© Unofficial Royalty 2024

King Peter II of Yugoslavia; Credit – Wikipedia

September 6, 1666 – Birth of Ivan V, Tsar of All Russia in Moscow, Russia
After their father’s death, Ivan and his younger half-brother Peter I (the Great) were co-rulers of Russia. From childhood, Ivan had serious physical and mental disabilities which may have been caused by Down’s Syndrome or a consequence of a disease. In 1689, 17-year-old Peter overthrew his elder half-sister Sophia Alexeievna who was ruling as Regent. Peter I and Ivan V continued as co-rulers. With Ivan being both incapable and disinterested, Peter functioned as though he were the only Tsar and eventually Ivan became a non-entity in the Russian court. For the last decade of his life, Ivan spent his days with his wife fasting and praying and was completely overshadowed by Peter.
Unofficial Royalty: Ivan V of Russia, Tsar of All Russia

September 6, 1804 – Birth of Marie Friederike of Hesse-Kassel, Duchess of Saxe-Meiningen, wife of Bernhard II, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen, in Kassel, Electorate of Hesse, now in Hesse, Germany
Full name: Marie Frederica Wilhelmina
Marie Friederike was Duchess of Saxe-Meiningen from her marriage until her husband was forced to abdicate in favor of his son, in 1866 following the defeat of Austria, who he supported, in the Austro-Prussian War. The couple took up residence at the Great Palace in Meiningen, where they would live for the rest of their lives.
Unofficial Royalty: Marie Friederike of Hesse-Kassel, Duchess of Saxe-Meiningen

September 6, 1854 – Death of Maria Antonovna Naryshkina, mistress of Alexander I, Emperor of All Russia, in Starnberg, Kingdom of Bavaria, now in the German state of Bavaria; buried in the Alter Südfriedhof (Old South Cemetery) in Munich, Kingdom of Bavaria, now in the German state of Bavaria
Maria, her mother, and her siblings were brought to Russia by Catherine II (the Great), Empress of All Russia after Maria’s father was hanged by an angry mob in Poland for his support of Russia. Maria was made a maid of honor at the Russian court and Catherine the Great arranged a marriage for her. Maria was known for her dazzling beauty and she attracted the attention of Tsesarevich Alexander Pavlovich, the future Alexander I, Emperor of All Russia. Maria and Alexander’s affair lasted for nearly nineteen years. In 1815, Maria accompanied Alexander I, Emperor of All Russia to the Congress of Vienna, which caused a scandal. Eventually, Maria began to worry about her position and the gossip surrounding her and Alexander began to have pangs of guilt about the long-term affair. In 1818, the affair ended and Alexander went back to his wife but he continued to talk about Maria as his family.
Unofficial Royalty: Maria Antonovna Naryshkina, mistress of Alexander I, Emperor of All Russia

September 6, 1860 – Death of Georg, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz in Neustrelitz, Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, now in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany; buried in the New Crypt at the Johanniterkirche in Mirow, Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, now in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany
Georg became Grand Duke in 1816, upon his father’s death and a long reign of nearly 54 years. Georg found Mecklenburg-Strelitz in great debt and in need of much rebuilding. To eliminate much of the debt, he sold several towns to Prussia that had been given to the Grand Duchy at the Congress of Vienna. He abolished serfdom and throughout his reign, he worked to raise the standards of education, building schools and instituting compulsory education. He made vast improvements to the infrastructure which would help to energize the grand duchy’s economy.
Unofficial Royalty: Georg, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz

September 6, 1920 – Death of Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna of Russia, wife of Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich of Russia, born Marie of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, at her villa (now the Hotel La Souveraine) in Contrexéville, France; buried in Chapel of St. Vladimir and St. Mary Magdalene in Contrexéville, France
Maria was one of the Romanovs who escaped Russia after the Russian Revolution. However, she was hesitant to leave because she still hoped that her eldest son Kirill would one day be Emperor of All Russia. On February 13, 1920, Maria Pavlovna, her son Andrei, his mistress the famous ballerina Matilde Kschessinska, and her son Vladimir boarded an Italian ship in the direction of Venice, Italy. They made their way from Venice to Switzerland and then to France, where Maria Pavlovna’s health failed and she died six months later. Maria Pavlovna had a passion for jewelry and her collection was renowned. She was one of the few members of the Romanov family who managed to get her jewelry out of Russia. British art dealer and diplomatic courier Albert Stopford, a family friend, rescued the jewelry from her Vladimir Palace safe and smuggled the jewels out of Russia to England. After Maria Pavlovna’s death, the jewelry was sold by her children to support their lives in exile. Queen Mary of the United Kingdom purchased some of the jewelry including the Vladimir Tiara.
Unofficial Royalty: Marie of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna of Russia

September 6, 1923 – Birth of Peter II, the last King of Yugoslavia in Belgrade, Yugoslavia, now in Serbia
After the assassination of his father King Alexander I in 1934,  11-year-old Peter ascended the throne of Yugoslavia. In 1941, Yugoslavia was occupied by Nazi forces, and the government was forced to surrender. King Peter went into exile with the government. After settling in London, Peter married Princess Alexandra of Greece, the daughter of King Alexander I of Greece, and the couple had one son.  In 1944, a Communist government was established in Yugoslavia. The following year, the monarchy was officially abolished. After World War II, Peter and Alexandra left London, living in France and Switzerland before settling in the United States in 1949. The marriage suffered from the strain of Peter’s numerous affairs and the constant struggle to find sources of income. Eventually, they went their separate ways. Peter settled permanently in the United States while Alexandra took her son and moved to Venice with her mother.
Unofficial Royalty: King Peter II of Yugoslavia

September 6, 1924 – Death of Archduchess Marie Valerie of Austria, daughter of Franz Joseph I, Emperor of Austria, at Schloss Wallsee in Sindelburg, Austria; buried  in the Habsburg crypt behind the high altar at the parish church in Sindelburg, Austria
Valerie was the youngest of the four children of Franz Joseph, Emperor of Austria and his wife Elisabeth of Bavaria (Sisi). In 1890, she married Archduke Franz Salvator of Austria-Tuscany and the couple had ten children. Valerie’s father Emperor Franz Joseph died in 1916, in the middle of World War I. As he had no son to succeed him (his only son Rudolf died in a suicide pact with his mistress), his great-nephew succeeded him as Emperor Karl I of Austria but only reigned for two years as the monarchy was abolished at the end of World War I. Valerie officially recognized the end of the Habsburg monarchy and signed documents renouncing all rights for herself and her descendants. This allowed her to remain in Austria and keep her home and possessions. In 1924, Valerie was diagnosed with lymphoma. Surrounded by her family, Valerie died at her home Schloss Wallsee at the age of 56.
Unofficial Royalty: Archduchess Marie Valerie of Austria, Princess of Tuscany

September 6, 1926 – Birth of Claus von Amsberg, Prince Claus of the Netherlands, husband of Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands, at the family estate, Haus Dötzingen, near Hitzacker, Germany
Full name: Claus-Georg Wilhelm Otto Friedrich Gerd
On New Year’s Eve in 1962, Claus met Princess Beatrix of the Netherlands, the heir to the Dutch throne, at a party with friends in Bad Driburg, Germany. The couple met again at the wedding eve party of Princess Tatjana of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg and Moritz, Landgrave of Hesse, in June 1964. Prince Richard of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg acted as a go-between for the couple and did much to strengthen their relationship. The fact that he was a German national, had been a member of the Hitler Youth and had served in the German army, caused great controversy among the Dutch people. Only after historian Loe de Jong had established that Claus was not to blame for any war crimes, was the marriage approved. Claus and Beatrix were married on March 10, 1966, at the Westerkerk, a large church In Amsterdam, the Netherlands, just down the street from the building where Dutch Jewish teenager Anne Frank hid during World War II. The ride to and from the church was disrupted by riots with smoke bombs and firecrackers. According to some newspapers, about a thousand rioters were chanting “revolution” and “Claus get out”. Claus was granted the style and titles His Royal Highness Prince Claus of the Netherlands, Jonkheer van Amsberg. Over the years, Claus became accepted by the Dutch public, and during the last part of his life, he was considered the most popular member of the Dutch Royal Family.
Unofficial Royalty: Prince Claus of the Netherlands

September 6, 2006 – Birth of Prince Hisahito of Japan, son of Crown Prince Akishino of Japan, at Aiiku Hospital in Tokyo, Japan
Prince Hisahito is second in the line of succession after his father. After the birth of his cousin Princess Aiko in 2001, the only child of Emperor Naruhito, there was much discussion about changing the laws to absolute primogeniture, whereby the oldest surviving child without regard to gender inherits the throne. Currently, there is male-line, male-only succession in Japan. In 2005, the Prime Minister vowed to submit a bill to the government to change The Imperial Household Law, based on recommendations from an independent, government-appointed panel. However, the birth of Prince Hisahito seems to have ended the efforts, and the proposal was dropped. In November 2020, it was recommended that the discussion regarding succession be shelved until Prince Hisahito becomes an adult and has children. It is highly probable that there will not be another person in the line of succession until Prince Hisahito marries and has a son.
Unofficial Royalty: Prince Hisahito of Japan
Unofficial Royalty: Japanese Succession Crisis

