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Maria Theresa of Naples and Sicily, Empress of Austria; Credit – Wikipedia

April 13, 1275 – Death of Eleanor of England, Countess of Leicester, daughter of King John of England, at Montargis Abbey, France; buried at Montargis Abbey
After a seven-year, childless marriage, to the much older William Marshal, 2nd Earl of Pembroke, Eleanor married Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester. The displeasure of the English nobility with Eleanor’s brother King Henry III resulted in the Second Barons’ War. The leader of the forces against Henry III was led by Eleanor’s husband who wanted to reassert the Magna Carta and force the king to surrender more power to the baron’s council. Henry III’s son, the future King Edward I led the royalists into battle, defeating and killing de Montfort and his eldest son Edward at the Battle of Evesham. Today, Simon de Montfort is considered one of the fathers of representative government. Eleanor lived the rest of her life as a nun at Montargis Abbey where she died and was buried.
Unofficial Royalty: Eleanor of England, Countess of Leicester

April 13, 1519 – Birth of Catherine de Medici, wife of King Henri II of France, in Florence, Republic of Florence, now in Italy
Catherine de’ Medici was a member of the Italian House of Medici, a banking family and political dynasty that first came into prominence during the first half of the 15th century in the Republic of Florence. In 1533, Catherine married Henri, Duke of Orléans (the future King Henri II), the second son of François I, King of France. They had ten children including three Kings of France. In 1536, Henri’s elder brother François died and Henri became the heir to the French throne. He succeeded his father on March 31, 1547, his 28th birthday. After the death of her husband in 1559 due to injuries suffered while jousting in a  tournament, Catherine played an important role in the government of France as three of her sons reigned as King of France. She continued to play a role in the government until the last few weeks of her life, dying on January 5, 1589, aged 69.
Unofficial Royalty: Catherine de Medici, Queen of France

April 13, 1573 – Birth of Christina of Holstein-Gottorp, Queen of Sweden, second wife of King Karl IX of Sweden, in Kiel, Duchy of Holstein-Gottorp, now in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany
In 1592, Christina married the future King Karl IX of Sweden as his second wife. They had four children including Gustavus II Adolphus the Great, King of Sweden. In 1611, Christina’s husband died. Christina was co-regent for her son Gustavus II Adolphus during his short regency. Christina was considered the real power behind the throne during the early years of her son’s reign. In 1622, Christina’s younger son Karl Philip died at the age of twenty after a serious illness. Christina was heartbroken after the death of her younger son, and she retired from public life and lived in seclusion. She survived her husband by fourteen years, dying at the age of 52.
Unofficial Royalty: Christina of Holstein-Gottorp, Queen of Sweden

April 13, 1807 – Death of Maria Theresa of Naples and Sicily, Empress of Austria, second of the four wives of Emperor Franz I of Austria; at Hofburg Palace in Vienna, Austria; buried at the Imperial Crypt in Vienna, Austria
Maria Theresa married her double first cousin then Archduke Franz of Austria. This was Franz’s second marriage and the only one of his four marriages that resulted in surviving children. Seven of their twelve children survived to adulthood. Among the children of Franz and Maria Theresa were: Marie-Louise, the second wife of Napoleon Bonaparte; Emperor Ferdinand I of Austria, and Maria Leopoldina, the wife of Emperor Pedro I of Brazil.  The marriage lasted nearly seventeen years and was said to be a happy one. Maria Theresa died soon after giving birth to her twelfth child, who also died.
Unofficial Royalty: Maria Theresa of Naples and Sicily, Empress of Austria

April 13, 1866 – Birth of Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich of Russia, husband of Grand Duchess Xenia Alexandrovna of Russia (daughter of Alexander III, Emperor of All Russia), in Tbilisi, Caucasus Viceroyalty of the Russian Empire, now the capital of Georgia
Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich of Russia, known as Sandro, was the son of Grand Duke Michael Nikolaevich of Russia (son of Nicholas I, Emperor of All Russia). In 1894, Sandro married Grand Duchess Xenia Alexandrovna of Russia, the sister of Sandro’s friend, the future Nicholas II, Emperor of All Russia, and the daughter of Alexander III, Emperor of All Russia and Dagmar of Denmark (Empress Maria Feodorovna). The couple had one daughter and six sons and they are the ancestors of most of the current Romanov descendants. Sandro and Xenia escaped during the Russian Revolution, and Sandro was the only one of four surviving brothers to escape Russia. His brother Sergei was killed by the Bolsheviks in July 1918 with Grand Duchess Elisabeth Feodorovna and four other Romanovs. His brothers Nicholas and George along with two other Grand Dukes were shot in January 1919 at the Fortress of St. Peter and Paul in St. Petersburg.
Unofficial Royalty: Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich of Russia

April 13, 1870 – Death of Sarah Lyttelton, Baroness Lyttelton, Lady of the Bedchamber to Queen Victoria and Governess to the Royal Children, at Hagley Hall in Hagley,  Worcestershire; buried in the Lyttelton family plot in the cemetery at St. John the Baptist Church in Hagley
Born Lady Sarah Spencer, the daughter of George Spencer, 2nd Earl Spencer, she married Sir William Henry Lyttelton, 3rd Baron Lyttelton. She was in Queen Victoria’s service from 1837 – 1850. Upon her retirement from service, Sarah returned to her family at Hagley Hall and settled into life as a grandmother. She kept in contact with the Royal Family and occasionally met them at social functions. In January 1858, she was a guest at the wedding of The Princess Royal and Prince Friedrich of Prussia (the future German Emperor Friedrich III). Ten years later, she hosted a visit from the couple at her home in London. At the age of 82, The Dowager Baroness died at Hagley Hall on April 13, 1870.
Unofficial Royalty: Sarah Lyttelton, Baroness Lyttelton

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King Christian IV of Denmark; Credit – Wikipedia

April 12, 1555 – Death of Juana I, Queen of Castile and León and Queen of Aragon at the Royal Convent of Santa Clara in Tordesillas, Castile, now in Spain; buried at the Royal Chapel of Granada, now in Spain
Juana was the daughter of Ferdinand II, King of Aragon and Isabella I, Queen of Castile and León, and the elder sister of Catherine of Aragon, the first wife of King Henry VIII of England. She married Philip of Austria, often called Philip of Habsburg or Philip the Handsome. He was the heir of Mary, Duchess of Burgundy in her own right, the ruler of a collection of states known as the Burgundian State, and Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor. Juana was declared insane and confined in the Royal Convent of Santa Clara in Tordesillas under the orders of her father, who ruled as regent until his death in 1516, when she inherited his kingdom as well. From 1516, when her son Charles I ruled as king, she was nominally co-monarch but remained confined until her death. Joanna’s death resulted in the personal union of Spain and the Holy Roman Empire, as her son Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, also became King of Castile and Aragon. Most historians now agree Juana was clinically depressed and not insane as commonly believed.
Unofficial Royalty: Juana I, Queen of Castile and León and Queen of Aragon

April 12, 1577 – Birth of King Christian IV of Denmark at Frederiksborg Palace in Hillerød, Denmark
Having reigned for 59 years, Christian IV, King of Denmark and Norway is the longest-reigning monarch of Denmark and one of the most beloved. In 1588, Christain IV succeeded to the throne at the age of eleven. He married Anna Katharina of Brandenburg in 1597 and the couple had six children. Christian had affairs and illegitimate children. After his wife’s death, he married 18-year-old Kirsten Munk, from a wealthy, untitled noble Danish family in 1615.  Kirsten was not the Queen due to the morganatic marriage and was given the title Countess of Schleswig-Holstein. Their ten children married into the Danish nobility, were styled Count and Countess of Schleswig-Holstein, and did not have succession rights. Christian IV and Kirsten’s stormy marriage ended in divorce in 1630, amid mutual allegations of infidelity and much bitterness. During his long reign, Christian IV, repeatedly and unsuccessfully attempted by military means to make the Kingdom of Denmark and Norway into a great power, especially during the Thirty Years War. However, his legacy would be his building projects and his cipher C 4 can be seen on many buildings in Denmark. Sensing he did not have a long time to live, Christian IV requested to be brought to his beloved Copenhagen. On February 21, 1648, he was carried in a litter from Frederiksborg Palace to Copenhagen. He died a week later, on February 28, 1648, at Rosenborg Castle, at the age of 70.
Unofficial Royalty: King Christian IV of Denmark and Norway

April 12, 1834 – Death of Isabella Ingram-Seymour-Conway, Marchioness of Hertford, mistress of King George IV of the United Kingdom, at Ragley Hall in Alcester, Warwickshire, England;  buried at the Holy Trinity Church in Arrow, Warwickshire, England
Isabella was the daughter of Charles Ingram, 9th Viscount of Irvine and Frances Shepherd. Charles Ingram was a prominent landowner and politician and served as a Groom of the Bedchamber to King George III from 1756 until 1763. Isabella replaced Maria Fitzherbert, the long-time mistress of the Prince of Wales, the future King George IV, and was his mistress from 1807-1819. She died on April 12, 1834, having lived through the entire reign of her former lover as King George IV and the succession of his younger brother, King William IV.
Unofficial Royalty: Isabella Ingram-Seymour-Conway, Marchioness of Hertford, mistress of King George IV of the United Kingdom

