© Unofficial Royalty 2024

King Henri II of France; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

March 31, 1359 – Birth of Philippa of Lancaster, Queen of Portugal, daughter of John of Gaunt, granddaughter of King Edward III of England, at Leicester Castle in Leicestershire, England
Philippa was the daughter of John of Gaunt, a son of King Edward III of England, and his first wife Blanche of Lancaster. In 1387, she married King Joáo I of Portugal. They had nine children including Henrique of Portugal, Duke of Viseu, known as Prince Henry the Navigator, who guided Portugal to the Age of Exploration in the Americas. Philippa was also the great-grandmother of Catherine of Aragon, the first wife of King Henry VIII of England.
Unofficial Royalty: Philippa of Lancaster, Queen of Portugal

March 31, 1373 – Birth of Catherine of Lancaster, Queen of Castile, daughter of John of Gaunt, granddaughter of King Edward III of England, at Hertford Castle in Hertfordshire, England
Catherine of Lancaster was the daughter of John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster and his second wife Constance of Castile. She was the half-sister of Philippa of Lancaster, above. In 1388, she married King Enrique III of Castile and had three children. Like her half-sister Philippa, Catherine was also the great-grandmother of Catherine of Aragon, the first wife of King Henry VIII of England.
Unofficial Royalty: Catherine of Lancaster, Queen of Castile

March 31, 1519 – Birth of King Henri II of France at Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye in France
Henri was the son of King François I of France and his first wife Claude, Duchess of Brittany. In 1533, he married the wealthy heiress Catherine de Medici. They had ten children including three Kings of France. Henri’s reign was marked by the Italian Wars against the House of Habsburg and the suppression of the Protestant Reformation, particularly the persecution of the Protestant French Huguenots, who were becoming a large minority. Henri died on July 10, 1559, at the age of 40, probably from a subdural hematoma and sepsis due to injuries he had suffered in a tournament.
Unofficial Royalty: King Henri II of France

March 31, 1547 – Death of King François I of France at the Château de Rambouillet in France; buried at the Basilica of Saint-Denis near Paris, France
A contemporary of Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor and King Henry VIII of England, François I played an important role in Europe’s foreign policy. In France, he was a patron of the arts, focused on new construction and renovations, and dealt with the Reformation which started during his reign. In 1524, François financed the expedition of Giovanni da Verrazzano to North America. On this expedition, Verrazzano was the first documented European to visit the present site of New York City (where the Verrazzano Narrows Bridge is named after him) and claimed Newfoundland in present-day Canada for the French crown. In 1534, François sent Jacques Cartier to explore the St. Lawrence River in the present-day Canadian province of Quebec.  In 1514, François married Claude, Duchess of Brittany in her own right. They had seven children. When Claude died in 1524, François married Eleanor, Archduchess of Austria, Infanta of Castile, the sister of the powerful Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor. François and Eleanor had no children. François I died on March 31, 1547,  aged 52, after a reign of thirty-two years, due to kidney failure. He was succeeded by his only surviving son Henri II who became King of France on his 28th birthday.
Unofficial Royalty: King François  I of France

March 31, 1621 – Death of King Felipe III of Spain in Madrid, Spain; buried at the Monastery of San Lorenzo El Real in El Escorial, Spain
Felipe III’s father, King Felipe II of Spain, died in 1598, and his twenty-year-old son succeeded him as Felipe III, King of Spain. Besides being King of Spain, Felipe III was also King of Portugal, King of Sardinia, King of Naples, King of Sicily, and Duke of Milan. In 1599, Felipe III married 14-year-old Archduchess Margaret of Austria. They had eight children including Felipe IV, King of Spain. Felipe III’s wife Margaret died at the age of twenty-six from childbirth complications eleven days after giving birth to her eighth child. The reign of Felipe was marked by significant economic problems throughout Spain. Spain was hit by famine due to a series of poor harvests and there was an outbreak of bubonic plague that killed more than 10% of the population. However, part of the Spanish Golden Age (1492 – 1659), a period of flourishing in the arts and literature, occurred during the reign of Felipe III. He survived his wife by ten years, dying in Madrid, Spain on March 31, 1621, two weeks before his forty-third birthday, due to erysipelas, a bacterial skin infection.
Unofficial Royalty: King Felipe III of Spain

March 31, 1671 – Death of Lady Anne Hyde, Duchess of York, first wife of James, Duke of York (later King James II of England), at St. James Palace in London, England; buried at Westminster Abbey in London, England
Anne was the daughter of Edward Hyde, later created 1st Earl of Clarendon, an adviser to Charles II,  the king in exile in the Netherlands after the English Civil War, and soon became his chief adviser. Charles appointed Hyde Lord Chancellor in 1658. In 1654, while in the Netherlands, Anne Hyde was appointed a maid of honor to Mary, Princess Royal and Princess of Orange, the eldest daughter of King Charles I of England, the widow of Willem II, Prince of Orange, and the mother of the young Willem III, Prince of Orange who would marry Anne’s daughter Mary. Anne was very attractive and stylish and attracted many men, including James, Duke of York, the future King James II of England. On November 24, 1659, Anne and James made a secret marriage in front of witnesses. James and Anne had eight children, but only two survived childhood, and both were Queens Regnant: Queen Mary II and Queen Anne. Anne Hyde never became Queen Consort as she died before her husband became king. Anne died of cancer a few weeks after giving birth to her daughter Catherine, who died in December 1671.
Unofficial Royalty: Lady Anne Hyde, Duchess of York

March 31, 1718 – Birth of Mariana Victoria of Spain, Queen of Portugal at the Royal Alcazar of Madrid in Spain 
The daughter of Felipe V, the first Bourbon King of Spain, and his second wife Elisabeth Farnese of Parma, Mariana Victoria married the future José, I, King of Portugal in 1729. The couple had four daughters including Maria I, Queen of Portugal. After King José suffered a series of strokes, Mariana Victoria was created Regent of Portugal in 1776, and remained Regent until José’s death in 1777. Mariana Victoria had a significant influence on her daughter Maria I, Queen of Portugal, who would often ask her mother’s advice on matters of state.
Unofficial Royalty: Mariana Victoria of Spain, Queen of Portugal

March 31, 1723 – Birth of King Frederik V of Denmark and Norway at Copenhagen Castle in Copenhagen, Denmark
Frederik had a very sensual nature and loved wine and women. He spent so much time visiting Copenhagen’s pubs and brothels that his father King Christian VI considered disinheriting him from the throne. When he married Louisa of Great Britain in 1743, the Danish government hoped (incorrectly) that marriage would put a damper on his affairs and drunkenness. Frederik and Louisa had five children. When Frederik became king, he did take part in the government by attending council meetings, was afflicted with alcoholism, and most of his reign was dominated by his very able ministers. In 1752, a year after Louisa died due to complications from a miscarriage. Frederik married Juliana Maria of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel and the couple had one son. In 1760, Frederik broke his leg in a drunken accident, which affected his health for the rest of his life. He died on January 14, 1766, at Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen, Denmark at the age of 42.
Unofficial Royalty: King Frederik V of Denmark

March 31, 1750 – Death of Christina Sophia of East Frisia, Princess of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt, second of the three wives of Friedrich Anton, Prince of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt, in Rudolstadt, Principality of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt, now in the German state of Thuringia; first buried at the castle church at Schwarzburg Castle in Schwarzburg, Principality of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt, now in the German state of Thuringia, later reburied at the Stadtkirche St. Andreas in Rudolstadt
Princess Christina Sophia of East Frisia and Friedrich Anton, Prince of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt married in 1729, but their marriage was childless. However, Christina Sophia was the stepmother to her husband’s two surviving children from her husband’s first marriage. During Christina Sophia’s marriage to Friedrich Anton, her husband issued letters of protection to Jewish families and allowed them to settle in Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt. These families developed into the Jewish community of the Principality of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt.
Unofficial Royalty: Christina Sophia of East Frisia, Princess of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt

March 31, 1751 – Death of Frederick, Prince of Wales, son of King George II and father of King George III, at Leicester House in London, England; buried at Westminster Abbey in London, England
Frederick was one of the seven Princes of Wales who never became King. In 1736, he married Princess Augusta of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg. The couple had nine children including King George III of the United Kingdom and Caroline Matilda who married Christian VII, King of Denmark and Norway. In March 1751, Frederick became ill after he caught “a chill” while gardening. He became feverish and was bled and blistered, the medical treatment of the time. After a brief recovery, Frederick suffered a relapse and was again bled. On March 21, 1751, Frederick suffered a coughing fit and died suddenly. An autopsy found the cause of death to be a burst abscess in the lung. It was popularly believed that his death was caused by a blow from a cricket ball in his chest, but there is no proof of that.
Unofficial Royalty: Frederick, Prince of Wales

March 31, 1803 – Birth of Marie Luise of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, Duchess of Saxe-Altenburg, wife of Georg, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg, at Ludwigslust Palace in Ludwgislust, Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin now in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany
Full name: Marie Luise Friederike Alexandrine Elisabeth Charlotte Catherine
Marie Luise was the wife of Friedrich, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg. The couple had three children. While Duchess of Saxe-Altenburg, Marie Luise did much charity work. Through her Marie Foundation, she founded a woman’s association, several schools, and the Lutheran missionary society in Altenburg. Marie Luise died at the age of 59.
Unofficial Royalty: Marie Luise of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, Duchess of Saxe-Altenburg

March 31, 1817 – Birth of Charlotte Canning, Countess Canning, Lady of the Bedchamber to Queen Victoria, at the British Embassy in Paris, France where her father was serving as the Ambassador to France
Born The Honorable Charlotte Stuart, daughter of Charles Stuart, 1st Baron Stuart de Rothesay, she married Charles Canning, 1st Earl Canning. Charlotte was a Lady of the Bedchamber to Queen Victoria from 1842 until 1855. While many other ladies worried that the position would keep them from their children and families, this was not the case for Charlotte. Having no children, she was free to enjoy her position and took great pride in serving the Sovereign.
Unofficial Royalty: Charlotte Canning, Countess Canning