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

© Unofficial Royalty 2024

Catharine Parr, Queen of England; Credit – Wikipedia

September 5, 1548 – Death of Catharine Parr, Queen of England, the sixth wife of King Henry VIII of England, at Sudeley Castle, Gloucestershire, England, buried at St. Mary’s Church, Sudeley Castle
A widow for the second time, 31-year-old Catherine fell in love with Thomas Seymour, brother of Henry VIII’s late third wife Jane Seymour, and the two hoped to marry. However, Henry VIII began to show an interest in Catherine and she felt it was her duty to choose Henry’s proposal of marriage over Thomas Seymour’s. After Henry VIII died in 1547, Catherine finally married Thomas Seymour, the uncle of King Edward VI. In August 1548, Catherine and Seymour had a daughter, but tragically Catherine died of puerperal fever or childbed fever. Her daughter Mary Seymour appears to have died young. Six months after Catherine’s death, Thomas Seymour was beheaded for treason.
Unofficial Royalty: Catharine Parr, Queen of England

September 5, 1638 – Birth of King Louis XIV of France at Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye in Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France
Full name: Louis-Dieudonné
King Louis XIV of France, often known as Louis the Great or the Sun King, was the longest-reigning French monarch, reigning from 1643 until his death in 1715. Despite coming of age in 1654, King Louis XIV did not fully assume his role as King until 1661, following the death of his chief minister Cardinal Mazarin. An ardent believer in the divine right of kings, King Louis XIV quickly assumed full control of the monarchy, becoming one of France’s most powerful sovereigns and establishing France as one of the leading powers in Europe.
Unofficial Royalty: King Louis XIV of France

September 5, 1649 – Birth of Louise de Kérouaille, Duchess of Portsmouth, mistress of King Charles II of England, at her family home, the Manoir de Keroual in Brest, Brittany, France
Louise Renée de Penancoet de Kérouaille, Duchess of Portsmouth and King Charles II of England are the ancestors of Queen Camilla, Diana, Princess of Wales, and Sarah, Duchess of York. In 1669, her parents arranged for her to be placed in the household of Henriette-Anne of England, Duchess of Orléans, at the Palace of Versailles, hoping Louise would catch the eye of King Louis XIV of France and become a royal mistress. In January 1670, Louise accompanied Henriette-Anne on a diplomatic mission to her brother King Charles II at Dover Castle in England. King Louis XIV hoped Louise would catch the eye of his first cousin King Charles II and then there would be a French mistress at the English court. When the diplomatic mission was completed, Henriette-Anne offered her brother his choice of jewelry from her jewelry box which Louise handed to her. Placing his hand on Louise’s hand, Charles is reputed to have said: “This is the only jewel I want!”
Unofficial Royalty: Louise de Kérouaille, Duchess of Portsmouth, mistress of King Charles II of England

September 5, 1664 – Birth of Lady Charlotte Fitzroy, an illegitimate daughter of King Charles II of England by Barbara Palmer, 1st Duchess of Cleveland, in London, England
Charlotte was one of the five children of King Charles II and Barbara Palmer, 1st Duchess of Cleveland. In 1677, thirteen-year-old Charlotte married fourteen-year-old Edward Lee, the son and heir of Sir Francis Henry Lee, 4th Baronet of Quarendon. Charlotte and Edward had eighteen children and eleven survived childhood.
Unofficial Royalty: Lady Charlotte Fitzroy

September 5, 1983 – Death of Caroline Mathilde of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, Countess of Castell-Rüdenhausen, daughter of Charles Edward, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, in Erlangen, Germany; buried in the family cemetery in the forest of Schloss Callenberg in Coburg, Bavaria, Germany
A great-granddaughter of Queen Victoria, Calma, as she was known, had an unhappy marriage with her first husband Count Friedrich Wolfgang of Castell-Rüdenhausen and they divorced. During World War II, Friedrich Wolfgang was killed in action while flying over England. Her second husband was Captain Max Schnirring, a famous pilot whose aviation career began during World War I. Max was one of the first pilots for Deutsche Luft Hansa, a precursor to today’s Lufthansa. He died during a test flight when his plane crashed into a field. After World War II, her father was classified as a Nazi Follower, Category IV was heavily fined and almost bankrupted. Calma had a difficult time adjusting to her family’s circumstances and became estranged from some of her children. To make ends meet, she became a shoemaker. She had numerous relationships with different men and one relationship caused her to spend some time in prison.
Unofficial Royalty: Caroline Mathilde of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, Countess of Castell-Rüdenhausen

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

© Unofficial Royalty 2024

Sophie of Mecklenburg-Güstrow, Queen of Denmark and Norway; Credit – Wikipedia

September 4, 1199 – Death of Joan of England, daughter of King Henry II of England, wife of King William II of Sicily and Raymond VI, Count of Toulouse, at Fontevrault Abbey near Chinon, in the County of Anjou, now in France; buried at Fontevrault Abbey
Voyages on storm-tossed ships on the Mediterranean Sea. Being held captive and penniless by your husband’s successor and then being gallantly rescued by your brother. Being marooned and nearly captured after a strong storm and again being gallantly rescued by your brother.  Accompanying your brother and his new wife, on the Crusades in the Holy Land. Being offered by your gallant brother as a bride to the brother of the man who led the Islamic opposition in the Crusade. Being left to deal with a rebellion while you are pregnant. Sounds like the imagination of an author for a new book, but in reality, it is the life of Joan of England, the youngest daughter of King Henry II of England and Eleanor of Aquitaine.  However, Joan does have prominent roles in Sharon Penman’s wonderful novels Devil’s Brood and Lionheart where she is referred to as Joanna.
Unofficial Royalty: Joan of England, Queen of Sicily, Countess of Toulouse

September 4, 1557 – Birth of Sophie of Mecklenburg-Güstrow, Queen of Denmark and Norway, wife of King Frederik II of Denmark and Norway, in Wismar, Duchy of Mecklenburg, now in the German state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
In 1572, Sophie married King Frederik II of Denmark and Norway. The couple had seven children. Through their daughter Anna, who married James VI, King of Scots, later also James I, King of England, they are ancestors of the British Royal Family. Despite a 23-year age difference, Frederik II and Sophie had a happy marriage. Sophie is consistently mentioned in Frederik’s handwritten diary as “mynt Soffye“, meaning “my Sophie”. She never interfered in government matters but always accompanied him on his travels, participated in his hunts, and nursed him when he was ill. Sophie was interested in books, visited the Danish pioneering astronomer Tycho Brahe, collected folk songs, and encouraged historian Anders Sørensen Vedel to publish his Hundredvisebogen, a collection of a hundred Danish folk songs he had gathered that became the foundation of Danish literary tradition.
Unofficial Royalty: Sophie of Mecklenburg-Güstrow, Queen of Denmark and Norway

September 4, 1588 – Death of Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester, favorite of Queen Elizabeth I of England, at Cornbur Park near Oxford, England; buried in the Beauchamp Chapel at the Collegiate Church of St Mary in Warwick, England
In July 1588, as the Spanish Armada came closer to the coast of England, Queen Elizabeth I appointed Robert Lieutenant and Captain-General of the Queen’s Armies and Companies. On August 19, 1588, when Queen Elizabeth I gave her famous Speech to the Troops at Tilbury, a bareheaded Robert walked beside her horse. However, Robert had been in ill health for some time. Modern historians suspect the illness was malaria or stomach cancer. On his way to take the healing baths in Buxton, Derbyshire, England, Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester, aged 56, died at Cornbury Park near Oxford, England, on September 4, 1588. Elizabeth was extremely upset and locked herself in her rooms for a few days until Lord Burghley ordered the door to be broken down. Six days before Robert’s death, Elizabeth had received a letter from him. She kept the letter, labeled “his last letter” in her bedside treasure box for the rest of her life.
Unofficial Royalty: Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester, favorite of Queen Elizabeth I of England

September 4, 1729 – Birth of Louis, Dauphin of France, son of King Louis XV of France, at the Palace of Versailles in Versailles, France
Louis, Dauphin of France was the elder son and heir apparent of his father Louis XV, King of France. Unfortunately, like several other Dauphins that preceded him, Louis died prematurely and never became King of France. After the death of his first wife Maria Teresa Rafaela, Infanta of Spain, Louis married Maria Josepha of Saxony. They had eight children including three Kings of France: Louis XVI, Louis XVIII, and Charles X. Louis died of tuberculosis at the Château de Fontainebleau in France on December 20, 1765, at the age of 36.
Unofficial Royalty: Louis, Dauphin of France

September 4, 1729 – Birth of Juliana Maria of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, Queen of Denmark, 2nd wife of King Frederik V of Denmark, in Wolfenbüttel, Duchy of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, now in Lower Saxony, Germany
In 1752, Juliana Maria married King Frederik V of Denmark six months after the death of his first wife Louisa of Great Britain. The couple had one son. After the death of Frederik V, he was succeeded by his son from his first marriage King Christian VII who had many symptoms of mental illness. Juliana Maria was instrumental in a coup that would bring about the fall of Christian VII’s physician Johann Friedrich Struensee and discredit Christian’s wife Caroline Matilda of Wales who was having an affair with Struensee. Juliana Maria arranged for King Christian VII to sign the arrest warrant of Struensee after she had already made the arrest in the name of the king. Struensee was executed and Caroline Matilda was exiled. After the fall of Struensee, Juliana Maria and her son, Christian VII’s half-brother Hereditary Prince Frederik, took charge of the Council of State. Christian VII was only nominally king from 1772 onward.
Unofficial Royalty: Juliana Maria of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, Queen of Denmark

