compiled by Susan Flantzer

Typhus, also known as typhus fever, is a group of bacterial infectious diseases spread by body lice, chiggers, or fleas. Symptoms include fever, headache and other flu-like symptoms, and a rash. Meningoencephalitis begins with the rash and continues into the second or third weeks. Symptoms of meningoencephalitis include sensitivity to light, delirium, and coma. Untreated cases are often fatal.

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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Alexander I, Emperor of All Russia

• Born: December 23, 1777 in St. Petersburg, Russia
• Parents: Paul I, Emperor of All Russia and Sophie Dorothea of Württemberg (Empress Maria Feodorovna)
• Married: Princess Louise of Baden in 1793 (Empress Elizabeth Alexeievna)
• Died: December 1, 1825, aged 47, in Taganrog, Russia
• Buried: Peter and Paul Cathedral in St. Petersburg, Russia
• Unofficial Royalty: Alexander I, Emperor of All Russia

By 1825, Empress Elizabeth Alexeievna’s health was suffering due to lung problems and the doctors recommended getting away from the harsh climate of St. Petersburg. Alexander and Elizabeth Alexeievna relocated to the city of Taganrog, Russia by the Sea of Azov where they stayed in a modest house. In November 1825, Alexander returned to Taganrog after visiting Crimea. He had a cold and then came down with typhus. On December 1, 1825, Alexander died in Elizabeth Alexeievna’s arms in their home in Taganrog.

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Archduke Ferdinand Karl Viktor of Austria-Este, Prince of Modena

• Born: July 20, 1821 in Modena, Duchy of Modena, now in Italy
• Parents: Franz IV, Duke of Modena, Archduke of Austria-Este and Maria Beatrice of Savoy
• Married: Archduchess Elisabeth Franziska of Austria in 1846
• Died: 15 December 15, 1849, aged 28, in Brno, Austrian Empire, now in the Czech Republic
• Buried: Church of San Vincenzo in Modena, Duchy of Modena, now in Italy
• Wikipedia: Archduke Ferdinand Karl Viktor of Austria-Este, Prince of Modena

Ferdinand Karl Viktor had a military career and held the rank of Field Marshal Lieutenant. After there were increased deaths from typhus in the hospitals in Brno, where Ferdinand was stationed, he inspected the hospitals and contracted typhus. He was nursed by his sister Maria Theresia but died within five days of contracting typhus.

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Prince Willem of the Netherlands, Prince of Orange

• Born: September 4, 1840 at Noordeinde Palace in The Hague, the Netherlands
• Parents: King Willem III of the Netherlands and Sophie of Württemberg
• Died: June 11, 1879, aged 38, in Paris, France
• Buried: Nieuwe Kerk in Delft, the Netherlands
• Wikipedia: Willem, Prince of Orange

Willem was the eldest of the three sons of King Willem III of the Netherlands and his first wife Sophie of Württemberg. All three sons were unmarried and predeceased their father. Despite the fact that he was the heir to the throne, Willem was disillusioned with his situation in the Netherlands and went into self-exile in Paris, where he threw himself into a life of sex, drinking, and gambling. He died from a combination of typhus, liver issues from excessive drinking, and total exhaustion.

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Prince Alexander of the Netherlands, Prince of Orange

• Born: August 25, 1851 at Noordeinde Palace, The Hague, the Netherlands
• Parents: King Willem III of the Netherlands and Sophie of Württemberg
• Died: June 21, 1884, aged 32, at Noordeinde Palace in The Hague, the Netherlands
• Buried: Nieuwe Kerk in Delft, the Netherlands
• Wikipedia: Alexander, Prince of Orange

Alexander was the youngest of the three sons of King Willem III of the Netherlands and his first wife Sophie of Württemberg. The second son Prince Maurits died from meningitis at the age of seven. The eldest son Willem (see above) died from typhus in 1879. Upon the death of Willem, Alexander became the heir apparent to the Dutch throne. Like his brother Willem, Alexander also died from typhus. After his death, his half-sister, the future Queen Wilhelmina, the only child of King Willem III and his second wife Emma of Waldeck and Pyrmont, became heir presumptive to the Dutch throne.

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compiled by Susan Flantzer

Typhoid fever is a bacterial infection caused by a specific type of salmonella. Symptoms are usually a gradual onset of high fever accompanied by weakness, abdominal pain, constipation, headaches, and mild vomiting. Some people develop a skin rash with rose-colored spots. In severe cases, people may experience confusion. Without treatment, symptoms may last weeks or months. Typhoid fever is spread by eating or drinking food or water contaminated with the feces of an infected person. Risk factors include poor sanitation and poor hygiene. The death rate without treatment is about 20%. With treatment, it is between 1 and 4%. Often confused, typhoid fever and typhus are different diseases.

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

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Henry Frederick, Prince of Wales

• Born: February 19, 1594 at Stirling Castle in Stirling, Scotland
• Parents: James VI, King of Scots, later also King James I of England, and Anne of Denmark
• Died: November 6, 1612, aged 18, at St. James’s Palace in London, England
• Buried: Westminster Abbey in London, England
• Unofficial Royalty: Henry Frederick, Prince of Wales

Henry Frederick was the eldest son of his parents and the heir to the throne of Scotland and England. By the time Henry was 18 years old, he was physically mature, well-educated, an independent thinker, and ready to assume some government responsibility. He was on his way to making an excellent and popular king.

Except for frequent nosebleeds when he was young, Henry’s health was excellent. However, on October 12, 1612, Henry began to have fevers but continued his physical activities. Over the next two weeks, Henry did not sleep well and continued to have fevers and developed gastrointestinal symptoms. On October 25, 1612, he played tennis and then felt much worse. He dined with his father that night, but his physicians noted that he had a fast pulse, a fever, a red face, a swollen stomach, gastrointestinal symptoms, and was very thirsty.

By October 29, 1612, Henry had a continuous fever and two days later he was delirious. On November 2, 1612, he alternated between sleeping and being confused and shouting. His servants had difficulty keeping him in bed. His condition worsened on November 4. He sang in his sleep and had violent convulsive movements. On November 6, 1612, the last day of his life, Henry was delirious, clammy, cold, and sweaty. His pulse weakened and he died. It was suspected that Henry had been poisoned, but an autopsy found no evidence of poisoning. The cause of his death was said to be “a fever.” With modern medical knowledge, it is now suspected that Henry died from typhoid fever.

After Henry Frederick’s death, his younger brother, the future King Charles I who was beheaded, became the heir to the throne.

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Duke Georg of Oldenburg

• Born: May 9, 1784 in Oldenburg, Duchy of Oldenburg, now in Lower Saxony, Germany
• Parents: Peter I, Duke of Oldenburg and Frederica of Württemberg
• Married: Grand Duchess Catherine Pavlovna of Russia in 1809
• Died: December 27, 1812, aged 28, in Tver, Russia
• Buried: first at St. Peter’s Lutheran Church in St. Petersburg, Russia; in 1826 transferred to the family mausoleum at the Gertrude Cemetery in Oldenburg, then in the Grand Duchy of Oldenburg now in Lower Saxony, Germany
• Wikipedia: Duke Georg of Oldenburg

While serving as Governor-General in Tver in central Russia, Georg became infected with typhoid fever during a visit to the hospital and died in December 1812.

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Prince Gustaf of Sweden and Norway, Duke of Uppland

• Born: June 18, 1827 at Haga Palace in Solna, Sweden
• Parents: King Oscar I of Sweden and Norway and Josephine of Leuchtenberg
• Died: September 24, 1852, aged 25, at Christiana Palace in Oslo, Norway
• Buried: Riddarholmen Church in Stockholm, Sweden
• Wikipedia: Prince Gustaf of Sweden and Norway, Duke of Uppland

Upon arriving via ship in Norway with his parents and his sister Princess Eugénie on September 16, 1852, Gustaf already had a fever. Soon it was obvious that he was suffering from typhoid fever and getting weaker. On September 24, he died. Other royal family members, including King Oscar I, were also affected by typhoid fever but only Prince Gustaf died.

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Princess Margaretha of Saxony, Archduchess of Austria

• Born: May 24, 1840 in Dresden, Kingdom of Saxony, now in Saxony, Germany
• Parents: King Johann of Saxony and Amalie Auguste of Bavaria
• Married: Archduke Karl Ludwig of Austria in 1856
• Died: September 15, 1858, aged 18, in Monza, Kingdom of Lombardy-Venetia, now in Italy
• Buried: Imperial Crypt at the Capuchin Crypt in Vienna, Austria
• Wikipedia: Margaretha of Saxony, Archduchess of Austria

On a trip to northern Italy with her husband, Margaretha became ill with typhoid fever and died. Later in life, her husband also died from typhoid fever.

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Princess Anna of Saxony, Grand Princess of Tuscany

• Born: January 4, 1836 in Dresden, Kingdom of Saxony, now in Saxony, Germany
• Parents: King Johann of Saxony and Amalie Auguste of Bavaria
• Married: Ferdinand, Grand Prince of Tuscany, the future Grand Duke of Tuscany, in 1856
• Died: February 10, 1859, aged 23, in Naples, Kingdom of the Two Sicilies
• Buried: Basilica of San Lorenzo in Florence, Grand Duchy of Tuscany, now in Italy
• Wikipedia: Anna of Saxony, Grand Princess of Tuscany

Anna was the elder sister of Margaretha (above), who also died from typhoid fever four months earlier. While on a trip to Naples, during her second pregnancy, Anna had a miscarriage due to the effects of typhoid fever and died four days later.

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Infante Fernando of Portugal

• Born: July 23, 1846 in Lisbon, Portugal
• Parents: Prince Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, King Consort of Portugal and Queen Maria II of Portugal
• Died: November 6, 1861, aged 15 in Lisbon, Portugal
• Buried: Monastery of São Vicente de Fora in Lisbon, Portugal
• Wikipedia: Infante Fernando of Portugal

Fernando’s father was a first cousin of Queen Victoria and her husband Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. Along with his brothers King Pedro V and Infante João, Duke of Beja, he died from typhoid fever November-December 1861.

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King Pedro V of Portugal

• Born: September 15, 1837 at Necessidades Palace in Lisbon, Portugal
• Parents: Prince Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, King Consort of Portugal and Queen Maria II of Portugal
• Married: Princess Stephanie of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen in 1858, died 1860
• Died: November 11, 1861, aged 24, at Necessidades Palace in Lisbon, Portugal
• Buried: Monastery of São Vicente de Fora in Lisbon, Portugal
• Unofficial Royalty: King Pedro V of Portugal

Pedro’s father was a first cousin of Queen Victoria and her husband Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. Along with his brothers Infante Fernando and Infante João, Duke of Beja, he died from typhoid fever November-December 1861. As Pedro had no children from his brief marriage, he was succeeded by his brother Luís.

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Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, The Prince Consort

• Born: August 26, 1819 at Schloss Rosenau near Coburg, Duchy of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, now in Bavaria, Germany
• Parents: Ernst I, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha and his first wife Princess Louise of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg
• Married: his first cousin Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom in 1840
• Died: December 14, 1861 at Windsor Castle in Windsor, England
• Buried: first St. George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle in Windsor, England; moved 1862 to the Royal Mausoleum at Frogmore in Windsor, England
• Unofficial Royalty: Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, Prince Consort

Sir William Jenner, one of Prince Albert’s doctors, diagnosed his final illness as typhoid fever but Albert’s modern biographers have argued that the diagnosis is incorrect. Albert had been complaining of stomach pains for two years and this may indicate that he died of some chronic disease, perhaps Crohn’s disease, kidney failure, or cancer.

In the fall, Victoria and Albert learned that their 20-year-old eldest son Bertie (the future King Edward VII) was having an affair with an Irish actress. Devastated by this news, Albert traveled to Cambridge to discuss the matter with his son. On November 25, 1861, the two walked together in the pouring rain while Albert explained how horrified he and the Queen felt about the situation. Victoria later blamed her son for Albert’s final illness – “That boy…I never can, or ever shall look at him without a shudder.”

When Albert returned to Windsor Castle, he complained of shoulder, leg, back, and stomach pain and could not eat or sleep. He was examined by doctors who assured Victoria that Albert would be better in two or three days. Even while Albert was feeling ill, he was still working. When the Trent Affair, the forcible removal of Confederate diplomats from a British ship by Union forces during the American Civil War, threatened war between the United States and the United Kingdom, Albert intervened on November 30, 1861, to soften the British diplomatic response. His action probably prevented war between the United States and the United Kingdom.

However, Albert’s condition continued to worsen. Victoria continued to hope for a recovery, but finally, on December 11, the doctors told her the dismal prognosis. At 10:50 PM on December 14, 1861, Albert died in the presence of his wife and five of their nine children.

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Infante João of Portugal, Duke of Beja

• Born: March 16, 1842 at Necessidades Palace in Lisbon, Portugal
• Parents: Prince Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, King Consort of Portugal and Queen Maria II of Portugal
• Died: December 27, 1861, aged 19, at Necessidades Palace in Lisbon, Portugal
• Buried: Monastery of São Vicente de Fora in Lisbon, Portugal
• Wikipedia: Infante João of Portugal, Duke of Beja

João’s father was a first cousin of Queen Victoria and her husband Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. Along with his brothers Infante Fernando and King Pedro V, he died from typhoid fever November-December 1861.

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Princess Leopoldina of Brazil, Princess of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha

• Born: July 13, 1847 at Paço de São Cristóvão in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
• Parents: Emperor Pedro II of Brazil and Teresa Cristina of the Two Sicilies
• Married: Prince Ludwig August of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha in 1864
• Died: February 7, 1871, aged 23, at Palais Coburg in Vienna, Austria
• Buried: St. Augustine’s Church in Coburg, Duchy of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, now in Bavaria, Germany
• Wikipedia: Leopoldina of Brazil, Princess of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha

At the beginning of 1871, Leopoldina displayed the first symptoms of typhoid fever. She developed gastrointestinal problems, fever, and the classic skin rash with rose-colored spots. Her condition worsened and she suffered from delusions and convulsions. After a month of agony, she died.

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Maria de las Mercedes of Orléans, Queen of Spain

• Born: June 24, 1860 at the Royal Palace of Madrid in Madrid, Spain
• Parents: Antoine of Orléans, Duke of Montpensier (son of Louis-Philippe I, King of the French) and Infanta Luisa Fernanda of Spain (daughter of King Ferdinand VII of Spain)
• Married: King Alfonso XII of Spain in 1878
• Died: June 26, 1878, aged 18, at the Royal Palace of Madrid in Madrid, Spain
• Buried: first in the Pantheon of Infantes at the Monastery of San Lorenzo de El Escorial in El Escorial, Spain; in 2000 moved to the Cathedral of Santa María la Real de La Almudena in Madrid, Spain
• Unofficial Royalty: Maria de las Mercedes of Orléans, Queen of Spain

In June 1878, it was announced that Mercedes was pregnant and the country rejoiced. However, the joy was short-lived as Mercedes suffered a miscarriage. Shortly after the miscarriage, Mercedes became suddenly ill. Within hours, she was at death’s door with typhoid fever. Mercedes died two days after her 18th birthday.

