compiled by Susan Flantzer

Scarlet fever is a streptococcus infection with symptoms that include a sore throat, fever, headaches, swollen lymph nodes, a red and bumpy tongue and the typical red rash that feels like sandpaper. Complications include kidney disease, rheumatic heart disease, and arthritis. More serious complications that may result in death include endocarditis, pneumonia, or meningitis. Today, the disease is treatable with antibiotics, which prevent most complications but before antibiotics, the death rate was high.

Of course, without modern medical diagnostic tools, it was impossible to accurately diagnose illnesses and so this does not purport to be a complete list. Until the development of antibiotics and other drugs, it was impossible to successfully treat many infectious diseases. Sir Alexander Fleming, a Scottish biologist, physician, microbiologist, and pharmacologist, developed Penicillin, the world’s first antibiotic in 1928. Antibiotics are only effective against diseases caused by bacteria. They are not effective against diseases caused by viruses.

All images are from Wikipedia unless otherwise indicated.

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Charlotte Amalie of Hesse-Kassel, Queen of Denmark and Norway

• Born: April 27, 1650, in Kassel, Landgraviate of Hesse-Kassel, now in the German state of Hesse
• Parents: Wilhelm VI, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel and Hedwig Sophia of Brandenburg
• Married: King Christian V of Denmark and Norway in 1667
• Died: March 27, 1714, aged 63, at Charlottenborg Palace in Copenhagen, Denmark
• Buried: Roskilde Cathedral in Roskilde, Denmark
• Unofficial Royalty: Charlotte Amalie of Hesse-Kassel, Queen of Denmark and Norway

Charlotte Amalie died from scarlet fever after being ill for six days.

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Caroline Matilda of Wales, Queen of Denmark and Norway

• Born: July 22, 1751 at Leicester House in London, England
• Parents: Frederick, Prince of Wales, who died four months before Caroline Matilda’s birth, and Augusta of Saxe-Coburg-Altenburg
• Married: King Christian VII of Denmark and Norway in 1766, marriage dissolved in 1772
• Died: May 10, 1775, aged 23, at Celle Castle in Celle, Duchy of Brunswick-Lüneburg, now in Lower Saxony, Germany
• Buried: Stadtkirche St. Marien in Celle, Duchy of Brunswick-Lüneburg, now in Lower Saxony, Germany, next to his great-grandmother Sophie Dorothea of Celle who suffered a similar fate
• Unofficial Royalty: Caroline Matilda of Wales, Queen of Denmark and Norway

Due to the mental illness of her husband and first cousin King Christian VII, Caroline Matilda had an affair with her husband’s physician Johann Friedrich Struensee. Eventually, the affair was discovered. Struensee was condemned to death and suffered a brutal execution.

Caroline Matilda and Christian’s marriage was dissolved, she lost her title of Queen, and was forcibly separated from her two children whom she never saw again. Originally, it was decided that Caroline Matilda was to be held in custody for life at Aalborghus Castle in Aalborg, Denmark, but her brother King George III intervened. King George III sent Sir Robert Murray Keith, a British diplomat, to negotiate her release from Danish imprisonment. On May 28, 1772, Caroline Matilda was sent to Celle in her brother’s Kingdom of Hanover and lived the rest of her life at Celle Castle. Her imprisonment was not to last long. Caroline Matilda died of “a putrid fever and sore throat,” probably scarlet fever, on May 10, 1775 at the age of 23.

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Princess Maria of Romania

• Born: September 8, 1870 in Bucharest, Romania
• Parents: King Carol I of Romania and Elisabeth of Wied
• Died: April 9, 1874, aged 3, at Peleș Castle in Sinaia, Romania
• Buried: First in the palace gardens at Cotroceni Palace in Bucharest, Romania, transferred to Curtea de Argeș Cathedral in Curtea de Argeș, Romania in 1916
• Wikipedia: Princess Maria of Romania

In the early spring of 1874, a scarlet fever epidemic was spreading through Bucharest, the capital of Romania. On April 5, 1874, Princess Maria, the only child of King Carol II and Queen Elisabeth of Romania, came down with the disease. She was sent to Peleș Castle and despite excellent care from doctors, Maria died four days later. Her parents were devastated by their daughter’s death and Queen Elisabeth never fully recovered from the loss of her only child. When Queen Elisabeth died in 1916, according to her wishes, her daughter’s remains were exhumed and Maria’s casket placed on Elisabeth’s casket for the public procession. Mother and daughter were then buried together in the same tomb at the Cathedral of Curtea de Argeș.

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compiled by Susan Flantzer

Pneumonia is an inflammation of the lungs caused by a bacteria or virus. Symptoms include a combination of productive and dry cough, chest pain, fever, and trouble breathing. Pneumonia was and still can be a secondary infection. It often shortens suffering among those already close to death and has thus been called “the old man’s friend.” With the introduction of antibiotics and vaccines in the 20th century, the survival rate has greatly improved. Nevertheless, in developing countries, among the very old, the very young, and the chronically ill, pneumonia remains a leading cause of death.

This does not purport to be a complete list. All images are from Wikipedia unless otherwise indicated.

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Mary Stuart
Mary’s tomb in Westminster Abbey

• Born: April 8, 1605 at Greenwich Palace in Greenwich, London, England
• Parents: King James I of England (also James VI, King of Scots) and Anne of Denmark
• Died: September 16, 1607, aged 2, at Stanwell Park in Stanwell, Surrey, England
• Buried: Westminster Abbey in London, England
• Wikipedia: Mary Stuart

Mary was the first child born to King James I after he succeeded Queen Elizabeth I of England. She caught a bad cold that developed into pneumonia.

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Elizabeth Stuart

• Born: December 28, 1635 at St. James’s Palace in London, England
• Parents: King Charles I of England and Henrietta Maria of France
• Died: September 8, 1650, aged 14, at Carisbrooke Castle in Carisbrooke, Isle of Wight, England
• Buried: St. Thomas’s Church in Newport, Isle of Wight, England
• Wikipedia: Elizabeth Stuart

13-year-old Elizabeth and her 8-year-old brother Henry were able to see their father King Charles I, the day before his execution. They were his only children who were still in England. After Charles’ death, Elizabeth and Henry were not allowed to leave England. Parliament eventually moved Elizabeth to Carisbrooke Castle on the Isle of Wight. On August 23, 1650, less than a week after her arrival at Carisbrooke Castle, Elizabeth became ill with a fever. By September 1, 1650, she was so ill that she never left her bed again. A week later, Elizabeth died from pneumonia. Ironically, three days after Elizabeth died, the Council of State granted permission for her to join her sister Mary, who had married Willem II, Prince of Orange, in the Netherlands not knowing that she had died.

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Sophia Charlotte of Hanover, Queen of Prussia

• Born: October 30, 1668 at Iburg Castle, Osnabrück, Electorate of Hanover, now in Lower Saxony, Germany
• Parents: Ernst August, Elector of Hanover and Sophia of the Palatinate
• Married: Friedrich I, King in Prussia in 1684
• Died: February 1, 1705, aged 36, in Hanover, Duchy of Brunswick-Lüneburg, now in Lower Saxony, Germany
• Buried: Berlin Cathedral in Berlin, Kingdom of Prussia, now in Brandenburg, Germany
• Unofficial Royalty: Sophia Charlotte of Hanover, Queen of Prussia

Sophia Charlotte was the sister of King George I of Great Britain and the mother of King Friedrich Wilhelm I of Prussia. She died from pneumonia while visiting her mother in Hanover.

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Friedrich II, Landgrave of Hesse-Homburg

• Born: 30 March 30, 1633 at Bad Homburg Castle in Homburg, Landgraviate of Hesse-Homburg, now in Hesse, Germany
• Parents: Friedrich I, Landgrave of Hesse-Homburg and Margaret Elisabeth of Leiningen-Westerburg
• Married: (1) Margarethe Brahe in 1661 (2) Luise Elisabeth of Courland in 1670 (3) Sophie Sybille of Leiningen-Westerburg in 1691
• Died: January 23, 1708, aged 74, at Bad Homburg Castle in Homburg, Landgraviate of Hesse-Homburg, now in Hesse, Germany
• Buried: in the crypt of the Crypt in the castle church at Bad Homburg Castle
  in Homburg, Landgraviate of Hesse-Homburg, now in Hesse, Germany
• Wikipedia: Friedrich II, Landgrave of Hesse-Homburg

Friedrich died from pneumonia after returning home from a journey to Leipzig, Kingdom of Prussia to meet King Karl XII of Sweden.

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King Willem II of the Netherlands

• Born: December 6, 1792 at Noordeinde Palace, The Hague, Dutch Republic, now in the Netherlands
• Parents: King Willem I of the Netherlands and Wilhelmine of Prussia
• Married: Grand Duchess Anna Pavlovna of Russia in 1816
• Died: March 17, 1849, aged 56, in Tilburg, Netherlands
• Buried: Royal Vault of the Nieuwe Kerk in Delft, the Netherlands
• Unofficial Royalty: King Willem II of the Netherlands

On February 13, 1849, when Willem addressed parliament, it was noted that he looked ill and his voice was weak. He was probably suffering from an upper respiratory illness. He decided to spend some time in his favorite town Tilburg resting. On March 13, 1849, Willem said goodbye to his wife and drove in a carriage to Rotterdam to visit a steam yacht under construction. At the top of some stairs, he became confused, his boot became stuck in his cloak, and he fell. Once Willem reached Tilburg, his health problems got worse. It is likely that his upper respiratory illness had developed into pneumonia. Willem was no longer able to concentrate on state papers. For two days, he was seriously short of breath. On March 17, 1849, Willem’s condition was very critical. Around three o’clock in the afternoon, Willem had such a severe attack of breathlessness that he jumped into his doctor’s arms. The king was put back into his chair, and then he died.

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Marie-Thérèse-Charlotte of France, Duchess of Angoulême

• Born: December 19, 1778 at the Palace of Versailles in Versailles, France
• Parents: Louis XVI, King of France and Maria Antonia, Archduchess of Austria (better known as Marie Antoinette)
• Married: her first cousin Louis-Antoine, Duke of Angoulême in 1799
• Died: October 19, 1851, aged 72, Schloss Frohsdorf in Lanzenkirchen, Austria
• Buried: Kostanjevica Monastery, then in Gorizia, Italy, later in Nova Gorica, then in Yugoslavia, now in Slovenia
• Unofficial Royalty: Marie-Thérèse-Charlotte of France, Duchess of Angoulême

Marie-Thérèse-Charlotte was the only one of the four children of King Louis XVI of France and Maria Antonia, Archduchess of Austria (better known as Marie Antoinette), to reach adulthood. She married her first cousin Louis Antoine, Duke of Angoulême, the eldest son of the future Charles X, King of France, who was her father’s younger brother. Marie-Thérèse-Charlotte died of pneumonia, three days after the fifty-eighth anniversary of the execution of her mother.

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Ida of Saxe-Meiningen, Princess Bernhard of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach

• Born: August 13, 1794 at Meiningen, Duchy of Saxe-Meiningen, now in Thuringia, Germany
• Parents: Georg I, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen and Luise Eleonore of Hohenlohe-Langenburg
• Married: Prince Bernhard of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach in 1816
• Died: April 4, 1852, aged 57, in Weimar, Grand Duchy of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, now in Thuringia, Germany
• Buried: Ducal Burial Chapel of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach in the Historical Cemetery in Weimar, Grand Duchy of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, now in Thuringia, Germany
• Wikipedia: Ida of Saxe-Meiningen, Princess Bernhard of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach

Ida was the younger sister of Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen who married King William IV of the United Kingdom. She died of pneumonia. Her last words were, “But I hope to sleep well tonight.”

