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Pedro I, Emperor of Brazil/Pedro IV, King of Portugal; Credit – Wikipedia

September 24, 1513 – Birth of Katharina of Saxe-Lauenburg, Queen of Sweden, first wife of King Gustav I of Sweden, in Ratzeburg, Duchy of Saxe-Lauenburg, now in the German state of Schleswig-Holstein
The first of the three wives of Gustav Vasa I, King of Sweden, Katharina was the daughter of Magnus I, Duke of Saxe-Lauenburg and Katharina of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel. The fledgling King of Sweden needed heirs for his new House of Vasa. After being rejected by several potential brides’ families, Gustav Vasa was advised to consider the Duchy of Saxe-Lauenburg. Although the duchy was small and poor, the ducal family was related to many of the most powerful dynasties of Europe and was Protestant, which was important for the ongoing Swedish Reformation. With all this in mind, Gustav Vasa chose Katharina to be his wife.
Unofficial Royalty: Katharina of Saxe-Lauenburg, Queen of Sweden

September 24, 1704 – Birth of Karl August, Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont in Hanau, Principality of Waldeck and Pyrmont, now in Hesse, Germany
As the second son, Karl August was destined for a military career. He served briefly in a French regiment and then entered the Prussian army. Upon the death of his father on January 1, 1728, his elder brother Christian Philipp briefly was Prince of Waldeck-Pyrmont until his death on May 17, 1728. Karl August then became the reigning Prince of Waldeck-Pyrmont.
Unofficial Royalty: Karl August, Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont

September 24, 1812 – Death of Friedrich Karl August, Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont in  Arolsen, Principality of Waldeck and Pyrmont, now in Hesse, Germany; first buried at the Stadt-Kirche Bad Wildungen in Bad Wildungen now in the German state of Hesse. In 1962, his remains were transferred to the Princely Burial Chapel of St. Nicholas at the Church of St. Mary in Netze, a district of Waldeck, now in the German state of Hesse.
Full name: Friedrich Karl August Friedrich
In 1763, Friedrich Karl August’s father died and he succeeded him as reigning Prince of Waldeck-Pyrmont. However, his mother Christiane Henriette served as Regent of the Principality of Waldeck-Pyrmont until 1766. After a visit to England in 1775 to learn how to modernize Waldeck-Pyrmont, Friedrich Karl August instituted plans for road construction, agriculture improvements, wool and linen production, and iron mining. The education system was improved and a gymnasium, the term for a German secondary school, was constructed in Korbach. Friedrich Karl August died at age 68 and because he was unmarried, his brother Georg succeeded him.
Unofficial Royalty: Friedrich Karl August, Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont 

September 24, 1834 – Death of King Pedro IV of Portugal/Emperor Pedro I of Brazil at Queluz Palace in Lisbon, Portugal; first buried at the Monastery of São Vicente de Fora in Lisbon; re-buried in 1972 at the Museu do Ipiranga in São Paulo, Brazil
As Emperor Pedro I, he was the founder and first ruler of the Empire of Brazil. As King Pedro IV, he reigned briefly over Portugal. On April 7, 1831, after a political crisis that ended with the resignation of his ministers and in the middle of an economic crisis, Pedro abdicated the throne of Brazil in favor of his six-year-old son who reigned as Emperor Pedro II of Brazil. Pedro returned to Portugal where he died at the age of 35, from tuberculosis at his birthplace.
Unofficial Royalty: Pedro I, Emperor of Brazil/Pedro IV, King of Portugal

September 24, 1860 – Death of Marie of Württemberg, Duchess of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, second wife and niece of Ernst I, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, at Schloss Friedenstein in Gotha, Duchy of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, now in Thuringia, Germany; buried in the Ducal Mausoleum in the Glockenberg Cemetery in Coburg, Duchy of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, now in Bavaria, Germany
Marie was the eldest child and the only daughter of Duke Alexander of Württemberg and Antoinette of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld.  Marie had four brothers, but only two survived childhood. Marie and her brothers were first cousins of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert.  In 1832, Marie married her uncle Ernst I, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. The groom was 48 and the bride was 33. Ernst had been anxious to find a new bride after the death of his first, estranged wife, Louise of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg. However, Ernst’s age and his negative reputation left him with limited choices for a bride. His mother, Augusta, Dowager Duchess of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, arranged the marriage between her son and her granddaughter. After her marriage, Marie was not only the first cousin but also the stepmother of her husband’s sons from his first marriage, Ernst (later Ernst II, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha) and Albert (later husband of Queen Victoria). Marie and Ernst had no children, but Marie had a good relationship with her stepsons and maintained a correspondence with Albert throughout their lives.
Unofficial Royalty: Marie of Württemberg, Duchess of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha

 September 24, 1861 – Birth of Prince Franz Joseph of Battenberg, son of Prince Alexander of Hesse and by Rhine, in Padua, Kingdom of Lombardy–Venetia, now in Italy
The Battenberg /Mountbatten family descends from Franz Joseph’s parents Prince Alexander of Hesse and by Rhine and his morganatic wife Countess Julia von Hauke. While visiting Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom who was on holiday in Cimiez, France, Franz Joseph met Princess Anna of Montenegro. She was the daughter of King Nikola I of Montenegro and Milena Vukotić, and was in Cimiez visiting her sister and brother-in-law. The two quickly fell in love, and their engagement was announced. They married in Cetinje, Montenegro on May 18, 1897, in both Eastern Orthodox and Protestant ceremonies. The marriage was happy but the couple did not have any children.
Unofficial Royalty: Prince Franz Joseph of Battenberg

September 24, 1891 – Death of Alexandra of Greece and Denmark, Grand Duchess Alexandra Georgievna of Russia, daughter of King George I of Greece, wife of Grand Duke Paul Alexandrovich of Russia, at Ilyinskoye, the country estate outside of Moscow of her brother-in-law Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich of Russia; originally buried in the Peter and Paul Cathedral in St. Petersburg, Russia, in 1939, she was reburied at the Royal Cemetery in the grounds of Tatoi Palace in Greece
Alexandra gave premature birth to a son, Grand Duke Dmitri Pavlovich (a conspirator in the murder of Grigori Rasputin), and then she lapsed into a coma. She did not recover consciousness and died six days later.
Unofficial Royalty: Alexandra of Greece and Denmark, Grand Duchess Alexandra Georgievna of Russia

September 24, 1930 – Death of Marie Juliette Louvet, mistress of Prince Louis II of Monaco, mother of his only child Princess Charlotte of Monaco, grandmother of Prince Rainier III of Monaco, great-grandmother of Prince Albert II of Monaco, in Paris, France
In 1898, Marie Juliette gave birth to the future Prince Louis II’s daughter Charlotte. While Louis’ father Prince Albert I would not permit the couple to marry, their daughter Charlotte was later recognized as a member of the Monegasque Princely Family, and in 1919, was formally adopted by Prince Louis, becoming Princess Charlotte of Monaco, Duchess of Valentinois. She would also later become heir to the Monegasque throne following her father’s accession in 1922, later relinquishing her succession rights in favor of her son, the future Prince Rainier III.
Unofficial Royalty: Marie Juliette Louvet