April 12, 1866 – Birth of Princess Viktoria of Prussia, granddaughter of Queen Victoria, at Neues Palais in Potsdam, Kingdom of Prussia, now in Brandenburg, Germany
Full name: Frederica Amalia Wilhelmine Viktoria
Princess Viktoria, known in the family as Moretta, was the daughter of Victoria, Princess Royal and Friedrich III, German Emperor, King of Prussia. In 1890, she married Prince Adolf of Schaumburg-Lippe. Moretta suffered a miscarriage early in the marriage and the couple never had children.  After Adolf’s death, she made a controversial marriage to Alexander Zoubkov, a Russian refugee described as a “dancer”, who was 35 years younger and carelessly spent her money. Moretta was forced to sell the contents of Palais Schaumburg, her home in Bonn, Germany, but the sale did not net much money and she moved into a single furnished room in the Bonn suburb of Mehlem. In 1929, Moretta announced that she was divorcing her second husband but she died of pneumonia a few days later at the age of 63.
Unofficial Royalty: Princess Viktoria of Prussia, Princess of Schaumburg-Lippe, Mrs. Zoubkoff

April 12, 1869 – Death of Ida of Waldeck and Pyrmont, wife of Georg Wilhelm, Prince of Schaumburg-Lippe, in Menton, Alpes-Maritimes, France; buried in the Princely Mausoleum at the Evangelical Lutheran St. Martini Church in Stadthagen, Principality of Schaumberg-Lippe, now in the German state of Lower Saxony
The daughter of Georg I, Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont, Ida married Georg Wilhelm, Prince of Schaumburg-Lippe in 1816. The couple had nine children whose births spanned twenty-four years. As the Princess of Schaumburg-Lippe, Ida was concerned with social issues, arranging food for the poor, providing debt relief, and other humanitarian initiatives. Ida survived her husband by nine years, dying on April 12, 1869, in Menton, Alpes-Maritimes, France at the age of 72. She was buried with her husband in the Princely Mausoleum at St. Martini Church.
Unofficial Royalty: Ida of Waldeck and Pyrmont, Princess of Schaumberg-Lippe

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Augusta Viktoria of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg, German Empress; Credit – Wikipedia

April 11, 1240 – Death of Llywelyn Fawr (the Great), Prince of Gwynedd, Prince of Southern Powys at the Abbey of Aberconwy in Wales, buried at the Abbey of Aberconwy
Llywelyn was the topic of Sharon Kay Penman’s excellent historical novel “Here Be Dragons.” Llywelyn ap Iorwerth (“ap” means “son of”), later known as Llywelyn Fawr (Llywelyn the Great) was the longest-reigning ruler of Welsh principalities, maintaining control for 45 years. He was Prince of Gwynedd and Prince of Powys Wenwynwyn. In 1216, Llewellyn received the fealty of other Welsh lords and although he never used the title, was the de facto Prince of Wales. Llywelyn dominated Wales for 45 years and was one of only two Welsh rulers to be called “the Great”, the other being his ancestor Rhodri the Great.
Unofficial Royalty: Llywelyn Fawr, Prince of Gwynedd, Prince of Southern Powys

April 11, 1611 – Birth of Karl Eusebius, Prince of Liechtenstein
In 1627, when Karl Eusebius was fifteen years old, his father Karl I, the first Prince of Liechtenstein died, and he became the second Prince of Liechtenstein. In 1644, Karl Eusebius married his niece Johanna Beatrix of Dietrichstein and they had nine children. Karl Eusebius I successfully consolidated and rebuilt the territories of the House of Liechtenstein that were devastated by the Thirty Years’ War. He left his son and successor Hans-Adam I, Prince of Liechtenstein a rich inheritance and an extensive collection of artworks that were both multiplied by his son and other descendants. The current Prince of Liechtenstein, Hans-Adam II, is the richest European monarch. After a reign of 57 years, Karl Eusebius, died at the age of 72, on April 5, 1684.
Unofficial Royalty: Karl Eusebius, Prince of Liechtenstein

April 11, 1624 – Birth of Maria Ilyinichna Miloslavskaya, Tsaritsa of All Russia, first wife of Alexei I, Tsar of All Russia, in Moscow, Russia
In 1648, Maria Ilyinichna married Alexei I, Tsar of All Russia. They had thirteen children including two Tsars of All Russia, Fyodor III and Ivan V, and Sophia Alexeevna, who served as Regent for her brother Ivan V and half-brother Peter I (the Great). During this time, the life of Russian noblewomen, including the Tsaritsa of All Russia, was not a public one. They were expected to live in seclusion with little contact with men. Maria Ilyinichna was mainly involved in charitable and religious activities such as donating to facilities for the poor, sick, and disabled. On March 13, 1669, 45-year-old Maria Ilyinichna died of puerperal fever (childbed fever) five days after her most difficult childbirth. Her thirteenth child Yevdokia Alexeevna lived for only two days.
Unofficial Royalty: Maria Ilyinichna Miloslavskaya, Tsaritsa of All Russia

April 11, 1921 – Death of Augusta Viktoria of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg (called Dona), German Empress, first wife of Wilhelm II, German Emperor, at Huis Doorn in the Netherlands; buried in the Antique Temple in the garden of Sanssouci Palace in Potsdam, Germany
Known as Dona, she was a great-niece of Queen Victoria, a niece of Prince Christian of Schleswig-Holstein, the husband of Queen Victoria’s daughter Princess Helena, and a descendant of Danish and British kings. In 1881, Dona married the future Wilhelm II, German Emperor and King of Prussia. They had six sons and one daughter. When Dona became German Empress and Queen of Prussia in 1888, she took up and enjoyed the traditional roles of a consort, serving as a hostess and working with charities. Dona’s health had started to fail even before Wilhelm lost his throne in the aftermath of World War I which necessitated their going into exile in the Netherlands. In 1920, Dona and Wilhelm’s youngest son Joachim died by suicide. Dona never got over her son’s death and she died five months later. Dona had wanted to be buried in Germany, but this meant that Wilhelm would never be able to visit her grave as he was exiled.  The German government agreed to the burial but insisted that the special train that carried Dona’s coffin only travel at night and that there should be no announcement of the arrangements. Dona was still popular with the German people and even though there were no announcements about the arrangements, the 600-kilometer route through Germany was lined with people.
Unofficial Royalty: Augusta Viktoria of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg, German Empress, Queen of Prussia

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James V, King of Scots; Credit – Wikipedia

April 10, 1512 – Birth of James V, King of Scots at Linlithgow Palace in Scotland
James V was the son of James IV, King of Scots and Margaret Tudor, daughter of King Henry VII of England and sister of King Henry VIII of England. In 1513, 30-year-old James IV was killed in the Battle of Flodden and 17-month-old James V succeeded his father. In 1537, James married Madeleine of Valois, daughter of King François I of France. Already ill with tuberculosis, Madeleine died six months after the wedding. Less than a year later, James married another French bride, Marie of Guise, the eldest daughter of Claude of Lorraine, Duke of Guise. The couple had two sons who died in infancy, and one daughter, the future Mary, Queen of Scots. When Henry VIII of England broke from the Roman Catholic Church, he asked James V, his nephew, to do the same. James ignored his uncle’s request and further insulted him by refusing to meet with Henry VIII at York. Furious, Henry VIII sent troops against Scotland. In retaliation for the English raid into Scotland, James raised an army and attacked England. On November 24, 1542, the Battle of Solway Moss resulted in a decisive English victory. After the battle,  James V fled to Falkland Palace where he became ill and took to his bed. Overcome with grief and shame about the Battle of Solway Moss, James V lost the will to live. The news that his wife Marie of Guise had given birth to a daughter did nothing to raise his spirits, and he died at the age of 30 and was succeeded by his only surviving legitimate child, six-day-old Mary.
Unofficial Royalty: James V, King of Scots

April 10, 1533 – Death of King Frederik I of Denmark and Norway at Gottorp Castle in Schleswig, now in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany; buried at the Cathedral of St. Peter in Schleswig
Frederik I, King of Denmark and Norway was the youngest of the four sons and the youngest of the five children of Christian I, King of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. Frederik’s nephew Christian II, King of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden had been deposed in Sweden in 1521 and replaced by Gustav Vasa, the first monarch of the Swedish House of Vasa, and in 1523, Christian II was forced to abdicate by the Danish nobles. Frederik, his paternal uncle, was offered the crown. Frederik was the last Roman Catholic Danish monarch. All subsequent Danish monarchs have been Lutheran. Although Frederik remained Catholic, he was somewhat tolerant of the new Protestant Lutheran religion. He ordered Lutherans and Roman Catholics to share the same churches and encouraged the first publication of the Bible in the Danish language. Frederik’s attitude toward religion postponed the all-out warfare between Protestants and Roman Catholics that occurred during the reign of his son King Christian III which ultimately turned Denmark into a Protestant nation. After a reign of ten years, King Frederik I died on April 10, 1533, aged 61.
Unofficial Royalty: King Frederik I of Denmark