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Prince Leopold, Duke of Brabant

• Born: June 12, 1859 at the Royal Palace of Laeken in Laeken, Brussels, Belgium
• Parents: Leopold II, King of the Belgians and Marie Henriette of Austria
• Died: January 22, 1869, aged 9, at the Royal Palace of Laeken in Laeken, Brussels, Belgium
• Buried: Church of Our Lady of Laeken in Laeken, Brussels, Belgium
• Wikipedia: Prince Leopold, Duke of Brabant

Leopold was his parents’ only son. Unfortunately, he died young from pneumonia. King Leopold II blamed his wife Marie Henriette for their son’s death. Little Leopold had fallen into a pond, developed pneumonia, and died. Upon his death, Leopold II was succeeded by his nephew, Albert I.

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Louise of the Netherlands, Queen of Sweden

• Born: August 5, 1828 in The Hague, the Netherlands
• Parents: Prince Frederik of the Netherlands and Princess Luise of Prussia
• Married: King Carl XV of Sweden
• Died: March 30, 1871, aged 42, at the Royal Palace in Stockholm, Sweden
• Buried: Riddarholm Church in Stockholm, Sweden
• Louise of the Netherlands, Queen of Sweden

Louise traveled to the Netherlands to be at her mother’s deathbed in late 1870. Upon returning, her husband fell ill and she nursed him back to health. Physically drained, Lovisa contracted pneumonia and died.

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Prince August of Sweden, Duke of Dalarna

• Born: August 24, 1831 at Drottningholm Palace in Drottningholm, Sweden
• Parents: King Oscar I of Sweden and Josephine of Leuchtenberg
• Married: Princess Therese of Saxe-Altenburg
• Died: March 4, 1873, aged 41, at Royal Palace in Stockholm, Sweden
• Buried: Riddarholm Church in Stockholm, Sweden
• Wikipedia: Prince August of Sweden, Duke of Dalarna

August was the youngest of his parents’ five children. He died from pneumonia.

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Prince Joseph Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha

• Born: May 21, 1869 at the Leopoldina Palace in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
• Parents: Prince Ludwig August of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha and Princess Leopoldina of Brazil
• Died: August 13, 1888, aged 19 in Wiener Neustadt, Austria
• Buried: St. Augustine’s Church in Coburg, Duchy of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, now in Bavaria, Germany
• Wikipedia: Prince Joseph Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha

Also known by his Portuguese name José Fernando, Joseph Ferdinand was a prince of the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha-Koháry, the Catholic cadet branch of the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. His paternal grandfather Prince August of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha was a first cousin of Queen Victoria and her husband Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. Joseph Ferdinand’s mother was the daughter of Emperor Pedro II of Brazil. At the age of 19, Joseph Ferdinand died from pneumonia

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Prince Albert Victor, Duke of Clarence and Avondale

• Born: January 8, 1864 at Frogmore House in Windsor, England
• Parents: King Edward VII of the United Kingdom and Alexandra of Denmark
• Died: January 14, 1892, aged 28, at Sandringham House in Norfolk, England
• Buried: Albert Memorial Chapel in St. George’s Chapel in Windsor, England
• Unofficial Royalty: Prince Albert Victor, Duke of Clarence and Avondale

Known as Eddy in his family, he was the elder of two surviving sons of the future King Edward VII and the grandson of Queen Victoria. The month before his death, Eddy became engaged to Princess Mary of Teck. In the midst of the wedding preparations, Eddy developed a high fever on January 7, 1892. His sister Victoria and other household members already had been ill with influenza, which Eddy also developed. Two days later, his lungs became inflamed and pneumonia was diagnosed. In his delirium, Eddy frequently shouted out the name “Hélène”, the name of the woman he originally wanted to marry.

In the early morning hours of January 14, 1892, a chaplain was summoned to Eddy’s bedroom at Sandringham. There, surrounded by his parents, the Prince and Princess of Wales, his brother George, his sisters Louise, Victoria, and Maud, his fiancée Mary, and her mother the Duchess of Teck, Eddy died at 9:35 a.m His fiancée married his brother George and they and eventually became the beloved King George V and Queen Mary.

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King Milan I of Serbia

• Born: August 22, 1854, in Mărășești, in Moldavia, Ottoman Empire, now in Romania
• Parents: Miloš Obrenović and Marija Obrenović, born Elena Maria Catargiu
• Married: Natalija Keschko
• Died: February 11, 1901, aged 46, in Vienna, Austria
• Buried: Krušedol Monastery in Vojvodina, Serbia
• Unofficial Royalty: King Milan I of Serbia

In 1889, Milan suddenly abdicated the Serbian throne without any apparent reason and his twelve-year-old son Alexander became king. After his abdication, Milan was mostly exiled from Serbia. While in Vienna, he became ill with pneumonia. The doctors who examined determined there was no hope. Emperor Franz Joseph of Austria provided a comfortable house for Milan and sent Hungarian Count Ergeni Zici to be with him during his final days. Despite requesting not to be buried in Serbia, Milan was buried there.

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Archduchess Elisabeth Franziska of Austria

• Born: January 17, 1831 in Buda, Hungary, now Budapest, Hungary
• Parents: Archduke Joseph of Austria, Palatine of Hungary and Maria Dorothea von Württemberg
• Married: (1) Archduke Ferdinand Karl Viktor of Austria-Este in 1847, died 1849 (2) Archduke Karl Ferdinand of Austria in 1854
• Died: February 14, 1903, aged 72, at the Albertina Palace in Vienna, Austria
• Buried: St. Helena’s Cemetery in Baden bei Wien, Austria
• Wikipedia: Archduchess Elisabeth Franziska of Austria

Elisabeth Franziska is an ancestor of the Spanish royal family via her daughter Maria Christina who married King Alfonso XII of Spain. She developed pneumonia while staying with her eldest son Archduke Friedrich of Austria, Duke of Teschen at his Vienna palace. Although the family wanted her buried at the traditional burial site, the Imperial Crypt at the Capuchin Church in Vienna, Elisabeth Franziska had made arrangements for her burial in nearby Baden bei Wein, Austria where she lived most of the time.

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Grand Duke Alexei Alexandrovich of Russia

• Born: January 14, 1850 at the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg, Russia
• Parents: Alexander II, Emperor of All Russia and Marie of Hesse and by Rhine (Empress Maria Alexandrovna)
• Died: November 27, 1908, aged 58, in Paris, France
• Buried: Grand Ducal Mausoleum adjacent to the Peter and Paul Cathedral in St. Petersburg, Russia
• Unofficial Royalty: Grand Duke Alexei Alexandrovich of Russia

Alexei, who never married, is most well-known for his coast-to-coast official visit to the United States in 1871 where one of the highlights was buffalo hunting with Buffalo Bill Cody, General George Armstrong Custer, and General Philip Sheridan. During the later part of his life, Alexei lived in Paris where he was a familiar figure in restaurants and theaters. He died of pneumonia in Paris, the city he loved.

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Princess Marie of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen, Countess of Flanders

Born: November 17, 1845 at Schloss Sigmaringen in Sigmaringen, Principality of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen, now in Baden-Württemberg, Germany
Parents: Sovereign Prince Karl Anton of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen and Princess Josephine of Baden
Married: Prince Philippe of Belgium, Count of Flanders in 1867
Died: November 26, 1912, aged 67, in Brussels, Belgium
Buried: Church of Our Lady of Laeken in Laeken, Brussels, Belgium
Unofficial Royalty: Princess Marie of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen, Countess of Flanders

Marie is an ancestor of the Belgian royal family. She married Prince Philippe of Belgium, Count of Flanders, the third but second surviving son of King Leopold I of Belgium. Because of the death of the only son of King Leopold II, the brother of Marie’s husband, Marie’s son Albert succeeded his uncle King Leopold II upon his death as King Albert I. Marie lived to see her son become King Albert I of Belgium in 1909. She died three years later after suffering from pneumonia for several days.

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Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria

• Born: August 18, 1830, at Schönbrunn Palace in Vienna, Austria
• Parents: Archduke Franz Karl of Austria and Princess Sophia of Bavaria
• Married: Elisabeth, Duchess in Bavaria in 1854
• Died: November 21, 1916, aged 86 at Schönbrunn Palace in Vienna, Austria
• Buried: Imperial Crypt at the Capuchin Church in Vienna, Austria
• Unofficial Royalty: Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria

The fourth longest-reigning European monarch, Franz Joseph saw much tragedy in his family: the execution of his brother Emperor Maximilian of Mexico in 1867, the suicide of his only son Crown Prince Rudolf in 1889, the assassination of his wife Empress Elisabeth in 1898, and the assassination of his nephew and heir Archduke Franz Ferdinand in 1914. After catching a cold, Franz Joseph developed pneumonia and died.

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Louise Margaret of Prussia, Duchess of Connaught

• Born: July 25, 1860, at the Marmorpalais (Marble Palace) in Potsdam, Kingdom of Prussia, now in Brandenburg, Germany
• Parents: Prince Friedrich Karl of Prussia and Princess Maria Anna of Anhalt-Dessau
• Married: Prince Arthur of the United Kingdom, Duke of Connaught
• Died: March 14, 1917, aged 56, at Clarence House in London, England
• Buried: first at St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle in Windsor, England; transferred in 1928 to the Royal Burial Ground, Frogmore in Windsor, England
• Unofficial Royalty: Louise Margaret of Prussia, Duchess of Connaught

Louise Margaret was ill with bronchitis that developed into pneumonia and caused her death. She became the first member of the British Royal Family to be cremated, which was done at Golders Green Crematorium. Burying ashes in an urn was still unfamiliar at the time, and her urn was placed in a coffin during the funeral.

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Grand Duke Nicholas Konstantinovich of Russia

Grand Duke Nicholas Konstantinovich with his wife

• Born: February 14, 1850 in St. Petersburg, Russia
• Parents: Grand Duke Konstantin Nikolaevich of Russia and Alexandra of Saxe-Altenburg
• Married: Nadezhda Aleksandrovna von Dreyer in 1882
• Died: January 26, 1918, aged 67, in Tashkent, Russia, now in Uzbekistan
• Buried: in a park next to St. George’s Cathedral in Tashkent, Russia, now in Uzbekistan
• Wikipedia: Grand Duke Nicholas Konstantinovich of Russia

A grandson of Nicholas I, Emperor of All Russia, Nicholas stole three valuable diamonds from an icon that belonged to his mother. He was declared insane and was banished to Tashkent, Russia, now in Uzbekistan. Konstantin suffered from asthma. Shortly after the October Revolution and the establishment of Soviet power in Tashkent, Nicholas, already compromised with asthma, died in a summer house from pneumonia.

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Emperor Karl I of Austria

• Born: August 17, 1887 at Persenbeug Castle in Persenbeug-Gottsdorf, Austria
• Parents: Archduke Otto Franz of Austria and Princess Maria Josepha of Saxony
• Married: Princess Zita of Bourbon-Parma in 1911
• Died: April 1, 1922, aged 34, in Madeira, Portugal
• Buried: Church of Our Lady of Monte in Madeira, Portugal
• Unofficial Royalty: Emperor Karl I of Austria

Karl was the last Emperor of Austria, reigning for only two years because the Austro-Hungarian Empire was abolished at the end of World War I. Karl and his family were exiled to the island of Madeira in Portugal. In March 1922, Karl caught a cold which developed into bronchitis and further developed into pneumonia. After suffering two heart attacks and respiratory failure, Karl died. On October 3, 2004, Pope John Paul II beatified Karl and he is known as Blessed Karl of Austria. Beatification is the third of four steps toward sainthood in the Roman Catholic Church.

