Category Archives: Today in Royal History

June 8: Today in Royal History

© Unofficial Royalty 2024

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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June 7: Today in Royal History

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Statue of Robert the Bruce in Stirling, Scotland; Credit – By Ally Crockford – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=28842870

June 7, 1329 – Death of Robert I, King of Scots (Robert the Bruce) at the Manor of Cardross, near Dumbarton, Scotland; buried at Dunfermline Abbey in Fife, Scotland
Robert the Bruce is a Scottish national hero and was King of Scots during the First War of Scottish Independence.  The Scots refused to tolerate English rule, resulting in the Wars of Scottish Independence, a series of military campaigns fought between Scotland and England, first led by William Wallace and after his execution, led by Robert the Bruce. Robert the Bruce as Earl of Carrick and 7th Lord of Annandale, held estates and property in Scotland, a barony and some minor properties in England, and a strong claim to the throne of Scotland. On March 27, 1306, Robert the Bruce was proclaimed Robert I, King of Scots, and the crown was placed on his head by Isabella MacDuff, Countess of Buchan. According to tradition, the ceremony of crowning the monarch was performed by a representative of Clan MacDuff.
Unofficial Royalty: Robert I, King of Scots

June 7, 1394 – Death of Anne of Bohemia, Queen of England, first wife of King Richard II, at Sheen Palace in Surrey, England; buried at Westminster Abbey in London, England
In June 1394, Anne became ill with the plague while at Sheen Palace with her husband. She died three days later on June 7, 1394, at the age of 28. King Richard II was so devastated by Anne’s death that he ordered Sheen Palace to be destroyed. For almost 20 years it lay in ruins until King Henry V started a rebuilding project in 1414. Richard II gave Anne a magnificent funeral. The funeral procession made its way from Sheen Palace to Westminster Abbey lit by candles and torches made from wax specially imported from Flanders. Those in the procession were dressed all in black and wore black hoods. King Richard was angered when Richard FitzAlan, 11th Earl of Arundel arrived late for the funeral. The king struck the earl in the face with his scepter.
Unofficial Royalty: Anne of Bohemia, Queen of England

June 7, 1840 – Birth of Princess Charlotte of Belgium, Empress Carlotta of Mexico, daughter of King Leopold I of the Belgians, wife of Emperor Maximilian I of Mexico (born an Archduke of Austria), at the Royal Castle in Laeken, Brussels, Belgium
Full name: Maria Charlotta Amelia Augusta Victoria Clementina Leopoldina
In 1861, Charlotte’s husband Archduke Maximilian of Austria, brother of Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria, accepted the offer of becoming Emperor of Mexico. The liberal forces led by Benito Juárez, the former president the French had deposed, refused to recognize his rule. There was continuous warfare between the French troops and the forces of Juárez who wanted a republic. Maximilian was condemned to death by a court of war and on June 19, 1867, he was executed by a firing squad. After her return to Belgium, Charlotte developed a mental illness and was declared insane.
Unofficial Royalty: Princess Charlotte of Belgium, Empress Carlotta of Mexico

June 7, 1840 – Death of Friedrich Wilhelm III, King of Prussia, in Berlin, Kingdom of Prussia, now in Brandenburg, Germany; buried in the Mausoleum in the garden of Charlottenburg Palace in Berlin
After the early death at the age of 34 of his first wife Luise of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, the mother of his nine children, Friedrich Wilhelm III instituted an order that her family should mourn her death each year on July 19, the anniversary of her death. Luise was buried in the garden of Charlottenburg Palace where her husband had a mausoleum built over her grave. Friedrich Wilhelm III survived his first wife by thirty years and was buried by her side. His second wife Countess Auguste von Harrach survived him by 33 years and is also buried in the mausoleum, although she has no stone or marker.
Unofficial Royalty: King Friedrich Wilhelm III of Prussia

June 7, 1876 – Death of Queen Josefina of Sweden, born Joséphine of Leuchtenberg, wife of King Oscar I of Sweden and Norway in Stockholm, Sweden; buried at Riddarholmen Church in Stockholm, Sweden
Queen Josefina was the daughter of Eugène de Beauharnais, the son of Empress Joséphine (Napoleon Bonaparte‘s first wife) from her first marriage to Alexandre, Vicomte de Beauharnais, who had been guillotined during the French Revolution. Her mother was Princess Augusta of Bavaria, daughter of King Maximilian I Joseph of Bavaria. In 1823, Josefina married King Oscar I of Sweden and Norway. The couple had five children including two Kings of Sweden and Norway. Josefina brought to Sweden jewelry that had belonged to her grandmother Empress Josephine, still worn by the Swedish and Norwegian royal families. The Cameo Tiara, originally made for her grandmother Joséphine, Empress of the French, was worn by her descendant Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden at her wedding in 2010. Photos of both women wearing the Cameo Tiara are in the article linked below. Josefina survived her husband for 17 years and died in Stockholm on June 7, 1876, at age 69. She remained Roman Catholic, was given a Catholic funeral, and was buried with her husband at Riddarholmen Church.
Unofficial Royalty: Joséphine of Leuchtenberg, Queen Josefina of Sweden

June 7, 1907 – Birth of Prince Sigvard of Sweden, later Sigvard Bernadotte, Count of Wisborg, son of King Gustaf VI Adolf of Sweden, at Drottningholm Palace in Drottningholm, Sweden
Full name: Sigvard Oscar Fredrik
Sigvard lost his style His Royal Highness and his title of Prince of Sweden when he married a commoner. In 1951, Grand Duchess Charlotte of Luxembourg conferred on him the title of Count of Wisborg. Sigvard died in 2002, in Stockholm, Sweden. He was 94 years old, and for the last eight years of his life, he was the eldest living great-grandchild of Queen Victoria and her longest-lived descendant.
Unofficial Royalty: Sigvard Bernadotte, Count of Wisborg

June 7, 1960 – Birth of Prince Radu of Romania, husband of Margareta, Custodian of the Crown of Romania, born Radu Duda in Iaşi, Romania
Radu Duda is the husband of Margareta, Custodian of the Crown of Romania, the eldest of the five daughters of the late former King Michael I of Romania who abdicated in 1947 when Romania ceased to be a monarchy. Margareta and Radu live at the Elisabeta Palace in Bucharest, Romania, and undertake public engagements in Romania and in other countries that help contribute to the successful modernization of Romania, reconcile with the past, and link Romania to other countries.
Unofficial Royalty: Prince Radu of Romania

June 7, 1969 – Birth of Prince Joachim of Denmark, son of Queen Margrethe II of Denmark, at the Rigshospitalet in Copenhagen, Denmark
Full name: Joachim Holger Valdemar Christian
Joachim is the younger of the two sons of Queen Margrethe II of Denmark. In 1995, he married Alexandra Manley. The couple had two sons and divorced in 2005. Joachim married Marie Cavallier in 2008 and they have one son and one daughter. In September 2020, Prince Joachim started work as the defense attaché at the Danish Embassy in Paris, France. With the appointment, Joachim received the permanent rank of brigadier general. During the summer of 2023, Joachim and his family moved to Washington, DC in the United States where he will become defense attaché at the Danish Embassy.
Unofficial Royalty: Prince Joachim of Denmark