April 10, 1599 – Death of Gabrielle d’Estrées, mistress of King Henri IV of France, in Paris, France; buried at the Notre-Dame-La Royale Church at Maubuisson Abbey on the outskirts of Paris, France
Gabrielle d’Estrées was the mistress of King Henri IV of France from 1591 until her death in 1599. In addition to being his mistress, she was one of his closest confidantes and advisers and was instrumental in Henri’s renunciation of Protestantism and conversion to Catholicism. Pregnant with her fourth child, Gabrielle suffered an attack of eclampsia and gave birth to a stillborn son. Grief-stricken, King Henri IV decreed that she be given the funeral of a Queen, and wore all black while he was in mourning – something that had never been done before in the French royal family. Gabrielle’s funeral was held at the Church of Saint-Germain-l’Auxerrois, with her coffin traveling in a procession that included princes, princesses, and many of the highest nobility of France.
Unofficial Royalty: Gabrielle d’Estrées, mistress of King Henri IV of France

April 10, 1742 – Death of Wilhelmine Amalie of Brunswick-Lüneburg, Holy Roman Empress, wife of Joseph I, Holy Roman Emperor, at the Monastery of the Visitation of Mary in Vienna, Austria that she had founded; buried in the crypt under the high altar of the monastery’s church where the Salesian nuns are buried
When the future Holy Roman Emperor Joseph I began having affairs at the age of 15, his mother thought the pious Roman Catholic Wilhelmine Amalie, who was five years older than Joseph, would be a positive influence on Joseph and he would then stop having affairs. The couple married in 1699, and had three children but their only son died from hydrocephalus before his first birthday. Joseph did not stop his affairs, and the affairs combined with the death of his only son took a toll on his marriage. In 1705,  Joseph succeeded his father in the Habsburg hereditary lands and was elected Holy Roman Emperor. Six years later, Joseph died from smallpox. In 1722, after both her daughters had married, Wilhelmine Amalie retired to the convent she had founded for the Salesian nuns, the Monastery of the Visitation of Mary in Vienna where she died eleven days before her sixty-ninth birthday.
Unofficial Royalty: Wilhelmine Amalie of Brunswick-Lüneburg, Holy Roman Empress

April 10, 1811 – Birth of Charlotte Montagu Douglas Scott, Duchess of Buccleuch and Queensberry, Queen Victoria’s Mistress of the Robes 1841–1846, at Longleat in Wiltshire, England
Born Lady Charlotte Thynne, the daughter of Thomas Thynne, 2nd Marquess of Bath, Charlotte married Walter Montagu Douglas Scott, 5th Duke of Buccleuch and 7th Duke of Queensberry, in 1829.
Unofficial Royalty: Charlotte Montagu Douglas Scott, Duchess of Buccleuch and Queensberry

Sophia Sidney, Baroness De L’Isle and Dudley, born Sophia FitzClarence, Illegitimate Daughter of King William IV of the United Kingdom Three months later, on April 10, 1837, 40-year-old Sophia died after delivering a premature stillborn baby at Kensington Palace. She had recently completed a charming watercolor painting of her father.

April 10, 1897 – Death of Friedrich Franz III, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin at Villa Wenden in Cannes, France; buried in the Helena Pavlovna Mausoleum on the grounds of Ludwigslust Palace in Ludwigslust, Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, now in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany
In 1879, Friedrich Franz married Grand Duchess Anastasia Mikhailovna of Russia, the daughter of Grand Duke Mikhail Nikolaevich of Russia and Princess Cecilie of Baden. The couple had three children and they are ancestors of the Danish royal family through his daughter Alexandrine who married King Christian X of Denmark. Friedrich Franz suffered from severe bronchial asthma and a weak heart that plagued him his entire life. Because the climate in Schwerin was not good for his health, he spent November through May in Cannes, France, living at Villa Wenden which he had built there. With his health rapidly deteriorating in the spring of 1897, his family gathered at Villa Wenden, anticipating the worst. On the evening of April 10, 1897, he was found unconscious at the bottom of the villa’s 25-foot retaining wall and he soon died. Officially, the cause of death was an accident. Likely gasping for air, he had gone out onto the balcony and fell accidentally. However, rumors quickly spread that he had died by suicide.
Unofficial Royalty: Friedrich Franz III, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin

April 10, 1904 – Death of Queen Isabella II of Spain in exile in Paris, France; buried at the Monasterio de El Escorial near Madrid, Spain
Isabella’s father Ferdinand VII died in 1833, and she succeeded to the throne, not quite three years old. Isabella married her double first cousin Infante Francisco de Asís de Borbón, Duke of Cadiz. Her marriage was not happy and there were rumors that few, if any, of her children, were fathered by her husband. Isabella had nine children, but only five reached adulthood. Her only surviving son was King Alfonso XII of Spain, who is the great-great-grandfather of the current Spanish monarch, King Felipe VI. Isabella’s authoritarianism, her religious fanaticism, her alliance with the military and the chaos of her reign — sixty different governments — helped bring about the Revolution of 1868 that exiled her to Paris. The new government replaced Isabella with Amadeo I, the second son of King Victor Emmanuel II of Italy.  During Amadeo’s reign, there were many republican uprisings and he abdicated in 1873 and returned to Italy. The First Spanish Republic was declared, but it lasted a little less than two years.  Isabella had officially abdicated in 1870 and after the First Spanish Republic collapsed, her son Alfonso XII became king. She lived out the rest of her life in exile and died from influenza complications in Paris, France.
Unofficial Royalty: Queen Isabella II of Spain

April 10, 1959 – Wedding of Emperor Emeritus Akihito of Japan and Michiko Shōda at the Kashiko-dokoro, the Shinto shrine of Amaterasu, the Sun Goddess, on the grounds of the Imperial Palace in Tokyo, Japan
Crown Prince Akihito and Michiko Shōda first met on a tennis court on August 19, 1956, at Karuizawa, a summer resort. Akihito and Michiko were in opposing mixed pairs in a tournament. Michiko and her partner won the match.  Michiko was the first commoner to marry into the Imperial Family and that did cause some controversy.
Unofficial Royalty: Wedding of Emperor Akihito of Japan and Michiko Shōda

April 10, 1973 – Birth of Princess Tatjana of Liechtenstein, daughter of Prince Hans-Adam II of Liechtenstein, born in St. Gallen, Switzerland
Full name: Tatjana Nora Maria
As Liechtenstein follows agnatic primogeniture (male-only), neither Princess Tatjana nor her children are in the line of succession to the throne of Liechtenstein. In 1999, Princess Tatjana married Baron Philipp von Lattorff and the couple has seven children.
Unofficial Royalty: Princess Tatjana of Liechtenstein

April 10, 2007 – Birth of Princess Ariane of the Netherlands, daughter of King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands, at Bronovo Hospital in The Hague, the Netherlands
Full name: Ariane Wilhelmina Máxima Inés
Ariane is the youngest of the three daughters of King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands and Queen Máxima (née Máxima Zorreguieta Cerruti).
Unofficial Royalty: Princess Ariane of the Netherlands

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Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh; Credit – Wikipedia

April 9, 1483 – Death of King Edward IV of England at the Palace of Westminster in London, England; buried at St. George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle
The first Yorkist King of England, Edward was the son of Richard of York, 3rd Duke of York and Cecily Neville, both great-grandchildren of King Edward III of England.  Edward’s father could claim descent from Edward III’s second and fourth surviving sons, Lionel of Antwerp, 1st Duke of Clarence and Edmund of Langley, 1st Duke of York. He was the Yorkist leader during the Wars of the Roses until his death in battle when his son Edward became the leader of the Yorkist faction. His decisive victory over the Lancastrians at the Battle of Towton on March 29, 1461, cemented his status as King of England. He was crowned at Westminster Abbey on June 29, 1461. In 1464, King Edward IV married the widowed Elizabeth Woodville and they had ten children. If King Edward IV lived longer, perhaps he would have become one of England’s most powerful kings. He died a few weeks before his 41st birthday. His cause of death is not known for certain. Pneumonia, typhoid, malaria, poison, and an unhealthy lifestyle are some possibilities. King Edward IV was buried at St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle close by his rival King Henry VI.
Unofficial Royalty: King Edward IV of England

April 9, 1484 – Death of Edward of Middleham, Prince of Wales, son of King Richard III of England, at Middleham Castle in Middleham, England; his burial place is unknown
Edward of Middleham was one of the seven Princes of Wales who never became King. At the time of his birth, his parents were the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, the future King Richard III and his wife Lady Anne Neville. Edward was a sickly child and spent most of his time at Middleham Castle. King Richard III and Queen Anne were on a royal progress and had reached Nottingham when they heard that on April 9, 1484, their son Edward died of unknown causes at the age of ten at his birthplace, Middleham Castle. The Croyland Chronicle reported, “You might have seen his father and mother in a state almost bordering madness, by reason of their sudden grief.” His burial place is unknown.  For a very long time, it was thought that an effigy of a young boy on a cenotaph (empty tomb) in St. Helen and Holy Cross Church in Sheriff Hutton, England was Edward, but it is now thought to be an earlier member of the Neville family.
Unofficial Royalty: Edward of Middleham, Prince of Wales

April 9, 1649 – Birth of James Scott, 1st Duke of Monmouth, 1st Duke of Buccleuch, the illegitimate son of King Charles II of England and one of his mistresses Lucy Walter, in Rotterdam, Principality of Orange, now the Netherlands
James was the eldest of Charles II’s illegitimate children. Sarah, Duchess of York, Princess Alice of Gloucester, and Diana, Princess of Wales are descendants of the Duke of Monmouth.  James was convicted of treason for leading a rebellion against his uncle King James II of England. James groveled at the feet of his uncle, begging for his life.  James was sent to the Tower of London and beheaded on Tower Hill on July 15, 1685.
Unofficial Royalty: James Scott, Duke of Monmouth