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Charlotte of Belgium, Archduchess of Austria, Empress Carlota of Mexico

• Born: June 7, 1840 at the Royal Palace of Laeken in Laeken, Brussels, Belgium
• Parents: Leopold I, King of the Belgians (formerly Prince Leopold of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha) and Louise of Orléans
• Married: Archduke Maximilian of Austria, the future Emperor Maximilian I of Mexico, in 1857
• Died: January 19, 1927, aged 86, at Bouchout Castle in Meise, Belgium
• Buried: Royal Crypt at the Church of Our Lady of Laeken in Laeken, Brussels, Belgium
• Unofficial Royalty: Charlotte of Belgium, Archduchess of Austria, Empress Carlota of Mexico

After the execution of her husband by a firing squad in Mexico, Charlotte returned to her homeland, Belgium. Charlotte began to have suspicions that everyone wanted to poison her. She was examined by doctors who declared her insane. Today, it is impossible to determine the exact nature of her mental illness. Charlotte spent the rest of her life at Bouchout Castle in Meise, Belgium where her brother King Leopold II and later her nephews oversaw her care. Over the years, her mental illness seemed to lessen and Charlotte developed a passion for collecting objects that had belonged to her husband. Charlotte became ill with influenza which developed into pneumonia, causing her death.

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Princess Juliana of the Netherlands, formerly Queen Juliana of the Netherlands

• Born: April 30, 1909 at Noordeinde Palace in The Hague, the Netherlands
• Parents: Duke Henry of Mecklenburg-Schwerin and Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands
• Married: Prince Bernhard of Lippe-Biesterfeld in 1937
• Died: March 20, 2004, aged 94, at Soestdijk Palace in Baarn, the Netherlands
• Buried: Nieuwe Kerk in Delft, the Netherlands
• Unofficial Royalty: Queen Juliana of the Netherlands

Juliana abdicated in favor of her daughter Beatrix in 1980 and indicated that she wanted to be styled as Her Royal Highness Princess Juliana. After 1995, when Juliana’s general health began to decline, she made fewer public appearances. Her last public appearance was in 1998 at the wedding of her grandson Prince Maurits. By 2001, Juliana no longer recognized her family and had been suffering from Alzheimer’s disease for several years. Juliana died in her sleep at the age of 94 due to pneumonia, in the presence of her three eldest children.

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King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia

• Born: August 1, 1924, in Riyadh, Emirate of Nejd, now in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
• Parents: Abdulaziz, Emir of Nejd, later the first King of Saudi Arabia (also known as Ibn Saud) and Sheikha Fahda bint Asi Al Shuraim
• Married: more than eleven wives
• Died: January 23, 2015, aged 90, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
• Buried: Al-Oud Cemetery in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
• Unofficial Royalty: King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia

Abdullah died at the age of 90, three weeks after being hospitalized for pneumonia.

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compiled by Susan Flantzer

Spread of the Black Death in Europe – Credit – By Flappiefh – Own work from:Natural Earth ;The origin and early spread of the Black Death in Italy: first evidence of plague victims from 14th-century Liguria (northern Italy) maps by O.J. Benedictow., CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=66468361

The bubonic plague, also known as the Black Death, the Pestilence, and the Plague, is estimated to have killed 30% to 60% of Europe’s population. Bubonic plague was mainly spread by fleas, infected with the bacteria Yersinia pestis, on small animals. Symptoms include chills, general ill feeling, high fever, muscle cramps, and seizures. The best-known symptom is a smooth, painful lymph gland swelling called a bubo, commonly found in the groin, but may occur in the armpits or neck, most often near the site of the initial infection – bite or scratch. Without treatment – and there was no treatment until the advent of antibiotics – plague resulted in the death of 30% to 90% of those infected.

In the Late Middle Ages, Europe experienced the most deadly disease outbreak in history when the Black Death, the infamous pandemic of bubonic plague, hit in 1347. From 1347 to 1665, the Black Death was responsible for about 25 million deaths in Europe.

This does not purport to be a complete list. All images are from Wikipedia unless otherwise indicated.

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Joan of England

• Born: February 1335 at Woodstock Palace
• Parents: King Edward III of England and Philippa of Hainault
• Died: September 2, 1348, aged 13
• Buried: Bayonne Cathedral in Bayonne, France
• Wikipedia: Joan of England

In 1345, Joan was betrothed to Pedro of Castile, the son and heir of King Alfonso XI of Castile (who would die of the plague in 1350). In the summer of 1348, Joan left England to travel to Castile. As Joan started her journey, the plague had not yet appeared in England, and it is unlikely that those traveling with Joan knew of the danger.

The travel schedule included a stop at her family’s castle in Bordeaux, France. The outbreak of the plague was severe in Bordeaux but it did not occur to Joan or her companions to leave the town until members of their entourage began falling sick and dying. They moved to the small village of Loremo but Joan soon became ill with the plague, suffered greatly, and then died.

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Eleanor of Portugal, Queen of Aragon

• Born: February 3, 1328 in Portugal
• Parents: King Afonso IV of Portugal and Beatrice of Castile
• Married: King Pedro IV of Aragon in 1347
• Died: October 29, 1348, aged 20, in Jérica, Kingdom of Aragon, now in Spain
• Buried: Royal Abbey of Santa Maria de Poblet in Vimbodí i Poblet, now in Catalonia, Spain
• Wikipedia: Eleanor of Portugal, Queen of Aragon

Eleanor died on the way to Jérica, Kingdom of Aragon after having contracted the plague while in Teruel, Kingdom of Aragon.

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Jeanne of Burgundy, Queen of France

• Born: June 24, 1293
• Parents: Robert II, Duke of Burgundy and Agnes of France
• Married: King Philippe VI of France in 1313
• Died: December 12, 1349 in Paris, France
• Buried: Basilica of Saint-Denis near Paris, France
• Wikipedia: Jeanne of Burgundy, Queen of France

Jeanne died of the plague as a result of the epidemic that affected France since 1347.

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Bonne of Luxembourg, Duchess of Normandy

Bonne with her husband

• Born: May 20. 1315 in Prague, Kingdom of Bohemia, now in the Czech Republic
• Parents: John the Blind, King of Bohemia, Count of Luxembourg and Elisabeth of Bohemia
• Married: Jean, Duke of Normandy, the future King Jean II of France, in 1322
• Died: September 11, 1349, aged 34, at the Abbey of Maubuisson in Maubuisson, France
• Buried: Abbey of Maubuisson in Maubuisson, France
• Wikipedia: Bonne of Luxembourg, Duchess of Normandy

Bonne died of the plague as a result of the epidemic that affected France since 1347.

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Queen Jeanne II of Navarre

• Born: January 28, 1312 in Conflans-Sainte-Honorine, France
• Parents: King Louis X of France/King Louis I of Navarre and Margaret of Burgundy
• Married: Philip of Évreux in 1318
• Died: October 6, 1349, aged 37, at the Castle in Bréval, Paris, France
• Buried: Basilica of Saint-Denis near Paris, France
• Wikipedia: Queen Jeanne II of Navarre

Jeanne was a victim of the plague.

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King Alfonso XI of Castile

• Born: August 13, 1311 in Salamanca, Kingdom of Castile, now in Spain
• Parents: King Ferdinand IV of Castile and Constance of Portugal
• Married: (1) Constance of Peñafiel in 1325, annulled 1327 (2) Maria of Portugal in 1328
• Died: March 26, 1350, aged 38, in Gibraltar, Emirate of Granada, now a British Overseas Territory
• Buried: Royal Collegiate Church of Saint Hippolytus in Córdoba, Kingdom of Castile, now in Spain
• Wikipedia: King Alfonso XI of Castile

Alfonso was the would-be father-in-law of Joan of England who died on the plague while on her way to marry his eldest son. (See above.) He died of the plague during the Fifth Siege of Gibraltar.

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Louis, King of Sicily

• Born: February 4, 1338 in Catania, Kingdom of Sicily, now in Italy
• Parents: King Peter II of Sicily and Elisabeth of Carinthia
• Died: October 16, 1355, aged 17, at the Castle of Aci in Catania, Kingdom of Sicily, now in Italy
• Buried: Cathedral of St. Agatha in Catania, Kingdom of Sicily, now in Italy
• Wikipedia: Louis, King of Sicily

Louis became King of Sicily when he was four-year-old. Following the death of his cousin Federico, Lord of Aci from the plague, Louis sought shelter from the disease at the Castle of Aci in Catania, Kingdom of Sicily. However, he was already infected with the plague and died.

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Erik Magnuson, (rival) King of Sweden

• Born: 1339
• Parents: King Magnus IV of Sweden and Blanche of Namur
• Married: Beatrix of Bavaria in 1356
• Died: June 21, 1359, aged 19–20
• Buried: ?
• Wikipedia: Erik Magnusson of Sweden

Sometimes incorrectly called Erik XII, Erik was a rival king of Sweden, competing against his father Magnus IV, from 1356 to his death in 1359 from the plague. His wife died from the plague six months later. (See below.)

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Beatrix of Bavaria, Queen of Sweden

• Born: circa 1344
• Parents: Ludwig IV of Bavaria, King of Germany and Holy Roman Emperor, and Margaret of Holland
• Married: Erik Magnuson, (rival) King of Sweden in 1356
• Died: December 25, 1359, aged 15, in Sweden
• Buried: Black Friars Monastery in Stockholm, Sweden
• Wikipedia: Beatrix of Bavaria, Queen of Sweden

Six months after her husband died from the plague (see above), Beatrix died from the same disease. She had recently given birth to a son who also died from the plague.

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Philip I, Duke of Burgundy

• Born: 1346 at Rouvres-en-Plaine Castle in Rouvres-en-Plaine, Duchy of Burgundy, now in France
• Parents: Philip I, Count of Auvergne and Joan I, Countess of Auvergne
• Married: Margaret III, Countess of Flanders
• Died: November 21, 1361, aged 15, at Rouvres-en-Plaine Castle in Rouvres-en-Plaine, Duchy of Burgundy, now in France
• Buried: ?
• Wikipedia: Philip I, Duke of Burgundy

Philip died from the plague or possibly from a riding accident.

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King Louis I of Naples

• Born: 1320 in the Kingdom of Naples, now in Italy
• Parents: Philip I, Prince of Taranto, and Catherine of Valois
• Married: his first cousin Queen Joanna I of Naples in 1347
• Died: May 26, 1362 in the Kingdom of Naples, now in Italy
• Buried: Territorial Abbey of Montevergine in Montevergine, Kingdom of Naples, now in Italy
• Wikipedia: King Louis I of Naples

Louis gained the crown of Naples by marrying his first cousin Queen Joanna I of Naples. After his death from the plague, his wife reasserted her authority.

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Blanche of Lancaster, Duchess of Lancaster
Blanche of Lancaster and John of Gaunt

• Born: March 25, 1342 at Bolingbroke Castle in Lincolnshire, England
• Parents: Henry of Grosmont, 1st Duke of Lancaster and Isabel de Beaumont
• Married: John of Gaunt, son of King Edward III of England
• Died: September 12, 1368, aged 26, at Tutbury Castle in Staffordshire, England
• Buried: Old St. Paul’s Cathedral in London, England which was destroyed in the Great Fire of 1666
• Unofficial Royalty: Blanche of Lancaster, Duchess of Lancaster

The first of the three wives of John of Gaunt, Blanche was the mother of King Henry IV of England. Blanche died of the plague while John was away at sea. Despite the fact that John of Gaunt married two more times, when he died in 1399, he was buried with Blanche.