March 31, 1828 – Death of Ida of Anhalt-Bernburg-Schaumburg-Hoym, Hereditary Princess of Oldenburg, second wife of the future Grand Duke August I of Oldenburg, in Oldenburg, Duchy of Oldenburg, now in Lower Saxony, Germany; buried in the Ducal Mausoleum at Saint Gertrude’s Cemetery in Oldenburg
Ida married the then Hereditary Prince August of Oldenburg, the widower of her elder sister Adelheid, and the couple had one son Peter, who succeeded his father. Sadly, Ida died just three years after her marriage.
Unofficial Royalty: Ida of Anhalt-Bernburg-Schaumburg-Hoym, Hereditary Princess of Oldenburg

March 31, 1870 – Death of Sir Charles Grey, Private Secretary to Queen Victoria; buried in St. Michael and All Angels Churchyard at Howick Hall in Howick, Northumberland, England
General The Hon. Sir Charles Grey was Private Secretary to Queen Victoria from 1861 until 1870. He was the son of Charles Grey, 2nd Earl Grey and The Hon. Mary Ponsonby. His father would later serve as Prime Minister from 1830-1834, and is the person for whom ‘Earl Grey Tea’ is named. In 1836, Charles married Caroline Eliza Farquhar, the daughter of Sir Thomas Farquhar, 2nd Baronet. Caroline would later serve as an Extra Woman of the Bedchamber to Queen Victoria from 1870-1890. The couple had six children. In 1849, Charles was appointed Private Secretary to Prince Albert. He was given apartments at St. James’s Palace and lived in the Norman Tower at Windsor Castle, and at Osborne Cottage at Osborne House, and his children grew up as playmates of some of Victoria and Albert’s children. Over the next twelve years, he became an influential member of the royal household and a close confidante and advisor to Prince Albert. Following Albert’s death in 1861, Charles seamlessly moved into the position of Private Secretary to The Queen – a role which had largely been filled by Prince Albert since he and Victoria married in 1840. He remained Queen Victoria’s Private Secretary until his death in 1870.
Unofficial Royalty: Sir Charles Grey, Private Secretary to Queen Victoria

March 31, 1900 – Birth of Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester, son of King George V of the United Kingdom, at York Cottage in Sandringham, Norfolk, England
Full name: Henry William Frederick Albert
In 1935, Henry married Lady Alice Montagu Douglas Scott, a daughter of John Montagu Douglas Scott, 7th Duke of Buccleuch. They had two sons Prince William of Gloucester, who died in 1972 in a plane crash at an air show, and Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester. Henry had a military career in the British Army and served with The King’s Royal Rifle Corps and the 10th Royal Hussars. He retired from active duty in 1937, but during World War II served with the British Expeditionary Force. Henry served as Governor-General of Australia from 1945 – 1947. In 1965, while driving home after attending the funeral of Winston Churchill, Henry suffered a stroke causing a car accident. Three years later, he suffered another stroke which left him incapacitated for the remainder of his life. On June 10, 1974, Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester died at Barnwell Manor, his country home at the age of 73.
Unofficial Royalty: Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester

March 31, 1931 – Death of Sir Arthur Bigge, 1st Baron Stamfordham, Private Secretary to Queen Victoria and King George V, at St. James’s Palace in London, England; buried at Brompton Cemetery in London, England
Lieutenant Colonel The Right Honourable Sir Arthur John Bigge was Private Secretary to Queen Victoria from 1895 until The Queen’s death in 1901. He then served as Private Secretary to the future King George V from 1901 – 1910, and for twenty-one years of King George V’s reign until his own death in 1931. Arthur’s service in the Royal Household began in 1880 when he was appointed Groom-in-Waiting, and then quickly named Assistant Private Secretary to Queen Victoria. Later that year, he was also appointed Assistant Keeper of the Privy Purse, serving until 1895. In May 1895, he succeeded Sir Henry Ponsonby as Private Secretary to The Queen and served until Her Majesty’s death in January 1901. In 1881, Arthur married Constance Neville and they had three children. On March 31, 1931, following several weeks of illness, Arthur died at his apartments in St. James’s Palace in London, England.
Unofficial Royalty: Sir Arthur Bigge, 1st Baron Stamfordham

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

Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother; Credit – Wikipedia

March 30, 1796 – Death of Augusta Wilhelmine of Hesse-Darmstadt, Duchess of Zweibrücken, first wife of Maximilian I Joseph, King of Bavaria, in Rohrbach, the French Republic now in Germany; buried at the Stadtkirche Darmstadt in Darmstadt, Landgraviate of Hesse-Darmstadt, now in Hesse, Germany.
Princess Augusta Wilhelmine of Hesse-Darmstadt was the first wife of the future Maximilian I Joseph, King of Bavaria. 31-year-old Augusta Wilhelmine weakened from five pregnancies and the travails of war, died from pulmonary tuberculosis. Although she died before her husband became King of Bavaria, she was the mother of his successor King Ludwig I of Bavaria
Unofficial Royalty: Augusta Wilhelmine of Hesse-Darmstadt, Duchess of Zweibrücken

March 30, 1830 – Death of Ludwig I, Grand Duke of Baden, in Karlsruhe, Grand Duchy of Baden now in Baden-Württemberg, Germany; first buried in the Karlsruhe Stadtkirche, after World War II, his remains were moved to the Grand Ducal Chapel in the Pheasant Garden in Karlsruhe
As the third son, there was little expectation that Ludwig would succeed to the throne. He pursued a military career, serving in the Prussian army. He succeeded his nephew Karl Ludwig Friedrich as Grand Duke of Baden in 1818. Ludwig promoted the development of the country, as well as strengthening the military forces. He also established several universities and churches. Ludwig never married, but he did have several illegitimate children. He had a long relationship with Katharina Werner and this relationship resulted in three children. When Ludwig died in 1830 after suffering a stroke, he was succeeded by his half-brother, Leopold.
Unofficial Royalty: Ludwig I, Grand Duke of Baden

March 30, 1855 – Death of Charlotte of Prussia, Hereditary Princess of Saxe-Meiningen, first wife of the future Georg II, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen, in Meiningen, Duchy of Saxe-Meiningen now in Thuringia, Germany, from childbirth complications; buried in the Park  Cemetery in Meiningen
Charlotte’s marriage in 1850 to the future Georg II, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen was truly a love match, although it was 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

March 30, 1871 – Death of Queen Lovisa of Sweden and Norway, born Louise of the Netherlands, wife of King Charles XV of Sweden and Norway, at the Royal Palace in Stockholm, Sweden; buried at Riddarholmen Church in Stockholm, Sweden
In 1849, Louise met Prince Carl of Sweden, the son and heir of King Oscar I, and negotiations were soon underway to arrange a marriage between the two. While Louise was enamored of her future husband from their first meeting, he found her unattractive. However, King Oscar wanted to create familial ties between the relatively new Bernadotte dynasty in Sweden and some of the other long-established European dynasties. With Louise’s Dutch and Prussian families, as well as the promise of a large dowry, she was an ideal candidate. Prince Carl eventually conceded to his father’s wishes and Louise and Carl were married in 1850. The marriage was an unhappy one. Louise was desperately in love with her husband, but he was consistently unfaithful to her. Having had complications in her second pregnancy, Louise was unable to bear any more children. Following their son’s death in 1854, leaving no male heir to inherit the throne, Louise offered her husband a divorce, which he declined. Lovisa traveled to the Netherlands to be at her mother’s deathbed in late 1870. Upon returning, her husband fell ill and she nursed him back to health. Physically drained, Lovisa contracted pneumonia and died at the age of 42.
Unofficial Royalty: Louise of the Netherlands, Queen of Sweden and Norway

March 30, 2002 – Death of Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, wife of King George VI, mother of Queen Elizabeth II, at Royal Lodge in Windsor, England; buried at St. George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle in Windsor, England
Less than a month after the death of her younger daughter Princess Margaret, The Queen Mother passed away. Her daughter Queen Elizabeth II and two of her grandchildren, the children of Princess Margaret, David Armstrong-Jones, 2nd Earl of Snowdon and his sister Lady Sarah Chatto, were with her. At the time, she was the longest-lived member of the British Royal Family at age 101.  For The Queen Mother’s lying-in-state at Westminster Hall, her four grandsons, the Prince of Wales, the Duke of York, the Earl of Wessex, and Viscount Linley (now 2nd Earl of Snowdon) stood guard, repeating what the four sons of King George V did at his lying-in-state in 1936.
Unofficial Royalty: Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother
Unofficial Royalty: Death of Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother
Unofficial Royalty: In Memorial – Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother (1900-2002)

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 Gustav III of Sweden; Credit – Wikipedia

March 29, 1792 – Death of King Gustav III of Sweden at the Royal Palace in Stockholm, Sweden; buried at Riddarholmen Church in Stockholm, Sweden
On March 16, 1792, King Gustav III was shot at a masked ball at the Royal Opera House in Stockholm. King Gustav had not been killed as the conspirators had hoped and continued functioning as the head of state while he recovered. However, suddenly he weakened, and, as often happened in the days before antibiotics, his wound became infected, and sepsis, a life-threatening condition that arises when the body’s response to infection causes injury to its own tissues and organs, developed. Giuseppe Verdi’s 1859 opera Un Ballo in Maschera (A Masked Ball) is based on King Gustav III’s assassination and death.
Unofficial Royalty: Assassination of Gustav III, King of Sweden
Unofficial Royalty: King Gustav III of Sweden

March 29, 1832 – Death of Maria Teresa of Austria-Este, Queen of Sardinia, wife of Vittorio Emanuele I, King of Sardinia, in Geneva, Switzerland; buried at the Basilica of Superga in Turin, Kingdom of Sardinia, now in Italy
In 1789, Maria Theresa married the future Vittorio Emanuele I, King of Sardinia. They had six daughters and one son who died in early childhood from smallpox. Their five surviving daughters all married reigning monarchs. In 1802, Maria Theresa’s husband Vittorio Emanuele became King of Sardinia upon the abdication of his brother Carlo Emanuele. In March 1821, liberal revolutions were occurring throughout Italy. However, Vittorio Emanuele I was not willing to grant a liberal constitution so he abdicated the throne of Sardinia in favor of his brother Carlo Felice. Vittorio Emanuele died in 1824, aged 64. Maria Theresa survived her husband by eight years. She died unexpectedly, aged 58, on March 29, 1832.
Unofficial Royalty: Maria Theresa of Austria-Este, Queen of Sardinia