September 4, 1745 – Death of Christian Ernst II, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld at Schloss Saalfeld in Saalfeld, Duchy of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, now in Thuringia, Germany; buried in the ducal crypt at the Johanneskirche in Saalfeld, Duchy of Saxe-Saalfeld, now in Thuringia, Germany
Christian Ernst fell in love with Christiane von Koss, the daughter of Saalfeld forestry master. This relationship displeased both his father and his only surviving half-brother Franz Josias. Eventually, Christian Ernst’s father consented to the marriage, and the couple was married morganatically in 1724. As the elder son, Christian Ernst was his father’s heir but because of his unequal marriage, his half-brother Franz Josias claimed the sole inheritance of the duchy. However, Johann Ernst decided that both his sons should reign jointly, and upon his death in 1729, his will forced the joint reign. From 1735, with the support of the Duke of Saxe-Meiningen, Franz Josias effectively ruled over Coburg in his own right. Christian Ernst died childless and his half-brother Franz Josias, who was fourteen years younger, became the sole Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld.
Unofficial Royalty: Christian Ernst II, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld

September 4, 1755 – Birth of Axel von Fersen the Younger, favorite of Marie Antoinette, Queen of France, in Stockholm, Sweden
A member of the Swedish aristocracy, Count Axel von Fersen the Younger served as an aide-de-camp and interpreter to French General Rochambeau during the American Revolutionary War. As tensions began to rise in France, the Swedish King appointed von Fersen as his secret envoy to King Louis XVI and Queen Marie Antoinette, subverting the usual diplomatic channels and providing direct contact between the sovereigns. von Fersen became a close friend and favorite of Queen Marie Antoinette. He returned to Sweden during the French Revolution and became one of the closest advisors to King Gustav IV Adolf, rising to the positions of Earl Marshal and Marshal of the Realm. After Gustav IV was deposed, his childless uncle King Carl XIII became king and adopted a Danish prince to be the Crown Prince of Sweden. The new Crown Prince died from injuries after a fall from his horse. Rumors quickly spread that he had been poisoned by Gustav IV’s supporters, more specifically, at the hands of von Fersen. At the Crown Prince’s funeral procession, von Fersen was attacked and killed by the angry mob who blamed him for the Crown Prince’s death.
Unofficial Royalty: Axel von Fersen the Younger, favorite of Marie Antoinette, Queen of France

September 4, 1759 – Death of Princess Elizabeth Caroline of Wales, at Kew Palace in London, England; buried in the Hanover vault under the central part of the Henry VII Chapel at Westminster Abbey in London, England
Elizabeth Caroline was one of the nine children of Frederick, Prince of Wales, son of King George II of Great Britain, and Princess Augusta of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg. In 1751, when Elizabeth Caroline was ten-years-old, her father died, leaving a pregnant widow with eight children. Elizabeth Caroline’s thirteen-year-old eldest brother George was now the heir to the throne and was created Prince of Wales by his grandfather King George II. George succeeded his grandfather as King George III. According to Horace Walpole, 4th Earl of Orford, an English writer, art historian, and Whig politician, Elizabeth Caroline was extremely delicate and backward. On September 4, 1759, Princess Elizabeth Caroline, aged 18, had died at Kew Palace in London.
Unofficial Royalty: Princess Elizabeth Caroline of Wales

September 4, 1800 – Birth of Queen Pauline of Württemberg, third wife of King Wilhelm I of Württemberg, born Pauline of Württemberg in Riga, Russian Empire, now in Latvia
Full name: Pauline Therese Luise
In 1820, Pauline became the third wife of her first cousin King Wilhelm I of Württemberg. The couple had three children including Wilhelm I’s successor. The couple seemed happy at first, but within a few years, Wilhelm had returned to his mistresses and the marriage became very strained. While not getting the respect she deserved from her husband, Pauline did receive much respect from the people of Württemberg, both for her devotion to helping the poor and because she had provided an heir to the throne.
Unofficial Royalty: Pauline of Württemberg, Queen of Württemberg

September 4, 1864 – Birth of Princess Elise of Hohenlohe-Langenburg, Princess Reuss of Gera, wife of Heinrich XXVII, 5th and the last reigning Prince Reuss of Gera, in Langenburg, Kingdom of Württemberg, now in Baden-Württemberg, Germany
Elise was christened Elise Victoria Feodora Sophie Adelheid and two of her names reflect that her paternal grandmother was Princess Feodora of Leiningen, the half-sister of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom. Elise’s two siblings have connections to Queen Victoria’s family through their marriages. In 1884, Elise married Heinrich XXVII, the future 5th Prince Reuss of Gera and the couple had five children. Upon the death of his father in 1913, Elise’s husband became the 5th Prince Reuss of Gera and the Regent of the Principality of Reuss-Greiz. His reign was only five years long. After the German defeat in World War I in 1918, Heinrich XXVII abdicated his position as 5th Prince Reuss of Gera and as Regent abdicated for the disabled Heinrich XXIV, 6th Prince Reuss of Greiz. The new government of Reuss-Gera made an agreement with Heinrich XXVII that granted him some castles and land.
Unofficial Royalty: Princess Elise of Hohenlohe-Langenburg, Princess Reuss of Gera

September 4, 1896 – Birth of Aspasia Manos, Princess of Greece, wife of King Alexander I of Greece, in Athens, Greece
Aspasia was the daughter of Colonel Petros Manos and grew up around the Greek royal family because her father was an aide to King Constantine I of Greece.  Aspasia and Prince Alexander, the second son of King Constantine I, began a romance, despite the unlikelihood of being able to marry due to their different ranks. In June 1917, King Constantine I was forced to step down from the throne, and his son Alexander was appointed to replace him. Despite the challenges from his family and the Prime Minister, Aspasia and Alexander married secretly on November 17, 1919. Aspasia was not given the title of Queen, instead, she was known simply as Madame Manos. Less than a year later, King Alexander died after contracting septicemia from a monkey bite several weeks earlier. Aspasia was four months pregnant at the time and gave birth to their daughter Alexandra in 1921. Alexander’s father was restored to the throne and issued a decree recognizing the marriage of Alexander and Aspasia and legitimizing their daughter Alexandra. Aspasia was now Princess Alexander of Greece and Denmark. Despite this, her relationship with her husband’s family was never easy.
Unofficial Royalty: Aspasia Manos, Princess of Greece

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

© Unofficial Royalty 2024

Olga Konstantinovna of Russia, Queen of Greece; Credit – Wikipedia

September 3, 1467 – Death of Eleanor of Portugal, Holy Roman Empress, wife of Friedrich III, Holy Roman Emperor in Wiener Neustadt, Duchy of Styria, now in Austria; buried at the Neukloster Abbey in Wiener Neustadt
In 1452, Eleanor married Friedrich III, Holy Roman Emperor, who was also Duke of Styria, Carinthia, and Carniola and then Duke of Austria, later Archduke of Austria. Friedrich and Eleanor had five children but only two survived childhood. Eleanor and Friedrich were very different and their marriage was not happy. Eleanor loved dancing, gambling, and hunting while Friedrich was more serious. After fifteen years of marriage, Eleanor, aged 32, died on September 3, 1467, from dysentery in Wiener Neustadt, Duchy of Styria, now in Austria. She was buried at the Neukloster Abbey in Wiener Neustadt which was founded by her husband and where her three children who died in childhood were buried.
Unofficial Royalty: Eleanor of Portugal, Holy Roman Empress

September 3, 1499 – Birth of Diane de Poitiers, mistress of King Henri II of France at the Château de Saint-Vallier, in Saint-Vallier, France
Diane de Poitiers was the royal mistress of King Henri II of France from around 1534 until Henri died in 1559. During that time, she was considered by most to be the most powerful and influential woman in France, far surpassing the King’s wife Catherine de’ Medici.
Unofficial Royalty: Diane de Poitiers

September 3, 1757 – Birth of Karl August, Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach in Weimar, Duchy of Saxe-Weimar, now in Thuringia, Germany
When his father died in May 1758, Karl August became Duke of Saxe-Weimar and Duke of Saxe-Eisenach at just nine months old. His mother served as regent and is recognized for having built up the resources and strength of the duchies during her son’s youth. In 1809, the two duchies were united and Karl August became Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach. Six years later, following the Congress of Vienna, Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach was elevated to a Grand Duchy with Karl August as its first Grand Duke. Much more liberal than many of his contemporaries, Karl August was the first German prince to grant a liberal constitution and to promote the freedom of the press.
Unofficial Royalty: Karl August, Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach

September 3, 1783 – Birth of Anna Russell, Duchess of Bedford, Lady of the Bedchamber to Queen Victoria
Born Anna Maria Stanhope, she was the eldest daughter of Charles Stanhope, 3rd Earl of Harrington. She married Francis Russell, 7th Duke of Bedford.
Unofficial Royalty: Anna Russell, Duchess of Bedford