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Archduke Karl Ludwig of Austria

• Born: July 30, 1833 at Schönbrunn Palace in Vienna, Austria
• Parents: Archduke Franz Karl of Austria and Princess Sophie of Bavaria
• Married: (1) Margaretha of Saxony in 1856, who also died from typhoid in 1858 (2) Maria Annunciata of Bourbon-Two Sicilies in 1862, died from tuberculosis in 1871 (3) Maria Theresa of Portugal in 1873
• Died: May 19, 1896, aged 62, at Schönbrunn Palace in Vienna, Austria
• Buried: Imperial Crypt at the Capuchin Church in Vienna, Austria
• Wikipedia: Archduke Karl Ludwig of Austria

Karl Ludwig was the brother of Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria and the father of Archduke Franz Ferdinand whose assassination in 1914 sparked World War I. Karl Ludwig died from typhoid fever he contracted on a trip to Egypt and Palestine where he apparently drank contaminated from the River Jordan for religious reasons.

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Prince Christian Victor of Schleswig-Holstein

• Born: April 14, 1867 at Windsor Castle in Windsor, England
• Parents: Prince Christian of Schleswig-Holstein and Princess Helena of the United Kingdom, daughter of Queen Victoria
• Died: October 29, 1900, aged 33, in Pretoria, South Africa
• Buried: Church Street Cemetery in Pretoria, South Africa
• Unofficial Royalty: Prince Christian Victor of Schleswig-Holstein 

While serving with the British Army during the Boer War, Christian first became ill with malaria and then also became ill with typhoid fever which killed him. His death shocked his family and in particular his grandmother, Queen Victoria, with whom he had been very close. Although preparations were made to return his body to the United Kingdom, he was buried in a soldier’s grave in Pretoria, at the wishes of Queen Victoria.

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Princess Elisabeth of Hesse and by Rhine

• Born: March 11, 1895 in Darmstadt, Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine, now in Hesse, Germany
• Parents: Ernst Ludwig, Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine and Princess Victoria Melita of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, both grandchildren of Queen Victoria, in 1894, divorced 1901
• Died: November 16, 1903, aged 8, at the Russian Imperial hunting lodge in Skierniewice, Congress Poland, Russian Empire, now in Poland
• Buried: Rosenhöhe Park in Darmstadt, Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine, now in Hesse, Germany
• Wikipedia: Princess Elisabeth of Hesse and by Rhine

Following a large family gathering in Darmstadt in October 1903 for the wedding of his niece Princess Alice of Battenberg, Ernst Ludwig and his daughter Elisabeth went to visit Ernst Ludwig’s sister (Empress Alexandra Feodorovna of Russia) and her family at their hunting lodge in Poland. While there, Elisabeth fell ill. At first, it was just believed to be exhaustion from so much playing with her Romanov cousins but her condition quickly worsened. A telegram was sent to her mother, imploring her to come quickly, as it seemed the child would not survive. Unfortunately, the telegram would arrive too late. Princess Elisabeth died on November 16, 1903. Rumors at the time were that she had been poisoned by eating or drinking something which was intended for her uncle Nicholas II. However, it was discovered that she had died from typhoid fever. Ernst Ludwig, of course, was distraught. His daughter had been, in his own words, “the sunshine of my life.”

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Prince Mircea of Romania
Mircea with his sister Ileana

• Born: January 3, 1913 in Bucharest, Romania
• Parents: King Ferdinand I of Romania and Princess Marie of Edinburgh, a granddaughter of Queen Victoria
• Died: November 2, 1916, aged 3, at Buftea Palace in Buftea, Romania
• Buried: first on the grounds of Cotroceni Palace in Bucharest, Romania; moved 1941 to the chapel at Bran Castle in Bran, Romania; moved 2019 to the New Episcopal and Royal Cathedral in Curtea de Argeș, Romania
• Wikipedia: Prince Mircea of Romania

Mircea and his sister Ileana are believed to have been fathered by Queen Marie’s lover Barbu Stirbey but were formally acknowledged by King Ferdinand as his own. Mircea died of typhoid fever during World War I when enemy troops were approaching Bucharest and many battles were taking place close to the city. The royal family had to quickly bury him on the grounds of Cotroceni Palace before they left Bucharest.

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compiled by Susan Flantzer

Tuberculosis is an infectious disease caused by a bacteria. It usually affects the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body. Tuberculosis is spread through the air when people who have active tuberculosis cough, spit, speak, or sneeze. The classic symptoms are a chronic cough with bloody mucus, fever, night sweats, and weight loss. It was historically called consumption due to the weight loss. If left untreated, tuberculosis kills about half of those affected. In Europe, rates of tuberculosis began to rise in the early 1600s to a peak level in the 1800s, when it caused nearly 25% of all deaths.

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

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Jacqueline of Bavaria, Countess of Holland, Zeeland and Hainaut

• Born: July 15, 1401 in Le Quesnoy, County of Hainaut, now in France
• Parents: Wilhelm II, Duke of Bavaria and Margaret of Burgundy
• Married: (1) Jean, Dauphin of France in 1415 (2) John IV, Duke of Brabant in 1418, annulled 1422 (3) Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester in 1423, annulled 1428 (4) Frank van Borssele in 1434
• Died: October 8, 1436, aged 35, at Teylingen Castle in Voorhout, County of Holland, now in the Netherlands
• Buried: palace church at the Binnenhof in The Hague, County of Holland, now in the Netherlands
• Wikipedia: Jacqueline of Bavaria, Countess of Holland, Zeeland and Hainaut

Also known as Jacqueline of Hainaut, she was Countess of Holland, Zeeland and Hainaut in her own right. In 1436, she became ill with tuberculosis and died after a few months.

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Isabella of Bourbon, Countess of Charolai

• Born: 1437
• Parents: Charles I, Duke of Bourbon and Agnes of Burgundy
• Married: Charles the Bold, Count of Charolais and the future Duke of Burgundy, in 1454
• Died: September 25, 1465, aged 31, at St. Michael’s Abbey in Antwerp, Flanders now in Belgium
• Buried: Cathedral of Our Lady of Antwerp in Antwerp, Flanders now in Belgium
• Wikipedia: Isabella of Bourbon, Countess of Charolai

Isabella was the mother of the great heiress Mary of Burgundy who was the Duchess of Burgundy in her own right after her father’s death. After several months of illness, Isabella died of tuberculosis.

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Filberto I, Duke of Savoy

Born: August 17, 1465 in Chambéry, Duchy of Savoy, now in France
Parents: Amadeo IX, Duke of Savoy and Yolande of Valois
Married: Bianca Maria Sforza in 1476
Died: September 22, 1482, aged 17, in Lyon, Duchy of Burgundy, now in France
Buried: Hautcombe Abbey in Saint-Pierre-de-Curtille, Duchy of Savoy, now in France
Wikipedia: Filberto I, Duke of Savoy

Filberto died of tuberculosis. His burial place, Hautecombe Abbey, has been the burial place of the House of Savoy for centuries.

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Lady Anne Neville, Queen of England

Born: June 11, 1456, at Warwick Castle in Warwickshire, England
Parents: Richard Neville, 16th Earl of Warwick and Lady Anne Beauchamp
Married: (1) Edward of Westminster, Prince of Wales (son of King Henry VI of England) in 1470 (2) King Richard III of England in 1472
Died: March 16, 1485, aged 28, at the Palace of Westminster in London, England
Buried: Westminster Abbey in London, England
Unofficial Royalty: Lady Anne Neville, Queen of England

Anne and Richard’s son Edward of Middleham, Prince of Wales, died at the age of ten. Anne survived her son by less than a year, dying of tuberculosis. Her husband Richard survived her by only five months, losing his crown and his life on August 22, 1485, in the Battle of Bosworth Field, defeated by Henry Tudor, who became King Henry VII of England.

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King Henry VII of England

• Born: January 28, 1457 at Pembroke Castle in Wales
• Parents: Edmund Tudor, 1st Earl of Richmond and Lady Margaret Beaufort
• Married: Elizabeth of York, daughter of King Edward IV of England in 1486
• Died: April 21, 1509, aged 52, at Richmond Palace in Surrey, England
• Buried: Westminster Abbey in London, England
• Unofficial Royalty: King Henry VII of England

Henry’s health began to fail in 1507, and he suffered from attacks of gout and asthma. He died two years later from tuberculosis.

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Henry FitzRoy, Duke of Richmond and Somerset

• Born: June 15, 1519 at the Augustinian Priory of St. Lawrence in Blackmore, Essex, England
• Parents: Henry VIII of England and his mistress Elizabeth Blount
• Married: Lady Mary Howard, daughter of Thomas Howard, 3rd Duke of Norfolk, in 1533
• Died: July 23, 1536, aged 17, in Thetford, Norfolk, England
• Buried: St. Michael’s Church in Framlingham, Suffolk, England, the burial place of the Howard family
• Unofficial Royalty: Henry FitzRoy, Duke of Richmond and Somerset

Henry was his father’s only acknowledged illegitimate child. He became sickly sometime before he died and was reported ill with consumption, a term used for tuberculosis.

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Madeleine of Valois, Queen of Scots

• Born: August 10, 1520 at the Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye in Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France
• Parents: King François I of France and Claude of France, Duchess of Brittany
• Married: James V, King of Scots (first wife)
• Died: July 7, 1537, aged 16, at Holyrood Palace in Edinburgh, Scotland
• Buried: Holyrood Abbey in Edinburgh, Scotland
• Unofficial Royalty: Madeleine of Valois, Queen of Scots

Scotland had signed a treaty with France to strengthen their alliance. One of the provisions was for James V, King of Scots to marry a French princess. When James V reached a marriageable age, talks began regarding marriage with Madeleine.  However, Madeleine apparently had tuberculosis and her ill health was an issue and another French bride, Mary of Bourbon, was offered as a substitute.  When James V came to France to meet Mary of Bourbon, he met Madeleine and decided to marry her.  Because of his daughter’s health issues, King François I of France was reluctant to agree to the marriage, but eventually, he did so.  Madeleine and James V were married on January 1, 1537, at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris.

The couple arrived in Scotland on May 19, 1537, after months of celebrations in France, with Madeleine’s health having further deteriorated.  Madeleine wrote a letter to her father on June 8, 1537, saying that she was feeling better and that her symptoms had subsided.  Despite this, on July 7, 1537, Madeleine died from tuberculosis in her husband’s arms, a month short of her seventeenth birthday.

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King Edward VI of England

• Born: October 12, 1537 at Hampton Court Palace in Middlesex, England
• Parents: King Henry VIII and Jane Seymour
• Died: July 6, 1553, aged 15, at Greenwich Palace in Greenwich, England
• Buried: Westminster Abbey in London, England
• Unofficial Royalty: King Edward VI of England

In January 1553, Edward became ill with a fever and cough that gradually worsened. It is probable that he had tuberculosis. By May 1553, the royal doctors had no hope that the king would recover. After great suffering, Edward died on July 6, 1553.

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João Manuel, Prince of Portugal

• Born: January 2, 1554, aged 16, at Ribeira Palace in Lisbon, Portugal
• Parents: King João III of Portugal and Catherine of Austria
• Married: Joanna of Austria in 1552
• Died: January 2, 1554, aged 16, at Ribeira Palace in Lisbon, Portugal
• Buried: Jerónimos Monastery in Lisbon, Portugal
• Wikipedia: João Manuel, Prince of Portugal

João Manuel was the heir to the throne of Portugal. His seven elder brothers all predeceased him. Eighteen days after his death from tuberculosis, his wife gave birth to a son, the future King Sebastian I of Portugal.

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 Barbara of Austria, Duchess of Ferrara

• Born: April 30, 1539 in Vienna, Austria
• Parents: Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor and Anna of Bohemia and Hungary
• Married: Alfonso II, Duke of Ferrara in 1565
• Died: September 19, 1572, aged 33, in Ferrara, Duchy of Ferrara, now in Italy
• Buried: Church of San Michele del Gesù in Ferrara, Duchy of Ferrara, now in Italy
• Wikipedia: Barbara of Austria, Duchess of Ferrara

Barbara had suffered from tuberculosis for six years before her death.

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Cosimo II de’ Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany

• Born: May 12, 1590 at the Palazzo Pitti in Florence, Grand Duchy of Tuscany, now in Italy
• Parents: Ferdinando I de’ Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany and Christina of Lorraine
• Married: Maria Maddalena of Austria in 1608
• Died: February 28, 1621, aged 30, at the Palazzo Pitti in Florence, Grand Duchy of Tuscany, now in Italy
• Buried: Chapel of the Princes at the Basilica of San Lorenzo in Florence, Grand Duchy of Tuscany, now in Italy
• Wikipedia: Cosimo II de’ Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany

Cosimo is known for having been the patron of the astronomer Galileo Galilei, his former tutor.

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Anne Stuart

• Born: March 17, 1637 at St. James’s Palace in London, England
• Parents: King Charles I of England and Henrietta Maria of France
• Died: November 5, 1640, aged 3, at Richmond Palace, in Surrey, England
• Buried: Westminster Abbey in London, England
• Wikipedia: Anne Stuart

From her birth, Anne had never been in good health. She had fevers and near-constant coughs before developing tuberculosis.

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Marie-Thérèse of France, Madame Royale

• Born: January 2, 1667 at the Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye, in Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France
• Parents: King Louis XIV of France and Maria Theresa of Spain
• Died: March 1, 1672, aged 5, at the Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye, in Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France
• Buried: Basilica of Saint-Denis near Paris, France
• Wikipedia: Marie-Thérèse of France, Madame Royale

Marie-Thérèse was the eldest surviving daughter of her parents and was given the honorific Madame Royale. Only one of her parents’ six children, Louis, Le Grand Dauphin, survived childhood and Louis predeceased his father.

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Maria Anna Josepha of Austria, Electoral Princess of the Palatinate

• Born: December 30, 1654 in Regensburg, Duchy of Bavaria, now in Bavaria, Germany
• Parents: Ferdinand III, Holy Roman Emperor and Eleonora Gonzaga, Princess of Mantua
• Married: the future Johann Wilhelm II, Elector Palatine in 1678
• Died: April 14, 1689, aged 34, in Vienna, Austria
• Buried: Imperial Crypt at the Capuchin Church in Vienna, Austria
• Wikipedia: Maria Anna Josepha of Austria, Electoral Princess of the Palatinate

Maria Anna died from tuberculosis during a visit to the Imperial Court in Vienna.

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Maria Luisa of Savoy, Queen of Spain

• Born: September 17, 1688 at the Royal Palace of Turin in Turin, Duchy of Savoy, now in Italy
• Parents: Vittorio Amadeo II, Duke of Savoy and Anne Marie d’Orléans
• Married: King Felipe V of Spain in 1701
• Died: February 14, 1714, aged 25, at the Royal Alcazar of Madrid in Madrid, Spain
• Buried: Royal Monastery of San Lorenzo de El Escorial in El Escorial, Spain
• Wikipedia: Maria Luisa of Savoy, Queen of Spain

Five months after giving birth to her last child, Maria Luisa died from tuberculosis.