June 7, 2002 – Death of Princess Lilian of Belgium, Princess de Réthy, born Lilian Baels, second wife of King Leopold III of the Belgians, at the Château d’Argenteuil, near Waterloo, Belgium; buried at Royal Vault at the Church of Our Lady in Laeken, Brussels, Belgium
Despite surviving her husband by nearly 20 years, it was at his funeral that Princess Lilian made her last official public appearance. She spent the remaining years of her life pursuing her interests in medicine (having established a Cardiology Foundation in 1958 following her son Alexandre’s heart surgery the previous year in the United States) and editing her husband’s memoirs “Pour l’Histoire” (For History), published in 2001.  Princess Lilian’s funeral was held at the Church of Our Lady of Laeken, attended by the entire Belgian royal family except for her elder daughter Marie-Christine, who had completely severed all ties with her family. Princess Lilian was interred in the Royal Crypt, beside her husband and his first wife Queen Astrid, who tragically died at a young age in a car accident.
Unofficial Royalty: Princess Lilian, Princess de Réthy

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June 6: Today in Royal History

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

June 6, 1625 – Death of Anna Maria von Boskowitz and Černahora, Princess of Liechtenstein, wife of Karl I, Prince of Liechtenstein in Plumov, Moravia, now in the Czech Republic; buried in the Old Crypt at the Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary in Vranov, then in Moravia, now in the Czech Republic
In 1590, Anna Maria married Baron Karl von Liechtenstein, the future first Sovereign Prince of Liechtenstein. Anna Maria and Karl had four children including Karl Eusebius, Prince of Liechtenstein. Anna Maria died, aged 50, on June 6, 1625, in Plumov, Moravia, now in the Czech Republic. She was buried in the Old Crypt at the Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary, founded by Karl’s younger brother Maximilian and his wife Katharina, Anna Maria’s sister.
Unofficial Royalty: Anna Maria von Boskowitz and Černahora, Princess of Liechtenstein

June 6, 1710 – Death of Louise de La Vallière, Duchess of La Vallière and Duchess of  Vaujours, mistress of King Louis XIV of France, at Notre-Dame-des-Champs, a Carmelite convent in the Faubourg Saint-Jacques in Paris, France, as Sister Louise de la Miséricorde; buried in the convent cemetery
Louise was the mistress of King Louis XIV of France from 1661 until 1667. By 1670, having been forced to remain at court and live with Louis XIV’s new mistress Madame de Montespan, Louise became ill and at one point was near death. Upon recovering, she sought solace in religion, and the following year, decided to leave court and enter a convent. However, Louis XIV forced her to return for several years. Finally, in 1674, she was permitted to leave the court and entered the Carmelite convent in Faubourg-Saint-Jacques. She took her vows the following year, becoming Sister Louise de la Miséricorde.
Unofficial Royalty: Louise de La Vallière, Duchess of La Vallière and Duchess of  Vaujours

June 6, 1714 – Birth of King José I of Portugal at Ribeira Palace in Lisbon, Portugal
Full name: José Francisco António Inácio Norberto Agostinho
To strengthen an alliance with Spain, a double marriage between Portugal and Spain was arranged between José and Mariana Victoria of Spain, daughter of Felipe V, King of Spain, and between José’s elder sister Barbara and Felipe V’s son and heir Fernando, Prince of Asturias, later Fernando VI, King of Spain. José and Mariana Victoria had four daughters including his successor Maria I, the first reigning Queen of Portugal.
Unofficial Royalty: King José I of Portugal

June 6, 1772 – Birth of Maria Theresa of Naples and Sicily, Empress of Austria, second wife of Emperor Franz I of Austria, at the Royal Palace of Naples in the Kingdom of Naples and Sicily
Maria Theresa married her double first cousin Archduke Franz of Austria, later Emperor 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. Maria Theresa’s twelfth child lived only three days and Maria Theresa also died, a week later due to birth complications at the age of 34.
Unofficial Royalty: Maria Theresa of Naples and Sicily, Empress of Austria

June 6, 1836 – Death of King Anton of Saxony in Dresden, Kingdom of Saxony, now in Saxony, Germany; buried in the Wettin Crypt at the Dresden Cathedral
Anton became King of Saxony, upon the death of his elder brother King Friedrich August I, who had only one surviving child, a daughter. Anton also had no male heirs. His first marriage was childless and the one son and three daughters from his second marriage either died at birth or died in infancy. Anton was succeeded by his nephew King Friedrich August II.
Unofficial Royalty: King Anton of Saxony

June 6, 1872 – Birth of Alix of Hesse and by Rhine, Empress Alexandra Feodorovna of Russia, wife of Nicholas II, Emperor of All Russia, at the Neues Palais in Darmstadt, Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine, now in Hesse, Germany
Full name: Victoria Alix Helene Luise Beatrice
A grandchild of Queen Victoria, Alix is best remembered as Alexandra Feodorovna, the last Empress of Russia, who transmitted hemophilia to her only son and who was assassinated along with her husband Nicholas II, Emperor of All Russia, and five children during the Russian Revolution.
Unofficial Royalty: Alix of Hesse and by Rhine, Empress Alexandra Feodorovna of Russia

June 6, 1934 – Birth of King Albert II of Belgium at Stuyvenberg Castle in Brussels, Belgium
Full name: Albert Félix Humbert Théodore Chrétien Eugène Marie
In early July 2013, King Albert announced his intention to abdicate, citing health reasons. On July 21, 2013, Belgium’s National Day, he signed the formal document of abdication and was succeeded by his son, King Philippe.
Unofficial Royalty: King Albert II of Belgium

June 6, 2012 – Death of Prince Tomohito of Mikasa, son of Prince Mikasa of Japan, at the Sasaki Institute Kyoundo Hospital in Tokyo, Japan; buried at the Toshimagaoka Imperial Cemetery in Tokyo, Japan
Tomohito was the grandson of Emperor Taishō, the nephew of Emperor Hirohito (Shōwa), and the first cousin of Emperor Akihito.  He had serious health issues. In 1991, he was diagnosed with esophageal cancer which went into remission. Over the years, Tomohito was treated sixteen times for various forms of cancer including larynx cancer, throat cancer, and recurrences of the cancers. He died from multiple organ failure due to the cancers.
Unofficial Royalty: Prince Tomohito of Mikasa

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June 5: Today in Royal History

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Ernest Augustus, King of Hanover, Duke of Cumberland; Credit – Wikipedia

June 5, 1296 – Death of Edmund Crouchback, Earl of Lancaster and Leicester, son of King Henry III of England, in London, England; buried in Westminster Abbey in London, England
Edmund was a loyal supporter of his brother King Edward I of England. At the time of his death, he was the Lieutenant of Aquitaine and was conducting a siege of Bordeaux, the capital of Aquitaine, which the French had occupied. Edmund fell ill during the siege and died at the age of 51. He had declared that he would not be buried until his debts were paid.  His body was embalmed at a Franciscan abbey in Bayonne (France) and was not brought back to England until early 1297. Edmund’s remains were kept in a Franciscan convent in London until March 24, 1301, when he was buried in the presence of his brother King Edward I at Westminster Abbey in Edward the Confessor’s Chapel.
Unofficial Royalty: Edmund Crouchback, Earl of Lancaster and Leicester

