was reigning Prince of Bulgaria from 1879 to 1886. In her later years, several more memoirs were published, one of which detailed the situation of her son Maximilian who was mentally unstable.
Unofficial Royalty: Marie of Battenberg, Princess of Erbach-Schönberg

June 20, 1923 – Death of Anne Innes-Ker, Duchess of Roxburghe, Queen Victoria’s Acting Mistress of the Robes 1883–1885 and 1892–1895 and Lady of the Bedchamber 1897–1901, at her daughter Evelyn’s home on South Audley Street in Mayfair, London, England; buried at Kelso Abbey in Kelso, Scotland, near Floors Castle, the seat of the Dukes of Roxburghe
Born Lady Anne Spencer-Churchill, daughter of John Spencer-Churchill, 7th Duke of Marlborough, she married James Innes-Ker, 7th Duke of Roxburghe.
Unofficial Royalty: Anne Innes-Ker, Duchess of Roxburghe

June 20, 1946 – Birth of Birgitte, Duchess of Gloucester, wife of Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester, born Birgitte Eva Henriksen in Odense, Isle of Funen, Denmark
The Duchess of Gloucester carried out many public engagements in support of her husband’s first cousin Queen Elizabeth II. She also supported The Queen at official engagements such as state banquets, religious services, garden parties, and receptions. The Duchess of Gloucester also made official overseas visits as a representative of The Queen with and without her husband. She continues to carry out engagements and represents her husband’s first cousin once removed King Charles III.
Unofficial Royalty: Birgitte, Duchess of Gloucester

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Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden and Daniel Westling; Credit – Wikipedia

June 19, 1282 – Death in childbirth of Eleanor de Montfort, Princess of Wales and Lady of Snowdon, wife of Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, Prince of Wales, granddaughter of King John of England, in Abergwyngregyn, Gwynedd, Wales; buried at the Franciscan Friary of Llanfaes, Anglesey, Wales
Eleanor’s parents were Simon de Montfort and Eleanor of England, King John’s daughter. Her husband was the last Prince of an independent Wales and was killed in battle trying to save Wales in December 1281. The baby girl born the day her mother died was named Gwenllian of Wales and her uncle Prince Dafydd ap Gruffudd became her guardian after her parents died. In June 1283, Edward captured Dafydd ap Gruffudd I’s armies and hanged, drawn, and quartered him. Dafydd ap Gruffudd’s two sons were imprisoned in Bristol Castle for the rest of their lives and his daughter and niece Gwenllian were confined in convents.
Unofficial Royalty: Eleanor de Montfort, Princess of Wales and Lady of Snowdon

June 19, 1312 – Execution of Piers Gaveston, 1st Earl of Cornwall, favorite of King Edward II of England, at Blacklow Hill near Warwick, Warwickshire, England; buried at  King’s Langley Priory in King’s Langley England
Piers Gaveston had made a good impression on King Edward I of England and was assigned to the household of his son, the Prince of Wales, the future King Edward II. However, Piers soon became involved in conflicts between King Edward I and his son. The situation got so bad that King Edward I banished Piers. After King Edward I’s death, his son King Edward II recalled Piers. Piers’ exclusive access to King Edward II annoyed members of the nobility, and Edward II was forced to send him into exile. Edward II negotiated a deal with the nobles and Piers returned after a year in exile. However, his behavior became even more offensive and Piers was exiled for a third time and would be declared an outlaw if he returned to England. However, Piers returned to England, was hunted down, and executed by a group of nobles.
Unofficial Royalty: Piers Gaveston, 1st Earl of Cornwall

June 19, 1566 – Birth of James VI, King of Scots (later also King James I of England), son of Mary, Queen of Scots, at Edinburgh Castle in Edinburgh, Scotland
Full name: Charles James
When James was 11 months old, Protestant rebels arrested his Catholic mother Mary, Queen of Scots, and forced her to abdicate in favor of her son James who reigned as James VI, King of Scots.  James’ parents, Mary, Queen of Scots and Henry Stewart, Lord Darnley, were both grandchildren of Margaret Tudor, daughter of King Henry VII of England and sister of King Henry VIII of England, and therefore, James had a claim on the English throne. Since none of the children of Henry VIII had children, James was the senior heir of Henry VII through his eldest daughter Margaret Tudor. In 1589, James married Anne of Denmark. They had had seven children, but only three survived childhood including King Charles I of England and Elizabeth 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 of Great Britain.  On her deathbed, Queen Elizabeth I gave her assent that James should succeed her. In March 1625, James became ill with a recurring fever and then suffered a stroke. He died on March 27, 1625, aged 58.
Unofficial Royalty: King James I of England

June 19, 1854 – Death of Heinrich LXII, 2nd Prince Reuss of Gera in Gera, Principality of Reuss-Gera, now in Thuringia, Germany; buried at the Bergkirche St. Marien now in Schleiz, Thuringia, Germany
Upon his father’s death in 1818, Heinrich LXII became the 2nd Prince Reuss of Gera. He was an enthusiastic ruler and immediately set out to improve the education system of his principality. Heinrich LXII also did much to beautify Reuss-Gera, especially along the roads leading to Schleiz. In 1837, Schleiz Castle was badly damaged in a fire and Heinrich LXII oversaw the renovations. However, in 1945, Schleiz Castle was destroyed by American bombing during World War II. The ruins were removed in 1950, leaving only the two damaged towers.
Unofficial Royalty: Heinrich LXII, 2nd Prince Reuss of Gera

June 19, 1860 – Birth of Anna Nahowski, mistress of Franz Joseph I, Emperor of Austria, born Anna Nowak in Vienna, Austria
Franz Joseph and Anna’s relationship lasted for fourteen years, overlapping Franz Joseph’s long-standing private relationship with actress Katharina Schratt. It is probable that Franz Joseph was the father of at least one of Anna’s three children. After the suicide of Franz Joseph’s only son Crown Prince Rudolf, Franz Joseph broke off all contact with Anna. She was informed that she could determine her severance payment for the fourteen years in the service of the emperor. She asked for 200,000 guldens (millions of dollars today) and in return, she had to sign the following statement: “I hereby confirm that I received 200,000 guldens as a gift from His Majesty the Emperor today. I also swear that I will remain silent at all times about the relationship with His Majesty.” Anna never spoke publicly about her affair during her life. She did keep a diary which was released in 1976 after the death of her daughter Helene. The diary revealed the true nature of the relationship between Anna and Franz Joseph.
Unofficial Royalty: Anna Nahowski