April 9, 1765 – Death of Marie Luise of Hesse-Kassel, Princess of Orange, wife of Johan Willem Friso, Prince of Orange, in Leeuwarden, Friesland, now in the Netherlands; buried with her husband at the Grote of Jacobijnerkerk in Leeuwarden
When she was 21-years-old, Marie Luise’s marriage was arranged by her future mother-in-law Henriëtte Amalia of Anhalt-Dessau who was concerned that her son Johan Willem Friso, Prince of Orange had been almost killed twice in battle and had no heir. Sadly, their marriage lasted only two years. While Johan Willem Friso’s carriage was crossing a river by ferry, the ferry capsized and Johan Willem Friso drowned at the age of 23. At the time of her husband’s death, Marie Luise was pregnant with her second child. Six weeks later, she gave birth to a son who immediately became Willem IV, Prince of Orange.  On April 9, 1765, Marie Luise died at the age of 77. She had survived her husband Johan Willem Friso by 54 years. Until 2022, Marie Luise of Hesse-Kassel and her husband held the distinction of being the most recent common ancestors to all currently reigning European monarchs. Louis IX, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt and his wife Countess Palatine Caroline of Zweibrücken became the most recent common ancestors of all current hereditary European monarchs on September 8, 2022 after Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, who was not a descendant, died and her son, Charles III, a descendant through his father, became king.
Unofficial Royalty: Marie Luise of Hesse-Kassel, Princess of Orange

April 9, 1806 – Death of Willem V, Prince of Orange in Brunswick, Principality of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, now in Lower Saxony, Germany; first buried in Brunswick, reinterred at the Nieuwe Kerk in Delft, the Netherlands on April 29, 1958
Willem was the son of Willem IV, Prince of Orange and Anne, Princess Royal, the eldest daughter of King George II of Great Britain. In 1767, Willem married Princess Wilhelmina of Prussia. They had five children, but only three survived infancy including Willem I, the first King of the Netherlands. In 1795, the revolutionary Patriots in the Dutch Republic, supported by the French Army, replaced the Dutch Republic with the Batavian Republic which remained in power until 1806. Willem V and his family fled to England where they lived in exile until 1802 in the part of Kew Palace known as the Dutch House with the permission of Willem’s first cousin King George III. In 1802, the family went to the European mainland where they lived in the Principality of Orange-Nassau and the Principality of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel. Willem spent the rest of his life in exile. Willem was vilified during his lifetime and is still considered a failure as a ruler. Queen Wilhelmina refused to attend the reburial of Willem V at the Nieuwe Kerk. When asked why, she said that she did not want to walk behind the coffin of a fool.
Unofficial Royalty: Willem V, Prince of Orange

April 9, 1835 – Birth of King Leopold II of the Belgians in Brussels, Belgium
Full name: Léopold Louis Philippe Marie Victor
Leopold II was the second-born but first surviving child of King Leopold I of the Belgians. His father was formerly Prince Leopold of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, uncle of both Queen Victoria and her husband Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha and Leopold II was the first cousin of both Victoria and Albert. In 1853, he married Marie Henriette of Austria. They had three daughters and one son who died young. The marriage was not a happy one, and the couple lived mostly separate lives. After the death of their only son, Leopold and Marie Henriette tried to have another son, but the result was another daughter Clémentine. The couple completely separated after the birth of Clémentine. Leopold II was the second monarch of Belgium and is known for his exploitation of the Congo Free State for his personal gain and the horrendous atrocities committed against the native people. When Leopold II died at the age of 74, he was so unpopular with the Belgian people that his funeral procession was booed.
Unofficial Royalty: King Leopold II of the Belgians

April 9, 1882 – Birth of Friedrich Franz IV, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin in Palermo, Kingdom of Italy, now in Italy
Full name: Friedrich Franz Michael
Friedrich Franz became Grand Duke upon his father’s death in April 1897. Because he was still a minor, his uncle Duke Johann Albrecht, served as regent until Friedrich Franz came of age in 1901. Once he had taken control of his government, the young Grand Duke attempted to reform the Mecklenburg constitution. However, his efforts failed when the government of Mecklenburg-Strelitz refused to agree to his ideas. In 1904, he married Princess Alexandra of Hanover and Cumberland and they had five children. Friedrich Franz was the last Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, abdicating on November 14, 1918. Forced to leave Mecklenburg-Schwerin, Friedrich Franz and his family traveled to Denmark at the invitation of his sister, Queen Alexandrine where they lived for a year, before being permitted to return to Mecklenburg, Germany, and recovering several of the family’s properties. At the end of World War II, with the advance of the Soviet Union’s Red Army, Friedrich Franz, his wife, and son Christian Ludwig, fled to Glücksburg Castle, in Glücksburg, Germany, the home of his youngest daughter and her husband, intending to return to Denmark. However, he became ill, and while under house arrest at Glücksburg  Castle, died at the age of 63.
Unofficial Royalty: Friedrich Franz IV, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin

April 9, 1914 – Death of Empress Shōken of Japan, wife of Emperor Meiji of Japan, at the Imperial Villa in Numazu, Japan; buried in the East Mound of the Fushimi Momoyama Ryo in Kyoto, Japan, her soul was enshrined in Meiji Shrine in Tokyo, Japan
Born Lady Masako Ichijō, Empress Shōken would be the first Empress Consort of Japan to play a public role but sadly, she had no children. Emperor Meiji had fifteen children by five official ladies-in-waiting but only five children survived to adulthood. Empress Shōken officially adopted Yoshihito, her husband’s eldest surviving son by a concubine, as was the custom. Emperor Meiji died in 1912, at the age of 59. He had suffered from diabetes, nephritis, and gastroenteritis, and died of uremia. Yoshihito succeeded his father as Emperor and is known as Emperor Taishō, his posthumous name. Empress Shōken survived her husband by less than two years, dying on April 9, 1914, at the age of 64.
Unofficial Royalty: Empress Shōken of Japan

April 9, 1953 – Wedding of Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg and Princess Josephine-Charlotte of Belgium at Notre Dame Cathedral in Luxembourg City, Luxembourg
Rumors of a Belgian-Luxembourg engagement began appearing in the press in November 1952. While Joséphine-Charlotte and Jean were indeed officially engaged the previous month, the engagement was not made official to the public until December 26, 1952. The April 9, 1953 wedding date was announced the following day. The wedding was attended by 2500 guests, including three kings, three queens, 40 princes, and princesses, all from ruling and former houses of European royalty.
Unofficial Royalty: Wedding of Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg and Princess Josephine-Charlotte of Belgium

April 9, 1955 – Birth of Princess Tomohito of Mikasa, widow of Prince Tomohito of Mikasa, born Nobuko Asō in Tokyo, Japan
Princess Tomohito was married to Prince Tomohito of Mikasa, a first cousin of Emperor Emeritus Akihito, who died in 2012 from cancer complications. Princess Tomohito supports many Japanese and international organizations dealing with cancer research and the promotion of the welfare of people with physical or mental disabilities.  She serves as President of the Tokyo Jikeikai, a foundation to fund the Tokyo Jikeikai Hospital and the Jikeikai University School of Medicine.
Unofficial Royalty: Princess Tomohito of Mikasa

April 9, 1961 – Death of King Zog I of the Albanians at the Foch Hospital in Suresnes, Hauts-de-Seine, France;  first buried in the Thiais Cemetery in Paris, France, in November 2012, his remains were reinterred in the newly rebuilt Royal Mausoleum in Tirana, Albania
After Albania achieved independence, Ahmed Muhtar Zogu held numerous positions within the government, including Minister of the Interior, Chief of the Albanian Military, Prime Minister, and President. In 1927, several Albanian politicians suggested that Albania should become a monarchy again. A commission was quickly established and on August 30, 1928, the Constitutional Assembly overwhelmingly approved the vote. The Kingdom of Albania was established, and President Zogu was offered the throne. The following day, September 1, 1928, Ahmet Zogu took the oath, becoming King Zog I of the Albanians, the country’s first and only reigning King. In 1938, King Zog married Geraldine Apponyi de Nagy-Appony. On April 7, 1939, just two days after Queen Geraldine gave birth to the couple’s only child, Italian forces invaded Albania. Despite attempts to hold them off, the Albanian military was unsuccessful and the royal family was forced into exile. After several years of ill health, King Zog passed away on April 9, 1961, at the age of 66.
Unofficial Royalty: King Zog I of the Albanians

April 9, 2005 – Wedding of King Charles III of the United Kingdom and Queen Consort Camilla at the Guildhall in Windsor, England
King Charles III, then The Prince of Wales, and Camilla Parker Bowles were married in a civil ceremony at the Windsor Guildhall in Windsor, England followed by a Service of Prayer and Dedication at St. George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle in Windsor, England.
Unofficial Royalty: Wedding of King Charles III and Camilla Parker Bowles