June 5, 1341 – Birth of Edmund of Langley, Duke of York, son of King Edward III of England, in King’s Langley, Hertfordshire, England
Edmund married Infanta Isabella of Castile, the younger daughter of King Pedro the Cruel of Castile and the sister of Constance of Castile, the second wife of Edmund’s elder brother John of Gaunt. Isabella had accompanied her sister Constance to England when she married John of Gaunt. Through the marriage of Edmund’s younger son, Richard of Conisburgh, 3rd Earl of Cambridge to Anne de Mortimer, great-granddaughter of Edmund’s elder brother Lionel of Antwerp, 1st Duke of Clarence, the House of York made its claim to the English throne in the Wars of the Roses.  Richard of Conisburgh and his wife were the parents of Richard Plantagenet, 3rd Duke of York, and the grandparents of King Edward IV and King Richard III.
Unofficial Royalty: Edmund of Langley, Duke of York

June 5, 1660 – Birth of Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough, favorite of Queen Anne of Great Britain, born Sarah Jennings at Holywell House in St Albans, Hertfordshire, England
Sarah is known for being a favorite of Queen Anne. Sarah and Anne became acquainted in childhood when Sarah was appointed a maid of honor to Anne’s stepmother Maria Beatrice of Modena. Sarah married John Churchill, an upcoming military leader, later 1st Duke of Marlborough. Sarah and her husband John had seven children. Their children and grandchildren married into the British aristocracy. Among their more famous descendants are British Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill and Diana, Princess of Wales, and of course her son William, a future King of the United Kingdom.
Unofficial Royalty: Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough

June 5, 1757 – Death of Bernardina Christina of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, Princess of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt, wife of Johann Friedrich, Prince of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt, in Rudolstadt, then in the Principality of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt, now in the German state of Thuringia; first buried at the Schlosskirche Schwarzburg at Schwarzburg Castle in Schwarzburg, now in the German state of Thuringia. In the early 1940s, her remains of were transferred to the Stadtkirche St. Andreas in Rudolstadt in the German state of Thuringia before the demolition of the Schlosskirche Schwarzburg
In 1744, 20-year-old Bernardina Christina married 23-year-old Johann Friedrich, who had become the reigning Prince of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt just two months earlier. Bernadina Christina and Johann Friedrich had six children but only two daughters survived childhood. Bernadina Christina was active in charitable causes. In 1756, she founded the Bernardina Abbey for noblewomen in Rudolstadt. However, she did not live to see the inauguration of the abbey in 1757. On June 5, 1757, aged 33, Bernadina Christina died in Rudolstadt, then in the Principality of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt, now in the German state of Thuringia.
Unofficial Royalty: Bernardina Christina of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, Princess of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt

June 5, 1771 – Birth of King Ernest Augustus I of Hanover, Duke of Cumberland, son of King George III of the United Kingdom, at Buckingham Palace
Before the accession of Queen Victoria in 1837, the Hanover kings of the United Kingdom were also Electors and later Kings of Hanover in Germany.  Because of Hanover’s Salic Law, which forbade female succession, Victoria could not become the monarch of Hanover.  Her uncle Ernest Augustus became King of Hanover upon the death of his brother William. Ernst August V, Prince of Hanover, the husband of Princess Caroline of Monaco, is the senior direct male descendant of Ernest (and George III) and the pretender to the Hanover throne.
Unofficial Royalty: King Ernest Augustus I of Hanover, Duke of Cumberland

June 5, 1962 – Birth of Princess Astrid of Belgium, daughter of King Albert II of Belgium, at the Château de Belvédère in Laeken, Brussels, Belgium
Full name: Astrid Joséphine-Charlotte Fabrizia Elisabeth Paola Maria
Astrid is the sister of Philippe, the current King of the Belgians. She often represents her brother King Philippe on foreign visits and gives her services to many organizations. In 1984, Astrid married Archduke Lorenz of Austria-Este. Lorenz is the eldest son of Archduke Robert of Austria-Este, the second son of Karl I, the last Emperor of Austria, and has been the Head of the House of Austria-Este since 1996. Astrid and Lorenz had five children.
Unofficial Royalty: Princess Astrid of Belgium

June 5, 1965 – Death of Prince Wilhelm of Sweden, Duke of Södermanland, son of King Gustaf V of Sweden, at Stenhammar Palace in Flen, Sweden; buried in the parish cemetery in Flen, Sweden
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. The marriage was officially dissolved and then confirmed by an edict issued by Nicholas II, Emperor of All Russia
Unofficial Royalty: Prince Wilhelm of Sweden, Duke of Södermanland

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June 4: Today in Royal History

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Catherine-Charlotte de Gramont, Princess of  Monaco; Credit – Wikipedia

June 4, 1678 – Death of Catherine-Charlotte de Gramont, Princess of Monaco, wife of Prince Louis I of Monaco, at the Palais Royal in Paris, France; buried at the now destroyed Couvent des Capucines in Paris, France
Catherine-Charlotte de Gramont, the wife of Louis I, Prince of Monaco, had many affairs at the French court including one with King Louis XIV and a long-time affair with her cousin which Catherine-Charlotte continued after her marriage. The couple had five daughters and one son, Antonio I, Prince of Monaco. In 1665, Catherine-Charlotte left her husband and children in Monaco and returned to the French court because she found life at the Monaco court boring. At the French court, she continued her scandalous affairs. Catherine-Charlotte became seriously ill, probably with cancer, and died at the Palais Royal in Paris, France on June 4, 1678, at the age of 39. She was buried at the now-destroyed Convent of the Capuchins in Paris, France. Catherine-Charlotte had not seen her husband Louis I during the last six years of her life, and Louis showed no grief over her death.
Unofficial Royalty: Catherine-Charlotte de Gramont, Princess of Monaco

June 4, 1738 – Birth of King George III of the United Kingdom at Norfolk House, St. James Square in London, England
Full name: George William Frederick
King George III is the longest-reigning British king, having reigned for 59 years, 96 days. His length of reign is surpassed only by two queens, both his descendants, his granddaughter Queen Victoria and his great-great-great-great-granddaughter Queen Elizabeth II. George established himself as one of the more popular Hanoverian kings.  He was admired for his respectable private life and gained sympathy for his illness. He inherited the family’s love of music and was a patron of the arts and sciences.  George was very interested in agriculture and his creation of model farms at Windsor earned him the nickname “Farmer George” which he adored.
Unofficial Royalty: King George III of the United Kingdom

June 4, 1923 – Birth of Princess Mikasa of Japan, wife of Prince Mikasa, born Yuriko Takagi at her family home in Tokyo, Japan
Princess Mikasa is the widow of the late Prince Mikasa, the youngest son of Emperor Taishō, the brother of Emperor Shōwa (Hirohito), and the uncle of Emperor Akihito. Prince and Princess Mikasa had three sons and two daughters. All three sons predeceased their parents. Princess Mikasa’s husband died in 2016, at the age of 100, a little more than a month before his 101st birthday. At the time of his death, he was the world’s oldest royal and the longest-lived member of the Japanese Imperial Family. Five days before Prince Mikasa’s death, he and his wife celebrated their 75th wedding anniversary in his hospital room.
Unofficial Royalty: Princess Mikasa of Japan

June 4, 1941 – Death of Wilhelm II, German Emperor and King of Prussia, at Huis Doorn in Doorn, Netherlands; buried in a mausoleum on the grounds of Huis Doorn
A grandson of Queen Victoria, Wilhelm was the last German Emperor and the last King of Prussia. He abdicated on November 9, 1918. A day later, he crossed the border by train and went into exile in the Netherlands, never to return to Germany. Wilhelm purchased Huis Doorn, a small manor house outside of Doorn, a small town near Utrecht in the Netherlands.  As a condition of his exile, Wilhelm was allowed to travel freely within a radius of 15 miles from his house. Traveling further required that advance notice had to be given to local government officials.  Wilhelm did not like to be under the thumb of minor officials, so he rarely traveled further than the 15 miles.  Wilhelm, aged 82, died of a pulmonary embolism at his home.
Unofficial Royalty: Wilhelm II, German Emperor

