compiled by Susan Flantzer

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

Alfonso, Duke of Anjou and Cádiz

• Born: April 20, 1936 at Saint Anna Clinic in Rome, Italy
• Parents: Infante Jaime of Spain, Duke of Segovia (second son of King Alfonso XIII of Spain and Princess Victoria Eugenie of Battenberg, granddaughter of Queen Victoria) and Emanuela de Dampierre
• Married: María del Carmen Martínez-Bordiú y Franco, 2nd Duchess of Franco in 1972
• Died: January 30, 1989, aged 52, at the Vail Valley Medical Center in Vail, Colorado, USA
• Buried: Chapel of Saint John the Baptist at the Convent of Las Descalzas Reales in Madrid, Spain
• Wikipedia: Alfonso, Duke of Anjou and Cádiz

A first cousin of King Juan Carlos of Spain, Alfonso had been President of the Spanish Skiing Federation and President of the Spanish Olympic Committee. He traveled to the United States for the 1989 Alpine World Ski Championships which were being held at Beaver Creek Resort, in Beaver Creek, Colorado. His death occurred while he was inspecting the Beaver Creek slopes during the competition with his friend, former Austrian skiing champion Toni Sailer. Alfonso and Sailer went down the slopes together but Sailer stopped when he saw that the cable from which the finish line banner was hanging was too low. Sailer went to warn the others on the slopes of the danger but Alfonso passed Sailer on the left, collided with the low-hanging cable, and suffered severe neck lacerations. Members of the Ski Patrol and emergency personnel attended to Alfonso at the scene, but he was pronounced dead on arrival at Vail Valley Medical Center in Vail, Colorado.

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Prince Friso of Orange-Nassau

• Born: September 25, 1968 at the University Medical Center Utrecht in Utrecht, the Netherlands
• Parents: Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands and Prince Claus of the Netherlands (born Claus von Amsberg)
• Married: Mabel Wisse Smit in 2004
• Died: August 12, 2013, aged 44, at Huis ten Bosch, in The Hague, the Netherlands
• Buried: Dutch Reformed Cemetery in Lage Vuursche, the Netherlands near Drakesteijn Castle where he had spent his childhood
• Unofficial Royalty: Prince Friso of Orange-Nassau

Prince Friso of Orange-Nassau was the second son of former Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands and Claus von Amsberg, and a younger brother of King Willem-Alexander. On February 17, 2012, while on the royal family’s annual skiing holiday in Lech, Austria, Prince Friso was buried under an avalanche. According to medical reports, he had been buried for 25 minutes, suffered neurological injuries due to the lack of oxygen, and was in a coma. On March 1, 2012, he was moved to Wellington Hospital in London, England nearer to his family’s home. In the summer of 2013, he was declared to be in a minimally conscious state and no longer in need of hospital care. Friso was then moved to Huis ten Bosch Palace, his mother’s residence in The Hague and it was there that he died.

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compiled by Susan Flantzer

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

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

All images are from Wikipedia unless otherwise indicated.

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

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

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

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Caroline Matilda of Wales, Queen of Denmark and Norway

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

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

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

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Princess Maria of Romania

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

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

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compiled by Susan Flantzer

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

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

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Mary Stuart
Mary’s tomb in Westminster Abbey

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

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

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Elizabeth Stuart

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

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

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Sophia Charlotte of Hanover, Queen of Prussia

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

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

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Friedrich II, Landgrave of Hesse-Homburg

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

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

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King Willem II of the Netherlands

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

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

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Marie-Thérèse-Charlotte of France, Duchess of Angoulême

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

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

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

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

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

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Prince Leopold, Duke of Brabant

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

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

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Louise of the Netherlands, Queen of Sweden

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

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

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Prince August of Sweden, Duke of Dalarna

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

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

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Prince Joseph Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha

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

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

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Prince Albert Victor, Duke of Clarence and Avondale

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

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

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

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King Milan I of Serbia

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

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

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Archduchess Elisabeth Franziska of Austria

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

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

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Grand Duke Alexei Alexandrovich of Russia

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

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

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Princess Marie of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen, Countess of Flanders

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

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

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Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria

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

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

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Louise Margaret of Prussia, Duchess of Connaught

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

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

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Grand Duke Nicholas Konstantinovich of Russia

Grand Duke Nicholas Konstantinovich with his wife

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

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

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Emperor Karl I of Austria

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia

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

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

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compiled by Susan Flantzer

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

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

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

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

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Joan of England

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

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

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

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Eleanor of Portugal, Queen of Aragon

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

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

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Jeanne of Burgundy, Queen of France

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

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

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Bonne of Luxembourg, Duchess of Normandy

Bonne with her husband

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

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

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Queen Jeanne II of Navarre

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

Jeanne was a victim of the plague.

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King Alfonso XI of Castile

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

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

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Louis, King of Sicily

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

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

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Erik Magnuson, (rival) King of Sweden

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

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

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Beatrix of Bavaria, Queen of Sweden

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

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

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Philip I, Duke of Burgundy

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

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

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King Louis I of Naples

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

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

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

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

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

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Edward of Angoulême

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

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

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

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Anne of Bohemia, Queen of England

Anne of Bohemia with her husband King Richard II of England

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

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

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Enguerrand VII, Lord of Coucy

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

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

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Erik I, Duke of Mecklenburg

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

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

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Queen Maria I of Sicily

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

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

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Gruffudd ab Owain Glyndŵr

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

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

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Queen Margrethe I of Denmark

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

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

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Philippa of Lancaster, Queen of Portugal

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

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

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King Duarte of Portugal

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

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

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Edmund Tudor, 1st Earl of Richmond

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

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

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

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George Plantagenet, 1st Duke of Bedford

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

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

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Emanuele Filiberto of Savoy

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

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

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compiled by Susan Flantzer

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

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

All images are from Wikipedia unless otherwise indicated.

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Grand Duchess Alexandra Alexandrovna of Russia

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

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

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

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

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

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Tsesarevich Nicholas Alexandrovich of Russia

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

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

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

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

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Prince Sigismund of Prussia

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

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

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Grand Duke Alexander Alexandrovich of Russia

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

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

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Princess Johanna of Hesse and by Rhine

Johanna with her uncle Ludwig and his wife

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

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

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

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compiled by Susan Flantzer

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

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

All images are from Wikipedia unless otherwise indicated.

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Charles Orlando, Dauphin of France

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

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

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Princess Charlotte of France

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

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

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

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

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

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Louis, Dauphin of France, Duke of Burgundy

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

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

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Louis, Duke of Brittany

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

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

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Grand Duchess Natalia Petrovna of Russia

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

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

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