October 8: Today in Royal History

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King Zog I of Albania; Credit – Wikipedia

October 8, 1515 – Birth of Lady Margaret Erskine, mistress of James V, King of Scots
James V, King of Scots had several mistresses but Lady Margaret Erskine was his favorite and the mother of the most important of his nine illegitimate children. Margaret’s father John Erskine, 5th Lord Erskine was appointed guardian of the ten-year-old James V, King of Scots and Constable of Stirling Castle, and so Margaret and James had been acquainted from an early age. Within a few years of her marriage to Sir Robert Douglas of Lochleven, Margaret became the mistress of James V. Margaret and James V’s son James Stewart, 1st Earl of Moray, born circa 1531, had become Protestant like most of Margaret’s family. Despite their religious differences, James Stewart became the chief advisor to his half-sister Mary, Queen of Scots and in September 1561, Mary created her half-brother Earl of Moray.
Unofficial Royalty: Lady Margaret Erskine, mistress of James V, King of Scots

October 8, 1895 – Birth of Ahmed Zogu, King Zog I of Albania, at Burgajet Castle in Burrel,  the Ottoman Empire, now in Albania
After Albania achieved independence, Ahmed Muhtar Zogu held numerous positions within the government, including Minister of the Interior, Chief of the Albanian Military, Prime Minister, and President. In 1927, several Albanian politicians suggested that Albania should become a monarchy again. A commission was quickly established and on August 30, 1928, the Constitutional Assembly overwhelmingly approved the vote. The Kingdom of Albania was established, and President Zogu was offered the throne. The following day, September 1, 1928, Ahmet Zogu took the oath, becoming King Zog I of the Albanians, the country’s first and only reigning King. In 1938, King Zog married Geraldine Apponyi de Nagy-Appony. On April 7, 1939, just two days after Queen Geraldine gave birth to the couple’s only child, Italian forces invaded Albania. Despite attempts to hold them off, the Albanian military was unsuccessful and the royal family was forced into exile. After several years of ill health, King Zog passed away on April 9, 1961, at 66.
Unofficial Royalty: King Zog I of Albania

October 8, 1972 – Death of The Honorable Sir Alexander Ramsay, son of John William Maule Ramsay, 13th Earl of Dalhousie and husband of Princess Patricia of Connaught, a granddaughter of Queen Victoria, at his home Ribsden Holt in Windlesham, Surrey, England; buried in the Royal Burial Ground at Frogmore, Windsor, England
Ramsay had a long career in the Royal Navy. While serving as naval aide-de-camp to Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught in his early years as Governor-General of Canada, Ramsay became acquainted with his youngest child Princess Patricia of Connaught. The couple became engaged at the fishing lodge of J. K. L. Ross, a Canadian businessman, sportsman, thoroughbred racehorse owner/breeder, and philanthropist, on St. Anns Bay in Nova Scotia, Canada. The wedding was held at Westminster Abbey on February 27, 1919. This was the first major royal event after World War I and the first royal wedding at Westminster Abbey since the 1382 wedding of King Richard II and Anne of Bohemia. The couple had one son.
Unofficial Royalty: The Honorable Sir Alexander Ramsay

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