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Maria Amalia of Saxony, Queen of Spain

• Born: November 24, 1724 at Dresden Castle in Dresden, Electorate of Saxony, now in Saxony, Germany
• Parents: Augustus III, King of Poland, Elector of Saxony and Maria Josepha of Austria
• Married: King Carlos III of Spain in 1738
• Died: September 27, 1760, aged 35, at Buen Retiro Palace in Madrid, Spain
• Buried: Royal Monastery of San Lorenzo de El Escorial in El Escorial, Spain
• Wikipedia: Maria Amalia of Saxony, Queen of Spain

Just thirteen months after her husband became King of Spain, Maria Amalia died from tuberculosis.

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Louis Joseph Xavier of France, Duke of Burgundy

• Born: September 13, 1751 at the Palace of Versailles in Versailles, France
• Parents: Louis, Dauphin of France (son of King Louis XV of France) and Maria Josepha of Saxony
• Died: March 22, 1761, aged 9, at the Palace of Versailles in Versailles, France
• Buried: Basilica of Saint-Denis near Paris, France
• Wikipedia: Louis Joseph Xavier of France, Duke of Burgundy

Louis Joseph Xavier was the eldest son of his parents. Three of his younger brothers became Kings of France: the ill-fated Louis XVI and Louis XVIII and Charles X, who were kings during the Bourbon Restoration. After a fall, Louis Joseph Xavier’s health began to deteriorate. In 1760, he had surgery on his leg to remove a “tumor.” Afterward, he was bound to his bed, unable to move his legs, and diagnosed with extrapulmonary tuberculosis of the bone. After months of agony, Louis Joseph Xavier died. His father died from tuberculosis four years later. (See below.)

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Louis, Dauphin of France

• Born: September 4, 1729 at the Palace of Versailles in Versailles, France
• Parents: King Louis XV of France and Marie Leszczyńska of Poland
• Married: (1) Infanta Maria Teresa Rafaela of Spain in 1744, died 1746 (2) Maria Josepha of Saxony in 1747
• Died: December 20, 1765, aged 36, at the Château de Fontainebleau in Fontainebleau, France
• Buried: Cathedral of Saint-Étienne in Sens, France (at his request)
• Unofficial Royalty: Louis, Dauphin of France

Unfortunately, like several other Dauphins that preceded him, Louis died prematurely and never became King of France. Until the summer of 1765, Louis was healthy. He then started to constantly cough, spit blood, and breathe with increasing difficulty. Tuberculosis was diagnosed. On November 13, 1765, Louis asked to receive the last rites. He managed to survive another month.

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Sophie of France, Madame Sophie

• Born: July 9, 1786 at the Palace of Versailles in Versailles, France
• Parents: King Louis XVI of France and Maria Antonia of Austria (Marie Antoinette)
• Died: June 19, 1787, aged 11 months, at the Palace of Versailles in Versailles, France
• Buried: Basilica of Saint-Denis near Paris, France
• Wikipedia: Sophie of France

Sophie had fragile health since her birth and died from tuberculosis.

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Louis Joseph, Dauphin of France

• Born: October 22, 1781 at the Palace of Versailles in Versailles, France
• Parents: King Louis XVI of France and Maria Antonia of Austria (Marie Antoinette)
• Died: June 4, 1789, aged 7, at the Château de Meudon in Meudon, France
• Buried: Basilica of Saint-Denis near Paris, France
• Wikipedia: Louis Joseph, Dauphin of France

Louis Joseph was his parents’ eldest son and the heir to the French throne. He began to be in ill health from the time he was three years old. In 1786, doctors realized that he was suffering from tuberculosis. His illness progressed and became quite serious in 1788. Louis Joseph died the next year. His younger brother Louis Charles (titular King Louis XVII of France), who died during the French Revolution, at the Temple prison became Dauphin of France.

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Louis-Charles, Dauphin of France – Titular King Louis XVII of France

• Born: March 27, 1785 at the Palace of Versailles in Versailles, France
• Parents: King Louis XVI of France and Maria Antonia of Austria (Marie Antoinette)
• Died: June 8, 1795, aged 10, at the Temple Prison in Paris, France
• Buried: Cimetière Sainte-Marguerite in Paris, France; heart in Basilica of Saint-Denis near Paris, France
• Unofficial Royalty: Louis-Charles, Dauphin of France – Titular King Louis XVII of France

During the French Revolution, Louis-Charles was imprisoned at the Temple Prison with his sister Marie-Thérèse, his mother Marie Antoinette and Élisabeth, Louis XVI’s youngest sister. His mother and aunt were both executed and his sister survived the French Revolution. In 1793, three months before his mother’s execution, Louis-Charles was taken away from his family and placed in a solitary prison cell where he died two years later from tuberculosis.

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Augusta Wilhelmine of Hesse-Darmstadt, Duchess of Zweibrücken

• Born: April 14, 1765 in Darmstadt, Landgraviate of Hesse-Darmstadt now in Hesse, Germany
• Parents: Prince Georg Wilhelm of Hesse-Darmstadt and Countess Maria Luise Albertine of Leiningen-Falkenburg-Dagsburg
• Married: Maximilian, Duke of Zweibrücken in 1785
• Died: March 30, 1796, aged 30, at Schloss Rohrbach near Heidelberg, then in the Palatinate, now in Baden-Württemberg, Germany
• Buried: Stadtkirche Darmstadt in Darmstadt, Landgraviate of Hesse-Darmstadt, now in Hesse, Germany.
• Unofficial Royalty: Augusta Wilhelmine of Hesse-Darmstadt, Duchess of Zweibrücken

Augusta Wilhelmine was the first wife of the future Maximilian I Joseph, King of Bavaria. She died before her husband became King of Bavaria but she did give birth to his heir, King Ludwig I of Bavaria. Maximilian Joseph served in the French Army until the French Revolution when he joined the Austrian Army. Because of the unrest at the time, his family had to flee their homes twice. Augusta Wilhelmine, weakened from five pregnancies and the travails of war, died from pulmonary tuberculosis.

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Maria Antonia of Naples and Sicily, Princess of Asturias

• Born: December 14, 1784 at Royal Palace of Caserta in Caserta, Kingdom of Naples and Sicily, now in Italy
• Parents: King Ferdinand I of the Two Sicilies and Archduchess Maria Carolina of Austria
• Married: Ferdinand, Prince of Asturias (the future King Ferdinand VII) in 1802
• Died: May 21, 1806, ages, 21, at the Royal Palace of Aranjuez in Aranjuez, Spain
• Buried: Monastery of San Lorenzo de Escorial in El Escorial, Spain
• Unofficial Royalty: Maria Antonia of Naples and Sicily, Princess of Asturias

After her second miscarriage, Maria Antonia’s health deteriorated severely due to tuberculosis. She suffered severe pain until her death, nearly a year later.

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Antoine Philippe of Orléans, Duke of Montpensier

• Born: July 3, 1775 at the Palais-Royal in Paris, France
• Parents: Louis Philippe, Duke of Orléans and Louise Marie Adélaïde de Bourbon
• Died: May 18, 1807, aged 31, in Salthill, Berkshire, England
• Buried: Westminster Abbey in London, England
• Wikipedia: Antoine Philippe of Orléans, Duke of Montpensier

During the French Revolution, Antoine Philippe was arrested at the same time as the other Bourbons who had remained in France. During his imprisonment, Antoine Philippe contracted tuberculosis which eventually killed him. He survived the French Revolution and with other members of the Orléans, settled in England. In 1807, Antoine Philippe’s tuberculosis worsened. His brother Louis-Philippe, Duke of Orléans (the future Louis-Philippe, King of the French) decided to take him to Devonshire so that he could enjoy the fresh air there. However, Antoine Philippe died on the way to Devonshire. Through the help of Prince Edward, Duke of Kent (son of King George III and father of Queen Victoria), permission was obtained to bury Antoine Philippe at Westminster Abbey.

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Princess Amelia of the United Kingdom

• Born: August 7, 1783 at Lower Lodge (now called Royal Lodge) at Windsor Castle in Windsor, England
• Parents: King George III of the United Kingdom and Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
• Died: November 2, 1810, aged 27, Augusta Lodge at Windsor Castle in Windsor, England
• Buried: St. George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle in Windsor, England
• Unofficial Royalty: Princess Amelia of the United Kingdom

Amelia was the youngest of the fifteen children of her parents. In 1798, 15-year-old Amelia developed severe pain in her knee. This was the beginning of the poor health that would plague Amelia for the rest of her short life. Amelia’s symptoms indicated tuberculosis, which usually affects the lungs but can also affect the joints. By 1810, Amelia was fatally ill with tuberculosis. In addition to tuberculosis, Amelia was suffering from erysipelas, an acute skin infection. Before the advent of antibiotics, erysipelas frequently resulted in death. Amelia’s case of erysipelas was particularly severe with the rash literally from her head to her toes. The combination of the illnesses caused her death.

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Maria Ludovika of Austria-Este, Empress of Austria

• Born: December 14, 1787 at the Royal Villa of Monza in Lombardy, Austrian Empire, now in Italy
• Parents: Archduke Ferdinand Karl of Austria-Este and Maria Beatrice Ricciarda d’Este
• Married: Franz I, Emperor of Austria, King of Hungary and Bohemia in 1808
• Died: April 7, 1816, aged 28, at the Palazzo Canossa in Verona, Austrian Empire, now in Italy
• Buried: Imperial Crypt at the Capuchin Church in Vienna, Austria
• Unofficial Royalty: Maria Ludovika of Austria-Este, Empress of Austria

Maria Ludovika was the third of her husband’s four wives. During the years of the Napoleonic conflicts, Maria Ludovika became ill with tuberculosis. After the wars were over, she visited her former home in Modena, now liberated, and other Italian cities with her husband. Maria Ludovika was now very ill and weak and told her mother that she wanted to die. In March 1816, she was in Verona, too ill to continue her travels. Her physician who was traveling with her, called in numerous famous doctors, but to no avail. Maria Ludovika died at the Palazzo Canossa in Verona with her husband at her bedside.

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Napoléon François Charles Joseph Bonaparte, Napoleon II

• Born: March 20, 1811 at the Tuileries Palace in Paris, France
• Parents: Napoléon I, Emperor of the French and his second wife Marie Louise of Austria
• Died: July 22, 1832, aged 21, at Schönbrunn Palace in Vienna, Austria
• Buried: first at the Imperial Crypt at the Capuchin Church in Vienna, Austria; in 1940 moved to Les Invalides in Paris, France
• Unofficial Royalty: Napoléon François Charles Joseph Bonaparte, Napoleon II

Emperor of the French for only sixteen days in 1815, Napoléon II was the only child of
Napoléon I, Emperor of the French. After the exile of Napoléon I, Marie Louise returned to her homeland, Austria, with her son. Napoléon II had been dealing with lung problems from a very early age and eventually developed tuberculosis. He died on July 22, 1832, at Schönbrunn Palace in Vienna at the age of twenty-one. He was buried in the Habsburg tradition of his mother’s family at the Imperial Crypt in Vienna. In 1940, on the orders of Adolf Hitler, Napoléon II’s sarcophagus was removed from the Imperial Crypt in Vienna and transferred by train to Paris. This transfer was done in memory of the transfer of Napoléon I’s remains from the island of St. Helena to Paris in 1840 by Louis Philippe I, King of the French. Originally, Napoléon II’s sarcophagus was placed beside his father’s tomb in Les Invalides in Paris, France. In 1969, Napoléon II’s sarcophagus was interred in the lower church at Les Invalides.

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Emperor Pedro I of Brazil

• Born: October 12, 1798, at the Royal Palace of Queluz in Lisbon, Portugal
• Parents: King João VI of Portugal and Infanta Carlota Joaquina of Spain
• Married: (1) Maria Leopoldina of Austria in 1817, died 1826 (2) Amélie of Leuchtenberg in 1829
• Died: September 24, 1834, aged 35, at Queluz Palace in Lisbon, Portugal
• Buried: first at the Pantheon of the House of Braganza at the Monastery of São Vicente de Fora in Lisbon, Portugal; in 1972 transferred to the Brazilian Imperial Crypt and Chapel under the Monument of the Ipiranga (Monument to the Independence of Brazil) in São Paulo, Brazil
• Unofficial Royalty: Pedro I, Emperor of Brazil/Pedro IV, King of Portugal

Pedro was the first Emperor of Brazil and was also King of Portugal from 1825-1826. While Pedro was the legitimate heir to the throne of Portugal, the Brazilian people did not want the two thrones to be reunited so Pedro abdicated the Portuguese throne in favor of his daughter Queen Maria II. In 1831, after a political crisis, Pedro abdicated the throne of Brazil in favor of his son who reigned as Emperor Pedro II of Brazil. Pedro and his second wife returned to Portugal. Except for occasional epileptic seizures, Pedro had been in good health but in 1834, it became evident that he was suffering from tuberculosis.

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Marie of Orléans, Duchess of Württemberg

• Born: April 12, 1813 in Palermo, Kingdom of Sicily, now in Italy
• Parents: Louis-Philipe I, King of the French and Maria Amalia of the Two Sicilies
• Married: Duke Alexander of Württemberg in 1837
• Died: January 6, 1839, aged 25, in Pisa, Grand Duchy of Tuscany, now in Italy
• Buried: Royal Chapel of Dreux in Dreux, France
• Wikipedia: Marie of Orléans, Duchess of Württemberg

Already ill with tuberculosis, Marie gave birth to her only child, a son, in 1838, and then left for Pisa in the Grand Duchy of Tuscany, now in Italy, hoping that the warmer climate would cure her. However, she died in Pisa.

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Eugénie de Beauharnais of Leuchtenberg, Princess of Hohenzollern-Hechingen

• Born: December 22, 1808 in Milan, Austrian Empire, now in Italy
• Parents: Eugène de Beauharnais, Duke of Leuchtenberg and Princess Augusta of Bavaria
• Married: Constantin, Prince of Hohenzollern-Hechingen in 1826
• Died: September 1, 1847, aged 38, at the Hotel Post in Freudenstadt, King of Württemberg, now in Baden-Württemberg, Germany
• Buried: Catholic Collegiate Church of St. Jakob in Hechingen, Principality of Hohenzollern-Hechingen, now in Baden-Württemberg, Germany
• Wikipedia: Eugénie de Beauharnais of Leuchtenberg, Princess of Hohenzollern-Hechingen

Eugénie’s father was Eugénie de Beauharnais, the son of Empress Josephine, first wife of Napoleon Bonaparte, by her first marriage to Alexandre de Beauharnais. Her mother was the daughter of King Maximilian I Joseph of Bavaria. Eugénie became ill with tuberculosis and from 1842 onward, became increasingly worse. Because of the risk of infection, she was only allowed to see her husband rarely and at a distance. In the summer of 1847, she went to Badenweiler, King of Württemberg, for a cure. However, she died at a hotel on the way home.

