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Alice Heine, wife of Prince Albert I of Monaco; Credit – Wikipedia
December 22, 1670 – Birth of Anna Sophie of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg, Princess of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt, wife of Ludwig Friedrich I, Prince of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt, in Gotha, then in the Duchy of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg, now in the German state of Thuringia
Anna Sophie was the eldest of the eight children and the eldest of the six daughters of Friedrich I, Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg. In 1691, 21-year-old Anna Sophie married 24-year-old Ludwig Friedrich of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt, the son and heir of Albrecht Anton, Count of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt. Ludwig Friedrich and Anna Sophie had thirteen children. Via their daughter, Anna Sophie who married Franz Josias, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, Ludwig Friedrich and Anna Sophie are the ancestors of Queen Victoria and her husband Prince Albert, and their uncle Leopold I, King of the Belgians. The royal families of Belgium, Denmark, Luxembourg, Norway, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom are their descendants.
Unofficial Royalty: Anna Sophie of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg, Princess of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt
December 22, 1748 – Death of Prince Johann Nepomuk Karl of Liechtenstein in Wischau, now in the Czech Republic; buried at Liechtenstein Crypt in Vranov nearby Brno, Czech Republic
In 1732, eight-year-old Johann Nepomuk Karl became the reigning Prince of Liechtenstein upon the early death of his father. The former reigning Prince of Liechtenstein Josef Wenzel I served as regent and guardian for Johann Nepomuk Karl until he reached his majority in 1745. He carefully prepared Johann Nepomuk Karl to take over the business of government. However, when Johann Nepomuk Karl reached the age of 21 and took over the government, it appeared as if he had not learned anything. He was soon neglecting his government duties. In 1748, Johann Nepomuk Karl, Prince of Liechtenstein died at the age of 24. Because Johann Nepomuk Karl had no male heir, the former reigning Prince of Liechtenstein Josef Wenzel I once again became the reigning Prince.
Unofficial Royalty: Johann Nepomuk Karl, Prince of Liechtenstein
December 22, 1799 – Birth of Carlo II Ludovico, Duke of Parma at Royal Palace of Madrid in Spain
Full name: Carlo Ludovico Ferdinando
Carlo Ludovico was born in Spain because, in 1796, the Duchy of Parma was occupied by French troops. After the fall of Napoleon in 1814, the Duchy of Parma was not returned to the Bourbon-Parma family. Instead, the Congress of Vienna gave it to Napoleon’s second wife Marie-Louise of Austria. In 1820, Carlo Ludovico married Maria Teresa of Savoy, one of the twin daughters of King Vittorio Emanuele I of Sardinia. In 1847, at the death of Napoleon’s second wife Marie-Louise of Austria, Duchess of Parma, Carlo Ludovico succeeded her as the reigning Duke of Parma according to the stipulations of the Congress of Vienna. However, the reign of Carlo II Ludovico, Duke of Parma was short. He was very unpopular with the citizens of Parma, and within a few months, he was ousted by a revolution. Carlo Ludovico regained control of Parma with the help of Austrian troops but finally abdicated in favor of his son Carlo III, Duke of Parma in 1849. After his abdication, Carlo Ludovico lived at Weistropp Castle, a castle he had purchased in Klipphausen, Kingdom of Saxony, now in the German state of Saxony. He also spent time in Paris, France, and Nice, France.
Unofficial Royalty: Carlo II Ludovico, Duke of Parma
December 22, 1925 – Death of Alice Heine, Princess of Monaco, second wife of Prince Albert I of Monaco, in Paris, France; buried at Père-Lachaise Cemetery in Paris, France
Alice Heine was the second wife of Prince Albert I of Monaco, and the first American woman to marry a reigning European sovereign. Her father Michel Heine was a French banker and businessman who came from a prominent German-Jewish banking family and established a bank in New Orleans, Louisiana. The family returned to France in 1875, and Alice married Marie Odet Richard Armand de La Chapelle de Saint-Jean de Jumilhac, 7th Duke of Richelieu. Jewish by birth, Alice converted to Roman Catholicism prior to the marriage. The couple had two children. Upon her husband’s death in 1880, Alice became a wealthy young widow. She became one of the leading hostesses in European society and met the future Prince Albert I of Monaco. However, Albert’s father, Prince Charles III, would not permit them to marry. After the death of his father in 1889, Albert became the Sovereign Prince of Monaco and married Alice. The couple had no children. Eventually, Alice and Albert’s lack of mutual interests drove them apart. Alice had an affair with the composer Isidore de Lara. Although Albert had many affairs, he could not tolerate Alice’s affair. In 1901, at the opening of the opera, Albert publicly accused Alice of her affair and slapped her across the face. Alice left the opera immediately and left Monaco the next morning. Albert banned her from ever returning to Monaco. The couple was granted a legal separation in 1902 but never divorced. Alice settled at Claridge’s in London, England. While in London, she became a close friend of Queen Alexandra, wife of King Edward VII of the United Kingdom. Alice died in Paris, France at the age of 67.
Unofficial Royalty: Alice Heine, Princess of Monaco
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