June 19, 1867 – Execution of Emperor Maximilian of Mexico by firing squad in Cerro de las Campanas, Querétaro, Mexico; buried at the Imperial Crypt in Vienna, Austria
Maximilian was born an Austrian Archduke and was the brother of Emperor Franz Joseph of Austria. In 1861, Maximilian accepted the offer of becoming Emperor of Mexico. However, the liberal forces led by Benito Juárez, the former president deposed by the French, refused to recognize his rule. There was continuous warfare between the French troops and the forces of Juárez who wanted a republic. Maximilian was condemned to death by a court of war and was executed by a firing squad.
Unofficial Royalty: Execution of Maximilian I, Emperor of Mexico
Unofficial Royalty: Archduke Maximilian of Austria, Emperor of Mexico

June 19, 1896 – Birth of Wallis, Duchess of Windsor, wife of the former King Edward VIII of the United Kingdom, Duke of Windsor, at Square Cottage at Monterey Inn, a resort hotel in Blue Ridge Summit, Pennsylvania
Born: Bessiewallis Warfield
Bessiewallis Warfield was the only child of Teackle Wallis Warfield and Alice Montague. Teackle’s family had money, but it was “new money,” and the family was looked down upon by the older, established families. Teackle was sickly, had been ill with tuberculosis since he was 18 years old, and had a poor-paying job as a county auctioneer. Wallis’ mother was Alice Montague from a Southern “Old Family”. The Montague family could not fathom Alice’s decision to marry Teackle. Only three people attended their wedding: Alice’s sister Bessie and two of Teackle’s friends. Five months after Wallis’ birth, her father died at the age of 27. Wallis and her mother were dependent upon the charity of relatives until her mother remarried. Wallis uncle Solomon Warfield paid for her to attend the most expensive girls’ school in Maryland and she made friends with several girls from wealthy families.
Unofficial Royalty: Wallis, Duchess of Windsor

June 19, 1902 – Death of King Albert of Saxony at Sibyllenort Castle in Sibyllenort, Kingdom of Saxony, now in Lower Silesia, Poland; buried in the Wettin Crypt at the Dresden Cathedral in Dresden, Kingdom of Saxony, now in Saxony, Germany
When Albert’s father died in 1873, he succeeded him as King of Saxony. For the most part, his reign was quiet and uneventful, as he focused primarily on military affairs and did not involve himself much in politics. Perhaps his greatest contribution was the establishment of the Albertstadt, a suburb in Dresden. In the late 1890s, he was appointed to serve as an arbitrator in the dispute over succession in the Principality of Lippe. Albert’s marriage was childless and he was succeeded by his younger brother Georg.
Unofficial Royalty: King Albert of Saxony

June 19, 1976 – Wedding of King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden and Silvia Sommerlath at the Storkyrkan in Stockholm, Sweden
Silvia Sommerlath worked at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich as a senior hostess and interpreter. As part of her job duties, Silvia was assigned as hostess and guide to several high-profile attendees at the Games. One of Silvia’s assigned guests was King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden. Carl Gustaf asked Silvia for a date on the day they met, and the couple had dinner just a few hours later. Carl Gustaf noted several years afterward that he and Silvia simply “clicked” upon their first meeting and had done so ever since that day.
Unofficial Royalty: Wedding of King Carl XVI Gustaf and Silvia Sommerlath

June 19, 1999 – Wedding of Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh and Sophie Rhys Jones at St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle in Windsor, England
On January 6, 1999, Prince Edward held a press conference to announce he and Sophie Rhys-Jones were engaged to be married. It was the culmination of a long courtship, beginning in 1993 when the two renewed a casual acquaintance at a Real Tennis Challenge, hosted by the Prince. Ms. Rhys-Jones, the public relations executive handling the event, was reportedly “charmed” by the youngest of the Queen’s sons, and he with her.
Unofficial Royalty: Wedding of Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh and Sophie Rhys Jones

June 19, 2010 – Wedding of Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden and Daniel Westling at the Storkyrkan in Stockholm, Sweden
Crown Princess Victoria first met Daniel Westling in 2001 when he became her personal trainer at the gym he owned in Stockholm. It was at a friend’s birthday party in 2002 when photographers caught a kiss between the two, fueling the interest in the Princess’ personal life. Despite some public opinion against Daniel as a potential spouse for the princess due to his ‘common’ background, Victoria made it clear that one’s background was not the deciding factor in marriage, but rather the happiness shared by the couple. Speculation increased in July 2008 when Daniel moved to a rental apartment in a wing of Drottningholm Palace. Many believed this was to allow him to be ‘groomed’ for the role of consort to the Crown Princess. The engagement of Crown Princess Victoria to Mr. Daniel Westling was announced by the Royal Palace on February 24, 2009.
Unofficial Royalty: Wedding of Crown Princess Victoria and Daniel Westling

June 19, 2018 – Death of Princess Elisabeth of Denmark, the first cousin of Queen Margrethe II of Denmark, at Sorgenfri Palace in Copenhagen, Denmark; buried at Lyngby Church in Copenhagen, Denmark
Elisabeth was the granddaughter of King Christian X of Denmark and the first cousin of Queen Margrethe II of Denmark. Not receiving an appanage from the State, she took a job with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1956. Several times she was posted abroad – twice at the Danish Embassy in Washington DC and once at the Danish United Nations Mission in Geneva, Switzerland. She retired in 2001 after 45 years of employment. Elisabeth never married, perhaps to retain her position within the Danish Royal Family. Until her death, she was the last person in the line of succession to the Danish throne. Elisabeth had a long-term relationship with videographer Claus Hermansen until he died in 1997.
Unofficial Royalty: Princess Elisabeth of Denmark

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Olga Konstantinovna of Russia, Queen of Greece; Credit – Wikipedia

June 18, 1269 – Birth of Eleanor of England, Countess of Bar, daughter of King Edward I of England, wife of Henri III, Count of Bar, at Windsor Castle in Windsor, England
Eleanor married Henri III, Count of Bar. The Duchy of Bar was a sovereign state located in what is now northeast France. An alliance with Henri against King Philippe IV of France could provide a significant military advantage. Eleanor and Henri had one son and one daughter. Eleanor and Henri’s marriage lasted a little less than five years. On August 29, 1298, 29-year-old Eleanor died in Ghent, County of Flanders, now in Belgium, of unknown causes. Possibly, she died in childbirth (along with the baby), which at the end of the 13th century was a frequent cause of premature death of women.
Unofficial Royalty: Eleanor of England, Countess of Bar