September 24, 1950 – Death of Victoria of Hesse and by Rhine, Marchioness of Milford Haven, granddaughter of Queen Victoria, at Kensington Palace in London, England; buried at St. Mildred’s Church Cemetery, Whippingham on the Isle of Wight, England
Victoria was the daughter of Princess Alice, daughter of Queen Victoria, and Grand Duke Ludwig IV of Hesse and by Rhine.  She married Prince Louis of Battenberg and was the maternal grandmother of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. By the 1930s, Victoria had become a surrogate mother to her grandson Prince Philip. Her daughter Alice had suffered several breakdowns and spent many years institutionalized. Victoria and her two sons took over the care of the young Philip, overseeing his education and social ventures. In 1948, Victoria served as godparent to her great-grandson Prince Charles.  In the summer of 1950, while staying at Broadlands, the home of her son Lord Mountbatten, Victoria developed bronchitis and suffered a heart attack in August. Sensing the end was near, she insisted on returning home to Kensington Palace. It was here, on the morning of September 24, 1950, that she passed away, surrounded by her three surviving children.
Unofficial Royalty: Princess Victoria of Hesse and by Rhine, Marchioness of Milford Haven

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Feodora of Leiningen, Princess of Hohenlohe-Langenburg; Credit – Wikipedia

September 23, 1158 – Birth of Geoffrey, Duke of Brittany, son of King Henry II of England
Geoffrey’s father King Henry II of England was determined to expand and maintain his French territory. Through political action, military action, and marriage, Henry obtained the Duchy of Brittany. Henry II had now provided his three surviving sons with territories of their own: Henry would become King of England and have control of Anjou, Maine, and Normandy; Richard would inherit Aquitaine and Poitiers from his mother and Geoffrey would become Duke of Brittany. Henry II’s youngest son John would be born later in 1166 and would have no land, hence his nickname John Lackland. However, things did not work out the way Henry II had envisioned.
Unofficial Royalty: Geoffrey, Duke of Brittany

September 23, 1535 – Death of Katarina of Saxe-Lauenburg, Queen of Sweden, first wife of King Gustav Vasa I of Sweden, in Stockholm, Sweden; buried at Uppsala Cathedral in Uppsala, Sweden
In 1531, Katarina married King Gustav Vasa I of Sweden, and two years later, she fulfilled her most important duty as queen consort when she gave birth to a son, the future Erik XIV, King of Sweden. In September 1535, during a ball given in honor of her brother-in-law, Christian III, King of Denmark and Norway, who was visiting Sweden, the pregnant Katharina fell while dancing with Christian III. The fall confined her to bed and led to complications, and she died the day before her twenty-second birthday along with her unborn child.
Unofficial Royalty: Katarina of Saxe-Lauenburg, Queen of Sweden

September 23, 1555 – Birth of Louise de Coligny, Princess of Orange, fourth wife of Willem I, Prince of Orange (the Silent), at Châtillon-sur-Loing, France
In 1583, Willem I, Prince of Orange married his fourth wife French Huguenot Louise de Coligny, daughter of Gaspard II de Coligny. Louise’s father was a French nobleman and admiral but is best remembered as a leader of the Huguenots (French Calvinist Protestants). Both Louise’s father and her first husband Charles de Teligny were killed during the St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre in 1572 when thousands of Huguenots were murdered.  Willem and Louise had one son Frederik Hendrik, Prince of Orange whose son Willem II, Prince of Orange was the father of Willem III, Prince of Orange who was later King William III of England. On July 10, 1584, a little more than six months after the birth of her son, Louise was widowed for the second time when Willem I, Prince of Orange was assassinated.
Unofficial Royalty: Louise de Coligny, Princess of Orange

September 23, 1598 – Birth of Eleonora Gonzaga of Mantua, Holy Roman Empress, second wife of Ferdinand II, Holy Roman Emperor, Archduke of Inner Austria, King of Bohemia, King of Hungary and Croatia, in Mantua, Duchy of Mantua, now in Lombardy, Italy
After being widowed for six years, 44-year-old Ferdinand II, Holy Roman Emperor arranged to marry Eleanora, his 24-year-old first cousin once removed. Despite their twenty-year age difference, Eleonora and Ferdinand II had a happy marriage. Eleonora and Ferdinand had no children, but Eleonora had a close relationship with her stepchildren from Feredinand’s first marriage. After Ferdinand died in 1537, Eleonora lived in Graz Castle near her husband’s mausoleum but then she settled in Vienna, living mostly at the Discalced Carmelites Monastery she had founded in 1622. Eleonora spent part of her time in the palaces outside Vienna, especially Schönbrunn Palace. Eleonora, Dowager Holy Roman Empress died, aged fifty-six, in Vienna on June 27, 1655. She was buried in Vienna at the Discalced Carmelites Monastery she had founded. In 1782, Eleonora’s remains were reinterred in the Ducal Crypt at St. Stephen’s Cathedral in Vienna, Austria.
Unofficial Royalty: Eleonora Gonzaga of Mantua, Holy Roman Empress, 2nd wife of Ferdinand II, Holy Roman Emperor

September 23, 1713 – Birth of King Fernando VI of Spain at the Real Alcázar de Madrid in Madrid, Spain
In 1729, Fernando married Barbara of Portugal, daughter of João V, King of Portugal. The couple had no children. Fernando succeeded his father Felipe V, King of Spain in 1746, and reigned for thirteen years. His wife Barbara died in 1758 and her death broke Fernando’s heart. During the last year of his reign, probably at least partially caused by his wife’s death, Fernando VI rapidly lost his mental capacity and was held at the Castle of Villaviciosa de Odón, near Madrid, where he died less than a year after Barbara’s death, on August 10, 1759, at the age of 45.
Unofficial Royalty: King Fernando VI of Spain

September 23, 1759 – Birth of Marie Clotilde of France, Queen of Sardinia, wife of Carlo Emanuele IV, King of Sardinia, at the Palace of Versailles in Versailles, France
Full name: Marie Adélaïde Clotilde Xavière
Marie Clotilde was the daughter of Louis, Dauphin of France who predeceased his father Louis XV, King of France. Three of Marie Clotilde’s brothers were Kings of France: the ill-fated Louis XVI, and two kings of the Bourbon Restoration: Louis XVIII and Charles X. For political reasons, her brother Louis XVI arranged for her to marry the future Carlo Emanuele IV, King of Sardinia. Their marriage was childless. Marie Clotilde died from typhoid fever on March 7, 1802, aged 42. Pope Pius VII, who had personally known Marie Clotilde, declared her The Venerable Marie Clotilde of France in 1808. In the Catholic Church, after a deceased Catholic has been declared a Servant of God by a bishop and proposed for beatification by the Pope, they may next be declared Venerable (“heroic in virtue”) during the investigation and process leading to possible canonization as a saint.
Unofficial Royalty: Marie Clotilde of France, Queen of Sardinia

