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Arthur, Prince of Wales, Credit – Wikipedia

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

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

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

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

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

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

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King Henri III of France, Credit – Wikipedia

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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King Charles XV of Sweden; Credit – Wikipedia

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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King Felipe IV of Spain; Credit – Wikipedia

September 17, 1665 – Death of King Felipe IV of Spain in Madrid, Spain; buried at the Royal Site of San Lorenzo de El Escorial in San Lorenzo de El Escorial, Spain
Besides being King of Spain, Felipe was also King of Portugal (from 1621 to 1640) and King of Sardinia, King of Naples, King of Sicily, Duke of Milan, Duke of Lothier, Duke of Brabant, Duke of Limburg, Duke of Luxemburg, Count Palatine of Burgundy, Count of Flanders, Count of Hainaut and Count of Namur from 1621 until his death in 1665. Felipe first married Elisabeth of France. They had eight children but only their youngest child survived to adulthood. Elisabeth died in 1644 after a miscarriage. In 1649, 44-year-old Felipe IV married his son’s former fiancée, his 14-year-old niece Mariana of Austria. They had five children but only two survived childhood. The Spanish House of Habsburg would end with the reign of Felipe IV and Mariana’s physically and mentally disabled son Carlos II, King of Spain. Carlos II’s disabilities were due to the serious inbreeding within the House of Habsburg. After great suffering from dysentery, Felipe IV, King of Spain, aged 60, died on September 17, 1665.
Unofficial Royalty: King Felipe IV of Spain 

September 17, 1688 – Birth of Maria Luisa of Savoy, Queen of Spain, first wife of King Felipe V of Spain, at the Royal Palace of Turin in Turin, Duchy of Savoy, now in Italy
Full name: Maria Luisa Gabriella
Maria Luisa was the daughter of Vittorio Amedeo II, King of Sardinia and Anne Marie of Orléans. In 1701, she married King Felipe V of Spain, born a French prince Philippe, Duke of Anjou. Maria Luisa and Felipe V had four sons but only two survived childhood and they both had childless marriages. Maria Luisa and Felipe V had a loving, happy marriage. She acted as Regent of Spain from 1702 until 1703 during Felipe V’s absence due to the War of the Spanish Succession and had great influence over him as his adviser. Sadly, Maria Luisa died from tuberculosis at the age of 25 on February 14, 1714.
Unofficial Royalty: Maria Luisa of Savoy, Queen of Spain

September 17, 1767 – Death of Prince Edward of Wales, Duke of York and Albany, son of Frederick, Prince of Wales and the brother of King George III of the United Kingdom, at the Prince’s Palace in Monaco; buried at Norfolk House, St. James’s Square in London, England; buried at Westminster Abbey in the Hanover vault under the central part of the Henry VII Chapel
Edward was the second of the five sons of Frederick, Prince of Wales (who predeceased his father King George II), and held a high place in the line of succession to the British throne for his entire life. In 1760, when Edward’s brother succeeded to the throne as King George III, Edward was named a privy counselor and was the heir presumptive to the British throne until the birth of the future King George IV in 1762. Edward was destined for a career in the Royal Navy, a short career due to his early death. In 1767, while serving in the Mediterranean, Edward became ill while traveling to Genoa. He was taken to Monaco, the nearest port. Despite the care arranged by Honoré III, Prince of Monaco, 28-year-old Edward died at the Prince’s Palace in Monaco on September 17, 1767.
Unofficial Royalty: Prince Edward of Wales, Duke of York and Albany

September 17, 1799 – Birth of Marie of Württemberg, Duchess of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, second wife and niece of Ernst I, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, in Coburg, Duchy of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, now in Bavaria, Germany
Marie was the eldest child and the only daughter of Duke Alexander of Württemberg and Antoinette of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld.  Marie had four brothers, but only two survived childhood. Marie and her brothers were first cousins of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert.  In 1832, Marie married her uncle Ernst I, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. The groom was 48 and the bride was 33. Ernst had been anxious to find a new bride after the death of his first, estranged wife, Louise of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg. However, Ernst’s age and his negative reputation left him with limited choices for a bride. His mother, Augusta, Dowager Duchess of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, arranged the marriage between her son and her granddaughter. After her marriage, Marie was not only the first cousin but also the stepmother of her husband’s sons from his first marriage, Ernst (later Ernst II, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha) and Albert (later husband of Queen Victoria). Marie and Ernst had no children, but Marie had a good relationship with her stepsons and maintained a correspondence with Albert throughout their lives.
Unofficial Royalty: Marie of Württemberg, Duchess of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha

September 17, 1871 – Birth of Eleonore of Solms-Hohensolms-Lich, Grand Duchess of Hesse and by Rhine, second wife of Ernst Ludwig, Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine, in Lich, Principality of Solms-Hohensolms-Lich, now in the German state of Hesse
Full name: Eleonore Marie Ernestine
In 1905, Eleonore became the second wife of Ernst Ludwig, Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine, a grandson of Queen Victoria, and the couple had two sons. After World War I, while many of her husband’s counterparts were stripped of their possessions, and in some cases, exiled from their homelands, Eleonore and Ernst Ludwig remained much loved by the Hessian people. They lived out the rest of their lives at Wolfsgarten and the New Palace in Darmstadt. A little more than a month after Ernst Ludwig died in 1937, Eleonore boarded a plane bound for London accompanied by her elder son Georg Donatus, his wife, and their two sons. They were headed to London for the wedding of Eleonore’s younger son Ludwig. Tragically, the plane crashed in Ostend, Belgium, and all were killed.
Unofficial Royalty: Eleonore of Solms-Hohensolms-Lich, Grand Duchess of Hesse and by Rhine
Unofficial Royalty: November 16, 1937 – Deaths of the Grand Ducal Family of Hesse and by Rhine

September 17, 1968 – Birth of Crown Princess Marie-Chantal of Greece, wife of Crown Prince Pavlos of Greece, born Marie-Chantal Claire Miller in London, England
Marie-Chantal is the wife of Crown Prince Pavlos of Greece, the eldest son of King Constantine II of Greece who was deposed in 1973. Her father is Robert Miller, a billionaire entrepreneur and co-founder of Duty-Free Shops. Marie-Chantal and Pavlos met on a blind date arranged by a friend in 1992. The marriage proposal occurred on a ski lift in Gstaad, Switzerland over the Christmas holiday in 1994. Before the wedding, Marie-Chantal converted from Roman Catholicism to Greek Orthodoxy. The couple was married on July 1, 1995, at St. Sophia’s Cathedral in London, England, and has five children.
Unofficial Royalty: Marie-Chantal, Crown Princess of Greece

September 17, 1985 – Birth of Crown Prince Tupoutoʻa ʻUlukalala of Tonga, son of King Tupou VI of Tonga, in Nukuʻalofa, Tonga
In 2021, Crown Prince Tupoutoʻa ʻUlukalala married his double second cousin Sinaitakala Fakafauna. Through her mother, she is a member of the Tongan royal family and, in her own right, in the line of succession to the throne of Tonga. Both Sinaitakala’s parents are first cousins of King Tupou VI. It is the tradition in Tonga that all royal marriages are arranged and that members of the royal family may only marry members of the Tongan nobility to maintain the royal bloodline.
Unofficial Royalty: Crown Prince Tupoutoʻa ʻUlukalala of Tonga

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