June 18, 1318 – Birth of Eleanor of Woodstock Duchess of Guelders, daughter of King Edward II of England, at Woodstock Palace in Oxfordshire, England
In 1332, 14-year-old Eleanor married 37-year-old Reinald II, then Count of Guelders and later Duke of Guelders. The couple had two sons and Eleanor was stepmother to Reinald’s four daughters from his first marriage. In  1343, 48-year-old Reinald II, Duke of Guelders died after a riding accident. Eleanor was named one of the Regents for her nine-year-old son Reinald III, Duke of Guelders, but the other Regents made the situation so difficult for her that she was forced to resign. In 1350, with encouragement from his mother, Eleanor’s younger son Edward began a civil war against his brother Reinald III for control of the Duchy of Guelders. When Eleanor attempted to reconcile with her son Reinald, he rejected her reconciliation attempts and confiscated her property. Eleanor was then forced to retire to the Cistercian where she died in poverty on April 22, 1355, aged 36.
Unofficial Royalty: Eleanor of Woodstock, Duchess of Guelders

June 18, 1662 – Birth of Charles FitzRoy, 2nd Duke of Cleveland, an illegitimate son of King Charles II of England and his mistress Barbara Palmer, 1st Duchess of Cleveland (in her own right), in London, England
In 1679, Charles married Mary Wood, the only child and the heiress of Sir Henry Wood, 1st Baronet. A year later, sixteen-year-old Mary died of smallpox. After many legal maneuvers, Mary’s fortune passed to her widower 18-year-old Charles Fitzroy who remained unmarried for fourteen years. In 1694, Charles married Anne Pulteney, daughter of Sir William Pulteney, a Member of Parliament, and the couple had six children. When Charles’ mother Barbara Palmer, 1st Duchess of Cleveland died in 1709, he became 2nd Duke of Cleveland. On September 9, 1730, 68-year-old Charles FitzRoy, 2nd Duke of Cleveland died in London, England. He was succeeded by his eldest son William FitzRoy. However, William was childless and when he died in 1774, all his titles became extinct.
Unofficial Royalty: Charles FitzRoy, 2nd Duke of Cleveland

June 18, 1824 – Death of Ferdinando III, Grand Duke of Tuscany in Florence, Grand Duchy of Tuscany, now in Italy; buried in the Medici Chapel at the Basilica of San Lorenzo in Florence
In 1790, Ferdinando’s father Pietro Leopoldo I, Grand Duke of Tuscany was elected Holy Roman Emperor as Leopold II, and 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 the death of his father 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

June 18, 1849 – Birth of Sir Arthur Bigge, 1st Baron Stamfordham, Private Secretary to Queen Victoria and King George V
Lieutenant Colonel The Right Honourable Sir Arthur John Bigge was Private Secretary to Queen Victoria from 1895 until Queen Victoria died in 1901. He then served as Private Secretary to the future King George V from 1901 to 1910, and for twenty-one years of King George V’s reign until he died in 1931.
Unofficial Royalty: Sir Arthur Bigge, 1st Baron Stamfordham

June 18, 1866 – Death of Prince Sigismund of Prussia at the Neues Palais in Potsdam, Kingdom of Prussia, now in Brandenburg, Germany; buried at Friedenskirche in Potsdam
Prince Sigismund was the son of Victoria, Princess Royal and Friedrich III, German Emperor, and a grandson of Queen Victoria. He was the first grandchild of Queen Victoria to die. He died at age 21 months from meningitis. After Sigismund’s father died in 1888, the Kaiser Friedrich Mausoleum was added to the Friedenskirche, and Sigismund and his brother Waldemar, who died of diphtheria when he was eleven years old, were re-interred there.
Unofficial Royalty: Prince Sigismund of Prussia

June 18, 1901 – Birth of Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna of Russia, daughter of Nicholas II, Emperor of All Russia, at Peterhof near St. Petersburg, Russia
Anastasia, the fourth of four daughters, was named in honor of Princess Anastasia of Montenegro, a close friend of Anastasia’s mother and who married twice, both times to two grandsons of Nicholas I, Emperor of All Russia. There was, once again, disappointment that Empress Alexandra had not given birth to a boy. Anastasia had a close relationship with her younger brother Alexei. If he did not feel well because of his hemophilia, Anastasia was the one who was able to distract him from his pain and cheer him up. It is known from the DNA analysis of the family’s remains, that Anastasia was a hemophilia carrier.
Unofficial Royalty: Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna of Russia

June 18, 1926 – Death of Grand Duchess Olga Konstantinovna of Russia, Queen of Greece, wife of King George I of Greece, either in Rome, Italy or in Pau, Béarn, France; first buried in Italy, reburied at Tatoi Royal Cemetery in Greece
Olga was the elder daughter of Grand Duke Konstantin Nikolayevich of Russia and Princess Alexandra of Saxe-Altenburg, a granddaughter of Nicholas I, Emperor of All Russia, and the paternal grandmother of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.
Unofficial Royalty: Olga Konstantinovna of Russia, Queen of Greece

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Sophia of Württemberg, Queen of the Netherlands; Credit – Wikipedia

June 17, 1239 – Birth of King Edward I of England at the Palace of Westminster in London, England
Edward I’s relentless, but unsuccessful campaign to assert his overlordship over Scotland was resisted by William Wallace and Robert the Bruce, (later King Robert I of Scotland) but it gave him one of his nicknames, “Hammer of the Scots,” which was inscribed on his tomb. In 1296, Edward I captured the Stone of Scone, an oblong block of red sandstone that was used for centuries in the coronation of the monarchs of Scotland. Edward had the Stone of Scone taken to Westminster Abbey, where it was fitted into a wooden chair, known as King Edward’s Chair, on which most subsequent English monarchs have been crowned. In 1996, 700 years after it was taken, the Stone of Scone was returned to Scotland. It is kept at Edinburgh Castle in the Crown Room alongside the crown jewels of Scotland (the Honours of Scotland) when not being used at coronations.
Unofficial Royalty: King Edward I of England

June 17, 1682 – Birth of King Karl XII of Sweden at Tre Kronor Castle which was on the site of the present Royal Palace 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 general of the army and achieved significant success for several years. In 1718, Karl once 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.
Unofficial Royalty: King Karl XII of Sweden

June 17, 1814 – Birth of Anne Murray, Duchess of Atholl, Queen Victoria’s Mistress of the Robes 1852–1853, Acting Mistress of the Robes 1892–1895, and Lady of the Bedchamber 1854–1897, at the family home on Princes Street in Edinburgh, Scotland
Born Anne Home-Drummond, the daughter of Henry Home-Drummond, a Scottish politician, she married George Murray, 6th Duke of Atholl.
Unofficial Royalty: Anne Murray, Duchess of Atholl

