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Mary, Princess Royal and Henry Lascelles, Viscount Lascelles (later 6th Earl of Harewood); Credit – Wikipedia

February 28, 1155 – Birth of Henry the Young King, son of King Henry II of England and Eleanor of Aquitaine, at Bermondsey Abbey in London, England
Henry’s elder brother died in 1156 at the age of two, leaving Henry as the eldest child of King Henry II. In 1160, five-year-old Henry was married to two-year-old Marguerite of France, the daughter of King Louis VII of France (who happened to be the first husband of Eleanor of Aquitaine) and his second wife Constance of Castile. The reason for the early marriage was political. Marguerite’s dowry included the disputed territory of the Vexin and King Henry II wanted to possess it. Marguerite and Henry had one son, who survived for only three days. 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 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, and died at the age of 28.
Unofficial Royalty: Henry the Young King

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

February 28, 1690 – Birth of Alexei Petrovich, Tsarevich of Russia, son of Peter I (the Great), Emperor of All Russia and his first wife Eudoxia Feodorovna Lopukhina, at Preobrazhensky, Russia
Alexei Petrovich, Tsarevich of Russia, heir to the Russian throne, was the elder of the two sons of Peter I (the Great), Emperor of All Russia and his first wife Eudoxia Feodorovna Lopukhina. In 1711, 21-year-old Alexei married 17-year-old Charlotte Christine of Brunswick-Lüneburg. Alexei and Charlotte Christine had two children, Grand Duchess Natalia Alexeievna who died of tuberculosis at age 14, and Peter II, Emperor of All Russia who died of smallpox at age 14. Three days after giving birth to her son Peter, 21-year-old Charlotte Christine died from puerperal fever (childbed fever). In 1718, Alexei confessed to being involved in a plot to overthrow his father and implicated most of his friends. He was tried, convicted, and sentenced to be executed. The sentence could be carried out only with Peter the Great’s signed authorization, but Peter hesitated in making the decision.  28-year-old Alexei died at the Fortress of St. Peter and Paul in St. Petersburg. His death most likely resulted from injuries suffered during his torture.
Unofficial Royalty: Alexei Petrovich, Tsarevich of Russia

February 28, 1823 – Birth of Friedrich Franz II, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin at Ludwigslust Palace in Ludwigslust, Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, now in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany
At the age of 21, Friedrich Franz succeeded his father Paul Friedrich as Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. He married three times: to Princess Auguste of Reuss-Köstritz (six children), Princess Anna of Hesse and by Rhine (one daughter), and Princess Marie of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt (four children including Heinrich of Mecklenburg-Schwerin who married Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands). During his reign, which lasted over 40 years, Friedrich Franz II oversaw numerous reforms in the Grand Duchy, including improving the national hospital system, reforming the judicial system and the state church. Against the interests of his relatives in neighboring Mecklenburg-Strelitz, he issued a liberal constitution in 1849. While the constitution was repealed the following year, his efforts made him immensely popular amongst his people. Friedrich Franz II died in 1883 at the age of 61.
Unofficial Royalty: Friedrich Franz II, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin

February 28, 1912 – Birth of Prince Bertil of Sweden, Duke of Halland, son of King Gustaf VI Adolf of Sweden, at the Royal Palace in Stockholm, Sweden
Full name: Bertil Gustaf Oskar Carl Eugén
Bertil was the son of King Gustav VI Adolf of Sweden and his first wife Margaret of Connaught, a granddaughter of Queen Victoria, who died before her husband became King of Sweden. Bertil served as an active naval officer. While serving as a naval attaché at the Swedish Embassy in London, Bertil met Welsh-born Lilian Craig (born May Lillian Davies) who was married to Scottish actor Ivan Craig. Bertil and Lilian soon became a couple, but their relationship remained a secret from the public for a long time. Craig was serving in World War II and when he returned home in 1945, the couple had an amicable divorce. At that time Bertil was third in the line of succession to the Swedish throne. By the time his father came to the throne in 1950, Bertil was now second in the line of succession. His elder brother Gustaf Adolf had been killed in a plane crash in 1947, leaving an infant son, Carl Gustaf, the future King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden, the heir to the throne. With the likelihood of Bertil being called to serve as Regent for his young nephew, he and Lilian chose not to marry so that he could retain his position in the Royal Family. Bertil’s father died in 1973, and Bertil’s nephew became King Carl XVI Gustaf. The rules, as well as the times, were beginning to change. In 1976, King Carl Gustaf married a commoner, Sylvia Sommerlath, and soon after, he granted his formal permission for Bertil and Lilian to marry. The couple married on December 7, 1976, at the Drottningholm Palace Chapel in the presence of the king and the queen. Bertil and Lilian had no children. Prince Bertil, aged 84, died after several years of declining health. Princess Lilian survived her husband for sixteen years, dying in 2013, at the age of 97.
Unofficial Royalty: Prince Bertil, Duke of Halland

February 28, 1922 – Wedding of Mary, Princess Royal, daughter of King George V of the United Kingdom, and Henry Lascelles, Viscount Lascelles (later 6th Earl of Harewood) at Westminster Abbey in London, England
Mary’s eldest brother, The Prince of Wales (the future King Edward VIII), knew Henry from World War I and greatly admired him. After meeting at the Grand National, an annual horse race, and a house party in 1921, Mary and Henry were continuously seen together, despite their fifteen-year age difference. They both loved horse riding and frequently attended hunts together. When Henry was invited to Balmoral and Sandringham, it was noted that there could be an engagement announcement soon. On November 20, 1921, Henry proposed to Mary at York Cottage, where he was staying while at Sandringham. The wedding of Princess Mary and Viscount Lascelles was the first time a child of a monarch had married at Westminster Abbey since 1290 when Margaret of England, daughter of King Edward I, married John II, Duke of Brabant.
Unofficial Royalty: Wedding of Mary, Princess Royal and Henry Lascelles, 6th Earl of Harewood

February 28, 1941 – Death of King Alfonso XIII of Spain in exile at the Grand Hotel in Rome, Italy; buried first at the Church of Santa Maria di Monserrato in Rome, Italy; reburied in 1980 at the Monastery of San Lorenzo El Escorial in El Escorial, Spain
Alfonso is noteworthy because he became the King of Spain at birth. His father died while his mother was pregnant. In 1906, Alfonso married Princess Victoria Eugenie of Battenberg (Ena), the daughter of Princess Beatrice, Queen Victoria’s youngest child.  He had decided to marry Ena despite the risk that she was a hemophilia carrier. Ena’s brother Leopold suffered from the disease. Alfonso and Ena’s marriage was strained from the birth of their first son Alfonso. Shortly after his birth, it was discovered that he was suffering from hemophilia. Of their children, only their oldest and youngest sons had the disease. Despite knowing the possible risk before they married, Alfonso blamed Ena for bringing the disease into the royal family and distanced himself from her. He had several mistresses and fathered at least 6 illegitimate children. In 1931, elections were held, resulting in the establishment of the Second Spanish Republic. Alfonso and his family fled Spain, settling in France and then Italy. Soon after going into exile, Alfonso and Ena went their separate ways. He remained in Rome, while Ena settled in Switzerland. On January 15, 1941, feeling that his life was coming to an end, Alfonso formally abdicated in favor of his third son Juan, Count of Barcelona (the father of the future King Juan Carlos I of Spain). His two older sons had both renounced their claims to the throne in the early 1930s. Just weeks later, on February 28, 1941, King Alfonso XIII died at the Grand Hotel in Rome, Italy at the age of 54.
Unofficial Royalty: King Alfonso XIII of Spain

February 28, 1991 – Death of Prince Wenzel of Liechtenstein, son of Prince Franz Joseph II, brother of Prince Hans-Adam II, in Vaduz, Liechtenstein; buried in the Princely Crypt at St. Florian Cathedral in Vaduz, Liechtenstein
The brother of Hans-Adam II, the current Prince of Liechtenstein, Wenzel was the youngest of the five children of Franz Josef II, Prince of Liechtenstein. He studied to become a doctor and worked in a hospital as an intern. On February 28, 1991, Wenzel, aged 28, died under unclear circumstances. The Princely Family of Liechtenstein kept silent and remains silent about the cause of death.
Unofficial Royalty: Prince Wenzel of Liechtenstein

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Prince Carl of Sweden, Duke of Västergötland; Credit – Wikipedia

February 27, 1666 – Death of Luisa de Guzmán, Queen of Portugal, wife of King João IV of Portugal, in Lisbon, Portugal; buried at the Monastery of São Vicente de Fora in Lisbon, Portugal
From a noble Spanish family, Luisa de Guzmán was the wife of João IV, the first King of Portugal from the Portuguese House of Braganza, and the mother of Catherine of Braganza, the wife of King Charles II of England.
Unofficial Royalty: Luisa de Guzmán, Queen of Portugal