June 4, 1990 – Birth of Queen Jetsun Pema of Bhutan, wife of King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck of Bhutan, in Thimphu, Bhutan
On October 13, 2011, 21-year-old Jetsun Pema became the youngest queen in the world when she married King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck of Bhutan. The couple has two sons and a daughter. Queen Jestun Pema has accompanied her husband on foreign official trips and she accompanies him on official visits throughout Bhutan.
Unofficial Royalty: Jetsun Pema, Queen of Bhutan

June 4. 2021 – Birth of Princess Lilibet of Sussex, daughter of Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital in Santa Barbara, California
Full name: Lilibet Diana
Princess Lilibet of Sussex, nicknamed Lili, is the second of the two children and the only daughter of Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and his wife The Duchess of Sussex, the former Meghan Markle. Lili is named after her paternal great-grandmother Queen Elizabeth II and her paternal grandmother Diana, Princess of Wales. Lilibet was Queen Elizabeth II’s family nickname, which originated from Queen Elizabeth II’s pronunciation of her name when she was young. Lili has dual citizenship from the United States and the United Kingdom.
Unofficial Royalty: Princess Lilibet of Sussex

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.

June 3: Today in Royal History

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King George V of the United Kingdom; Credit – Wikipedia

June 3, 1822 – Birth of Archduchess Adelheid of Austria, Queen of Sardinia, first wife of King Vittorio Emanuele II of Sardinia (the future first King of Italy), at the Royal Palace of Milan in the Austrian-Hungarian Empire, now in Italy
Full name: Adelheid Franziska Marie Rainera Elisabeth Clotilde
At the time of her marriage, Adeleheid’s husband Vittorio Emanuele was heir to the Sardinian throne and held the title Duke of Savoy. She became Queen of Sardinia following her father-in-law’s abdication and her husband’s accession to the throne. However, she died before her husband became King of Italy.
Unofficial Royalty: Archduchess Adelheid of Austria, Queen of Sardinia

June 3, 1843 – Birth of King Frederik VIII of Denmark at the Yellow Palace in Copenhagen, Denmark
Full name: Christian Frederik Wilhelm Carl
Frederik VIII and his wife Louise of Sweden are the ancestors of several royal families besides the Danish royal family. Their son Carl was elected King of Norway and reigned as King Haakon VII. Their daughter Ingeborg was the mother of Märtha who married her first cousin King Haakon VII of Norway. However, Märtha died before her husband became king. Ingeborg was also the mother of Astrid, the first wife of Leopold III, King of the Belgians.  Astrid’s daughter Josephine-Charlotte married Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg.
Unofficial Royalty: King Frederik VIII of Denmark

June 3, 1844 – Death of Louis-Antoine of France, Duke of Angoulême (Legitimist pretender as King Louis XIX of France), son of King Charles X of France, in Görz, Austria; buried with his father in the church of the Franciscan monastery of Kostanjevica near Görz, now Nova Gorica, Slovenia
After the storming of the Bastille in 1789, King Louis XVI insisted that Charles-Philippe, his youngest brother and the father of Louis-Antoine, and his family leave France to be sure that one close relative would be free to act as a spokesman for the monarchy. Louis-Antoine was the last Dauphin of France and was technically King of France for less than twenty minutes, after his father abdicated and before he himself abdicated. After his father’s death, he was the Legitimist pretender to the French throne and is sometimes known as King Louis XIX. Louis-Antoine married his first cousin Marie-Thérèse of France, the only surviving child of the executed King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette.
Unofficial Royalty: Louis Antoine of France, Duke of Angoulême

June 3, 1865 – Birth of King George V of the United Kingdom at Marlborough House in London, England
Full name: George Frederick Ernest Albert
During World War I, on July 17, 1917, King George V issued a proclamation changing the name of the British Royal Family from the German Saxe-Coburg and Gotha to the English Windsor, due to the anti-German sentiment. All George’s British relatives relinquished their German titles and styles and adopted British-sounding surnames. The king compensated his male relatives by creating them British peers. All this led George’s first cousin Wilhelm II, German Emperor to remark that he would attend a performance of Shakespeare’s “Merry Wives of Saxe-Coburg” at the earliest opportunity.
United Kingdom: King George V of the United Kingdom

June 3, 1869 – Birth of Prince Baudouin of Belgium at the Palais de la Régence in Brussels, Belgium
Full name: Baudouin Léopold Philippe Marie Charles Antoine Joseph Louis
Baudouin was the son of Philippe, Count of Flanders, the second son of Leopold I, King of the Belgians. He was considered the heir of his uncle Leopold II, King of the Belgians who had no living male heirs. In early 1891, Baudouin became ill with influenza that had made its way through most of the members of his family. He likely caught the illness from his sister Henriette, whom he insisted on visiting during her illness despite warnings from doctors. Although at first, he appeared to be weathering the illness better than his sister, Baudouin’s condition suddenly deteriorated on January 22, 1891. He died early the following morning at the age of 21. The country of Belgium was plunged into mourning for their promising prince. Parliament was adjourned, theaters and libraries were closed, and mourning was ordered until the beginning of the spring. His younger brother later became Albert I, King of the Belgians.
Unofficial Royalty: Prince Baudouin of Belgium

June 3, 1877 – Death of Sophie of Württemberg, Queen of the Netherlands, first wife of King Willem III of the Netherlands, at Huis ten Bosch, in The Hague, The Netherlands; buried at Nieuwe Kerk in Delft, The Netherlands
The marriage of Sophie and Willem was unsuccessful. Willem had numerous extramarital affairs and had numerous illegitimate children. Sophie thought him inferior to her and unfit to serve as king. She 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. In accordance with her wishes, Sophie was buried in her wedding dress because she considered that her life had ended on the day she married Willem.
Unofficial Royalty: Sophie of Württemberg, Queen of the Netherlands

June 3, 1880 – Death of Marie of Hesse and by Rhine, Empress Maria Alexandrovna of Russia, first wife of Alexander II, Emperor of All Russia, at the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg, Russia; buried at the Peter and Paul Cathedral in St. Petersburg, Russia
Maria Alexandrovna had a close relationship with her brother Prince Alexander of Hesse and by Rhine, who had made a morganatic marriage with Countess Julia Hauke, one of his sister’s ladies-in-waiting. Their children were the start of the Battenberg (and later the Mountbatten) family. Maria’s frequent stays at her brother’s Hessian home Schloss Heiligenberg resulted in the subsequent marriage of Maria’s son Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich with Princess Elisabeth of Hesse and by Rhine, and also the marriage of Maria’s grandson Nicholas II, Emperor of All Russia with Princess Alix of Hesse and by Rhine.
Unofficial Royalty: Marie of Hesse and by Rhine, Maria Alexandrovna, Empress of All Russia