March 29, 1913 – Death of Heinrich XIV, 4th Prince Reuss of Gera in Schleiz, Principality of Reuss-Gera, now in Thuringia, Germany; buried at the Bergkirche St. Marien, now in Schleiz, Thuringia, Germany
In 1858, Heinrich XIV married Duchess Agnes of Württemberg and had one son and one daughter. Upon the death of his father Heinrich LXVII, 3rd Prince Reuss of Gera on July 11, 1867, Heinrich XIV became the 4th Prince Reuss of Gera. After Agnes died in 1886, Heinrich XIV made a morganatic marriage to Friederike Graetz with whom he had one son. In 1902, Heinrich XIV became the Regent of the Principality of Reuss-Greiz. Heinrich XXIV, 6th and last Prince Reuss of Greiz, succeeded his father in 1902 but was unable to rule because of his physical and mental disabilities as a result of an accident in his childhood. Heinrich XIV was the Regent of the Principality of Reuss-Greiz until his death. Heinrich XIV, 4th Prince Reuss of Gera died on March 29, 1913, aged 80.
Unofficial Royalty: Heinrich XIV, 4th Prince Reuss of Gera

March 29, 1956 – Death of Infante Alfonso of Spain at the Villa Giralda in Estoril, Portugal; first buried at the Municipal Cemetery in Cascais, Portugal, in 1992 his remains were transferred to the Royal Crypt of the Monastery of El Escorial in Spain
Fourteen-year-old Infante Alfonso was killed by a gun while in a bedroom with his elder brother, the future King Juan Carlos I of Spain. What happened in that bedroom, who pulled the trigger, and whether or not it was an accident is still unclear.
Unofficial Royalty: Infante Alfonso of Spain

March 29, 1980 – Birth of Hamzah bin Al Hussein, formerly Prince Hamzah of Jordan, son of King Hussein of Jordan and his fourth wife Queen Noor, in Amman, Jordan
Hamzah is the eldest son of King Hussein of Jordan and his fourth wife Queen Noor (the former Lisa Halaby). Upon their father’s death in 1999, Hamzah was named Crown Prince by his elder half-brother, the new King Abdullah II, in accordance with their father’s wishes. However, on November 28, 2004, King Abdullah removed the title of Crown Prince. In a public letter, he said that … “Your holding this symbolic position has restrained your freedom and hindered our entrusting you with certain responsibilities that you are fully qualified to undertake.”  A few years later, King Abdullah II named his son Hussein Crown Prince of Jordan. In April 2021, Hamzah was accused of trying to mobilize tribal leaders against the government.  He was placed under house arrest and was ordered to stop actions that could be used to target the country’s “security and stability”. On April 3, 2022, Hamzah renounced his title of Prince of Jordan.
Unofficial Royalty: Hamzah bin Al Hussein

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

© Unofficial Royalty 2024

Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany; Credit – Wikipedia

March 28, 1654 – Birth of Sophie Amalie Moth, mistress of King Christian V of Denmark and Norway, in Copenhagen, Denmark
Sophie Amalie was recognized as Christian’s official mistress and was created Countess of Samsøe. Christian V and Sophie Amalie had six children who were all publicly acknowledged. Following the practice of his grandfather and father, Christian also gave his illegitimate children the surname Gyldenløve which means Golden Love. All the children also had Christian or Christiane among their names in honor of their royal father. The current Danish noble family of the Danneskiold-Samsøe descends from the eldest son of Sophie Amalie and King Christian V.
Unofficial Royalty: Sophie Amalie Moth, Mistress of King Christian V of Denmark and Norway

March 28, 1655 – Death of Maria Eleonora of Brandenburg, Queen of Sweden, wife of King Gustav II Adolf of Sweden, at Nyköping, Sweden; buried at Riddarholmen Church in Stockholm, Sweden
In 1620, Maria Eleonora married King Gustavus II Adolphus the Great of Sweden. Gustavus Adolphus is considered one of the greatest military commanders in history and made Sweden a great power, one of Europe’s largest and leading nations during the early modern period. Although Maria Eleonora’s husband Gustavus Adolphus was successful in many endeavors, he was not successful in providing a male heir. At the Battle of Lützen on November 16, 1632, Gustavus Adolphus was killed. His only surviving child was six-year-old Christina, Queen of Sweden who succeeded her father but never married,  abdicated, subsequently converted to Roman Catholicism, and moved to Rome. Already suffering from mental issues, Maria Eleonora’s grief was quite painful and her mental issues worsened considerably after her husband’s death in battle. Her young daughter’s regency government feared that Maria Eleonora’s mental instability would adversely influence the young Queen Christina. They decided to separate mother and daughter and Maria Eleonora was sent away from court. Years later, she was able to return to court and Nyköping Castle was granted to her as a residence by order of her daughter. Maria Eleanora survived her husband by twenty-three years, dying at the age of 55, on March 28, 1655, shortly after the abdication of her daughter Queen Christina.
Unofficial Royalty: Maria Eleonora of Brandenburg, Queen of Sweden

March 28, 1709 – Birth of Count Alexei Grigorievich Razumovsky, lover of Elizabeth, Empress of All Russia, in Chernihiv, Russian Empire, now in Ukraine
Alexei’s singing brought him to the Russian court of Elizabeth, Empress of All Russia where he joined the Court Choir. His beautiful singing and good looks earned him the interest of Tsesarevna Elizabeth Petrovna, daughter of Peter I (the Great), Emperor of All Russia, the future Elizabeth, Empress of All Russia  In 1732, Elizabeth made Alexei a member of the choir in her private chapel. Soon, he had a room near her apartments. Alexei had personality qualities that made him a good choice to be Elizabeth’s favorite and lover. He was a simple and decent person and well-liked for his kindness, good nature, and tact. He had no ambition and never interfered in politics.
Unofficial Royalty: Count Alexei Grigorievich Razumovsky, lover of Elizabeth, Empress of All Russia

March 28, 1743 – Death of Karl Friedrich, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen in Meiningen, Duchy of  Saxe-Meiningen now in Thuringia, Germany; buried at the Castle Church at Elisabethenburg Palace in Meiningen
Karl Friedrich and his elder brothers were both underage when they became the reigning Duke and so their uncles Friedrich Wilhelm and Anton Ulrich oversaw the running of the duchy. Karl Friedrich’s brother Ernst Ludwig II died in 1729, and Karl Friedrich became the reigning Duke. Despite his uncles’ guardianship ending in 1733 when Karl Friedrich reached his majority, he continued to leave the daily running of the duchy to his uncles and his court officials. In poor health, he was unable to walk, had to be carried and driven everywhere, and had little interest in anything that required responsibility. Never married, Karl Friedrich died on March 28, 1743, at the age of 31.
Unofficial Royalty: Karl Friedrich, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen

March 28, 1785 – Birth of Prince Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha in Coburg, Duchy of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, now in Bavaria, Germany
Full name: Ferdinand Georg August
Ferdinand was the uncle of both Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. Although Ferdinand remained Lutheran, he married the wealthy Catholic Princess Maria Antonia Koháry de Csábrág et Szitnya with the condition that they would raise their children Catholic. He was the father of King Ferdinand II of Portugal, the grandfather of Tsar Ferdinand I of Bulgaria, and the founder of the Catholic cadet branch of the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.
Unofficial Royalty: Prince Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha

March 28, 1835 – Death of Auguste de Beauharnais, 2nd Duke of Leuchtenberg, first husband of Queen Maria II of Portugal, at the Palace of Necessidades in Lisbon, Portugal; buried at Monastery of São Vicente de Fora in Lisbon, Portugal
Auguste was the eldest son of Eugène de Beauharnais and Princess Augusta of Bavaria, a daughter of King Maximilian I of Bavaria. Auguste’s father Eugène was the son of the French Empress Joséphine from her first marriage, and therefore a stepson of Napoleon I, Emperor of the French. In January 1835, Auguste married Queen Maria II of Portugal. Sadly, their marriage was to be very short-lived. On March 20, 1835, Auguste complained of a sore throat but refused to see a doctor. By March 23, 1835, his condition was worse and he finally consented to see a doctor. Within days, his condition became extremely grave, doctors told the family there was no hope, and Auguste was given the last rites. Auguste died on March 28, 1835, at the age of 24, most likely from diphtheria.
Unofficial Royalty: Auguste de Beauharnais, 2nd Duke of Leuchtenberg

March 28, 1841- Birth of Prince Alfonso of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, Count of Caserta, Head of the House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies and pretender to the former throne, in Caserta, Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, now in Italy
Full name: Alfonso Maria Giuseppe Alberto
Prince Alfonso of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, Count of Caserta, was a younger half-brother of King Francesco II, the last reigning King of the Two Sicilies. Upon Francesco’s death in 1894, Alfonso became Head of the House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies and pretender to the former throne.
Unofficial Royalty: Prince Alfonso of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, Count of Caserta

March 28, 1846 – Birth of Heinrich XXII, 5th Prince Reuss of Greiz in Greiz, Principality of Reuss-Greiz now in Thuringia, Germany
When Heinrich XXII was thirteen-years-old, his father Heinrich XX, 4th Prince of Reuss of Greiz died. He then succeeded his father as the 5th Prince Reuss of Greiz. Heinrich XXII’s mother Caroline Amalie was Regent of the Principality of Reuss-Greiz from 1859 until 1867. In 1872, Heinrich XXII married Princess Ida of Schaumburg-Lippe, and they had one son and five daughters including Princess Hermine Reuss of Greiz who was the second wife of the former German Emperor and King of Prussia, Wilhelm II. Heinrich XXII, 5th Prince of Reuss of Greiz died from heart disease on April 19, 1902, aged 56, in Greiz, Principality of Reuss-Greiz. Heinrich XXII’s disabled son Heinrich XXIV succeeded him nominally as the 6th Prince Reuss of Greiz. However, two regents from the House of Reuss-Gera (also called the Younger Line) successively ruled the Principality of Reuss-Greiz for the disabled Heinrich XXIV: Heinrich XIV, 4th Prince Reuss of Gera from 1901 – 1913, and then his son Heinrich XXVII, 5th and last Prince Reuss of Gera from 1913 – 1918, when the monarchy was abolished in 1918 at the end of World War I.
Unofficial Royalty: Heinrich XXII, 5th Prince Reuss of Greiz