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Princess Maria Amélia of Brazil

• Born: December 1, 1831 in Paris, France
• Parents: Emperor Pedro I of Brazil and his second wife Amélie of Leuchtenberg
• Died: February 4, 1853, aged 21, in Funchal, Portugal
• Buried: first in the Braganza Pantheon, Monastery of São Vicente de Fora in Lisbon, Portugal’ in 1982, Maria Amélie’s remains were transferred to Brazil and buried in the Convento de Santo Antônio in Rio de Janeiro, where other Brazilian royals are also interred.
• Wikipedia: Princess Maria Amélia of Brazil

Maria Amélia was her parents’ only child. Her mother made arrangements to betroth her twenty-year-old daughter to Archduke Maximilian of Austria, the brother of Emperor Franz Joseph of Austria. However, the official betrothal never took place. Maria Amélie was ill with tuberculosis, the same disease that had killed her father. (See above.) In August 1852, Amélie and her daughter moved to the island of Madeira in Portugal because of the mild climate. Maria Amélie died the next year.

Amélie visited her daughter’s tomb on every anniversary of her death until her own death. She financed the construction of a hospital to treat patients with lung diseases in Funchal on the island of Madeira called the Hospício da Princesa Dona Maria Amélie which is still in existence. When Amélie died, the Hospício da Princesa Dona Maria Amélia was handed over to her sister Queen Joséphine of Sweden, and according to the terms of Amélie’s will, it is owned and administered by the Swedish Royal Family. King Carl XVI Gustaf, Queen Silvia, and Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden have visited the hospital.

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Auguste Ferdinande of Austria, Princess of Bavaria

• Born: April 1, 1825 in Florence, Grand Duchy of Tuscany, now in Italy
• Parents: Leopold II, Grand Duke of Tuscany, Archduke of Austria and Maria Anna of Saxony
• Married: Prince Regent Luitpold of Bavaria in 1844
• Died: April 26, 1864, aged 39, in Munich, Kingdom of Bavaria, now in Bavaria, Germany
• Buried: Theatine Church in Munich, Kingdom of Bavaria, now in Bavaria, Germany
• Unofficial Royalty: Auguste Ferdinande of Austria, Princess of Bavaria

Luitpold’s father, King Ludwig I of Bavaria, initially opposed his son’s marriage, as Auguste was already showing signs of pulmonary tuberculosis which would later take her life. However, he soon relented and allowed the couple to marry. Because of her health, Auguste found it difficult to adjust to the Bavarian climate. Twenty years after her marriage, Auguste died from the effects of tuberculosis she had suffered with for many years.

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Maria Annunciata of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, Archduchess of Austria

• Born: March 24, 1843 at the Royal Palace of Caserta in Caserata, Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, now in Italy
• Parents: King Ferdinand II of the Two Sicilies and Archduchess Maria Theresa of Austria
• Married: Archduke Karl Ludwig of Austria in 1862
• Died: May 22, 1871, aged 28, in Vienna, Austria
• Buried: Imperial Crypt at the Capuchin Church in Vienna, Austria
• Wikipedia: Maria Annunciata of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, Archduchess of Austria

Soon after her wedding, it became clear that Maria Annunciata was ill with tuberculosis. Despite her ill health, Maria Annunciata gave birth to four children including Archduke Franz Ferdinand whose assassination in 1914 sparked World War I.

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Maria Vittoria dal Pozzo, 6th Princess of La Cisterna, Queen of Spain, Duchess of Aosta

• Born: August 9, 1847 in Paris, France
• Parents: Carlo Emmanuele dal Pozzo, 5th Prince of Cisterna and Countess Louise de Merode
• Married: Prince Amedeo of Savoy, Duke of Aosta (King of Spain 1870-1873, abdicated)
• Died: November 8, 1876, aged 29, at the Villa Dufour in San Remo, Italy
• Buried: Basilica of Superga near Turin, Italy
• Unofficial Royalty: Maria Vittoria dal Pozzo, 6th Princess of La Cisterna, Queen of Spain, Duchess of Aosta

Maria Vittoria was the elder of the two daughters of Carlo Emmanuele dal Pozzo, 5th Prince of Cisterna and upon his death, she inherited his noble titles. After Queen Isabella II of Spain was deposed, Maria Vittoria’s husband was elected King of Spain but he was forced to abdicate after three years. Maria had suffered a great deal because of her poor health and gave birth to her third of her three children only two weeks before the abdication. The recent childbirth, the stress of the abdication, and the exile from Spain exacerbated her physical condition. She became increasingly worse, dying from tuberculosis three years later.

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Princess María Cristina of Orléans, Infanta of Spain

• Born: October 29, 1852 at the Palace of San Telmoin Seville, Spain
• Parents: Prince Antoine of Orléans, Duke of Montpensier and Infanta Luisa Fernanda of Spain
• Died: April 28, 1879, aged 26, at the Palace of San Telmo in Seville, Spain
• Buried: Infantes Pantheon, Royal Monastery of San Lorenzo de El Escorial, Spain
• Wikipedia: María Cristina of Orléans, Infanta of Spain

Maria Cristina’s father was the son of Louis-Philippe I, King of the French and her mother was the daughter of King Ferdinand VII of Spain. Her sister Maria de las Mercedes married King Alfonso XII of Spain but sadly died from typhoid fever. For a few months, Alfonso courted Maria Cristina, who was willing to replace her late sister, but it soon became clear that she was suffering from tuberculosis. She died a year after her sister’s death.

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King Alfonso XII of Spain

• Born: November 28, 1857 at the Royal Palace in Madrid, Spain
• Parents: Queen Isabella II of Spain, and Francisco, Duke of Cadiz and King Consort
• Married: (1) Maria de las Mercedes of Orléans in 1878, died 1878 (2) Maria Christina of Austria in 1879
• Died: November 25, 1885, aged 27, at the Royal Palace of El Pardo in Madrid, Spain
• Buried: Royal Monastery of San Lorenzo de El Escorial in El Escorial, Spain
• Unofficial Royalty: King Alfonso XII of Spain

Three days before his 28th birthday, King Alfonso XII died from tuberculosis at the Royal Palace of El Pardo in Madrid, leaving two daughters and his queen pregnant with her third child. It was decided that Alfonso’s widow Maria Christina would rule as regent until the child was born. If the child were a male, he would become king and if the child were a female, Alfonso and Maria Christina’s elder daughter María Mercedes would become queen. On May 17, 1886, a son was born who immediately became King Alfonso XIII.

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Grand Duke Alexei Mikhailovich of Russia

• Born: December 28, 1875 in Tiflis, Tiflis Governorate, Russian Empire, now in Georgia
• Parents: Grand Duke Michael Nikolaevich of Russia (son of Nicholas I, Emperor of All Russia) and Princess Cecilie of Baden
• Died: March 2, 1895, aged 19, in San Remo, Italy
• Buried: Peter and Paul Cathedral in St. Petersburg, Russia
• Wikipedia: Grand Duke Alexei Mikhailovich of Russia

Alexei had a desire to serve in the Russian Navy. He has almost completed his training when he became ill with tuberculosis. He was sent to San Remo, Italy for its warmer climate but died there.

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Grand Duke George Alexandrovich of Russia

• Born: May 9, 1871, at the Alexander Palace at Tsarskoye Selo outside of St. Petersburg, Russia
• Parents: Alexander III, Emperor of All Russia and Princess Dagmar of Denmark
• Died: July 10, 1899, aged 28, in Abastumani, Georgia, Russian Empire
• Buried: Peter and Paul Cathedral in St. Petersburg, Russia
• Unofficial Royalty: Grand Duke George Alexandrovich of Russia

George was the brother of Nicholas II, Emperor of All Russia. Until Nicholas has a son, George was the heir to the Russian throne. At birth, George was weak and suffered from respiratory issues and for a while, his survival was questionable. In childhood, George’s health was problematic and was a great worry to his mother. In 1890, George and Nicholas went on a nine-month-long trip to India and Japan. However, when they reached Bombay, India, George became ill with acute bronchitis and an issue with one of his legs and was sent back home. The doctors knew that George had tuberculosis but kept referring to a “weak chest” and suggested a change in the climate. George and his mother left for Cannes in the south of France but his condition did not improve.

The doctors then suggested that George should be sent to live in the dry mountain climate of Abbas Touman, a spa town, now Abastumani in the country of Georgia, then in Russia. George’s health never improved and he lived permanently in Abbas Touman. On June 28, 1899, George Alexandrovich suddenly died. He had gone out alone to ride his motorcycle and when he did not return, his staff sent out a search party. George had been found lying on the side of the road, struggling to breathe, with blood oozing from his mouth, by a peasant woman who supported him in her arms until he died.

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Mathilde of Bavaria, Princess Ludwig of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha

• Born: August 17, 1877 at the Villa Amsee in Lindau, Kingdom of Bavaria, now in Bavaria, Germany
• Parents: King Ludwig III of Bavaria and Maria Theresa of Austria-Este
• Married: Prince Ludwig of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha in 1900
• Died: August 6, 1906, aged 28, in Davos, Switzerland
• Buried: St. Peter and Paul Church in Starnberg, Kingdom of Bavaria, now in Bavaria, Germany
• Wikipedia: Mathilde of Bavaria, Princess Ludwig of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha

Mathilde died from tuberculosis.

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Archduke Ferdinand Karl of Austria

Born: December 27, 1868 in Vienna, Austria
Parents: Archduke Karl Ludwig of Austria and Princess Maria Annunciata of Bourbon-Two Sicilies
Married: Bertha Czuber in 1909, an unequal marriage
Died: March 10, 1915 in Munich, Kingdom of Bavaria, now in Bavaria, Germany
Buried: Untermaiser Maria-Trost-Church in Merano, Austria, now in Italy
Wikipedia: Archduke Ferdinand Karl of Austria

Ferdinand Karl’s mother also died from tuberculosis. (See above.) He was a brother of Archduke Franz Ferdinand whose assassination in 1914 sparked World War I. In 1911 he renounced his rights and titles as a dynast of the House of Habsburg and assumed the name of Ferdinand Burg. By that time, he was already ill with tuberculosis and died four years later,

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Yasuhito, Prince Chichibu of Japan

• Born: June 25, 1902 at Aoyama Detached Palace in Tokyo, Japan
• Parents: Emperor Taishō of Japan and Empress Teimei, born Lady Sadako Kujō
• Married: Setsuko Matsudaira in 1928
• Died: January 4, 1953, aged 50, at Kugenuma Villa in Fujisawa, Kanagawa, Japan
• Wikipedia: Yasuhito, Prince Chichibu

Chichibu was a younger brother of Hirohito, Emperor Shōwa of Japan. In 1940, he was diagnosed with tuberculosis. He was forced to curtail his activities during and after World War II because of his illness. His condition greatly deteriorated in 1953 and he died.

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compiled by Susan Flantzer

Syphilis is a sexually transmitted infection caused by bacteria. It may also be transmitted from mother to baby during pregnancy or at birth, resulting in congenital syphilis. Today syphilis can be effectively treated with antibiotics but before antibiotics, many with syphilis died.

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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Lorenzo de’ Medici, Duke of Urbino

• Born: September 12, 1492 in Florence, Republic of Florence, now in Italy
• Parents: Piero di Lorenzo de’ Medici and Alfonsina Orsini
• Married: Madeleine de La Tour d’Auvergne
• Died: May 4, 1519, aged 26, in Careggi, Republic of Florence, now in Italy
• Buried: In a tomb designed by Michaelangelo at Medici Chapel in Basilica of San Lorenzo in Florence, Republic of Florence, now in Italy
• Wikipedia: Lorenzo de’ Medici, Duke of Urbino

Worn out by disease and excesses, Lorenzo died from syphilis just twenty-one days after the birth of his daughter Catherine de’ Medici who became Queen of France by marrying King Henri II of France.

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Friedrich Karl, Duke of Württemberg-Winnental

• Born: September 12, 1652 in Stuttgart, Duchy of Württemberg, now in Baden-Württemberg, Germany
• Parents: Eberhard III, Duke of Württemberg and Anna Katharina of Salm-Kyrburg
• Married: Eleonore Juliane of Brandenburg-Ansbach in 1682
• Died: December 20, 1697, aged 45 in Stuttgart, Duchy of Württemberg, now in Baden-Württemberg, Germany
• Buried: Stiftskirche Stuttgart in Stuttgart, Duchy of Württemberg, now in Baden-Württemberg, Germany
• Wikipedia: Friedrich Karl, Duke of Württemberg-Winnental

Friedrich Karl began to suffer from symptoms of syphilis in 1696 and died at the end of the next year.

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Ferdinando de’ Medici, Grand Prince of Tuscany

• Born: August 9, 1663 at Pitti Palace in Florence, Grand Duchy of Tuscany, now in Italy
• Parents: Cosimo de’ Medici III, Grand Duke of Tuscany and Marguerite Louise d’Orléans
• Married: Violante Beatrice of Bavaria in 1689
• Died: October 31, 1713, aged 50, at Pitti Palace in Florence, Grand Duchy of Tuscany, now in Italy
• Buried: Medici Chapel at the Basilica of San Lorenzo in Florence, Grand Duchy of Tuscany, now in Italy
• Wikipedia: Ferdinando de’ Medici, Grand Prince of Tuscany

Passionate about theater, music and fine arts, Ferdinando was an excellent musician. He attracted the best musicians to Florence and made it an important musical center. Known for his pleasure-seeking life and having affairs with both men and women, Ferdinando contracted syphilis during a visit to the pre-Lenten Carnival of Venice in 1696. By 1710, his health and mental ability began to fail and he died three years later.

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Archduke Otto of Austria

• Born: April 21, 1865 in Graz, Austria
• Parents: Archduke Karl Ludwig of Austria and Princess Maria Annunciata of Bourbon-Two Sicilies
• Married: Princess Maria Josepha of Saxony in 1886
• Died: November 1, 1906, aged 41, in Vienna, Austria
• Buried: Imperial Crypt at the Capuchin Church in Vienna, Austria
• Wikipedia: Archduke Otto of Austria

Otto’s father was the younger brother of Emperor Franz Joseph of Austria. Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria, whose assassination sparked the beginning of World War I was Otto’s older brother. Otto was the father of Karl I, the last Emperor of Austria. Otto’s life was full of scandals that alienated him from the Austrian court and his family, and finally his wife.

Around 1900, Otto became ill with syphilis. He had to replace his nose with a rubber prosthetic due to facial deformity from syphilis. During the last two years of his life, Otto was seriously ill and in agonizing pain. He was nursed by his last mistress, opera singer Luise Robinson and by his stepmother Infanta Maria Theresa of Portugal, Archduchess of Austria.

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compiled by Susan Flantzer

The sweating sickness was a mysterious, contagious disease that struck England and continental Europe in a series of epidemics beginning in 1485. The last outbreak occurred in 1551, after which the disease apparently vanished. The onset of symptoms was sudden, with death often occurring within hours. Its cause remains unknown.