September 23, 1781- Birth of Juliane of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, Grand Duchess Anna Feodorovna of Russia, in Coburg, Duchy of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, now in Bavaria, Germany
Juliane was an aunt to both Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. In 1796, Julianne married Grand Duke Konstantin Pavlovich of Russia. Konstantin was the second son of the future Paul I, Emperor of All Russia, and younger brother of the future Alexander I, Emperor of All Russia. Konstantin was forced into marrying and had no real interest in Juliane. Both were still teenagers, had little in common, and Konstantin was focused solely on his military career. He was also known to be quite violent toward her. In 1799, Juliane left Russia under the auspices of medical treatment but was soon forced to return. In 1801, her mother came to Russia to accompany Juliane to Coburg to recover from ill health. Upon arriving back home in Coburg, she refused to ever return to Russia and soon began to negotiate for a divorce. However, the Russian court would not allow a formal end to the marriage.
Unofficial Royalty:  Juliane of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, Grand Duchess Anna Feodorovna

September 23, 1818 – Birth of Elizabeth Russell, Duchess of Bedford, Queen Victoria’s Mistress of the Robes 1880–1883 and Acting Mistress of the Robes 1886
Born Lady Elizabeth Sackville-West, she was the daughter of George Sackville-West, 5th Earl De La Warr. She married Francis Russell, 9th Duke of Bedford
Unofficial Royalty: Elizabeth Russell, Duchess of Bedford

September 23, 1864 – Birth of Draga Mašin, Queen of Serbia, wife of King Alexander I of Serbia, born Draga Lunjevica in Gornji Milanovac, Serbia
Draga Mašin was the wife of King Alexander I of Serbia, the last ruler of Serbia from the House of Obrenović. Alexander’s reign ended with his and Draga’s brutal assassinations. Draga and Alexander met while she was serving as a lady-in-waiting to Draga’s mother. Draga was twelve years older than Alexander but despite the age difference, the two fell in love. In Belgrade, everyone knew about the affair of Alexander and Draga. Draga appeared at every important court function and was praised for her tact, elegance, beauty, wit, and restraint. However, everyone also thought that it was just an affair. On July 8, 1900, 24-year-old King Alexander suddenly announced his engagement to 36-year-old Draga, and the couple married later that year. Their marriage and their lives ended in 1903 when Alexander and Draga were brutally shot, mutilated, and thrown out a palace window.
Unofficial Royalty: Draga Mašin, Queen of Serbia

September 23, 1872 – Death of Feodora of Leiningen, Princess of Hohenlohe-Langenburg at the Villa Hohenlohe in Baden-Baden, Principality of Hohenlohe-Langenburg, now in Baden-Württemberg, Germany; buried in the Main Cemetery in Baden-Baden,  Principality of Hohenlohe-Langenburg, now in Baden-Württemberg, Germany
Feodora was the elder maternal half-sister of Queen Victoria. In 1828, Feodora married Ernst I, Prince of Hohenlohe-Langenburg at Kensington Palace in London, and the couple had six children. Victoria and Feodora wrote to each other religiously. Victoria and her mother visited Feodora and Feodora visited Victoria and their mother in England. Whenever she came, Victoria paid Feodora £300 for her expenses. Feodora came to England when Victoria needed her the most, in the summer of 1861 following the death of their mother and then in December 1861 following Prince Albert’s death. After getting a telegram informing her of Feodora’s death following a serious illness, Victoria wrote in her journal: “Can I write it? My own darling, only sister, my dear excellent, noble Feodora is no more!… I stand so alone now, no near & dear one nearer my own age, or older, to whom I could look up to, left! All, all gone! How good & wise, beloved Feodora was, so devoted to me, so truly pious & religious. She is gone to that world she was so fit for & entered it, just sleeping away. What a blessed end! but what a loss to those who are left! She was my last near relative on an equality with me, the last link with my childhood & youth.”
Unofficial Royalty: Feodora of Leiningen, Princess of Hohenlohe-Langenburg

September 23, 1914 – Birth of Omar Ali Saifuddien III, Sultan of Brunei in Brunei Town, Brunei
When Omar’s brother Ahmad Tajuddin, Sultan of Brunei died in 1950 without any male heirs, Omar succeeded to the throne of Brunei. On October 4, 1967, Omar voluntarily abdicated in favor of his eldest son Hassanal Bolkiah but he still wielded most of the power in Brunei for a number of years. At the coronation of his son, Omar placed the crown upon Hassanal Bolkiah’s head. Omar became his son’s personal adviser and guided him in carrying out the duties as the Sultan in preparation for the time Brunei would eventually become an independent and sovereign country.
Unofficial Royalty: Omar Ali Saifuddien III, Sultan of Brunei

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Princess Augusta of the United Kingdom; Credit – Wikipedia

September 22, 1601 – Birth of Anne of Austria, Queen of France, wife of King Louis XIII of France, at Benavente Palace in Valladolid, Spain
Full name: Ana María Mauricia
Anne was the eldest daughter of King Felipe III of Spain and married King Louis XIII of France in 1615. After several stillbirths and nearly 23 years of marriage, Anne gave birth to two healthy sons: the future King Louis XIV of France and Philippe I, Duke of Orléans. King Louis XIII died in 1643, leaving his five-year-old son as the new King Louis XIV. In his will, the late King had sought to limit any power that Queen Anne might have had, including becoming Regent. He instructed that a regency council be established instead. However, just days after his death, Queen Anne was able to convene the Parliament of Paris and had that part of his will overturned. Anne was named the sole Regent for her young son.
Unofficial Royalty: Anne of Austria, Queen of France

September 22, 1780 – Birth of Prince Alfred of Great Britain, son of King George III of the United Kingdom, at Windsor Castle in Windsor, England
Prince Alfred was the ninth and youngest son and fourteenth of the fifteen children of King George III and his wife Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. Alfred was probably a “blue baby” due to a heart defect and was always in delicate health. Before Edward Jenner developed the smallpox vaccine that contained the cowpox virus in 1796 and that ultimately led to the eradication of smallpox, there was another way to possibly prevent smallpox called variolation. George III had his children vaccinated via variolation. About 3% of those inoculated via variolation developed a severe case of smallpox and died but that was preferable to catching smallpox with its mortality rate of 20–40% and scarred survivors. Sadly, two of the 3% who died after receiving the smallpox inoculation were the two younger sons of King George III, Prince Octavius and Prince Alfred. After suffering from prolonged bouts of fever, Alfred died on August 20, 1782, a month short of his second birthday.
Unofficial Royalty: Prince Alfred of Great Britain
Unofficial Royalty: Smallpox Knew No Class Boundaries

September 22, 1840 – Death of Princess Augusta of the United Kingdom, daughter of King George III of the United Kingdom, at Clarence House in London, England; buried at St. George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle in Windsor, England
Princess Augusta was the second of the six daughters and the sixth of the fifteen children in her family. Augusta’s childhood was very sheltered. She spent most of her time with her parents and sisters.  The living conditions of King George’s daughters came to be known as “the Nunnery.” None of the daughters was allowed to marry at the age when most princesses would marry. Three of Augusta’s six sisters eventually married, all later than was the norm of the time. Starved for male companionship, Sophia got pregnant by her father’s 56-year-old equerry and secretly gave birth to a boy who was placed in a foster home. Following the wedding of her niece Queen Victoria in 1840, Augusta’s health deteriorated. On July 2, 1840, a Windsor newspaper reported “the serious and alarming illness of the Princess Augusta.” Three days later, Queen Victoria ordered the gates of Green Park, which borders Clarence House, to be closed so that traffic would not bother Princess Augusta. With her sister-in-law Queen Adelaide, her surviving sisters Mary and Sophia, and her brother Adolphus at her bedside, Augusta died at the age of 71.
Unofficial Royalty: Princess Augusta Sophia of the United Kingdom