February 27, 1752 – Birth of Heinrich XLII, 1st Prince Reuss of Gera in Löhma, County of Reuss-Schleiz, now in Thuringia, Germany
In 1779, Heinrich XLII married Princess Caroline of Hohenlohe-Kirchberg in Kirchberg an der Jagst. The couple had eight children but only three survived to adulthood. When Heinrich XLII’s father died in 1784, he became Count Reuss of Schleiz. In 1802, when Heinrich XXX, Count Reuss of Gera died without an heir, Heinrich XLII also became Count Reuss of Gera. In 1806, Heinrich XLII received the title of Prince from Napoleon I, Emperor of the French, and his two counties were raised to the Principality of Reuss-Gera or Reuss Younger Line and Heinrich XLII was then titled 1st Prince Reuss of Gera. Heinrich XLII, 1st Prince of Reuss of Gera died on April 17, 1818, aged 66.
Unofficial Royalty: Heinrich XLII, 1st Prince Reuss of Gera

February 27, 1853 – Death of August I, Grand Duke of Oldenburg in Oldenburg, Grand Duchy of Oldenburg, now in Lower Saxony, Germany; buried in the Ducal Mausoleum in St. Gertrude’s Cemetery in Oldenburg
In 1817, August married Princess Adelheid of Anhalt-Bernburg-Schaumburg-Hoym. They had two daughters including Amalie who married Prince Otto of Bavaria, later King of Greece. After his first wife died, August married two more times. August became Grand Duke of Oldenburg upon his father’s death in 1829 and was the first ruler to formally use the title of Grand Duke. His reign saw the development of Oldenburg into one of the cultural centers of Germany, with August also promoting social causes along with the arts and sciences. However, he was unwilling to establish a Constitution, despite being obligated by the rules of the German Confederation. It was only in 1849, after the Revolutions of 1848, that he relented. August I died on February 27, 1853, at the age of 70, and was succeeded by his son Peter II, Grand Duke of Oldenburg from his second marriage.
Unofficial Royalty: August I, Grand Duke of Oldenburg

February 27, 1861 – Birth of Prince Carl of Sweden, Duke of Västergötland, son of King Oscar II of Sweden, at Arvfurstens Palace in Stockholm, Sweden
Full name: Oscar Carl Wilhelm
In 1897, Carl married Princess Ingeborg of Denmark, a daughter of King Frederik VIII of Denmark. Carl and Ingeborg were the parents of Queen Astrid of Belgium and Crown Princess Märtha of Norway. They are the ancestors of the Belgian, Norwegian, and Luxembourg royal families. Both Carl and Ingeborg lived long lives. Carl died on October 24, 1951, at the age of 90. Ingeborg survived him by seven years, dying in 1958 at age 79.
Unofficial Royalty: Prince Carl of Sweden, Duke of Västergötland

February 27, 1998 – Death of The Honourable Gerald David Lascelles, younger son of Mary, Princess Royal and first cousin of Queen Elizabeth II, in Bergerac, France; buried at All Saint’s Church in Harewood, West Yorkshire, England where his parents and brother are also buried.
Gerald was the younger son of Henry Lascelles, 6th Earl of Harewood and Mary, Princess Royal, the only daughter of King George V of the United Kingdom. Gerald married twice. He first married actress Angela Dowding in 1952. The couple had one son and divorced in 1978. Their marriage collapsed when Gerald left Angela to live with another former actress, Elizabeth Collingwood, whom he had known for 20 years and with whom he already had a son. Gerald was a race car driver, a director of the Silverstone Circuit, a car race track in Northamptonshire, England, and served as president of the British Racing Drivers’ Club from 1964 to 1991. He died on February 27, 1998, in Bergerac, France at the age of 73.
Unofficial Royalty: The Honourable Gerald Lascelles

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King Eric XIV of Sweden; Credit – Wikipedia

February 26, 1275 – Death of Margaret of England, daughter of King Henry III of England, wife of Alexander III, King of Scots, at Cupar Castle in Fife, Scotland; buried at Dunfermline Abbey in Fife, Scotland
The betrothal of Margaret and the future Alexander III, King of Scots was part of a peace negotiation arranged by their fathers. Four years after the betrothal, 7-year-old Alexander became King of Scots. In 1251, at York Minster in York, England, 11-year-old Margaret became Queen of Scots when she married 10-year-old King Alexander III. The wedding celebrations were festive and attended by many people including 1,000 English and 600 Scottish knights. The couple had three children but the death of their only surviving son caused a succession issue. Margaret and her husband attended the coronation of her brother King Edward I of England on August 19, 1274, at Westminster Abbey, but Margaret only lived for six more months. At the age of 34, she died on February 26, 1275, at Cupar Castle in Fife, Scotland, and was buried at Dunfermline Abbey in Fife, Scotland where many Scottish royals were buried.
Unofficial Royalty: Margaret of England, Queen of Scots

February 26, 1416 – Birth of Christopher III, King of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden, born Christopher of Bavaria in Neumarkt in der Oberpfalz, then in Palatinate-Neumarkt, now in the administrative region of the Upper Palatinate in Bavaria, Germany.
Christopher was King of Denmark (1440 – 1448), Sweden (1441 – 1448), and Norway (1442 – 1448) during the era of the Kalmar Union, a personal union from 1397 to 1523 of the three kingdoms of Denmark, Sweden, and Norway. In 1445,  29-year-old Christopher III married 15-year-old Dorothea of Brandenburg. The marriage was childless and lasted less than three years. On January 5, 1448, 31-year-old Christopher suddenly died at Kärnan Fortress in Helsingborg, Sweden. He is buried at Roskilde Cathedral in Roskilde, Denmark.
Unofficial Royalty: Christopher III, King of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden

February 26, 1577 – Death of King Eric XIV of Sweden at Örbyhus Castle in Sweden; buried at Västerås Cathedral in Sweden
Erik was the only child of King Gustav I Vasa of Sweden and his first wife Katharina of Saxe-Lauenburg. Early in his reign, he showed signs of mental instability, a condition that eventually led to insanity. Some scholars claim that his illness began early during his reign, while others believe that it first manifested with the Sture murders in which he and his guards killed six men. Deposed by his half-brother who became King Johan III of Sweden, Erik was imprisoned, and likely murdered by arsenic poisoning. Erik, having been deposed and imprisoned, was most likely murdered. An examination of his remains in 1958 confirmed that Erik probably died of arsenic poisoning.
Unofficial Royalty: King Eric XIV of Sweden

February 26, 1603 – Death of Maria of Spain and Austria, Holy Roman Empress, Queen of Bohemia, Queen of Hungary and Croatia, Archduchess of Austria, at Monastery of Santa Clara de las Descalzas Reales in Madrid, Spain where she was also buried
Maria, Infanta of Spain, Archduchess of Austria was the wife of her first cousin Maximilian II, Holy Roman Emperor. She was the daughter of Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor (also Carlos I, King of Spain; Karl I, Archduke of Austria; Charles II, Lord of the Netherlands, Duke of Burgundy, among many other titles) and Isabella of Portugal. Maria and Maximilian had fifteen children. After Maximilian’s death, Maria remained in Vienna for six years and had great influence over her sons Rudolf and Matthias, both Holy Roman Emperors. She then retired to the Monastery of Santa Clara de las Descalzas Reales in Madrid, Spain, founded in 1559 by her younger sister Juana, where she died in 1603 and was buried.
Unofficial Royalty: Maria of Spain and Austria, Holy Roman Empress, Queen of Bohemia, Queen of Hungary and Croatia, Archduchess of Austria

February 26, 1861 – Birth of Ferdinand I, Tsar of Bulgaria, born Prince Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha-Koháry at the Palais Coburg  in Vienna, Austria
Born Prince Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha-Koháry, he was elected Knyaz (Prince) of Bulgaria in 1887. In 1908, Ferdinand elevated Bulgaria to a kingdom and became Tsar Ferdinand I. The Balkan War and World War I consumed much of the next ten years. On October 3, 1918, taking full responsibility for Bulgaria’s loss in World War I, Ferdinand abdicated in favor of his son Boris. Ferdinand settled in Coburg, Germany where he devoted his time to his favorite pastimes, art, gardening, travel, and history. In 1943, his son Tsar Boris III died, and then in 1945, Ferdinand’s other son Kyril was executed. His young grandson Simeon was deposed in 1946, and the Bulgarian monarchy was abolished. Heartbroken at the loss of his family and his kingdom, Ferdinand died in Coburg. Unable to be buried in Bulgaria at the time, his remains were temporarily placed in the crypt of St. Augustine’s Church in Coburg, Germany next to those of his parents. On May 29, 2024, the remains of Ferdinand I were transported from Coburg to Sofia, Bulgaria where they were interred in the Palace Crypt at Vrana Palace on the outskirts of Sofia.
Unofficial Royalty: Tsar Ferdinand I of Bulgaria

February 26, 1869 – Birth of Prince Albert, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein, grandson of Queen Victoria, at Frogmore House in Windsor, England
Full name: Albert John Charles Frederick Alfred George
Prince Albert was the son of Princess Helena, daughter of Queen Victoria, and Prince Christian of Schleswig-Holstein. He never married but succeeded his childless first cousin, Ernst Günther, as titular Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenberg.  Shortly before his death, he recognized an illegitimate daughter, Valerie Marie.
Unofficial Royalty: Prince Albert, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein

February 26, 1909 – Birth of King Talal of Jordan in Mecca in the Hejaz, then part of the Ottoman Empire, now part of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
At the time of the death of his father, the first King of Jordan, Abdullah I, Talal was in a sanatorium in Switzerland being treated for a nervous breakdown. At first, it was unsure whether Talal would succeed his father due to his mental condition, but on September 5, 1951, he was proclaimed King of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. On June 4, 1952, the Jordanian Cabinet announced that it was necessary to form a Regency Council because Talal’s condition had worsened. The Jordanian Parliament declared Talal mentally unfit on August 11, 1952, and proclaimed his eldest son Hussein King of Jordan. Talal died on July 7, 1972, in Istanbul, Turkey where he had spent the last years of his life in a sanatorium reportedly being treated for schizophrenia.
Unofficial Royalty: King Talal of Jordan

February 26, 1933 – Death of Thyra of Denmark, Crown Princess of Hanover, daughter of King Christian IX of Denmark and wife of Ernst Augustus, Crown Prince of the defunct throne of Hanover, at Schloss Cumberland in Gmunden, Austria, buried with her husband in the family mausoleum in Gmunden
Thyra was the sister of King Frederik VIII of Denmark, Queen Alexandra of the United Kingdom, King George I of Greece, and Empress Maria Feodorovna of Russia. She married Ernst August II, Crown Prince of Hanover. Although she never officially became a queen like her sisters, Thyra was the titular queen consort of Hanover as her husband had never renounced his rights to the throne. She also counts among her descendants King Constantine II of Greece, his sister Queen Sofia of Spain, Queen Sofia’s son King Felipe VI of Spain, and future Spanish monarchs. Thyra died at the age of 80 and is buried with her husband in the family mausoleum in Gmunden, Austria.
Unofficial Royalty: Thyra of Denmark, Crown Princess of Hanover

February 26, 1933 – Death of Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich of Russia, husband of Grand Duchess Xenia Alexandrovna of Russia (daughter of Alexander III, Emperor of All Russia), at Villa St Thérèse in Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, France; buried at the Cimetière de Roquebrune-Cap-Martin in France
Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich of Russia, known as Sandro, was the son of Grand Duke Michael Nikolaevich of Russia (son of Nicholas I, Emperor of All Russia). In 1894, Sandro married Grand Duchess Xenia Alexandrovna of Russia, the sister of Sandro’s friend, Nicholas II, Emperor of All Russia, and the daughter of Alexander III, Emperor of All Russia and Dagmar of Denmark (Empress Maria Feodorovna). The couple had one daughter and six sons and they are the ancestors of most of the current Romanov descendants. Sandro and Xenia escaped during the Russian Revolution. Sadly, Sandro was the only one of four surviving brothers to escape Russia. In July 1918, his brother Sergei was killed by the Bolsheviks with Grand Duchess Elisabeth Feodorovna and four other Romanovs. His brothers Nicholas and George along with two other Grand Dukes were shot in January 1919 at the Fortress of St. Peter and Paul in St. Petersburg. Sandro died on February 26, 1933, at Villa St Thérèse in Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, France at the age of 66.
Unofficial Royalty: Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich of Russia

February 26, 1954 – Birth of Prince Ernst August of Hanover in Hanover, Lower Saxony, West Germany, now in Germany
Full name: Ernst August Albert Paul Otto Rupprecht Oskar Berthold Friedrich-Ferdinand Christian Ludwig
Ernst is the senior direct male-to-male descendant of King George III of the United Kingdom.  He is descended from George III’s son, Ernest, Duke of Cumberland, who became King of Hanover (due to the Salic Law which did not allow female succession) following King William IV’s death and the accession of Queen Victoria’s accession. He is the current pretender to the thrones of the Kingdom of Hanover and the Duchy of Brunswick.
Unofficial Royalty: Ernst August, Prince of Hanover

February 26, 1959 – Death of Princess Alexandra, 2nd Duchess of Fife, daughter of Alexander Duff, Duke of Fife and Louise, Princess Royal (daughter of King Edward VII of the United Kingdom) at Avenue Road, London, England; buried at Mar Lodge Chapel in Braemar, Aberdeenshire, Scotland
Alexandra was the eldest surviving child of Princess Louise, Princess Royal and Alexander Duff, 1st Duke of Fife, and a grandchild of King Edward VII of the United Kingdom. She married her first cousin once removed, Prince Arthur of Connaught, the only son of Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught. After her father’s death, Alexandra became the Duchess of Fife in her own right. Alexandra died at her home in London on February 26, 1959, at the age of 67. She is buried in the private chapel in the mausoleum of Mar Lodge in Braemar, Aberdeenshire, Scotland where her parents are buried.
Unofficial Royalty: Princess Alexandra, 2nd Duchess of Fife

February 26, 2000 – Death of Giovanna of Savoy, Tsaritsa of Bulgaria, wife of Tsar Boris III of Bulgaria, in Estoril, Portugal; buried at the Basilica of San Francesco d’Assisi in Assisi, Italy
Giovanna was the daughter of King Vittorio Emanuele III of Italy and Princess Elena of Montenegro. In 1930, she married Tsar Boris III of Bulgaria. The couple had two children including Tsar Simeon III who succeeded his father. As Simeon Borisov Sakskoburggotski (Saxe-Coburg-Gotha), the former Tsar Simeon served as Prime Minister of Bulgaria from 2001 to 2005 and as party leader until 2009. After the Soviet invasion and the abolition of the monarchy in the 1940s, the family lived in exile. In 1993, following the fall of the communist regime, Giovanna made a memorable visit to Bulgaria, on the 50th anniversary of her husband’s death. She died in Estoril, Portugal on February 26, 2000. Following her wishes to be buried in Italy, she was buried at the Chapel of the Friars at the Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi in Assisi, Italy.
Unofficial Royalty: Giovanna of Savoy, Tsaritsa of Bulgaria

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Princess Alice of Battenberg, wife of Prince Andrew of Greece and mother of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh; Credit – Wikipedia

February 25, 1475 – Birth of Edward Plantagenet, 17th Earl of Warwick, son of George Plantagenet, Duke of Clarence and Isabel Neville, at Warwick Castle in Warwickshire, England
Because he was a potential claimant to the English throne during the reign of King Henry VII, the first Tudor monarch of England, Edward Plantagenet, 17th Earl of Warwick was beheaded. His only surviving sibling Margaret Pole, 8th Countess of Salisbury had the same ending during the reign of King Henry VIII.
Unofficial Royalty: Edward Plantagenet, 17th Earl of Warwick

February 25, 1558 – Death of Eleanor of Austria, third wife of King Manuel I of Portugal and second wife of King François I of France, in Talavera la Real, Spain; buried at the Monastery of San Lorenzo El Real in El Escorial, Spain
Eleanor was the eldest of the six children of Philip (the Handsome), Duke of Burgundy and Joanna, Queen of Castile and León and Queen of Aragon. Her two brothers were Kings and Holy Roman Emperors and Eleanor and her three sisters were all Queen Consorts  In 1518, 19-year-old Eleanor became Queen of Portugal when she married 49-year-old Manuel I.  The couple had one surviving daughter. After Manuel’s death from the plague in 1521, Eleanor remained unmarried for nine years. To seal a treaty between the Holy Roman Empire and France, François I, King of France, a widower for several years, agreed to marry Eleanor, the sister of Holy Roman Emperor Charles V. Eleanor and François were married in 1530. Eleanor was ignored by François I who preferred his mistresses. Needless to say, Eleanor and François had no children. Eleanor died on February 18, 1558, at the age of 59. Her siblings Charles and Mary also died in 1558. Charles died on September 21, 1558, and Mary died on October 18, 1558.
Unofficial Royalty: Eleanor of Austria, Queen of Portugal, Queen of France

February 25, 1601 – Execution of Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, favorite of Queen Elizabeth I of England, at the Tower of London, in London, England; buried at the Chapel of St. Peter ad Vincula at the Tower of London
A favorite of Queen Elizabeth I but beheaded for treason, Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex was the great-grandson of Mary Boleyn, sister of Anne Boleyn, and the stepson of Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester, Queen Elizabeth I’s favorite. Robert Dudley had much influence on his godson and stepson Robert Devereux. Robert served in the military under his stepfather’s command in the Netherlands. Several years before he died in 1588, Dudley introduced Robert to the Elizabethan court, and Elizabeth I increasingly became interested in the young man. Robert spent much time in the company of Elizabeth I and succeeded his stepfather in royal favor. Although Elizabeth I was thirty-two years older than Robert, she found it very pleasant to be adored by such a young man. In 1601, he led an abortive coup d’état against the government of Elizabeth I and was executed for treason.
Unofficial Royalty: Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, favorite of Queen Elizabeth I of England

February 25, 1661 – Birth of Lady Anne FitzRoy, illegitimate daughter of King Charles II of England and his Barbara Palmer, 1st Duchess of Cleveland, at Westminster, London, England
Besides Anne, Barbara gave birth to five other children and it is surmised that they were all the children of King Charles II. Through their children, Barbara Palmer and King Charles II are the ancestors of Diana, Princess of Wales and Sarah, Duchess of York, and their children Prince William, Prince Harry, Princess Beatrice, and Princess Eugenie. Anne married Thomas Lennard, 15th Baron Dacre, who was created Earl of Sussex upon his marriage to Anne. Anne and Thomas had four children but only their two daughters survived childhood.
Unofficial Royalty: Lady Anne FitzRoy

