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Sophie of Prussia, Queen of Greece; Credit – Wikipedia
June 14, 1753 – Birth of Ludwig I, Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine in Prenzlau, Duchy of Zweibrücken, now in Brandenburg, Germany
Ludwig succeeded his father in April 1790 as Ludwig X, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt. After the fall of the Holy Roman Empire, Hesse-Darmstadt was raised to the Grand Duchy of Hesse, with Ludwig becoming its first Grand Duke. In 1816, during the Congress of Vienna, the Grand Duchy of Hesse became the Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine.
Unofficial Royalty: Ludwig I, Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine
June 14, 1828 – Death of Karl August, Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach at Castle Graditz in Graditz, Kingdom of Prussia, now in Saxony, Germany; buried in the Weimarer Fürstengruft in the Historical Cemetery in Weimar, Grand Duchy of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, now in Thuringia, Germany
When his father died in May 1758, Karl August became Duke of Saxe-Weimar and Duke of Eisenach at just nine months old. His mother served as regent. In 1809, the two duchies were united as one, 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 of Saxe-Eisenach.
Unofficial Royalty: Karl August, Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach
June 14, 1870 – Birth of Queen Sophie of Greece, wife of King Constantine I of Greece, born Princess Sophie of Prussia in the Neues Palais in Potsdam, Kingdom of Prussia now in Brandenburg, Germany
Full name: Sophie Dorothea Ulrike Alice
Sophie was the daughter of Friedrich III, German Emperor, King of Prussia and Victoria, Princess Royal, and a granddaughter of Queen Victoria. She married the future King Constantine I of Greece. The Greek, Romanian, Serbian, and Spanish Royal Families descended from their marriage. Sophie’s granddaughter via her son King Paul of Greece was named after her. Princess Sophia of Greece married King Juan Carlos of Spain and her name was changed to the Spanish version, Sofia. Sofia’s younger granddaughter via her son King Felipe VI of Spain is named Sofia.
Unofficial Royalty: Sophie of Prussia, Queen of Greece
June 14, 1894 – Birth of Grand Duchess Marie-Adélaïde of Luxembourg in Berg Castle in Colmar-Berg, Luxembourg
Full name: Marie-Adélaïde Thérèse Hilda Wilhelmine
Marie-Adélaïde was the eldest of the six daughters of Grand Duke Guillaume IV of Luxembourg and Infanta Marie Anne of Portugal. At the time, female succession was not allowed in Luxembourg but Grand Duke Guillaume IV changed that. In 1912, when her father died, Marie-Adélaïde became the first reigning Grand Duchess of Luxembourg. In the early days of World War I, Germany violated the neutral stance of Luxembourg and invaded the country. Marie-Adélaïde issued a formal protest, which was not effective in preventing the military occupation by Germany. Marie-Adélaïde developed a rather friendly relationship with the Germans, including hosting Wilhelm II, German Emperor at the palace. This caused her political opponents in Luxembourg to call her pro-German. Members of the parliament began to call for her abdication in January 1919. After consulting with the Prime Minister, Marie-Adélaïde abdicated on January 14, 1919. Her sister Charlotte succeeded her. After her abdication, Marie-Adélaïde entered a Carmelite convent in Modena, Italy. Eventually, she became a nun, joining the Little Sisters of the Poor in Rome, taking the name Sister Marie of the Poor. Her health began to worsen so she left the convent and settled at Hohenburg Castle in Bavaria, Germany where she died of influenza on January 24, 1924, at the age of 29.
Unofficial Royalty: Grand Duchess Marie-Adélaïde of Luxembourg
June 14, 1976 – Death of Hereditary Prince Knud of Denmark, son of King Christian X of Denmark, in Gentofte, Denmark; buried at Roskilde Cathedral in Roskilde, Denmark
In 1947 when King Christian X died and his elder son became King Frederik IX, Knud was the heir presumptive. Danish succession law did not allow for female succession, so King Frederik IX’s three daughters, including the current monarch Queen Margrethe II, were not in the line of succession. It was expected that Knud and then his elder son Ingolf would become king. However, the 1953 Danish Act of Succession allowed for a female to become queen if she did not have any brothers. With the passage of that act, Knud and his son Prince Ingolf went from being first and second in the line of succession to being fourth and fifth after the three daughters of King Frederik IX. The 2009 Act of Succession now allows for the eldest child to become monarch regardless of gender. To compensate for the change in the succession, Knud was given the title Hereditary Prince of Denmark, and both Knud and his elder son Ingolf were granted fixed annuities and additional flexible annuities for life.
Unofficial Royalty: Hereditary Prince Knud of Denmark
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