June 3, 1933 – Birth of Sheikh Isa bin Salman al-Khalifa, Emir of Bahrain in Al Jasra, Bahrain
Isa became Hakim of Bahrain upon the death of his father in 1961. In 1971, Bahrain declared its independence from the United Kingdom and signed a new treaty of friendship with the United Kingdom. Isa changed the title of the ruler of Bahrain to the Emir of Bahrain and appointed his brother Khalifa bin Salman al-Khalifa as the first Prime Minister of the newly sovereign country, the Emirate of Bahrain. Despite the fact he had dissolved Parliament in 1975 and took on absolute power, during Isa’s 38 years as Emir, Bahrain was transformed into a modern nation and became an important financial center in the Persian Gulf area. On March 6, 1999, 65-year-old Isa bin Salman al-Khalifa, Emir of Bahrain died of a heart attack just minutes after concluding a meeting with the United States Secretary of Defense William Cohen.
Unofficial Royalty: Sheikh Isa bin Salman al-Khalifa, Emir of Bahrain

June 3, 1937 – Wedding of Prince Edward, Duke of Windsor and Wallis Simpson at the Château de Candé in Monts, France
The Duke of Windsor had wanted his brothers Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester and Prince George, Duke of Kent along with his close friend and second cousin Lord Louis Mountbatten (the future 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma) to attend the ceremony but his brother King George VI forbade members of the royal family from attending. Instead, the marriage was witnessed by a small group of faithful friends. Major Edward Dudley Metcalfe, known as Fruity Metcalfe, the Duke of Windsor’s close friend and former equerry, served as best man. Wallis Simpson was given away by her friend Herman Rogers. When the Church of England refused to sanction the wedding, Reverend Robert Anderson Jardine, the Vicar of St Paul’s Church in Darlington,  England, offered to perform the ceremony. When Reverend Jardine returned home to Darlington, he soon became aware that he had performed an act that the Church of England could not accept. He was forced to resign his position and under pressure, he left England and settled in California.
Unofficial Royalty: Wedding of Prince Edward, Duke of Windsor and Wallis Simpson

June 3, 1978 – Birth of Queen Suthida of Thailand, fourth wife of King Maha Vajiralongkorn of Thailand, born Suthida Tidjai in Hat Yai, Songkla, Thailand
Queen Suthida is the fourth wife of King Maha Vajiralongkorn. A former flight attendant, Suthida met her future husband, then Crown Prince of Thailand, in 2013, joined the palace guard later that year, and was promoted to deputy commander of the Crown Prince’s bodyguard unit in 2014. Suthida was linked romantically to the Crown Prince following his divorce from his third wife Srirasmi Suwadee in 2014.  On May 1, 2019, just days before his coronation, King Vajiralongkorn surprisingly married Suthida and appointed her Queen.
Unofficial Royalty: Queen Suthida of Thailand

June 3, 1980 – Birth of Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, Emir of Qatar in Doha, Qatar
As Crown Prince, Sheikh Tamim was instrumental in raising the international profile of Qatar, putting much of his focus on various sporting events. He is a member of the International Olympic Committee, as well as the chairman of the Qatar National Olympic Committee. He was a large part of the successful bid to bring the FIFA World Cup to Qatar in 2022.  In 2013, his father Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, Emir of Qatar announced his abdication and the accession of Sheikh Tamim as the new Emir of Qatar.
Unofficial Royalty: Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, Emir of Qatar

June 3, 1984 – Birth of Prince Félix of Luxembourg, son of Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg, at the Grand Duchess Charlotte Maternity Hospital in Luxembourg City, Luxembourg.
Full name: Félix Léopold Marie Guillaume
Félix is the second son of Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg. In 2013, he married Claire Lademacher, and the couple had two children. The family lives in Lorgues, France, where Félix and Claire manage Château les Crostes, a winery owned by Claire and her father.
Unofficial Royalty: Prince Félix of Luxembourg

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June 2: Today in Royal History

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Maria Teresa of Savoy, Countess of Artois; Credit – Wikipedia

June 2, 1805 – Death of Maria Teresa of Savoy, Countess of Artois, wife of the future King Charles X of France, in Graz, Austria, buried at the Imperial Mausoleum next to the Graz Cathedral
Maria Teresa was the daughter of King Vittorio Amadeo III of Sardinia and Infanta Maria Antonia Ferdinanda of Spain. In 1773, she married Charles Philippe, Count of Artois, a brother of King Louis XVI of France, and the couple had four children. In July 1789, just days after the storming of the Bastille and the start of the French Revolution, Marie Teresa and her family fled France, settling for some time in her native Savoy. They eventually moved to Graz, Austria, where Marie Thérèse died at the age of 33.
Unofficial Royalty: Maria Teresa of Savoy, Countess of Artois

June 2, 1913 – Birth of  Infante Juan of Spain, Count of Barcelona, son of King Alfonso XIII of Spain and father of King Juan Carlos, at the Royal Palace of La Granja de San Ildefonso in Segovia, Spain
Full name: Juan Carlos Teresa Silverio Alfonso
Juan was a great-grandson of Queen Victoria through his mother Princess Victoria Eugenie of Battenberg. In 1935, he married Princess Maria Mercedes of Bourbon-Two Sicilies. The couple had four children including King Juan Carlos I of Spain. After both of his elder brothers renounced their rights of succession, Juan became heir apparent to the Spanish throne.  After the Spanish monarchy was overthrown and the Second Spanish Republic was declared, the royal family went into exile. In 1947, Francisco Franco, who ruled over Spain from 1939 to 1975, as a dictator, declared that the monarchy would be restored after his death. It would be another 22 years before Franco named his successor. Feeling that Juan would be too liberal, he instead passed over him and chose Juan’s son, Juan Carlos, as heir to the Spanish throne. Despite never being King of Spain, Juan was buried with the honors of a king upon his death in 1993.
Unofficial Royalty: Infante Juan of Spain, Count of Barcelona

June 2, 1940 – Birth of King Constantine II of Greece at the Villa Psychiko in Psychiko, Greece
Constantine was the King of Greece from 1964 until the monarchy was abolished in 1973. Both his parents, King Paul of Greece and Princess Frederica of Hanover, were descendants of Queen Victoria’s eldest daughter Victoria, Princess Royal who married Friedrich III, German Emperor.  In 1960, Constantine became one of the royal Olympian medal winners.  In the 1960 Rome Summer Olympics, Constantine won a Gold Medal in Sailing. Constantine died at Hygeia Hospital in Athens, Greece on January 10, 2023, at the age of 82.
Unofficial Royalty: King Constantine II of Greece

June 2, 1953 – Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom at Westminster Abbey in London, England
Westminster Abbey opened at 6:00 AM on Coronation Day to the approximately 8,000 invited guests including members of the Queen’s family and foreign royalty, the peers of the United Kingdom, heads of state, Members of Parliament from the Queen’s various legislatures, and other guests from the member countries of the Commonwealth of Nations. Among the guests were three granddaughters of Queen Victoria. Westminster Abbey was closed for five months prior to the coronation so that the construction needed for 8,000 people to attend could be completed.
Unofficial Royalty: Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II

June 2, 1976 – Birth of Queen ‘Masenate Mohato Seeiso of Lesotho, wife of King Letsie III of Lesotho, born Anna Karabo Mots’oeneng in Mapoteng, Lesotho
Born Anna Karabo Motšoeneng, Queen Masenate Mohato Seeiso of Lesotho is the wife of King Letsie III of Lesotho. Anna and King Letsie III were married on February 18, 2000, at Setsoto Stadium in Maseru, the capital city of Lesotho The national sports stadium was filled to its capacity of 40,000 people, with thousands turned away. The marriage ceremony was conducted by Bernard Mohlalisi, the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Maseru. King Letsie and Queen Masenate Mohato Seeiso had three children.
Unofficial Royalty: Queen ‘Masenate Mohato Seeiso of Lesotho