September 22, 1875 – Birth of Adelheid of Schaumburg-Lippe, Duchess of Saxe-Altenburg, wife of Ernst II, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg at Ratibořice Castle in Bohemia, now in the Czech Republic
Full name: Friederike Adelheid Marie Luise Hilda Eugenie
In 1898,  Adelheid married the future Ernst II, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg and the couple had four children. In 1908, Adelheid became the last Duchess of Saxe-Altenburg when her husband succeeded his father as Duke. Their reign, however, would be relatively short-lived. Her husband was forced to abdicate on November 13, 1918, when the German Empire was abolished. Following the abdication, Adelheid felt that she no longer had to endure her husband’s affairs and the shame it brought to her marriage. The couple separated and divorced on January 17, 1920.
 Unofficial Royalty: Adelheid of Schaumburg-Lippe, Duchess of Saxe-Altenburg

September 22, 1948 – Death of Prince Adalbert of Prussia, son of Wilhelm II, German Emperor and King of Prussia, in La Tour de Peilz, Switzerland; buried at Vassin Cemetery in La Tour de Peilz, Vaud, Switzerland
In 1914,  Adalbert married Princess Adelheid of Saxe-Meiningen and the couple had three children. During World War I, Adalbert served in the Prussian Navy, eventually taking command of the SMS Dresden. Following the end of the monarchy in November 1918, Adalbert left his family and initially took refuge on his yacht. He soon moved to Bad Homburg, Germany where he purchased a villa – Villa Adelheidswert – and was joined by his wife and children. They often traveled to Switzerland due to his wife’s health and eventually settled there permanently in 1928. They adopted the names Count and Countess von Lingen, lived a quiet and private life, and took no part in German politics.
Unofficial Royalty: Prince Adalbert of Prussia

September 22, 1948 – Birth of Mark Phillips, first husband of Anne, Princess Royal in Tetbury, Gloucestershire, England
Full name: Mark Anthony Peter
Mark Phillips was the first husband of Anne, Princess Royal, and the father of her two children. The couple divorced in 1992. An avid horseman, Mark was a member of the British Equestrian Team with whom he won the Team Three-Day Event world title in 1970, the European title in 1971, and Olympic Gold in 1972. He also won Silver at the 1988 Olympics and is a four-time champion at the Badminton Horse Trials. Mark is a regular columnist for Horse & Hound magazine, remains a leading figure in British equestrian circles, and serves as the Chef d’Equipe (team manager) of the United States Eventing Team.
Unofficial Royalty: Mark Phillips

September 22, 1971 – Birth of Princess Märtha Louise of Norway, daughter of King Harald V, at the Rikshospitalet in Oslo, Norway
In 2002, Märtha Louise married Ari Behn and the couple had three daughters. In August 2016, it was announced that the couple separated and they divorced in 2017. Sadly, Ari Behn died by suicide on December 25, 2019. Märtha Louise has often faced criticism in Norway for her claims of being clairvoyant and for commercially exploiting her title of princess. In May 2019, Princess Märtha Louise announced that she was in a relationship with an American citizen, a shaman named Durek Verrett who has faced strong criticism in Norway and has been characterized by Norwegian media and other critics as a conman. Together Märtha Louise and Verrett have held seminars titled “The Princess and the Shaman,” which also were widely criticized. In August 2019, Märtha Louise stated that she would no longer use the princess title in commercial contexts. In June 2022, Märtha Louise and Durek Verrett announced their engagement and were married on August 31, 2024.
Unofficial Royalty: Princess Märtha Louise of Norway

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Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, Credit – Wikipedia

September 21, 1327 – Death of King Edward II of England at Berkeley Castle in Berkeley, England, buried at Gloucester Cathedral in Gloucester, England
Edward II succeeded his father King Edward I in 1307. The granting of favors to Edward II’s favorites greatly displeased the English nobility. His wife and her lover Roger Mortimer, 1st Earl of March decided to depose Edward II resulting in his forced abdication. Edward II and Isabella’s son was crowned King Edward III, and Isabella and Mortimer served as regents for the teenage king. King Edward II was sent to Berkeley Castle where castle records indicate he was well treated. The circumstances of what happened to him are uncertain. One theory is that he died at Berkeley Castle on September 21, 1327, murdered on the orders of Isabella and Mortimer. When King Edward III reached the age of 18, he conducted a coup d’état against Mortimer and Isabella resulting in the execution of Mortimer and the confinement of his mother at Castle Rising in Norfolk.
Unofficial Royalty: King Edward II of England

September 21, 1411 – Birth of Richard Plantagenet, 3rd Duke of York, claimant to the English throne, father of King Edward IV of England and King Richard III of England
Richard Plantagenet, 3rd Duke of York was a claimant to the English throne, the leader of the Yorkist faction during the Wars of the Roses until he died in battle in 1460, the father of King Edward IV of England and King Richard III of England, and the great-grandfather of King Henry VIII of England and his sister Margaret Tudor. Through Margaret Tudor, Richard Plantagenet, 3rd Duke of York is an ancestor of the British royal family and many other European royal families.
Unofficial Royalty: Richard Plantagenet, 3rd Duke of York

September 21, 1415 – Birth of Friedrich III, Holy Roman Emperor, Duke of Styria, Carinthia, and Carniola, Archduke of Austria in Innsbruck, County of Tyrol, now in Austria
Friedrich III reigned as Holy Roman Emperor from 1440 to 1493, as Friedrich V, Duke of Styria, Carinthia, and Carniola from 1424 to 1493, and as Friedrich V, Duke (Duchy of Austria) and then Archduke of Austria (Archduchy of Austria) from 1457 to 1493. He would lay the foundation that would keep the House of Habsburg in a power play position until its fall after World War I.  During his reign, Friedrich concentrated on re-uniting the Habsburg hereditary lands of Austria. In February 1493, Friedrich’s health began to worsen. He had an issue with his left leg which contemporary sources referred to as gangrene but in today’s modern medicine, the issue was caused by arteriosclerosis. Friedrich’s doctors decided to amputate the affected leg. Although Friedrich survived the amputation, he died on August 19, 1493, in Linz, Duchy of Austria, now in Austria, at the age of 77. Contemporary sources say the cause of his death was complications from the leg amputation, old age, or dysentery-like diarrhea from eating melon.
Unofficial Royalty: Friedrich III, Holy Roman Emperor, Duke of Styria, Carinthia, and Carniola, Archduke of Austria

September 21, 1558 – Death of Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, King of Spain, Archduke of Austria, Lord of the Netherlands, Duke of Burgundy, at the Monastery of Yuste in Extremadura, Spain.; originally buried at the Monastery of Yuste, reburied at the Royal Site of San Lorenzo de El Escorial in El Escorial, Spain
Best known as Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, Charles was one of the most powerful ever monarchs and had a large number of titles due to his vast inheritance of the Burgundian, Spanish, and Austrian realms. He was the second of the six children and the elder of the two sons of Philip of Austria, Duke of Burgundy, the ruler of the Burgundian State from the House of Habsburg, and Juana I, Queen of Castile and León from the House of Trastámara.
Unofficial Royalty: Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, King of Spain, Archduke of Austria, Lord of the Netherlands, Duke of Burgundy