The disease came on suddenly with cold shivers that could be very violent, giddiness, headache, and severe pain in the neck, shoulders, and limbs. The cold stage could last from 30 minutes to three hours, after which the hot, sweating stage began. The sweat broke out suddenly without any obvious cause. A sense of heat, headache, delirium, rapid pulse, and intense thirst accompanied the sweat. Palpitation and pain in the heart were frequent symptoms. In the final stages, there was either great exhaustion and collapse or an irresistible urge to sleep. One attack did not produce immunity, and some people suffered several bouts before dying.

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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Arthur, Prince of Wales

• Born: September 20, 1486 at Winchester Cathedral Priory in Winchester, England
• Parents: King Henry VII of England and Elizabeth of York
• Married: Catherine of Aragon in 1501
• Died: April 2, 1502, aged 15, at Ludlow Castle in Ludlow, Shropshire, England
• Buried: Worcester Cathedral in Worcester, England
• Unofficial Royalty: Arthur, Prince of Wales

Arthur was the first child of King Henry VII, the first Tudor monarch, and Elizabeth of York, daughter of King Edward IV, niece of King Richard III, and sister of King Edward V. The name Arthur was chosen in hopes that he would bring a new Arthurian age to the new Tudor dynasty.

On November 14, 1501, two 15-year-olds, Catherine of Aragon and Arthur, Prince of Wales, were married at the Old St. Paul’s Cathedral in London, England. Catherine was escorted to the cathedral by 10-year-old Henry, Duke of York, who would eventually become her second husband, King Henry VIII.

After the marriage, the couple lived at Ludlow Castle in Shropshire, England near the Welsh border. 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.

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compiled by Susan Flantzer

Below are some suicide prevention resources.

In the United States, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 988. Anyone in the United States can text or call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline to reach trained counselors who can help them cope with a mental health emergency. National Institute of Mental Health: Suicide Prevention is also a United States resource.

Other countries also have similar resources. Please check the resources below.

• International Association for Suicide Prevention
• Wikipedia: List of international suicide crisis lines

An interesting observation: Six of the twelve people listed below are descendants of Queen Victoria: Prince Alfred of Edinburgh, Hereditary Prince of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha; Prince Joachim of Prussia; Princess Feodora of Saxe-Meiningen; Prince Ludwig Rudolph of Hanover; Princess Margarita of Leiningen; and Prince Ernst Leopold of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. Those six people and Adolf Friedrich VI, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz are descendants of King George III.

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

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Prince Gaetan of the Two Sicilies, Count of Girgenti

• Born: January 12, 1846 in Naples, Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, now in Italy
• Parents: Ferdinando II, King of the Two Sicilies and Archduchess Maria Theresa of Austria
• Married: Infanta Isabella of Spain in 1868
• Died: November 26, 1871, aged 25, in Lucerne, Switzerland
• Buried: Royal Basilica of San Lorenzo de El Escorial in San Lorenzo de El Escorial, Spain
• Wikipedia: Prince Gaetan of the Two Sicilies, Count of Girgenti

Gaetan suffered from ill health, epilepsy, and depression. He had unsuccessfully attempted suicide at least once before shooting himself in the head in his hotel room in Lucerne, Switzerland.

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Rudolf, Crown Prince of Austria

• Born: August 21, 1858 at Schloss Laxenburg, the summer retreat of the Habsburgs near Vienna, Austria
• Parents: Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria and Elisabeth of Bavaria
• Married: Princess Stéphanie of Belgium in 1881
• Died: January 30, 1889, aged 30, at Mayerling, a hunting lodge in the Vienna Woods in Mayerling, Austria
• Buried: Imperial Crypt at the Capuchin Church in Vienna, Austria
• Unofficial Royalty: Rudolf, Crown Prince of Austria

At Mayerling, a hunting lodge in the Vienna Woods which Rudolf had purchased, Rudolf shot his 17-year-old mistress Baroness Mary Vetsera and then shot himself in an apparent suicide plot. Rudolf wrote in his farewell letter to his wife Stéphanie: “Dear Stéphanie! You are free from my presence and plague; be happy in your way. Be good for the poor little one, who is the only thing left of me.”

After Rudolf’s death, Emperor Franz Joseph had the Mayerling hunting lodge changed into a monastery for the nuns of the Discalced Carmelite Order, an order in which members dedicate themselves to a life of prayer. Prayers are still said daily by the nuns for the repose of Rudolf’s soul.

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Prince Alfred of Edinburgh, Hereditary Prince of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha

• Born: October 15, 1874 at Buckingham Palace in London, England
• Parents: Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh and Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha and Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna of Russia
• Died: February 6, 1899, aged 24, at Martinnsbrunn Sanatorium in Gratsch, near Meran, Austria, now Merano, Italy
• Buried: Ducal Mausoleum at the Glockenburg Cemetery in Coburg, Duchy of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, now in Bavaria, Germany
• Unofficial Royalty: Prince Alfred of Edinburgh, Hereditary Prince of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha

In January 1899, Alfred was noticeably absent from the celebrations for his parents’ 25th wedding anniversary. The details surrounding his death were never formally given, and vary from source to source. Some say he was suffering from a breakdown, others a tumor, others tuberculosis. More than likely, he was suffering serious effects of syphilis he had contracted some years earlier. It is generally accepted that Prince Alfred shot himself while the rest of the family was gathered for the anniversary celebrations. Having survived the gunshot, he was cared for at Schloss Friedenstein in Gotha, Duchy of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha for several days, before being moved, against the doctors’ recommendation, to the Martinnsbrunn Sanatorium in Gratsch, near Meran, Austria (now Merano, Italy). This was apparently done at the direction of his mother who was both angry and embarrassed that this all happened while the whole family was gathered together. Alfred died at the sanatorium.

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Princess Sophie of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach

• Born: July 25, 1888 in Düsseldorf, Kingdom of Prussia, now in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany
• Parents: Prince Wilhelm of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach and Princess Gerta of Ysenburg and Büdingen
• Died: September 18, 1913, aged 25, in Heidelberg, Grand Duchy of Baden, now in Baden-Württemberg, Germany
• Buried: Weimarer Fürstengruft in the Historical Cemetery in Weimar, Grand Duchy of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, now in Thuringia, Germany
• Wikipedia: Princess Sophie of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach

Sophie shot herself in the forehead in an apparent reaction to her family’s refusal to allow her to marry Hans von Bleichröder, the son of Gerson von Bleichröder, an influential banker.

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Adolf Friedrich VI, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz

• Born: June 17, 1882 in Neustrelitz, Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, now in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany
• Parents: Adolf Friedrich V, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz and Princess Elisabeth of Anhalt
• Died: February 23, 1918, aged 35, in Neustrelitz, Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, now in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany
• Buried: Love Island, a small island off Castle Island in Mirow, Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, now in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany
• Unofficial Royalty: Adolf Friedrich VI, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz

A woman who Adolf Friedrich had a relationship years earlier claimed to have correspondence that linked Adolf Friedrich to “certain homosexual circles” and threatened to release them to the public unless he gave in to her demands for more money. With World War I still raging, and the possibility of these letters being made public, Adolf Friedrich left his home in Neustrelitz on the evening of February 23, 1918, to take his dog for a walk. The following morning, his body was found in a nearby canal with a gunshot wound to his head. He left behind a suicide note which suggested that a woman was attempting to smear his name. However, his close friend, Princess Daisy of Pless suggested that he had developed severe depression over the war and the loss of his beloved grandmother.

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Prince Joachim of Prussia

• Born: December 17, 1890 in Potsdam, Kingdom of Prussia, now in Brandenburg, Germany
• Parents: Wilhelm II, German Emperor, King of Prussia and Princess Augusta Viktoria of Schleswig-Holstein
• Married: Princess Marie-Auguste of Anhalt in 1916
• Died: July 18, 1920, aged 29, at Villa Leignitz in Sanssouci Park in Potsdam, Germany
• Buried: first interred in the Friedenskirche in Sanssouci Park in Potsdam, Germany before being moved to the nearby Antique Temple in 1931
• Unofficial Royalty: Prince Joachim of Prussia

After the defeat of the German Empire in World War I, Joachim struggled to accept his status as a commoner and became greatly depressed. He shot himself with a revolver at Villa Leignitz in Sanssouci Park in Potsdam, Germany. He was found by his elder brother August Wilhelm and taken to the Saint Joseph Hospital in Potsdam, where he died the following day.

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Princess Feodora of Saxe-Meiningen, Princess Heinrich XXX Reuss of Köstritz

• Born: May 12, 1879 in Potsdam, Kingdom of Prussia, now in Brandenburg, Germany
• Parents: Bernhard III, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen, and Princess Charlotte of Prussia
• Married: Prince Heinrich XXX Reuss of Köstritz in 1898
• Died: August 26, 1945, aged 66, in Hirschberg, Silesia, Provisional Government of National Unity now Jelenia Góra, Poland
• Buried: Schloss Neuhof now in Radociny-Kowary, Poland
• Wikipedia: Princess Feodora of Saxe-Meiningen, Princess Heinrich XXX Reuss of Köstritz

Feodora’s mother was a granddaughter of Queen Victoria. Feodora suffered poor health most of her adult life. She constantly battled with various physical ailments, insomnia, and severe depression, similar to the health problems of her mother. Feodora spent the last years of her life at the Sanatorium Buchwald-Hohenwiese, near Hirschberg, Silesia, now in Poland. Apparently tired of her suffering, Feodora died by suicide by putting her head in a gas oven.

Researchers found Feodora’s grave and did DNA analysis on her remains, believing that the results would show that she had the genetic disease porphyria, the same disease her ancestor King George III supposedly suffered from. The analysis did show that she had porphyria which was most likely the cause of her many ailments.

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Prince Ludwig Rudolph of Hanover

• Born: November 21, 1955 in Hanover, Lower Saxony, Germany
• Parents: Ernst August IV, Hereditary Prince of Brunswick, Prince of Hanover and Princess Ortrud of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg
• Married: Countess Isabella von Thurn-Valsassina-Como-Vercelli in 1987
• Died: November 29, 1988, aged 33, in Gmunden, Austria
• Buried: Grünau im Almtal, Austria
• Wikipedia: Prince Ludwig Rudolph of Hanover

Ludwig Rudolph found his wife on her bed, dead from a drug overdose. He then got in his car and drove away. Several hours later Ludwig Rudolph was found near his family’s hunting lodge. He was in his car with the motor running and had shot himself. Ludwig Rudolph and his wife left a ten-month-old son who was raised by his maternal grandparents.

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Princess Margarita of Leiningen, Princess of Hohenzollern

• Born: May 9, 1932 in Coburg, Bavaria, Germany
• Parents: Karl, 6th Prince of Leiningen and Grand Duchess Maria Kirillovna of Russia
• Married: Friedrich Wilhelm, Prince of Hohenzollern in 1951
• Died: June 16, 1994, aged 62, in Überlingen, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
• Buried: Church of Christ the Redeemer Cemetery in Sigmaringen, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
• Wikipedia: Princess Margarita of Leiningen, Princess of Hohenzollern

Margarita’s maternal grandmother was Princess Victoria Melita of Edinburgh and Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, a granddaughter of Queen Victoria. Her father was a descendant of both of Queen Victoria’s half-siblings Carl, 3rd Prince of Leiningen and Princess Feodora of Leiningen. Margarita died by suicide.

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Prince Ernst Leopold of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha

• Born: January 14, 1935 in Hirschberg, Germany
• Parents: Johann Leopold, Prince of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha and Baroness Feodora von der Horst
• Married: (1) Ingeborg Henig in 1961, divorced 1963 (2) Gertraude Monika Pfeiffer in 1963, divorced 1985 (3) Sabine Biller in 1986
• Died: June 27, 1996, aged 61, in Bad Wiessee, Germany
• Buried: ?
• Wikipedia: Prince Ernst Leopold of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha

Ernst Leopold’s grandfather was Charles Edward, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, a grandson of Queen Victoria. Ernst Leopold’s father Johann Leopold was Charles Edward’s eldest son but because he made an unequal marriage, Johann Leopold had to renounce succession rights for himself and any children from the marriage. Johann Leopold’s brother Friedrich Josias became Head of the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha upon their father’s death in 1954,

Ill-fortune also followed Johann Leopold’s elder son Ernst Leopold. In 1986, Ernst Leopold married for a third time to Sabine Biller, a journalist. The couple began to have money problems as they were living beyond their means. On June 27, 1996, in the parking lot of a chalet restaurant in Bad Wiessee, Bavaria, Germany, the bodies of Ernst Leopold and Sabine were found in their car, dead from gunshot wounds from hunting rifles. Apparently, they had simultaneously shot themselves.

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Dipendra Bir Bikram Shah, King of Nepal

• Born: June 27, 1971 in Kathmandu, Nepal
• Parents: Birendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev, King of Nepal and Aishwarya Rajya Laxmi Devi Shah
• Died: June 4, 2001, aged 29, in Kathmandu, Nepal
• Buried: Cremated, ashes scattered in the Bagamati River in Katmandu, Nepal
• Wikipedia: Dipendra Bir Bikram Shah, King of Nepal

Crown Prince Dipendra opened fire at a house on the grounds of the Narayanhity Royal Palace, the residence of the Nepalese monarchy, where a party was being held. He shot and killed his father King Birendra, his mother Queen Aishwarya, and seven other members of the royal family, including his younger brother and sister, before shooting himself in the head. Four other royal family members were wounded. Dipendra was declared king while in a coma. He died three days later.

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Princess Leila Pahlavi of Iran

• Born: March 27, 1970 in Tehran, Iran
• Parents: Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, Shah of Iran and Farah Diba
• Died: June 10, 2001, aged 31, at the Leonard Hotel in London, United Kingdom
• Buried: Passy Cemetery in Paris, France
• Wikipedia: Princess Leila Pahlavi of Iran

Leila’s father Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, Shah of Iran had been overthrown in the Iranian Revolution in 1979 and spent the rest of his life in exile. Leila suffered from anorexia, bulimia, and food intolerances. Her doctor found her dead in her hotel room. An autopsy revealed that she had taken more than five times the lethal dose of the barbiturate Seconal and a nonlethal amount of cocaine.

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Prince Ali-Reza Pahlavi of Iran

 

• Born: April 28, 1966 in Tehran, Iran
• Parents: Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, Shah of Iran and Farah Diba
• Died: January 4, 2011, aged 44 in Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
• Buried: Cremated, ashes scattered in the Caspian Sea
• Wikipedia: Prince Ali-Reza Pahlavi of Iran

Ali-Reza’s father Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, Shah of Iran had been overthrown in the Iranian Revolution in 1979 and spent the rest of his life in exile. After a long period of depression related to his father’s overthrow and his sister Leila’s suicide, Ali-Reza died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

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compiled by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2020

Smallpox is an infectious disease caused by a virus. The initial symptoms of the disease included fever and vomiting. This was followed by the formation of sores in the mouth and a skin rash. The skin rash turned into fluid-filled bumps with a dent in the center. The bumps then scabbed over and fell off, leaving scars

Smallpox, now eradicated, was a serious contagious disease that killed many and left many survivors scarred. The disease knew no class boundaries and royalty was as likely to suffer from it as the common folk. Smallpox was a leading cause of death in the 18th century. It killed an estimated 400,000 Europeans each year in the 18th century.