March 28, 1884 – Death of Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany, son of Queen Victoria, at Villa Nevada in Cannes, France; buried in the Albert Memorial Chapel at St. George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle in Windsor, England
Prince Leopold was the eighth of the nine children and the fourth and youngest son of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. Leopold was described as delicate from a very early age. It soon became apparent that he suffered from the genetic disease hemophilia. He was the first of the nine hemophiliacs among Queen Victoria’s descendants. In 1882, Leopold married Princess Helena of Waldeck-Pyrmont. The couple had a son and a daughter. Leopold and Helena are the great-grandparents of Carl XVI Gustaf, the current King of Sweden. Unfortunately, Leopold and Helena’s marriage was short-lived. In early 1884, Leopold’s doctors recommended that he spend the winter in Cannes, France, which he had done before. At the time, Helena was expecting her second child. On March 27, 1884, Leopold slipped and fell on the staircase at Villa Nevada, the private home where he was staying in Cannes. He injured his knee and hit his head, and died early in the morning of March 28, 1884, apparently of a cerebral hemorrhage, the injuries having been exacerbated by his hemophilia. He was 31 years old.
Unofficial Royalty: Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany
Unofficial Royalty: Hemophilia in Queen Victoria’s Descendants

March 28, 1896 – Birth of Nadejda Mikhailovna de Torby, Marchioness of Milford Haven, daughter of Grand Duke Mikhail Mikhailovich of Russia, wife of George Mountbatten, 2nd Marquess of Milford Haven, in Cannes, France
Nadejda was the daughter of Grand Duke Mikhail Mikhailovich of Russia, a grandson of Nicholas I, Emperor of All Russia, and his morganatic wife Countess Sophie von Merenberg. As her parents’ marriage was morganatic, her father was stripped of his position at the Imperial Court and banished from Russia for the rest of his life. By the time she was four years old, Nadejda’s family had settled in England, but they also spent part of the year at their villa in Cannes, France. The family became prominent members of British society and developed friendships with several members of the British Royal Family. It was through these friendships that Nadejda met her future husband, Prince George of Battenberg, later 2nd Marquess of Milford Haven, and the uncle of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. Nadejda and George married in 1916 and had two children. Nadejda was widowed when her husband succumbed to bone marrow cancer in 1938. She survived her husband by twenty-five years, dying at the age of 67.
Unofficial Royalty: Nadejda Mikhailovna de Torby, Marchioness of Milford Haven

March 28, 1901 – Birth of Crown Princess Märtha of Norway, wife of Crown Prince Olav of Norway (after her death, King Olav V of Norway), born Princess Märtha of Sweden at the Palace of the Hereditary Prince in Stockholm, Sweden
Full name: Märtha Sofia Lovisa Dagmar Thyra
The granddaughter of both King Oscar II of Sweden and King Frederik VIII of Denmark, Märtha married her first cousin, Crown Prince Olav of Norway. They had two daughters and one son, King Harald V, the current King of Norway. During World War II, Märtha and her children fled Norway when the Germans invaded, traveling to her native Sweden and then to the United States where she developed a close friendship with President Franklin Roosevelt. Märtha and her children were often included in both public and private functions at the White House. After World War II, she suffered from ill health and died in 1954 following a long battle with cancer. Her husband would go on to become King Olav V in 1957 until his death in 1991, when their son King Harald V, became King of Norway.
Unofficial Royalty: Princess Märtha of Sweden, Crown Princess of Norway

March 28, 1910 – Birth of Princess Ingrid of Sweden, wife of King Frederick IX of Denmark, mother of Queen Margrethe II of Denmark, at the Royal Palace in Stockholm, Sweden
Full name: Ingrid Victoria Sofia Louise Margareta
A great-granddaughter of Queen Victoria, Ingrid was the only daughter of the future King Gustav VI Adolf of Sweden and his first wife Princess Margaret of Connaught. In 1935, she married the future King Frederik IX of Denmark. The couple had three daughters including the current monarch of Denmark, Queen Margrethe II. As Queen, Ingrid reformed some of the outdated practices at court and created a more relaxed atmosphere. She was interested in gardening and art, and after doing her own research on the original appearance of Gråsten Palace, she oversaw the renovations there. Queen Ingrid died in 2000 at the age of 90, surrounded by her three daughters and her ten grandchildren.
Unofficial Royalty: Princess Ingrid of Sweden, Queen of Denmark

March 28, 1965 – Death of Mary, Princess Royal, Countess of Harewood, daughter of King George V of the United Kingdom, at Harewood House in Leeds, Yorkshire, England; buried at All Saints Church in Harewood, West Yorkshire, England
Mary was the only daughter of King George V and Queen Mary and the paternal aunt of Queen Elizabeth II. In 1922, Mary married the future Henry Lascelles, 6th Earl of Harewood and the couple had two sons. Mary continued to carry out engagements during the reigns of her brother King George VI and her niece Queen Elizabeth II.  After her husband’s death in 1947, Mary lived at Harewood House with her elder son George, the 7th Earl of Harewood, and his family. On March 28, 1965, Mary went for a walk on the grounds of Harewood House with her elder son George and two of her grandsons. She stumbled and fell and her son helped her to a seat while his sons ran back to the house to get help. Before help arrived, Mary died peacefully in her son’s arms from a heart attack at the age of 67.
Unofficial Royalty: Mary, Princess Royal, Countess of Harewood

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

Marguerite de Valois, Queen of France; Credit – Wikipedia

March 27, 1482 – Death of Mary, Duchess of Burgundy (in her own right) at Wijnendale Castle, Flanders, now in the Netherlands, after falling from her horse; buried in the Church of Our Lady in Bruges, now in Belgium
Mary married Archduke Maximilian of Austria from the Habsburg dynasty, who became Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I after her death. Their son Philip the Handsome succeeded his mother as Philip IV, Duke of Burgundy, and became King Philip I of Castile through his marriage to Queen Joanna of Castile and Aragon, the daughter of Queen Isabella I of Castile and King Ferdinand II of Aragon. Mary’s lands eventually became part of the Habsburg Empire. Mary participated in a hunt in the woods near Wijnendale Castle in Flanders, Duchy of Burgundy now in Belgium. Mary was an experienced rider and she held her falcon in one hand and the reins in the other hand. However, her horse stumbled over a tree stump while jumping over a newly dug canal. The saddle belt under the horse’s belly broke causing Mary to fall out of the saddle and into the canal with the horse on top of her. Mary was seriously injured and died several weeks later from internal injuries.
Unofficial Royalty: Mary, Duchess of Burgundy, Archduchess of Austria

March 27, 1615 – Death of Marguerite de Valois, Queen of France, daughter of King Henri II of France, first wife of King Henri IV of France, at the Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye in France; buried at the Basilica of Saint-Denis near Paris, France
Marguerite was the daughter of King Henri II of France and Catherine de’ Medici. In 1572, Marguerite married King Henri III of Navarre, later King Henri IV of France, the first king of the House of Bourbon. Just days after the wedding, the St. Bartholomew’s Day massacre, in which thousands of French Protestant Huguenots were killed, took place. Marguerite is alleged to have hidden several prominent Huguenots, as well as her new husband, to keep them safe from certain death. When her brother, King Henri III, died without an heir, the throne passed to Marguerite’s husband, who was the senior agnatic heir of King Louis IX of France. Henri IV needed a male heir, and his marriage to Marguerite had produced no children. He began negotiations with Marguerite to have their marriage annulled. After several years, the marriage was formally dissolved at the end of 1599. Marguerite retained her title as Queen of France. She died on March 27, 1615, aged 61.
Unofficial Royalty: Marguerite de Valois, Queen of France

March 27, 1625 – Death of King James I of England/James VI, King of Scots at Theobold’s Park in Hertfordshire, England; buried at Westminster Abbey in London, England
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 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

March 27, 1714 – Death of Charlotte Amalie of Hesse-Kassel, Queen of Denmark and Norway, wife of King Christian V of Denmark and Norway, at Charlottenborg Palace in Copenhagen, Denmark; buried at Roskilde Cathedral in Roskilde, Denmark
In 1667, Charlotte Amalie married the future King Christian V of Denmark and Norway and they had seven children. Charlotte Amalie’s husband succeeded his father in 1670. During King Christian V’s reign, colonies were established in the Caribbean. The islands of Saint Thomas, Saint John, Saint Croix, and Water Island were originally a Danish colony, the Danish West Indies.  The city of Charlotte Amalie, on the island of St. Thomas, was named after Christian V’s wife. Denmark sold the islands to the United States in 1917 and now they are known as the United States Virgin Islands, and Charlotte Amalie is now the capital. King Christian V died in 1699 and was succeeded by his son King Frederik IV. On March 27, 1714, Charlotte Amalie, Queen of Denmark and Norway, aged 63, died of scarlet fever after being ill for six days.
Unofficial Royalty: Charlotte Amalie of Hesse-Kassel, Queen of Denmark and Norway

March 27, 1785 – Birth of Louis-Charles, Dauphin of France, titular King Louis XVII of France, son of King Louis XVI of France and pretender to the throne after his father’s execution, at the Palace of Versailles in France
Full name: Louis-Charles
Born in splendor at the Palace of Versailles, Louis-Charles died from tuberculosis at the age of ten, imprisoned at the Temple, the remains of a medieval fortress in Paris, after seeing his father Louis XVI, his mother Marie Antoinette, and his aunt Elisabeth led off to be beheaded. Of all the royal prisoners in the Temple, Louis-Charles’ sister Marie-Thérèse was the only one to survive.
Unofficial Royalty: Louis-Charles, Dauphin of France – Titular King Louis XVII of France

March 27, 1837 – Death of Maria Fitzherbert, mistress and morganatic wife of King George IV of the United Kingdom, at her home Steine House in Brighton, England; buried at the Church of St. John the Baptist in Brighton, England
Maria Fitzherbert was the mistress of The Prince of Wales (later King George IV of the United Kingdom) from 1784 until 1794 and again from 1798 until 1807. The couple married secretly in 1785, however, the marriage was not considered legal as it had not received the approval of the Sovereign as required under the Royal Marriages Act. The Prince became King George IV in 1820, and during his 10-year reign, the two only saw each other occasionally in social settings, but both remained in each other’s thoughts. When George died in June 1830, he was succeeded by his brother. The new King William IV was always very gracious and welcoming toward Maria and continued to provide her annual pension. King William IV reportedly offered her a dukedom, but she declined. Maria did ask his permission to dress in widow’s weeds and to allow her servants to dress in royal livery, both of which the King quickly agreed to. Maria outlived George IV by nearly seven years, dying on March 27, 1837, aged 80.
Unofficial Royalty: Maria Fitzherbert, mistress and morganatic wife of King George IV of the United Kingdom