September 21, 1640 – Birth of Philippe I, Duke of Orléans, son of King Louis XIII of France and brother of King Louis XIV of France, at the Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye in Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France
During the English Civil War, Philippe’s paternal aunt Henrietta Maria, wife of King Charles I of England, and her youngest child and Philippe’s first cousin Henrietta sought refuge at the French court. The cousins married in 1661. Philippe had homosexual affairs but apparently, he was intent on fulfilling his dynastic responsibility of having children. Philippe and Henrietta had three children. Today’s Jacobite claim to the British throne goes through their younger daughter Anne Marie. After Henrietta’s death, Philippe married Elizabeth Charlotte of the Palatinate, known as Liselotte, and they had three children. Philippe’s careful investment and management of his various estates made him a wealthy man but his wealth was greatly increased when he inherited the fortune of his extremely wealthy paternal first cousin Anne Marie Louise of Orléans, Duchess of Montpensier upon her death in 1693. Philippe is acknowledged as being not only the biological founder of the House of Orléans but as its financial founder.
Unofficial Royalty: Philippe I, Duke of Orléans

September 21, 1693 – Birth of Countess Maria Anna Katharina of Oettingen-Spielberg, the third of the four wives of Josef Johann Adam, Prince of Liechtenstein, in Vienna, Archduchy of Austria, now in Austria
On August 3, 1716, in Vienna, Maria Anna married Josef Johann Adam. Josef Johann Adam and Maria Anna had five children including Josef Johann Adam’s successor Johann Nepomuk Karl, Prince of Liechtenstein. Maria Anna died on April 15, 1729, at the age of 35, and was buried at the Parish Church of St. Nicholas at Glogów, in Silesia, now in Poland. The church was destroyed in 1945 and the tomb was not preserved.
Unofficial Royalty: The Four Wives of Josef Johann Adam, Prince of Liechtenstein

September 21, 1706 – Birth of Polyxena of Hesse-Rheinfels-Rotenburg, Queen of Sardinia, second wife of Carlo Emanuele III, King of Sardinia, in Langenschwalbach in the Landgraviate of Hesse-Rheinfels-Rotenburg, now in Hesse, Germany
Polyxena of Hesse-Rheinfels-Rotenburg was the second of the three wives, all of whom died young, of Carlo Emanuele III, King of Sardinia. Polyxena and Carlo Emanuele III had six children including her husband’s successor Vittorio Amedeo III, King of Sardinia. Polyxena was active in charity work, founding a home for young mothers in Turin. She worked with Italian architect Filippo Juvarra, the architect of the great Basilica of Superga in Turin, to remodel and renovate several buildings.
Unofficial Royalty: Polyxena of Hesse-Rheinfels-Rotenburg, Queen of Sardinia

September 21, 1788 – Birth of Wilhelmine of Baden, Grand Duchess of Hesse and by Rhine, wife of Ludwig II, Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine, in Karlsruhe, Margraviate of Baden, now in Baden-Württemberg, Germany
Full name: Wilhelmine Luise
In 1804, Wilhelmine married her first cousin, the future Ludwig II of Hesse and by Rhine, and they had five children including Prince Alexander whose morganatic marriage created the Battenberg/Mountbatten family, and Marie who married Alexander II, Emperor of All Russia. Wilhelmine’s marriage was never happy, and she separated from her husband after the birth of their first three children. Wilhelmine had a large garden built on a hill in Darmstadt called the Rosenhöhe. She added several buildings, including a summer residence and a tea house. When her daughter Elisabeth died, Wilhelmine decided to have a mausoleum built in the park instead of using the traditional grand ducal tomb in the Darmstadt Stadtkirche. It is because of this that the Rosenhöhe has become the traditional burial site for the Grand Ducal Family.
Unofficial Royalty: Wilhelmine of Baden, Grand Duchess of Hesse and by Rhine

September 21, 1819 – Birth of Louise Marie Thérèse of France, Duchess of Parma and Regent of Parma, wife of Carlos III, Duke of Parma, at the Élysée Palace in Paris, France
The granddaughter of King Charles X of France, Louise Marie Thérèse was the wife of Carlos III, Duke of Parma and Regent for their son Roberto I, Duke of Parma until the Duchy of Parma was abolished during the Italian unification movement. In 1845, Louise Marie Thérèse married the future Carlo III, Duke of Parma and the couple had four children. In 1854, Louise Marie Thérèse’s husband was assassinated and she became Regent for their six-year-old son Roberto. After the Duchy of Parma was abolished, 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.
Unofficial Royalty: Louise Marie Thérèse of France, Duchess of Parma, Regent of Parma

September 21, 1845 – Birth of Ernst August II, the last Crown Prince of Hanover in Hanover, Kingdom of Hanover, now in Lower Saxony, Germany
The only son of King Georg V of Hanover, Ernst August was the last Crown Prince of Hanover, as well as the last to hold the British Dukedoms of Cumberland and Teviotdale. Ernst August became Crown Prince of Hanover upon his father’s accession in November 1851. However, in 1866, Hanover was annexed by the Kingdom of Prussia. The family went into exile in Austria but spent much of their time in Paris. In 1878, Ernst August married Princess Thyra of Denmark, the daughter of King Christian IX of Denmark and the couple had six children. Upon his father’s death in June 1878, Ernst August inherited his titles, becoming the 3rd Duke of Cumberland and Teviotdale, and Earl of Armagh in the United Kingdom, as well as head of the House of Hanover. He was also made a Knight of the Order of the Garter by Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom, his father’s first cousin. However, Ernst August was removed from the roll of the Order of the Garter in 1915, and in 1917 was stripped of his title of Prince of the United Kingdom. As a result of the Titles Deprivation Act, in 1919 he was stripped of his British peerages for bearing arms against Great Britain during World War I. The titles – Duke of Cumberland and Teviotdale – remain in abeyance, and his direct descendants could petition to have them restored. To date, no such petition has been made.
Unofficial Royalty: Ernst August II, Crown Prince of Hanover

September 21, 1957 – Death of King Haakon VII of Norway, born Prince Carl of Denmark, at the Royal Palace in Oslo, Norway; buried at the Royal Mausoleum at Akershus Fortress in Norway
A Danish prince who became King of Norway and one of a few elected monarchs, Prince Carl of Denmark was the son of King Frederik VIII of Denmark and Princess Louise of Sweden. He married his first cousin Princess Maud of Wales, the daughter of King Edward VII of the United Kingdom. Upon the dissolution of the Union between Sweden and Norway, Carl was elected King of Norway and took the name Haakon. During World War II, King Haakon and his son fled to the United Kingdom where he maintained a government in exile. Haakon continued to broadcast speeches to the Norwegian people. Despite pressure from Hitler, Haakon refused the Norwegian Parliament’s request to abdicate. Following the war, King Haakon and his family returned to Norway, exactly five years after the date they had been evacuated to the United Kingdom.
Unofficial Royalty: King Haakon VII of Norway