September 3, 1792 – Death of Marie Thérèse Louise of Savoy, Princesse de Lamballe in Paris, France, favorite of Marie Antoinette, Queen of France, by a mob during the September Massacres of 1792 (French Revolution); her remains were lost or destroyed
On September 3, 1792, Marie Thérèse went before a tribunal that insisted she swear “hatred to the King and the Queen and the monarchy”. Refusing to do so, she was released to the streets where she was quickly killed by an angry mob. Her head was placed on a pike, and numerous reports claim it was paraded below the windows where Queen Marie Antoinette was being held. Most historians agree that the Queen never saw this but she was made aware of the Princess’s death. Her body was turned over to the authorities, but their whereabouts are unknown.
Unofficial Royalty: Marie Thérèse Louise of Savoy, Princesse de Lamballe in Paris, France, favorite of Marie Antoinette, Queen of France

September 3, 1810 – Birth of Ferdinand-Philippe, Duke of Orléans, Prince Royal, Prince of Orléans, eldest son of King Louis Philippe I of the French, at the Royal Palace in Palermo, Kingdom of Sicily, now in Italy
In 1830, Ferdinand-Philippe’s father became King of the French, and he became the heir apparent to the French throne and received the title Prince Royal as well as the titles of Duke of Orléans and Prince of Orléans. Twelve years later, Ferdinand-Philippe died from injuries received in a carriage accident.
Unofficial Royalty: Ferdinand-Philippe, Duke of Orléans, Prince Royal, Prince of Orléans

September 3, 1851 – Birth of Grand Duchess Olga Konstantinovna of Russia, Queen of Greece, wife of King George I of Greece, at Pavlovsk Palace near Saint Petersburg, Russia
Olga was the daughter of Grand Duke Konstantin Nikolayevich of Russia, a son of Nicholas I, Emperor of all Russia. In 1867, she married King George I of the Hellenes. born Prince Vilhelm of Denmark, son of King Christian IX of Denmark. The couple had eight children including the father of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.
Unofficial Royalty: Olga Konstantinovna of Russia, Queen of the Hellenes

September 3, 1955 – Death of Elisabeth Alexandrine of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, Grand Duchess of Oldenburg, second wife of Friedrich August II, Grand Duke of Oldenburg, at Schloss Schaumberg in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany; buried at the Ducal Mausoleum in St. Gertrude’s Cemetery in Oldenburg, Lower Saxony, Germany
Elisabeth Alexandrine was the last Grand Duchess of Oldenburg through her marriage to Grand Duke Friedrich August II. After her husband was forced to abdicate on November 11, 1918, when the German Empire fell, the couple took up residence at Rastede Castle in Rastede near Oldenburg, Germany. Elisabeth Alexandrine remained close to her large family, often spending time in the Netherlands with her brother Heinrich who had married Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands. Friedrich August died in 1931, and Elisabeth Alexandrine survived him by 24 years, dying at Schloss Schaumburg in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, the home of her son-in-law Josias, Hereditary Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont and her daughter Altburg Marie.
Unofficial Royalty: Elisabeth Alexandrine of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, Grand Duchess of Oldenburg

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

© Unofficial Royalty 2024

Maria Giuseppina of Savoy, Countess of Provence; Credit – Wikipedia

September 2, 1348 – Death of Joan of England from the plague, daughter of King Edward III of England, in Loremo, Bordeaux, Duchy of Gascony, now in France; buried in Loremo or in Bayonne Cathedral
One of the early English victims of the bubonic plague, dying from it on her way to her wedding, Joan was the daughter of King Edward III of England. In 1345, Joan was betrothed to the future King Pedro of Castile and León. In the summer of 1348, thirteen-year-old Joan left England for Bayonne, Duchy of Gascony, now in France, where her wedding was to take place on November 1, 1348. Joan’s retinue settled in a family castle in Bordeaux to take a planned break in their travels. Despite a serious outbreak of the plague in Bordeaux, it did not occur to Joan and the officials to leave the city. However, they soon watched in horror as members of Joan’s retinue fell ill and began to die. Robert Bauchier, the leader of Joan’s retinue, died on August 20, 1338. After the death of Robert Bauchier, Joan feared for her life and was moved to a small village called Loremo. However, Joan did not escape the plague and died on September 2, 1348.
Unofficial Royalty: Joan of England

September 2, 1753 – Birth of Maria Giuseppina of Savoy, Countess of Provence, wife of King Louis XVIII of France, at the Royal Palace of Turin, Duchy of Savoy, now in Italy
Full name: Maria Giuseppina Luigia
Maria Giuseppina Luigia of Savoy was the wife of King Louis XVIII of France, although he did not become King until after her death. The couple married in 1771 but had no children. In June 1795, Marie Joséphine’s husband became the titular King of France following the death of the only surviving son of King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette. However, as the French monarchy had been abolished years earlier, the two remained in exile as Count and Countess of Provence. They continued living in different parts of Europe before moving to England in 1808, taking up residence at Hartwell House in Buckinghamshire, England.
Unofficial Royalty: Marie Josephine Louise of Savoy, Countess of Provence

September 2, 1838 – Birth of Liliuokalani, Queen of the Hawaiian Islands, the only queen regnant and the last monarch of the Hawaiian Islands, born Lydia Liliʻu Loloku Walania Kamakaʻeha in Honolulu on the island of Oʻahu in the Kingdom of Hawaii, now in the state of Hawaii
Liliuokalani, Queen of the Hawaiian Islands was the only queen regnant and the last monarch of the Hawaiian Islands, reigning from 1891 until she was deposed in 1893. She composed Aloha ʻOe or Farewell to Thee, one of the most recognizable Hawaiian songs. In 1893, a group of local businessmen and politicians composed of six non-native Hawaiian Kingdom subjects, five American nationals, one British national, and one German national overthrew Queen Liliuokalani and took over the government of the Kingdom of Hawaii.
Unofficial Royalty: Liliuokalani, Queen of the Hawaiian Islands

September 2, 1870 – Birth of Luise of Austria, Crown Princess of Saxony, wife of the future King Friedrich August III of Saxony, in Salzburg, Austria
Full name: Luise Antoinette Maria Theresia Josepha Johanna Leopoldine Caroline Ferdinande Alice Ernestine
In 1891, Luise married the future King Friedrich August III, the last King of Saxony, and the couple had six children. From the beginning of her marriage, Luise was unhappy. She was unwilling to conform to the strict Saxon court which often caused conflicts with her father-in-law and others in the royal family. She sought refuge in several affairs, including her children’s French tutor, André Giron. Her affair with Giron was discovered when a telegram she sent him was intercepted.  With the help of two of her maids, Luise – pregnant with her youngest child – fled Dresden and headed toward Lake Geneva where she met up with her brother, Leopold Ferdinand, before reconnecting with Giron. Luise and Giron stayed in Geneva, often being seen in public. Their relationship ended just a few days before her divorce was announced on February 11, 1903. In 1907, Luise married for a second time to Enrico Toselli, an Italian musician 12 years younger, and the couple had one son. After World War I, Luise found herself virtually penniless. She had lost all of her Austrian titles and assets upon her second marriage, and with the end of the Austrian Empire, lost the little financial support that she had continued to receive from a few relatives. She spent some time living in Spain with an uncle before moving to Belgium where she spent the remainder of her life. Luise, aged 77, died on March 23, 1947. At the time, she was working as a flower seller to survive.
Unofficial Royalty: Luise of Austria, Crown Princess of Saxony

September 2, 1883 – Birth of Archduchess Elisabeth Marie of Austria, the only child of Crown Prince Rudolf of Austria, at the Austrian imperial summer residence of Schloss Laxenburg in Laxenburg, Austria
Full name: Elisabeth Maria Henriette Stephanie Gisela
Elisabeth was the only child of Rudolf, Crown Prince of Austria and Stéphanie of Belgium. She was only six years old when her father was found shot to death with his mistress Baroness Mary von Vetsera in an apparent suicide pact. Imperial dislike of Elisabeth’s mother Stéphanie had been high, and as a result, her paternal grandfather, Emperor Franz Joseph of Austria took Elisabeth into his care. The two were close to the end of the Emperor’s life. Following her mother’s remarriage to a Hungarian count in 1900, Elisabeth broke off all contact with her mother.
Unofficial Royalty: Archduchess Elisabeth Marie of Austria

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

© Unofficial Royalty 2024

Alexandra of Edinburgh, Princess of Hohenlohe-Langenburg; Credit – Wikipedia

September 1, 1651 – Birth of Natalya Kirillovna Naryshkina, Tsaritsa of All Russia, second wife of Alexei, Tsar of All Russia and the mother of  Peter I “the Great”, Emperor of All Russia, in Moscow, Russia
Natalya was brought up in the Moscow home of her distant relative, the Western-influenced statesman, diplomat, and reformer Artamon Sergeyevich Matveev. Mateev even married a Western woman, Eudoxie Hamilton from Scotland. Because of Mateev’s influence, Natalya Kirillovna’s upbringing was freer and more Western than that of other Russian women of that time period. Natalya’s upbringing certainly had an influence on her son Peter the Great who was greatly influenced by Western advisers and implemented major reforms to modernize Russia.
Unofficial Royalty: Natalya Kirillovna Naryshkina, Tsaritsa of All Russia