March 27, 1854 – Assassination of Carlo III, Duke of Parma in Parma, Duchy of Parma, now in Italy;  buried at the Chapel of the Villa Borbone now in Viareggio, Italy
Carlo’s father was in financial difficulty so he decided to marry his son to a princess with a large dowry. The chosen bride was Louise Marie Therese of France, the granddaughter of King Charles X of France. Carlo and Louise Therese Marie were married in 1847 and had four children.  Carlo became Duke of Parma upon the abdication in 1849 of his very unpopular father Carlo II Ludovico. Carlo III, Duke of Parma reigned for only five years and was assassinated for his authoritarian policies. His six-year-old son Roberto became Duke of Parma with his mother as regent but had a short reign. In 1859, the Duchy of Parma was abolished during the Italian unification movement. It was merged with the Kingdom of Sardinia as part of the unification of Italy. In 1861, Vittorio Emanuele II, King of Sardinia was proclaimed the first King of the new, united Kingdom of Italy.
Unofficial Royalty: Carlo III, Duke of Parma

March 27, 1879 – Death of Prince Waldemar of Prussia, grandson of Queen Victoria, at the Neues Palais in Potsdam, Kingdom of Prussia, now in Brandenburg, Germany; originally buried at Friedenskirche in Potsdam, the remains of Waldemar and his brother Sigismund were later transferred to the Kaiser Friedrich Mausoleum at the Friedenskirche where their parents were buried.
Prince Waldemar was the son of Victoria, Princess Royal and Friedrich III, German Emperor. His birth came 20 months after the tragic death of his 21-month-old brother Sigismund from meningitis. Waldemar quickly took the place of his mother’s favorite son previously held by his deceased brother Sigismund. Vicky hoped Waldemar would be everything that his elder brothers Wilhelm and Heinrich were not. Sadly, Waldemar died of diphtheria at age 11, three months after his maternal aunt Princess Alice and her daughter Princess May died from the same disease. A favorite royal story involved Waldemar. When Waldemar’s family was visiting Queen Victoria, she was working on some papers in her room and when she looked up she saw a small crocodile staring at her. Naturally, she screamed and all within hearing came running.  Waldemar had let Bob, his pet crocodile, out of his box.  In fits of laughter, Waldemar retrieved his crocodile, and order was restored.
Unofficial Royalty: Prince Waldemar of Prussia

March 27, 1883 – Death of John Brown, personal attendant and favorite of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom, at Windsor Castle in Windsor, England; buried in the cemetery at Crathie Kirk near Balmoral in Scotland
John Brown served Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom as a ghillie at Balmoral (Scottish outdoor servant) from 1849 – 1861 and a personal attendant from 1861 – 1883. Prince Albert’s untimely death in 1861 was a shock from which Queen Victoria never fully recovered. In 1864, Victoria’s personal physician Sir William Jenner ordered that she ride all winter. Victoria refused to be accompanied by a stranger and so John Brown was summoned to Osborne House on the Isle of Wight with Victoria’s Highland pony. His duties soon encompassed more than leading a horse. Brown became known as “the Queen’s Highland Servant” who took his orders exclusively from the Queen. From then on, until his death nearly twenty years later, Brown was never far from Victoria’s side. There were rumors of a romance and a secret marriage, and Victoria was called Mrs. Brown. Brown treated the queen in a rough and familiar but kind manner which she relished. In return, Brown was allowed many privileges which infuriated Victoria’s family. In March 1883, John Brown worked seven-day weeks despite fever and chills. On March 27, 1883, at Windsor Castle, 56-year-old John Brown fell into a coma and died. The cause of death was erysipelas, a streptococcal infection. He was buried in the cemetery at Crathie Kirk near Balmoral, next to his parents and some of his siblings. The inscription on his gravestone shows the affection between him and Queen Victoria.
Unofficial Royalty: John Brown, Personal Attendant and Favorite of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom

March 27, 2023 – Birth of Prince François of Luxembourg, son of Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume of Luxembourg, at the Grand Duchess  Charlotte Maternity Hospital in Luxembourg City, Luxembourg
François is the second of the two sons of Prince Guillaume, Hereditary Grand Duke of Luxembourg, and is third in the line of succession to the throne of Luxembourg after his father and his elder brother.
Unofficial Royalty: Prince François 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

Sophia Dorothea of Hanover, Queen of Prussia; Credit – Wikipedia

March 26, 1662 – Birth of Marie Louise of Orléans, first wife of King Carlos II of Spain, at the Palais-Royal in Paris, France
The daughter of Philippe I, Duke of Orléans and Henrietta of England, and the granddaughter of King Charles I of England and King Louis XIII of France, Marie Louise married Carlos II, King of Spain in 1679. Carlos II was from the House of Habsburg, which ruled over Austria, Spain, and their many territories, and was notorious for its inbreeding. Carlos suffered from physical and mental developmental disabilities. His very pronounced Habsburg jaw was so severe that he swallowed his food without thoroughly chewing. Marie Louise and Carlos’ childless marriage lasted ten years. After taking a ride on horseback, Marie Louise began to feel strong pain in her stomach. She died the next day, aged 26, on February 12, 1689, at the Royal Alcázar of Madrid in Spain. Although many reasons were considered as causes of Marie Louise’s death including poison, it is most likely that she died from appendicitis, a fatal infection until the mid-nineteenth century when the advent of anesthesia and new surgical techniques allowed for successful appendectomies.
Unofficial Royalty: Marie Louise of Orléans, Queen of Spain

March 26, 1676 – Death of Johanna Beatrix von Dietrichstein, Princess of Liechtenstein, wife of her maternal uncle Karl Eusebius, Prince of Liechtenstein, in Brno, Moravia, now in the Czech Republic; buried in the Old Crypt at Chuch of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary in Vranov, Moravia, now in the Czech Republic
The daughter of Maximilian, 2nd Prince of Dietrichstein, Baron of Hollenburg, Finkenstein, and Thalberg and his first wife Princess Anna Maria of Liechtenstein, Johanna Beatrix married her thirty-three-year-old maternal uncle Karl Eusebius, Prince of Liechtenstein in 1644. The couple had nine children. Karl Eusebius began to invest in a personal art collection and became one of the preeminent Central European art collectors of his time. He laid the foundation for the Liechtenstein Museum, formerly a private art museum in Vienna, Austria. Johanna Beatrix predeceased Karl Eusebius, dying at the age of fifty, on March 26, 1676, in Brno, Moravia, now in the Czech Republic.
Unofficial Royalty: Johanna Beatrix von Dietrichstein, Princess of Liechtenstein

March 26, 1687 – Birth of Sophia Dorothea of Hanover, Queen of Prussia, daughter of the future King George I of Great Britain, wife of King Friedrich Wilhelm I of Prussia, in Hanover, Principality of Callenberg now in Lower Saxony, Germany
Sophia Dorothea was eight years old when her disgraced mother was divorced and banished for the rest of her life. She was raised by her paternal grandmother Sophia, Electress of Hanover at Herrenhausen, the Hanover home. She married her first cousin Crown Prince Friedrich Wilhelm of Prussia, son of Friedrich, King I of Prussia. Sophia Dorothea and Friedrich Wilhelm had met as children as they shared a grandmother, Sophia, Electress of Hanover, and they had disliked each other ever since. Their interests were very different and Friedrich Wilhelm contemplated divorcing Sophia Dorothea the same year they were married, but nothing ever came of it. Sophia Dorothea became Queen of Prussia in 1713 when her husband acceded to the Prussian throne.
Unofficial Royalty: Sophia Dorothea of Hanover, Queen of Prussia

March 26, 1819 – Birth of Prince George, 2nd Duke of Cambridge, son of Prince Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge, at Cambridge House in the Kingdom of Hanover, now in Lower Saxony, where his father was serving as Viceroy of Hanover
Full name: George William Frederick Charles
George was a male-line grandson of King George III, a first cousin of Queen Victoria, and the maternal uncle of Mary of Teck, the wife of King George V. He was born amidst the race for an heir to the British throne in the third generation. The death of Princess Charlotte of Wales in childbirth in 1817 left King George III without any legitimate grandchildren. Prince George was born two months before the eventual heir, Alexandrina Victoria (Queen Victoria), who was ahead of her cousin in the line of succession by being the child of King George III’s fourth son. George was the son of King George III’s seventh son. In 1847, George married actress Louisa Fairbrother in contravention of the 1772 Royal Marriages Act. The three children born of the marriage were considered illegitimate, and Louisa was not styled and titled as befitted the wife of George. Instead, Louisa was first known as Mrs. Fairbrother and later as Mrs. FitzGeorge, and her existence was ignored by his first cousin Queen Victoria.
Unofficial Royalty: Prince George, 2nd Duke of Cambridge

March 26, 1826 – Birth of Elisabeth of Saxe-Altenburg, Grand Duchess of Oldenburg, wife of Peter II, Grand Duke of Oldenburg, in Hildburghausen, Duchy of  Saxe-Hildburghausen, now in Thuringia, Germany
Full name: Elisabeth Pauline Alexandrine
In 1852, Elisabeth married the future Peter II, Grand Duke of Oldenburg and they had two sons. As Grand Duchess, Elisabeth oversaw the establishment of the Elisabeth Children’s Hospital and was the patron of numerous charities and organizations focused on the well-being of children and the less fortunate. Much of this was done through her Elisabeth Foundation, established at the time of her marriage using funds given by her father. Elisabeth died on February 2, 1896, at the age of 70.
Unofficial Royalty: Elisabeth of Saxe-Altenburg, Grand Duchess of Oldenburg

March 26, 1936 – Death of Adolf II, former Prince of Schaumburg-Lippe and his wife in an airplane crash in Zumpango, Mexico; buried in the mausoleum in the park of Schloss Bückeburg in Bückeburg, Germany
Adolf was the last reigning Prince of Schaumberg-Lippe, abdicating on November 15, 1918. He and his wife, actress Elisabeth Franziska (Ellen) von Bischoff-Korthaus, died in an airplane crash in Zumpango, Mexico. Adolf and Ellen were killed along with eight other passengers from Germany, Austria, and Hungary, and four crew members. Their plane developed engine trouble and crashed between the volcanoes Popocatepetl and Ixtaccihuatl as they were flying from Mexico City, Mexico to Guatemala City, Guatemala.
Unofficial Royalty: Adolf II, Prince of Schaumburg-Lippe
Unofficial Royalty: Ellen Bischoff-Korthaus, Princess of Schaumburg-Lippe