September 21, 1962 – Death of Princess Marie Bonaparte, Princess George of Greece in Saint-Tropez, France; buried at Royal Cemetery, Tatoi Palace, Greece
Marie came from an immensely wealthy family. Her maternal grandfather François Blanc was the principal developer of Monte Carlo and the Monte Carlo Casino in Monaco. He had amassed a large fortune that passed to his children upon his death, and Marie inherited a large amount of money upon her mother’s death. Following her father’s death, she inherited over 60 million francs. In 1907, Marie married Prince George of Greece, the son of King George I of Greece. As part of the marriage agreement, Marie retained sole control over her fortune, with Prince George refusing any financial settlement or allowance. The couple had two children. In the years that the Greek Royal Family was in exile, Marie used her wealth to support many of them. She provided the use of several of her homes in France and paid for education and living expenses. Those who benefited from Marie’s generosity included Prince Andrew of Greece and his family, including the young Prince Philip, the future husband of Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom.
Unofficial Royalty: Princess Marie Bonaparte, Princess George of Greece

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Arthur, Prince of Wales, Credit – Wikipedia

September 20, 1486 – Birth of Arthur, Prince of Wales, son of King Henry VII of England, at St. Swithin’s Priory in Winchester, England
The first child of King Henry VII of England, the first Tudor monarch, and Elizabeth of York, daughter of King Edward IV, niece of King Richard III, and sister of King Edward V, was born purposefully in Winchester, England which was once the capital of the Kingdom of Wessex. The name Arthur was chosen in hopes that he would bring a new Arthurian age to the new Tudor dynasty. In 1501, the two 15 year-olds, Catherine of Aragon and Arthur, were married at the Old St. Paul’s Cathedral in London. Catherine was escorted to the cathedral by Arthur’s brother, the 10-year-old Henry, Duke of York, who would eventually become her second husband as King Henry VIII. Within months of the marriage, both Arthur and Catherine became ill, probably of the sweating sickness. Catherine survived, but she was left a widow as Arthur did not survive.
Unofficial Royalty: Arthur, Prince of Wales

September 20, 1789 – Birth of Georg II, Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont in Weil am Rhein, Grand Duchy of Baden, now in Baden-Württemberg, Germany
Full name: Georg Friedrich Heinrich
Upon the death of his father in 1813, Georg succeeded him as Prince of Waldeck-Pyrmont. In 1823, Georg married Emma of Anhalt-Bernburg-Schaumburg-Hoym and they had five children. Through their son Georg Viktor, Prince of Waldeck-Pyrmont, they were the grandparents of Emma who married King Willem III of the Netherlands, and Helena who married Prince Leopold, Queen Victoria’s hemophiliac, youngest son.
Unofficial Royalty: Georg II, Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont

September 20, 1843 – Birth of Tsesarevich Nicholas Alexandrovich of Russia, son of Alexander II, Emperor of All Russia, at Alexander Palace at Tsarskoye Selo near St. Petersburg, Russia
Although Nicholas was born to succeed his father as Emperor of All Russia, it was not to be. In 1864, Nicholas became betrothed to Princess Dagmar of Denmark, daughter of King Christian IX of Denmark. However, in the spring of 1865, 21-year-old Nicholas was on his deathbed, dying of cerebrospinal meningitis. Within a few days, Dagmar was sitting by the bed of her dying fiancé.  There is an uncorroborated story that shortly before he died, Nicholas clasped together the hands of Dagmar and his brother Alexander, begging them to marry. The couple did marry in 1866, became Alexander III, Emperor of All Russia and Empress Maria Feordorova, and had six children including Nicholas II, the last Emperor of All Russia, who was named in honor of his deceased uncle.
Unofficial Royalty: Tsesarevich Nicholas Alexandrovich of Russia

September 20, 1870 – Death of Kalama, Queen Consort of the Hawaiian Islands, wife of King Kamehameha III, in Honolulu, on the island of Oahu, Kingdom of the Hawaiian Islands, now in the state of Hawaii; first buried at Mauna ʻAla (Fragrant Hills), the Royal Mausoleum of Hawaii in Honolulu, Oahu; later moved to the Kamehameha Tomb, an underground vault, under the Kamehameha Dynasty Tomb on the grounds of the Royal Mausoleum
Kalama Hakaleleponi Kapakuhaili was the only wife of King Kamehameha III of the Hawaiian Islands, the first Hawaiian king not to practice polygamy. Kalama was the only child of Naihe Kukui Kapihe and Chiefess Iʻahuʻula, the younger sister of Charles Kanaʻina, who served on both the Privy Counsel as an advisor to the Kings of the Hawaiian Islands and in the House of Nobles. Kamehameha III and Kalama had two sons, but they both died in infancy. Kalama outlived both her husband Kamehameha III and his nephew Kamehameha IV, and was known as the Queen Dowager. In 1869, during the reign of Kamehameha V, she welcomed Queen Victoria’s son Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh on his visit to the Kingdom of the Hawaiian Islands. Kamala, aged 53, died during the reign of Kamehameha V, on September 20, 1870, in Honolulu, on the island of Oahu.
Unofficial Royalty: Kalama, Queen Consort of the Hawaiian Islands, wife of King Kamehameha III

September 20, 1886 – Birth of Crown Princess Cecilie of Germany, wife of Crown Prince Wilhelm of Germany, born Cecilie of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, in Schwerin, Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, now in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany
Full name: Cecilie Auguste Marie
In 1905, Cecilie married Crown Prince Wilhelm of Germany, the son of Wilhelm II, German Emperor and King of Prussia, and had six children. Wilhelm was a perpetual womanizer and made little attempt to keep any of his affairs quiet. As Crown Princess, Cecilie was immensely popular and took on much charity work. She particularly enjoyed working with organizations that promoted and provided education for women. Shortly after the end of World War I and the fall of the German monarchies, the marriage of Cecilie and Wilhelm became a marriage in name only.
Unofficial Royalty: Cecilie of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, Crown Princess of Germany

September 20, 1925 – Birth of Ananda Mahidol, King of Thailand (Rama VIII) in Heidelberg, Germany
Known for being found shot dead in his bed under mysterious circumstances, King Ananda Mahidol of Thailand was born in Heidelberg, Germany where his parents were studying at Heidelberg University at the time of his birth. In 1935, upon the abdication of his uncle, nine-year-old Ananda Mahidol King of Thailand. In December 1941, during World War II, Japan occupied Thailand. King Ananda Mahidol was studying in Switzerland and remained there until the end of World War II. He returned to Thailand in December 1945 after receiving a law degree from the University of Lausanne.  In 1946, 20-year-old King Ananda Mahidol was found shot to death in his bed in the Boromphiman Throne Hall, a residential palace located in the Grand Palace in Bangkok, Thailand. He was succeeded by his 18-year-old brother Bhumibol Adulyadej who reigned for seventy years. Although three people were tried and executed for King Ananda Mahidol’s supposed assassination, the circumstances of his death have never been fully explained and his death is still seen as a mystery.
Unofficial Royalty: Ananda Mahidol, King of Thailand
Unofficial Royalty: The Mysterious Death of Ananda Mahidol, King of Thailand

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King Henri III of France, Credit – Wikipedia

