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February 1, 1707 – Birth of Frederick, Prince of Wales, son of King George II of Great Britain and father of King George III of the United Kingdom, in Hanover, Electorate of Hanover, now in Lower Saxony, Germany
Frederick was one of the seven Princes of Wales who never became King. In 1736, he married Princess Augusta of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg. The couple had nine children including King George III of the United Kingdom and Caroline Matilda who married Christian VII, King of Denmark and Norway. In March 1751, Frederick became ill after he caught “a chill” while gardening. He became feverish and was bled and blistered, the medical treatment of the time. After a brief recovery, Frederick suffered a relapse and was again bled. On March 21, 1751, Frederick suffered a coughing fit and died suddenly. An autopsy found the cause of death to be a burst abscess in the lung. It was popularly believed that his death was caused by a blow from a cricket ball in his chest, but there is no proof of that.
Unofficial Royalty: Frederick, Prince of Wales
February 1, 1837 – Death of Friedrich Franz I, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin at Ludwigslust Palace in Ludwigslust, Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, now in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany; buried in the vault at the Doberan Minster in Bad Doberan in Mecklenburg, Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, now in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany
In 1775, Friedrich Franz married Princess Luise of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg and had six children. He also had numerous mistresses and fathered at least 15 illegitimate children. He maintained close contact with all of them, providing financial support and arranging for the best education possible for his sons. Friedrich Franz became the reigning Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin in 1785, following the death of his childless uncle Friedrich II. After Napoleon’s defeat, Friedrich Franz was raised to Grand Duke in 1815 by the Congress of Vienna. The remaining years of his reign were focused on strengthening the education system in the Grand Duchy, as well as pushing for legal reforms and the abolishment of serfdom. Friedrich Franz I died of lung disease at the age of 81.
Unofficial Royalty: Friedrich Franz I, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
February 1, 1864 – Death of Louise Marie Thérèse of France, Duchess of Parma, wife of Carlo III, Duke of Parma, at the Palazzo Giustinian in Venice; buried in the crypt of her grandfather King Charles X of France, at the Kostanjevica Monastery, now Pristava, Slovenia
Louise Marie Thérèse was the daughter of Prince Charles Ferdinand of France, Duke of Berry and Princess Maria Carolina of Bourbon-Two Sicilies. Her paternal grandfather was King Charles X of France, grandson of King Louis XV and brother of King Louis XVI. In 1845, she married the future Carlo III, Duke of Parma and the couple had four children. The authoritarian policies of Louise Marie Thérèse’s husband Carlo III, Duke of Parma made him unpopular, and in 1854, he was assassinated. Louise Marie Thérèse and Carlo III’s six-year-old son Roberto became Duke of Parma with Louise Marie Thérèse as regent but had a short reign. In 1859, the Duchy of Parma was abolished during the Italian unification movement. Louise Marie Thérèse took her children to Venice, Kingdom of Lombardy-Venetia, now in Italy where she spent the rest of her life in exile. She survived her husband by ten years, dying at the age of 44.
Unofficial Royalty: Louise Marie Thérèse of France, Duchess of Parma
February 1, 1908 – Assassination of King Carlos I of Portugal at the Terreiro do Paco in Lisbon, Portugal; buried at the Monastery of São Vicente de Fora in Lisbon, Portugal
In 1886, Carlos married Princess Amélie of Orléans, the daughter of Prince Philippe, Count of Paris, a pretender to the French throne, and the couple had two sons. Carlos became King of Portugal upon his father’s death in 1889. In June 1892, Portugal faced the first of two bankruptcies which further strengthened the Republican movement that placed the blame for the bankruptcy solely on the monarchy. As the King’s reign continued, the political landscape became more volatile every day. In 1906, he appointed João Franco as Prime Minister, despite the misgivings of many of his family and advisers. Franco asked the King to dissolve parliament, causing a huge campaign in Portugal claiming that the country was now a dictatorship. Public support for King Carlos was quickly diminishing, particularly as he strongly supported Franco. It would lead to his tragic death. On February 1, 1908, King Carlos I and his elder son Luís Filipe, Prince Royal were shot and killed by two gunmen while riding in an open carriage in Lisbon, Portugal.
Unofficial Royalty: Assassination of Carlos I, King of Portugal and Luís Filipe, Prince Royal
Unofficial Royalty: King Carlos I of Portugal
February 1, 1965 – Birth of Princess Stephanie of Monaco at the Prince’s Palace in Monte Carlo, Monaco
Full name: Stephanie Marie Elisabeth
Stephanie is the youngest child of Rainier III, Prince of Monaco and Academy Award-winning American actress Grace Kelly. On September 13, 1982, while returning to Monaco from their home in Rocagel, France, Stephanie and her mother had a car accident. Princess Grace died the next day and Stephanie was hospitalized with a hairline fracture of a neck vertebra. Stephanie has been married and divorced twice. She had two children with her first husband her bodyguard Daniel Ducruet before their marriage who are included in the line of succession to the throne of Monaco because their parents eventually married. Stephanie also has a daughter who is not in the line of succession. It is assumed that Jean Raymond Gottlieb, her former head of security, is the father.
Unofficial Royalty: Princess Stephanie of Monaco
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