June 17, 1818 – Birth of Sophie of Württemberg, Queen of the Netherlands, first wife of King Willem III of the Netherlands, at Ludwigsburg Palace in Stuttgart, Kingdom of  Württemberg, now in Baden-Württemberg, Germany
Sophie was the first wife of King Willem III of the Netherlands. They had three sons, all of whom had no children and predeceased their father. The marriage of Sophie and Willem was ultimately unsuccessful. Willem had numerous extramarital affairs and had numerous illegitimate children. Sophie let him know that she thought him inferior to her and unfit to serve as king. She was convinced that she could do better ruling the country as regent. Sophie tried to divorce her husband, but because of national interests, this was impossible. In 1855, an agreement was made that Sophie would have her own quarters at Noordeinde Palace and that she would spend the summers at Huis ten Bosch Palace without her husband. After Sophie’s death, Willem III married the much younger Emma of Waldeck-Pyrmont and they had one child, Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands.
Full name: Sophia Frederika Mathilde
Unofficial Royalty: Sophie of Württemberg, Queen of the Netherlands

June 17, 1882 – Birth of Adolf Friedrich VI, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, in Neustrelitz, Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, now in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany
Full name: Adolf Friedrich Georg Ernst Albert Eduard
Before becoming Grand Duke, Adolf Friedrich spent several summers living in the United Kingdom, and developed a strong love for the country, likely influenced by his grandmother, who was born Princess Augusta of Cambridge and was a granddaughter of King George III of the United Kingdom.  Adolf Friedrich took every opportunity to visit the United Kingdom and often represented his father and grandfather at official functions, such as the funerals of Queen Victoria and King Edward VII, and the coronations of King Edward VII and King George V. Adolf Friedrich VI left his home on the evening of February 23, 1918, to take his dog for a walk. The following morning, his body was found in a nearby canal with a gunshot wound to his head. He left behind a suicide note which suggested that a woman was attempting to smear his name. However, his close friend, Princess Daisy of Pless suggested that he had developed severe depression over the war and the loss of his beloved grandmother.
Unofficial Royalty: Adolf Friedrich VI, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz

June 17, 1884 – Birth of Prince Wilhelm, Duke of Södermanland, the second of the three sons of King Gustaf V of Sweden, at Tullgarn Palace in Södermanland, Sweden
Full name: Carl Wilhelm Ludvig
Wilhelm had an unsuccessful marriage to Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna of Russia, a granddaughter of Alexander II, Emperor of All Russia and the only daughter and the eldest of the two children of Grand Duke Paul Alexandrovich of Russia and Princess Alexandra of Greece and Denmark.  When Maria Pavlovna was only seventeen months old, her mother died shortly after giving premature birth to her second child. After her marriage, Maria was homesick in a strange country where the royal court was even more formal than the Russian court. Maria left her husband and son and returned to Russia which caused a great scandal in Sweden. Her marriage was officially dissolved and then confirmed by an edict issued by Nicholas II, Emperor of All Russia.
Unofficial Royalty: Prince Wilhelm, Duke of Södermanland

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King Gustav V of Sweden; Credit – Wikipedia

June 16, 1332 – Birth of Isabella of England, Countess of Bedford, daughter of King Edward III of England, at Woodstock Palace in Woodstock, Oxfordshire, England
Isabella married the French nobleman Enguerrand VII, Lord of Coucy. Her father Edward III granted him the titles Earl of Albemarle and Earl of Bedford. Isabella and Enguerrand had two daughters. Throughout her married life, Isabella never felt quite at home at the Château de Coucy in Coucy-le-Château-Auffrique, Lordship of Coucy, now in France. Whenever Enguerrand had to be away for extended periods, she would return to England. Isabella was at her father’s deathbed in 1377. Because her elder brother Edward, Prince of Wales, the Black Prince had died in 1376, his ten-year-old son succeeded as King Richard II. After the coronation of Richard II, Enguerrand decided to cut all ties to England and only serve the French king, effectively ending his marriage with Isabella. Enguerrand returned to France, never to see Isabella again. Isabella remained in England with her younger daughter Philippa while her older daughter Marie continued living in France. Isabella died either in April 1379 or sometime between June 17 and October 5, 1382, aged 47 or 50. She was buried in Christ Church Greyfriars in London, England.
Unofficial Royalty: Isabella of England, Countess of Bedford

June 16, 1644 – Birth of Princess Henrietta-Anne of England, daughter of King Charles I of England, at Bedford House in Exeter, England
Henrietta-Anne married her first cousin Philippe I, Duke of Orléans, the only sibling of Louis XIV, King of France. She is an ancestor of the royal families of Belgium, Luxembourg, and Spain.  When the line of Henriette-Anne’s brother King James II of England died out, the Jacobite claims to the British throne descended from her daughter Anne d’Orléans, Queen of Sardinia. The Orléanist pretenders to the French throne and the Savoy pretenders to the Italian throne descend from Henrietta-Anne.
Unofficial Royalty: Princess Henrietta-Anne of England, Duchess of Orléans

June 16, 1712 – Death of Prince Hans-Adam I of Liechtenstein in Vienna, Austria; buried at  Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary in Brno, Moravia, now Vranov, Czech Republic
Twenty-two-year-old Hans-Adam became Prince of Liechtenstein upon the death of his father Karl Eusebius, Prince of Liechtenstein on April 5, 1684. Karl Eusebius left his son a rich inheritance and an extensive collection of artworks which were added to by his son and other descendants. Hans-Adam II, the current Prince of Liechtenstein, is the richest European monarch. In 1681, Hans-Adam married Princess Erdmuthe Maria Theresia of Dietrichstein-Nikolsburg. Hans-Adam and Erdmuthe had eleven children but all their sons predeceased Hans-Adam. Because Hans-Adam had no sons, he had chosen his distant cousin Prince Joseph Wenzel, the great-grandnephew of Karl I, Prince of Liechtenstein, even though he was not next in line. The actual heir was his uncle Anton Florian but he was not very popular with the family.
Unofficial Royalty: Prince Hans-Adam I of Liechtenstein

June 16, 1742 – Death of Louise-Élisabeth of Orléans, Queen of Spain, wife of King Luis I of Spain, at the Luxembourg Palace in Paris, France; buried at the Church of Saint-Sulpice in Paris, 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 the young age of Louise Élisabeth. 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 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, lonely and forgotten, died 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