February 25, 1713 – Death of King Friedrich I of Prussia in Berlin, Kingdom of Prussia, now in Brandenburg, Germany, buried at Berlin Cathedral
Friedrich I was the founder of the Kingdom of Prussia and its first King, reigning from 1701 until 1713. Upon his father’s death in April 1688, Friedrich succeeded him as Friedrich III, Elector of Brandenburg and Duke of Prussia. In November 1700, in exchange for supporting the Holy Roman Empire in the Spanish War of Succession, Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor agreed to allow Friedrich III, Duke of Prussia, Elector of Brandenburg to make Prussia a kingdom and become its first king. Having been in ill health for some time, King Friedrich I died at the age of 55, on February 25, 1713,
Unofficial Royalty: King Friedrich I of Prussia

February 25, 1753 – Birth of Frances Villiers, Countess of Jersey, mistress of King George IV of the United Kingdom, born Frances Twysden in London, England
Frances began her affair with George, then Prince of Wales, in 1793, following a string of other discreet affairs. George was secretly married to Maria Fitzherbert in contravention of the Royal Marriages Act his wandering eye could not be kept in check. Frances had convinced the Prince to end his relationship with Mrs. Fitzherbert and encouraged him to marry his future wife, Caroline of Brunswick. Frances was appointed a Lady of the Bedchamber to the new Princess of Wales. Frances and George continued their affair and soon, he brought Mrs. Fitzherbert back into his life. The two women disliked each other greatly, but the Prince continued his affairs with both. Then, a new mistress made her appearance, The Marchioness of Hertford soon replaced Frances as the Prince of Wales’s mistress. By 1807, Frances lost her royal household position and left the court completely. Having been widowed in 1805 and left with little financial means, Frances struggled to maintain the lifestyle expected of someone of her rank. She benefited only from her son’s generosity who had increased her annual income and often paid off her debts.
Unofficial Royalty: Frances Villiers, Countess of Jersey, mistress of King George IV of the United Kingdom

February 25, 1805 – Death of Friederike Luise of Hesse-Darmstadt, Queen of Prussia, second wife of King Friedrich Wilhelm II of Prussia, at Monbijou Palace in Berlin, Kingdom of Prussia, now in Brandenburg, Germany; buried at the Berlin Cathedral
In 1769, Friederike Luise married the future King Friedrich Wilhelm II of Prussia as his second wife. The couple had seven children. Friederike Luise was ignored and neglected by her husband, who chose to spend his time with his official mistress, and later two additional morganatic wives. Even her husband’s uncle King, Friedrich II, who had arranged the marriage, failed to give her the support and privileges her predecessor had enjoyed. Instead of being a major part of the Prussian court, she lived primarily in Potsdam, rarely permitted to visit Berlin. In 1786, her husband became King of Prussia. Friederike Luise moved to Berlin and took up her role and duties as Queen but her situation did not change.  Her husband had two bigamous, morganatic marriages. Eventually, Friederike Luise lived at Monbijou Palace, while her husband lived at the nearby Berlin Palace. Monbijou Palace would remain her primary residence for the rest of her life. On February 25, 1805, at just 53 years old, Friederike Luise suffered a stroke and died.
Unofficial Royalty: Friederike Luise of Hesse-Darmstadt, Queen of Prussia

February 25, 1848 – Birth of King Wilhelm II of Württemberg in Stuttgart, Kingdom of  Württemberg, now in Baden-Württemberg, Germany
Full name: Wilhelm Karl Paul Heinrich Friedrich
Wilhelm became King of Württemberg in 1891, upon the death of his childless uncle King Karl. Wilhelm’s two marriages were also childless. He was much-loved by his people, and respected for his more down-to-earth nature. He was often seen walking his dogs in the streets of Stuttgart, unaccompanied and greeting all he met. Wilhelm was the last King of Württemberg, abdicating on November 30, 1918, after the fall of the German Empire. Wilhelm negotiated with the new government to receive an annual income for himself and his second wife Charlotte of Schaumburg-Lippe, and retained Schloss Bebenhausen in Bebenhausen, Germany where the couple lived for the remainder of their lives.
Unofficial Royalty: King Wilhelm II of Württemberg

February 25, 1883 – Birth of Princess Alice of Albany, daughter of Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany and the last surviving grandchild of Queen Victoria, at Windsor Castle in Windsor, England
Full name: Alice Mary Victoria Augusta Pauline
Princess Alice of Albany, Countess of Athlone lived through six reigns: Queen Victoria (grandmother), King Edward VII (uncle), King George V (first cousin and brother-in-law), King Edward VIII (first cousin once removed and nephew by marriage), King George VI (first cousin once removed and nephew by marriage) and Queen Elizabeth II (first cousin twice removed and great-niece by marriage). Princess Alice was the daughter of Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany, son of Queen Victoria, and Princess Helen of Waldeck-Pyrmont. In 1904, Alice married Prince Alexander of Teck (after 1917 Alexander Cambridge, Earl of Athlone), the brother of Queen Mary, King George V’s wife. The couple had three children. Unfortunately, Alice passed hemophilia to her son Rupert who died from injuries received in a car accident which he probably would have survived had he not had hemophilia. Alice was the last surviving grandchild of Queen Victoria, dying at the age of 97, one month short of her 98th birthday.
Unofficial Royalty: Princess Alice of Albany, Countess of Athlone

February 25, 1885 – Birth of Princess Alice of Battenberg, great-granddaughter of Queen Victoria, wife of Prince Andrew of Greece and mother of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, at Windsor Castle in Windsor, England
Full name: Victoria Alice Elisabeth Julia Maria
Alice was the daughter of Prince Louis of Battenberg, later 1st Marquess of Milford Haven and Princess Victoria of Hesse and by Rhine, a grandchild of Queen Victoria. As a child, Alice was diagnosed with congenital deafness and learned to lip-read in both English and German. In 1903, she married Prince Andreas of Greece and Denmark and the couple had four daughters and one son, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. Alice spent time in a Swiss sanitorium after she was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia. Alice’s husband moved to the French Riviera and enjoyed a life of leisure, spending much of his time living aboard his mistress’ yacht. In November 1947, Alice returned to the United Kingdom for her son’s wedding. Some of her jewels were used to create Elizabeth’s engagement ring and a bracelet Philip designed for her as a wedding gift. In 1948, Alice founded a nursing order of nuns, the Christian Sisterhood of Martha and Mary. She established a home for the order just north of Athens and trained on the Greek island of Tinos. In 1953, Princess Alice attended the coronation of her daughter-in-law Queen Elizabeth II at Westminster Abbey. Alice left Greece in 1967 following the Colonels’ Coup and was invited by her son and daughter-in-law to live at Buckingham Palace in London, England. She died there at the age of 84.
Unofficial Royalty: Prince Alice of Battenberg, Princess Andreas of Greece

February 25, 1912 – Death of Grand Duke Guillaume IV of Luxembourg at Berg Castle, Luxembourg; buried at the burial chapel of Schloss Weilburg, the former residence of the House of Nassau and Dukes of Nassau-Weilburg, in Weilburg, Germany
The Grand Duchy of Luxembourg was united with the Netherlands and King Willem I of the Netherlands was also Grand Duke of Luxembourg. This rule continued until King Willem III of the Netherlands died in 1890. His successor was his daughter Wilhelmina, who could not inherit the throne of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg due to the Salic Law which prevented female succession. Through the Nassau Family Pact, Wilhelm’s father Adolph became the Grand Duke of Luxembourg and Wilhelm became His Royal Highness The Hereditary Grand Duke of Luxembourg on November 23, 1890. Usually, Wilhelm is styled using the French for Wilhelm, Guillaume. In 1893, Wilhelm married Infanta Maria Ana of Portugal and the couple had six daughters. He became Grand Duke of Luxembourg upon his father’s death in 1905. After being ill for several years, Wilhelm died on February 25, 1912, at the age of 59.
Unofficial Royalty: Grand Duke Guillaume IV of Luxembourg

February 25, 1953 – Death of Princess Françoise of Greece and Denmark, born Princess Françoise of Orléans, second wife of Prince Christopher of Greece and Denmark, in Paris, France; buried at Royal Cemetery, Tatoi Palace, Greece
Françoise was the daughter of Prince Jean of Orléans, Duke of Guise, an Orléanist pretender to the throne of France, and Princess Isabelle of Orléans. She was a great-great-granddaughter of Louis Philippe I, King of the French, four times over, and a great-granddaughter of Emperor Pedro I of Brazil and King Ferdinand VII of Spain. In 1929, she married the widowed Prince Christopher of Greece and Denmark and the couple had one son. Christopher died in 1940, at the age of 51, after suffering from a lung abscess. After her husband’s death, Françoise’s financial situation was tenuous. After living in several places, she finally settled with her sister in Paris, France. Françoise became very introverted and greatly limited her social interactions. Suffering from depression, her health quickly declined. She died in Paris, France in 1953, just two months after her 50th birthday.
Unofficial Royalty: Princess Françoise of Orléans, Princess Françoise of Greece and Denmark

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Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor as a boy (center) with his sisters Eleanor (left, future Queen of Portugal and France) and Isabella (right, future Queen of Denmark)