March 26, 1949 – Birth of Margareta of Romania, Custodian of the Romanian Crown, in Lausanne, Switzerland
Margareta, Custodian of the Romanian Crown is the eldest daughter of King Miha (Michael) I of Romania, who was forced to sign a document of abdication by the Communist regime and then was forced to leave Romania. Margareta has claimed the headship of the House of Romania since her father’s death in 2017 and is formally styled as Her Majesty Margareta, Custodian of the Romanian Crown.
Unofficial Royalty: Margareta of Romania, Custodian of the Romanian Crown 

March 26, 1982 – Birth of Crown Prince Leka II of the Albanians, pretender to the throne of Albania, at Sandton Clinic in Johannesburg, South Africa
Leka is the current claimant to the defunct throne of Albania. He is the only child of Crown Prince Leka I of the Albanians who was also the claimant to the throne of Albania. In 2002, the Royal Family returned to Albania at the invitation of the Albanian government. Upon his father’s death in 2011, Leka became the Pretender to the former Albanian throne. In 2016, Leka married Elia Zaharia, an Albanian actress and singer, and the couple had one daughter. In 2024, it was announced that Leka and Elia were divorcing.
Unofficial Royalty: Crown Prince Leka II of Albania

March 26, 2015 – Remains of King Richard III of England reburied at Leicester Cathedral in England
After his death at the Battle of Bosworth Field, Richard III was buried at  Greyfriars Abbey, a Franciscan abbey in Leicester, England. During the Dissolution of the Monasteries, during the reign of King Henry VIII, the abbey church in Leicester, along with Richard’s burial place, was destroyed. In 1975, an article was published in the society’s journal suggesting that Richard’s remains were buried under the Leicester City Council’s parking lot (car park). In 2012, excavation began, and soon skeletal remains were found. The DNA from a direct descendant of Richard’s sister Anne of York and a direct maternal line descendant matched the mitochondrial DNA extracted from the remains. This confirmed that the remains were those of Richard III. The remains of Richard III were reburied at Leicester Cathedral on March 26, 2015. Three members of the Royal Family, The Countess of Wessex and The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, attended the reburial. It was fitting that the Duke of Gloucester attended the reburial as his name is also Richard and Richard III was also a Duke of Gloucester. The Duke of Gloucester is the Patron of The Richard III Society.
Unofficial Royalty: King Richard III of England
Unofficial Royalty: Richard III – Lost and Found

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 Frederik I of Sweden; Credit – Wikipedia

March 25, 1739 – Birth of Prince Edward of Wales, Duke of York and Albany, son of Frederick, Prince of Wales and the brother of King George III of the United Kingdom, at Norfolk House, St. James’s Square in London, England
Full name: Edward Augustus
Edward was the second of the five sons of Frederick, Prince of Wales (who predeceased his father King George II), and held a high place in the line of succession to the British throne for his entire life. In 1760, when Edward’s brother succeeded to the throne as King George III, Edward was named a privy counselor and was the heir presumptive to the British throne until the birth of the future King George IV in 1762. Edward was destined for a career in the Royal Navy, a short career due to his early death. In 1767, while serving in the Mediterranean, Edward became ill while on the way to Genoa. He was taken to Monaco, the nearest port. Despite the care arranged by Honoré III, Prince of Monaco, 28-year-old Edward died at the Prince’s Palace in Monaco on September 17, 1767.
Unofficial Royalty: Prince Edward of Wales, Duke of York and Albany

March 25, 1751 – Death of King Fredrik I of Sweden at Wrangel Palace in Stockholm, Sweden; buried at Riddarholmen Church in Stockholm, Sweden
Fredrik I was King of Sweden from 1720 until his death in 1751. However, he was also Prince Consort of Sweden from 1718 to 1720 and Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel from 1730 until his death. In 1700, Fredrik married his first cousin Luise Dorothea of Brandenburg but she was sickly and died childless in 1705. In 1715, Fredrik married Ulrika Eleonora of Sweden but their marriage was childless. After the death of her brother Karl XII, King of Sweden in 1718, Ulrika Eleonora succeeded him.  Ulrika Eleonora wrote a letter to the Riksdag in 1720, informing its members of her desire to abdicate in favor of her husband on the condition that she should succeed him if he should die before her. Her husband acceded to the Swedish throne as Fredrik I, King of Sweden and Ulrika Eleonora became Queen Consort. Fredrik I reigned for 31 years and survived his wife by ten years. After suffering several strokes, he died on March 25, 1751, aged 74,
Unofficial Royalty: Frederik I, King of Sweden

March 25, 1921 – Birth of Alexandra of Greece, Queen of Yugoslavia, daughter of King Alexander of Greece, wife of King Peter II of Yugoslavia, in Athens, Greece
Alexandra was the posthumous child of King Alexander of Greece who had died five months before her birth from septicemia caused by an infected monkey bite, and Aspasia Manos. In 1944, she married King Peter II of Yugoslavia who was living in exile in London, England, and the couple had one son. The following year, the Yugoslav monarchy was abolished and King Peter II was formally deposed. The marriage was increasingly strained, with constant struggles to find sources of income and Peter’s numerous affairs. Alexandra and Peter eventually went their separate ways. He settled permanently in the United States while she returned to her mother’s home in Venice, Italy. After the death of her mother, Alexandra moved to the United Kingdom and would live there until her death, from cancer at the age of 72.
Unofficial Royalty: Alexandra of Greece, Queen of Yugoslavia

March 25, 1949 – Death of Prince August Wilhelm of Prussia, son of Wilhelm II, German Emperor, in Stuttgart, Germany; buried in the family cemetery of the Princes of Hohenlohe-Langenburg in Langenburg, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany
August Wilhelm was the son of Wilhelm II, German Emperor and King of Prussia and Princess Augusta Viktoria of Schleswig-Holstein. In 1908, August Wilhelm married his first cousin, Princess Alexandra Viktoria of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg. The marriage ended 12 years later, and August Wilhelm was given full custody of their son. August Wilhelm became involved with the Nazi Party, much to the dislike of his family. After World War II, he was arrested by US forces for being a Nazi. In 1948, August Wilhelm was sentenced to 2-½ years of hard labor but was considered to have already served his sentence and he was released. However, just after his release, new charges were filed and another arrest warrant issued from a court in Potsdam, East Germany, which was now in the Soviet zone. He was never physically arrested because he soon became seriously ill and died.
Unofficial Royalty: Prince August Wilhelm of Prussia

March 25, 1975 – Assassination of King Faisal of Saudi Arabia by his nephew Prince Faisal bin Musaid in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; buried at Al Od Cemetery in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
King Faisal of Saudi Arabia, aged 68, was shot and killed by his 30-year-old nephew Prince Faisal bin Musaid bin Abdulaziz Al Saud during a reception at the Royal Palace in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. On June 18, 1975, Prince Faisal bin Musaid was publicly beheaded in Riyadh for the assassination of King Faisal.
Unofficial Royalty: Assassination of Faisal I, King of Saudi Arabia
Unofficial Royalty: King Faisal of Saudi Arabia

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

Queen Elizabeth I of England; Credit – Wikipedia

March 24, 1275 – Death of Beatrice of England, daughter of King Henry III of England, in London, England; buried at Greyfriars Church in Newgate, London, England
In 1260, Beatrice married John of Dreux, the eldest son of John I, Duke of Brittany. In 1268, King Henry III granted the title Earl of Richmond to John I, Duke of Brittany as an enticement when tensions rose with France. However, John I soon transferred the title Earl of Richmond to his son and heir John of Dreux, who also became John II, Duke of Brittany upon his father’s death in 1286. John of Dreux became Duke of Brittany after the death of Beatrice so she never became Duchess of Brittany. Beatrice died on March 24, 1275, aged 32, in London, England while visiting her brother King Edward I of England. Possibly she died due to childbirth complications as her youngest child Eleanor was born in London in 1275.
Unofficial Royalty: Beatrice of England, Countess of Richmond

March 24, 1394 – Death of Constance of Castile, Duchess of Lancaster at Leicester Castle in Leicester, England; buried at the Church of the Annunciation of Our Lady of the Newarke in Leicester, England
Constance was the daughter of Pedro I, King of Castile, and the second wife of John of Gaunt, son of King Edward III. They married in 1371 and had two children but only one survived infancy, Catherine of Lancaster who married King Enrique III of Castile. Through their daughter Catherine, Constance and John are the great-grandparents of Queen Isabella I of Castile and the great-great-grandparents of Isabella I’s daughter Catherine of Aragon, the first wife of King Henry VIII of England. Constance and John are the ancestors of all subsequent monarchs of the Kingdom of Castile and a united Kingdom of Spain.  Constance died on March 24, 1394, aged 39–40.
Unofficial Royalty: Constance of Castile, Duchess of Lancaster

March 24, 1558 – Death of Anna van Egmont, Princess of Orange, first of the four wives of Willem I, Prince of Orange (the Silent) in Breda, Duchy of Brabant (now the Netherlands); buried in the Grote Kerk in Breda
In 1551, 18-year-old Anna married another 18-year-old, Willem I, Prince of Orange. By all accounts, their marriage was a happy one and they had three children. Anna’s early death at the age of 25 brought much grief to Willem.
Unofficial Royalty: Anna van Egmont, Princess of Orange

March 24, 1603 – Death of Queen Elizabeth I of England at Richmond Palace in Surrey, England; buried at Westminster Abbey in London, England
The last monarch of the House of Tudor, Queen Elizabeth I became queen at the age of 25 on November 17, 1558, and reigned for 44 years, 127 days until her death at age 69 on March 24, 1603. During Elizabeth’s reign, called the Elizabethan Age, the Church of England took its final form, a middle path between Catholicism and Reform Protestantism, William Shakespeare created numerous works, modern science had its birth based upon Francis Bacon‘s inductive method for scientific inquiry, Francis Drake sailed around the world, and the first colony in America was founded and named Virginia in honor of Elizabeth the Virgin Queen. In January 1603, while suffering from a cold, Elizabeth moved from Whitehall Palace to Richmond Palace. She recovered from the cold but fell ill at the end of February with severe tonsillitis. She had no appetite and suffered from insomnia. On March 18, 1603, she became very ill and refused to go to bed, instead lying on a heap of pillows piled on the floor. When Robert Cecil, 1st Earl of Salisbury urged her to go to bed, Elizabeth showed a last flash of her feisty spirit and said to him, “Little man, little man, MUST is not a word to use to princes.”
Unofficial Royalty: Queen Elizabeth I of England