June 16, 1848 – Death of Ludwig II, Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine in Darmstadt, Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine, now in Hesse, Germany; buried in the Altes Mausoleum in the Rosenhöhe in Darmstadt
Ludwig became Grand Duke upon his father’s death in March 1830 and continued his father’s policies. Soon after his accession, he demanded that the state assume his personal debts. This led to a growing dislike for Ludwig amongst the Hessian people. He also stood strongly against calls for a more liberal government that was sweeping through Europe. Following the beginning of the March Revolution, Grand Duke Ludwig II abdicated on March 5, 1848, in favor of his eldest son.
Unofficial Royalty: Ludwig II, Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine

June 16, 1858 – Birth of King Gustaf V of Sweden at Drottningholm Palace in Drottningholm, Sweden
Full name: Oscar Gustaf Adolf
In 1881, Gustaf married Princess Viktoria of Baden, the daughter of Grand Duke Friedrich I of Baden and Princess Luise of Prussia. As Viktoria was a great-granddaughter of King Gustaf IV Adolf of Sweden, the marriage joined the current Bernadotte dynasty with the former ruling House of Holstein-Gottorp. The couple had three sons. Gustaf V’s reign saw the rise of parliamentary rule and the establishment of a government that stripped the monarchy of its power, although this would not formally change until the 1974 Constitution. In 1948, King Gustaf celebrated his 90th birthday, but his health soon began to decline. Already spending the spring months on the French Riviera, he began to have the Crown Prince represent him at official functions. He made his last official appearance at a Cabinet meeting held on October 27, 1950. Two days later, as a result of complications from influenza, King Gustaf V died at Drottningholm Palace.
Unofficial Royalty: King Gustav V of Sweden

June 16, 1929 – Birth of Sabah IV bin Ahmad Al-Sabah, Emir of Kuwait in Kuwait City, Kuwait
Sabah was a respected regional and international mediator due in part to his leadership in the Gulf Cooperation Council and his forty years of service as Foreign Minister and Prime Minister. Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter called Sabah a “global humanitarian leader”, saying, “His support of disaster relief, peace efforts, and advancing public health are an inspiration. Other world leaders can learn from the wise example set by my friend, His Highness the Emir.” Sabah IV died on September 29, 2020, at the age of 91, due to long-term health issues.  His 83-year-old half-brother Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf al-Ahmed was named by the cabinet as his successor.
Unofficial Royalty: Sabah IV bin Ahmad Al-Sabah, Emir of Kuwait

June 16, 1937 – Birth of Simeon Borisov Sakskoburggotski, former Tsar Simeon II of Bulgaria in Sofia, Bulgaria
In 1943, Simeon’s father Tsar Boris III died and six-year-old Simeon became Tsar Simeon II of Bulgaria. A Council of Regency was established, led by his uncle Prince Kyril. The following year, the Soviet Union declared war on Bulgaria, and the regents were deposed and replaced. They would all be killed a year later. The monarchy was overthrown in 1946 and the family was forced to leave the country. Following the fall of the Communist regime, Simeon was finally able to return to Bulgaria. In 1996, fifty years after he had been forced out of the country, Simeon returned to Bulgaria. He was the prime minister of Bulgaria from 2001-2005. He uses the name Simeon Borisov Sakskoburggotski (Saxe-Coburg-Gotha).
Unofficial Royalty: Tsar Simeon II of Bulgaria

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

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Friedrich III, German Emperor and King of Prussia; Credit – Wikipedia

June 15, 1330 – Birth of Edward of Woodstock, Prince of Wales (the Black Prince), son of King Edward III of England, father of King Richard II of England, at Woodstock Palace in Oxfordshire, England
Edward of Woodstock, Prince of Wales was born at Woodstock Palace near Oxford in Oxfordshire, England, hence the “of Woodstock” in his name. He was the eldest of the fourteen children of King Edward III of England and Philippa of Hainault. Today, Edward of Woodstock is commonly referred to as “The Black Prince” although he was not called that in his lifetime. The first appearance of the reference occurred more than 150 years after his death. It may refer to Edward’s black shield, and/or his black armor or his brutal reputation, particularly towards the French in Aquitaine. Edward of Woodstock was one of the seven Princes of Wales who never became King.
Unofficial Royalty: Edward of Woodstock, Prince of Wales (the Black Prince)

June 15, 1519 – Birth of Henry Fitzroy, Duke of Richmond and Somerset, the illegitimate son of King Henry VIII of England, at the Priory of St Lawrence in Blackmore, Essex, England
Henry Fitzroy was the only illegitimate child King Henry VIII acknowledged. He was the son of Henry VIII’s mistress Elizabeth Blount, a maid of honor to Catherine of Aragon, better known as Bessie Blount. The surname Fitzroy means “son of the king”.
Unofficial Royalty: Henry Fitzroy, Duke of Richmond

June 15, 1645 – Birth of Sidney Godolphin, 1st Earl of Godolphin, favorite of King Charles II of England, in Breage, Cornwall, England
Sidney Godolphin, 1st Earl of Godolphin was first a favorite of King Charles II of England. He also served in several positions during the reigns of Charles II, James II, William III and Mary II, and Anne.
Unofficial Royalty: Sidney Godolphin, 1st Earl of Godolphin

June 15, 1832 – Birth of Louisa Montagu, Duchess of Manchester, Queen Victoria’s Mistress of the Robes 1852–1853, in Hanover, Kingdom of Hanover, now in the German state of Lower Saxony
Born Luise Friederike Auguste, Countess von Alten, the daughter of Karl Franz Viktor, Count von Alten, Louisa first married William Montagu, 7th Duke of Manchester. After his death, she married Spencer Cavendish, 8th Duke of Devonshire.
Unofficial Royalty: Louisa Montagu, Duchess of Manchester

June 15, 1888 – Death of Friedrich III, German Emperor and King of Prussia, husband of Victoria, Princess Royal, at the Neues Palais in Potsdam, Kingdom of Prussia, now in Brandenburg, Germany; buried at Friedenskirche in Potsdam
Friedrich III was already ill with cancer of the larynx when he succeeded his father but despite this, he did his best to fulfill his obligations as German Emperor. The year 1888 is called “The Year of Three Emperors” in German history. Friedrich’s father Wilhelm I died on March 9, 1888, and Friedrich succeeded him as Friedrich III. In May 1888, Friedrich III lamented, “I cannot die … What would happen to Germany?” He reigned for only 99 days, dying at the age of 56. As for what happened to Germany, Friedrich III was succeeded by his son Wilhelm II, who was impulsive and pompous and brought the German Empire into World War I which eventually caused the collapse of all the German Empire’s constituent states. Wilhelm II was an ineffective war leader, who abdicated in November 1918 and fled to exile in the Netherlands.
Unofficial Royalty: Friedrich III, German Emperor, King of Prussia

