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

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

June 17, 1682 – Birth of King Karl XII of Sweden at Tre Kronor Castle which was on the site of the present Royal Palace in Stockholm, Sweden
Karl XII became King of Sweden at the age of fifteen in 1697 upon the death of his father Karl XI, King of Sweden and reigned for twenty-one years.  Karl never married. For almost all of his reign, Karl XII led Sweden in the Great Northern War (1700 – 1721). He acted as the general of the army and achieved significant success for several years. In 1718, Karl once again invaded Norway by laying siege to Fredriksten Fortress. On December 11, 1718, while in the trenches close to the perimeter of Fredriksten Fortress, 36-year-old Karl was hit in the head by a projectile that entered the left side of his skull and exited on the right side of his skull, instantly killing him.
Unofficial Royalty: King Karl XII of Sweden

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

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

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

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

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King Gustav V of Sweden; Credit – Wikipedia

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Sophie of Prussia, Queen of Greece; Credit – Wikipedia

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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King George V of Hanover; Credit – Wikipedia

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

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

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

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

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King George I of Great Britain; Credit – Wikipedia

June 11, 1183 – Death of Henry the Young King, son of King Henry II of England, at Martel Castle in Turenne, France; buried at Rouen Cathedral in Rouen, France
When Henry was 15, his father adopted the French practice of ensuring the succession by declaring his heir the junior king and he was crowned at Westminster Abbey. Despite his rank of junior king, King Henry II refused to grant Henry land or allow him to participate in the government. With his mother Eleanor of Aquitaine and his brothers Richard (the future King Richard I of England) and Geoffrey, he nearly overthrew King Henry II in 1173. In 1182–83, Henry had a falling out with his brother Richard when Richard refused to pay homage to him on the orders of King Henry II. As he was preparing to fight Richard, Henry became ill with dysentery (also called the bloody flux), the scourge of armies for centuries. It was clear that Henry was dying and he repented his sins by prostrating himself naked on the floor before a crucifix. Henry the Young King died holding a ring his father had sent as a sign of his forgiveness for rebelling against him. Henry was so popular that the people of Le Mans and Rouen almost went to war for the custody of his body. He had requested to be buried in Rouen Cathedral, but as his body traveled through Le Mans, the bishop ordered his body to be buried at the cathedral there. The Dean of Rouen Cathedral had to resort to legal means to bury Henry according to his wishes.
Unofficial Royalty: Henry the Young King

June 11, 1456 – Birth of Anne Neville, Queen of England, daughter of Richard Neville, 16th Earl of Warwick, wife of King Richard III of England, at Warwick Castle in Warwick, England
Anne was the wife of Edward of Westminster, Prince of Wales (son of King Henry VI) and the wife of King Richard III. Born Lady Anne Neville, she was the younger of the two daughters of Richard Neville, 16th Earl of Warwick and Lady Anne Beauchamp. Anne’s father, known as “the Kingmaker,” was one of the major players in the Wars of the Roses, originally on the Yorkist side but later switching to the Lancastrian side. Both Anne’s parents were descendants of King Edward III of England.
Unofficial Royalty: Anne Neville, Queen of England

June 11, 1488 – Death of James III, King of Scots, killed in the Battle of Sauchieburn in Scotland; buried at Cambuskenneth Abbey in Stirlingshire, Scotland
James was killed in the Battle of Sauchieburn. The circumstances of James III’s death were greatly exaggerated and romanticized by the 16th-century chroniclers. Supposedly, he was murdered when he went to seek refuge in a cottage shortly after the battle in Milltown near Bannockburn. Most likely, James III, King of Scots had already died on the battlefield.
Unofficial Royalty: James III, King of Scots

June 11, 1560 – Death of Marie of Guise, Queen of Scots, second wife of James V, King of Scots and mother of Mary, Queen of Scots, at Edinburgh Castle in Edinburgh, Scotland; buried at the church in the Convent of Saint-Pierre in Reims, France
On August 7, 1548, five-year-old Mary, Queen of Scots set sail for France where she would be raised with her future husband François, Dauphin of France. She would not return to Scotland for thirteen years. Mary’s mother Marie of Guise remained in Scotland as the principal member of the Council of Regency. 1560, 44-year-old Marie died of dropsy (edema). Marie’s body was embalmed and placed in a lead coffin. It lay in St. Margaret’s Chapel in Edinburgh Castle until March 18, 1561. On that day, the coffin was secretly carried from the castle at midnight and taken to Leith where the coffin was placed onboard a ship bound for France. Mary, Queen of Scots attended her mother’s funeral in France in July 1561.
Unofficial Royalty: Marie of Guise, Queen of Scots

June 11, 1726 – Birth of Maria Teresa Rafaela of Spain, Dauphine of France, 1st wife of Louis, Dauphin of France, the son of Louis XV, King of France, at the Royal Alcazar in Madrid, Spain
In 1744, Maria Teresa married Louis, Dauphin of France, the son of Louis XV, King of France. Maria Teresa Rafaela soon became pregnant. On July 19, 1746, she gave birth to a daughter, named Marie-Thérèse by her husband in honor of his adored wife. Maria Teresa Rafaela initially recovered from childbirth but then her condition deteriorated quickly and she died on July 22, 1746, aged 20, at the Palace of Versailles. Maria Teresa’s husband Louis never succeeded to the French throne. He died of tuberculosis on December 20, 1765, at the age of 36.
Unofficial Royalty: Maria Teresa Rafaela of Spain, Dauphine of France