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June 1: Today in Royal History

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Napoleon Eugene, Prince Imperial of France; Credit – Wikipedia

June 1, 1300 – Birth of Thomas of Brotherton, 1st Earl of Norfolk, son of King Edward I of England, at the Manor House in Brotherton, North Yorkshire, England
Thomas was the eldest of the three children of King Edward I of England and his second wife Margaret of France.  He was the half-brother of King Edward II of England. Thomas and his first wife Alice de Hales are ancestors of the two beheaded wives of King Henry VIII, Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard, who were first cousins.
Unofficial Royalty: Thomas of Brotherton, 1st Earl of Norfolk

June 1, 1815 – Birth of Prince Otto of Bavaria, first modern King of Greece, at Schloss Mirabell in Salzburg, Austria
Full name: Otto Friedrich Ludwig
Otto was the second son of King Ludwig I of Bavaria and Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen. In 1832, the Convention of London established Greece as a kingdom, and Otto was appointed to be the new kingdom’s first king. While away from Athens in 1862, a coup led to the formation of a provisional government, and Otto was deposed. Otto accepted the situation, and he returned to Bavaria.
Unofficial Royalty: King Otto of Greece

June 1, 1819 – Birth of Francesco V, Duke of Modena and Reggio at the Ducal Palace in Modena, Duchy of Modena and Reggio, now in Italy
Francesco V was the last Duke of Modena and Reggio. He was also the Jacobite pretender to the thrones of England and Scotland from 1840 – 1875. In 1842, Francesco married Princess Adelgunde of Bavaria. The couple had one daughter who died in infancy. Francesco became Duke of Modena and Reggio upon the death of his father in 1846. King Vittorio Emanuele II of Sardinia and Giuseppe Garibaldi, a noted general and politician, led the drive toward a unified Italian kingdom. During the Second Italian War of Independence, Francesco V and his wife were forced to permanently flee the Duchy of Modena and Reggio. In 1860, the Duchy of Modena and Reggio was annexed to the Kingdom of Sardinia. Vittorio Emanuele II, King of Sardinia was proclaimed the first King of the new, united Kingdom of Italy in 1861. Thereafter, Francesco and his wife mostly lived at the Palais Modena in Vienna, Austria, where his second cousin once removed Franz Joseph, Emperor of Austria reigned over the Austrian-Hungarian Empire. Francesco died at the age of 56.
Unofficial Royalty: Francesco V, Duke of Modena and Reggio
Unofficial Royalty: The Jacobite Succession – Pretenders to the British Throne

June 1, 1826 – Birth of Jane Spencer, Baroness Churchill, Lady of the Bedchamber to Queen Victoria, and was the longest-serving member of Queen Victoria’s household
Born Lady Jane Conyngham on June 1, 1826, she was the eldest daughter of Francis Conyngham, 2nd Marquess Conyngham and married Francis Spencer, 2nd Baron Churchill.
Unofficial Royalty: Jane Spencer, Baroness Churchill

June 1, 1876 – Death of Caroline Mariane of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, second wife of the future King Frederik VII of Denmark, at the Caroline Palace in Neustrelitz, Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, now in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany; buried in the Prince’s Crypt at Johanniterkirche Mirow in Mirow, Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, now in  Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany
Caroline Mariane’s marriage to the future King Frederik VII of Denmark was unhappy and the couple divorced.  She returned to the Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Strelitz and lived quietly in Neustrelitz where her parents built the Carolinenpalais for her. Caroline Mariane retained her Danish titles after her divorce and never remarried.
Unofficial Royalty: Caroline Mariane of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, Crown Princess of Denmark

June 1, 1879 – Death of Louis Napoleon, Prince Imperial, son of Emperor Napoleon III of France, in the Anglo-Zulu War; buried in the Imperial Crypt at Saint Michael’s Abbey in Farnborough, Hampshire, England
After his father was deposed, the family went into exile in England. When the Anglo-Zulu War started in Africa, Louis wanted to take part. He was only allowed to do so after his mother approved and Queen Victoria intervened to get him a place in the British Army.  On June 1, 1879, Louis participated in a nine-member reconnaissance mission that was surprised by forty Zulu warriors. Louis had not totally mounted his horse at the time of the attack, held on to the saddle as the horse started to run but fell off the horse. With his revolver in his hand, he started to run but the Zulus could run faster. The Zulus overtook him and mortally stabbed the 23-year-year old Louis.
Unofficial Royalty: Napoleon Eugene, Prince Imperial

June 1, 1890 – Death of Jane Loftus, Marchioness of Ely, Lady of the Bedchamber to Queen Victoria, at her home at 22 Wilton Place in Knightsbridge, London, England; buried beside at Kensal Green Cemetery in London, England
Born Jane Hope-Vere, the daughter of  James Hope-Vere and Lady Elizabeth Hay, a daughter of the 7th Marquess of Tweeddale, she married John Loftus, 3rd Marquess of Ely.
Unofficial Royalty: Jane Loftus, Marchioness of Ely

June 1, 1983 – Death of Prince Charles of Belgium, Prince Regent of Belgium, son of King Albert I of the Belgians, in Ostend, Belgium; buried at the Church of Our Lady in Laeken, Brussels, Belgium
Charles was the younger brother of Leopold III, King of the Belgians. When Belgium was occupied by Germany during World War II, Leopold III surrendered and was held under house arrest at the Palace of Laeken. After the liberation of Belgium, the Belgian Parliament appointed Charles as Prince Regent. During his Regency, Charles worked to restore Belgium after the war, helping to establish financial aid and grants for the restoration of properties damaged or destroyed. Charles remained Prince Regent of Belgium until a 1950 referendum returned Leopold III to the throne.
Unofficial Royalty: Prince Charles of Belgium, Prince Regent of Belgium

June 1, 2001 – Shooting deaths of nine members of the royal family of Nepal at the Narayanhity Royal Palace in Kathmandu, Nepal
Among the dead were King Birendra and Queen Aiswarya. The assailant, Crown Prince Dipendra, shot himself and died on June 4, 2001.
Unofficial Royalty: Assassination of King Birendra and Queen Aishwarya of Nepal and nine other members of the royal family (coming soon)
Wikipedia: Nepalese Royal Massacre

June 1, 2023 – Wedding of Crown Prince Hussein of Jordan and Rajwa Al Saif at Zahran Palace in Amman, Jordan
Crown Prince Hussein and Rajwa Al Saif were married in an Islamic marriage ceremony known as “katb ktab” at the gazebo in the gardens of Zahran Palace. The 140 guests who attended the wedding ceremony were individually welcomed by King Abdullah II and Queen Rania, the groom’s parents, before proceeding to the gazebo in the palace garden. The wedding reception was held at Al Husseiniya Palace, which was built in 2006, and houses the offices of King Abdullah II, Queen Rania, and Crown Prince Hussein. Over 1,700 guests attended the wedding reception.
Unofficial Royalty: Crown Prince Hussein of Jordan and Rajwa Al Saif

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May 31: Today in Royal History

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Lady Margaret Beaufort; Credit – Wikipedia

May 31, 1246 – Death of Isabella of Angouleme, Queen of England, second wife of King John of England, at Fontevrault Abbey in Maine-et-Loire, France; buried at Fontevrault Abbey
After the death of King John, Isabella, who was Duchess of Angoulême in her own right,  returned to France to assume control of her inheritance, the County of Angoulême. There, she once again met her former fiancé Hugh de Lusignan, now the 10th Count of La Marche. He had never married, and previously a betrothal between him and Isabella’s 10-year-old daughter Joan had been arranged. Upon seeing Isabella once again, he decided that he preferred Joan’s still beautiful mother. Isabella and Hugh married and they had nine children.
Unofficial Royalty: Isabella of Angouleme, Queen of England