February 24, 1500 – Birth of Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, King of Spain, Archduke of Austria, Lord of the Netherlands, Duke of Burgundy at the Prinsenhof in Ghent, County of Flanders, Burgundian State, now in Belgium
Best known as Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, Charles was one of the most powerful ever monarchs and had a large number of titles due to his vast inheritance of the Burgundian, Spanish, and Austrian realms. He was the second of the six children and the elder of the two sons of Philip of Austria, Duke of Burgundy, the ruler of the Burgundian State from the House of Habsburg, and Juana I, Queen of Castile and León from the House of Trastámara.
Unofficial Royalty: Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, King of Spain, Archduke of Austria, Lord of the Netherlands, Duke of Burgundy

February 24, 1557 – Birth of Matthias, Holy Roman Emperor, King of Bohemia, Archduke of Austria, Archduke of Further Austria, King of Hungary and Croatia in Vienna, Archduchy of Austria, now in Austria
Matthias, Holy Roman Emperor (reigned 1612 – 1619) was also King of Bohemia (reigned 1611 – 1617), Archduke of Austria (reigned 1608 – 1619), Archduke of Further Austria, (1608 – 1619), King of Hungary and Croatia (reigned 1608 – 1618). In 1611, Matthias married his first cousin Anna of Tyrol. Although Matthias was 54 years old, he hoped to have children with his 26-year-old wife but their marriage was childless. Although Matthias and his wife Anna did not leave any children, they left the future Habsburgs a burial site. Matthias and Anna founded the Capuchin Church (German: Kapuzinerkirche) in Vienna, Austria, where the Imperial Crypt (German: Kaisergruft), the traditional burial site of the Habsburgs, is located.
Unofficial Royalty: Matthias, Holy Roman Emperor, King of Bohemia, Archduke of Austria, Archduke of Further Austria, King of Hungary and Croatia

February 24, 1729 – Death of Ernst Ludwig II, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen in Meiningen, Duchy of Saxe-Meiningen, now in Thuringia, Germany, buried in the Castle Church at Elisabethenburg Palace in Meiningen
Although Ernst Ludwig was the third son, his elder brothers died before their father, making him heir to the ducal throne. He became Duke of Saxe-Meiningen upon his father’s death in November 1724. Just fifteen years old, his brief reign was overseen by his two uncles, Friedrich Wilhelm and Anton Ulrich. Ernst Ludwig died just five years later.
Unofficial Royalty: Ernst Ludwig II, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen

February 24, 1774 – Birth of Prince Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge, son of King George III of the United Kingdom, at the Queen’s House, now Buckingham Palace, in London, England
Full name: Adolphus Frederick
Through his granddaughter, born Princess Victoria Mary of Teck, wife of King George V of the United Kingdom, Prince Adolphus is an ancestor of the British Royal Family. In 1818, Adolphus married Princess Augusta of Hesse-Kassel, a great-granddaughter of King George II of Great Britain. They had three children including Princess Mary Adelaide of Cambridge, the mother of  Princess Victoria Mary of Teck.
Unofficial Royalty: Prince Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge

February 24, 1777 – Birth of King José I of Portugal at Ribeira Palace in Lisbon, Portugal
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 

February 24, 1906 – Birth of Berthold, Margrave of Baden, Head of the House of Zähringen and pretender to the former Grand Ducal throne of Baden from 1929 until he died in 1963, in Karlsruhe, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
In 1931 in Baden-Baden, Berthold married Princess Theodora of Greece and Denmark, the second daughter of Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark and Princess Alice of Battenberg (as well as the elder sister of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh). The couple was second cousins through their mutual great-grandfather, King Christian IX of Denmark. Berthold and Theodora had three children.
Unofficial Royalty: Berthold, Margrave of Baden

February 24, 1931 – Death of Friedrich August II, Grand Duke of Oldenburg at Schloss Rastede in Oldenburg, Lower Saxony, Germany; buried in the Ducal Mausoleum in St. Gertrude’s Cemetery in Oldenburg
Friedrich August was the last Grand Duke of Oldenburg, abdicating on November 11, 1918. In 1878, he married Princess Elisabeth Anna of Prussia, and the couple had one surviving daughter. After his first wife died in 1895, Friedrich August, needing a male heir and a mother for his surviving daughter, married Elisabeth Alexandrine of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. They had five children. Friedrich August became Grand Duke of Oldenburg upon his father’s death in 1900. After his abdication, Friedrich August retired to Schloss Rastede where he took up farming. Claiming an “extremely precarious” financial situation, he petitioned the Oldenburg government for an annual allowance the year after his abdication. Friedrich August, aged 78, died at his home Schloss Rastede on February 24, 1931.
Unofficial Royalty: Friedrich August II, Grand Duke of Oldenburg

February 24, 1963 – Birth of Prince Carlo of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, Duke of Castro in Saint-Raphaël, Var, France
Prince Carlo is one of the current claimants to the headship of the House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, and a pretender to the throne of the former kingdom. He succeeded his father in 2008.
Full name: Carlo Maria Bernardo Gennaro
Unofficial Royalty: Prince Carlo of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, Duke of Castro

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Alexander Mountbatten, 1st Marquess of Carisbrooke; Credit – Wikipedia

February 23, 1447 – Death of Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester, son of King Henry IV of England, at Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk, England; buried at the Abbey Church of St. Albans in Hertfordshire, England
Humphrey received an excellent education and it is thought he was educated at Balliol College, Oxford. He had a great love of learning, was a collector of books and manuscripts, and commissioned translations of classical works from Greek into Latin. When Humphrey died, he donated his collection of 281 manuscripts to the University of Oxford. The university built Duke Humfrey’s Library as a second story to the Divinity School to house his collection in 1450-80. Duke Humfrey’s Library still exists and it is the oldest reading room in the Bodleian Library at the University of Oxford. During the early reign of his nephew King Henry VI,  Humphrey had become the heir presumptive to the throne after the death of his older brother John, Duke of Bedford and it was feared that if Henry VI left England, Humphrey could exercise his claim to be regent. Humphrey was hostile to the French while the English powers that be wanted peace. Humphrey was arrested and it appeared there would be a trial that would result in Humphrey’s disgrace or even a worse fate. However, there was no trial as five days later, Humphrey died. There is some suspicion that some foul play was involved, but most likely Humphrey had a stroke because he was in a coma for three days before he died.
Unofficial Royalty: Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester

February 23, 1648 – Birth of Arabella Churchill, mistress of King James II of England, probably born at Ash, the family home of Arabella’s mother in Musbury, Devonshire, 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

February 23, 1716 – Death of Countess Marianne von Thun-Hohenstein, the second of the four wives of Josef Johann Adam, Prince of Liechtenstein
On February 3, 1716, seventeen-year-old Marianne married the widowed Prince Josef Johann Adam. The marriage did not even last a month. Three weeks after the marriage, on February 23, 1716, Marianne died in Vienna and was buried in the Old Crypt at the Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary in Vranov, Moravia, now in the Czech Republic.
Unofficial Royalty: The Four Wives of Josef Johann Adam, Prince of Liechtenstein

February 23, 1769 – Birth of Pauline of Anhalt-Bernburg, Princess of Lippe, Regent of Lippe, wife of Leopold I, Prince of Lippe, in Ballenstedt, Principality of Anhalt-Bernburg, now in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany
Full name: Pauline Christine Wilhelmine
Pauline’s husband Leopold I, Prince of Lippe had mental disorders and he was deemed incapacitated for some time. Because of Leopold’s tenuous mental condition, Pauline became his governmental adviser and colleague, staying mostly in the background and avoiding anything that could be interpreted as exceeding her duties. Pauline was not only Princess Consort of Lippe, she ably served as Regent of the Principality of Lippe for eighteen years during the minority of her son Leopold II, Prince of Lippe who succeeded his father when he was five years old. The social work she started in Detmold, then in the Principality of Lippe, now in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt, continues today with the charity she founded, the Princess Pauline Foundation. Pauline is considered one of the most important rulers of Lippe.
Unofficial Royalty: Pauline of Anhalt-Bernburg, Princess of Lippe, Regent of Lippe

February 23, 1779 – Birth of Prince Octavius of Great Britain, son of King George III of the United Kingdom, at the Queen’s House, now Buckingham Palace, in London, England
Smallpox was a leading cause of death in the 18th century. By having their children inoculated against smallpox, King George III and Queen Charlotte were trying to protect them and starting down the long road that would eventually lead to the eradication of this terrible disease.  Before Edward Jenner developed the smallpox vaccine that contained the cowpox virus, variolation, first seen in China in the fifteenth century, was another way to protect against smallpox. Live smallpox virus in the liquid taken from a smallpox blister in a mild case of the disease was put into a cut of a healthy person who developed a very mild case of smallpox.  About 3% of those inoculated developed a severe case of smallpox and died but that was preferable to catching smallpox with its mortality rate of 20–40% and scarred survivors. Sadly, four-year-old Octavius was one of those who died after inoculation.
Unofficial Royalty: Prince Octavius of Great Britain
Unofficial Royalty: Smallpox knew no class boundaries

February 23, 1800 – Birth of Adelheid of Anhalt-Bernburg-Schaumburg-Hoym, first wife of Grand Duke August I of Oldenburg, at Schaumburg Castle in the Principality of  Anhalt-Bernburg-Schaumburg-Hoym, now in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany
In 1817, Adelheid married the then-Duke August of Oldenburg. The couple had two daughters including Amalia who married Prince Otto of Bavaria, later King of Greece. Adelheid died suddenly at the age of 20. Five years after her death, her husband married her youngest sister Ida.
Unofficial Royalty: Adelheid of Anhalt-Bernburg-Schaumburg-Hoym, Duchess of Oldenburg