April 9, 2021 – Death of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, husband of Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, at Windsor Castle in Windsor, England; buried in the King George VI Memorial Chapel at St. George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle in Windsor, England
Born Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark, he was the son of Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark and  Princess Alice of Battenberg. In 1947, he married the future Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom and they had four children. Prince Philip was the patron of over 800 organizations in the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth with special interests in scientific and technological research and development, the encouragement of sport, the welfare of young people, and conservation and the environment. He accompanied Queen Elizabeth on her Commonwealth tours and State visits, as well as on most of her public engagements in the United Kingdom. Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh died at Windsor Castle in Windsor, England on April 9, 2021, at the age of 99, just two months short of his 100th birthday.
Unofficial Royalty: Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
Unofficial Royalty: Funeral of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
Unofficial Royalty: Service of Thanksgiving for Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh

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Albert I, King of the Belgians; Credit – Wikipedia

April 8, 1605 – Birth of King Felipe IV of Spain at  the Royal Palace of Valladolid in Valladolid, Spain
Besides being King of Spain, Felipe was also King of Portugal (from 1621 to 1640) and King of Sardinia, King of Naples, King of Sicily, Duke of Milan, Duke of Lothier, Duke of Brabant, Duke of Limburg, Duke of Luxemburg, Count Palatine of Burgundy, Count of Flanders, Count of Hainaut and Count of Namur from 1621 until his death in 1665. Felipe first married Elisabeth of France. They had eight children but only their youngest child survived to adulthood. Elisabeth died in 1644 after a miscarriage. In 1649, 44-year-old Felipe IV married his son’s former fiancée, his 14-year-old niece Mariana of Austria. They had five children but only two survived childhood. The Spanish House of Habsburg would end with the reign of Felipe IV and Mariana’s physically and mentally disabled son Carlos II, King of Spain. Carlos II’s disabilities were due to the serious inbreeding within the House of Habsburg. After great suffering from dysentery, Felipe IV, King of Spain, aged 60, died on September 17, 1665.
Unofficial Royalty: King Felipe IV of Spain

April 8, 1612 – Death of Anna Katharina of Brandenburg, Queen of Denmark, first wife of King Christian IV of Denmark and Norway, in Copenhagen, Denmark; buried in Roskilde Cathedral in Roskilde, Denmark
Anna Katharina of Brandenburg married King Christian IV of Denmark in 1597 and they had six children. She was praised for her modesty and piety and often accompanied Christian IV on his trips but had no influence on the politics of Denmark. Christian IV had affairs during his marriage and Anna Katharina was certainly aware of them. A little more than a year after the birth of her last child, Anna Katharina died on April 8, 1612, at the age of 36.
Unofficial Royalty: Anna Katharina of Brandenburg, Queen of Denmark and Norway

April 8, 1676 – Death of Archduchess Claudia Felicitas of Austria, the second of the three wives and the second cousin of Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor, in Vienna, Austria; buried in the Dominican Church, also known as the Church of St. Maria Rotund, in Vienna
Claudia Felicitas married her second cousin the future Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor. Claudia Felicitas and Leopold I combined for a gene pool that was also problematic. They were second cousins four times over. Leopold’s parents and Claudia Felicitas’ parents were all double first cousins with each other. All four had the same pair of grandparents Karl II, Archduke of Austria and Maria Anna of Bavaria. Perhaps that is why their two daughters died in infancy. Six months after giving birth to her last daughter, 22-year-old Claudia Felicitas died from tuberculosis on April 8, 1676, less than two-and-a-half years after her marriage.
Unofficial Royalty: Archduchess Claudia Felicitas of Austria

April 8, 1726 – Death of Margarete Gertrud von der Schulenburg in the Electorate of Hanover, the illegitimate daughter of the future King George I of Great Britain and his mistress Melusine von der Schulenburg, in Mannheim, then in the Electorate of the Palatinate, now in the German state of Baden-Württemberg; buried in the Princely Mausoleum at the St. Martini Church (links in German) in Stadthagen, then in the County of Schaumburg-Lippe, now in the German state of Lower Saxony

Unofficial Royalty: Margarete Gertrud von der Schulenburg, Countess of Schaumburg-Lippe

April 8, 1783 – Death of Karoline Luise of Hesse-Darmstadt, Margravine of Baden, 1st wife of Karl Friedrich, Margrave of Baden-Durlach, later the first Grand Duke of Baden, in Paris, France; buried at St. Michael’s Church in Pforzheim, Grand Duchy of Baden, now in Baden-Württemberg, Germany
In 1751, Karoline Luise married the future Karl Friedrich, the first Grand Duke of Baden and they had four children. Karoline Luise’s numerous collections, including artwork, musical manuscripts, minerals, and other natural history artifacts, later formed the foundation for several museums in Karlsruhe.  After falling down some stairs in 1779, her health began to deteriorate. While in Paris, France with her son, she suffered a stroke and died.
Unofficial Royalty: Karoline Luise of Hesse-Darmstadt, Margravine of Baden

April 8, 1795 – Wedding of George, Prince of Wales (later King George IV) and Caroline of Brunswick at St. James Palace in London, England
This marriage was one of the worst ever royal marriages. Upon first seeing Caroline, George said to his valet, “Harris, I am not well. Pray get me a glass of brandy.” Caroline said George was fat and not as handsome as his portrait. It is doubtful that the couple spent more than a few nights together as husband and wife. Their only child, Princess Charlotte of Wales, was born nine months later. They found each other equally unattractive, and never lived together nor appeared in public together.
Unofficial Royalty: King George IV of the United Kingdom
Unofficial Royalty: Caroline of Brunswick, Queen of the United Kingdom

April 8, 1801 – Birth of Archduchess Maria Karoline of Austria, Crown Princess of Saxony, first wife of the future King Friedrich August II of Saxony, in Vienna, Austria
Full name: Maria Karoline Ferdinande Theresia Josephine Demetria
Maria Karoline was the first wife of the future King Friedrich August II of Saxony. She never served as Queen, as she died before her husband’s accession. She had epilepsy and was often plagued with seizures that left her incapacitated for long periods of time.
Unofficial Royalty: Maria Karoline of Austria, Crown Princess of Saxony

April 8, 1818 – Birth of King Christian IX of Denmark at Gottorp Castle in Schleswig, Duchy of Schleswig, now in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany
Born: Prince Christian of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg
Not born destined to be a king, King Christian IX was the father of King Frederick VIII of Denmark, King George I of Greece, Queen Alexandra of the United Kingdom, and Empress Marie Feodorovna of Russia. He was as much the “grandfather of Europe” as Queen Victoria was the “grandmother”. His grandchildren sat upon the thrones of Denmark, the United Kingdom, Russia, Greece, and Norway. He is the ancestor of six of the ten current European monarchs: King Charles III of the United Kingdom (through both his parents), King Frederik X of Denmark, King Harald of Norway, Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg, Philippe, King of the Belgians, and King Felipe VI of Spain. The late former King Michael of Romania and the late former King Constantine of Greece are also among his many descendants.
Unofficial Royalty: King Christian IX of Denmark
Unofficial Royalty: Children, Grandchildren, Great-Grandchildren and Notable Descendants of King Christian IX of Denmark

April 8, 1824 – Birth of Sophie of the Netherlands, Grand Duchess of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, daughter of King Willem II of the Netherlands and wife of Karl Alexander, Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, at Lange Voorhout Palace in The Hague in the Netherlands
Full name: Wilhelmine Marie Sophie Luise
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

April 8, 1875 – Birth of Albert I, King of the Belgians at the Palais de la Régence in Brussels, Belgium
Full name: Albert Léopold Clément Marie Meinrad
In 1900, Albert married Duchess Elisabeth in Bavaria. They had three children including Leopold III, King of the Belgians and  Marie-José who married King Umberto II of Italy. Albert, who had become heir-presumptive upon his father’s death in 1905, succeeded his uncle as King Albert I of the Belgians in 1909. Albert was an avid mountain climber. Sadly, this would bring about his early death. On February 17, 1934, while climbing alone on the Roche de Vieux Bon Dieu at Marche-les-Dames, in the Ardennes region of Belgium, King Albert I fell to his death.
Unofficial Royalty: Albert I, King of the Belgians

April 8, 1938 – Death of George Mountbatten, 2nd Marquess of Milford Haven, son of Prince Ludwig (Louis) of Battenberg (later 1st Marquess of Milford Haven) and Princess Victoria of Hesse and by Rhine, in London, England; buried in Bray Cemetery in Bray, Berkshire, England
Born Prince George of Battenberg, he was instrumental in the upbringing of his nephew Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh after Philip’s mother suffered a breakdown and his father was more or less separated from the family. George became Philip’s primary guardian, serving as a surrogate father and arranging for, and financing, Philip’s education. George died from bone marrow cancer at the age of 45.
Unofficial Royalty: George Mountbatten, 2nd Marquess of Milford Haven

April 8, 1970 – Death of Prince Felix of Bourbon-Parma, Prince of Luxembourg, husband of Grand Duchess Charlotte of Luxembourg, at Fischbach Castle in Fischbach, Luxembourg; buried at the Cathedral Notre-Dame in Luxembourg City, Luxembourg
Felix was the son of Robert I, Duke of Parma and his second wife, Infanta Maria Antonia of Portugal, and a brother of Zita who married Karl I, the last Emperor of Austria. In 1919, Felix married his first cousin Grand Duchess Charlotte of Luxembourg and the couple had six children. Felix spent his married life supporting his wife and helping to bring more prominence to the small Grand Duchy. In 1964, Charlotte decided to abdicate, and their son Jean became the new Grand Duke. Felix and Charlotte spent their remaining years at Fischbach Castle, devoted to their grandchildren and extended family. Prince Félix died on April 8, 1970, aged 77.
Unofficial Royalty: Prince Felix of Bourbon-Parma, Prince of Luxembourg