September 1, 1711 – Birth of Willem IV, Prince of Orange born in Leeuwarden, Friesland, Dutch Republic, now in the Netherlands
Full name: Willem Karel Hendrik Friso
Six weeks before Willem’s birth, his 23-year-old father Johan Willem Friso, Prince of Orange drowned when the ferry he was traveling on across a wide river capsized. From the day of his birth, Willem was Prince of Orange. He also succeeded to his father’s elective offices as Stadtholder of Friesland and as Stadtholder of Groningen under the regency of his mother Marie Luise until he reached his majority in 1731. Willem married Anne, Princess Royal, eldest daughter of King George II and the couple had three children.
Unofficial Royalty: Willem IV, Prince of Orange

September 1, 1715 – Death of King Louis XIV of France at the Palace of Versailles in Versailles, France; buried at the Basilica of Saint-Denis near Paris, France
King Louis XIV was the longest-reigning French monarch, reigning from 1643 until he died in 1715, 72 years and 100 days. Louis XIV outlived most of his immediate legitimate family. His last surviving legitimate son Louis, Le Grand Dauphin died in 1711. Barely a year later, Louis, Duke of Burgundy, Le Petite Dauphin, the eldest of the Dauphin’s three sons and then heir to Louis XIV, followed his father in death. Burgundy’s elder surviving son Louis, Duke of Brittany joined them a few weeks later. Thus, on his deathbed, Louis XIV’s heir was his five-year-old great-grandson, Louis, Duke of Anjou, Burgundy’s younger son, who succeeded his great-grandfather as King Louis XV.
Unofficial Royalty: King Louis XIV of France

September 1, 1821 – Birth of Leopold III, Prince of Lippe in Detmold in the Principality of Lippe, now in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany
Full name: Paul Friedrich Emil Leopold
Leopold III had eight younger siblings. Leopold and his brother Woldemar were the only ones who married and neither had any children. This would eventually create a succession crisis. After the death of Leopold’s brother Alexander and the extinction of the Lippe-Detmold line, the throne of the Principality of Lippe went to Count Leopold of Lippe-Biesterfeld who would be the last Prince of Lippe.
Unofficial Royalty: Leopold III, Prince of Lippe

September 1, 1878 – Birth of Alexandra of Edinburgh and Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, Princess of Hohenlohe-Langenburg,  granddaughter of Queen Victoria, at Edinburgh Palace in Coburg, Grand Duchy of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, now in Bavaria, Germany
Full name: Alexandra Louise Olga Victoria
Alexandra was the daughter of Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh and Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, and Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna of Russia. In 1896, Alexandra married Prince Ernst of Hohenlohe-Langenburg.  Alexandra and Ernst were second cousins – their grandmothers, Queen Victoria and Princess Feodora of Leiningen were half-sisters.
Unofficial Royalty: Alexandra of Edinburgh and Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, Princess of Hohenlohe-Langenburg

September 1, 1922 – Death of Helena of Waldeck and Pyrmont, Duchess of Albany, wife of Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany, at Hinterris, Tyrol, Austria; buried near the Chapel at Hinterriss
In 1882, Helena married Queen Victoria’s hemophiliac son Prince Leopold. The couple had one child and Helena was pregnant with their second child when Leopold slipped and fell on a staircase, injuring his knee and his head. His injuries, exacerbated by his hemophilia, caused Leopold to die from a cerebral hemorrhage. Helena and her children continued to live at Claremont House near Esher in Surrey, England, which Queen Victoria had bought for Leopold upon his marriage. Helena devoted the rest of her life to her children, grandchildren, and charitable work. She died of a heart attack at the age of 61 in Hinterriss, Austria where she was visiting her son.  At her request, Helena was buried in the beautiful countryside of Hinteriss.
Unofficial Royalty: Helena of Waldeck and Pyrmont, Duchess of Albany

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

© Unofficial Royalty 2024

Diana, Princess of Wales; Photo Credit – http://www.npg.org.uk/

August 31, 1422 – Death of King Henry V of England at Bois-de-Vincennes, France, buried at Westminster Abbey in London, England
On June 2, 1420, King Henry V married Catherine of Valois. In June 1421, Henry V returned to France to continue his military campaigns. Catherine was already several months pregnant and gave birth to a son, the soon-to-be King Henry VI of England.  Henry V never saw their child. The warrior king, the victor against the French at the Battle of Agincourt, determined to conquer France once and for all, succumbed to dysentery, a disease that killed more soldiers than battle, at the age of 35, leaving a nine-month-old son to inherit his throne.
Unofficial Royalty: King Henry V of England

August 31, 1602 – Birth of Amalia of Solms-Braunfels, Princess of Orange, wife of Frederik Hendrik, Prince of Orange, at Schloss Braunfels in Braunfels, County of Solms-Braunfels now in Hesse, Germany
Amalia was the mother of Willem II, Prince of Orange who married Mary, Princess Royal, eldest daughter of King Charles I of England. They had one son Willem III, Prince of Orange, later King William III of England. Amalia had influence in politics, initially as Frederik Hendrik’s adviser, and then, after 1640, when her husband became ill, she became openly involved in political life and received foreign diplomats and envoys.
Unofficial Royalty: Amalia of Solms-Braunfels, Princess of Orange

August 31, 1724 – Death of King Luis I of Spain in Madrid, Spain; buried at Royal Monastery of San Lorenzo El Real in Spain
After the abdication of his father, Luis I, King of Spain had a very short reign, from January 14, 1724 to August 31, 1724. In 1722, Luis married Princess Louise Élisabeth of Orléans. The marriage was not successful and resulted in no children due to the young age of Louise Élisabeth and because she became increasingly known for her erratic and impulsive behavior. On January 14, 1724, Luis’s father King Felipe V abdicated the Spanish throne in favor of Luis for reasons that are still unclear. Perhaps it was because Felipe suffered from mental instability and did not wish to reign due to his increasing mental decline. King Luis I contracted smallpox in July 1724. His wife Louise Élisabeth was his only company because his parents, fearful of the illness, left the Palacio del Buen Retiro in Madrid, Spain. Luis’s smallpox was complicated by pneumonia. Fourteen-year-old Louise Élisabeth cared for and remained with her seventeen-year-old husband until his death, on August 31, 1724. She also contracted smallpox but recovered from the illness.
Unofficial Royalty: King Luis I of Spain

August 31, 1871 – Birth of Ernst II, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg in Altenburg, Duchy of Saxe-Altenburg, now in Thuringia, Germany
Full name: Ernst Bernhard Georg Johann Karl Friedrich Peter Albrecht
In 1898, Ernst married Princess Adelheid of Schaumburg-Lippe and the couple had four children. Ernst became Duke following his uncle’s death in 1908. He was a popular ruler who made efforts to be close to his subjects. He would hold audiences for any and all who wanted to meet with him. He also pursued his interests in science and technology, opening an airfield in 1911, and owning one of the first cars in the duchy. Ernst was the last reigning Duke of Saxe-Altenburg, abdicating on November 13, 1918, following the end of World War I. He was the only former German ruler who was a citizen of the German Democratic Republic (East Germany), and the last surviving sovereign from the German Empire. The East German government expropriated his beloved Schloss Fröhliche Wiederkunft in 1946, but Ernst was given the use of the residence for the remainder of his life. At the age of 83, Ernst died at Schloss Fröhliche Wiederkunft on March 22, 1955.
Unofficial Royalty: Ernst II, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg

August 31, 1872 – Birth of Mathilde Feliksovna Kschessinskaya, mistress of Nicholas II, Emperor of All Russia before his marriage, mistress of Grand Duke Sergei Mikhailovich of Russia, and mistress and wife of Grand Duke Andrei Vladimirovich of Russia, in Ligovo, Peterhof, Russia
Mathilde Feliksovna Kschessinskaya was one of the most famous ballerinas of the Maryinsky Ballet (now the Kirov Ballet) in St. Petersburg, Russia. She was awarded the title prima ballerina assoluta, traditionally reserved only for the most exceptional ballerinas of their generation.  Mathilde, who was ambitious, used her connections with the Romanovs to promote her career. Mathilde and Grand Duke Andrei Vladimirovich escaped from Russia after the Russian Revolution and married in 1921. Mathilde had previously had one son whose father was either Grand Duke Andrei Vladimirovich’s or Grand Duke Sergei Mikhailovich’s. In 1926, Grand Duke Kirill Vladimirovich, Head of the Romanov Family, gave Mathilde and her son Vladimir the title and surname of the Prince/Princess of Krasinsky. In 1935, Grand Duke Kirill Vladimirovich gave Mathilde and her son the surname Romanovsky-Krasinsky, and so they were formally styled Princess Maria Romanovsky-Krasinsky and Prince Vladimir Andreievich Romanovsky-Krasinsky. Mathilde opened a ballet studio in Paris and trained some of the most famous ballet dancers of the 20th century. She lived a long life dying in 1971, at the age of 99.
Unofficial Royalty: Mathilde Feliksovna Kschessinskaya

August 31, 1879 – Birth of Emperor Taishō of Japan at Tōgū Palace in Tokyo, Japan
Birth name: Yoshihito
Emperor Taishō’s mother, Lady Naruko Yanagihara, a concubine to his father Emperor Meiji, and the daughter of imperial chamberlain Mitsunaru Yanagihara, was the last concubine to give birth to a Japanese emperor. Three weeks after his birth, Yoshihito suffered from cerebral meningitis and this affected his health and his mental capacity, including a speech disorder and difficulty walking, for the rest of his life. In 1900, Taishō married Lady Sadako Kujō (Empress Teimei), daughter of Prince Michitaka Kujō, the head of the five senior branches of the Fujiwara clan. Because of Taishō’s diminished mental capacity, Emperor Meiji wanted an intelligent, articulate, and dignified wife for his son, and he found those qualities in Sadako. The couple had four sons including Hirohito, Emperor Shōwa. In 1912, Taishō succeeded his father as Emperor of Japan. He was kept out of public view as much as possible because of his mental incapacity.  It soon became apparent that he could not carry out any public functions, participate in daily government matters, or make decisions. This was all left to his ministers and his son Crown Prince Hirohito.
Unofficial Royalty: Emperor Taishō of Japan

