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Empress Maria Alexandrovna of Russia, born Princess Marie of Hesse and by Rhine; Credit – Wikipedia

August 8, 1709 – Birth of Ernst Ludwig II, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen in Coburg, Duchy of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, now in Bavaria, Germany
Ernst Ludwig was the third son, but his elder brothers died before their father, making him heir to the ducal throne. He became Duke upon his father’s death in November 1724. Just fifteen years old, his brief reign was overseen by his two uncles, Friedrich Wilhelm and Anton Ulrich. Ernst Ludwig died just five years later.
Unofficial Royalty: Ernst Ludwig II, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen

August 8, 1824 – Birth of Empress Maria Alexandrovna of Russia, born Princess Marie of Hesse and by Rhine, first wife of Alexander II, Emperor of All Russia, in Darmstadt, Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine, now in the German state of Hesse
Full name: Maximiliane Wilhelmine Auguste Sophie Marie
Name after marriage: Maria Alexandrovna
In 1841, Marie married the future Alexander II, Emperor of All Russia. Maria Alexandrovna had eight children with her husband including Alexander III, Emperor of All Russia, the father of Nicholas II, the last Emperor of All Russia, Nicholas II’s five paternal uncles, and one daughter Maria Alexandrovna who married Queen Victoria’s son Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh. In 1863, Maria Alexandrovna contracted tuberculosis. Frequent childbirth, her husband’s infidelity, and the death of her eldest son Tsarevich Nicholas Alexandrovich completely undermined Maria’s already weak health. Maria spent the autumn and the fall in the warmer climates of Crimea and Italy. Her health worsened after two assassination attempts on her husband’s life in 1879 and another one in 1880. Empress Maria Alexandrovna died on June 3, 1880, at the age of 55, just eight months before her husband was assassinated.
Unofficial Royalty: Marie of Hesse and by Rhine, Empress Maria Alexandrovna of Russia

August 8, 1832 – Birth of King Georg of Saxony in Dresden, Kingdom of Saxony, now in Saxony, Germany
Full name: Friedrich August Georg Ludwig Wilhelm Maximilian Karl Maria Nepomuk Baptist Xaver Cyriacus Romanus
As his elder brother King Albert of Saxony had no children, Georg was heir-presumptive to the Saxon throne from the time of Albert’s accession in 1873. Albert died in 1902, and Georg became King of Saxony at nearly 70 years old. Because of his age, many felt he should step down and let the throne pass to his son, Friedrich August. His unpopularity increased during the textile workers’ strike in Crimmitschau in 1903-1904. Refusing to give in to the demands for higher wages and better working conditions, the King sent military forces into the city to force the end of the strike. His reign lasted only two years. After falling ill with influenza earlier in the year, King Georg died on October 15, 1904.
Unofficial Royalty: King Georg of Saxony

August 8, 1867 – Death of Maria Theresa of Austria, Queen of the Two Sicilies, second wife of Ferdinando II, King of the Two Sicilies, in Albano Laziale, Kingdom of Italy, now in Italy; buried at the Basilica of Santa Chiara in Naples
In 1836, Maria Cristina of Savoy, Queen of the Two Sicilies, first wife of Ferdinando II, King of the Two Sicilies died at the age of 23 from childbirth complications after giving birth to a son. The widowed king met Maria Theresa during his stay in Vienna, Austria later in 1836, and they became engaged to strengthen the relations between Austria and the Two Sicilies and married in 1837. Maria Cristina and Ferdinando had twelve children. Ferdinando died in 1859 at the age of 49 after hesitating to have surgery for a strangulated hernia. During Ferdinando II’s reign, the Italian unification movement led by Vittorio Emanuele II, King of Sardinia, later Vittorio Emanuele I, King of Italy, and Giuseppe Garibaldi, a noted general and politician, began. During the reign of Ferdinando’s son Francesco II, Giuseppe Garibaldi’s 1860-1861 invasion called the Expedition of the Thousand led to the fall of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, which then was annexed to the new Kingdom of Italy in 1861. Maria Theresa and her children left Naples and settled in Rome. In the summer of 1867, a cholera epidemic broke out in Rome.  Both Maria Theresa and her youngest son, ten-year-old Gennaro developed cholera and died from the disease.
Unofficial Royalty: Maria Theresa of Austria, Queen of the Two Sicilies

August 8, 1955 – Death of Crown Prince Rupprecht of Bavaria at Leutstetten Castle in Starnberg, in the German state of Bavaria; buried at the Theatinerkirche in Munich, Bavaria, Germany
Full name: Rupprecht Maria Luitpold Ferdinand
Rupprecht was Crown Prince of Bavaria from 1913 until the end of the Bavarian monarchy in 1918. From his father’s death in 1921, he became the pretender to the former Bavarian throne and Head of the House of Wittelsbach. Through his direct descent from King Charles I of England, he also became heir to the thrones of England, Scotland, and Ireland in the Jacobite Succession.
Unofficial Royalty: Crown Prince Rupprecht of Bavaria
Unofficial Royalty: The Jacobite Succession – Pretenders to the British Throne