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King Charles VIII of France; Credit – Wikipedia

April 7, 1498 – Death of King Charles VIII of France at Château d’Amboise in France; buried at Saint-Denis Basilica near Paris, France
Charles VIII was the only surviving son of King Louis XI of France. In 1492, Charles married Anne, Duchess of Brittany in her own right. They had seven children but none survived. On April 7, 1498, Charles and his wife planned to watch a game of jeu de paume (real tennis). As they were walking to the tennis court at the Château d’Amboise, Charles violently hit his head on a stone lintel of a low door. He stumbled but did not lose consciousness and proceeded to the tennis court where he watched the game. At around two o’clock in the afternoon, Charles suddenly collapsed, fell into a coma, and died nine hours later at the age of 27. Modern medical experts suspect that Charles died from a head trauma that led to a stroke with a subdural hematoma and neurological damage.
Unofficial Royalty: King Charles VIII of France

April 7, 1816 – Death of Maria Ludovika of Austria-Este, Empress of Austria, third wife of Emperor Franz I of Austria, at the Palazzo Canossa in Verona, Kingdom of Lombardy-Venetia, now in Italy; buried at the Imperial Crypt in Vienna, Austria
Maria Ludovika was the third of the four wives of Franz I, Emperor of Austria but their marriage was childless.  During the years of the Napoleonic conflicts, Maria Ludovika was ill with tuberculosis. After the defeat of Napoleon, she visited her former home in Modena, now liberated, and other Italian cities with her husband. Maria Ludovika was very ill and weak and told her mother that she wanted to die. In March 1816, she was in Verona, too ill to continue her travels. Her physician who was traveling with her called in numerous famous doctors but to no avail. 28-year-old Maria Ludovika died with her husband at her bedside.
Unofficial Royalty: Maria Ludovika of Austria-Este, Empress of Austria

April 7, 1818 – Wedding of Princess Elizabeth of the United Kingdom, daughter of King George III of the United Kingdom, and Landgrave Friedrich VI of Hesse-Homburg, at the Private Chapel, Buckingham Palace in London, England
Elizabeth was the third daughter and seventh child of King George III of the United Kingdom. She was one of three of the six over-protected daughters of George III to marry. Elizabeth married late in life at age 48 to Hereditary Prince Friedrich of Hesse-Homburg.  Her husband succeeded his father as Landgrave of Hesse-Homburg in 1820. When her husband died in 1829, Elizabeth wrote: “No woman was ever more happy than I was for eleven years and they will often be lived over again in the memory of the heart.”
Unofficial Royalty: Elizabeth of the United Kingdom, Landgravine of Hesse-Homburg
Unofficial Royalty: Friedrich VI, Landgrave of Hesse-Homburg

April 7, 1845 – Death of Julie Clary, wife of King Joseph Bonaparte of Spain and Naples, in Florence, Grand Duchy of Tuscany, now in Italy; buried at the Basilica Santa Croce in Florence
Marie Julie Clary was the wife of Napoleon Bonaparte’s brother Joseph Bonaparte who was King of Naples from 1806 – 1808, and King of Spain from 1808 – 1813. Julie and Joseph had two daughters. In 1808, King Carlos IV of Spain and his son King Fernando VII were summoned to a meeting with Napoleon where they forced them both to abdicate their rights to the Spanish throne. Napoleon declared the Bourbon dynasty of Spain deposed and installed his brother Joseph as King of Spain. Julie never lived in or even traveled to Spain, preferring to live in France. In 1813, Due to the defeats in the Peninsular War, Napoleon was forced to reinstate Ferdinand VII as King of Spain. Joseph went into exile in Switzerland and Julie remained in France.  Joseph eventually went to the United States where he lived for seventeen years before returning to Europe. In 1840, Joseph joined Julie in Florence, where she had settled. Julie accepted him back despite his adultery In the United States which resulted in two American daughters. In 1844, Joseph died in Florence. Julie survived him by eight months dying in Florence on April 7, 1845, aged seventy-three.
Unofficial Royalty: Julie Clary, Queen of Spain and Naples

April 7, 1853 – Birth of Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany, son of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom, at Buckingham Palace in London, England
Full name: Leopold George Duncan Albert
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

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Grand Duchess Xenia Alexandrovna of Russia; Credit – Wikipedia

April 6, 1199 – Death of King Richard I of England (the Lionheart) at the Siege of Chalus in France; buried at Fontevrault Abbey near Chinon, France
Richard succeeded his father King Henry II in 1189. He spent very little time in England, perhaps as little as six months, during his ten-year reign. Rather than regarding the Kingdom of England as a responsibility requiring his presence as the king, Richard saw England as a source of revenue to support his armies. Most of his reign was spent on Crusade, in captivity, or actively defending his lands in France. In March 1199, Richard was suppressing a revolt by besieging a castle, the Château de Châlus-Chabrol in Châlus in the present-day Limousin region in western France. On the evening of March 25, 1199, Richard was walking the perimeter of the castle observing the trenches that were being dug. Not wearing his chainmail, Richard was hit by an arrow from a crossbow shot by a soldier on the castle battlements. The wound became infected. Richard’s mother, Eleanor of Aquitaine, arrived before Richard’s death. He died in his mother’s arms.
Unofficial Royalty: King Richard I of England

April 6, 1752 – Death of Charlotte Helene von Schindel, mistress of Frederik IV, King of Denmark and Norway, in Flensburg, Denmark, now in Germany
After the death of his mistress Elisabeth Helene von Vieregg, Frederik IV began an affair with her lady-in-waiting, Charlotte Helene von Schindel. As he did with his previous mistress, Frederik wanted to again make a bigamous marriage with Charlotte but received strong opposition from Lutheran church leaders who told him that the law against bigamy also applied to kings. Charlotte’s relationship with Frederik IV ended in 1711 when he entered into another relationship. Charlotte had an active social life and she had a relationship with Major-General Ernst Gotschalck von Bülow, the governor of Antvorskov Castle with whom she had a son, Frederik August Gotschalck von Bülow. When King Frederik IV heard about the child, he ordered von Bülow to marry Charlotte. After her husband’s death, Charlotte lived with her sister in Silesia, then part of the Kingdom of Prussia. Despite her annual pension, Charlotte died in poverty on April 6, 1752, aged 62.
Unofficial Royalty: Charlotte Helene von Schindel, mistress of Frederik IV, King of Denmark and Norway

April 6, 1765 – Birth of Carlo Felice, King of Sardinia at the Royal Palace in Turin, Kingdom of Sardinia, now in Italy
As the third son, Carlo Felice was not expected to succeed to the throne. In 1802, Carlo Felice’s brother Vittorio Emanuele became King of Sardinia upon the abdication of his brother Carlo Emanuele who was despondent after the death of his wife. There was a succession crisis in the Kingdom of Sardinia. The abdicated Carlo Emanuele was childless. The current king Vittorio Emanuele had five surviving daughters who could not succeed to the throne and his only son had died at the age of three from smallpox. The three other brothers of Carlo Felice, Vittorio Emanuele, and Carlo Emanuele had all died unmarried. In 1807, Carlo Felice married Maria Cristina of Naples and Sicily but their marriage was also childless. In 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. Upon the death of Carlo Felice, the main line of the House of Savoy became extinct. Upon the death of Carlo Felice aged 66, on April 27, 1831, he was succeeded by the senior male member of the House of Savoy-Carignano who reigned as Carlo Alberto I, King of Sardinia.
Unofficial Royalty: Carlo Felice, King of Sardinia

April 6, 1830 – Death of Ludwig I, Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine, in Darmstadt, Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine, now in Hesse, Germany; first buried in the Darmstadt Stadtkirche, in 1910 his remains were moved to the Altes Mausoleum in the Rosenhöhe in Darmstadt
In 1777, Ludwig married Luise of Hesse-Darmstadt, his first cousin and they had six children. Ludwig succeeded his father in April 1790 as Ludwig X, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt. After the fall of the Holy Roman Empire in 1806, the Landgraviate of Hesse-Darmstadt was raised to the Grand Duchy of Hesse, and Ludwig X, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt became the first Grand Duke, Ludwig I.  As Grand Duke, Ludwig granted the first constitution and worked to establish cultural institutions in the Grand Duchy. He established the court theater in Darmstadt as well as the court library and promoted the arts. He is also credited with creating the Botanical Garden in Darmstadt. Grand Duke Ludwig I on April 6, 1830, at the age of 77.
Unofficial Royalty: Ludwig I, Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine

April 6, 1875 – Birth of Grand Duchess Xenia Alexandrovna of Russia, daughter of Alexander III, Emperor of All Russia, at Anichkov Palace in St. Petersburg, Russia
Xenia was the daughter of Alexander III, Emperor of All Russia and the sister of Nicholas II, Emperor of All Russia. In 1894, Xenia married Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich, known as Sandro, the son of Grand Duke Michael Nikolaevich of Russia who was a son of Nicholas I, Emperor of All Russia, and they had one daughter and six sons. Xenia was one of the fortunate Romanovs who survived the Russian Revolution. She left Russia for good aboard the British battleship HMS Marlborough with her mother Empress Maria Feodorovna (born Dagmar of Denmark), her five youngest sons, her daughter Irina and Irinia’s husband Prince Felix Yusupov. Xenia settled in England where she was granted management letters for the properties of her brother Nicholas in England which gave her an income of 500 pounds sterling per year. By 1925, Xenia’s financial situation was desperate and her first cousin King George V allowed her the use of Frogmore Cottage, a grace and favor house, in Windsor Great Park. In March 1937, King George VI, Xenia’s first cousin once removed, granted her the use of Wilderness House, a grace and favor house, on the grounds of Hampton Court Palace where she died on April 20, 1960, at the age of 85.
Unofficial Royalty: Grand Duchess Xenia Alexandrovna of Russia

April 6, 1889 – Death of Augusta of Hesse-Kassel, Duchess of Cambridge, wife of Prince Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge, at St. James Palace in London, England; buried at St. George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle in Windsor, England
Augusta was the daughter of Prince Friedrich of Hesse-Kassel and Princess Caroline of Nassau-Usingen. Her father was the son of Landgrave Friedrich II of Hesse-Kassel and Princess Mary of Great Britain, daughter of King George II of Great Britain. After the tragic death in childbirth of Princess Charlotte of Wales, the only legitimate grandchild of King George III, the king’s aging bachelor sons needed to seek brides to provide for the succession. Of all the bachelor sons, Prince Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge was the most eligible. He married Augusta of Hesse-Kassel. The groom was 44 and the bride was 20. Despite the age difference, the marriage was a happy one, and the couple had three children. Augusta and Adolphus are the ancestors of the current British royal family. Their youngest child Princess Mary Adelaide of Cambridge was the mother of Princess Victoria Mary of Teck, later Queen Mary, the wife of King George V of the United Kingdom. Augusta survived her husband by 39 years, dying at age 91 on April 6, 1889. She was the last surviving daughter-in-law of King George III.  Queen Victoria wrote of her death: “Very sad, though not for her. But she is the last of her generation, & I have no longer anyone above me.”
Unofficial Royalty: Augusta of Hesse-Kassel, Duchess of Cambridge

April 6, 1904 – Death of Sophie of Baden, Princess of Lippe, wife of Woldemar, Prince of Lippe, in Karlsruhe, Grand Duchy of Baden, now in Baden-Württemberg, Germany; buried in the Mausoleum at the Büchenberg in Detmold, Principality of Lippe, now in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany
The daughter of Prince Wilhelm of Baden and Duchess Elisabeth Alexandrine of Württemberg, Sophie married Woldemar, the future Prince of Lippe in 1858. Their marriage was childless. Woldemar became Prince of Lippe upon the death of his childless elder brother Leopold III in 1875. Woldemar, Prince of Lippe died in 1895. Sophie survived her husband Woldemar by nine years, dying at the age of 70, on April 6, 1904, at the age of 70.
Unofficial Royalty: Sophie of Baden, Princess of Lippe

April 6, 1962 – Death of Bathildis of Schaumburg-Lippe, Princess of Waldeck and Pyrmont, wife of Friedrich, Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont, in Arolsen, West Germany, now in Germany; buried in the Princely Cemetery at Schloss Rhoden in Rhoden, now in the German state of Hesse
Bathildis was the wife of Friedrich, the last reigning Prince of Waldeck-Pyrmont. The couple married in 1895 and had four children. After the defeat of the German Empire in World War I, Friedrich abdicated and negotiated an agreement with the new government that gave him and his descendants the ownership of the family home Arolsen Castle and the Arolsen Forest. Both Bathildis and her husband Friedrich lived through World War II. While neither joined the Nazi Party, their eldest son Josias, his wife Altburg, and their eldest child Margarethe were members of the Nazi Party. Josias was a convicted Nazi war criminal and was sentenced to life imprisonment for crimes in connection to the Buchenwald concentration camp. His sentence was eventually reduced and he was released early due to health reasons. Bathildis’ husband Friedrich died in 1946. She survived her husband by sixteen years, dying on April 6, 1962, aged 88.
Unofficial Royalty: Bathildis of Schaumburg-Lippe, Princess of Waldeck and Pyrmont

April 6, 2005 – Death of Prince Rainier III of Monaco at the Cardio-Thoracic Centre in Monte Carlo, Monaco; buried at Saint Nicholas Cathedral in Monaco
Rainier was the second child, and only son, of Princess Charlotte of Monaco, the illegitimate and adopted daughter of Prince Louis II of Monaco, and Count Pierre de Polignac. In May 1944, he became the heir-presumptive to his grandfather, Prince Louis II, following his mother’s renunciation of her succession rights in his favor. Rainier became Prince of Monaco in 1949 upon the death of his grandfather. In 1956, Rainier married American film star Grace Kelly and they had three children. In 1982, Rainier’s wife Grace died following a car accident. By 2000, Rainier’s health was declining. In January 2005, he made one of his last public appearances, at the International Circus Festival of Monte-Carlo. After several weeks in the hospital, Prince Rainier III passed away at 81 years old. He was succeeded by his son, Prince Albert II, who had been serving as Regent since the prior week. His funeral was held on April 15 at the Saint Nicholas Cathedral, where he was buried beside his late wife Princess Grace.
Unofficial Royalty: Rainier III, Prince of Monaco

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Princess Victoria of Hesse and by Rhine; Credit – Wikipedia

April 5, 1472 – Birth of Bianca Maria Sforza, Holy Roman Empress, Archduchess of Austria, the third wife of the three wives of Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor, Archduke of Austria, in Pavia, Duchy of Milan, now in Italy
Bianca Maria Sforza was the third wife of the three wives of Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor, Archduke of Austria. Bianca Maria had a miscarriage shortly after her marriage and it seems that she was never able to conceive again. She was a stepmother to the two surviving children of Maximilian and his first wife Mary of Burgundy. They were relatively close in age to Bianca Maria and she very much liked them. After 1500, Maximilian lost all interest in Bianca Maria. She lived with her own court of 150 – 200 people from Milan, traveling to various castles. In the last years of her life, Bianca Maria suffered from a debilitating illness, and died on December 31, 1510, aged 38, in Innsbruck, County of Tyrol, now in Austria.
Unofficial Royalty: Bianca Maria Sforza, Holy Roman Empress, Archduchess of Austria

April 5, 1674 – Birth of Elisabeth Sophie of Brandenburg, Duchess of Saxe-Meiningen, second wife of Ernst Ludwig I, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen, in Cölln, Electorate of Brandenburg, now part of Berlin, Brandenburg, Germany
Elisabeth Sophie of Brandenburg was the second wife of Ernst Ludwig I, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen, her third husband who she married in 1714.  Their marriage was childless. She had previously married her first cousin, Friedrich Casimir Kettler, Duke of Courland (one surviving son) and Christian Ernst, Margrave of Brandenburg-Bayreuth (no children). She died at the age of 74.
Unofficial Royalty: Elisabeth Sophie of Brandenburg, Duchess of Saxe-Meiningen

April 5, 1684 – Death of Karl Eusebius, Prince of Liechtenstein at Kostelec Castle in Schwarzkosteletz, now Kostelec nad Černými lesy in the Czech Republic. He was buried in the Old Crypt at Chuch of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary in Vranov, Moravia, now in the Czech Republic
In 1627, when Karl Eusebius was fifteen years old, his father Karl I, the first Prince of Liechtenstein died, and he became the second Prince of Liechtenstein. In 1644, Karl Eusebius married his niece Johanna Beatrix of Dietrichstein and they had nine children. Karl Eusebius I successfully consolidated and rebuilt the House of Liechtenstein territories devastated by the Thirty Years’ War. He left his son and successor Hans-Adam I, Prince of Liechtenstein a rich inheritance and an extensive collection of artworks that were both multiplied by his son and other descendants. The current Prince of Liechtenstein, Hans-Adam II, is the richest European monarch. After a reign of 57 years, Karl Eusebius, died at 72, on April 5, 1684.
Unofficial Royalty: Karl Eusebius, Prince of Liechtenstein

April 5, 1697 – Death of King Karl XI of Sweden at Stockholm Palace in Stockholm, Sweden; buried at Riddarholmen Church in Stockholm, Sweden
Karl XI, King of Sweden was the only child of Karl X Gustav, King of Sweden. Karl X died at 37 in 1660, from influenza and pneumonia and his four-year-old son Karl became King of Sweden. Karl XI’s mother Hedwig Eleonora of Holstein-Gottorp served as Regent of Sweden until her son reached his majority. In 1680, Karl married Ulrika Eleonora of Denmark. The couple had seven children but only three survived childhood, including two Swedish monarchs, King Karl XII and Queen Ulrika Eleonora. Karl died on April 5, 1697, aged 41, after suffering severe abdominal pain for some time. An autopsy revealed that he had developed cancer that had spread throughout the abdominal cavity.
Unofficial Royalty: King Karl XI of Sweden