June 11, 1727 – Death of King George I of Great Britain at the Prince-Bishop’s Palace in the Prince-Bishopric of Osnabrück, now in Lower Saxony, Germany; originally buried at the chapel of Leine Castle in the Electorate of Hanover, now in Lower Saxony, Germany; in 1957, his remains were re-interred at the Berggarten Mausoleum at Schloss Herrenhausen in Hanover, Germany
On June 3, 1727, King George I, also Elector of Hanover, set out for another visit to Hanover. During the journey, George became ill and lost consciousness. It was noticed that his face had become distorted and his right hand hung limply at his side, a sign that he had suffered a stroke. The courtiers decided to continue with the journey to Hanover, where George died in the Prince-Bishop’s Palace in the Prince-Bishopric of Osnabrück. Following the instructions of George’s son, now King George II, George was buried in the chapel at Leineschloss in the Electorate of Hanover. He was the first British monarch since King Richard I in 1199 to be buried outside England. The castle and the chapel were severely damaged during World War II, and in 1957, King George I’s remains were re-interred at the Berggarten Mausoleum at Schloss Herrenhausen in Hanover, Germany, near his mother’s burial site.
Unofficial Royalty: King George I of Great Britain

June 11, 1903 – Assassination of King Alexander I of Serbia and his wife Queen Draga by a military coup d’etat at the Stari Dvor (Old Palace) in Belgrade, Serbia; buried at St. Mark’s Church in Belgrade, Serbia
On June 11, 1903, 26-year-old Alexander I, King of Serbia and his 38-year-old wife Queen Draga were brutally shot, mutilated, and thrown out a window at the Stari Dvor (Old Palace) in Belgrade, Kingdom of Serbia.
Unofficial Royalty: Assassination of King Alexander I and Queen Draga of Serbia
Unofficial Royalty: King Alexander I of Serbia
Unofficial Royalty: Draga Mašin, Queen of Serbia

June 11, 1914 – Death of Adolf Friedrich V, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz in Berlin, Kingdom of  Prussia, now in Brandenburg, Germany; buried in the New Crypt at the Johanniterkirche in Mirow, Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, now in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany
A great-grandson of King George III of the United Kingdom, Adolf Friedrich was 14th in line of succession to the British throne at the time of his birth. He was the highest-ranking person in the British succession who did not hold any British titles. Adolf Friedrich was the heir apparent to the throne of Mecklenburg-Strelitz for 43 years and succeeded to the Grand Ducal throne on May 30, 1904, following his father’s death. His reign lasted for only ten years. In March 1914, the Grand Duke fell ill and underwent an operation in a private hospital in Berlin, Kingdom of Prussia, now in the German state of Brandenburg. He never fully recovered and died at the hospital.
Unofficial Royalty: Adolf Friedrich V, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz

June 11, 1928 – Birth of Queen Fabiola of Belgium, wife of King Baudouin of the Belgians, born Fabiola de Mora y Aragón in Madrid, Spain
Full name: Fabiola Fernanda Maria de las Victorias Antonia Adelaida
Born to a Spanish aristocratic family, Fabiola was the fifth of the six children of Gonzalo de Mora y Fernández, Riera y del Olmo, 4th Marquess of Casa Riera, 2nd Count of Mora and his wife Blanca de Aragón y Carrillo de Albornoz, Barroeta-Aldamar y Elío. Queen Victoria Eugenie of Spain, a granddaughter of Queen Victoria, was her godmother. In 1960, Fabiola married King Baudouin of the Belgians, who had been king since his father King Leopold III abdicated in 1951. Unfortunately, King Baudouin and Queen Fabiola lost five children to miscarriages and never had children. On December 5, 2014, Queen Fabiola died and was buried with her husband at the Church of Our Lady of Laeken.
Unofficial Royalty: Queen Fabiola of Belgium

June 11, 1934 – Birth of Prince Henrik of Denmark, husband of Queen Margrethe II of Denmark, born Count Henri de Laborde de Monpezat in Talence, Gironde, France
Full name: Henri Marie Jean André
Prince Henrik’s parents were members of the French nobility. After a brief stint in the military, Henrik entered the French foreign services. At the time he met Princess Margrethe of Denmark, the eldest of the three daughters of King Frederik IX of Denmark in 1965, Henri was working as the third secretary at the French embassy in the Department of Oriental Affairs in London. On June 10, 1967, Princess Margrethe married Henrik at the Holmens Kirke in Copenhagen,  Denmark. The couple had two sons. Later in life, Henrik suffered from dementia. he died peacefully in his sleep on February 13, 2018, at the age of 83.
Unofficial Royalty: Prince Henrik of Denmark