August 8, 1959 – Birth of Sheikha Mozah bint Nasser Al Missneid of Qatar, wife of Sheikh Hammad bin Khalifa Al Thani, the former Emir of Qatar, in Al-Khor, Qatar
In 1977, Mozah became the second wife of Sheikh Hammad bin Khalifa Al Thani, the future Emir of Qatar. The couple had seven children. On June 25, 2013, after eighteen years as Emir, Sheikh Hamad publically announced his abdication in favor of his son Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad bin Khalifa. Internationally, Mozah often represented her husband at major royal functions and accompanied him on most state visits. She is considered by many to be one of the most glamorous and fashionable royals in the world and remains a visible member of Qatar’s royal family, often seen supporting her son, the current Emir.
Unofficial Royalty: Sheikha Mozah bint Nasser Al Missneid of Qatar

August 8, 1988 – Birth of Princess Beatrice, Mrs. Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, daughter of Prince Andrew, Duke of York at Portland Hospital in London, England
Full name: Beatrice Elizabeth Mary
On September 26, 2019, Buckingham Palace announced the engagement of  Princess Beatrice to Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi. Beatrice and Edoardo’s wedding, scheduled for May 29, 2020, was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic. Beatrice and Edoardo were married in a private ceremony at the Royal Chapel of All Saints, on the grounds of Royal Lodge in Windsor Great Park, on July 17, 2020.
Unofficial Royalty: Princess Beatrice, Mrs. Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi

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Princess Amelia of the United Kingdom; Credit – Wikipedia

August 7, 1282 – Birth of Elizabeth of Rhuddlan, Countess of Holland, Countess of Hereford, daughter of King Edward I of England, at Rhuddlan Castle in Wales
Elizabeth married Humphrey de Bohun, 4th Earl of Hereford and Constable of England and the couple had ten children. Elizabeth and especially her husband Humphrey had issues with King Edward II’s relationship with his favorite Piers Gaveston who Humphrey bluntly called a traitor. This caused years of estrangement between Elizabeth and her brother King Edward II. They were finally reconciled in 1315, three years after Gaveston’s murder by English nobles who had had enough of him. Elizabeth gave birth on May 5, 1316, to her tenth child, a daughter but sadly, 33-year-old Elizabeth and her daughter both died the same day.
Unofficial Royalty: Elizabeth of Rhuddlan, Countess of Holland, Countess of Hereford

August 7, 1385 – Death of Joan of Kent, 4th Countess of Kent, Princess of Wales, wife of Edward, Prince of Wales (the Black Prince) and the mother of King Richard II of England, at Wallingford Castle in Oxfordshire, England; buried at the Church of the Greyfriars, a Franciscan friary in Stamford, Lincolnshire, England
Joan’s father was Edmund of Woodstock, 1st Earl of Kent, the younger of the two sons of King Edward I of England and his second wife, Margaret of France, and was, therefore, a half-brother of King Edward II. Joan and her first husband Thomas Holland are the ancestors of many prominent figures in the Wars of the Roses, including Richard Plantagenet, 3rd Duke of York (father of King Edward IV and King Richard III), Henry Tudor (later King Henry VII) and his wife Elizabeth of York (daughter of King Edward IV), Richard Neville, 16th Earl of Warwick (the Kingmaker) and his daughter Anne Neville (wife of King Richard III). They were also ancestors of Catherine Parr, the sixth and last wife of King Henry VIII. After the death of her first husband, Joan married Edward, Prince of Wales (the Black Prince), her first cousin once removed and the son and heir of King Edward III of England, and became the very first Princess of Wales. Her husband predeceased his father Edward III and their son succeeded his grandfather as King Richard II. Joan requested to be buried beside her first husband at the Church of the Greyfriars, a Franciscan friary in Stamford, Lincolnshire, England which was destroyed during King Henry VIII’s Dissolution of the Monasteries.
Unofficial Royalty: Joan of Kent, 4th Countess of Kent, Princess of Wales

August 7, 1751- Birth of Wilhelmina of Prussia, Princess of Orange, wife of Willem IV, Prince of Orange, in Berlin, Kingdom of Prussia, now in Brandenburg, Germany
Full name: Friederike Sophie Wilhelmina
In 1767, 16-year-old Wilhelmina married 19-year-old Willem V, Prince of Orange, son of Willem IV, Prince of Orange and Anne, Princess Royal, eldest daughter of King George II of Great Britain. The marriage was negotiated at the request of the bride’s uncle King Friedrich II of Prussia. In 1795, the revolutionary Patriots, supported by the French Army, replaced the Dutch Republic with the Batavian Republic which remained in power until 1806. Willem V and his family fled to England where they lived in exile until 1802 in London in the part of Kew Palace known as the Dutch House with the permission of Willem’s first cousin King George III. In 1802, the family went to Germany where they lived in Nassau and Brunswick. Willem spent the rest of his life in exile. Wilhelmina eventually returned to the Netherlands and survived long enough to see her son become Willem I, the first King of the Netherlands.
Unofficial Royalty: Wilhelmina of Prussia, Princess of Orange