May 31, 1443 – Birth of Lady Margaret Beaufort, mother of King Henry VII of England, at Bletsoe Castle in Bedfordshire, England
Margaret was a great-granddaughter of John of Gaunt, son of King Edward III. She was 13 years old when her only child, the future King Henry VII, was born. It was through Margaret that her son had his tenuous connection to the House of Lancaster. She lived long enough to see her grandson succeed to the English throne as King Henry VIII.
Unofficial Royalty: Lady Margaret Beaufort

May 31, 1495 – Death of Cecily Neville, Duchess of York, mother of King Edward IV and King Richard III of England, at Berkhamsted Castle in Hertfordshire, England; buried at St Mary and All Saints Church in Fotheringhay, England
A great-granddaughter of King Edward III of England, Cecily Neville was the wife of Richard Plantagenet, 3rd Duke of York, also a great-grandchild of King Edward III, who was a claimant to the English throne and the leader of the Yorkist faction during the Wars of the Roses. She was also the mother of King Edward IV of England and King Richard III of England, the grandmother of the ill-fated King Edward V of England, and the great-grandmother of King Henry VIII of England. Cecily outlived all but two of her twelve children. She was alive when her granddaughter Elizabeth of York, daughter of King Edward IV, married Henry Tudor who had defeated her son King Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth Field in 1485 and then succeeded to the English throne by right of conquest as King Henry VII, the first Tudor monarch. Cecily was alive when her granddaughter Elizabeth of York gave birth to her first three children, Cecily’s great-grandchildren Arthur, Prince of Wales, Margaret Tudor, and King Henry VIII. Through Margaret Tudor, who married James IV, King of Scots, Cecily is an ancestor of the British royal family and many other European royal families.
Unofficial Royalty: Cecily Neville, Duchess of York

May 31, 1740 – Death of King Friedrich Wilhelm I of Prussia, in Berlin, Kingdom of Prussia, now in the German state of Brandenburg; buried at Church of Peace at Sanssouci in Potsdam, Kingdom of Prussia, now in Brandenburg, Germany
Friedrich Wilhelm I was first interred at the Garrison Church in Potsdam. During World War I, his coffin was moved for safekeeping, first to Berlin and then to a salt mine near Berterode. After being recovered by American forces, he was re-interred at St. Elisabeth’s Church in Marburg, Germany in 1946. His coffin was moved again in 1953 to Hohenzollern Castle, and in 1991 his coffin was placed on the steps of the altar in the Kaiser Friedrich Mausoleum at the Church of Peace in Sanssouci Park in Potsdam, Germany.
Unofficial Royalty: King Friedrich Wilhelm I of Prussia

May 31, 1785 – Birth of Heinrich LXII, 2nd Prince Reuss of Gera in Schleiz, County of Reuss-Schleiz, later in the Principality of Reuss-Gera, now in Thuringia, Germany
Heinrich LXII also did much to beautify Reuss-Gera, especially along the roads leading to Schleiz. In 1837, Schleiz Castle was badly damaged in a fire and Heinrich LXII oversaw the renovations. However, in 1945, Schleiz Castle was destroyed by American bombing during World War II. The ruins were removed in 1950, leaving only the two damaged towers.
Unofficial Royalty: Heinrich LXII, 2nd Prince Reuss of Gera

May 31, 1867 – Birth of Maria Josepha of Saxony, Archduchess of Austria, mother of Karl I, the last Emperor of Austria, in Dresden, Kingdom of Saxony, now in the German state of Saxony

Unofficial Royalty: Maria Josepha of Saxony, Archduchess of Austria (article coming soon)

May 31, 1906 – Wedding of King Alfonso XIII of Spain and Victoria Eugenie of Battenberg at San Jerónimo el Real in Madrid, Spain
In 1905, Ena met her future husband, King Alfonso XIII of Spain, while he was on a State Visit to the United Kingdom. The two soon began corresponding and quickly became smitten with each other. However, several issues needed to be resolved before they could consider marriage. First was the looming threat of hemophilia. Ena’s brother Leopold was suffering from the disease, so there was a very good chance that she might bring it to the Spanish royal family. However, with little known about the disease at the time, Alfonso did not seem to be too concerned. The bigger obstacles were Ena’s religion and (as far as Alfonso’s mother was concerned), less than royal bloodline. However, Ena willingly agreed to convert to Catholicism, and her uncle, King Edward VII, elevated her rank to Royal Highness so there could be no question of an unequal marriage. These seem to have appeased the Dowager Queen and the engagement was announced. The couple married on May 31, 1906, at the Royal Monastery of San Jerónimo in Madrid, in a wedding attended by many royals from around the world. The marriage was not, however, without incident. While the wedding procession was returning to the Royal Palace, an assassination attempt was made on the King and his new Queen. Both Alfonso and Ena were unharmed, however, several guards and bystanders were killed or injured.
Unofficial Royalty: Wedding of Alfonso XIII of Spain and Victoria Eugenie of Battenberg

May 31, 1923 – Birth of Rainier III, Prince of Monaco in Monaco
Full name: Rainier Louis Henri Maxence Bertrand
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, and he was buried beside his late wife, Princess Grace.
Unofficial Royalty: Prince Rainier III of Monaco

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May 30: Today in Royal History

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King Charles IX of France; Credit – Wikipedia

May 30, 1574 – Death of King Charles IX of France at the Château de Vincennes; buried at the Basilica of Saint-Denis near Paris, France
Charles became King of France at the age of ten. The horrific St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre, in which 5,000 to 30,000 French Protestants were killed called Huguenots, occurred during his reign. Although Charles publicly approved of the results of the St. Bartholomew Day’s Massacre, it left him with a psychological trauma that lasted for the remaining two years of his life. He became increasingly depressed and his already weak constitution could no longer resist the tuberculosis that ravaged his body and he died at the age of 23.
Unofficial Royalty: King Charles IX of France

May 30, 1653 – Birth of Archduchess Claudia Felicitas of Austria, Holy Roman Empress, the second of the three wives and the second cousin of Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor, in Innsbruck, then in the County of Tyrol, now in Austria
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: Claudia Felicitas of Austria, Holy Roman Empress

May 30, 1718 – Death of Arnold van Keppel, 1st Earl of Albemarle, a favorite of King William III of England, in The Hague, Dutch Republic, now in the Netherlands, buried in The Hague
An ancestor of Queen Camilla, Arnold became a page of honor to Willem III, Prince of Orange. Willem III was the only child of Willem II, Prince of Orange and Mary, Princess Royal, the eldest daughter of King Charles I of England. Willem III married his first cousin the future Queen Mary II of England, the elder of the two surviving daughters of the future King James II of England. After King James II was deposed during the Glorious Revolution, Arnold accompanied Willem and Mary to England where they jointly reigned as William III and Mary II. Arnold became a trusted advisor to William III. Both Queen Anne and King George I held Arnold in high esteem.
Unofficial Royalty: Arnold van Keppel, 1st Earl of Albemarle, favorite of King William III of England