A number of sovereigns died from smallpox including (in death order): Willem II, Prince of Orange; Johann Georg IV, Elector of Saxony; Queen Mary II of England; Emperor Higashiyama of Japan; Joseph I, Holy Roman Emperor; King Luis I of Spain; Peter II, Emperor of All Russia; Louise Hippolyte, Sovereign Princess of Monaco; Ulrika Eleonora, Queen of Sweden; King Louis XV of France; and Maximilian III Joseph, Elector of Bavaria.

Many royal children also succumbed to smallpox. King Ferdinand IV of Naples and Sicily and Maria Carolina of Austria lost seven children to smallpox.

King William III of England, born Willem III, Prince of Orange, who reigned England jointly with his first cousin and wife Queen Mary II following the Glorious Revolution of 1688 in which Mary’s father and William’s uncle King James II was deposed, has a particularly sad smallpox history. William was born eight days after his father Willem II, Prince of Orange died from smallpox. His mother Mary, Princess Royal, Princess of Orange died from smallpox when William was ten-years-old. William’s wife Queen Mary II also died from smallpox.

Before Edward Jenner developed the smallpox vaccine that contained the cowpox virus in 1796 and that ultimately lead to the eradication of smallpox, there was another way to possibly prevent smallpox called variolation and it was first seen in China in the fifteenth century. In 1716, Lady Mary Wortley Montagu accompanied her husband to Turkey where he was to serve as the British ambassador. While she was in Turkey, Lady Mary observed the Turkish practice of smallpox variolation or inoculation. Live smallpox virus in the liquid taken from a smallpox blister in a mild case of the disease was put into a cut of a healthy person.

After the inoculation, Lady Mary observed that those inoculated “are well for eight days. Then the fever seizes them and they keep their beds two days seldom three. They have rarely more than twenty or thirty pustules on their face, which leave no mark, and then they are as well as before their inoculation.” However, there was some risk using a live virus. About 3% of those inoculated developed serious smallpox and died. Others spent weeks recovering, but that was preferable to catching smallpox with its mortality rate of 20–40% and scarred survivors.

When she returned to England, Lady Mary persuaded Caroline, Princess of Wales (wife of the future King George II) to arrange to have the inoculation tested using prisoners and orphans, all of whom survived the inoculation. In 1722, King George I allowed two of his grandchildren, the children of the Prince and Princess of Wales, to be inoculated, and they survived. The inoculation gained acceptance and was used until Edward Jenner developed his much safer vaccination using the cowpox virus instead of the smallpox virus.

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

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Franz Otto, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg

• Born: June 20, 1530
• Parents: Ernst I, Duke of Brunswick-Luneburg and Sophie from Mecklenburg-Schwerin
• Married: Elisabeth Magdalene of Brandenburg in 1559
• Died: April 29, 1559, aged 28
• Buried: Stadtkirche St. Marien in Celle, Duchy of Brunswick-Lüneburg, now in Lower Saxony, Germany
• Wikipedia: Franz Otto, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg

Franz Otto died from smallpox shortly after his marriage

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Aleksander Karol Vasa of Poland

• Born: November 14, 1614, in Warsaw, Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, now in Poland
• Parents: King Sigismund III Vasa of Poland, Grand Duke of Lithuania and Constance of Austria
• Died: November 19, 1634, aged 20, in Wielkie, Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, now in Poland
• Buried: Krakow in Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, now in Poland
• Wikipedia: Aleksander Karol Vasa of Poland

Aleksander caught smallpox from his elder brother Jan Kazimierz Vasa who survived.

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Baltasar Carlos of Spain, Prince of Asturias

• Born: October 17, 1629 at the Royal Alcázar in Madrid, Spain
• Parents: King Felipe IV of Spain and Elisabeth of France
• Died: October 9, 1646, aged 16, in Zaragoza, Spain
• Buried: Monastery of San Lorenzo de El Escorial in El Escorial, Spain
• Wikipedia: Baltasar Carlos, Prince of Asturias

Baltasar Carlos was his parents’ only son and the heir to the throne of Spain. On October 5, 1629, the eve of the second anniversary of his mother’s death, Baltasar Carlos and his father attended vespers in her memory. The next day, Baltasar Carlos was too ill to attend his mother’s memorial mass. The disease, smallpox, spread quickly and he was given the Last Rites on October 9, 1629. Baltasar Carlos died that evening.

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Willem II, Prince of Orange

• Born: May 27, 1626, in The Hague, Dutch Republic, now in the Netherlands
• Parents: Frederik Hendrik, Prince of Orange and Amalia of Solms-Braunfels
• Married: Mary, Princess Royal, eldest daughter of King Charles I of England, in 1641
• Died: November 6, 1650, aged 24, in The Hague, Dutch Republic, now in the Netherlands
• Buried: Nieuwe Kerk in Delft, Dutch Republic, now in the Netherlands
• Unofficial Royalty: Willem II, Prince of Orange

Willem II fell ill with smallpox while his wife Mary was pregnant with her first child. Eight days after Willem’s death, Mary gave birth to her only child Willem III, Prince of Orange who went on to marry his first cousin Mary, the eldest surviving child of the future King James II of England. Following the Glorious Revolution of 1688 in which James II was deposed, they jointly reigned as King William III and Queen Mary II. Sadly, William III’s mother and wife also died from smallpox.

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Prince Henry of England, Duke of Gloucester

• Born: July 8, 1640 at Oatlands Palace in Surrey, England
• Parents: King Charles I of England and Henrietta Maria of France
• Died: September 13, 1660, aged 20, at the Palace of Whitehall in London, England
• Buried: Westminster Abbey in London, England
• Wikipedia: Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester

In 1660, when the monarchy was restored in England, Henry accompanied his eldest brother King Charles II back to their homeland. In early September 1660, a smallpox epidemic was raging in London and Henry contracted the disease and died. Two months after Henry’s death, his sister Mary, Princess Royal and Princess of Orange, who was visiting London, also died from smallpox.

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Mary, Princess Royal and Princess of Orange

• Born: November 4, 1631 at St. James Palace in London, England
• Parents: King Charles I of England and Henrietta Maria of France
• Married: Willem II, Prince of Orange in 1641
• Died: December 24, 1660, aged 29, at the Palace of Whitehall in London, England
• Buried: Westminster Abbey in London, England
• Unofficial Royalty: Mary, Princess Royal and Princess of Orange

In May 1660, Mary watched as her brothers Charles, James, and Henry sail away from The Hague in the Dutch Republic (now the Netherlands) returning to England upon the restoration to the throne of Charles (King Charles II). Mary returned to her birth country in September 1660. Although the court was in mourning for her brother Henry, Duke of Gloucester who had died of smallpox, her brothers Charles and James traveled down the River Thames to meet her.

Sadly, Mary did not have much time to celebrate her brother’s restoration. On December 20, 1660, Mary fell ill with smallpox, and by the next day she was dangerously ill. Mary died four days later. Her son William was just ten years old and had lost both parents to smallpox. William’s wife and co-ruler Queen Mary II would also die of smallpox.

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Louis-Armand of Bourbon, Prince of Conti

• Born: April 30, 1661 at the Hôtel de Conti in Paris, France
• Parents: Armand of Bourbon, Prince of Conti and Anne Marie Martinozzi
• Married: Marie Anne of Bourbon, illegitimate daughter of King Louis XIV of France and his mistress Louise de La Vallière, in 1680
• Died: November 9, 1685, aged 24, at the Palace of Fontainebleau in Seine-et-Marne, France
• Buried: Conti Mausoleum at St. Thomas of Canterbury Church in Vallery, France
• Wikipedia: Louis-Armand of Bourbon, Prince of Conti

Louis-Armand’s wife was ill with smallpox and he then contracted the disease. While his wife survived, Louis-Armand died five days later.

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Infanta Isabel Luísa of Portugal, Princess of Beira

• Born: January 6, 1669 at Ribeira Palace in Lisbon, Portugal
• Parents: King Pedro II of Portugal and Maria Francisca of Savoy
• Died: October 22, 1690, aged 21, at Palhavã Palace in Lisbon, Portugal
• Buried: Monastery of São Vicente de Fora in Lisbon, Portugal
• Wikipedia: Infanta Isabel Luísa of Portugal, Princess of Beira

Isabel Luísa was the heir presumptive to the throne of Portugal between 1668 and 1689, when her half-brother, the future King João V was born. During that period, she was styled Princess of Beira. She died from smallpox the year after her half-brother was born.

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Johann Georg IV, Elector of Saxony

• Born: October 18, 1668 in Dresden, Electorate of Saxony, now in Saxony, Germany
• Parents: Johann Georg III, Elector of Saxony and Anna Sophie of Denmark
• Married: Eleonore Erdmuthe of Saxe-Eisenach in 1692
• Died: April 27, 1694, aged 25, in Dresden, Electorate of Saxony, now in Saxony, Germany
• Buried: Freiberg Cathedral in Freiberg, Electorate of Saxony, now in Saxony, Germany
• Wikipedia: Johann Georg IV, Elector of Saxony

Magdalena Sibylla of Neidschutz, Johann Georg’s mistress, died from smallpox, in his arms. Johann Georg caught smallpox from Magdalena Sibylla and died 23 days later.

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Queen Mary II of England

• Born: April 30, 1662 at St. James’ Palace in London, England
• Parents: James, Duke of York (the future King James II of England) and his first wife Anne Hyde
• Married: Willem III, Prince of Orange, the future King William III of England in 1677
• Died: December 28, 1694, aged 32, at Kensington Palace in London, England
• Buried: Westminster Abbey in London, England
• Unofficial Royalty: Queen Mary II of England

Following the Glorious Revolution of 1688 in which Mary’s father King James II of England was deposed, Mary and her husband jointly reigned as King William III and Queen Mary II. Mary’s husband William was her first cousin, the only child of her paternal aunt Mary, Princess of Wales. William was third in the line of succession to the English throne after Mary and her sister Anne (the future Queen Anne).

In December 1694, smallpox was spreading through London and Mary contracted the disease. The first thing Mary did was to send away everyone who had not had smallpox. Her husband William, who had survived the disease, had a bed put in Mary’s room and oversaw her medical care. On the evening of Christmas Day 1694, Mary’s condition worsened and the doctors told her she would die. On December 27, 1694, Mary lapsed into unconsciousness. In the early morning of December 28, 1694, Mary peacefully died. William was terribly grief-stricken, collapsed at Mary’s bedside, and had to be carried, nearly insensible, from the room. William had lost both his parents and his wife to smallpox.

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Prince Christian of Denmark

• Born: March 25, 1675 at Copenhagen Castle in Copenhagen, Denmark
• Parents: King Christian V of Denmark and Charlotte Amalie of Hesse-Kassel
• Died: June 27, 1695, aged 20, in the Free Imperial City of Ulm, now in Baden-Württemberg, Germany
• Buried: Roskilde Cathedral in Roskilde, Denmark
• Wikipedia: Prince Christian of Denmark

While on his first major trip outside of Denmark, to Italy, Christian contracted smallpox. He was taken to Ulm where he died.

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Archduchess Maria Theresa of Austria

• Born: August 22, 1684 at Hofburg Palace in Vienna, Austria
• Parents: Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor and Eleonore Magdalene of Neuberg
• Died: September 28, 1696, aged 12 at Palais Ebersdorf in Vienna, Austria
• Buried: Imperial Crypt at the Capuchin Church in Vienna, Austria
• Wikipedia: Archduchess Maria Theresa of Austria

Her younger sister Maria Josepha died from smallpox seven years later.

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Archduchess Maria Josepha of Austria

• Born: March 6, 1687 at Hofburg Palace in Vienna, Austria
• Parents: Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor and Eleonore Magdalene of Neuberg
• Died: April 14, 1703, aged 16, in Vienna, Austria
• Buried: Imperial Crypt at the Capuchin Church in Vienna, Austria
• Wikipedia: Archduchess Maria Josepha of Austria

Her elder sister Maria Theresa died from smallpox seven years earlier.

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Prince Christian Karl of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Plön-Norburg

• Born: August 20, 1674 in Magdeburg, Electorate of Brandenburg, now in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany
• Parents: August, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Plön-Norburg and Elisabeth Charlotte of Anhalt-Harzgerode
• Married: Dorothea Christina of Aichelberg in 1702
• Died: May 23, 1706, aged 31, in Sonderburg, Duchy of Schleswig, now in Denmark
• Buried: Royal Crypt in Plön, Duchy of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Plön, now in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany
• Wikipedia: Prince Christian Karl of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Plön-Norburg

Christian Karl was an officer in the Brandenburg-Prussian army. He died from smallpox.

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Emperor Higashiyama of Japan

• Born: October 21, 1675
• Parents: Emperor Reigen of Japan and Matsuki Muneko
• Married: Princess Yukiko
• Died: January 16, 1710, aged 34
• Buried: Moon Ring Tomb in Kyoto, Japan
• Wikipedia: Emperor Higashiyama of Japan

The two leaders of Japan, Shogun Tokugawa Tsunayoshi and Emperor Higashiyama, both died of smallpox in the same year.

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Louis of France, Le Grand Dauphin

• Born: November 1, 1661, at the Château de Fontainebleau in Fontainebleau, Seine-et-Marne, France
• Parents: King Louis XIV of France and Maria Theresa of Spain
• Married: Maria Anna Victoria of Bavaria in 1680
• Died: April 14, 1711, aged 49, at the Château de Meudon in Meudon, Hauts-de-Seine, France
• Buried: Basilica of Saint-Denis outside Paris, France
• Unofficial Royalty: Louis of France, Le Grand Dauphin

Louis was the only surviving legitimate son of King Louis XIV of France. In the spring of 1711, Louis caught smallpox, apparently from a priest who was distributing Holy Communion after he had visited a smallpox victim. As Louis had always been healthy and robust, his illness shocked the people of France, the French court, and the royal family.

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Joseph I, Holy Roman Emperor

• Born: July 26, 1678 in Vienna, Austria
• Parents: Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor and Eleonore Magdalena of Neuburg
• Married: Wilhelmine Amalia of Brunswick-Lüneburg in 1699
• Died: April 17, 1711, aged 32, in Vienna, Austria
• Buried: Imperial Crypt at the Capuchin Church in Vienna, Austria
• Wikipedia: Joseph I, Holy Roman Emperor

Joseph had two sisters who both died from smallpox: Archduchess Maria Theresa of Austria in 1696 and Archduchess Maria Josepha of Austria in 1703. In the spring of 1711, a smallpox epidemic reached Austria and Joseph succumbed to smallpox. He had promised his wife to stop having affairs if he survived.