June 11, 1968 – Birth of Hereditary Prince Alois of Liechtenstein, son of Prince Hans-Adam II of Liechtenstein, in Zurich, Switzerland
Full name: Alois Philipp Maria
Alois is the eldest son of Prince Hans-Adam II. At the time of his father’s accession in 1989, he became The Hereditary Prince of Liechtenstein. In 1993, Alois married Duchess Sophie in Bavaria and the couple had four children. Alois works for the Prince of Liechtenstein Foundation, which oversees and manages the various assets of the Princely Family. In 2004, Prince Hans-Adam II appointed Alois as his “permanent representative for exercising the sovereign powers due to him, in preparation for his succession to the throne.” Alois now performs all his father’s duties both within the principality and internationally, however, Hans-Adam remains Head-of-State.
Unofficial Royalty: Hereditary Prince Alois of Liechtenstein

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Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh; Credit – Wikipedia

June 10, 1437 – Death of Joan of Navarre, Queen of England, second wife of King Henry IV of England, at Havering Palace in London, England; buried at Canterbury Cathedral in Canterbury, Kent, England
At the time of their marriage, a second marriage for both, Henry IV was about 37 and Joan was about 35, but they had no children together. Joan got along well with her stepchildren especially Henry of Monmouth, Prince of Wales, the future King Henry V of England.  Henry IV died in 1413 and King Henry V held his stepmother in the highest regard as shown by his appointing “his dearest mother” as regent several times. Joan lived quietly through the reign of King Henry V and into the reign of his son King Henry VI. She died at her favorite residence, Havering Palace in the village of Havering-atte-Bower in what is now the London Borough of Havering, and was buried with King Henry IV at Canterbury Cathedral.
Unofficial Royalty: Joan of Navarre, Queen of England

June 10, 1688 – Birth of James Francis Edward Stuart, “The Old Pretender”, son of King James II of England, at St. James Palace in London, England
Upon the death of his exiled father in 1701, James was recognized by King Louis XIV of France as the rightful heir to the English and Scottish thrones. Spain, the Vatican, and Modena recognized him as King James III of England and VIII of Scotland and refused to recognize William III, Mary II, or Anne as legitimate sovereigns. As a result of James claiming his father’s lost thrones, he was attainted for treason in 1702 and his titles were forfeited under English law. After James II lost his throne, the Jacobite (from Jacobus, the Latin for James) movement formed. The goal of the Jacobites was to restore the Roman Catholic Stuart King James II of England/VII of Scotland and his heirs to the thrones of England and Scotland. 1719, James Francis Edward Stuart married Maria Clementina Sobieska. The couple had two sons: Charles Edward Stuart, The Young Pretender, Bonnie Prince Charlie and Henry Benedict Stuart, Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. After James’ failures to regain the throne, attention fell upon his son Charles Edward, The Young Pretender, whose Jacobite Rising of 1745 culminated in the final devastating loss for the Jacobites at the Battle of Culloden. James Francis Edward Stuart died at his home, the Palazzo Muti in Rome, on January 1, 1766, aged 77.
Unofficial Royalty: James Francis Edward Stuart
Unofficial Royalty: The Jacobite Succession – Pretenders to the British Throne

June 10, 1711 – Birth of Princess Amelia of Great Britain, daughter of King George II of Great Britain, at Herrenhausen Palace in Hanover, Kingdon of Hanover, now in Lower Saxony, Germany
Full name: Amelia Sophia Eleanora
Amelia never married. After the death of her mother in 1737, Amelia became the constant companion to her father. She also acted as hostess for her unmarried brother Prince William, Duke of Cumberland, who had a career in the Royal Army. Amelia followed her brother’s military campaigns and was always quite worried about him when he was at the front. Amelia was the last surviving child of her parents and lived for the first twenty-six years of the reign of her nephew King George III whose father Frederick, Prince of Wales had predeceased his father King George II.
Unofficial Royalty: Princess Amelia of Great Britain

June 10, 1713 – Birth of Princess Caroline of Great Britain, daughter of King George II of Great Britain, at Herrenhausen Palace in Hanover, Kingdon of Hanover, now in Lower Saxony, Germany
Full name: Caroline Elizabeth
Princess Caroline was not only her mother’s namesake but her favorite child. She was known in the family for telling the truth and was always consulted when there were disagreements between the royal siblings because she could be counted on telling exactly what happened.  After the marriage of her eldest sister Anne to Willem IV, Prince of Orange, Caroline became her mother’s main confidant and she remained so for the rest of her mother’s life. Princess Caroline never married. When her mother died in 1737, Queen Caroline expressly left her three youngest children, all teenagers, in the care of her daughter Caroline.
Unofficial Royalty: Princess Caroline of Great Britain