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Edward of Angoulême

Edward of Angouleme and his mother Joan of Kent, depicted on the Wilton Diptych, 1395

• Born: January 27, 1365 at the Château d’Angoulême in Angoulême, Duchy of Aquitaine, now in France
• Parents: Edward of Woodstock, Prince of Wales, the Black Prince, eldest son of King Edward III of England, and Joan of Kent, 4th Countess of Kent, Princess of Wales
• Died: circa September 20, 1370, aged 5, in Bordeaux, Duchy of Aquitaine, now in France
• Buried: first in Bordeaux; moved to England 1388/9 and buried at Kings Langley Palace in Kings Langley, Hertfordshire, England; re-buried at the Church of the Austin Friars in London, England
• Wikipedia: Edward of Angoulême

Edward was the elder son of Edward of Woodstock, Prince of Wales, the Black Prince, who predeceased his father King Edward II of England. Because of young Edward’s death from the plague, it was his younger brother King Richard II who succeeded their grandfather.

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Anne of Bohemia, Queen of England

Anne of Bohemia with her husband King Richard II of England

• Born: May 11, 1366 in Prague, Kingdom of Bohemia, now in the Czech Republic
• Parents: Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor, King of Bohemia, and Elizabeth of Pomerania
• Married: King Richard II of England in 1382
• Died: June 7, 1394, aged 28, at Sheen Palace in Richmond Upon Thames, England
• Buried: Westminster Abbey in London, England
• Unofficial Royalty: Anne of Bohemia, Queen of England

Anne became ill with the plague while at Sheen Palace with her husband and died three days later. King Richard II was so devastated by Anne’s death that he ordered Sheen Palace to be destroyed. For almost 20 years, it lay in ruins until King Henry V started a rebuilding project in 1414.

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Enguerrand VII, Lord of Coucy

• Born: 1340 at Coucy Castle in Picardy, Lordship of Coucy, now in France
• Parents: Enguerrand VI, Lord of Coucy and Catherine of Austria
• Married: (1) Isabella of England, eldest daughter of King Edward III of England, in 1365 (2) Isabelle of Lorraine in 1386
• Died: February 18, 1397, aged 56–57, in captivity, in Bursa, Anatolia, Ottoman Empire, now in Turkey
• Buried: Soissons, France
• Wikipedia: Enguerrand VII, Lord of Coucy

Enguerrand fought in the Battle of Nicopolis in 1396 as part of a failed crusade against the Ottoman Empire and was taken prisoner. While imprisoned, he developed the plague and died.

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Erik I, Duke of Mecklenburg

• Born: circa 1365
• Parents: Albert, King of Sweden, Duke of Mecklenburg and Richardis of Schwerin
• Married: Sophie of Pomerania-Wolgast in 1396
• Died: July 26, 1397, aged circa 32, in Klintehamn, Gotland Island, Sweden
• Buried: Visby Cathedral in Visby, Gotland Island, Sweden
• Wikipedia: Erik I, Duke of Mecklenburg

Erik was the heir to the Swedish throne. He died of the plague at his estate Klintehamn, Gotland Island, Sweden.

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Queen Maria I of Sicily

• Born: July 2, 1363 in Catania, Kingdom of Sicily, now in Italy
• Parents: King Frederick III of Sicily and Constance of Aragon
• Married: Martin of Aragon “the Younger” in 1392
• Died: May 25, 1401, aged 37, at the Castle of of Lentini in Lentini, Kingdom of Sicily, now in Italy
• Buried: Cathedral of St. Agatha in Catania, Kingdom of Sicily, now in Italy
• Wikipedia: Maria, Queen of Sicily

The year before her death from the plague, Maria’s only child, one-year-old Pietro, was killed by a spear blow to the head during a tournament, throwing Maria into a deep depression.

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Gruffudd ab Owain Glyndŵr

• Born: circa 1375
• Parents: Owain Glyndŵr, Prince of Wales and Marred ferch Dafydd
• Died: circa 1412 at the Tower of London in London England
• Buried: ?
• Wikipedia: Gruffudd ab Owain Glyndŵr

Gruffudd’s father Owain Glyndŵr (anglicized to Owen Glendower) was Prince of Wales and Hereditary Prince of Powys Fadog in Wales. He led the Welsh during a long-running, but unsuccessful war of independence with the aim of ending English rule in Wales from 1400 – 1416. He was the last native Welshman to hold the title Prince of Wales. During the unsuccessful war of independence, Gruffudd was taken prisoner by Henry of Monmouth, the future King Henry V of England. He was imprisoned at the Tower of London and died there seven years later of the plague.

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Queen Margrethe I of Denmark

• Born: March 15, 1353 at Søborg Castle in North Zealand, Denmark
• Parents: King Valdemar IV of Denmark and Helvig of Schleswig
• Married: King Haakon VI of Norway in 1363
• Died: October 28, 1412, aged 59, aboard a ship in the harbor of Flensburg, Schleswig, Denmark, now in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany
• Buried: Roskilde Cathedral in Roskilde, Denmark
• Wikipedia: Queen Margrethe I of Denmark

Margrethe became suddenly and violently ill probably with the plague, and died soon afterward.

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Philippa of Lancaster, Queen of Portugal

• Born: March 31, 1359 at Leicester Castle in Leicestershire, England
• Parents: John of Gaunt, son of King Edward III of England, and Blanche of Lancaster
• Married: King Joáo I of Portugal in 1387
• Died: July 19, 1415, aged 55, at the Odivelas Monastery in Odivelas, Portugal
• Buried: Monastery of Santa Maria da Vitória, in Batalha, Portugal
• Unofficial Royalty: Philippa of Lancaster, Queen of Portugal

Like her mother, Philippa died from the plague. In 1415, the plague has invaded Lisbon and Porto in Portugal. King Joáo and Queen Philippa took refuge in Sacavém, Portugal but Philippa’s long and frequent fasts, prayers, and vigils weakened her. The plague eventually reached Sacavém. King Joáo took shelter in Odivelas, Portgual but Philippa chose to go later. When she arrived in Odivelas, she was already ill with the plague and she died at the Odivelas Monastery.

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King Duarte of Portugal

• Born: October 31, 1391 in Viseu, Portugal
• Parents: King Joáo I of Portugal and Philippa of Lancaster
• Married: Eleanor of Aragon in 1428
• Died: September 9, 1438, aged 46, in Tomar, Portugal
• Buried: Monastery of Santa Maria da Vitória, in Batalha, Portugal
• Wikipedia: King Duarte of Portugal

Like his mother Philippa of Lancaster and his maternal grandmother Blanche of Lancaster, Duarte died from the plague. In 1438, while the court was in Évora, the plague reached the city. Trying to escape the plague, Duarte, his pregnant wife, and their two youngest children went to Avis, then to Ponte de Sor, and finally to Tomar where he died of the plague.

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Edmund Tudor, 1st Earl of Richmond

• Born: June 11, 1430 at Much Hadham Palace in Hertfordshire, England
• Parents: Owen Tudor and Catherine of Valois, Dowager Queen of England
• Married: Lady Margaret Beaufort in 1455
• Died: November 2, 1456, aged 26, at Carmarthen Castle in Carmarthen, Wales
• Buried: St. David’s Cathedral, Pembrokeshire, Wales
• Wikipedia: Edmund Tudor, 1st Earl of Richmond

Edmund Tudor and his wife Lady Margaret Beaufort were the parents of Henry Tudor, better known as King Henry VII of England, the founder of the Tudor dynasty. Through his mother, the widow of King Henry V of England, Edmund was descended from the Kings of France. His wife Lady Margaret Beaufort was a descendant of King Edward III of England.

In 1455, twelve-year-old Margaret married 24-year-old Edmund. The Wars of the Roses, the fight for the English throne between the House of Lancaster and the House of York, had just started and Edmund, a Lancastrian, was taken prisoner by the Yorkists less than a year later. He died of the plague in captivity at Carmarthen Castle, leaving a 13-year-old widow who was seven months pregnant with their child.

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George Plantagenet, 1st Duke of Bedford

• Born: March 1477 at Windsor Castle in Windsor, England
• Parents: King Edward IV of England and Elizabeth Woodville
• Died: March 1479, aged 2, at Windsor Castle in Windsor, England
• Buried: St. George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle in Windsor, England
• Wikipedia: George Plantagenet, 1st Duke of Bedford

Little George was a victim of an outbreak of the plague.

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Emanuele Filiberto of Savoy

• Born: January 12, 1562 in Castle of Rivoli in Rivoli, Piedmont, Duchy of Savoy, now in Italy
• Parents: Carlo Emanuele I, Duke of Savoy and Catherine Michelle of Spain, daughter of King Felipe II of Spain
• Died: August 4, 1624, aged 36, in Palermo, Sicily, now in Italy
• Buried: Monastery of San Lorenzo de El Escorial in El Escorial, Spain
• Wikipedia: Emanuele Filiberto of Savoy

In 1622, King Felipe IV of Spain appointed Emanuele Filiberto Viceroy of Sicily. He died two years later during the plague epidemic of 1624.

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compiled by Susan Flantzer

Meningitis is an acute inflammation of the protective membranes covering the brain and spinal cord and is caused by viruses, bacteria, or other microorganisms. Symptoms include fever, headache, and neck stiffness, confusion or altered consciousness, vomiting, and an inability to tolerate light or loud noises. Young children often exhibit only nonspecific symptoms, such as irritability, drowsiness, or poor feeding. Meningitis can be life-threatening because of the inflammation’s proximity to the brain and spinal cord and today it is considered a medical emergency.

Of course, without modern medical diagnostic tools, it was impossible to accurately diagnose illnesses and so this does not purport to be a complete list. Until the development of antibiotics and other drugs, it was impossible to successfully treat many infectious diseases. Sir Alexander Fleming, a Scottish biologist, physician, microbiologist, and pharmacologist, developed Penicillin, the world’s first antibiotic in 1928. Antibiotics are only effective against diseases caused by bacteria. They are not effective against diseases caused by viruses.

All images are from Wikipedia unless otherwise indicated.

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Grand Duchess Alexandra Alexandrovna of Russia

• Born: August 30, 1842 at the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg, Russia
• Parents: Alexander II, Emperor of All Russia and Marie of Hesse and by Rhine (Empress Maria Alexandrovna)
• Died: July 10, 1849, aged 6, at the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg, Russia
• Buried: Peter and Paul Cathedral in St. Petersburg, Russia
• Wikipedia: Grand Duchess Alexandra Alexandrovna of Russia 

Her parents’ eldest child, Alexandra Alexandrovna’s death from meningitis brought great sorrow to her family. After her death, no one in the Romanov family named their daughters Alexandra because all the daughters with that name suddenly died before they reached the age of 20.

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Prince Maurits of the Netherlands
Maurits on the left with his elder brother Willem

• Born: September 15, 1843 at Noordeinde Palace in The Hague, the Netherlands
• Parents: King Willem III of the Netherlands and Sophie of Württemberg
• Died: June 4, 1850, aged 6, at Noordeinde Palace in The Hague, the Netherlands
• Buried: Nieuwe Kerk in Delft, the Netherlands
• Wikipedia: Prince Maurits of the Netherlands

Maurits was the second of the three sons of King Willem III of the Netherlands and his first wife Sophie of Württemberg. All three sons were childless and predeceased their father. Maurits developed meningitis at the end of May 1850. His parents, whose relationship was far from ideal, got into an argument at his sickbed about the doctors to be consulted. Queen Sophie refused to allow the king’s personal doctor to treat her son and King Willem III denied the doctor chosen by Sophie access to their son. Sophie blamed Willem for Maurit’s death.