March 24, 1628 – Birth of Sophie Amalie of Brunswick-Lüneburg, Queen of Denmark and Norway, wife of King Frederik III of Denmark and Norway, at Herzberg Castle in the Duchy of Brunswick-Lüneburg, now in Lower Saxony, Germany
In 1643, Sophie Amalie married the future Frederik III, King of Denmark and Norway. Sophie Amalie and Frederik had eight children including Jørgen who married Queen Anne of Great Britain (his name anglicized to George) and Ulrika Eleonora who married King Karl XI of Sweden. In 1647, Frederik’s 44-year-old childless elder brother Christian died and when his father died in 1648, Frederik became King of Denmark and Norway. As Queen, Sophie Amalie became the center of court life. She replaced the old medieval court entertainments with opera and ballet. She enjoyed fashion, parties, theatre, and masquerades, and made the French taste fashionable in Denmark. Sophie Amalie was ambitious, participated in state affairs with the blessing of her husband, and influenced policy as his adviser. Sophie Amalie survived her husband King Frederik II by fifteen years, dying on February 20, 1685, aged 56.
Unofficial Royalty: Sophie Amalie of Brunswick-Lüneburg, Queen of Denmark and Norway

March 24, 1805 – Death of Alois I, Prince of Liechtenstein in Vienna, Austria; buried at the Liechtenstein Crypt in Vranov, Czech Republic
Upon the death of his father Franz Josef I, Prince of Liechtenstein in 1781, 22-year-old Alois became the reigning Prince of Liechtenstein. In 1783, Alois married 15-year-old Karoline von Manderscheid-Blankenheim. Although the couple had no children, Karoline had two illegitimate children with her long-time lover Franz von Langendonck, a captain in the Imperial Austrian Army. Alois did much to improve the administration and management of his estates. He introduced modern methods of production on his estates, experimented with breeding, and imported numerous useful and ornamental plants for economic reasons and botanical interest. Alois was passionate about books and continued to expand the princely library by purchasing extensive collections. Alois I died on March 24, 1805, aged 45.
Unofficial Royalty: Prince Alois I, Prince of Liechtenstein 

March 24, 1832 – Death of Maria Anna of Saxony, Grand Duchess of Tuscany, first wife of Leopoldo II, Grand Duke of Tuscany, at the Royal Palace in Pisa, Grand Duchy of Tuscany, now in Italy; buried at the Basilica of San Lorenzo in Florence, Grand Duchy of Tuscany, now in Italy
In 1817, Maria Anna married the future Leopoldo II, Grand Duke of Tuscany. The couple had three daughters. Maria Anna and her husband were the founding patrons of L’Istituto Statale della Ss. Annunziata, the first female boarding school in Florence, then in the Grand Duchy of Tuscany, to educate aristocratic and noble young ladies. The school is still in existence. Maria Anna’s inability to produce a male heir caused depression which coupled with her chronic ill health, made her developing tuberculosis more severe. On March 24, 1832, 32-year-old Maria Anna died.
Unofficial Royalty: Maria Anna of Saxony, Grand Duchess of Tuscany

March 24, 1837 – Birth of Philippe, Count of Flanders at the Royal Castle of Laeken in Laeken, Brussels, Belgium
Full name: Philippe Eugène Ferdinand Marie Clément Baudouin Léopold Georges
Philippe was a younger son of Leopold I, King of the Belgians, and the ancestor of the current Belgian royal family as his son succeeded to the Belgian throne as King Albert I. In 1867, Philippe married Princess Marie of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen and they had five children. It was Philippe and Marie who secured the future of the Belgian dynasty. Philippe was the heir presumptive to the Belgian throne until he died in 1905. Philippe’s elder son Baudouin was second in line to the throne until his death in 1891 from influenza. Then Philippe’s younger son Albert became second in line to the throne. Eventually, Albert succeeded his uncle, King Leopold II, upon his death in 1909 as King Albert I. Philippe led a comfortable life in the intimacy of his Brussels palace surrounded by his objets d’art, his superb horses, and especially his precious library of 30,000 books. He died at the age of 68.
Unofficial Royalty: Philippe, Count of Flanders

March 24, 1866 – Death of Maria Amalia of the Two Sicilies, Queen of the French, wife of Louis-Philippe I, King of the French, in exile at Claremont House in Surrey in England; buried first at Weybridge, England, re-buried in 1876 in the Orléans Mausoleum in the Royal Chapel in Dreux, France
While still very young, Maria Amalia was engaged to her first cousin, the Dauphin of France. His mother Queen Marie Antoinette was Maria Amalia’s maternal aunt. However, the French Revolution resulting in the death of her aunt and her first cousin changed these plans. Her youth was spent in upheaval due to the events in France and the subsequent conflict during the First Coalition soon found the family fleeing Sicily for the safety of Naples. Maria Amalia’s family returned to Naples in 1802, but four years later, when Napoleon invaded, the family again fled to in Palermo. In 1809, Maria Amalia married the future Louis Philippe I, King of the French and they had ten children. In 1830, King Charles X of France was overthrown during the July Revolution and forced to abdicate and Louis Philippe became king.  After her husband was forced to abdicate in 1840, the family left France and was welcomed in England by Queen Victoria, who gave them the use of Claremont House in Surrey, England.  After her husband’s death, Marie Amélie lived a very private life, spending time with her family and enjoying a close relationship with the British Royal Family. At the age of 83, Queen Marie Amélie died at Claremont House on March 24, 1866.
Unofficial Royalty: Maria Amalia of the Two Sicilies, Queen of the French

March 24, 1923 – Death of Ellen Franz, Baroness von Heldburg, morganatic third wife of Georg II, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen, in Meiningen, Germany; buried in the Park Cemetery in Meiningen
Ellen was an actress who came to the Meiningen Court Theatre in 1867 and appeared in numerous roles over the next six years. Within a year of arriving in Meiningen, Ellen became romantically involved with Georg II, who was still married to his second wife, Feodora of Hohenlohe-Langenburg who would die in 1872. In 1873, Ellen and Georg were married but they had no children. Sharing a love of the theatre with her husband, Ellen worked with him to reform and redevelop the Meiningen Theater. Much of their efforts became known as the Meininger Principles and is still taught in theater schools today. Ellen died March 24, 1923, at the age of 83. She is buried beside her husband in the Park Cemetery in Meiningen, now in the German state of Thuringia.
Unofficial Royalty: Ellen Franz, Baroness von Heldburg

March 24, 1953 – Death of Queen Mary of the United Kingdom, born Princess Victoria Mary of Teck, wife of King George V of the United Kingdom, at Marlborough House in London England; buried at St. George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle in Windsor, England
Mary was a great-granddaughter of King George III and a first cousin once removed of Queen Victoria.  She was first engaged to Prince Albert Victor, Duke of Clarence (known as Prince Eddy), the oldest son and eldest child of Albert Edward, Prince of Wales (later King Edward VII) and Princess Alexandra of Denmark. After his death from pneumonia, Mary married his brother, the future King George V. Mary and George had five sons and one daughter. Queen Mary lived long enough to see her granddaughter Elizabeth become Queen of the United Kingdom, but died on March 24, 1953, at age 85 of lung cancer (although her illness was referred to as “gastric problems”) just ten weeks before the coronation. Before her death, Queen Mary had insisted that the coronation go ahead as scheduled.
Unofficial Royalty: Mary of Teck, Queen 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

Margaret of Anjou, Queen of England; Credit – Wikipedia

March 23, 1429 – Birth of Margaret of Anjou, Queen of England, wife of King Henry VI of England, at Pont-à-Mousson, Duchy of Lorraine, now in France
In 1445, Margaret married King Henry VI of England and had one son Edward of Westminster, Prince of Wales. Margaret was one of the principal players in the Wars of the Roses, the battle for the English crown between the House of Lancaster and the House of York.  Her son was killed at the Battle of Tewkesbury where Margaret led the Lancastrian forces. Her husband was sent to the Tower of London and where he died, probably murdered on orders from King Edward IV from the House of York. Margaret was imprisoned at Wallingford Castle in England while her father René, Duke of Anjou worked tirelessly to arrange his daughter’s release. In 1475, King Louis XI agreed to pay Margaret’s ransom provided that her father would cede to France his territories of Anjou, Bar, Lorraine, and Provence. Margaret returned to France and died on August 25, 1482, at the age of 53.
Unofficial Royalty: Margaret of Anjou, Queen of England

March 23, 1801 – Assassination of Paul I, Emperor of All Russia at the Mikhailovsky Castle in St. Petersburg, Russia; buried at the Peter and Paul Cathedral in St. Petersburg, Russia
Paul was the son of Grand Duchess Catherine Alexeievna (born Sophie of Anhalt-Zerbst, later Catherine II (the Great), Empress of All Russia), and was recognized by Catherine’s husband, Grand Duke Peter Feodorovich (born Karl Peter Ulrich of Holstein-Gottorp, later Peter III, Emperor of All Russia, as his son although he may be was Sergei Vasilievich Saltykov. His first wife Wilhelmine of Hesse-Darmstadt (Grand Duchess Natalia Alexeievna) died in childbirth with her only child. Paul’s second wife was Sophia Dorothea of Württemberg (Maria Feodorovna) with whom he had ten children. Paul became Emperor of All Russia upon the death of his mother Catherine II (the Great) in 1796. Paul agreed with the practices of autocracy and did not tolerate freedom of thought or resistance against autocracy. Because he overly taxed the nobility and limited their rights, the Russian nobles were against him. Paul’s reign was becoming increasingly despotic. Eventually, the nobility reached their breaking point. On the night of March 23, 1801, at the Mikhailovsky Castle in St. Petersburg, Russia, a group of conspirators charged into the bedroom of 46-year-old Paul I, Emperor of All Russia, forced him to abdicate, and then strangled and trampled him to death.
Unofficial Royalty: Assassination of Paul I, Emperor of All Russia
Unofficial Royalty: Paul I, Emperor of All Russia