May 30, 1730 – Death of Arabella Churchill, mistress of King James II of England, buried in the grave of her brother Admiral George Churchill at Westminster Abbey in London, England
Arabella was the sister of John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough who gained fame as a military leader and courtier during the reign of Queen Anne. His wife Sarah was Queen Anne’s Mistress of the Robes and confidante. Fifteen-year-old Arabella was sent to court to be a Maid of Honor to the Duchess of York. The Duchess of York, born Anne Hyde, was the wife of King Charles II’s brother James, Duke of York, the future King James II. Arabella captured James’ eye and became his mistress. Arabella and James had four children who were given the surname FitzJames, “son of James”. From their children, Arabella and James are the ancestors of the Earls Spencer and Diana, Princess of Wales as well as of the Dukes of Berwick, the later Dukes of Alba and Cayetana Fitz-James Stuart, 18th Duchess of Alba.
Unofficial Royalty: Arabella Churchill,  mistress of King James II of England

May 30, 1824 – Birth of Elizabeth Campbell, Duchess of Argyll, Queen Victoria’s Mistress of the Robes 1868–1870, in London, England
Born Elizabeth Leveson-Gower, daughter of George Sutherland-Leveson-Gower, 2nd Duke of Sutherland, she married George Campbell, 8th Duke of Argyll. Their eldest son John Campbell 9th Duke of Argyll married Queen Victoria’s daughter Princess Louise.
Unofficial Royalty: Elizabeth Campbell, Duchess of Argyll

May 30, 1826 – Birth of Arcadie Claret, mistress of Leopold I, King of the Belgians in Brussels, Belgium
Arcadie Claret was the mistress of Leopold I, King of the Belgians, the uncle of both Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, from around 1842 until he died in 1865. Because their relationship became publicly known and widely discussed in the press, Leopold arranged a marriage between Arcadie and Ferdinand Meyer, his Master of the Stable and friend. This marriage of convenience provided some relief from the intense speculation about Arcadie and her relationship with Leopold. Arcadie and Leopold had two sons together although both were registered as her husband’s children and given the surname Meyer.
Unofficial Royalty: Arcadie Claret, Mistress of Leopold I, King of the Belgians

May 30, 1839 – Birth of Ellen Franz, Baroness von Heldburg, morganatic third wife of Georg II, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen, in Naumberg, Kingdom of Prussia, now in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany
Ellen was an actress who came to the Meiningen Court Theatre in 1867 and appeared in numerous roles over the next six years. Within a year of arriving in Meiningen, Ellen became romantically involved with Georg II, who was still married to his second wife, Feodora of Hohenlohe-Langenburg who would die in 1872. In 1873, Ellen and Georg were married but they had no children. Sharing a love of the theatre with her husband, Ellen worked with him to reform and redevelop the Meiningen Theater. Much of their efforts became known as the Meininger Principles which are still taught in theater schools today. Ellen died on March 24, 1923, at the age of 83. She is buried beside her husband in the Park Cemetery in Meiningen, now in the German state of Thuringia.
Unofficial Royalty: Ellen Franz, Baroness von Heldburg

May 30, 1845 – Birth of King Amadeo I of Spain, born Prince Amadeo of Savoy, Duke of Aosta at the Royal Palace in Turin, Kingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia, now in Italy
Born: Amedeo Ferdinando Maria
Born the son of King Vittorio Emanuele II (King of Piedmont-Sardinia and later first King of Italy), Amedeo briefly reigned as the only King of Spain from the House of Savoy. After the exile of Queen Isabella II of Spain, the Spanish Cortes (Parliament) elected Amedeo the new King of Spain. After an attempt to assassinate him, Amedeo I declared his frustration with the complications of Spanish politics: “I do not understand anything. We’re in a mad cage.” Without popular support, Amedeo abdicated the Spanish throne.
Unofficial Royalty: King Amadeo I of Spain

May 30, 1871 – Birth of Leopold IV, Prince of Lippe in Oberkassel, Kingdom of Prussia, now in Bonn, Germany
Full name: Leopold Julius Bernhard Adalbert Otto Karl Gustav
During Leopold IV’s reign, there was much economic and cultural advancement. The major building projects provided much-needed employment for the people of Lippe. Christ Church in Detmold was built in 1908 to accommodate the growing Protestant community which had outgrown the small Church of the Redeemer. It is the burial site of Leopold IV, his two wives, and most of their children. Leopold was the last reigning Prince of Lippe, abdicating on November 12, 1918.  He negotiated a treaty with the new government allowing his family to remain in Lippe.
Unofficial Royalty: Leopold IV, Prince of Lippe

May 30, 1891 – Death of Vilhelmine Marie of Denmark, Duchess of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg, daughter of King Frederik VI of Denmark, at Schloss Glücksburg in Schleswig-Holstein, Prussia, German Empire, now in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany; buried in the Ducal Mausoleum in the Neuer Friedhof Glücksburg (New Cemetery Glücksburg)
Vilhelmine Marie’s first marriage to the future King Frederik VII of Denmark was unhappy and the couple divorced. She made a second marriage to Karl, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg, elder brother of Prince Christian of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg, the future King Christian IX of Denmark who would succeed King Frederik VII, Vilhelmine Marie’s thrice-married but childless first husband. Vilhelmine Marie’s second marriage was a happy one but it was childless. In 1864, after the Second Schleswig War, which Denmark lost, Karl’s duchy was annexed by Prussia and Karl lost his ducal title. Vilhelmine Marie and Karl were able to live at the family ancestral home Schloss Glücksburg and Karl died there in 1878. Vilhelmine Marie’s charitable work made her popular in Glücksburg. She was sad about Denmark’s loss of the Schleswig-Holstein duchies but the new Danish dynasty founded by her brother-in-law King Christian IX gave her much joy. Eventually, she became more and more isolated as her hearing loss made it difficult to communicate. Vilhelmine Marie survived her husband Karl for thirteen years, dying on May 30, 1891, at the age of 83
Unofficial Royalty: Vilhelmine Marie of Denmark, Duchess of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg

May 30, 1904 – Death of Friedrich Wilhelm, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz at Schloss Neustrelitz in Neustrelitz, Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, now in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany; buried at the New Crypt at the Johanniterkirche in Mirow, Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, now in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany
Friedrich Wilhelm married Princess Augusta of Cambridge. She was the daughter of Prince Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge (a son of King George III of the United Kingdom) and Friedrich Wilhelm’s maternal aunt Princess Augusta of Hesse-Kassel. Friedrich Wilhelm and Augusta were first cousins through their mothers and second cousins through their fathers.
Unofficial Royalty: Friedrich Wilhelm, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz

May 30, 1906 – Birth of Princess Theodora of Greece and Denmark, Margravine of Baden, sister of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, at Tatoi Palace in Greece
Theodora married Berthold, Margrave of Baden, the son of Maximilian, Margrave of Baden and Princess Marie Luise of Hanover. The couple was second cousins through their mutual descent from King Christian IX of Denmark.
Unofficial Royalty: Princess Theodora of Greece and Denmark, Margravine of Baden

May 30, 1968 – Death of Prince Ludwig of Hesse and by Rhine, Head of the House of Hesse 1937 – 1968, son of Ernst Ludwig, the last Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine and his second wife Eleonore of Solms-Hohensolms-Lich, in Frankfurt, Germany; buried at Rosenhohe in Darmstadt, Hesse, Germany
Ludwig was a godparent of Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh, the youngest child of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh who was Ludwig’s first cousin once removed.
Unofficial Royalty: Prince Ludwig of Hesse and by Rhine

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