June 15, 1905 – Wedding of the future King Gustav VI Adolf of Sweden (1st marriage) and Princess Margaret of Connaught at St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle in Windsor, England
Margaret and her sister, Patricia, were considered two of the most eligible princesses in Europe, and their parents set out to find suitable royal husbands. After visiting the court of King Carlos of Portugal, the family traveled to Cairo, Egypt to attend a birthday banquet for Khedive Abbas Hilmi Pasha of Egypt in January 1905. Also invited was Prince Gustaf Adolf of Sweden. The couple met and were instantly smitten. Ironically, it was Margaret’s sister Patricia who had been rumored as a possible bride for Gustaf Adolf, but he quickly determined that he only had an interest in Margaret. Fully supported by Margaret’s parents, Gustaf Adolf proposed on February 25, 1905, at a dinner at the British Consulate, and Margaret quickly accepted. The news came as a great surprise to the people of Sweden and was received with great joy by the Prince’s grandfather King Oscar II. Margaret died before her husband became King of Sweden.
Unofficial Royalty: Wedding of King Gustav VI Adolf of Sweden and Princess Margaret of Connaught

June 15, 1916 – Birth of Alexandre-Athenase Noghès, lover and first husband of Princess Antoinette of Monaco, in Monaco
Alexandre-Athenase Noghès was a tennis player. He played in tournaments around Europe and represented Monaco in the Davis Cup. He was married three times. His first wife was Marie Angèle Bastel, who he married in Monaco. The couple had one son before divorcing. In the 1940s, he became the lover and then the first husband of Princess Antoinette of Monaco, with whom he had three children. The couple married three months after their last child was born, but divorced three years later. Alexandre spent several years living on his yacht in Monaco before moving to the United States. There, he met his third wife Margaret “Margot” James. They married in 1970 and eventually settled in California. Alexandre Athenase Noghès died in Los Angeles on February 16, 1999, just three months before his 83rd birthday.
Unofficial Royalty: Alexandre-Athenase Noghès

June 15, 1978 – Wedding of King Hussein I of Jordan and Lisa Halaby (Queen Noor al-Hussein) at Zahran Palace in Amman, Jordan
While 500 guests waited on the lawn of the Zahran Palace, King Hussein and Noor were married in an oriental-style sitting room in the palace. Noor was the only woman allowed, and the witnesses were Noor’s father and brother and the male members of the Jordanian Royal Family. A Muslim wedding ceremony is basically a contract in which the bride and groom agree to the contract and sign it in front of witnesses. Noor and King Hussein sat on a damask settee during the ceremony. They repeated simple marriage vows in Arabic. Noor said: “I have betrothed myself to thee in marriage for the dowry agreed upon.” King Hussein replied: “I have accepted thee as wife, my wife in marriage for the dowry agreed upon.” No rings were exchanged, instead, the vows were sealed by the couple clasping their right hands and looking at each other.
Unofficial Royalty: Wedding of King Hussein I of Jordan and Lisa Halaby

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Sophie of Prussia, Queen of Greece; Credit – Wikipedia

June 14, 1753 – Birth of Ludwig I, Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine in Prenzlau, Duchy of Zweibrücken, now in Brandenburg, Germany
Ludwig succeeded his father in April 1790 as Ludwig X, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt. After the fall of the Holy Roman Empire, Hesse-Darmstadt was raised to the Grand Duchy of Hesse, with Ludwig becoming its first Grand Duke. In 1816, during the Congress of Vienna, the Grand Duchy of Hesse became the Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine.
Unofficial Royalty: Ludwig I, Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine

June 14, 1828 – Death of Karl August, Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach at Castle Graditz in Graditz, Kingdom of Prussia, now in Saxony, Germany; buried in the Weimarer Fürstengruft in the Historical Cemetery in Weimar, Grand Duchy of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, now in Thuringia, Germany
When his father died in May 1758, Karl August became Duke of Saxe-Weimar and Duke of Eisenach at just nine months old. His mother served as regent.  In 1809, the two duchies were united as one, and Karl August became Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach. Six years later, following the Congress of Vienna, Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach was elevated to a Grand Duchy with Karl August as its first Grand Duke of Saxe-Eisenach.
Unofficial Royalty: Karl August, Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach

June 14, 1870 – Birth of Queen Sophie of Greece, wife of King Constantine I of Greece, born Princess Sophie of Prussia in the Neues Palais in Potsdam, Kingdom of Prussia now in Brandenburg, Germany
Full name: Sophie Dorothea Ulrike Alice
Sophie was the daughter of Friedrich III, German Emperor, King of Prussia and Victoria, Princess Royal, and a granddaughter of Queen Victoria. She married the future King Constantine I of Greece. The Greek, Romanian, Serbian, and Spanish Royal Families descended from their marriage. Sophie’s granddaughter via her son King Paul of Greece was named after her. Princess Sophia of Greece married King Juan Carlos of Spain and her name was changed to the Spanish version, Sofia. Sofia’s younger granddaughter via her son King Felipe VI of Spain is named Sofia.
Unofficial Royalty: Sophie of Prussia, Queen of Greece

June 14, 1894 – Birth of Grand Duchess Marie-Adélaïde of Luxembourg in Berg Castle in Colmar-Berg, Luxembourg
Full name: Marie-Adélaïde Thérèse Hilda Wilhelmine
Marie-Adélaïde was the eldest of the six daughters of Grand Duke Guillaume IV of Luxembourg and Infanta Marie Anne of Portugal. At the time, female succession was not allowed in Luxembourg but Grand Duke Guillaume IV changed that. In 1912, when her father died,  Marie-Adélaïde became the first reigning Grand Duchess of Luxembourg. In the early days of World War I, Germany violated the neutral stance of Luxembourg and invaded the country. Marie-Adélaïde issued a formal protest, which was not effective in preventing the military occupation by Germany. Marie-Adélaïde developed a rather friendly relationship with the Germans, including hosting Wilhelm II, German Emperor at the palace. This caused her political opponents in Luxembourg to call her pro-German. Members of the parliament began to call for her abdication in January 1919. After consulting with the Prime Minister, Marie-Adélaïde abdicated on January 14, 1919. Her sister Charlotte succeeded her. After her abdication, Marie-Adélaïde entered a Carmelite convent in Modena, Italy. Eventually, she became a nun, joining the Little Sisters of the Poor in Rome, taking the name Sister Marie of the Poor. Her health began to worsen so she left the convent and settled at Hohenburg Castle in Bavaria, Germany where she died of influenza on January 24, 1924, at the age of 29.
Unofficial Royalty: Grand Duchess Marie-Adélaïde of Luxembourg