September 19, 1551 – Birth of King Henri III of France at the Château de Fontainebleau in Fontainebleau, France
Full name: Alexandre Édouard
Henri was a Catholic military leader in the French Wars of Religion – Catholics against the Protestant Huguenots – and helped plot the St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre of August 23-24, 1572 in which 5,000 to 30,000 Protestant Huguenots were killed. The reigns of Henri and his two brothers saw France in constant turmoil over religion. In 1574, 23-year-old Charles IX, King of France died from tuberculosis without a male heir and so his brother succeeded him as Henri III, King of France. In 1589, Henri was assassinated by a fanatic Dominican monk who believed Henri was the enemy of Catholicism.
Unofficial Royalty: King Henri III of France

September 19, 1785 – Death of Maria Antonia Ferdinanda of Spain, Queen of Sardinia, wife of Vittorio Amadeo III, King of Sardinia at the Castle of Moncalieri in Turin, Kingdom of Sardinia, now in Italy; buried at the Royal Basilica of Superga in Turin
In 1750, Maria Antonia Ferdinanda married the future Vittorio Amedeo III, King of Sardinia. The marriage was arranged by Maria Antonia’s half-brother Fernando VI, King of Spain to strengthen relations between Spain and Sardinia/Savoy. Maria Antonia Ferdinanda and Vittorio Amedeo had twelve children.
Unofficial Royalty: Maria Antonia Ferdinanda of Spain, Queen of Sardinia

September 19, 1802 – Death of Luisa of Naples and Sicily, first wife of Ferdinando III, Grand Duke of Tuscany at Hofburg Palace in Vienna, Austria; buried at the Imperial Crypt in Vienna, Austria
Luisa was the daughter of King Ferdinando IV of Naples and III of Sicily, later Ferdinando I, King of the Two Sicilies, and his first wife Archduchess Maria Carolina of Austria. In 1790, she married Ferdinando III, Grand Duke of Tuscany and the couple had five children. In 1801, Napoleon conquered Tuscany, Ferdinando was forced to leave Tuscany, and his family went into exile in Vienna, Austria. While the family was in exile in Vienna, Austria, Luisa, aged 29, died in childbirth delivering a stillborn son on September 19, 1802, at Hofburg Palace.  After Napoleon’s downfall in 1814, Tuscany was restored to Ferdinando
Unofficial Royalty – Luisa of Naples and Sicily, Grand Duchess of Tuscany

September 19, 1803 – Birth of Maria Anna of Savoy, Empress of Austria, wife of Emperor Ferdinand I of Austria, at the Palazzo Colonna in Rome, Papal States, now in Italy
Full name: Maria Anna Ricciarda Carolina Margherita Pia
Maria Anna and her twin sister Maria Teresa were the daughters of Vittorio Emanuele I, King of Sardinia and Duke of Savoy. In February 1831, Maria Anna married Emperor Ferdinand I of Austria. The marriage was childless and probably never consummated, but the couple remained devoted to each other. Emperor Ferdinand suffered from several ailments including epilepsy and hydrocephalus. He was considered incapable of ruling although he kept a coherent diary.
Unofficial Royalty: Maria Anna of Savoy, Empress of Austria

September 19, 1803 – Birth of Maria Teresa of Savoy, Duchess of Parma, wife of Carlo II Ludovico, Duke of Parma, at the Palazzo Colonna in Rome, Papal States, now in Italy
Full name: Maria Teresa Fernanda Felicitas Gaetana Pia
Maria Teresa and her twin sister Maria Ann were the daughters of Vittorio Emanuele I, King of Sardinia and Duke of Savoy. In 1820, Maria Teresa married the future Carlo II Ludovico, Duke of Parma, and the couple had two children. Carlo Ludovico had no interest in reigning. He left the duchy in the hands of his government ministers and instead traveled around Europe. Maria Teresa left the court and settled at the Villa delle Pianore in the Duchy of Lucca. Maria Teresa surrounded herself with priests and nuns and dedicated her life to religion. After 1840 she lived in complete religious seclusion.
Unofficial Royalty: Maria Teresa of Savoy, Duchess of Parma

September 19, 1895 – Death of Countess Julia Hauke, Princess of Battenberg, morganatic wife of Prince Alexander of Hesse and by Rhine, at Heiligenberg Castle in Jugenheim, Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine, now in Hesse, Germany; first buried in the mausoleum at Heiligenberg Castle, after the mausoleum was converted to a memorial chapel, her remains were moved to a grave outside the mausoleum
Julia Hauke was the wife of Prince Alexander of Hesse and by Rhine, the founder of the Battenberg/Mountbatten branch of the Grand Ducal family of Hesse and by Rhine. As her marriage was morganatic, Julia did not become a Princess of Hesse and by Rhine. Instead, her brother-in-law, Grand Duke Ludwig III of Hesse and by Rhine, created her Countess of Battenberg, with the style Illustrious Highness. Her children took their titles from her, becoming Counts and Countesses of Battenberg. Seven years later, the Grand Duke elevated Julia and her children to the rank of Prince/Princess, with the style Serene Highness. However, they remained ineligible for the Grand Ducal throne. Julia and Alexander’s son Henry married Queen Victoria’s daughter Princess Beatrice and through this marriage, they are ancestors of the Spanish royal family. Their son Louis married Queen Victoria’s granddaughter Princess Victoria of Hesse and by Rhine. Louis and Victoria were the grandparents of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh and the future monarchs of the United Kingdom will be their descendants.
Unofficial Royalty: Countess Julia Hauke, Princess of Battenberg

September 19, 1902 – Death of Queen Marie Henriette of Belgium, born Marie Henriette of Austria, wife of King Leopold II of the Belgians, at the Hôtel du Midi in Spa, Belgium; buried at the Church of Our Lady of Laeken in Brussels, Belgium
In 1853, 16-year-old Marie Henriette married 18-year-old Prince Leopold, Duke of Brabant, the heir to the Belgian throne, and the future King Leopold II of the Belgians. The marriage had been carefully orchestrated to strengthen the infant Belgian monarchy by marrying its future second monarch to a member of a prestigious Catholic dynasty. Marie Henriette had tearfully protested the marriage. The marriage started out unhappy, remained unhappy, and the couple lived mostly separate lives. Leopold had many mistresses and made no real attempt to have a successful marriage. After the death of their only son, Marie Henriette gave birth to a third daughter. The couple completely separated after the birth and Marie Henriette eventually moved to Spa, Belgium where she lived out the rest of her life at Hôtel du Midi, the home she had bought there.
Unofficial Royalty: Marie Henriette of Austria, Queen of Belgium

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King Charles XV of Sweden; Credit – Wikipedia

September 18, 1322 – Death of Adam FitzRoy, illegitimate son of King Edward II of England, in Newcastle, England; buried at Tynemouth Priory in Tynemouth, England
Born circa 1307, possibly at Windsor Castle, Adam FitzRoy was the illegitimate son of King Edward II of England and an unknown mother. His mother could have been one of the ladies or maids of his father’s second wife Margaret of France. Adam participated in his father’s campaign in Scotland in the autumn of 1322, during the First War of Scottish Independence (1296–1328) against the formidable Robert Bruce, King of Scots. With the English army inland, the plans to supply the English army by sea failed and the English ran out of supplies and had to retreat to Newcastle, England. Many English soldiers became ill with dysentery and died. On September 18, 1322, the teenage Adam FitzRoy died, probably from dysentery.
Unofficial Royalty: Adam FitzRoy, Illegitimate son of King Edward II of England