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Princess Élisabeth Charlotte of Lorraine, Hereditary Prince Louis of Lorraine, and Princess Marie Gabrièle Charlotte
Louis, Hereditary Prince of Lorraine

• Born: Élisabeth Charlotte on October 21, 1700 at the Ducal Palace of Nancy in the Duchy of Lorraine, now in France; Marie Gabrièle Charlotte on December, 30, 1702; Louis on January 28, 1704 at the Château de Lunéville in the Duchy of Lorraine, now in France
• Parents: Leopold, Duke of Lorraine and Élisabeth Charlotte d’Orléans
• Died: Élisabeth Charlotte on May 4, 1711, aged 10; Louis on May 10, 1711, aged 7; Marie Gabrièle Charlotte on May 11, 1711, aged 8; all died at the Château de Lunéville in the Duchy of Lorraine, now in France
• Buried: Ducal Crypt at the Église Saint-François-des-Cordeliers in Nancy, Duchy of Lorraine, now in France
• Wikipedia: Princess Élisabeth Charlotte of Lorraine
• Wikipedia: Louis, Hereditary Prince of Lorraine

The smallpox epidemic of 1711 had already killed Louis of France, Le Grand Dauphin, heir to the French throne, and Joseph I, Holy Roman Emperor and now it struck the household of Leopold, Duke of Lorraine. Élisabeth Charlotte developed smallpox and passed it on to her sister Marie Gabrièle Charlotte and brother Louis, Hereditary Prince of Lorraine. All three children died within a week of each other. When Louis died, his younger brother Léopold Clement Charles became Hereditary Prince, but he too died of smallpox in 1723. (See below.)

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Louisa Maria Stuart

• Born: June 28, 1692, at the Château of Saint-Germain-en-Laye in Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France
• Parents: the deposed King James II of England and his second wife Maria Beatrice of Modena
• Died: April 18, 1712, aged, at the Château of Saint-Germain-en-Laye in Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France
• Buried: Chapel of Saint Edmund in the Church of the English Benedictines in the Rue St. Jacques in Paris, France which was destroyed during the French Revolution. Some remains were discovered after the French Revolution and reburied in 1824 at the Parish Church of Saint-Germain-en-Laye.
• Unofficial Royalty: Louisa Maria Stuart

In 1688, Louisa Maria’s Catholic father was overthrown during the Glorious Revolution in favor of his Protestant daughter Queen Mary II from his first marriage and her husband and paternal first cousin William III, Prince of Orange who reigned jointly with his wife as King William III. King Louis XIV of France, her father’s first cousin, provided the Chtâeau of Saint-Germain-en-Laye as a residence for exiled James II and his family. In April 1712, Louisa Maria and her brother James Francis Edward both fell ill with smallpox. Her brother recovered, but Louisa’s condition became steadily worse and she died.

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Charles Joseph of Lorraine, Archbishop and Prince Elector of Trier

• Born: November 24, 1680 in Vienna, Austria
• Parents: Charles V, Duke of Lorraine and Eleanor of Austria
• Died: December 4, 1715, aged 35, in Vienna, Austria
• Buried: Imperial Crypt at the Capuchin Church in Vienna, Austria
• Wikipedia: Charles Joseph of Lorraine, Archbishop and Prince Elector of Trier

Charles Joseph died from smallpox while on a visit to Vienna.

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Vittorio Amedeo of Savoy, Prince of Piedmont

• Born: May 6, 1699 at the Royal Palace of Turin in Turin, Duchy of Savoy, now in Italy
• Parents: Vittorio Amedeo II, Duke of Savoy and Anne Marie d’Orléans
• Died: March 22, 1715, aged 15, at the Royal Palace of Turin in Turin, Duchy of Savoy, now in Italy
• Buried: Royal Basilica of Superga in Turin, Duchy of Savoy, now in Italy
• Wikipedia: Vittorio Amedeo of Savoy, Prince of Piedmont

Vittorio Amedeo, the heir to the throne of Savoy, died from smallpox.

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Léopold Clément, Hereditary Prince of Lorraine

• Born: 25 April 25, 1707 at the Château de Lunéville in the Duchy of Lorraine, now in France
• Parents: Leopold, Duke of Lorraine and Élisabeth Charlotte d’Orléans
• Died: June 4, 1723, aged 16, at the Château de Lunéville in the Duchy of Lorraine, now in France
• Buried: Ducal Crypt at the Église Saint-François-des-Cordeliers in Nancy, Duchy of Lorraine, now in France
• Wikipedia: Léopold Clément, Hereditary Prince of Lorraine

In May 1711, three of Léopold Clément’s siblings died from smallpox including his elder brother Louis, Hereditary Prince of Lorraine. Léopold Clément became the Hereditary Prince of Lorraine upon his brother’s death. As he was preparing for a trip to Vienna, Léopold Clément became ill with smallpox and quickly died. His younger brother François Étienne became the Hereditary Prince of Lorraine and succeeded his father as Duke of Lorraine. François Étienne, better known as Franz, married Maria Theresa, the Habsburg heiress and future Queen Regnant of Hungary and Bohemia and was elected Holy Roman Emperor in 1745.

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King Luis I of Spain

• Born: August 25, 1707 at the Palacio del Buen Retiro in Madrid, Spain
• Parents: King Felipe V of Spain and Maria Luisa of Savoy
• Married: Louise Élisabeth d’Orléans in 1722
• Died: August 31, 1724, aged 17, at the Palacio del Buen Retiro in Madrid, Spain
• Buried: Royal Crypt of the Monastery of El Escorial in El Escorial, Spain
• Wikipedia: King Luis I of Spain

In August 1724, Luis contracted smallpox. His 15-year-old wife took care of him and remained with him until his death, months after he ascended the throne. Louise Élisabeth also contracted smallpox but she recovered.

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Peter II, Emperor of All Russia

• Born: October 23, 1715 in St. Petersburg, Russia
• Parents: Tsarevich Alexei Petrovich and Charlotte Christine of Brunswick-Lüneburg
• Died: January 30, 1730, aged 14, in Moscow, Russia
• Buried: Cathedral of the Archangel in the Moscow Kremlin in Moscow, Russia
• Unofficial Royalty: Peter II, Emperor of All Russia

Peter II was the grandson of Peter I (the Great), Emperor of All Russia. On January 17, 1730, a frigid day, Peter II attended a parade. When he returned to the palace, he had a fever that developed into smallpox. On January 30, 1730, which was supposed to be his wedding day, the delirious Peter ordered his sleigh to be readied so he could go see his sister Natalia, forgetting that she had died a little more than a year earlier. Peter died a few minutes later.

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Louise Hippolyte, Sovereign Princess of Monaco

• Born: November 10, 1697 at the Prince’s Palace in Monaco
• Parents: Antonio I, Prince of Monaco and Marie de Lorraine-Armagnac
• Married: Jacques François Goyon, Count de Matignon, (Jacques I, Prince of Monaco 1731-1733) in 1715
• Died: December 29, 1731, aged 34, at the Prince’s Palace in Monaco
• Buried: St. Nicholas Cathedral in Monaco
• Wikipedia: Louise Hippolyte, Sovereign Princess of Monaco

When Louise Hippolyte died from smallpox on December 29, 1731, her husband became Sovereign Prince of Monaco. However, he neglected the affairs of Monaco and left for France in May 1732. The next year, he abdicated in favor of his thirteen-year-old son who reigned Honoré III.

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Philippine Élisabeth of Orléans, Mademoiselle de Beaujolais

• Born: December 18, 1714 at the Palace of Versailles in Versailles, France
• Parents: Philippe II, Duke of Orléans, Regent of France and Françoise-Marie de Bourbon
• Died: May 21, 1734, aged 19, at Château de Bagnolet in Bagnolet, France
• Buried: Church of the Val-de-Grâce in Paris, France
• Wikipedia: Philippine Élisabeth of Orléans

Philippine Élisabeth Charlotte was named after her paternal grandparents, Philippe I, Duke of Orléans (brother of King Louis XIV of France) and his second wife Elisabeth Charlotte of the Palatinate. Her mother was a legitimized daughter of King Louis XIV and his mistress Madame de Montespan. While living at her mother’s favorite residence, the Château de Bagnolet, she died of smallpox. Her sister Louise Adélaïde died from smallpox in 1743.

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Ulrika Eleonora, Queen of Sweden

• Born: January 23, 1688 at the Castle Tre Kronor in Stockholm, Sweden
• Parents: King Carl XI of Sweden and Ulrika Eleonora of Denmark
• Married: Friedrich of Hesse-Kassel, later King Frederik I of Sweden
• Died: November 24, 1741, aged 53, Wrangelian Palace in Stockholm, Sweden
• Buried: Ridderholmen Church in Stockholm, Sweden
• Unofficial Royalty: Ulrika Eleonora, Queen of Sweden

Ulrika Eleanora reigned as Queen of Sweden in her own right from 1718 until 1720 when she abdicated in favor of her husband. She was then Queen Consort of Sweden for the rest of her life. Ulrika Eleonora died of smallpox. There were rumors that she had been poisoned but these rumors were dispelled when the effects of smallpox were visible during her public lying-in-state.

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Louise Adélaïde of Orléans, Abbess of Chelles

• Born: August 13, 1698 at the Palace of Versailles in Versailles, France
• Parents: Philippe II, Duke of Orléans, Regent of France and Françoise-Marie de Bourbon
• Died: February 10, 1743, aged 44, at the Convent de la Madeleine de Traisnel in Paris, France
• Buried: Church of the Val-de-Grâce in Paris, France
• Wikipedia: Louise Adélaïde of Orléans, Abbess of Chelles

Louise Adélaïde’s father was the son of Philippe I, Duke of Orléans (brother of King Louis XIV of France) and his second wife Elisabeth Charlotte of the Palatinate. Her mother was a legitimized daughter of King Louis XIV and his mistress Madame de Montespan. Louise Adélaïde became a nun in 1717 and then became the Abbess of Chelles, a post she held until her death. She died from smallpox at the Convent de la Madeleine de Traisnel in Paris, France.

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Princess Thérèse of France

• Born: May 16, 1736 at the Palace of Versailles in Versailles, France
• Parents: King Louis XV of France and Marie Leszczyńska
• Died: September 28, 1744, aged 8, at the Royal Abbey of Fontevrault in Fontevrault-l’Abbaye, France
• Buried: Royal Abbey of Fontevrault in Fontevrault-l’Abbaye, France
• Wikipedia: Thérèse of France

Thérèse was sent to Fontevrault Abbey with her sisters Victoire, Sophie, and Louise to economize on their maintenance at court and to prevent their mother, supported by her daughters, from having too much influence at court. Except for Thérèse who died from smallpox, the sisters spent the years 1738 to 1750 at the abbey before returning to Versailles. Thérèse’s older twin sisters Henriette and Élisabeth and her father also died from smallpox.

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Henriette of France

• Born: August 14, 1727 at the Palace of Versailles in Versailles, France
• Parents: King Louis XV of France and Marie Leszczyńska
• Died: February 10, 1752, aged 24, at the Palace of Versailles in Versailles, France
• Buried: Basilica of Saint-Denis outside Paris, France
• Wikipedia: Henriette of France

Henriette was the twin sister of Élisabeth (below). Louis XV’s eldest children, the twins Élisabeth and Henriette, Marie-Louise, Adélaïde and their brother, Louis, Dauphin of France, were raised in Versailles. The four younger siblings Victoire, Sophie, Therese, and Louise were sent to be raised at the Abbey of Fontevrault. In early February, Henriette had been feeling unwell but agreed to accompany her father on a sled ride. Just three days later, Henriette was dead from smallpox. Her younger sister Thérèse, her twin sister Élisabeth and her father also died from smallpox.

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Élisabeth of France, Duchess of Parma

• Born: August 14, 1727 at the Palace of Versailles in Versailles, France
• Parents: King Louis XV of France and Marie Leszczyńska
• Married: Felip of Spain, Infante of Spain, Duke of Parma
• Died: December 6, 1759, aged 32, at the Palace of Versailles in Versailles, France
• Buried: Basilica of Saint-Denis outside Paris, France
• Wikipedia: Élisabeth of France, Duchess of Parma

Élisabeth was the twin sister of Henriette (above). She married the third son of King Felipe V of Spain. At the beginning of December 1759, when Élisabeth was visiting the Palace of Versailles, smallpox broke out. Élisabeth died from smallpox within several days. Her younger sister Thérèse, her twin sister Henriette and her fathers also died from smallpox.

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Archduke Carl Josef of Austria

• Born: February 1, 1745 at Schönbrunn Palace in Vienna, Austria
• Parents: Franz, Duke of Lorraine, later Holy Roman Emperor Franz I and Maria Theresa, Archduchess of Austria, Queen of Bohemia, Hungary and Croatia in her own right
• Died: January 18, 1761, aged 15, at Schönbrunn Palace in Vienna, Austria
• Buried: Imperial Crypt at the Capuchin Church in Vienna, Austria
• Wikipedia: Archduke Carl Josef of Austria

Carl Josef was the first of three siblings to die from smallpox. His sister Maria Johanna died in 1762 and his sister Maria Josepha died in 1767.

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Archduchess Maria Johanna of Austria

• Born: February 4, 1750 at Hofburg Palace in Vienna, Austria
• Parents: Franz I, Duke of Lorraine, Holy Roman Emperor and Maria Theresa, Archduchess of Austria, Queen of Bohemia, Hungary and Croatia in her own right
• Died: December 23, 1762, aged 12, at Hofburg Palace in Vienna, Austria
• Buried: Imperial Crypt at the Capuchin Church in Vienna, Austria
• Wikipedia: Archduchess Maria Johanna of Austria

Johanna’s older brother Karl Joseph died of smallpox in 1761 and her mother Maria Theresa became a strong supporter of inoculation, as mentioned in the above introduction of this article. In order to set an example, Maria Theresa ordered the inoculation of all her remaining children, hoping it would protect them against smallpox. Unfortunately, Johanna was one of the 3% of those inoculated who developed a serious case of smallpox and died. Johanna’s younger sister Maria Josepha died from smallpox in 1767 despite receiving the inoculation.

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Friedrich Christian, Elector of Saxony

• Born: September 5, 1722 at the Residenzschloss in Dresden, Electorate of Saxony, now in Saxony, Germany
• Parents: Friedrich August II, Elector of Saxony and Maria Josepha of Austria
• Married: Maria Antonia of Bavaria in 1747
• Died: December 17, 1763, aged 41, at the Residenzschloss in Dresden, Electorate of Saxony, now in Saxony, Germany
• Buried: Katholische Hofkirche in Dresden, Electorate of Saxony, now in Saxony, Germany
• Wikipedia: Friedrich Christian, Elector of Saxony

After a reign of only 74 days, Friedrich Christian died from smallpox.