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Tsesarevich Nicholas Alexandrovich of Russia

• Born: September 20, 1843, at Alexander Palace at Tsarskoye Selo near St. Petersburg, Russia
• Parents: Alexander II, Emperor of All Russia and Marie of Hesse and by Rhine (Empress Maria Alexandrovna)
• Died: April 24, 1865, aged 21, at the Villa Bermont in Nice, France
• Buried: Peter and Paul Cathedral in St. Petersburg, Russia
• Unofficial Royalty: Tsesarevich Nicholas Alexandrovich of Russia

Although he was born to succeed his father as Emperor of All Russia, it was not to be. In 1864, Nicholas became engaged to Princess Dagmar of Denmark, daughter of King Christian IX of Denmark. On January 1, 1865, Nicholas traveled to Nice, France where his mother was spending the winter. In April 1865, Nicholas suddenly became nervous, feverish and complained of blurred vision. Nicholas then suffered a cerebral hemorrhage leaving one side of his body temporarily paralyzed. After six doctors consulted with each other, they determined that Nicholas had meningitis and that his condition was serious. It was the same disease that had claimed the life of his elder sister Alexandra Alexandrovna when she was just six-years-old.

Dagmar and her mother prepared to leave for Nice and at the same time, Alexander II and his sons Vladimir and Alexis left Russia. Nicholas’ next brother Alexander was already on his way to Nice. There is an uncorroborated story that shortly before he died, Nicholas clasped the hands of Dagmar and his brother Alexander together, begging them to marry. The couple did marry in 1866 and had six children including Nicholas II, the last Emperor of All Russia, who was named in honor of his deceased uncle.

On April 24, 1865, Tsesarevich Nicholas Alexandrovich of Russia died. He was buried at the Peter and Paul Cathedral near his sister Alexandra Alexandrovna. Nicholas’ parents bought the grounds and villa in which their son had died. They tore down the villa and built a memorial chapel in the exact location where Nicholas’ deathbed had been.

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Prince Sigismund of Prussia

• Born: September 15, 1864 at the Neues Palais in Potsdam, Kingdom of Prussia, now in Brandenburg, Germany
• Parents: Friedrich III, German Emperor, King of Prussia and Victoria, Princess Royal
• Died: June 18, 1866, aged 21 months, at the Neues Palais in Potsdam, Kingdom of Prussia, now in Brandenburg, Germany
• Buried: Friedenskirche in Potsdam, Kingdom of Prussia, now in Brandenburg, Germany
• Unofficial Royalty: Prince Sigismund of Prussia

Sigismund was the first grandchild of Queen Victoria to die. On June 4, 1866, Vicky’s husband Fritz was on his way to the front of the Austro-Prussian War. Even before his father left, Sigismund had been fretful and it was thought to be caused by teething. However, the day after Fritz left, Sigismund was unable to eat or sleep. Twenty-four hours later, he could no longer stand. Because all the doctors normally used by the family had left with the army, Vicky was forced to consult doctors unknown to her who gave her the terrible news that her son had meningitis. At that time, there was no successful treatment for meningitis, and death usually occurred. Sigismund’s convulsions grew increasingly worse until he died in agony on June 18, 1866, only 21 months old. Vicky wrote to her mother Queen Victoria, “Oh to see it suffer so cruelly, to see it die and hear its last piteous cry was an agony I cannot describe, it haunts me night and day!”

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Grand Duke Alexander Alexandrovich of Russia

• Born: June 7, 1869 at Tsarskoye Selo in St. Petersburg, Russia
• Parents: Alexander III, Emperor of All Russia and Dagmar of Denmark (Empress Maria Feodorovna)
• Died: May 2, 1870, aged 11 months, at Tsarskoye Selo in St. Petersburg, Russia
• Buried: Peter and Paul Cathedral in St. Petersburg, Russia
• Wikipedia: Grand Duke Alexander Alexandrovich of Russia

Alexander’s father had lost his elder sister and his elder brother, who had also been his wife’s first fiancée, to meningitis. Now they also lost a son to the disease. Little Alexander’s only photograph was taken posthumously by his parents.

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Princess Johanna of Hesse and by Rhine

Johanna with her uncle Ludwig and his wife

• Born: September 20, 1936 in Darmstadt, Hesse, Germany
• Parents: Georg Donatus, Hereditary Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine and Princess Cecilie of Greece and Denmark
• Died: June 14, 1939, aged 2, in Darmstadt, Hesse, Germany
• Buried: In the burial ground next to the New Mausoleum at the Rosenhöhe in Darmstadt, Hesse, Germany

On November 16, 1937, Johanna’s family was flying to London for the wedding of her paternal uncle Prince Ludwig of Hesse and by Rhine and Margaret Geddes. Johanna was too young and so she remained home. The plane was scheduled to stop in Brussels, Belgium, however, the weather did not allow for a safe landing and the pilot continued on to Ostend, Belgium, with the intent of landing there. Unfortunately, the weather was just as bad, with almost no visibility. While attempting to land, the plane clipped a chimney on a factory near the airport. The plane was torn apart and crashed. All aboard the airplane died including Johanna’s parents, her brothers Ludwig and Alexander, and her paternal grandmother, the Dowager Grand Duchess of Hesse and by Rhine, born Princess Eleonore of Solms-Hohensolms-Lich.

Johanna was adopted by her uncle Ludwig and his wife Margaret but she died of meningitis twenty months later.

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compiled by Susan Flantzer

Measles is a highly contagious infectious disease caused by the measles virus. Symptoms include fever, cough, runny nose, and inflamed eyes. A red, flat rash usually starts on the face and then spreads to the rest of the body about three to five days after the start of symptoms. Complications include diarrhea, middle ear infection, pneumonia, seizures, blindness, and inflammation of the brain. Deaths from measles are due to complications. Most of those who die from measles are less than five years old. Today, it is recommended that children be immunized against measles at 12 months of age.

Of course, without modern medical diagnostic tools, it was impossible to accurately diagnose illnesses and so this does not purport to be a complete list. Until the development of antibiotics and other drugs, it was impossible to successfully treat many infectious diseases. Sir Alexander Fleming, a Scottish biologist, physician, microbiologist, and pharmacologist, developed Penicillin, the world’s first antibiotic in 1928. Antibiotics are only effective against diseases caused by bacteria. They are not effective against diseases caused by viruses.

All images are from Wikipedia unless otherwise indicated.

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Charles Orlando, Dauphin of France

• Born: October 11, 1492 at the Château de Plessis-lez-Tours in La Riche, France
• Parents: King Charles VIII of France and Anne, Duchess of Brittany
• Died: December 16, 1495, aged 3, at the Château d’Amboise in Amboise, France
• Buried: Cathedral of Saint-Martin in Tours, France
• Wikipedia: Charles Orlando, Dauphin of France

Charles Orlando was the eldest son and heir of King Charles VIII of France and bore the title Dauphin of France as the heir apparent to the French throne. In the fall of 1495, an epidemic of measles struck Touraine, France and Charles VIII, who was in Lyon with his wife, ordered Charles Orlando to be isolated in Amboise, about 30 miles from Torraine. Despite this, Charles Orlando developed measles and died.

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Princess Charlotte of France

• Born: Château d’Amboise in Amboise, France
• Parents: King François I of France and Claude of France
• Died: September 18, 1524, aged 7, at the Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye in Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France
• Buried: Basilica of Saint-Denis near Paris, France
• Wikipedia: Princess Charlotte of France

Charlotte had always been a delicate, frail child. At age seven, she died of measles, the same disease which had killed her half-uncle, Charles Orlando, Dauphin of France, thirty-two years earlier. During her illness, Charlotte’s aunt, Margaret of Angoulême took care of her because her mother had died two months earlier and her father was off at war. Charlotte had been engaged to marry King Charles I of Spain, the future Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor.

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Marie Adélaïde of Savoy, Dauphine of France, Duchess of Burgundy

• Born: December 6, 1685 at the Royal Palace in Turin, Duchy of Savoy, now in Italy
• Parents: Victor Amadeus II, Duke of Savoy and Anne Marie d’Orléans
• Married: Louis, Dauphin of France, Duke of Burgundy in 1697
• Died: February 12, 1712, aged 26, at the Palace of Versailles in Versailles, France
• Buried: Basilica of Saint-Denis near Paris, France
• Wikipedia: Marie Adélaïde of Savoy, Dauphine of France, Duchess of Burgundy

Marie Adélaïde caught a fever that developed into measles. She was bled and given emetics, which induce vomiting, neither of which would actually help her condition. She was the first of her family to die from measles.

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Louis, Dauphin of France, Duke of Burgundy

• Born: August 16, 1682 at the Palace of Versailles in Versailles, France
• Parents: Louis, Dauphin of France (son of King Louis XIV of France) and Maria Anna Victoria of Bavaria
• Married: Marie Adélaïde of Savoy in 1697
• Died: February 18, 1712, aged 29, at the Château de Marly in Marly-le-Roi, France
• Buried: Basilica of Saint-Denis near Paris, France
• Unofficial Royalty: Louis, Dauphin of France, Duke of Burgundy

On February 12, 1712, Louis’ 26-year-old wife Marie Adélaïde died from measles. Louis dearly loved his wife and had stayed by her side throughout her illness. He caught the disease and died six days after her death.

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Louis, Duke of Brittany

• Born: January 8, 1707 at the Palace of Versailles in Versailles, France
• Parents: Louis, Dauphin of France, Duke of Burgundy and Marie Adélaïde of Savoy
• Died: March 8, 1712, aged 5, at the Palace of Versailles in Versailles, France
• Buried: Basilica of Saint-Denis near Paris, France
• Wikipedia: Louis, Duke of Brittany

Louis, Duke of Brittany was the second of the three sons of Louis, Dauphin of France, Duke of Burgundy and Marie Adélaïde of Savoy. The elder son had died on convulsions at the age of one. Louis, Duke of Brittany’s parents had both died of measles in February 1712 and so he became Dauphin of France but he also developed measles. He died three weeks later on March 8, 1712, apparently from being bled to death by the doctors. The youngest son, the future King Louis XV, also developed measles but he survived because of his governess Charlotte de La Motte Houdancourt, Duchess of Ventadour. Deciding that she would not allow her younger charge to be bled by the doctors, Madame de Ventadour locked herself up with three nursery maids and refused to allow the doctors near the boy. The two-year-old survived and became King of France upon the death of his great-grandfather, King Louis XIV, three years later.

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Grand Duchess Natalia Petrovna of Russia

• Born: August 31, 1718 in St. Petersburg, Russia
• Parents: Peter I (the Great), Emperor of All Russia and Martha Skavronskaya, later Catherine I, Empress of All Russia
• Died: March 15, 1725, aged 6, in St. Petersburg, Russia
• Buried: Peter and Paul Cathedral in St. Petersburg, Russia
• Wikipedia: Grand Duchess Natalia Petrovna of Russia

Natalia Petrovna died from measles a month after her father’s death.

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compiled by Susan Flantzer

Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease that causes symptoms that include fever, tiredness, vomiting, and headaches. In severe cases, it can cause yellow skin, seizures, coma, and death.

Of course, without modern medical diagnostic tools, it was impossible to accurately diagnose illnesses and so this does not purport to be a complete list. Until the development of antibiotics and other drugs, it was impossible to successfully treat many infectious diseases. Sir Alexander Fleming, a Scottish biologist, physician, microbiologist, and pharmacologist, developed Penicillin, the world’s first antibiotic in 1928. Antibiotics are only effective against diseases caused by bacteria. They are not effective against diseases caused by viruses.