June 10, 1811 – Death of Karl Friedrich, Grand Duke of Baden in Karlsruhe, Grand Duchy of Baden, now in Baden-Württemberg, Germany; buried in St. Michael’s Church in Pforzheim, Grand Duchy of Baden, now in Baden-Württemberg, Germany
Originally, Margrave of Baden, Karl Friedrich was the first Grand Duke of Baden. In 1805, he fought on the side of the French, gaining territories from the Austrian Empire. In 1806, he joined the Confederation of the Rhine, and upon the end of the Holy Roman Empire, Karl Friedrich declared himself sovereign, as Grand Duke of the newly created Grand Duchy of Baden. He continued to support the French, and in the Peace of Vienna in 1809, and gained more territory from the Kingdom of Württemberg. Through his efforts, Karl Friedrich had quadrupled the size of the Grand Duchy of Baden by the end of his reign.
Unofficial Royalty: Karl Friedrich, Grand Duke of Baden

June 10, 1835 – Birth of Ferdinando IV, the last Grand Duke of Tuscany in Florence, Grand Duchy of Tuscany, now in Italy
Full name: Ferdinando Salvatore Maria Giuseppe Giovan Battista Francesco Luigi Gonzaga Raffaello Ranieri Gennaro
In 1859, the Grand Ducal family was forced to flee Florence because of the wars caused by the Italian unification movement, and the family took refuge in Austria. On July 21, 1859, Leopoldo II abdicated in favor of his son Ferdinando IV who was Grand Duke of Tuscany in name but never really reigned. Ferdinando was unable to return to Florence to claim his throne, and an elected Tuscan National Assembly formally deposed him on August 16, 1859. Ferdinando hoped to recover his throne because France and Austria had promised to recognize his rights. However, neither France nor Austria was willing to take any steps to bring about his restoration. The Grand Duchy of Tuscany was annexed to the Kingdom of Sardinia in 1860, as a 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, and Ferdinando’s hopes to reclaim the throne were ended. Ferdinando spent the rest of his life in exile in the Austrian-Hungarian Empire.
Unofficial Royalty: Ferdinando IV, Grand Duke of Tuscany

June 10, 1838 – Birth of Marguerite Bellanger, mistress of Napoleon III, Emperor of the French, born Julie Justine Marine Leboeuf on June 10, 1838, in Saint-Lambert-des-Levées, Maine-et-Loire, France
Using the stage name Marguerite Bellanger, she had a brief career on the Paris stage before she was noticed by Napoleon III, Emperor of the French. She was the mistress of Napoleon III from 1863 until 1870 when he was deposed and exiled. In February 1864, Marguerite gave birth to a son Charles Jules Auguste François Marie Leboeuf, who was in all likelihood, the Emperor’s son. With the Emperor’s exile in 1870, his affair with Marguerite ended. In 1872, she married William Kulbach, Baronet, a Captain in the British Army and the couple lived in England and France. Marguerite Bellanger, aged 48, died on November 23, 1886, at the Château de Villeneuve-sous-Dammartin, near Meaux, France.
Unofficial Royalty: Marguerite Bellanger, Mistress of Napoleon III, Emperor of the French

June 10, 1876 – Birth of Wilhelm Ernst, Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach in Weimar, Grand Duchy of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, now in Thuringia, Germany
Full name: Wilhelm Ernst Karl Alexander Friedrich Heinrich Bernhard Albert Georg Hermann
From 1897 until 1909, Wilhelm Ernst was also the heir presumptive to the Dutch throne. King Willem III of the Netherlands died in 1890, leaving the throne to his ten-year-old daughter Wilhelmina. As a grandson of Princess Sophie of the Netherlands, the younger sister of King Willem III, Wilhelm Ernst was the next person in the line of succession. This caused great panic in the Netherlands, where the people feared German influence or the potential of being annexed by Germany. Several attempts were made to change the succession, or limit Wilhelm Ernst to holding only one throne should he succeed in the Netherlands. The succession crisis was lessened in 1909 when Wilhelmina gave birth to her daughter, the future Queen Juliana. Wilhelm Ernst was the last Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, abdicating on November 9, 1918.
Unofficial Royalty: Wilhelm Ernst, Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach

June 10, 1897 – Birth of Grand Duchess Tatiana Nikolaevna of Russia, daughter of Nicholas II, Emperor of All Russia, at Peterhof near St. Petersburg, Russia
Tatiana, like her sister Olga, was a good student but worked harder and was more dedicated. She had a great talent for sewing, embroidery, and crocheting. Tatiana was practical, had a natural talent for leadership and so she was nicknamed “The Governess” by her sisters. She was closer to her mother than any of her sisters and was considered by many to be Empress Alexandra’s favorite daughter. Therefore, Tatiana was the one sent as the sisters’ representative when they wanted something from their parents.
Unofficial Royalty: Grand Duchess Tatiana Nikolaevna of Russia

June 10, 1921 – Birth of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, husband of Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, born Prince Philippos of Greece and Denmark at Villa Mon Repos in Corfu, Greece
In 1939, during Philip’s first year at the Royal Naval College Dartmouth, the British Royal Family: King George VI, his wife Queen Elizabeth, and their daughters Princess Elizabeth, and Princess Margaret, made a visit. Because of his family relationship (Elizabeth and Philip are second cousins once removed through their descent from King Christian IX of Denmark and third cousins through their descent from Queen Victoria), Philip was asked to join the party to entertain the two young princesses. Elizabeth and Philip had already met in 1934 when she was a bridesmaid at the wedding of her uncle, The Duke of Kent, to Philip’s first cousin, Princess Marina of Greece. However, it was at Dartmouth that the 13-year-old Elizabeth truly took notice of her nearly 18-year-old cousin. It is said that Elizabeth was instantly smitten with the dashing Philip and the two began a correspondence that quickly blossomed into a romance.
Unofficial Royalty: Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh

June 10, 1967 – Wedding of Queen Margrethe II of Denmark and Henri de Laborde de Monpezat at the Church of Holmen in Copenhagen, Denmark
While studying at the London School of Economics in 1965, Margrethe was invited to a dinner at the French embassy. As an employee of the embassy at the time, Henri was expected to attend but was ambivalent about meeting the Danish princess by whom he was to be seated. Henri later said that to his surprise he found Margrethe interesting from their first meeting, but was a bit intimidated by her and said little during the dinner as a result. Margrethe said she had no real impression of Henri from their first meeting. Margrethe and Henri were both guests at a wedding shortly after the first dinner. The two chatted at the wedding reception and on the plane ride back to London, as they were seated together once again. Upon their return to London, Margrethe and Henri gradually began seeing more and more – and growing mutually fonder – of one another. The couple kept a low profile for more than a year, made easier by the fact that Margrethe’s anonymity in Britain. The couple was so private that upon the news that an engagement announcement was imminent, most Danes had no idea their princess had been exclusively dating anyone.
Unofficial Royalty: Wedding of Queen Margrethe II of Denmark and Henri de Laborde de Monpezat

June 10, 1974 – Death of Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester at Barnwell Manor in Northamptonshire, England; buried at the Royal Burial Ground, Frogmore in Windsor, England
In 1965, while driving back to his home Barnwell Manor after attending the funeral of Winston Churchill, the Duke suffered a stroke causing a car accident. The Duchess suffered injuries to the face which required 57 stitches. Three years later, the Duke suffered another stroke which left him incapacitated. The Duchess continued to talk and read to her husband hoping he could hear and understand. She never did tell him about the death of their son in a plane crash, but she thought he understood from watching television.
Unofficial Royalty: Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester

June 10, 1976 – Birth of Georg Friedrich, Prince of Prussia, current pretender to the Prussian throne, and head of the Prussian branch of the House of Hohenzollern
Full name: Georg Friedrich Ferdinand
Georg Friedrich, Prince of Prussia is the current pretender to the Prussian throne and head of the Prussian branch of the House of Hohenzollern. He is the direct male-line descendent of Prussia’s last King (and German Emperor), Kaiser Wilhelm II.
Unofficial Royalty: Georg Friedrich, Prince of Prussia

June 10, 1982 – Birth of Princess Madeleine of Sweden, daughter of King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden at Drottningholm Palace in Drottningholm, Sweden
Full name: Madeleine Thérèse Amelie Josephine
Madeleine is the youngest of the three children of King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden. In 2013, she married Christopher O’Neill, a British-American businessman. The couple has three children. Madeleine has a very active role in the World Childhood Foundation, founded by her mother Queen Silvia in 1999 to reach and support children at risk around the world. After their marriage, Madeline and Christopher lived in New York City, and their first child was born there. In early 2015, they returned to Sweden. In August 2018, it was announced that Madeleine and her family would be moving to Florida, in the United States, where Madeleine has continued her work with the World Childhood Foundation. In March 2023, it was announced that the family would move back to Sweden in August 2023 but the move was postponed until 2024.
Unofficial Royalty: Princess Madeleine of Sweden

June 10, 1993 – Wedding of King Abdullah II of Jordan and Rania al-Yasin at the Zahran Palace in Amman, Jordan
In January 1993, a friend of Rania took her to a dinner party hosted by Prince Abdullah’s sister. “The minute Rania walked in, I knew it right there and then,” said Abdullah in a 2005 interview with People magazine. “It was love at first sight.” A whirlwind courtship began. Abdullah took Rania on motorbike rides across the desert, waterskiing on the Red Sea, and flying in helicopters. After a courtship of just two months, King Hussein reportedly drove his son to the home of Rania’s parents so Abdullah could propose. With King Hussein and her family looking on, Rania accepted.
Unofficial Royalty: Wedding of King Abdullah II of Jordan and Rania al-Yasin

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

Peter I (the Great), Emperor of All Russia; Credit – Wikipedia

June 9, 1661 – Birth of Feodor III, Tsar of All Russia in Moscow, Russia
When Feodor’s father Alexei I, Tsar of All Russia died in 1676, he was succeeded by 15-year-old Feodor. Even though Feodor had been well educated and had a fine intellect, he had a debilitating physical condition that prevented him from fully participating in reigning. In 1682, at the age of 20, Feodor died childless and without making an order concerning the succession to the throne. This was eventually resolved by the decision to have two tsars at the same time – Feodor’s brother Ivan V and his half-brother Peter I (the Great) under the regency of Sofia Alexeevna, Feodor’s eldest sister.
Unofficial Royalty: Feodor III, Tsar of All Russia