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Prince Heinrich of Prussia

• Born: December 30, 1747 in Berlin, Kingdom of Prussia, now in Brandenburg, Germany
• Parents: Prince August Wilhelm of Prussia, son of King Friedrich Wilhelm I of Prussia, and Luise of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel
• Died: May 26, 1767, aged 19, in Protzen, Kingdom of Prussia, now in Brandenburg, Germany
• Buried: ?
• Wikipedia: Prince Heinrich of Prussia

Heinrich was the nephew of King Friedrich II (the Great) of Prussia who thought his nephew had a promising career in the Prussian army. In May 1767, Heinrich was leading his squadron to Berlin for a parade and review when he stopped at the town Protzen, northwest of Berlin where he caught smallpox and died within several days.

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Isabella of Parma, Archduchess of Austria

• Born: December 31, 1741 at Buen Retiro Palace in Madrid, Kingdom of Spain
• Parents: Infante Felipe of Spain,  Duke of Parma, Piacenza and Guastalla, and Louise Élisabeth of France
• Married: the future Joseph II, Holy Roman Emperor in 1760 (first wife)
• Died: November 27, 1763, one month and three days before her 22nd birthday, at Hofburg Palace in Vienna, Austria
• Buried: Imperial Crypt at the Capuchin Church in Vienna, Austria
• Unofficial Royalty: Isabella of Parma, Archduchess of Austria

Six months pregnant with her second child, Isabella developed a fever on November 18, 1763, and it soon became clear that she had smallpox. Isabella’s high fever induced labor three months early, and on November 22, 1763, she gave birth to a premature second daughter. The baby was baptized Maria Christina, as Isabella requested, but died the same day. On November 27, 1763, one month and three days before her 22nd birthday, Isabella died from smallpox. Because her body was still infectious, it was buried quickly without an autopsy or embalming.

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Maria Josepha of Bavaria, Holy Roman Empress

• Born: March 20, 1739 in Munich, Electorate of Bavaria, now in Bavaria, Germany
• Parents: Karl Albrecht, Elector of Bavaria, the future Holy Roman Emperor Karl VII, and Maria Amalie of Austria
• Married: Joseph II, Holy Roman Emperor in 1765 (2nd wife)
• Died: May 28, 1767, aged 28, at Schönbrunn Palace in Vienna, Austria
• Buried: Imperial Crypt at the Capuchin Church in Vienna, Austria
• Wikipedia: Maria Josepha of Bavaria, Holy Roman Empress

After only two years of marriage, Maria Josepha died of smallpox as had her predecessor Isabella of Parma (see above) . Her husband did not visit her during her illness but her mother-in-law Maria Theresa, Archduchess of Austria, Queen of Bohemia, Hungary and Croatia in her own right, did. In doing so, Maria Theresa also caught smallpox but she survived.

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Archduchess Maria Josepha of Austria

• Born: March 19, 1751 at Hofburg Palace in Vienna, Austria
• Parents: Franz I, Duke of Lorraine, Holy Roman Emperor and Maria Theresa, Archduchess of Austria, Queen of Bohemia, Hungary and Croatia in her own right
• Died: October 15, 1767, aged 16, at Schönbrunn Palace in Vienna, Austria
• Buried: Imperial Crypt at the Capuchin Church in Vienna, Austria
• Wikipedia: Archduchess Maria Josepha of Austria

Maria Josepha’s siblings Carl Josef and Maria Johanna had died of smallpox as had her sister-in-law Maria Josepha of Bavaria, Holy Roman Empress earlier in 1767. She had long been terrified of getting smallpox. Maria Josepha was engaged to marry Ferdinand of Naples and Sicily, the future King of the Two Sicilies, and was preparing to leave Vienna to get married. Before she was to leave Vienna, Maria Josepha made a visit to the Imperial Crypt to pray at the tomb of her sister-in-law Empress Maria Josepha because they shared the same name. Two days later, Maria Josepha came down with smallpox. At the time, there was a popular belief that she caught smallpox because her sister-in-law’s tomb was improperly sealed. This cannot be true because there is an incubation period of about one week before smallpox symptoms appear.

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King Louis XV of France

• Born: February 15, 1710 at the Palace of Versailles in Versailles, France
• Parents: Louis, Duke of Burgundy, grandson of King Louis XIV of France, and Marie Adélaïde of Savoy
• Married: Marie Leszczyńska of Poland in 1725, divorced 1768
• Died: May 10, 1774, aged 64, at the Palace of Versailles in Versailles, France
• Buried: Basilica of Saint-Denis near Paris, France
• Unofficial Royalty: King Louis XV of France

Three of Louis XV’s children had died from smallpox and Louis succumbed to the same disease. On April 26, 1774, the symptoms of smallpox appeared while Louis XV was at the Petit Trianon near the Palace of Versailles. He returned to the palace but ordered his heir, his grandson, the future King Louis XVI, and his wife Marie Antoinette to leave the palace because they had not had smallpox. Louis XV was given the last rites on May 7 and died on May 10, 1774.

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Princess Caroline of Gloucester

• Born: June 24, 1774 at Gloucester House, Piccadilly Street in London, England
• Parents: Prince William Henry, Duke of Gloucester and Edinburgh and Maria Walpole
• Died: March 14, 1775, aged 8 months, at Gloucester House, Piccadilly Street in London, England
• Buried: St. George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle in Windsor, England
• Wikipedia: Princess Caroline of Gloucester

Caroline’s father was the son of Frederick, Prince of Wales who predeceased his father King George II of Great Britain. Prince William Henry became ill with smallpox and quarantined himself. He wanted to make sure that his children would not suffer from smallpox and so he had them inoculated as described in the introduction to this article above. The inoculation was done on March 3, 1775. Two-year-old Princess Sophia had no side effects from the inoculation. However, Princess Caroline was one of the 3% of those inoculated who developed serious smallpox and she died.

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Philip of Naples and Sicily, Duke of Calabria, Infante of Spain

• Born: June 13, 1747 at the Palace of Portici in Portici, Kingdom of Naples, now in Italy
• Parents: King Carlos III of Spain and Maria Amalia of Saxony
• Died: September 19, 1777, aged 30, at the Palace of Portici in Portici, Kingdom of Naples, now in Italy
• Buried: Basilica of Santa Chiara in Naples, Kingdom of Naples, now in Italy
• Wikipedia: Infante Felipe of Spain, Duke of Calabria

Philip was his father’s eldest son and heir but he was excluded from the succession to the thrones of Spain and Naples due to his mental disabilities. When Philip contracted smallpox, his parents fled the palace fearing contagion.

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Maximilian III Joseph, Elector of Bavaria

• Born: March 28, 1727 in Munich, Electorate of Bavaria, now in Bavaria, Germany
• Parents: Karl Albrect, Elector of Bavaria, the future Holy Roman Emperor Karl VII, and Maria Amalie of Austria
• Married: Maria Anna Sophia of Saxony in 1747
• Died: December 30, 1777, aged 50, in Munich, Electorate of Bavaria, now in Bavaria, Germany
• Buried: Theatine Church in Munich, Electorate of Bavaria, now in Bavaria, Germany
• Wikipedia: Maximilian III Joseph, Elector of Bavaria

In December 1777, Maximilian became ill but his doctors could diagnose his illness. He was initially treated for measles but by Christmas, it was obvious that he had a virulent strain of smallpox. Maximilian died after three weeks of suffering. He had always rejected the smallpox inoculation for himself (described in the introduction to this article) although he had prescribed for his subjects. Maximilian’s sister Maria Josepha of Bavaria, Holy Roman Empress also died from smallpox.

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Children of King Ferdinand IV of Naples and Sicily and Maria Carolina of Austria

Ferdinand and Maria Carolina had sixteen children and seven of them died from smallpox. All were buried at the Church of Santa Chiara in Naples, Kingdom of Naples, now in Italy. They are listed below in death order. Ironically, Maria Carolina of Austria’s sister Maria Josepha of Austria was betrothed to Ferdinand but she died from smallpox right before she was to leave for Naples. Maria Carolina was sent as Ferdinand’s bride instead.

Prince Carlo of Naples and Sicily, Duke of Calabria

• Born: January 4, 1775 at Caserta Palace in the Kingdom of Naples, now in Italy
• Died: December 17, 1778, aged 3, at Caserta Palace in the Kingdom of Naples, now in Italy
• Buried: Church of Santa Chiara in Naples, Kingdom of Naples, now in Italy
• Wikipedia: Prince Carlo of Naples and Sicily, Duke of Calabria

Princess Maria Anna of Naples and Sicily

• Born: November 23, 1775 at the Royal Palace in Naples, Kingdom of Naples, now in Italy
• Died: February 22, 1780, aged 4, at the Royal Palace in Naples, Kingdom of Naples, now in Italy
• Wikipedia: Princess Maria Anna of Naples and Sicily

Prince Giuseppe of Naples and Sicily

• Born: June 18, 1781 at the Royal Palace in Naples, Kingdom of Naples, now in Italy
• Died: February 19, 1783, aged 2, at Caserta Palace, Kingdom of Naples
• Wikipedia: Prince Giuseppe of Naples and Sicily

Prince Gennaro of Naples and Sicily

• Born: April 12, 1780 at the Royal Palace in Naples, Kingdom of Naples, now in Italy
• Died: January 1, 1789, aged 8 at Caserta Palace in the Kingdom of Naples, now in Italy
• Wikipedia: Prince Gennaro of Naples and Sicily Prince Gennaro of Naples and Sicily

Prince Carlo of Naples and Sicily

• Born: August 26, 1788 at the Royal Palace in Naples, Kingdom of Naples, now in Italy
• Died: February 1, 1789, aged 5 months, at Caserta Palace in the Kingdom of Naples, now in Italy

Princess Maria Clothilde of Naples and Sicily

• Born: February 18, 1786 at the Royal Palace in Naples, Kingdom of Naples, now in Italy
• Died: September 10, 1792, aged 6, at Caserta Palace in the Kingdom of Naples, now in Italy
• Wikipedia: Princess Maria Clothilde of Naples and Sicily

Princess Maria Enricheta of Naples and Sicily

• Born: July 31, 1787 at the Royal Palace in Naples, Kingdom of Naples, now in Italy
• Died: September 20, 1792, aged 5, at Caserta Palace in the Kingdom of Naples, now in Italy
• Wikipedia: Princess Maria Enricheta of Naples and Sicily

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Prince Alfred of Great Britain

• Born: September 22, 1780 at Windsor Castle in Windsor, England
• Parents: King George III of Great Britain and Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
• Died: August 20, 1782, aged 23 months, at Windsor Castle in Windsor, England
• Buried: first at Westminster Abbey in London, England; his remains were moved to St. George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle in 1820, shortly after his father’s death
• Unofficial Royalty: Prince Alfred of Great Britain

In 1782, Alfred received the smallpox inoculation as described in the introduction to this article. He did not recover as he should have, so he was taken to Deal in hopes that the sea air and saltwater would help. However, the air and water did not help. Alfred’s face and his eyelids had smallpox eruptions and he had difficulty with breathing. There was not much improvement when Alfred returned to Windsor Castle. The doctors agreed that he would survive for only a few weeks more which came as a great shock to his family. After suffering from prolonged bouts of fever, Alfred died, a month short of his second birthday.

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Princess Maria Carolina of Savoy, Electoral Princess of Savoy

• Born: November 17, 1764 at the Royal Palace of Turin in Turin
• Parents: King Vittorio Amedeo III of Sardinia and Maria Antonietta of Spain
• Married: Anton, Electoral Prince of Saxony in 1781
• Died: December 28, 1782, aged 18, in Dresden, Electorate of Saxony, now in Saxony, Germany
• Buried: Katholische Hofkirche in Dresden, Electorate of Saxony, now in Saxony, Germany
• Wikipedia: Maria Carolina of Savoy, Electoral Princess of Savoy

Married in 1781, Maria Carolina did not leave for Saxony until September 1782. She was reluctant to leave her home. In Saxony, her husband and his brother did their best to make her feel welcome but Maria Carolina was homesick. Two months later, she died from smallpox.

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Prince Octavius of Great Britain

• Born: February 23, 1779, at the Queen’s House (now Buckingham Palace) in London, England
• Parents: King George III of the United Kingdom and Charlotte of Mecklenburg- Strelitz
• Died: May 3, 1783, aged four, at Kew Palace in London, England
• Buried: first at Westminster Abbey in London, England; his remains were moved to St. George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle in 1820, shortly after his father’s death
• Unofficial Royalty: Prince Octavius of Great Britain

In 1783, Octavius and his sister Sophia had their smallpox inoculations as described in the introduction above. Sophia recovered without incident, but four-year-old Octavius became ill with a serious case of smallpox and died several days later. King George III was heartbroken and said, “There will be no heaven for me, if Octavius is not there.”

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José, Prince of Brazil, Duke of Braganza

• Born: August 20, 1761 at the Real Barraca in Ajuda, Portugal
• Parents: Infante Pedro of Portugal (King Pedro II of Portugal) and Queen Maria I of Portugal
• Married: Infanta Benedita of Portugal in 1777
• Died: 11 September 11, 1788, aged 27, at the Real Barraca in Ajuda, Portugal
• Buried: Monastery of São Vicente de Fora in Lisbon, Portugal
• Wikipedia: Prince José of Brazil, Duke of Braganza

José was his parents’ eldest child and heir to the throne of Portugal. His death from smallpox greatly distressed his wife and mother. His sister Mariana Victoria (below) also died from smallpox less than two months later.

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Infanta Mariana Victoria of Portugal, Infanta of Spain

• Born: December 15, 1768 at the Royal Palace of Queluz in Lisbon, Portugal
• Parents: Parents: Infante Pedro of Portugal (King Pedro II of Portugal) and Queen Maria I of Portugal
• Married: Infante Gabriel of Spain in 1785
• Died: November 2, 1788, aged 19, at Casita del Infante in El Escorial, Spain
• Buried: Monastery of San Lorenzo of El Escorial in El Escorial, Spain
• Wikipedia: Infanta Mariana Victoria of Portugal, Infanta of Spain

Mariana Victoria gave birth to her third child on October 28, 1788, and died from smallpox five days later. It is possible that she was already ill with smallpox when she gave birth. Her newborn son Infante Carlos of Spain died from smallpox on November 9, 1788. Mariana Victoria’s husband also died from smallpox. (See below)

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Infante Gabriel of Spain

• Born: May 12, 1752 at the Palace of Portici in Naples, Kingdom of Naples
• Parents: King Carlos III of Spain and Maria Amalia of Saxony
• Married: Infanta Mariana Victoria of Portugal
• Died: November 23, 1788, aged 36, at Casita del Infante in El Escorial, Spain
• Buried: Monastery of San Lorenzo of El Escorial in El Escorial, Spain
• Wikipedia Infante Gabriel of Spain

Gabriel’s wife Mariana Victoria (above) gave birth to her third child on October 28, 1788, and died from smallpox five days later. Their newborn son Infante Carlos of Spain died from smallpox on November 9, 1788. Two weeks later, Gabriel also died from smallpox, leaving his only surviving child Infante Pedro Carlos of Spain an orphan. Pedro Carlos was raised by his maternal grandmother Queen Maria I of Portugal who made him an Infante of Portugal.

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