All images are from Wikipedia unless otherwise indicated.

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Heinrich VI, Holy Roman Emperor

• Born: November 1165 in Nimwegen, Kingdom of the Franks, now in the Netherlands
• Parents: Friedrich Barbarossa I, Holy Roman Emperor and Beatrice I, Countess of Burgundy
• Married: Constance I, Queen of Sicily
• Died: September 28, 1197, aged 31, in Messina, Kingdom of Sicily, now in Sicily, Italy
• Buried: Palermo Cathedral in Palermo, Kingdom of Sicily, now in Sicily, Italy
• Wikipedia: Heinrich VI, Holy Roman Emperor

In the midst of making plans to quell a revolt in his wife’s Kingdom of Sicily, Heinrich fell ill with fever and chills and died of malaria although it was widely believed at the time that he was poisoned.

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Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor also Charles I, King of Spain, Charles I, Archduke of Austria, Charles II, Duke of Burgundy

• Born: February 24, 1500 at the Prinsenhof of Ghent in Ghent, Habsburg Netherlands, Holy Roman Empire, now in Ghent, Belgium
• Parents: Philip (the Handsome) of Habsburg and Joanna, Queen of Castile and Aragon
• Married: Isabella of Portugal in 1526
• Died: September 21, 1558, aged 58, at the Monastery of Yuste, Crown of Castile, Spain
• Buried: Pantheon of Kings in the Royal Crypt of the Monastery of El Escorial in El Escorial, Spain
• Wikipedia: Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor

Charles’ vast territories included the Holy Roman Empire, extending from Germany to northern Italy with direct rule over the Austrian hereditary lands and the Burgundian Low Countries, and a unified Spain with its southern Italian kingdoms of Naples, Sicily, and Sardinia and the Spanish colonization of the Americas. Physically exhausted after 40 years of ruling and suffering from severe gout, Charles abdicated in 1555 and retired to the peace of a monastery. Upon Charles’s abdications, the Holy Roman Empire was inherited by his younger brother Ferdinand (Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor) and the Spanish Empire, including the possessions in the Netherlands and Italy, was inherited by his son Philip (King Philip II of Spain). In August 1558, Charles became seriously ill with malaria. After a month of agony, he died holding in his hand the cross that his wife Isabella had been holding when she died.

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King Mongkut of Siam (Thailand)

• Born: October 18, 1804 at Thonburi Palace in Bangkok, Siam, now in Thailand
• Parents: Buddha Loetla Nabhalai, King of Siam and Sri Suriyendra
• Married: Queen Somanass Waddhanawathy, Queen Debsirindra, Princess Pannarai (had a total of 32 wives and concubines and 82 children)
• Died: October 1, 1868, aged 63, at the Grand Palace in Bangkok, Siam, now in Thailand
• Buried: His ashes are enshrined in the base of the Buddha statue at Wat Ratchapradit in Bangkok, Thailand
• Wikipedia: King Mongkut of Siam (Thailand)

Mongkut is best known as the fictionalized king in the musical play and film The King and I, the film Anna and the King of Siam and the novel Anna and the King of Siam by Margaret Langdon about Anna Leonowens’ years (1862 to 1867) as the teacher to the children of Mongkut.

Mongkut was interested in astronomy and mathematics and developing his skills in astronomical measurement. He invited high-ranking European and Siamese officials to accompany him to Wakor village in Prachuap Khiri Khan Province of Siam where the solar eclipse that was to occur on August 18, 1868 could be best viewed as a total eclipse. During the trip, King Mongkut and his son Prince Chulalongkorn were infected with malaria. Mongkut died six weeks later and was succeeded by his son, who survived malaria.

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Prince Henry of Battenberg

• Born: October 5, 1858 in Milan, Kingdom of Lombardy–Venetia, now in Italy
• Parents: Prince Alexander of Hesse and by Rhine and Countess Julia Hauke
• Married: Princess Beatrice of the United Kingdom in 1885
• Died: January 20, 1896, aged 37, aboard the HMS Blonde, near Sierra Leone in Africa
• Buried: St. Mildred’s Church in Whippingham, Isle of Wight, England
• Unofficial Royalty: Prince Henry of Battenberg

When Beatrice and Henry married, they promised to live with Beatrice’s mother Queen Victoria so that Beatrice could remain her full-time confidante and secretary. Henry was often bored by the lack of activity and in an effort to give him more to do, Queen Victoria appointed him Governor of Carisbrooke Castle and Captain-General and Governor of the Isle of Wight in 1889, Lieutenant-Colonel in the Army in 1887, Colonel in 1893, and a member of the Privy Council in 1894. In November 1895, Henry persuaded Queen Victoria to allow him to go to West Africa to fight in the Anglo-Ashanti Wars. Henry arrived in Africa on Christmas Day 1895. By January 10, 1896, Henry was sick with malaria and it was decided to send him back to England. Henry died aboard the ship HMS Blonde off the coast of Sierra Leone on January 20, 1896.

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Prince Amedeo of Italy, 3rd Duke of Aosta

• Born: October 21, 1898 in Turin, Kingdom of Italy, now in Italy
• Parents: Prince Emanuele Filiberto of Italy, Duke of Aosta and Princess Hélène of Orléans
• Married: Princess Anne of Orléans in 1927
• Died: March 3, 1942, aged 43, in Nairobi, Kenya Colony, now in Kenya
• Buried: Nyeri Italian Military Cemetery in Nyeri, Kenya
• Wikipedia: Prince Amedeo of Italy, 3rd Duke of Aosta

Amedeo was the commander of the Italian forces in the East African Campaign during World War II. On May 18, 1941, after being surrounded and besieged by British, Commonwealth, and Ethiopian forces, Amedeo surrendered. He was held in a prisoner-of-war camp in Nairobi, Kenya where he died as a result of complications from both tuberculosis and malaria.

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compiled by Susan Flantzer

Influenza, commonly known as “the flu”, is an infectious disease caused by an influenza virus. The most common symptoms include high fever, runny nose, sore throat, muscle and joint pain, headache, coughing, and feeling tired. Complications of influenza may include viral pneumonia, secondary bacterial pneumonia, sinus infections, and worsening of previous health problems such as asthma or heart failure. It is usually the complications that cause death. The January 1918 – December 1920 Spanish Flu pandemic death toll is estimated to have been 50 million, and possibly as high as 100 million, making it one of the deadliest epidemics in human history.

Of course, without modern medical diagnostic tools, it was impossible to accurately diagnose illnesses and so this does not purport to be a complete list. Until the development of antibiotics and other drugs, it was impossible to successfully treat many infectious diseases. Sir Alexander Fleming, a Scottish biologist, physician, microbiologist, and pharmacologist, developed Penicillin, the world’s first antibiotic in 1928. Antibiotics are only effective against diseases caused by bacteria. They are not effective against diseases caused by viruses.

All images are from Wikipedia unless otherwise indicated.

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Princess Sophie of Saxony, Duchess in Bavaria

• Born: March 15, 1845 in Dresden, Kingdom of Saxony, now in Saxony, Germany
• Parents: King Johann I of Saxony and Princess Amalie Auguste of Bavaria
• Married: Duke Karl-Theodor in Bavaria
• Died: March 9, 1867, aged 21, in Munich, Kingdom of Bavaria, now in Bavaria, Germany
• Buried: Tegernsee Abbey in Tegernsee, Kingdom of Bavaria, now in Bavaria, Germany
• Wikipedia: Princess Sophie of Saxony, Duchess in Bavaria

On December 24, 1865, Sophie gave birth to her only child, Duchess Amalie in Bavaria. The pregnancy and childbirth caused severe respiratory problems for Sophie, which progressively weakened her. In her weakened state, Sophie was unable to overcome a severe case of influenza and died six days before her 22nd birthday.

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Prince Baudouin of Belgium

• Born: June 3, 1869, at the Palais de la Régence in Brussels, Belgium
• Parents: Philippe, Count of Flanders and Marie of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen
• Died: January 23, 1891, aged 21, at the Palace of the Count of Flanders in Brussels, Belgium
• Buried: Church of Our Lady of Laeken in Laeken, Brussels, Belgium
• Unofficial Royalty: Prince Baudouin of Belgium

Baudouin’s birth was met with great celebration in the Belgian royal family. Earlier that year, Prince Leopold, Duke of Brabant, Baudouin’s nine-year-old cousin and the only son of King Leopold II, had died of pneumonia after falling into a pond. His death left no other male heirs aside from Baudouin’s father so Baudouin was seen as the eventual heir to the Belgian throne.

In early 1891, Baudouin became ill with influenza that had made its way through most of the members of the Flanders family already. He likely caught the illness from his sister Henriette, whom he insisted on visiting during her illness despite warnings from doctors. At first, he appeared to be weathering the illness better than his sister but then Baudouin’s condition suddenly deteriorated on January 22, 1891. He died early the following morning. Baudouin’s death left his younger brother, the future Albert I, King of the Belgians, as the heir to the Belgian throne. Baudouin, King of the Belgians from 1951 until 1993, was named in honor of his deceased great-uncle.

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Prince Erik of Sweden, Duke of Västmanland

• Born: April 20, 1889 at the Royal Palace in Stockholm, Sweden
• Parents: King Gustav V of Sweden and Victoria of Baden
• Died: September 20, 1918, aged 29, at Drottningholm Palace in Drottningholm, Sweden
• Buried: Riddarholm Church in Stockholm, Sweden
• Wikipedia: Prince Erik of Sweden, Duke of Västmanland

Erik had epilepsy and mild intellectual disability and because of his condition, he was seldom seen in public. He died during the Spanish influenza pandemic.

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Prince Umberto of Savoy, Count of Salemi

• Born: June 22, 1889 in Turin, Kingdom of Italy, now in Italy
• Parents: Prince Amadeo of Savoy, Duke of Aosta and Maria Letizia Bonaparte
• Died: October 19, 1918, aged 29, in Crespano del Grappa, Kingdom of Italy, now in Italy
• Buried: First buried at Crespano del Grappa Cemetery in Crespano del Grappa, Kingdom of Italy, now in Italy; In 1926 his remains were moved to the Sacrario Militare del Monte Grappa in Monte Grappa, Kingdom of Italy, now in Italy
• Wikipedia: Prince Umberto of Savoy, Count of Salemi

Umberto’s father Amedeo briefly reigned as the only King of Spain from the House of Savoy from 1871 – 1873. His grandfather was Vittorio Emanuele II, the first king of a united Italy. Umberto served in the Royal Italian Army during World War I. He died from Spanish influenza a month before the end of World War I.

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Turki I bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince of Najd and Hejaz

• Born: February 8, 1900 in Kuwait City, Sheikhdom of Kuwait, now in the State of Kuwait
• Parents: Abdulaziz ibn Abdul Rahman Al Saud, King of Saudi Arabia 1932 – 1953 and Wadhah bint Muhammad bin ‘Aqab
• Married: (1) Nuwair bint Obaid Al Rasheed (2) Muneera bint Obaid Al Rasheed (3) Fatmah bint Abdulrahman Al Dakhil
• Died: January 2, 1919, aged 18, in Riyadh, Emirate of Nejd and Hasa, now in Saudi Arabia
• Wikipedia: Turki I bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince of Najd and Hejaz

Turki was the eldest son of Abdulaziz ibn Abdul Rahman Al Saud, the first King of Saudi Arabia. He died during the Spanish influenza pandemic which claimed many lives in the Emirate of Nejd and Hasa, including that of his mother, his brother Prince Fahd I and another of his father’s wives, Princess Al-Jawhara bint Musa’id bin Gallawi Al Saud.