February 23, 1803 – Birth of Alexandrine of Prussia, Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, daughter of King Friedrich Wilhelm III of Prussia and wife of Grand Duke Paul Friedrich of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, in Berlin, Kingdom of Prussia, now in Brandenburg, Germany
Full name: Friederike Wilhelmine Alexandrine Marie Helene
In 1822, Alexandrine married the future Grand Duke Paul Friedrich of Mecklenburg-Schwerin and although the marriage was not happy, they had three children. Her husband became Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin in 1837, died five years later, and was succeeded by the couple’s son Friedrich Franz II. At the time of her death in 1892, Alexandrine had been widowed for fifty years, lived through the reign of her son, and saw her grandson succeed to the Grand Ducal throne of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
Unofficial Royalty: Alexandrine of Prussia, Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg-Schwerin

February 23, 1883 – Birth of Adolf II, Prince of Schaumburg-Lippe in Stadthagen, Principality of Schaumberg-Lippe, now in North-Rhine Westphalia, Germany
Upon his father’s death in 1911, Adolf became the reigning Prince of Schaumberg-Lippe. After the defeat of the German Empire in World War I, Adolf II was forced to abdicate on November 15, 1918, and the Principality of Schaumberg-Lippe became the Free State of Schaumburg-Lippe. Adolf was exiled from the Free State of Schaumburg-Lippe and lived in the Brionian Islands, then Italy, and now in Croatia. In 1920, Adolf married actress Elisabeth Franziska (Ellen) von Bischoff-Korthaus. The marriage was childless. On March 26, 1936, Adolf and his wife were killed in an airplane crash in Zumpango, Mexico, along with eight other passengers and four crew members.
Unofficial Royalty: Adolf II, Prince of Schaumburg-Lippe

February 23, 1918 – Death of Adolf Friedrich VI, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz at Neustrelitz, Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, now in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany; buried on Love Island, a small island off Castle Island in Mirow, Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, now in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany
Adolf Friedrich developed a strong love for the United Kingdom, likely influenced by his grandmother, who was born Princess Augusta of Cambridge, a granddaughter of King George III of the United Kingdom.  He 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 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 suggesting 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

February 23, 1960 – Death of Alexander Mountbatten, 1st Marquess of Carisbrooke, grandson of Queen Victoria, at Kensington Palace in London, England; cremated and ashes buried at St. Mildred’s Church, Whippingham, Isle of Wight, England
Alexander was the son of Princess Beatrice of the United Kingdom and Prince Henry of Battenberg.  When World War I started in August of 1914, Alexander’s regiment was under deployment orders, as was the 60th Rifles, the regiment of his brothers Leopold and Maurice. A little more than two months after the war started, Maurice was killed in action. During World War I, his surname was changed to Mountbatten and he was created 1st Marquess of Carisbrooke. In 1917, he married Lady Irene Denison, daughter of the 3rd Earl of Londesbrough and they had one daughter. After World War I, Alexander began a business career and started work as a clerk in the offices of the bank Lazard Brothers. Alexander also worked for the Metropolitan Housing Corporation which controlled many housing estates for artisans, and Alexander eventually took full charge of the social work connected with the estates. Later he became a director of Lever Brothers and several other companies. Alexander died from a cerebral hemorrhage at Kensington Palace in London, England on February 23, 1960, at the age of 73.
Unofficial Royalty: Alexander Mountbatten, Marquess of Carisbrooke

February 23, 1960 – Birth of Emperor Naruhito of Japan at the Imperial Household Agency Hospital at the Tokyo Imperial Palace in Tokyo, Japan
Naruhito, the current Emperor of Japan, is the elder of the two sons and the eldest of the three children of former Emperor Akihito and Michiko Shōda. In 1993, he married Masako Owada and the couple had one daughter. On May 1, 2019, Naruhito ascended to the Chrysanthemum Throne as Emperor of Japan upon the abdication of his father Emperor Akihito. There is male-line, male-only succession in Japan which means that Emperor Naruhito’s daughter cannot inherit the throne nor can any of her potential sons inherit the throne. There has been discussion about changing the succession but no action has been taken. Currently, there are only three people in the line of succession: Crown Prince Akishino (born in 1965, brother of Emperor Naruhito), Prince Hisahito, (born in 2005, son of Crown Prince Akishino), and Prince Hitachi (born in 1935, uncle of Emperor Naruhito). Probably, there will not be another person in the line of succession until Prince Hisahito marries and has a son.
Unofficial Royalty: Emperor Naruhito of Japan
Unofficial Royalty: Japanese Succession Crisis

February 23, 1969 – Death of King Saud of Saudi Arabia in exile at Athens, Greece; buried at the Alaoud Cemetery in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
In 1953, upon the death of his father Abdulaziz ibn Abdul Rahman Al-Saud, also known as Ibn Saud, the founder and the first king of Saudi Arabia, Saud became the second King of Saudi Arabia. Saud had a long-standing power struggle with his half-brother Faisal who deposed Saud in 1964. Saud was forced into exile but lived quite comfortably with a retinue of forty people. He first settled in Geneva, Switzerland, then lived in palaces in Paris, France, and on the French Riviera. Saud then settled in Egypt in a magnificent palace in Heliopolis, and then in Greece at a large estate in Athens. On February 23, 1969, former King Saud died in Athens at the age of 67 after suffering a heart attack in his sleep.
Unofficial Royalty: King Saud of Saudi Arabia

February 23, 2012 – Birth of Princess Estelle of Sweden, daughter of Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden, at the Karolinska University Hospital in Solna, Sweden
Full name: Estelle Silvia Ewa Mary
Princess Estelle is second in the line of succession to the Swedish throne as the eldest child of Crown Princess Victoria who is the eldest child and the heir of King Carl XVI Gustaf.
Unofficial Royalty: Princess Estelle of Sweden

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 2025

David II, King of Scots; Credit – Wikipedia

February 22, 1371 – Death of David II, King of Scots at Edinburgh Castle in Edinburgh, Scotland; buried at Holyrood Abbey in Edinburgh, now in ruins
The second and last monarch of the House of Bruce, David II, King of Scots is one of the longest-reigning monarchs of Scotland, having reigned for 41 years, 260 days. He was the only surviving son of Robert I, King of Scots (also known as Robert the Bruce) and his second wife Elizabeth de Brugh. In 1328, four-year-old David married seven-year-old Joan of the Tower, the youngest daughter of King Edward II of England and Isabella of France. David’s mother had died in 1327 and upon the death of his father on June 7, 1329, five-year-old David succeeded to the Scottish throne. Joan died in 1362, at the age of 41, without giving her husband an heir. David married his mistress Margaret Drummond in 1364. He divorced her in 1370 on the grounds of infertility. However, Margaret successfully petitioned Pope Urban V to reverse the divorce because it seemed likely that David was infertile as his 34-year marriage to his first wife produced no issue. In the later years of his reign, David continued to pursue peace with England and worked to make Scotland a stronger kingdom with a more prosperous economy. David, aged 46, died unexpectedly in 1371. As both his marriages were childless, David was succeeded by his nephew, the son of his half-sister Marjorie, who became Robert II, King of Scots, the first monarch of the House of Stewart.
Unofficial Royalty: David II, King of Scots

February 22, 1921 – Death of Ernst Gunther, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein at Castle Primkenau in Primkenau, Germany, now in Przemków, Poland; buried in the Ducal Graveyard at Castle Primkenau
In 1864, following the Second Schleswig War, the Duchy of Holstein and the Duchy of Schleswig became occupied territories of the German Confederation. Two years later, following the Austro-Prussian War, the duchies became part of the new Prussian province of Schleswig-Holstein. Just as with his father, Prussia recognized Ernst Gunter as the mediatized duke of these two duchies, with the rank and all the titles. (mediatize – to annex to another state, while allowing certain rights to its former sovereign) In 1898, Ernst Günther married Princess Dorothea of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, the daughter of Prince Philipp of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha and Princess Louise of Belgium. They had no children. However, in 1920, they adopted Princess Marie Luise and Prince Johann Georg of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg, the children of Prince Albrecht of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg and his first wife, Countess Ortrud of Ysenburg and Büdingen. Ernst Günther, aged 58, died in 1921. As he had no legal heir, his titles were inherited by his cousin, Prince Albert, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein, son of Princess Helena of the United Kingdom and Prince Christian of Schleswig-Holstein, and a grandson of Queen Victoria.
Unofficial Royalty: Ernst Gunther, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein

February 22, 1933 – Birth of Katharine, Duchess of Kent, wife of Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, born Katharine Worsley at Hovingham Hall in Yorkshire, England
Full name: Katharine Lucy Mary
In 1956, Katharine met her future husband, Prince Edward, The Duke of Kent, while he was stationed with the British Army at Catterick Garrison, near Richmond, England. They were married in 1961 and had two sons and one daughter. The Duchess of Kent was known for presenting the women’s singles final trophies at the annual Wimbledon Championships from the 1970s to 2001. In 1994, Katharine converted to Catholicism, the first senior member of the royal family to convert publicly since the enactment of the Act of Settlement in 1701. One of her children and several of her grandchildren have also become Catholic. In 2002, Katharine reduced her public role and asked to be known as Katherine, Duchess of Kent (a style typically used for one widowed or divorced). However, formally she remains HRH The Duchess of Kent. She began teaching music at Wansbeck Primary School in Kingston upon Hull and also purchased an apartment in Notting Hill, London where she gave music lessons. The Duchess has not been seen in public recently. She did not attend the 2021 funeral of Prince Philip, The Duke of Edinburgh, the 2022 funeral of Queen Elizabeth II, or the 2023 coronation of King Charles III although her husband did attend all three.
Unofficial Royalty: Katharine, Duchess of Kent

February 22, 1968 – Birth of Princess Delphine of Belgium, formerly known as Delphine Boël, the illegitimate daughter of King Albert II of Belgium and his longtime mistress Baroness Sybille de Selys Longchamps, born in Uccle, Brussels, Belgium
In June 2013, Delphine filed a lawsuit to prove, through DNA testing, that she was King Albert II’s biological child. After a long legal process, in January 2020, the former King Albert II finally acknowledged that he was Delphine’s biological father, as proven by DNA testing. On October 1, 2020, the Belgian Court of Appeal ruled that Delphine and her children are entitled to the style and title of HRH Prince/Princess of Belgium, and can use the former King’s surname of Saxe-Coburg. In addition, she is legally entitled to inherit one-quarter of the former King’s estate – a share equal to that of his three legitimate children. She is still considered illegitimate (born out of wedlock) and as such, Delphine and her descendants are not in the line of succession to the Belgian throne.
Unofficial Royalty: Princess Delphine of Belgium

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Peter III, Emperor of All Russia; Credit – Wikipedia

February 21, 1728 – Birth of Peter III, Emperor of All Russia in Kiel, Duchy of Holstein-Gottorp, now in Schleswig-Holstein,  Germany
Born: Karl Peter Ulrich of Holstein-Gottorp, grandson of Peter the Great via his eldest daughter Anna Petrovna
Peter III, Emperor of All Russia was born Karl Peter Ulrich of Holstein-Gottorp. His father was Karl Friedrich, Duke of Holstein-Gottorp. His mother was Grand Duchess Anna Petrovna of Russia, daughter of Peter I (the Great), Emperor of All Russia. Peter III’s life dramatically changed when his unmarried maternal aunt, his mother’s younger sister, Elizabeth, Empress of All Russia, declared him her heir and brought him to St. Petersburg, Russia. He married his second cousin, Sophie of Anhalt-Zerbst (later Catherine II the Great). Peter succeeded his aunt in 1762. A conspiracy to overthrow Peter was planned and centered around the five Orlov brothers with Grigory, Catherine’s favorite, and Alexei being the main conspirators. Peter III, Emperor of All Russia died at the age of 34 on July 17, 1762, at Ropsha Palace, a country estate outside of St. Petersburg, Russia. He was probably murdered but the circumstances of his death remain unclear. His wife became the Empress of All Russia, known as Catherine the Great.
Unofficial Royalty: Peter III, Emperor of All Russia

February 21, 1937 – Birth of King Harald V of Norway at Skaugum, the Crown Prince Residence in Asker, Norway
King Harald V is the only son of King Olav V of Norway and Princess Märtha of Sweden. His paternal grandparents were King Haakon VII of Norway (born Prince Carl of Denmark, son of King Frederik VIII of Denmark) and Queen Maud (born Princess Maud of Wales, daughter of King Edward VII of the United Kingdom). King Harald is closely related to several European monarchs: King Philippe of Belgium and Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg are his first cousins once removed, Queen Margrethe II of Denmark is his second cousin, and King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden and King Charles III of the United Kingdom are his second cousin once removed. In 1968, Harald married Sonja Haraldsen and the couple had two children.  Harald succeeded to the throne in 1991 upon the death of his father.
Unofficial Royalty: King Harald V of Norway

February 21, 1960 – Death of Edwina Ashley, Countess Mountbatten of Burma, wife of Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma, in Jesselton, British North Borneo (now Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia), as per her wishes, she buried at sea off the coast of Portsmouth, England
As the wife of Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma, Edwina was a member of the extended British Royal Family. Her grandfather was Sir Ernest Cassel, a successful financier and capitalist who had become one of the richest men in Europe. He was King Edward VII’s close friend and advisor who had bestowed several honors on him during his reign. Upon his death, Sir Ernest left an estate valued at over £6 million (approx. £240 million today), a large portion of which went to Edwina. Edwina and her husband had two daughters, Lady Patricia Mountbatten and Lady Pamela Mountbatten who were first cousins of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.
Unofficial Royalty: Edwina Ashley, Countess Mountbatten of Burma

February 21, 1980 – Birth of Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, Dragon King of Bhutan, at Dechencholing Palace in Thimphu, Bhutan
Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck is the current Dragon King of Bhutan. After beginning his education in Bhutan, Jigme Khesar attended boarding school in Massachusetts, first at the Phillips Academy and then graduating from the Cushing Academy. He attended Wheaton College in Massachusetts, before enrolling in the Foreign Services Program and earning his Master’s Degree in Politics at Magdalen College, Oxford in the United Kingdom. In 2006, his father King Jigme Singye Wangchuck abdicated and Jigme Khesar became the 5th Dragon King (Druk Gyalpo) of the Kingdom of Bhutan. At the time, he was the world’s youngest monarch, at just 24 years old. In 2011, King Jigme Khesan married Jetsun Pema in a traditional Buddhist ceremony. As part of the ceremony, he crowned her as Queen of Bhutan. The couple has two sons and one daughter.
Unofficial Royalty: King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck of Bhutan

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Sophie Amalie of Brunswick-Lüneburg, Queen of Denmark; Credit – Wikipedia

February 20, 1437 – Assassination of James I, King of Scots at the Blackfriars Priory in Perth, Scotland; buried at the Carthusian Charterhouse in Perth, Scotland which was destroyed in 1559 by a mob of Protestant reformers
Robert III, King of Scots, the father of James I, feared for the safety of his only surviving son because of the machinations of his half-brother and decided to send him to France. However, the ship 12-year-old James was sailing on was captured by English pirates who delivered James to King Henry IV of England. Robert III, King of Scots, aged 68, died soon after hearing of his son’s captivity. 12-year-old James was now the uncrowned King of Scots and would remain in captivity in England for eighteen years where he was more of a guest than a hostage. While in England, James met his future wife Lady Joan Beaufort, the daughter of John Beaufort, 1st Earl of Somerset who was the eldest of the four children of John of Gaunt, son of King Edward III, and his mistress Katherine Swynford.  The English considered marriage to a Beaufort gave the Scots an alliance with the English instead of the French. The couple was married in 1424 and traveled to Scotland, and had eight children. Plotters supporting the claim to the throne of Walter Stewart, Earl of Atholl, a son of Robert II, King of Scot’s second marriage, broke into the Blackfriars Priory in Perth, Scotland where 42-year-old James I, King of Scots and his wife Joan Beaufort were staying. The conspirators reached the couple’s bedroom where Joan tried to protect James but was wounded. James then tried to escape via an underground passage but was cornered and hacked to death.
Unofficial Royalty: Assassination of James I, King of Scots
Unofficial Royalty: James I, King of Scots

February 20, 1513 – Death of King Hans of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden at Aalborghus Castle in Denmark; buried first in the Gråbrødre Church at the Franciscan monastery in Odense, Denmark, later his remains were moved to St. Canute’s Cathedral in Odense, Denmark
King Hans held four royal titles: King of Denmark (1481 – 1513), King of Norway (1483 – 1513), King of Sweden (1497 – 1501), and Duke of Holstein and Schleswig (1482–1513 jointly with his younger brother, the future King Frederik I). In 1478, Hans married Christina of Saxony and they had six children. In 1501, Hans began a long-term affair with Edel Jernskjæg, one of Christina’s ladies-in-waiting. The affair caused a scandal and a de facto termination of his marriage. From that time on, the marriage of Hans and Christina was one in name only. In January 1513, King Hans was on his way to Aalborghus Castle when he was thrown by his horse and was injured. He became increasingly weaker and died from his injuries at his birthplace Aalborghus Castle.
Unofficial Royalty: King Hans of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden

February 20, 1618 – Death of Filips Willem, Prince of Orange at the Palace of Nassau in Brussels; buried at the Catholic parish church of Saint Sulpice in Diest, now in Belgium
Filips Willem was the only son of Willem I (the Silent), Prince of Orange, and the first of his four wives Anna van Egmont. In 1568, Willem I, Filips Willem’s father, became the main leader of the Dutch revolt against the Spanish Habsburgs who held the land that we now know as the Netherlands and Belgium. That set off the Eighty Years’ War and resulted in the formal independence of the Dutch Republic in 1581. Angered by Willem I’s revolt, King Philip II of Spain arranged for 13-year-old Filips Willem to be kidnapped and taken to Spain, partly as a hostage, but also to be raised as a Catholic and a loyal subject to Spain. Filips Willem never saw his father again. In 1584, Balthasar Gérard, a subject and supporter of Philip II, assassinated Willem I. Filips Willem became Prince of Orange, however, he was not allowed to return to his homeland because he was not trusted and was considered an agent of Spain. In 1596, 28 years after he was kidnapped, Filips Willem returned to the Netherlands and lived at the Palace of Nassau in Brussels. At the request of the States-General (the legislature), he did not engage in political affairs. Filips Willem died on February 20, 1618, aged 63, after a botched medical procedure. In his will, he requested to be buried in one of his cities (Breda, Orange, Lons-le-Saunier, or Diest) whichever would be closest to his place of death. He had a Catholic funeral and was buried at the Catholic parish church Saint Sulpice in Diest, now in Belgium.
Unofficial Royalty: Filips Willem, Prince of Orange