August 31, 1880 – Birth of Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands at Noordeinde Palace  in The Hague, the Netherlands
Full name: Wilhelmina Helena Pauline Marie
Queen Wilhelmina holds the record for the longest-reigning Dutch monarch, 58 years. Her reign spanned World War I, the Great Depression, and World War II. Queen Wilhelmina’s father, King Willem III, was the third monarch of the Netherlands and had married his cousin Sophie of Württemberg in 1839. The couple had three sons,  all of whom predeceased their father without any legitimate children. Queen Sophie died in 1877 and Willem was eager to remarry. After considering some other princesses, the 62-year-old Willem married Princess Emma of Waldeck and Pyrmont who was 21 years old. 19 months later, Willem and Emma’s only child Wilhelmina was born on August 31, 1880, at Noordeinde Palace in The Hague, Netherlands. At the time of her birth, Wilhelmina was third in the line of succession after her half-brother Alexander and her great-uncle Prince Frederick of the Netherlands. By the time Wilhelmina was four years old, both men had died and Wilhelmina was the heir presumptive.
Unofficial Royalty: Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands

August 31, 1970 – Birth of Queen Rania of Jordan, wife of King Abdullah II of Jordan, born  Rania Al-Yasin in Kuwait City, Kuwait
In January 1993, Rania met Prince Abdullah of Jordan, the eldest son of King Hussein I of Jordan and his second wife Princess Muna, at a dinner party hosted by mutual friends. Quickly smitten, he proposed just two months later and the couple was married on June 10, 1993. At the time, neither likely suspected that they would one day become King and Queen of Jordan. Queen Rania and King Abdullah II have four children.
Unofficial Royalty: Queen Rania of Jordan

August 31, 1985 – Birth of Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman of Saudi Arabia, son of King Salman of Saudi Arabia, born in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
Since the founding of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 1932 by Abdulaziz “Ibn Saud”, the first King of Saudi Arabia, all six of his successors have come from among his 45 sons. In Saudi Arabia, there is no clear line of succession. Crown Princes have been appointed according to male line seniority from among the sons of Abdulaziz “Ibn Saud”. If Crown Prince Mohammad, a grandson of Abdulaziz “Ibn Saud”, becomes king, he will be the first king of the next generation.
Unofficial Royalty: Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman of Saudi Arabia

August 31, 1997 – Death of Diana, Princess of Wales at the Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital in Paris, France; buried at Althorp in Northamptonshire, England
After her divorce, Diana had a relationship with Dr. Hasnat Khan, a British-Pakistani heart surgeon, which ended in June 1997. She then became involved with Dodi Fayed, son of Mohamed Al-Fayed, the owner of Harrods and the Ritz Hotel in London. Diana and her sons joined the Fayed family in the south of France for a vacation that summer where she and Dodi reportedly began their romance. Following a trip to Bosnia, Diana again joined Dodi Fayed on a private cruise aboard the Fayed’s yacht, returning to Paris on August 30. Later that night, hounded by paparazzi, the couple left the Ritz to go to Dodi’s apartment in Paris. Just minutes later, their car crashed in the Pont de l’Alma tunnel, killing Dodi and the car’s driver, Henri Paul, instantly. Diana was critically injured and eventually taken to the Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital. Diana, Princess of Wales was pronounced dead at 4 am.
Unofficial Royalty: Diana, Princess of Wales
Unofficial Royalty: Death of Diana, Princess of Wales
Unofficial Royalty: In Memoriam – Diana, Princess of Wales (1961-1997)
Unofficial Royalty: Tragedy in the British Royal Family at the End of August

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

© Unofficial Royalty 2024

Mathilde Karoline of Bavaria, Grand Duchess of Hesse and by Rhine; Credit – Wikipedia

August 30, 1813 – Birth of Mathilde Karoline of Bavaria, Grand Duchess of Hesse and by Rhine, daughter of King Ludwig I of Bavaria and wife of Ludwig III, Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine, in Augsburg, Kingdom of Bavaria, now in Bavaria, Germany
Full name: Mathilde Karoline Friederike Wilhelmine Charlotte
The eldest daughter of King Ludwig I of Bavaria, Mathilde Karoline married the future Ludwig III, Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine but the couple had no children. Mathilde Karoline died of cancer at the age of 48 in 1862. Because she had remained Catholic after her marriage into the Grand Ducal family who was Lutheran, she is buried at St. Ludwig’s Catholic Church in Darmstadt.
Unofficial Royalty: Mathilde Karoline of Bavaria, Grand Duchess of Hesse and by Rhine

August 30, 1831 – Death of Louise of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg, Duchess of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, the divorced wife of Ernst I, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, in Paris, France; buried at the Ducal Family Mausoleum, Glockenburg Cemetery in Coburg, Duchy of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, now in Bavaria, Germany
Louise was the mother of Prince Albert, Queen Victoria’s husband. Although her marriage to Ernst was initially happy, the couple soon grew apart due to Ernst’s infidelities. In 1823, Louise had an affair with Gottfried von Bülow, the court chamberlain, and in 1824, she had an affair with Alexander von Hanstein, one of her husband’s equerries. At midnight on September 2, 1824, Louise was forced into exile and permanently cut off from her children. Louise and von Hanstein married but had no children. In 1831, Louise traveled with her husband to see doctors in Paris, France because of the deterioration of her health. Unfortunately, incurable cervical cancer was diagnosed. Louise died on August 30, 1831, in Paris at the age of 30.
Unofficial Royalty: Louise of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg, Duchess of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha

August 30, 1870 – Birth of Alexandra of Greece and Denmark, born Grand Duchess Alexandra Georgievna of Russia, daughter of King George I of Greece, wife of Grand Duke Paul Alexandrovich of Russia, at the Mon Repos villa on the Greek island of Corfu
Alexandra was the eldest of the three daughters of King George I of Greece and Grand Duchess Olga Konstantinovna of Russia. She was named after her paternal aunt Alexandra of Denmark, the future Queen Alexandra of the United Kingdom, wife of King Edward VII. Alexandra married Grand Duke Paul Alexandrovich, the youngest child of Alexander II, Emperor of all Russia. The couple had two children but sadly, Alexandra died after giving premature birth to her second child.
Unofficial Royalty: Alexandra of Greece and Denmark, Grand Duchess Alexandra Georgievna of Russia

August 30, 1915 – Birth of Princess Lilian of Sweden, Duchess of Halland, wife of Prince Bertil of Sweden, Duke of Halland, born Lilian May Davies in Swansea, Wales
Lilian and Prince Bertil, who was serving as a naval attaché at the Swedish Embassy in London, first met at a cocktail party in 1943. 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. The King married in June 1976 to a commoner, Sylvia Sommerlath, and soon after, he granted his formal permission for Bertil and Lilian to marry.
Unofficial Royalty: Princess Lilian of Sweden, Duchess of Halland

August 30, 1917 – Birth of Grand Duke Vladimir Kirillovich of Russia, son of Grand Duke Kirill Vladimirovich of Russia and Princess Victoria Melita of Edinburgh and Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, in Porvoo, Grand Duchy of Finland, Russian Empire, now in Finland
Grand Duke Vladimir Kirillovich of Russia was the pretender to the throne of Russia from 1938 – 1992.
Unofficial Royalty: Grand Duke Vladimir Kirillovich of Russia

August 30, 1946 – Birth of Queen Anne-Marie of Greece, wife of former King Constantine II of Greece, daughter of King Frederick IX of Denmark, born Anne-Marie of Denmark at Amalienborg Palace in Copenhagen, Denmark
Full name: Anne-Marie Dagmar Ingrid
Six months after his accession to the Greek throne, on September 18, 1964, King Constantine married 18-year-old Anne-Marie.  Upon marriage, she became Queen of the Hellenes and relinquished her place in the line of succession to the Danish throne. Before the wedding, Anne-Marie converted to Greek Orthodoxy. Anne-Marie and Constantine are third cousins twice, sharing both King Christian IX of Denmark and Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom as common ancestors. The couple had five children. Unfortunately, her tenure as Queen did not last very long. Following a coup in 1967, the Greek royal family went into exile, living in Rome for several years before moving to Denmark and then finally settling in the United Kingdom. While in exile, King Constantine was deposed and the monarchy was formally abolished in 1974. In 2013, Anne-Marie and Constantine were able to return permanently to Greece, where Constantine died in 2023.
Unofficial Royalty: Anne-Marie of Denmark, Queen of Greece