June 9, 1640 – Birth of Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor in Vienna, then in the Archduchy of Austria
Full name: Leopold Ignaz Joseph Balthasar Franz Felician
A contemporary and first cousin of King Louis XIV of France, Leopold was not expected to be the heir of his father’s heir, but his elder brother died from smallpox at the age of twenty-one. When his father died in 1657, seventeen-year-old Leopold succeeded to his father’s Habsburg hereditary lands but was not elected as Holy Roman Emperor until July 18, 1658. Leopold’s reign was dominated by the defense against French expansion under his first cousin King Louis XIV of France.
Unofficial Royalty: Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor

June 9, 1672 – Birth of Peter I “the Great”, Emperor of All Russia at the Moscow Kremlin in Moscow, Russia
After the death of their elder half-brother Feodor III, Tsar of All Russia, who was disabled by an unknown disease that left him disfigured and partially paralyzed, Peter and his older half-brother Ivan, who had serious physical and mental disabilities, were co-rulers of Russia. Peter married twice to Eudoxia Feodorovna Lopukhina and then to Marta Samuilovna Skavronskaya, later Catherine I, Empress of All Russia. Peter had fourteen children but only three survived to adulthood including Elizabeth, Empress of All Russia. Upon his half-brother’s death in 1696, Peter assumed complete authority. Peter is perhaps the greatest Romanov ruler. He is known for his modernization reforms and founding the city of St. Petersburg. Peter was interested in seafaring and maritime affairs, and he wanted Russia to have a seaport to be able to trade with other maritime nations. He needed a better seaport than Arkhangelsk on the White Sea to the north and closed to shipping during the winter. Previously titled Tsar of All Russia, Peter was officially proclaimed Emperor of All Russia in 1721.
Unofficial Royalty: Peter I, Emperor of All Russia (the Great)

June 9, 1701 – Death of Philippe I, Duke of Orléans, son of King Louis XIII of France and brother of King Louis XIV of France, at the Château de Saint-Cloud in France; buried at the Basilica of St. Denis near Paris
The only sibling of King Louis XIV, Philippe’s careful investment and management of his various estates made him a wealthy man. His wealth was greatly increased when he inherited the fortune of his extremely wealthy paternal first cousin Anne Marie Louise of Orléans, Duchess of Montpensier upon her death. Philippe is acknowledged as the biological and financial founder of the House of Orléans. His descendants include King Felipe VI of Spain, King Philippe of the Belgians, Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg, Henri, Count of Paris, the Orléanist pretender to the French throne, and Victor Emmanuel of Savoy, the pretender to the Italian throne.
Unofficial Royalty: Philippe I, Duke of Orléans

June 9, 1806 – Birth of Ludwig III, Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine in Darmstadt, Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine, now in Hesse, Germany
Ludwig was the brother of Prince Alexander, the founder of the Battenberg/Mountbatten dynasty and Marie who married Alexander II, Emperor of All Russia. His marriage to Mathilde Caroline of Bavaria was childless and he was succeeded by his nephew Ludwig IV who married Queen Victoria’s daughter Alice.
Unofficial Royalty: Ludwig III, Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine

June 9, 1820 – Death of Wilhelmina of Prussia, Princess of Orange, wife of Willem V, Prince of Orange, at Het Loo Palace in Apeldoorn, Dutch Republic, now in the Netherlands; first buried at Het Loo Palace, reinterred in 1831 at the new crypt at Nieuwe Kerk in Delft, the Netherlands
Wilhelmina married Willem V, Prince of Orange. In 1795, her husband lost power when the Dutch Republic was threatened by invading French armies. Revolutionary Dutch patriots, now supported by the French Army, replaced the Dutch Republic with the Batavian Republic which remained in power until 1806. Wilhelmina’s family fled to England where they lived in exile until in London in the part of Kew Palace known as the Dutch House with the permission of Willem V’s first cousin King George III. In 1806, Napoleon created the Kingdom of Holland for his brother Louis and the Batavian Republic ended. In 1813, with the help of Alexander I, Emperor of All Russia, the House of Orange was restored and Wilhelmina’s son became Willem I, the first King of the Netherlands.
Unofficial Royalty: Wilhelmina of Prussia, Princess of Orange

June 9, 1923 – Death of Princess Helena of the United Kingdom, daughter of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom, at Schomberg House, Pall Mall in London, England; buried at Royal Burial Ground at Frogmore in Windsor, England
Helena took a very active role in royal duties and engagements at a time when this was not nearly as common as it is today. In addition, she was very involved in charity work, particularly in the area of nursing. She served as president of the Royal British Nurses Association and was one of the founding members of the British Red Cross.  She was also the founding president of the Royal School of Needlework. Upon her death, Helena was first interred in the Royal Crypt at St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle. In 1928, her remains, along with those of her husband and infant son Harald were moved to the newly established Royal Burial Ground at Frogmore in Windsor, England.
Unofficial Royalty: Princess Helena of the United Kingdom