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

February 20, 1731 – Death of Prince Antonio I of Monaco in Monaco, buried at Saint Nicholas Cathedral in Monaco
Antonio I, Prince of Monaco was the elder of the two sons and the eldest of the six children of Louis I, Prince of Monaco. In 1688, Antonio married Marie of Lorraine, the daughter of Louis of Lorraine, Count of Armagnac. Antonio and Marie had six daughters but only two survived to adulthood.  In 1701, when his father died, Antonio became the Sovereign Prince of Monaco. He reigned for thirty years until he died on February 20, 1731, at the age of 70. Antonio I was succeeded by his eldest daughter Louise Hippolyte who had a very short reign of ten months. She died from smallpox at the age of 34, on December 29, 1731.
Unofficial Royalty: Prince Antonio I of Monaco

February 20, 1790 – Death of Joseph II, Holy Roman Emperor in Vienna, Austria; buried in the Imperial Crypt at the Capuchin Church in Vienna
The fourth of the sixteen children and the eldest of the five sons of Franz I, Holy Roman Emperor, Joseph II reigned from 1765 to 1790 as Holy Roman Emperor after being elected Holy Roman Emperor following the death of his father Franz I, Holy Roman Emperor in 1765. He was co-regent with his mother from 1765 – 1780 of Bohemia, Hungary, Croatia, Austria, and several other Habsburg hereditary lands. Joseph was the sole ruler from 1780 to 1790, following the death in 1780 of his mother Archduchess Maria Theresa of Austria, the only woman to be ruler of the Habsburg hereditary lands in her own right. Joseph married twice. His first wife was Princess Isabella of Parma. Joseph and Isabella had two daughters but neither survived childhood, and Isabella died from smallpox in 1763. After Isabella’s death, Joseph married his second cousin Maria Josepha of Bavaria. The couple had no children and Maria Josepha died of smallpox, as had her predecessor Isabella. Joseph died from tuberculosis, aged 48, on February 20, 1790, in Vienna, Austria.
Unofficial Royalty: Joseph II, Holy Roman Emperor

February 20, 1773 – Death of Carlo Emanuele III, King of Sardinia at the Royal Palace in Turin, Kingdom of Sardinia, now in Italy; buried at the Basilica of Superga in Turin
In 1715, Carlo Emanuele’s fifteen-year-old elder brother Vittorio Amedeo died from smallpox and Carlo Emanuele became the heir to the throne and the Prince of Piedmont. He married three times but all three wives died young. Carlo Emanuele and his first wife Anna Christine of Sulzbach had one child. He had six children with his second wife Polyxena of Hesse-Rheinfels-Rotenburg and three children with his third wife Elisabeth Therese of Lorraine. In 1731, two years after Carlo Emanuele’s mother died, his father Vittorio Amedeo II, King of Sardinia, married his mistress and abdicated the throne. Carlo Emanuele was a soldier-king who gained territory for his kingdom by fighting on the French side in the War of the Polish Succession and then on the Austrian side in the War of the Austrian Succession. His ancestors were avid art collectors and Carlo Emanuele was no different. He added many new paintings to the collection of the House of Savoy. On February 20, 1773, Carlo Emanuele III, King of Sardinia died at the age of 71. He survived his three wives, his five siblings, and six of his ten children.
Unofficial Royalty: Carlo Emanuele III, King of Sardinia and Duke of Savoy

February 20, 1867 – Birth of Louise, Princess Royal, daughter of King Edward VII of the United Kingdom, at Marlborough House in London, England
Full name: Louise Victoria Alexandra Dagmar
Louise was the eldest daughter of the future King Edward VII of the United Kingdom and Alexandra of Denmark. In 1889, Louise followed the example of her paternal aunt Princess Louise and married a husband from the British nobility.  Seventeen years older than his bride, Alexander William George Duff was the only son of James Duff, 5th Earl Fife and Lady Agnes Hay, daughter of the 18th Earl of Erroll and Lady Elizabeth FitzClarence, an illegitimate daughter of King William IV.  Known as Duff, Alexander became 6th Earl Fife when his father in 1879.  Two days after the wedding, Queen Victoria created the groom Duke of Fife and Marquess of Macduff in the Peerage of the United Kingdom.  The couple had a stillborn son and two daughters. Despite their age difference, the couple was well-matched and settled down to a life of country pursuits with Duff managing his Scottish estates and Louise becoming an expert at salmon fishing.
Unofficial Royalty: Louise, Princess Royal

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Henry, Prince of Wales; Credit – Wikipedia

February 19, 1594 – Birth of Henry Frederick, Prince of Wales, son of King James I of England, at Stirling Castle, Scotland
Full name: Henry Frederick
The heir to the thrones of England and Scotland, by the time he was 18 years old, Henry was physically mature, well-educated, an independent thinker, and ready to assume some government responsibility. Negotiations began for a bride for Henry and princesses from Spain, France, and Savoy were in the running. He was on his way to making an excellent and popular king. Henry died of typhoid fever at age 18. His brother Charles (later King Charles I) became heir to the throne.  Henry’s death was considered a national tragedy. Henry’s brother, the future King Charles I, who was now the heir to the throne, felt the loss deeply and insisted until the end of his life that Henry had been poisoned. We can only wonder how different English history might have been if Henry Frederick had been King instead of his brother King Charles I, who was deposed and beheaded.
Unofficial Royalty: Henry, Prince of Wales

February 19, 1817 – Birth of King Willem III of the Netherlands in the Palace of the Nation (now the building that houses the Belgian legislature) in Brussels, which was then part of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands, now in Belgium
Full name: Willem Alexander Paul Frederik Lodewijk
In 1839, Willem married his first cousin Sophie of Württemberg. Willem and Sophie had three sons, but they all predeceased their father. When his father died in 1849, Willem succeeded as King of the Netherlands. After Sophie died in 1877, Willem was eager to marry again to ensure the future of the House of Orange. In 1879, 61-year-old Willem married 20-year-old Emma of Waldeck-Pyrmont. Emma had a positive influence on Willem and the marriage was extremely happy. The last decade of Willem’s life was the best years of his reign. Willem and Emma had one daughter, Wilhelmina, who succeeded her father. In 1888, King Willem III’s health began to decline., Emma was sworn in as Regent when it became apparent that Willem could no longer reign. On November 23, 1890, 73-year-old King Willem III died and his ten-year-old daughter Wilhelmina became Queen. Emma took over as Regent for her daughter until Wilhelmina’s eighteenth birthday in 1898.
Unofficial Royalty: King Willem III of the Netherlands

February 19, 1919 – Death of Bertha Louise of Hesse-Philippsthal-Barchfeld, Princess of Lippe, the first of the two wives of Leopold IV, the last Prince of Lippe, in Detmold, then in the Weimar Republic, now in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia; buried at the Christ Church in Detmold
In 1901, Bertha Louise married the future Leopold IV, Prince of Lippe. The couple had five children. Alexander, Prince of Lippe, the last of the Lippe-Detmold line, died in 1905. With the extinction of the Lippe-Detmold line, the throne of the Principality of Lippe went to Bertha Louise’s husband who reigned as Leopold IV and would be the last reigning Prince of Lippe. Following the German Empire’s defeat in World War I and the German Revolution of 1918-1919, Leopold IV was forced to renounce the throne. However, Leopold negotiated a treaty with the new government allowing his family to remain in Lippe. Three months later, Bertha Louise died, aged 44.
Unofficial Royalty: Bertha Louise of Hesse-Philippsthal-Barchfeld, Princess of Lippe

 February 19, 1960 – Birth of Prince Andrew, Duke of York, son of Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, at Buckingham Palace in London, England
Full name: Andrew Albert Christian Edward
In 1979, Andrew began a career in the Royal Navy that lasted until 2001. He married Sarah Ferguson in 1986 and the couple had two daughters. Andrew’s obligations as a naval helicopter pilot and the negative attention Sarah received from the media contributed to the couple’s estrangement. Andrew and Sarah separated in 1992 and divorced in 1996. The Duke of York and Sarah, Duchess of York (her style upon her divorce) are on amicable terms with each other and are both devoted parents to their daughters. Andrew was accused of child sexual abuse by Virginia Giuffre, who alleges that as a minor she was sex trafficked to him by American financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Andrew was the defendant in a civil lawsuit over sexual assault filed by Giuffre in New York State which was settled out of court in February 2022. Following negative reactions to his connections to Epstein, Andrew permanently resigned from public roles and his honorary military affiliations and his royal charitable patronages were returned to Queen Elizabeth II in January 2022.
Unofficial Royalty: Prince Andrew, Duke of York

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