March 23, 1818 – Death of Princess Augusta of Wales, Duchess of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, daughter of Frederick, Prince of Wales, at Hanover Square in London, England; buried in the Royal Vault at St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle in Windsor, England
Augusta was the elder sister of King George III of the United Kingdom. She married Karl Wilhelm Ferdinand, the future Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel. The couple had seven children including Caroline who married her first cousin, the future King George IV of the United Kingdom. (The marriage was a disaster.) Augusta never fully adapted to life in Brunswick nor was she well-liked. Any popularity she had was damaged by the fact that her three eldest sons were born with handicaps. Karl found Augusta dull and preferred to spend time with his mistresses. After her husband was killed during the Napoleonic Wars and Brunswick–Wolfenbüttel was occupied by the French, Augusta escaped to Sweden. Her brother King George III sent a British naval ship to transport his sister back home to England. Augusta lived in London with her daughter Caroline, Princess of Wales. Augusta got to know her granddaughter Princess Charlotte of Wales, who told her grandmother upon their first meeting “that she was the merriest old woman she ever saw.” Augusta died on March 23, 1813, at the age of 75.
Unofficial Royalty: Princess Augusta of Wales, Duchess of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel

March 23, 1897 – Death of Sophie of the Netherlands, Grand Duchess of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, wife of Karl Alexander, Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, in Weimar, Grand Duchy of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach now in Thuringia, Germany; buried in the Weimarer Fürstengruft in the Historical Cemetery in Weimar
In 1842, Sophie married Grand Duke Karl Alexander of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach and the couple had four children. With her own significant wealth, she founded numerous schools and hospitals throughout the grand duchy. Sophie was the sister of King Willem III of the Netherlands. When her brother died in 1890, the Dutch throne passed to his ten-year-old only surviving child Queen Wilhelmina, and Sophie was first in line to inherit the Dutch throne until her death in 1897. She was very close to her niece Wilhelmina and her sister-in-law Queen Emma and made regular visits to the Netherlands to see them. After the death of her son in 1894, Sophie’s health began to deteriorate. She died on March 23, 1897, aged 73.
Unofficial Royalty: Sophie of the Netherlands, Grand Duchess of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach

March 23, 1931 – Death of Anna Nahowski, mistress of Franz Joseph I, Emperor of Austria,  in Vienna, Austria; buried at Hietzing Cemetery in Vienna, Austria, adjacent to Schönbrunn Palace
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. Anna died in Vienna, Austria on March 23, 1931, at the age of 70.
Unofficial Royalty: Anna Nahowski, Mistress of Franz Joseph I, Emperor of Austria

March 23, 1947 – Death of Luise of Austria, Crown Princess of Saxony, wife of the future King Friedrich August III of Saxony, in Brussels, Belgium; buried at the Hedingen Monastery in Sigmaringen, Germany
In 1891, Luise married the future King Friedrich August III, the last King of Saxony and the couple had six children. From the beginning of her marriage, Luise was unhappy. She was unwilling to conform to the strict Saxon court which often caused conflicts with her father-in-law and others in the royal family. She sought refuge in several affairs, including her children’s French tutor, André Giron. Her affair with Giron was discovered when a telegram she sent him was intercepted.  With the help of two of her maids, Luise – pregnant with her youngest child – fled Dresden and headed toward Lake Geneva where she met up with her brother, Leopold Ferdinand, before reconnecting with Giron. Luise and Giron stayed in Geneva, often being seen in public. Their relationship ended just a few days before her divorce was announced on February 11, 1903. In 1907, Luise married for a second time to Enrico Toselli, an Italian musician 12 years younger, and the couple had one son. After World War I, Luise found herself virtually penniless. She spent some time living in Spain with an uncle before moving to Belgium where she spent the remainder of her life. Luise, aged 77, died on March 23, 1947. At the time, she was working as a flower seller to survive.
Unofficial Royalty: Luise of Austria, Crown Princess of Saxony

March 23, 1990 – Birth of Princess Eugenie, Mrs. Jack Brooksbank, born at Portland Hospital in London, England
Full name: Eugenie Victoria Helena
Princess Eugenie is the younger daughter of Prince Andrew, The Duke of York, and Sarah Ferguson and the grandchild of Queen Elizabeth II and The Duke of Edinburgh. In 2018, she married Jack Brooksbank. Eugenie and Jack have two sons August Philip Hawke Brooksbank, born in 2021 and Ernest George Ronnie Brooksbank born in 2023.
Unofficial Royalty: Princess Eugenie, Mrs. 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

Wilhelm I, German Emperor, King of Prussia; Credit – Wikipedia

March 22, 1421 – Death of Thomas of Lancaster, 1st Duke of Clarence, son of King Henry IV of England, at the Battle of Baugé in France; buried at Canterbury Cathedral in Canterbury, Kent, England
In 1411, Thomas married Margaret Holland, the daughter of Thomas Holland, 2nd Earl of Kent and Alice FitzAlan but the couple had no children. Thomas accompanied his brother King Henry V on his campaigns in France during the Hundred Years’ War. He commanded the English army at the Siege of Rouen in 1418 which ended in Rouen’s capture by the English. On March 22, 1421, Thomas, aged 33, was killed at the Battle of Baugé in Anjou, France.
Unofficial Royalty: Thomas of Lancaster, 1st Duke of Clarence

March 22, 1459 – Birth of Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor, Archduke of Austria at Wiener Neustadt Castle in Wiener Neustadt, Archduchy of Austria now in the state of Lower Austria in Austria
Maximilian I reigned as King of the Romans, the de facto leader of the Holy Roman Empire from 1493 – 1508, Holy Roman Emperor from 1508 – 1519, and ruled his family lands as Archduke of Austria from 1493 – 1519. Maximilian married Mary, Duchess of Burgundy in her own right, the only child of Charles I the Bold, Duke of Burgundy, and the couple had three children. It was through the marriage of Maximilian and Mary’s son Philip to Juana I, Queen of Castile and León, Queen of Aragon that the Habsburg lands would be joined with the Spanish lands. Philip and Juana’s son Carlos, best known as Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, was one of the most powerful ever monarchs and had a large number of titles due to his vast inheritance of the Burgundian, Spanish, and Austrian realms. After Mary’s death in a horseriding accident, Maximilan married two more times but neither marriage produced children. Maximilain suffered a stroke on December 15, 1518, that left him bedridden. However, Maximilian continued to read documents and receive foreign envoys. On January 12, 1519, Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor, Archduke of Austria died, aged 59 at the Castle of Wels in Wels, Upper Austria.
Unofficial Royalty: Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor, Archduke of Austria

March 22, 1759– Birth of Hedwig Elizabeth Charlotte of Holstein-Gottorp, Queen of Sweden, wife of King Carl XIII of Sweden, in Eutin, Duchy of Oldenburg now in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany
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 that described the Swedish royal court from 1775-1817.  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

March 22, 1797 – Birth of Wilhelm I, German Emperor, King of Prussia at the Crown Prince’s Palace in Berlin, Kingdom of Prussia now in Brandenburg, Germany
Full name: Wilhelm Friedrich Ludwig
In 1829, Wilhelm married Augusta of Saxe-Weimar and the couple had two children. Wilhelm became King of Prussia in 1861 upon the death of his childless brother King Friedrich Wilhelm IV of Prussia. During Wilhelm I’s reign as King of Prussia, the work of Otto von Bismarck, Prussian Prime Minister resulted in the unification of Germany and Bismarck then served as Chancellor of the German Empire.  In 1867, the North German Confederation was created.  It was a constitutional monarchy with the Prussian king as the head of state. After the Franco-Prussian War, on  January 18, 1871, in the Hall of Mirrors at the Palace of Versailles in France, Wilhelm was proclaimed German Emperor (Kaiser). Wilhelm I was succeeded by his son Friedrich III, husband of Victoria, Princess Royal.  Already ill with throat cancer, Frederick reigned only three months and was succeeded by his son Wilhelm II. 1888 is known as the “year of the three emperors.”
Unofficial Royalty: Wilhelm I, German Emperor, King of Prussia

March 22, 1837 – Birth of Virginia Oldoïni, Countess of Castiglione, mistress of Napoleon III, Emperor of the French, in Florence, Grand Duchy of Tuscany, now in Italy
Virginia Oldoïni, Countess of Castiglione was the mistress of Emperor Napoleon III of France from 1856-1857. Virginia’s affair with the Emperor ended in 1857, and she returned to Italy. Four years later, the Kingdom of Italy was established, and Virginia maintained that her influence had, in part, contributed to the unification. By 1861, she had moved to France where she settled in Passy before returning to Paris. By then a very wealthy woman, she devoted much of her time and fortune to her newfound passion, photography. She died at the age of 62.
Unofficial Royalty: Virginia Oldoïni, Countess of Castiglione, Mistress of Napoleon III, Emperor of the French

March 22, 1955 – Death of Ernst II, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg at Schloss Fröhliche Wiederkunft in Trockenborn-Wolfersdorf, then in East Germany, now in Thuringia, Germany; buried in the Ducal Cemetery in Trockenborn-Wolfersdorf
In 1898, Ernst married Princess Adelheid of Schaumburg-Lippe and the couple had four children. Ernst became Duke of Saxe-Altenburg following his uncle’s death in 1908. He was a popular ruler who made an effort to be close to his subjects. He would hold audiences for any and all who wanted to meet with him. He also pursued his interests in science and technology, opening an airfield in 1911, and owning one of the first cars in the duchy. Ernst was the last reigning Duke of Saxe-Altenburg, abdicating on November 13, 1918, following the end of World War I. He was the only former German ruler who was a citizen of the German Democratic Republic (East Germany), and the last surviving sovereign from the German Empire. The East German government expropriated his beloved Schloss Fröhliche Wiederkunft in 1946, but Ernst was given the use of the residence for the remainder of his life. At the age of 83, Ernst died at Schloss Fröhliche Wiederkunft on March 22, 1955.
Unofficial Royalty: Ernst II, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg

March 22, 1956 – Birth of Grand Duchess Maria Teresa of Luxembourg, wife of Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg, born Maria Teresa Mestre y Batista in Havana, Cuba
Born in Cuba, Maria Teresa grew up in New York City and Geneva, Switzerland. While attending the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies in Geneva, where she received a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science, she first met her future husband, then Hereditary Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg. The couple married in 1981 and have five children.
Unofficial Royalty: Maria Teresa Mestre y Batista, Grand Duchess 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.