June 9, 1930 – Birth of Princess Ragnhild of Norway, daughter of King Olav V of Norway, at the Royal Palace in Oslo, Norway
Full name: Ragnhild Alexandra
Named for another Ragnhild, the wife of Harald Fairhair, the first king of a united Norway who reigned 872 – 930, Ragnhild was the first native Norwegian princess born in Norway in over 600 years. Ragnhild married Erling Lorentzen, a commoner and her former bodyguard. Reportedly, Ragnhild’s grandfather King Haakon VII consented to the marriage only after the intervention of her mother Crown Princess Märtha. Ragnhild lost her style of Royal Highness with the marriage, becoming known instead as Her Highness Princess Ragnhild, Mrs. Lorentzen. The couple settled in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and had three children. Ragnhild died in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on September 16, 2012, following a bout with cancer. Her remains were transferred to Norway where her funeral was held and at her request, Ragnhild was buried at Asker Church in Asker, Norway.
Unofficial Royalty: Princess Ragnhild of Norway

June 9, 1946 – Shooting death of King Ananda Mahidol, Rama VIII of Thailand, at the Grand Palace in Bangkok, Thailand; his ashes are enshrined in the base of the Buddha statue at Wat Suthat in Bangkok, Thailand
20-year-old King Ananda Mahidol was found shot to death in his bed in the Boromphiman Throne Hall, a residential palace located in the Grand Palace in Bangkok, Thailand. He was scheduled to return to the University of Lausanne in Switzerland four days later to begin work on his Ph.D. King Ananda Mahidol was succeeded by his 18-year-old brother Bhumibol Adulyadej who reigned for seventy years. Although three people were tried and executed for King Ananda Mahidol’s supposed assassination, the circumstances of his death have never been fully explained and his death is still seen as a mystery.
Unofficial Royalty: The Mysterious of Ananda Mahidol, King of Thailand
Unofficial Royalty: King Ananda Mahidol of Thailand

June 9, 1993 – Wedding of Emperor Naruhito of Japan, then Crown Prince, and Masako Owada, married at the Kashiko-dokoro, the Shinto shrine of Amaterasu, the Sun Goddess, on the grounds of the Imperial Palace in Tokyo, Japan
800 guests were invited, including Imperial Family members, the bride’s relatives, government officials, lawmakers, judges, and industrial leaders. Very few friends of the bride and groom were invited and no foreigners were invited. The groom’s parents, Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko, were not among the 800 guests. They stayed in their imperial sitting room a few hundred yards from the shrine and waited until midafternoon when the newlyweds visited them to inform them of the morning marriage. Guests did not actually attend the wedding ceremony. They stood in the Imperial Garden for the 10 AM wedding and only saw the bride and groom, accompanied by Shinto ritualists, chamberlains, and ladies-in-waiting, as they slowly walked down a long wooden porch.
Unofficial Royalty: Wedding of Emperor Naruhito of Japan and Masako Owada

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Tomb of Edward the Black Prince at Canterbury Cathedral; Credit – Susan Flantzer

June 8, 1042 – Death of King Harthacnut of England at Lambeth, London, England; buried at Winchester Cathedral in Winchester, England
Harthacnut was the son of Cnut the Great, King of England, Denmark, and Norway and his second wife Emma of Normandy, the widow of Æthelred II the Unready, King of the English. He had two half-siblings who were also Kings of England: Harold Harefoot, King of England and Saint Edward the Confessor, King of England who succeeded him. On June 8, 1042, Harthacnut attended a wedding in Lambeth, London, England. As he was drinking to celebrate the wedding, according to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, “He died while standing with his drink. Suddenly he fell to the ground with violent convulsions.” Harthacnut was only 23-24 years old. There were unproven suspicions that he was poisoned and there were people who would have benefitted from his death. His death also could have been caused by a stroke due to excessive drinking. A 2015 study speculated that perhaps up to fourteen Danish kings, including Harthacnut, who suddenly died at a relatively young age without being ill, possibly died of Brugada Syndrome, a genetic disorder in which the electrical activity in the heart is abnormal. It increases the risk of abnormal heart rhythms and sudden cardiac death.
Unofficial Royalty: King Harthacnut of England

June 8, 1376 – Death of Edward, Prince of Wales, known as the Black Prince, son and heir of King Edward III of England, at the Palace of Westminster in London, England; buried at Canterbury Cathedral in Canterbury, Kent, England
Edward was one of the seven Princes of Wales who never became King. He is best known for his military career in the Hundred Years War. Around 1365, Edward contracted an illness that ailed him until he died in 1376. It was believed that he contracted dysentery, which killed more medieval soldiers than battle, but it is unlikely that he could survive a ten-year battle with dysentery. Other possible diagnoses include edema, nephritis, or cirrhosis. By 1371, Edward could no longer perform his duties and returned to England. In 1372, he forced himself to attempt one final campaign, hoping to save his father’s French possessions, but the prevailing winds off the shores of France prevented the ships from landing and the campaign was aborted. Edward’s health was now completely shattered.  A week before his forty-sixth birthday, Edward died. His father King Edward III died a year later and was succeeded by his ten-year-old grandson King Richard II, the surviving son of Edward the Black Prince.
Unofficial Royalty: Edward, Prince of Wales (the Black Prince)