April 5, 1857 – Birth of Alexander of Battenberg, Prince of Bulgaria (reigned 1879 – 1886) in Verona, Kingdom of Lombardy-Venetia, now in Italy
Full name: Alexander Joseph
Alexander was the son of Prince Alexander of Hesse and by Rhine and Countess Julia von Hauke. He was the brother of Prince Ludwig (Louis) of Battenberg who married Princess Victoria of Hesse and by Rhine, and Prince Henry of Battenberg who married Princess Beatrice of the United Kingdom. Alexander often visited Russia where his paternal aunt Marie of Hesse and by Rhine was married to Alexander II, Emperor of All Russia. Bulgaria became a principality of the Ottoman Empire under the terms of the Treaty of Berlin in 1878. Alexander II proposed Alexander for the newly created throne, and he was unanimously elected as Prince of Bulgaria. After a contentious seven-year- reign, often caught between the conflicting goals of the Bulgarian politicians and the Russian Emperor, Alexander fell victim to a military coup and was forced to abdicate. In 1889, Alexander married opera singer Johanna Loisinger, at which point he assumed the title Count von Hartenau, which he used for the remainder of his life. The couple had two children and lived in Graz, Austria where Alexander held a post in the Austrian Army. He died at his home in Graz, Villa Hartenau, on October 23, 1893.
Unofficial Royalty: Prince Alexander of Battenberg

April 5, 1863 – Birth of Princess Victoria of Hesse and by Rhine, granddaughter of Queen Victoria, at Windsor Castle in Windsor, England
Full name: Victoria Alberta Elisabeth Mathilde Marie
Victoria was the daughter of Princess Alice, daughter of Queen Victoria, and Grand Duke Ludwig IV of Hesse and by Rhine.  She married Prince Louis of Battenberg and was the maternal grandmother of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. By the 1930s, Victoria had become a surrogate mother to her grandson Prince Philip. Her daughter Alice suffered several breakdowns and spent many years institutionalized. Victoria, along with her two sons, took over the care of the young Philip, overseeing his education and social ventures. In 1948, Victoria served as godparent to her great-grandson, the future King Charles III.  In the summer of 1950, while staying at Broadlands, the home of her son Lord Mountbatten, Victoria developed bronchitis and suffered a heart attack in August. Sensing the end was near, she insisted on returning home to Kensington Palace. It was here, on the morning of September 24, 1950, that she passed away, surrounded by her three surviving children.
Unofficial Royalty: Victoria of Hesse and by Rhine, Marchioness of Milford-Haven

April 5, 1939 – Birth of Crown Prince Leka I of Albania at the Royal Palace in Tirana, Albania
Leka was the only child of  King Zog I of the Albanians who reigned from 1928-1939. Just two days after Leka’s birth, Fascist forces invaded Albania, and the family quickly fled into exile. They settled briefly in France before moving to England where they lived through the end of World War II and eventually moved to Egypt in 1946. During that time, Leka attended the British Boys School and Victoria College in Egypt before graduating from Aiglon College in Switzerland in 1956. In 1975, Leka married Susan Cullen-Ward and the couple had one son who is styled Crown Prince Leka II. Leka I and his family were allowed to return to Albania in 2002. When Leka I died in 2011 at the age of 72,  the government declared a National Day of Mourning, and he was given a state funeral, with full military honors.
Unofficial Royalty: Crown Prince Leka I of Albania

April 5, 1951 – Birth of Princess Ubolratana of Thailand at Mont Suisse Hospital in Lausanne, Switzerland
Ubolratana is the daughter of King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand. She relinquished her rank of princess in 1972 upon her marriage.  Her son Bhumi Jensen was killed in the December 2004 tsunami in Thailand.
Unofficial Royalty: Ubol Ratana of Thailand

April 5, 1954 – Death of Crown Princess Märtha of Norway, born Princess Märtha of Sweden, wife of the future King Olav V of Norway, at the Rikshospitalet in Oslo, Norway; buried at Akershus Castle and Fortress near Oslo, Norway
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. They traveled 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 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 became King Olav V in 1957 and reigned until he died in 1991, when their son King Harald V, became King of Norway.
Unofficial Royalty: Märtha of Sweden, Crown Princess of Norway

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Queen Maria II of Portugal;  Credit – Wikipedia

April 4, 1406 – Death of Robert III, King of Scots at Rothesay Castle in Scotland; buried at Paisley Abbey in Renfrewshire, Scotland
In 1367, Robert (known as John Stewart, Earl of Carrick before he became King of Scots) married Anabella Drummond and the couple had seven children. In 1390, he succeeded his father Robert II, King of Scots who was the first king of the House of Stewart. Two years before he became king, Robert III was kicked by a horse and became an invalid.  Because of his disability, he delegated most of his power to his brother Robert Stewart, Duke of Albany. As time went by, Robert III’s disabilities worsened and he fell into a state of depression. Fearing for the safety of his only surviving son, the future James I, King of Scots, Robert III decided to send him to France. However, the ship 12-year-old James was sailing on was captured by English pirates who delivered James to King Henry IV of England. Robert III died soon after hearing of his son’s captivity.
Unofficial Royalty: Robert III, King of Scots

April 4, 1588 – Death of King Frederik II of Denmark and Norway at Antvorskov Castle in Denmark; buried at Roskilde Cathedral in Roskilde, Denmark
Frederik’s father Christian III, King of Denmark and Norway died in 1559, and 24-year-old Frederik succeeded him. During his reign, finances were improved, agriculture and trade were promoted, and the privileges the German Hanseatic League had with Denmark were limited or abolished. Friedrich revolutionized shipping by establishing the modern lighthouse system. He also promoted the sciences, especially astronomy, and was a patron of pioneering Danish astronomer Tycho Brahe. In 1572, Frederik married Sophie of Mecklenburg-Güstrow and had seven children. Through their daughter Anna who married James VI, King of Scots, later also James I, King of England, they are ancestors of the British Royal Family. Frederik II, aged 53, on April 4, 1588. His death was sudden and unexpected and some modern historians speculate that his health deteriorated very rapidly as a result of lung cancer.
Unofficial Royalty: King Frederik II of Denmark and Norway

April 4, 1819 – Birth of Queen Maria II of Portugal at São Cristóvão Palace, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Full name: Maria da Glória Joana Carlota Leopoldina da Cruz Francisca Xavier de Paula Isidora Micaela Gabriela Rafaela Gonzaga
Queen Maria II of Portugal first became Queen at just seven years old. Deposed two years later, she returned to the throne at age 15 and reigned until her death. In 1835, Maria II married Auguste de Beauharnais, Duke of Leuchtenberg but he died two months later. A year later, she married Prince Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, a first cousin of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom and her husband Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. The couple had eleven children. Maria II faced problems in giving birth with prolonged and extremely difficult labors. By the time she was 25-years-old, Maria was obese and the births became even more complicated. The combination of many successive pregnancies, her obesity which eventually caused her heart problems, and the prolonged, difficult labors led doctors to warn Maria about the serious risks she would face in future pregnancies. Maria replied, “If I die, I die at my post.”  Maria II died at the age of 34 after giving birth to a stillborn son.
Unofficial Royalty: Queen Maria II of Portugal

April 4, 1930 – Death of Queen Victoria of Sweden, born Victoria of Baden, wife of King Gustav V of Sweden, at her home Villa Svezia in Rome, Italy; buried at Riddarholmen Church in Stockholm, Sweden
In 1881, Victoria married the future King Gustaf V of Sweden. The couple had three children including King Gustaf VI Adolf who married Princess Margaret of Connaught and Lady Louise Mountbatten. When her husband became king, Victoria took part in all the court festivities and responsibilities of her new role. She traveled extensively with her husband and entertained visiting royalty from around Europe. She spent much of her time working with several charities, including taking the helm of Sophiahammet after the death of her mother-in-law Queen Sofia. During World War I, Queen Victoria’s German roots often led to unpopularity amongst the Swedes. From her youth, Victoria had always suffered from ill health and found the winters in Sweden too harsh. Beginning in 1882, she spent every winter away in a warmer climate and eventually, she purchased the Villa Svezia in Rome, Italy. It was there she died of a heart attack surrounded by her husband King Gustaf V, her son Prince Wilhelm, and her devoted maid and companion Agnes Bergman.
Unofficial Royalty: Victoria of Baden, Queen of Sweden

April 4, 1953 – Death of King Carol II of Romania in Estoril, Portugal; first buried in the Royal Pantheon of the House of Braganza at the Monastery of São Vicente de Fora in Lisbon, Portugal; in 2003 his remains were transferred to the Curtea de Argeş Monastery in Argeş, Romania
Carol II was a great-grandson of Queen Victoria through his mother Princess Marie of Edinburgh. In 1918, Carol made an unsanctioned marriage to Joanna “Zizi” Lambrino. The marriage was annulled seven months later but the couple continued to live together, and the following year, in January 1920, they had a son. In 1921, Carol married his second cousin, Princess Helen of Greece and they had one son, the future King Michael (Mihai) of Romania. Within a few years, Carol began an affair with Magda Lupescu, and in 1925 he renounced his rights to the throne. In 1927, Carol’s father King Ferdinand died, and six-year-old Michael became King of Romania. Carol and Helen divorced in 1928. In June 1930, Carol negotiated with the Prime Minister for his return to the throne. His earlier renunciation was voided, and he was restored as King of Romania, replacing his son Michael. His rocky reign lasted ten years until he was forced to abdicate in 1940, in favor of his son Michael. Carol and Magda moved to Brazil in 1944, where they married in 1947. They soon moved to Estoril, Portugal, where Carol would live in exile until he died suddenly of a heart attack at the age of 59.
Unofficial Royalty: King Carol II of Romania

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