August 30, 1963 – Death of Alexandra of Hanover and Cumberland, Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, wife of Friedrich Franz IV, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, at Glücksburg Castle in Glücksburg, Germany; buried at New Cemetery in Glücksburg, Germany
Alexandra’s husband was the last Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. At the end of World War I, following her husband’s abdication on November 14, 1918, the family was forced to leave Mecklenburg. They traveled to Denmark at the invitation of Queen Alexandrine, Friedrich Franz’s sister, and stayed for a year. The following year, they were permitted to return to Mecklenburg and recovered several of their properties. At the end of World War II, with the Soviet Army approaching Mecklenburg, the family was again forced to flee. Intending to return to Denmark, they traveled to Glücksburg Castle, in Glücksburg, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, the home of their youngest daughter where they both lived the rest of their lives.
Unofficial Royalty: Alexandra of Hanover and Cumberland, Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg-Schwerin

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

© Unofficial Royalty 2024

Astrid of Sweden, Queen of the Belgians; Credit – Wikipedia

August 29, 1298 – Death of Eleanor of England, Countess of Bar, daughter of King Edward I of England, wife of Henri III, Count of Bar, in Ghent, County of Flanders, now in Belgium; buried at Westminster Abbey in London, England
Eleanor married Henri III, Count of Bar. The Duchy of Bar was a sovereign state located in what is now northeast France. An alliance with Henri against King Philippe IV of France could provide a significant military advantage. Eleanor and Henri had one son and one daughter. Eleanor and Henri’s marriage lasted a little less than five years. On August 29, 1298, 29-year-old Eleanor died in Ghent, County of Flanders, now in Belgium, of unknown causes. Possibly, she died in childbirth (along with the baby), which at the end of the 13th century was a frequent cause of premature death of women.
Unofficial Royalty: Eleanor of England, Countess of Bar

August 29, 1763 – Death of Karl August, Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont in Arolsen, Principality of Waldeck and Pyrmont, now in Hesse, Germany; buried at the Stadt-Kirche Bad Wildungen in Bad Wildungen, Principality of Waldeck-Pyrmont, now in the German state of Hesse
In 1728, upon the death of his elder brother, Karl August then became the reigning Prince of Waldeck-Pyrmont. Karl August had been left a great deal of debt due to his father’s ambitious building projects and he tried to limit the debt burden in his small country. However, he and his wife had the Residenzschloss Arolsen redesigned and expanded in the Rococo style. Karl August issued letters of protection to Jewish families provided they could prove that they had assets of at least 1,000 thalers, thereby allowing the immigration of Jewish residents into the Principality of Waldeck-Pyrmont.
Unofficial Royalty: Karl August, Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont

August 29, 1790 – Birth of Leopold I, Grand Duke of Baden, in Karlsruhe, Grand Duchy of Baden, now in Baden-Württemberg, Germany
As his parents’ marriage was morganatic, Leopold and his siblings were not titled Prince/Princess of Baden, nor were they initially in the line of succession. They were styled as Baron/Baroness of Hochberg, and later as Count/Countess of Hochberg. Leopold’s father had always intended that his younger children would be eligible for succession if there were no heirs left from his elder sons. In 1817,  the Hochberg children were raised to Prince and Margrave of Baden and formally given succession rights by the government the following year. Leopold became Grand Duke of Baden in 1830, upon the death of his unmarried brother.
Unofficial Royalty: Leopold I, Grand Duke of Baden

August 29, 1923 – Death of Nancy Stewart Worthington Leeds, Princess Anastasia of Greece and Denmark, first wife of Prince Christopher of Greece, at Spencer House in London, England; buried in the Leeds mausoleum at Woodlawn Cemetery in the Bronx, New York
Nancy had married two wealthy men who both died, leaving her a very wealthy widow. While visiting Biarritz, France in 1914 Nancy met Prince Christopher, the youngest child of King George I of Greece. The two quickly fell in love and decided to marry. Their engagement was first announced in 1914, but it would be six years before they actually married. There was much reservation within the Greek royal family over the bride being an American and already married twice. Finally, the couple was married on February 1, 1920, and several days after the marriage, Nancy converted to Greek Orthodoxy and took the name Anastasia. Not long after her marriage, Anastasia was diagnosed with the cancer that caused her death.
Unofficial Royalty: Nancy Stewart Worthington Leeds, Princess Anastasia of Greece and Denmark

August 29, 1935 – Death of Queen Astrid of the Belgians, born Astrid of Sweden, wife of King Leopold III of the Belgians, in a car accident near their villa at Küssnacht am Rigi in Schwyz, Switzerland; buried at the Church of Our Lady in Brussels, Laeken, Belgium
In August 1935, Leopold, Astrid, and their children were on holiday in Switzerland. On August 29, 1935, having sent the children ahead, Leopold and Astrid decided to take one last outing before returning to Belgium. On a drive in the mountains near Lake Lucerne, with King Leopold at the wheel, and Astrid beside him, the king was distracted by something Astrid pointed out to him and lost control of the car. The convertible went off the road and down a steep slope, crashing into a tree. Both of them were thrown from the car, but Leopold was not seriously injured. Astrid, who was pregnant, was thrown into another tree and died from her injuries. She was just 29 years old. Later, a chapel and memorial were built in her honor in Küssnacht am Rigi, at the scene of the accident. Astrid was the mother of two Belgian kings, Baudouin and Albert II, and Grand Duchess Josephine-Charlotte of Luxembourg.
Unofficial Royalty: Astrid of Sweden, Queen of the Belgians

August 29, 1966 – Death of Augusta Victoria of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen, wife of King Manuel II of Portugal, in Münchhöf, Baden, Germany; buried at Langenstein Castle in Baden, Germany
In 1912, Augusta Viktoria met the former King Manuel II of Portugal while both were visiting Switzerland. Manuel had become King in 1908 following the assassinations of his father and elder brother but was deposed two years later when the Portuguese First Republic was declared. The couple married in 1913 and lived at Fulwell Park, Manuel’s home outside London, England. Augusta Viktoria and Manuel had no children. Manuel died in 1932, and in 1939, Augusta Viktoria married Count Robert Douglas, head of the Swedish comital house of Douglas, a branch of the Scottish Clan Douglas. The couple lived at Langenstein Castle in Orsingen-Nenzingen Baden, Germany, and had no children.
Unofficial Royalty: Augusta Victoria of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen

August 29, 1968 – Wedding of King Harald V of Norway and Sonja Haraldsen at Olso Cathedral in Oslo, Norway
In June 1959, Crown Prince Harald attended a party hosted by a friend, Johan Stenersen where he met another friend of Johan Stenersen, Sonja Haraldsen. The relationship between the Crown Prince and Sonja was controversial as many people, including politicians and journalists, felt the Crown Prince should marry a princess and not a Norwegian commoner. The controversy continued for years as did the relationship despite the media’s attempts to promote a royal marriage with either of the Greek princesses Sophia and Irene. Crown Prince Harald made it clear to his father, King Olav V, that he would remain unmarried if he could not marry Sonja. This would have resulted in a succession crisis as Harald was the sole heir to the throne. At that time, Norway did not allow female succession, so his two sisters Ragnhild and Astrid were not in the line of succession. Finally, in 1968, when King Olav felt the position of the Norwegian people had changed to favor Sonja, he consulted with parliamentary leaders and other government leaders and gave his consent for the Crown Prince to marry a commoner.
Unofficial Royalty: Wedding of King Harald V of Norway and Sonja Haraldsen

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

© Unofficial Royalty 2024

Prince William of Gloucester: Credit – Wikipedia

August 28, 1592 – Birth of George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham, favorite of King James I of England and King Charles I of England, in Brooksby, Leicestershire, England
George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham, a courtier and favorite of King James I of England and his son King Charles I until a disgruntled army officer assassinated him. In 1615, George was knighted and became a Gentleman of the Bedchamber. He became Master of the Horse in 1616, was raised to the peerage as Baron Whaddon, Viscount Villiers, and was also made a Knight of the Garter. In 1619, George was made Lord High Admiral of England. In 1617, George was created Earl of Buckingham and climbed the steps of peerage when he was created Marquess of Buckingham in 1618, and Duke of Buckingham in 1623.
Unofficial Royalty: George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham, favorite of King James I of England and King Charles I of England

August 28, 1667 – Birth of Louise of Mecklenburg-Güstrow, Queen of Denmark and Norway, first wife of King Frederik IV of Denmark and Norway, in Güstrow, Duchy of Mecklenburg-Güstrow, now in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany
Louise grew up at her father’s modest court at Güstrow Castle. Her parents were adherents to Pietism, a movement that originated in the Lutheran Church in the 17th century that stressed personal piety over religious formality and orthodoxy. In 1695, Louise married the future Frederik IV, King of Denmark and Norway. Louise and Frederik had four sons and one daughter. Sadly, three sons died in infancy. Louise found it difficult to endure her husband’s infidelities and even worse, his two bigamous marriages. At times, Louise reproached her husband which often led to embarrassing situations at court. It is suspected that Louise’s deep religiousness was also an escape from her disappointing marriage. Louise took part in the official court life and fulfilled her ceremonial duties. Otherwise, she led a withdrawn and quiet life. Queen Louise died on March 15, 1721, aged 53, at Charlottenborg Palace in Copenhagen, Denmark.
Unofficial Royalty: Louise of Mecklenburg-Güstrow, Queen of Denmark and Norway