June 14, 1976 – Death of Hereditary Prince Knud of Denmark, son of King Christian X of Denmark, in Gentofte, Denmark; buried at Roskilde Cathedral in Roskilde, Denmark
In 1947 when King Christian X died and his elder son became King Frederik IX, Knud was the heir presumptive. Danish succession law did not allow for female succession, so King Frederik IX’s three daughters, including the current monarch Queen Margrethe II, were not in the line of succession. It was expected that Knud and then his elder son Ingolf would become king. However, the 1953 Danish Act of Succession allowed for a female to become queen if she did not have any brothers. With the passage of that act, Knud and his son Prince Ingolf went from being first and second in the line of succession to being fourth and fifth after the three daughters of King Frederik IX. The 2009 Act of Succession now allows for the eldest child to become monarch regardless of gender. To compensate for the change in the succession, Knud was given the title Hereditary Prince of Denmark, and both Knud and his elder son Ingolf were granted fixed annuities and additional flexible annuities for life.
Unofficial Royalty: Hereditary Prince Knud of Denmark

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June 13, 1873 – Birth of Prince Enrico of Bourbon-Parma, Titular Duke of Parma at Wartegg Castle in Rorschach, Switzerland
Prince Enrico of Bourbon-Parma was the titular Duke of Parma from 1907 until he died in 1939. As he was mentally disabled, his younger brother Elia served as regent.
Unofficial Royalty: Prince Enrico of Bourbon-Parma, Titular Duke of Parma

June 13, 1877 – Death of Ludwig III, Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine at Schloss Heiligenberg in Seeheim, Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine, now in Hesse, Germany; initially buried in the Landgrave’s Crypt in the Stadtkirche Darmstadt in Darmstadt, Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine, now in Hesse, Germany, in 1910, his coffin was  transferred to the Altes Mausoleum at Rosenhohe Park in Darmstadt, Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine, now in Hesse, Germany
After his second marriage to Anna Magdalena Appel, Ludwig III retired from public life, and his eventual successor, his nephew, the future Ludwig IV, largely took over the tasks and business of the Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine. Ludwig III and his second wife lived very quietly at Schloss Braunshardt in Weiterstadt for the remainder of his life.
Unofficial Royalty: Ludwig III, Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine

June 13, 1886 – King Ludwig II of Bavaria is found drowned at Lake Starnberg, south of Munich, Kingdom of Bavaria, now in the German state of Bavaria; buried at St. Michael’s Church in Munich, Kingdom of Bavaria, now in the German state of Bavaria
On June 13, 1886, Ludwig went for a walk on the grounds of Berg Castle on Lake Starnberg in Berg, Bavaria, accompanied by Dr. von Gudden and several attendants. Ludwig and his doctor went out again that evening, this time without attendants, but never returned. Several hours later, King Ludwig II’s body was found in the water of Lake Starnberg, along with that of Dr. von Gudden. His death remains a mystery. It was ruled a suicide by drowning, but no water was found in his lungs during an autopsy. One belief is that Ludwig was murdered while trying to escape as he was about to be deposed. Another is that he died of natural causes, possibly due to the extremely cold temperature of the water.
Unofficial Royalty: King Ludwig II of Bavaria

June 13, 1882 – Birth of Grand Duchess Olga Alexandrovna of Russia, daughter of Alexander III, Emperor of All Russia, at Peterhof Palace near St. Petersburg, Russia
The youngest of the six children of Alexander III, Emperor of All Russia and Dagmar of Denmark (Empress Maria Feodorovna), and the sister of Nicholas II, Emperor of All Russia. Olga had a very unsuccessful marriage to her second cousin Duke Peter Alexandrovich of Oldenburg. After waiting years, Olga’s brother Nicholas II finally annulled the marriage and allowed Olga to marry the commoner Nikolai Alexandrovich Kulikovsky, and the couple had two sons. Olga and Nikolai refused to leave Russia after the Russian Revolution. They finally left in 1919 and lived for a period with Olga’s mother in Copenhagen, Denmark. After World War II, the Soviet Union notified the Danish government that Olga was accused of conspiracy against the Soviet government. Because she was fearful of an assassination or kidnap attempt, Olga decided to move her family across the Atlantic to the relative safety of Canada where Olga lived out the rest of her life.
Unofficial Royalty: Grand Duchess Olga Alexandrovna of Russia

June 13, 1900 – Death of Peter II, Grand Duke of Oldenburg at Rastede Castle in Oldenburg, Grand Duchy of Oldenburg now in Lower Saxony, Germany; buried in the Ducal Mausoleum in Saint Gertrude’s Cemetery in Oldenburg
Peter became Grand Duke upon his father’s death in February 1853. He sided with Russia during the Crimean War. Later, during the Second Schleswig-Holstein War, Peter laid claim to part of the territory seized by Prussia. In a treaty with Prussia, signed in February 1867, Peter gave up his claims. In exchange, he received the district of Ahrensbök and the Prussian part of the former Principality of Lübeck. This expanded territory gave Oldenburg direct access to the Baltic Sea. He also fought with Prussia in the Franco-Prussian War.
Unofficial Royalty: Peter II, Grand Duke of Oldenburg

June 13, 1918 – Execution of Grand Duke Michael Alexandrovich of Russia, son of Alexander III, Emperor of All Russia, brother of Nicholas II, Emperor of All Russia, in Perm, Russia; his remains have never been found
Grand Duke Michael Alexandrovich was the first of the eighteen Romanovs who were killed during the Russian Revolution.  Like several other male members of the Romanov family, Michael was arrested by the Bolsheviks. Michael and his British secretary Nicholas Johnson were sent to Perm, 3,000 miles east of St, Petersburg.  On June 13, 1918, they were taken from their room, transported into the woods, and shot. In 1981, Grand Duke Michael and Nicholas Johnson were canonized as New Martyrs of Russia by the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia. The remains of Michael and his secretary have never been found.
Unofficial Royalty: Execution of Grand Duke Michael Alexandrovich of Russia
Unofficial Royalty: Grand Duke Michael Alexandrovich of Russia