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Prince Alexis Karađorđević of Serbia

• Born: June 10, 1859 in Paris, France
• Parents: Prince George Karađorđević and Sarka Anastasijević
• Married: Daria Pankhurst Wright Pratt
• Died: February 15, 1920, aged 60, in St.Moritz, Switzerland
• Buried: Saint-Georges Cemetery in Geneva, Switzerland
• Wikipedia: Prince Alexis Karađorđević of Serbia

Alexis was born five months after his grandfather Alexander Karađorđević, Prince of Serbia was forced to abdicate by the rival House of Obrenović. In 1903, the House of Karađorđević regained power. Alexis was the head of the senior non-reigning branch of the House of Karageorgevich and a claimant to the Serbian throne. When Alexis died during the Spanish influenza pandemic, the older branch of the House of Karađorđević became extinct in the male line.

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Grand Duke Michael Mikhailovich of Russia

• Born: October 16, 1861 at Peterhof Palace in St. Petersburg, Russia
• Parents: Grand Duke Michael Nikolaevich of Russia and Princess Cecile of Baden (Grand Duchess Olga Feodorovna)
• Married: Countess Sophie of Merenberg in 1891
• Died: April 26, 1929, aged 67, in London, England
• Buried: Hampstead Cemetery in West Hampstead, London, England
• Wikipedia: Grand Duke Michael Mikhailovich of Russia

Michael was a grandson of Nicholas I, Emperor of All Russia. He made a morganatic marriage and because of that, Michael would spend the rest of his life living in exile in England, France, and Germany. Three of his brothers were killed by the Bolsheviks but Michael escaped the Russian Revolution because he was living abroad. He became a prominent member of British society. One of his daughters married into the British aristocracy and another married George Mountbatten, 2nd Marquess of Milford Haven, a great-grandson of Queen Victoria and the maternal uncle of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. Michael died from influenza complications.

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compiled by Susan Flantzer

This does not purport to be a complete list. All images are from Wikipedia unless otherwise indicated.

King William II Rufus of England

• Born: circa 1056 in the Duchy of Normandy, now in France
• Parents: King William I (the Conqueror) of England and Matilda of Flanders
• Died: August 2, 1100, aged circa 43 – 44, in the New Forest, in Hampshire and Wiltshire, England
• Buried: Winchester Cathedral in Winchester, England
• Unofficial Royalty: King William II Rufus of England

On August 2, 1100, King William II Rufus rode out from Winchester Castle on a hunting expedition to the New Forest, accompanied by his brother Henry (the future Henry I) and several nobles. His elder brother Richard, in 1099, and his nephew Richard, the illegitimate son of his brother Robert, in May 1100, had both been killed in hunting accidents in the New Forest.

According to most contemporary accounts, William Rufus was chasing after a stag followed by Walter Tirel, a noble. William Rufus shot an arrow but missed the stag. He then called out to Walter to shoot, which he did, but the arrow hit the king in his chest, puncturing his lungs, and killing him. Walter Tirel jumped on his horse and fled to France.

The next day, William Rufus’ body was found by a group of local farmers. The nobles had fled to their Norman and English lands to secure their possessions and ensure law and order following the death of the king. The farmers loaded the king’s body on a cart and brought it to Winchester Cathedral where he was buried under a plain flat marble stone below the tower with little ceremony.

It is still unsure whether William Rufus’s death was an accident or a planned assassination. See Unofficial Royalty: Suspicious Death of William II Rufus, King of England for more information.

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King Christian V of Denmark

• Born: April 15, 1646 at Duborg Castle in Flensburg, Denmark. now In Schleswig-Holstein, Germany
• Parents: King Frederik III of Denmark and Sophie Amalie of Brunswick-Lüneburg
• Married: Charlotte Amalie of Hesse-Kassel
• Died: August 25, 1699, aged 53, at Copenhagen Castle in Copenhagen, Denmark
• Buried: Roskilde Cathedral in Roskilde, Denmark
• Wikipedia: King Christian V of Denmark

Christian V died from the after-effects of a hunting accident that occurred on October 19, 1698. Christian was hunting with his two sons and his half-brother. While they were taking a break, they received the news that the hunting dogs had exhausted and surrounded a deer. Christian immediately left to give the deer the death blow. Instead, he missed and the deer kicked him. The injuries were severe and Christian never recovered, dying on August 25, 1699.

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compiled by Susan Flantzer

This does not purport to be a complete list. All images are from Wikipedia unless otherwise indicated.

King Louis III of West Francia

• Born: circa 863-864
• Parents: King Louis II of West Francia and Ansgarde of Burgundy
• Died: August 5, 882, aged 18-19, in St. Denis, Île-de-France, now near Paris, France
• Buried: Basilica of St. Denis near Paris, France
• Wikipedia King Louis III of France

While mounting his horse to chase a girl who was running to seek refuge in her father’s house, Louis hit his head on the lintel of a low door and fell and fractured his skull.

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King Louis IV of West Francia

• Born: September 920 or September 921 in Laon, France
• Parents: King Charles III of West Francia and Eadgifu of Wessex, daughter of Edward the Elder, King of England
• Married: Gerberga of Saxony
• Died: September 10, 954, aged 33-34, in Reims, France
• Buried: Saint-Remi Abbey in Reims, France
• Wikipedia: King Louis IV of France

Louis IV went riding with some friends on the road from Laon to Reims. As he went through a forest, he saw a wolf and attempted to capture it but fell from his horse. He was carried to Reims, where he died from his injuries.

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King Louis V of France

• Born: circa 966
• Parents: King Lothair of West Francia and Emma of Italy
• Married: Adelaide-Blanche of Anjou
• Died: May 21, 987, aged 20-21, in the Forest of Halatte in Oise, France
• Buried: Abbey of Saint-Corneille in Compiègne, France
• Wikipedia: King Louis V of France

Louis died from injuries after falling from his horse while hunting.

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William I the Conqueror, King of England, Duke of Normandy

• Born: circa 1027-1028 at the Château de Falaise in Falaise, Duchy of Normandy, now in France
• Parents: Robert I the Magnificent, Duke of Normandy and his mistress Herleva of Falaise
• Married: Matilda of Flanders
• Died: September 9, 1087, aged circa 59, at the Priory of Saint Gervais in Rouen, Duchy of Normandy, now in France
• Buried: Abbaye-aux-Hommes (St. Stephen’s) in Caen, Duchy of Normandy, now in France
• Unofficial Royalty: King William I of England (the Conqueror)

Towards the end of 1086, William traveled from England to Normandy where the marriage of his daughter Constance was celebrated. In 1087, the French garrison at Mantes made a raid into Normandy. William retaliated by sacking the town. While he was urging on his soldiers. William’s horse stumbled and he was violently flung against his saddle pommel. He received serious internal injuries, most likely a ruptured bladder. William was taken to the Priory of St. Gervais in Rouen where peritonitis developed, resulting in his death.

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Philippe, Co-King of France

Philippe falling from his horse

• Born: August 29, 1116
• Parents: King Louis VI of France and Adélaide of Maurienne
• Died: October 13, 1131, aged 15, in Paris, France
• Buried: Basilica of St. Denis near Paris, France
• Wikipedia: Philippe of France

From 1129, Philippe reigned with his father as co-king. Philippe was out riding with friends along the Seine River in Greve, a Paris market area. A black pig darted out in front of Philippe and his horse was tripped. The horse fell forward and Philippe was thrown over the horse’s head. Philippe died the next day without regaining consciousness.

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Fulk, Count of Anjou, King of Jerusalem

• Born: circa 1089-1092 in Angers, County of Anjou, now in France
• Parents: Fulk IV, Count of Anjou and Bertrade de Montfort
• Married: (1) Erembourg, Countess of Maine in 1100 (2) Melisende, Queen of Jerusalem
• Died: November 13, 1143 in Acre, Kingdom of Jerusalem, now in Israel
• Buried: Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, now in Israel
• Wikipedia: Fulk, Count of Anjou, King of Jerusalem

Fulk’s eldest child with his first wife, Geoffrey V, Count of Anjou, was the father of King Henry II of England. While hunting, Fulk’s horse stumbled and fell. Fulk’s skull was crushed by the saddle, “and his brains gushed forth from both ears and nostrils”, as the chronicler William of Tyre described. Fulk was carried back to Acre, where he lay unconscious for three days before he died.

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Geoffrey II, Duke of Brittany

• Born: September 23, 1158
• Parents: King Henry II of England and Eleanor of Aquitaine
• Married: Constance, Duchess of Brittany
• Died: August 19, 1186, aged 27, in Paris, France
• Buried: Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris, France
• Unofficial Royalty: Geoffrey II, Duke of Brittany

Geoffrey was thrown from his horse during a tournament and trampled to death. King Philippe II of France was so overcome with grief for his friend that he had to be restrained from throwing himself upon Geoffrey’s coffin in the open grave. Geoffrey’s half-sister from his mother’s first marriage to King Louis VII of France, Marie, Countess of Champagne, attended his funeral and contributed funds to pay for masses for his soul.

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Leopold V, Duke of Austria

Leopold V, kneeling on the left, receives the red-white-red banner from Holy Roman Emperor Heinrich VI after the Siege of Acre

• Born: 1157 in Austria
• Parents: Heinrich II, Duke of Austria and Theodora Komnene
• Married: Helena of Hungary
• Died: December 31, 1194, aged 37, in Graz, Duchy of Styria, now in Austria
• Buried: Heiligenkreuz (Holy Cross) Abbey in Heiligenkreuz, Austria
• Wikipedia: Leopold V, Duke of Austria

Leopold’s suffered an open leg fracture when his horse fell on him at a tournament in Graz. He died a few days later from gangrene.

Leopold is credited with the origin of the Austrian flag. His white coat of arms is said to have been red with blood in the battles during the Siege of Acre in 1191. When he took off his wide belt, a white streak was visible. Since his banner was lost during the battle, Holy Roman Emperor Heinrich VI gave Leopold the right to use the red-white-red colors as a new banner – which later became the flag of Austria. It can be seen in the picture above.

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Enguerrand III, Lord of Coucy

Enguerrand’s death

Born: circa 1182 in Marle, Picardy, France
Parents: Ralph I, Lord of Coucy and Alix de Dreux
Married: (1) Beatrix de Vignory in 1201 (2) Matilda of Bavaria, a granddaughter of King Henry II of England, in 1204 (3) Marie de Montmirail
Died: 1242 in Coucy, Picardy, France
Wikipedia: Enguerrand III, Lord of Coucy

Enguerrand’s eldest child Marie de Coucy was the mother of Alexander III King of Scots, below. Enguerrand was killed when he fell from his horse onto his sword.

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Isabella of Aragon, Queen of France

Philippe III and his knights mourning Isabella’s death

• Born: 1248
• Parents: King Jaume I of Aragon and Violant of Hungary
• Married: King Philippe III of France
• Died: January 28, 1271, aged 22-23, in Cosenza, Kingdom of Sicily, now in Italy
• Buried: Basilica of St. Denis near Paris, France
• Wikipedia: Isabella of Aragon, Queen of France

Isabella accompanied her husband on the 8th Crusade against the city of Tunis, now in Tunisia. On January 11, 1271, on the way back from Tunis, Isabella, who was six months pregnant, had a serious fall from her horse in Cosenza, Calabria, now in Italy. She gave birth to a premature stillborn son. Isabella never recovered from her injuries and childbirth and died seventeen days later.