August 28, 1676 – Birth of Isabel Stuart at St. James’s Palace in London, England
Isabel was the second of the seven children and the second of the five daughters of the future King James II of England, who was then Duke of York, and his second wife Maria Beatrice of Modena. Isabel’s mother Maria Beatrice had twelve pregnancies and gave birth to seven live children, four of whom died in infancy. To her father James, this seemed a repeat of his first marriage to Lady Anne Hyde when six of their eight children died young. Only the last two of Isabel’s six siblings survived childhood. For most of her short life, Isabel was her parents’ only child and was fourth in line to the throne behind her father and her elder half-sisters Mary and Anne from her father’s first marriage. Isabel died on March 2, 1681, five months before her fifth birthday, at St. James’s Palace in London while her parents were still in Scotland. Her father regretted that he “could not have the satisfaction of seeing and assisting her in her sickness.” When he was King James II of England, he named the royal yacht Isabella in her memory. Her mother consoled herself with “thoughts that I have more angels to pray for me.”
Unofficial Royalty: Isabel Stuart

August 28, 1691 – Birth of Elisabeth Christine of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, wife of Karl VI, Holy Roman Emperor, in Brunswick, then located in the Duchy of Brunswick-Lüneburg, now in the German state of Lower Saxony
Elisabeth Christine was the eldest of the four children, all daughters, of Ludwig Rudolf, Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel. In 1708, she married the future Karl VI, Holy Roman Emperor. Elisabeth Christine and Karl had one son who died in infancy and three daughters, with one dying in childhood. including Maria Theresa of Austria, in her own right Archduchess of Austria, and Queen of Hungary, Croatia, and Bohemia because she succeeded to her father’s Habsburg hereditary lands. In 1740, at the age of 55, Elisabeth Christine’s husband Karl VI, Holy Roman Emperor died after a ten-day illness. His symptoms were typical of death cap mushroom poisoning but the definitive cause of Karl’s death remains unknown. Elisabeth Christine survived her husband by ten years, dying, aged 59, in Vienna, Austria, on December 21, 1750.
Unofficial Royalty: Elisabeth Christine of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, Holy Roman Empress

August 28, 1779 – Birth of Antoinette of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, Duchess of Württemberg in Coburg, Duchy of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, now in Bavaria, Germany
Full name: Antoinette Ernestine Amalie
Antoinette was the sister of Leopold I, the first King of the Belgians and an aunt to both Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom and her husband Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. In 1798, Antoinette married Duke Alexander of Württemberg whose brother Friedrich would become the first King of Württemberg. Antoinette and her husband had five children including Marie who would become the second wife of her maternal uncle Ernst I, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.  Antoinette died from erysipelas, a bacterial infection of the superficial layer of the skin, at the age of 44 on March 14, 1824, in St. Petersburg, Russia.
Unofficial Royalty: Antoinette of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, Duchess of Württemberg

August 28, 1789 – Birth of Stéphanie de Beauharnais, wife of Karl, Grand Duke of Baden, at the Palace of Versailles in Versailles, France
Full name: Stéphanie Louise Adrienne
Stéphanie was from the same family as the first husband of Napoleon’s wife Josephine, Alexandre, Vicomte de Beauharnais. Alexandre had been guillotined during the French Revolution. After the death of Stéphanie’s mother, Napoléon brought her to Paris and placed her under the care of his wife Joséphine. After becoming Emperor in 1804, Napoléon sought to strengthen alliances with several of the European dynasties by arranging several marriages of his extended family. One of these marriages was between Stéphanie and the future Karl I, Grand Duke of Baden. Before the marriage, Napoléon adopted Stéphanie and elevated her to an Imperial Highness and French Princess. Through the marriages of her children, Stéphanie’s descendants include the former Kings of Romania and Yugoslavia, as well as the royal families of Belgium, Luxembourg, and Monaco.
Unofficial Royalty: Stéphanie de Beauharnais, Grand Duchess of Baden

August 28, 1814 – Birth of Susanna Innes-Ker, Duchess of Roxburghe, Lady of the Bedchamber to Queen Victoria, in Heningford, Yorkshire, England
Born Susanna Stephania Dalbiac, she was the daughter of Lieutenant-General Sir James Dalbiac, a British Army officer and Member of Parliament. She married James Innes-Ker, 6th Duke of Roxburghe.
Unofficial Royalty: Susanna Innes-Ker, Duchess of Roxburghe

August 28, 1853 – Birth of Prince Franz I of Liechtenstein at Schloss Liechtenstein near Vienna, Austria
Full name: Franz de Paula Maria Karl August
In 1914, Franz met Elisabeth von Gutmann, the widow of the Hungarian Baron Géza Erős of Bethlenfalva. The couple wanted to marry in 1919 but Franz’s brother Johann II, Prince of Liechtenstein refused to consent to the marriage because of Elsa’s lower social status and Jewish background, although she had converted to Catholicism before her first marriage. Elsa and Franz secretly married in 1919, and that same year, Pope Benedict XV received the couple at the Vatican. Johann II died in 1929, and as he was unmarried with no children, his only brother succeeded to the throne as Franz I, Prince of Liechtenstein. Now that Franz was the  Sovereign Prince, he could officially marry Elsa. Their marriage was childless and upon Franz’s death, he was succeeded by his great-nephew, Franz Josef II, Prince of Liechtenstein.
Unofficial Royalty: Prince Franz I of Liechtenstein

August 28, 1895 – Death of Elisabeth Anna of Prussia, Hereditary Grand Duchess of Oldenburg, first wife of the future Friedrich August II, Grand Duke of Oldenburg, in Fulda, Kingdom of Prussia, now in Hesse, Germany; buried in the Ducal Mausoleum in St. Gertrude’s Cemetery in Oldenburg, Grand Duchy of Oldenburg, now in Lower Saxony, Germany
In 1878, Elisabeth Anna married the future Friedrich August II, Grand Duke of Oldenburg but she died before he became Grand Duke.  The couple was married in a double wedding, along with Princess Charlotte of Prussia and Bernhard, Hereditary Prince of Saxe-Meiningen. Elisabeth Anne and Friedrich had two daughters.
Unofficial Royalty: Elisabeth Anna of Prussia, Hereditary Grand Duchess of Oldenburg

August 28, 1941 – Birth of Baroness Sybille de Selys Longchamps Boël, former mistress of Albert II, King of the Belgians
Baroness Sybille de Selys Longchamps was the mistress of the future King Albert II of the Belgians from the mid-1960s until the early 1980s. Their child, Delphine Boël, now Her Royal Highness Princess Delphine of Belgium, is well-known for pursuing legal acknowledgment of her parentage. This was finally received in early 2020.
Unofficial Royalty: Baroness Sybille de Selys Longchamps Boël, Mistress of Albert II, King of the Belgians

August 28, 1942 – Death of Archduke Giuseppe Ferdinando of Austria in Vienna, Austria, pretender to the Grand Ducal Throne of Tuscany; buried in the Imperial Crypt at the Capuchin Church in Vienna, Austria
Archduke Giuseppe Ferdinando of Austria was the Pretender to the Grand Ducal Throne of Tuscany from 1908 until 1921 when he married unequally and was forced to renounce his rights.
Unofficial Royalty: Archduke Giuseppe Ferdinando of Austria

August 28, 1943 – Death of Tsar Boris III of Bulgaria at Sofia, Bulgaria; originally buried at Rila Monastery in Rila, Bulgaria, re-buried in the courtyard of the Vrana Palace during the Communist regime, at a later date the Communist regime moved the coffin to an unknown location
Boris was the Tsar of the Kingdom of Bulgaria from 1918 until his death.  In 1930, he married Princess Giovanna of Italy and the couple had two children. With the outbreak of World War II, Boris tried to retain Bulgaria’s neutrality. After the threat of a German invasion, and with the promise of regaining territory formerly ceded to Greece, Boris signed a treaty aligning Bulgaria with the Axis powers.  In 1941, Boris signed into law the Law for Protection of the Nation, which imposed restrictions on Jewish Bulgarians. Despite signing the law, Boris helped to prevent the forced deportation of the Bulgarian Jews. In August 1943, Boris was summoned to a meeting with Hitler, who wanted Boris to deport Bulgarian Jews, and to declare war on Russia – both of which Boris strongly refused to do, making Hitler furious. Just weeks later, 49-year-old Boris died. The circumstances of his death remain mysterious, with many believing that Boris had been poisoned because of his refusal to concede to the demands of the Nazis.
Unofficial Royalty: Tsar Boris III of Bulgaria

August 28, 1972 – Death of Prince William of Gloucester in an airplane accident at an air show at Halfpenny Green, near Wolverhampton, England; buried at Royal Burial Grounds, Frogmore in Windsor, England
Prince William was the first cousin of Queen Elizabeth II and brother of the current Duke of Gloucester.  William would have been Duke of Gloucester had he lived. He was a licensed pilot, owned several airplanes, and enjoyed competing in air shows. On August 28, 1972, the prince planned on competing at the Goodyear International Air Trophy races at Halfpenny Green, near Wolverhampton, England. Express and Star photographer Ray Bradbury, an eyewitness, described what happened: “I saw Prince William’s Piper, number 66, and another Piper, number 69, take off. Number 69 appeared to get airborne before the prince. Then it seemed he was in some sort kind of trouble. He banked to port. It looked as though the Prince might have been troubled by the other aircraft making a turn but at a higher altitude. His port wing seemed to hit the trees and he disappeared from view. Then there was an explosion.”
Unofficial Royalty: Prince William of Gloucester
Unofficial Royalty: Tragedy in the British Royal Family at the End of August

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.