June 13, 1965 – Birth of Infanta Cristina of Spain, daughter of King Juan Carlos of Spain, at Our Lady of Loreto Clinic in Madrid, Spain
Full name: Cristina Federica Victoria Antonia de la Santísima Trinidad de Borbón y de Grecia
Cristina is the second of the three children the former King Juan Carlos I and Sofía. She was a member of the Spanish Sailing Team at the 1988 Seoul Olympics, where she was also the Spanish flag-bearer in the opening ceremonies. In 1997, Cristina married Iñaki Urdangarín Liebaert, a former professional and Olympic handball player. The couple had three children and separated in 2022. In 2011, Urdangarín was accused of diverting public funds for his own benefit, through a non-profit organization. Cristina was investigated and later tried for fraud and acquitted of corruption. Despite the acquittal, she was nonetheless stripped of her title of Duchess of Palma de Mallorca by her brother King Felipe VI as a result of the case. Urdangarín was sentenced to six years and three months in prison.  In 2018, the Supreme Court in an appeal reduced Urdangarín’s sentence to a term of five years and ten months.
Unofficial Royalty: Infanta Cristina of Spain

June 13, 1982 – Death of King Khalid of Saudi Arabia in Ta’if, Saudi Arabia; buried at Al Oud Cemetery in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Khalid was the son of the future King Abdulaziz of Saudi Arabia and Al Jawhara bint Musaed bin Jiluwi Al Saud, one of Abdulaziz’s many wives. On March 25, 1975, 68-year-old King Faisal, Khalid’s half-brother, was shot and killed by his 30-year-old nephew Prince Faisal bin Musaid bin Abdulaziz Al Saud at the Royal Palace in Riyadh. Khalid, who did not even want to be Crown Prince, succeeded to the throne of Saudi Arabia. Khalid suffered from ill health and was reluctant to take on the role of King of Saudi Arabia. In 1970, while he was Crown Prince, Khalid suffered a massive heart attack and in 1972, he had cardiac surgery at the Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, Ohio in the United States. After he became king, Khalid had a second cardiac surgery in 1978 at the Cleveland Clinic. In 1980, King Khalid had a minor heart attack. Because of King Khalid’s ill health, his half-brother and successor Crown Prince Fahd was often in charge of ruling the country. On June 13, 1982, Khalid suffered a fatal heart attack.
Unofficial Royalty: King Khalid of Saudi Arabia

June 13, 2015 – Wedding of Prince Carl Philip of Sweden and Sofia Hellqvist at the Royal Chapel at the Royal Palace of Stockholm
Carl Philip and Sofia met in the summer of 2009, and by the spring of 2010, the media was beginning to speculate that the two were involved. In August 2010, the Royal Court confirmed the two were in a relationship. Sofia attended many family functions, including the weddings of Carl Philip’s two sisters, although she was not seated with the royal family. They lived together in Stockholm for some time and maintained a private life. On June 25, 2014, the Swedish Royal Court announced that the couple was engaged and that the wedding would take place on June 13, 2015, in the Royal Chapel at the Royal Palace in Stockholm.
Unofficial Royalty: Wedding of Prince Carl Philip of Sweden and Sofia Hellqvist

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King George V of Hanover; Credit – Wikipedia

June 12, 1734 – Death in battle of James FitzJames, 1st Duke of Berwick, 1st Duke of Liria and Jérica, 1st Duke of Fitz-James, illegitimate son of King James II of England; buried at the Scots College in Paris, France. His tomb was destroyed during the French Revolution and his remains were lost.
James FitzJames, a great military leader who was killed on the battlefield, was the illegitimate son of King James II of England and his mistress Arabella Churchill. James’ military training with the Imperial Army of the Holy Roman Empire proved invaluable. From 1689 – 1691, he served in the Williamite War in Ireland in which the Jacobite supporters of the exiled King James II unsuccessfully fought to restore the House of Stuart to the English throne. After the 1691 Treaty of Limerick, James withdrew permanently to France. He served in the French Army in twenty-nine campaigns. Although the French were victorious at the Siege of Philippsburg, on June 12, 1734, the nearly 64-year-old James was killed when a cannonball decapitated him while he was inspecting the work on trenches.
Unofficial Royalty: James FitzJames, 1st Duke of Berwick, 1st Duke of Liria and Jérica, 1st Duke of Fitz-James (article coming soon)

June 12, 1878 – Death of King George V of Hanover in Paris, France; buried in the Royal Tomb House under St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle in Windsor, England
George succeeded his father, born Prince Ernest Augustus, Duke of Cumberland, the fifth son of King George III, as King of Hanover and Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg, as well as Duke of Cumberland and Teviotdale, in the Peerage of Great Britain, and Earl of Armagh, in the Peerage of Ireland, in 1851. King George V of Hanover reigned for only 15 years, being exiled from Hanover in 1866 as a result of his support for Austria in the Austro-Prussian War. On September 20, 1866, Hanover was annexed by Prussia. George never abdicated from the throne of Hanover and he and his wife Marie lived in exile in Gmunden, Austria and Paris, France where George died at the age of 59. A funeral service was held at the Lutheran Church in the Rue Chacat in Paris and then King George’s remains were transported to England and buried in the Royal Tomb House under St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle
Unofficial Royalty: King George V of Hanover

June 12, 1952 – Birth of Prince Karl Emich of Leiningen, a disputed pretender to the Headship of the Russian Imperial Family and the throne of Russia since 2013, in Amorbach, then in West Germany, now in the German state of Bavaria
Karl Emich, also known by his Orthodox Russian name Nikolai Kirillovich Romanov, is the great-great-grandson of Alexander II, the great-grandson of Kirill Vladimirovich, and disputed pretender to the Russian throne from 2013 – present.
Unofficial Royalty: Prince Karl Emich of Leiningen

June 12, 1968 – Birth of Princess Sibilla of Luxembourg, wife of Prince Guillaume of Luxembourg, born Sibilla Weiller in Neuilly-sur-Seine, France
Full name: Sibilla Sandra Weiller y Torlonia
Sibilla Weiller is a descendant of Spanish and British monarchs. See descent below:
King Alfonso XIII of Spain m. Princess Victoria Eugenie of Battenberg (granddaughter of Queen Victoria) > Infanta Beatriz of Spain m. Prince Alessanadro Torlonia of Civitella-Cesi > Olimpia Torlonia m. Paul Weiller > Sibilla Weiller. She married her distant cousin, Prince Guillaume of Luxembourg, the youngest child of Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg and Princess Josephine-Charlotte of Belgium. The couple have four children.
Unofficial Royalty: Princess Sibilla of Luxembourg

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