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Alexander III, King of Scots

• Born: September 4, 1241 at Roxburgh Castle, Roxburghshire, Scotland
• Parents: Alexander II, King of Scots and Marie de Coucy
• Married: (1) Margaret of England in 1251 (2) Yolande de Dreux in 1285
• Died: March 19, 1286, aged 44, in Kinghorn Ness, Fife, Scotland
• Buried: Dunfermline Abbey in Dunfermline, Fife, Scotland
• Wikipedia: Alexander III, King of Scots

Alexander planned to ride from Edinburgh Castle to visit his wife Queen Yolande at Kinghorn in Fife for her birthday. He was to ride at night and was advised to postpone the trip because of bad weather conditions. However, Alexander decided to proceed with his travel plans. Alexander became separated from his guides and it is assumed that in the dark his horse lost its footing. The king was found dead the next morning with a broken neck.

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Marjorie Bruce

• Born: 1296
• Parents: Robert I, King of Scots (Robert the Bruce) and Isabella of Mar
• Married: Walter Stewart, 6th High Steward of Scotland
• Died: March 2, 1316, aged 20
• Buried: Paisley Abbey in Paisley, Renfrewshire, Scotland
• Wikipedia: Majorie Bruce

The traditional story is that Marjorie was riding in Gallowhill, Paisley, Renfrewshire while very pregnant. Her horse was suddenly startled and threw her to the ground. Majorie went into premature labor, had her baby, and died. Her baby survived to become Robert II, King of Scots, the first Stewart (later Stuart) monarch of Scotland. Majorie is the ancestor of the current British royal family and several other European royal families.

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King Juan I of Castile

• Born: August 24, 1358 in Épila, Kingdom of Aragon, now in Spain
• Parents: King Enrique II of Castile and Juana Manuel of Castile
• Married: (1) Eleanor of Aragon in 1375 (2) Beatrice of Portugal in 1383
• Died: October 9, 1390, aged 32, in Alcalá de Henares, Kingdom of Castile, now in Spain
• Buried: Toledo Cathedral in Toledo, Kingdom of Castile, now in Spain
• Wikipedia: King Juan I of Castile

Juan was killed when he fell off his horse while riding in a fantasia. A fantasia, a tradition from Muslim northern Africa, consists of a group of horse riders, all wearing traditional clothes, who charge in a line along a straight path at the same speed, and then at the end of the charge, they fire into the sky using muskets (in Juan’s time) or rifles (in modern time). Juan’s death was kept secret by Cardinal Pedro Tenorio for several days, claiming that he was only wounded, until the cardinal resolved issues to the regency of Juan’s eleven-year-old son who succeeded to the throne of Castile as King Enrique III.

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Mary I, Queen of Hungary

• Born: 1371
• Parents: Louis I, King of Hungary and Elizabeth of Bosnia
• Married: Sigismund of Luxembourg in 1385
• Died: May 17, 1395, aged 23 – 24, in Buda, Kingdom of Hungary, now in Budapest, Hungary
• Buried: Cathedral of Várad, now in Oradea, Romania
• Wikipedia: Mary I, Queen of Hungary

Mary became Queen of Hungary in her own right at the age of eleven upon the death of her father. While pregnant, Mary decided to go hunting alone in the Buda Hills. Her horse tripped, threw her, and then landed on top of her. The accident induced premature labor and Mary gave birth to a son who died. Mary’s injuries were fatal.

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François II, Duke of Brittany

• Born: June 23, 1435 at Château de Clisson in Clisson, Duchy of Brittany, now in France
• Parents: Richard of Brittany and Margaret of Orléans
• Married: (1) Margaret of Brittany in 1455 (2) Margaret of Foix in 1471
• Died: September 9, 1488, aged 55, in Couëron, Duchy of Brittany, now in France
• Buried: Nantes Cathedral in Nantes, France
• Wikipedia: François II, Duke of Brittany

François’ biggest goal during his life was to maintain the Duchy of Brittany’s semi-independence from the Kingdom of France. He also unexpectedly became the protector of England’s House of Lancaster in exile from 1471–1484. Anne of Brittany, his daughter with his second wife, made three important marriages to Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor (marriage annulled), to King Charles VIII of France, and to King Louis XII of France. François died after falling from his horse during a leisurely ride.

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Mary, Duchess of Burgundy

• Born: February 13, 1457 in Brussels, Duchy of Burgundy, now in Belgium
• Parents: Charles the Bold, Duke of Burgundy and Isabella of Bourbon
• Married: Archduke Maximilian of Austria (the future Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor) in 1477
• Died: March 27, 1482, aged 25, at the Prinsenhof in Bruges, Flanders, Duchy of Burgundy, now in Belgium
• Buried: Church of Our Lady in Bruges, Flanders, Duchy of Burgundy, now in Belgium
• Wikipedia: Mary, Duchess of Burgundy

Mary was Duchess of Burgundy in her own right. Mary participated in at a hunt in the woods near Wijnendale Castle in Flanders, Duchy of Burgundy now in Belgium. Mary was an experienced rider and she held her falcon in one hand and the reins in the other hand. However, her horse stumbled over a tree stump while jumping over a newly dug canal. The saddle belt under the horse’s belly broke causing Mary to fall out of the saddle and into the canal with the horse on top of her. Mary was seriously injured and was transported to Prinsenhof, her palace in Bruges, where she died several weeks later from internal injuries.

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Prince Afonso of Portugal

Death of Afonso – The accident that killed him is depicted in the upper right corner

• Born: May 18, 1475 in Lisbon, Portugal
• Parents: King João II of Portugal and Eleanor of Viseu
• Married: Isabella, Princess of Asturias, heir presumptive of King Ferdinand II of Aragon and
• Queen Isabella I of Castile
• Died: July 13, 1491, aged 16, in Santarém, Portugal, near the River Tagus
• Buried: Monastery of Batalha in Batalha, Portugal
• Wikipedia: Prince Afonso of Portugal

Afonso was the heir apparent to the Portuguese throne. During the summer of 1491, the Portuguese royal family spent time in Santarém, Portugal, near the River Tagus. King João II invited his son to swim with him in the river. Afonso refused, but after seeing his father’s disappointment, he changed his mind. Afonso got on his horse and with great speed, rode to the river. His horse stumbled and fell, pulling Afonso underneath the horse.

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William III, King of England, Prince of Orange

• Born: November 14, 1650 at the Binnenhof in The Hague, Dutch Republic, now in the Netherlands
• Parents: Willem II, Prince of Orange and Mary, Princess Royal, eldest daughter of King Charles I of England
• Married: Mary II, Queen of England, his first cousin and co-monarch, in 1677
• Died: March 19, 1702 at Kensington Palace in London, England
• Buried: Westminster Abbey in London, England
• Unofficial Royalty: King William III of England

William went riding on his horse Sorrel at Hampton Court Palace. The horse stumbled on a molehill and fell. William tried to pull the horse up by the reins, but the horse’s movements caused William to fall on his right shoulder. His collarbone was broken and was set by a surgeon, but instead of resting, William insisted on returning to Kensington Palace that evening by coach. A week later, it was discovered that the fracture was not mending well and William’s right hand and arm were puffy and did not look right. His condition continued to worsen and he developed a fever and had difficulty breathing. William died 2 ½ weeks after the fall, apparently from an infection.

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Charles of France, Duke of Berry

• Born: July 31, 1686 at the Palace of Versailles in France
• Parents: Louis, Dauphin of France (son of King Louis XIV of France) and Marie Anne Victoire of Bavaria
• Married: Marie Louise Élisabeth d’Orléans
• Died: May 5, 1714, aged 27, at the Palace of Versailles in France
• Buried: Basilica of Saint-Denis near Paris, France
• Wikipedia: Charles of France, Duke of Berry

While hunting, Charles’ horse slipped and fell, causing Charles to be injured internally. He died of internal bleeding.

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Ferdinand-Philippe, Duke of Orléans, Prince Royal, Prince of Orléans

• Born: September 3, 1810 in Palermo, Kingdom of Sicily, now in Italy
• Parents: Louis Philippe I, King of the French and Maria Amalia of Naples and Sicily
• Married: Duchess Helene of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
• Died: July 13, 1842, aged 31, in Sablonville, France
• Buried: Royal Chapel of Dreux in Dreux, France
  Unofficial Royalty: Ferdinand-Philippe, Duke of Orléans, Prince Royal, Prince of Orléans

In July 1842, Ferdinand, the heir to the French throne, was scheduled to leave on a trip to review troops of which he had recently been made commander. Before he left on the trip, he planned to travel from the Tuileries Palace in Paris to nearby Neuilly-sur-Seine where his wife and two sons were staying. On July 13, 1842, he left Paris in an open carriage. During the short trip, the horses became out of control and Ferdinand either jumped or was projected out of the carriage, resulting in a skull fracture. Despite the best attention of the doctors, Ferdinand died a few hours later, surrounded by family members who had rushed to the scene.

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Friedrich August II, King of Saxony

• Born: Weissensee, Electorate of Saxony, later in the Kingdom of Saxony, now in Thuringia, Germany
• Parents: Prince Maximilian of Saxony and Princess Caroline of Parma
• Married: (1) Marie Caroline of Austria in 1819 (2) Maria Anna of Bavaria in 1833
• Died: August 9, 1854, aged 57, in at the Gasthof Neune in Karrösten, Austria
• Buried: Dresden Cathedral, formerly known as the Katholische Hofkirche (Catholic Church of the Royal Court of Saxony) in Dresden, Kingdom of Saxony, now in Saxony, Germany
• Unofficial Royalty: Friedrich August II, King of Saxony

On August 8, 1854, while traveling in Brennbüchel, Tyrol, Austria, Friedrich August fell from the carriage into the path of one of the horses which stepped on his head. He died the next day in an inn in a nearby town.

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Archduke Wilhelm Franz of Austria-Teschen

• Born: April 21, 1827 in Vienna, Austrian Empire, now in Austria
• Parents: Archduke Charles of Austria, Duke of Teschen and Princess Henrietta of Nassau-Weilburg
• Unmarried
• Died: July 29, 1894, aged 67, in Weikersdorf, Austrian-Hungarian Empire, now in Austria
• Buried in the Imperial Crypt at the Capuchin Church in Vienna, Austria
• Wikipedia: Archduke Wilhelm Franz of Austria-Teschen

While out riding, Wilhelm Franz’s horse was frightened by a motor car. The horse bolted and Wilhelm Franz was thrown. However, one of his feet remained stuck in the stirrup, and he was dragged more than 300 feet. He died the same day without regaining consciousness.

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Prince Albert of Saxony

• Born: February 25, 1875 in Dresden, Kingdom of Saxony, now in Saxony, Germany
• Parents: Georg I, King of Saxony and Infanta Maria Ana of Portugal
• Unmarried
• Died: September 16, 1900, aged 25, in Wölkau, Kingdom of Prussia, now in Saxony, Germany
• Buried: Dresden Cathedral, formerly known as the Katholische Hofkirche (Catholic Church of the Royal Court of Saxony) in Dresden, Kingdom of Saxony, now in Saxony, Germany
• Wikipedia: Prince Albert of Saxony

On September 16, 1900, Miguel was returning home after attending a dinner, when he crashed his carriage into Albert’s carriage. The collision was so strong that Albert’s carriage overturned and fell into a ditch, and he died a few hours later. There were rumors that Miguel had done this on purpose. Since it could not be determined whether this collision was accidental or intentional, Miguel escaped a trial but was forced to resign from his commission in the army and was exiled from Portugal.

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