September 18, 1434 – Birth of Eleanor of Portugal, Holy Roman Empress, wife of Friedrich III, Holy Roman Emperor in Torres Vedras, Portugal
Eleanor, the daughter of King Duarte of Portugal and Eleanor of Aragon, married the future Friedrich III, Holy Roman Emperor. The couple had five children but only two survived childhood, including Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor who married the wealthy heiress Mary, Duchess of Burgundy in her own right. Eleanor and Friedrich were very different and their marriage was not happy. After fifteen years of marriage, Eleanor, aged 32, died on September 3, 1467, from dysentery.
Unofficial Royalty: Eleanor of Portugal, Holy Roman Empress

September 18, 1786 – Birth of King Christian VIII of Denmark at Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen, Denmark
Christian VIII was the eldest son of Hereditary Prince Frederik of Denmark and Sophia Frederica of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. Christian’s father was the only child of King Frederik V of Denmark and his second wife Juliana Maria of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel. In 1806, Christian married his first cousin Charlotte Frederica of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. They had one surviving son, Christian’s successor, the future King Frederik VII. Charlotte Frederica had an affair, was banished, divorced, and never saw her son again. In 1816, Christian married Caroline Amalie of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg but their marriage remained childless. Christian VIII became King of Denmark in 1839 upon the death of his half-nephew King Frederik VI who had two daughters but no sons to succeed him. On January 20, 1848, 61-year-old King Christian VIII died of blood poisoning after a blood-letting.
Unofficial Royalty: King Christian VIII of Denmark

September 18, 1790 – Death of Prince Henry of Wales, Duke of Cumberland and Strathearn, in Pall Mall, just outside his home, Cumberland House, in London, England; buried in Westminster Abbey in London, England, in the Hanover vault under the central part of the Henry VII Chapel, the last royal burial in Westminster Abbey
Henry was the son of Frederick, Prince of Wales who predeceased his father King George II of Great Britain, and the brother of King George III of the United Kingdom. Henry annoyed his brother King George III when he married Anne Horton, daughter of Simon Luttrell, 1st Earl of Carhampton, and the widow of Christopher Horton of Catton Hall. King George III did not approve of the marriage as Anne was a commoner and previously married. This marriage led to the passing of the Royal Marriages Act in 1772.
Unofficial Royalty: Prince Henry of Wales, Duke of Cumberland and Strathearn

September 18, 1809 – Birth of Princess Sophie of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg, first wife of Heinrich XX, 4th Prince Reuss of Greiz, in Prague, Kingdom of Bohemia, now in the Czech Republic
Sophie was the first wife of Heinrich XX, 4th Prince Reuss of Greiz. She was Catholic and her husband was Lutheran but there is no information on whether Sophie remained Catholic or converted to Lutheranism. In 1836, Sophie’s husband succeeded his childless elder brother. Sophie was in ill health for most of her marriage and never had any children. She died on July 21, 1838, at the age of 29. Heinrich XX had the Sophienkreuz (Sophie Cross), also known as the White Cross, built in her memory on a hill overlooking Greiz.
Unofficial Royalty: Sophie of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg, Princess Reuss of Greiz

September 18, 1872 – Death of King Carl XV of Sweden/Carl IV of Norway in Malmö, Sweden; buried at Riddarholmen Church in Stockholm, Sweden
Upon his father’s death in1859, Carl ascended to the thrones of Sweden – as King Karl XV – and Norway – as King Karl IV. Despite his abrupt manner, he is noted as one of the most successful sovereigns in Sweden.  After becoming ill the previous year, King Karl XV died from tuberculosis. As he had no surviving son, the Swedish and Norwegian thrones passed to his younger brother, King Oscar II. However, through his daughter Princess Louise who married King Frederik VIII of Denmark, King Karl XV’s descendants occupy the thrones of Belgium, Denmark, Luxembourg, and Norway, along with the former throne of Greece.
Unofficial Royalty: King Carl XV of Sweden

September 18, 1891 – Birth of Grand Duke Dmitri Pavlovich of Russia, son of Grand Duke Paul Alexandrovich of Russia and Princess Alexandra of Greece and Denmark, at Ilyinskoye, the country estate outside of Moscow of his paternal uncle Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich of Russia
Dmitri was one of the conspirators in the murder of Grigori Yefimovich Rasputin and was exiled to Persia (now Iran), a move that most likely saved his life during the Russian Revolution. Dmitri’s half-brother Prince Vladimir Paley, his father Grand Duke Paul Alexandrovich, and Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna, Dmitri’s aunt by marriage and his former guardian, were murdered by the Bolsheviks. In addition, amazingly, Dmitri was a first cousin of both Nicholas II, the last Emperor of All Russia and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. Dmitri participated in the 1912 Olympics in Stockholm in the Equestrian Individual and Team Jumping events. He placed ninth in Individual Jumping and fifth in Team Jumping. Disappointed in the performance of the Russian team, Dmitri started the idea of a national Russian sports competition, the very beginning of what under Soviet rule became the Spartakiad.
Unofficial Royalty: Grand Duke Dmitri Pavlovich of Russia

September 18, 1923 – Birth of Queen Anne of Romania, wife of King Michael I of Romania, born Anne of Bourbon-Parma in Paris, France
Full name: Anne Antoinette Françoise Charlotte
On her father’s side, Anne was the niece of Prince Felix of Bourbon-Parma (husband of Grand Duchess Charlotte of Luxembourg) and Empress Zita of Austria. On her mother’s side, she was the great-granddaughter of King Christian IX of Denmark and therefore closely related to the royal families of Denmark, Greece, Russia, and the United Kingdom. Attending the wedding in London of Princess Elizabeth to Philip Mountbatten in 1947, Anne first met her future husband, and second cousin once removed, King Michael of Romania. However, just weeks later Michael was deposed and left Romania. Anne and Michael were married in 1948 and they had five daughters. Upon the marriage, and despite Michael having lost his throne, Anne took the title of Her Majesty The Queen of Romania.
Unofficial Royalty: Anne of Bourbon-Parma, Queen Anne of Romania

September 18, 1964 – Wedding of King Constantine II of Greece and Princess Anne-Marie of Denmark at the Metropolitan Cathedral of the Annunciation in Athens, Greece
Constantine and Anne-Marie are third cousins, several times over, through their mutual descent from both King Christian IX of Denmark and Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom. They first met in 1959, when Constantine accompanied his parents on a State Visit to Denmark. Constantine was 19, and Anne-Marie was just 13. They met again in Denmark in 1961, but it was in 1962 that the romance truly began to blossom. Constantine proposed and Anne-Marie’s father King Frederik IX of Denmark gave his consent but insisted that the wedding could not take place until Anne-Marie had finished her education and reached her eighteenth birthday and that the engagement could not be made public until the beginning of the next year.
Unofficial Royalty: Wedding of King Constantine II of Greece and Princess Anne-Marie of Denmark

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