June 8, 1492 – Death of Elizabeth Woodville, Queen of England, wife of King Edward IV of England, at St. Saviour’s Abbey in Bermondsey, London, England; buried at St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle in Windsor, England
Elizabeth Woodville was the mother of Elizabeth of York who married King Henry VII of England. In 1487, two years into the reign of King Henry VII, she retired to Bermondsey Abbey in London, England where she lived for the rest of her life. She was present at the birth of her granddaughter Margaret Tudor at Westminster Palace in November 1489 and at the birth of her grandson, the future Henry VIII, King of England, at Greenwich Palace in June 1491. Elizabeth died at Bermondsey Abbey on June 8, 1492, at the age of 55. With the exception of her daughter Elizabeth, who was awaiting the birth of her fourth child, and her daughter Cecily, her other daughters, Anne, Catherine, and Bridget attended her funeral at St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle where Elizabeth Woodville was buried with her husband King Edward IV of England.
Unofficial Royalty: Elizabeth Woodville, Queen of England

June 8, 1671 – Death of Edgar Stuart, Duke of Cambridge, at Richmond Palace in Surrey, England; buried at Westminster Abbey in London, England in a vault under the monument to his great-great-grandmother Mary, Queen of Scots in the south aisle of the Henry VII Chapel
Born on September 14, 1667, Edgar was the youngest of the four sons of the future King James II of England, who was then Duke of York, and his first wife Anne Hyde. At the time of his birth, his three brothers who had been born before Edgar had all died. His only living siblings were his two elder sisters, the future Queen Mary II of England and the future Queen Anne of England, who turned out to be the only surviving children of their parents’ eight children. Until his early death, Edgar was second in the line of succession to the English throne after his father. Edgartown, Massachusetts on the island of Martha’s Vineyard, established in 1642, was named after Edgar when it was incorporated in 1671
Unofficial Royalty: Edgar Stuart, Duke of Cambridge

June 8, 1714 – Death of Dowager Electress Sophia of Hanover, granddaughter of King James I of England and mother of King George I of Great Britain, at Schloss Herrenhausen in Hanover, Electorate of Hanover, now in Lower Saxony, Germany; initially buried at the Chapel of Leineschloss in Hanover which was destroyed during World War II; in 1957 her remains were moved to the mausoleum of King Ernest Augustus I in the Berggarten of Herrenhausen Gardens.
In 1701, Parliament passed the Act of Settlement, giving the succession to the British throne to Sophia and her Protestant heirs because the Stuarts failed to produce a surviving heir. This act ensured the Protestant succession and bypassed many Catholics who had better claims to the throne.  On  June 5, 1714, 83-year-old Sophia fell ill after receiving an angry letter from Queen Anne of Great Britain. Two days later, while she was walking in the gardens of Schloss Herrenhausen, it began to rain quite heavily and Sophia ran to a shelter where she collapsed. She died the next day. Sophia narrowly missed becoming queen, having died two months before Queen Anne. Sophia’s son George, Elector of Hanover, became King George I of Great Britain, the first monarch of the House of Hanover.
Unofficial Royalty: Sophia, Electress of Hanover

June 8, 1795 – Death of Louis-Charles, Dauphin of France, Titular King Louis XVII of France, son of King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette, at the Temple Prison in Paris, France; buried in the cemetery of Ste. Marguerite in Paris, France; his heart was interred at Basilica of Saint-Denis near Paris, France on June 8, 2004
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

June 8, 2013 – Wedding of Princess Madeleine of Sweden and Christopher O’Neill at the Royal Chapel in the Royal Palace in Stockholm, Sweden
Following a broken engagement in 2010, Princess Madeleine moved to New York to work for the World Childhood Foundation, a charitable organization founded by her mother, Queen Silvia. It was here that she met Mr. O’Neill and the two quickly became a couple.  The Swedish Royal Court announced their engagement in October 2012. Protocol dictates that members of the Royal Family must be Swedish citizens, and may not be involved in positions of responsibility in business. Mr. O’Neill continued working and did not apply for Swedish citizenship. He requested that he not be granted any royal status or title. Princess Madeleine did not take on Mr. O’Neill’s name and remained HRH Princess Madeleine.
Unofficial Royalty: Wedding of Princess Madeleine of Sweden and Christopher O’Neill

June 8, 2014 – Death of Prince Katsura of Mikasa, son of Prince Mikasa of Japan, grandson of Emperor Taishō of Japan, at the University of Tokyo Hospital in Tokyo, Japan; buried at the Toshimagaoka Cemetery in Tokyo, Japan
Prince Katsura was paralyzed from the waist down after suffering from a series of strokes in 1988 and used a wheelchair. Despite vision loss in his right eye, paralysis, and memory issues, he remained active in public life and was president of various charity organizations. He died from a massive heart attack at the age of 66. Since Prince Katsura never married and his two brothers only had daughters, his death marked the end of his father’s branch of the Japanese Imperial Family.
Unofficial Royalty: Prince Katsura of Mikasa

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