August 7, 1783 – Birth of Princess Amelia of the United Kingdom, daughter of King George III of the United Kingdom, at Royal Lodge in Windsor, Berkshire, England
Amelia was the sixth of the six daughters and the youngest of the fifteen children of King George III. The living conditions of King George III’s daughters came to be known as “the Nunnery.” None of the daughters was allowed to marry at the age when most princesses would marry. Only three of the six daughters were eventually allowed to marry. Amelia was frequently ill and her early symptoms indicate tuberculosis. While taking a cure at the seaside town of Weymouth, she was accompanied by Colonel The Honorable Charles Fitzroy, an equerry to King George III. A romance began that was immediately shut down by Amelia’s mother Queen Charlotte. By 1810, Amelia was fatally ill with pulmonary tuberculosis when she developed erysipelas, an acute skin infection. Before the advent of antibiotics, erysipelas frequently resulted in death. On her deathbed, Amelia made a will leaving much of her assets to Charles Fitzroy. Amelia made one last attempt to marry Fitzroy when she asked her doctor to seek permission from her father to marry. The doctor refused her request. Amelia died at the age of 27 with her sister Mary at her bedside. Mary wrote to Fitzroy, “My dear Fitzroy, Our beloved Amelia is no more but her last words to me were, ‘Tell Charles I die blessing him.'”
Unofficial Royalty: Princess Amelia of the United Kingdom

August 7, 1821 – Death of Caroline of Brunswick, Queen of the United Kingdom, estranged wife of King George IV of the United Kingdom, at Brandenburg House in Hammersmith, London, England; buried at the Cathedral of St. Blasius in Brunswick, Duchy of Brunswick, now in Lower Saxony, Germany
Caroline was chosen as the bride of her first cousin, the future King George IV. This marriage is one of the worst ever royal marriages. It is doubtful that the couple spent more than a few nights together as husband and wife. Their only child, Princess Charlotte of Wales, was born nine months later. Caroline and George found each other equally unattractive and never lived together or appeared in public together. When George became king in 1820, he was determined to be rid of Caroline and his government introduced a bill in Parliament, the Pains and Penalties Bill 1820, to strip Caroline of the title of queen consort and dissolve her marriage. Although the bill passed, it was so controversial that the Prime Minister withdrew it. No plans had been made for Caroline to participate in George IV’s coronation. On the day of the coronation, Caroline went to Westminster Abbey, was barred at every entrance, and finally left. Three weeks later Caroline died at the age of 53. Before her death, Caroline had requested that she be buried in her native Brunswick. The official route of Caroline’s funeral procession through London was to avoid major streets. However, members of the public blocked those streets and forced a new route through the major streets. Caroline was buried alongside her father. Her casket bears the inscription, “Here lies Caroline, the Injured Queen of England.”
Unofficial Royalty: Caroline of Brunswick, Queen of the United Kingdom

August 7, 1834 – Birth of Sophie of Baden, wife of Woldemar, Prince of Lippe, in Karlsruhe, then in the Grand Duchy of Baden, now in the German state of Baden-Württemberg
The daughter of Prince Wilhelm of Baden and Duchess Elisabeth Alexandrine of Württemberg, Sophie married Woldemar, the future Prince of Lippe in 1858. Their marriage was childless. Woldemar became Prince of Lippe upon the death of his childless elder brother Leopold III in 1875. Woldemar, Prince of Lippe died in 1895. Sophie survived her husband Woldemar by nine years, dying at the age of 70, on April 6, 1904, at the age of 70.
Unofficial Royalty: Sophie of Baden, Princess of Lippe

August 7, 1862 – Birth of Queen Victoria of Sweden, wife of King Gustav V of Sweden, born Victoria of Baden in Karlsruhe, Grand Duchy of Baden, now in Baden-Württemberg, Germany
Full name: Sophie Marie Viktoria
In 1881, Victoria married the future King Gustaf V of Sweden. As a great-granddaughter of King Gustaf IV Adolf of Sweden, Victoria’s marriage united the former ruling house of Holstein-Gottorp with the new Bernadotte dynasty, and she was known in Sweden as the ‘Vasa Princess’.  The couple had three children including King Gustaf VI Adolf who married Princess Margaret of Connaught and Lady Louise Mountbatten. When her husband became king, Victoria took part in all the court festivities and responsibilities of her new role. She traveled extensively with her husband and entertained visiting royalty from around Europe. She spent much of her time working with several charities, including taking the helm of Sophiahammet after the death of her mother-in-law Queen Sofia. During World War I, Queen Victoria’s German roots often led to unpopularity amongst the Swedes.
Unofficial Royalty: Victoria of Baden, Queen of Sweden

 August 7, 1909 – Birth of Prince Roberto Hugo of Parma, Duke of Parma, at Weilburg Palace in Baden bei Wien, Austria
Roberto Hugo was the head of the house of Bourbon-Parma and pretender to the former throne of the Duchy of Parma from 1959 until 1974.
Unofficial Royalty: Prince Roberto Hugo of Parma, Duke of Parma

August 7, 1947 – Death of Hermine Reuss of Greiz, German Empress, Queen of Prussia, second wife of Wilhelm II, German Emperor, King of Prussia, at Paulinenhof, a Soviet internment camp near Brandenburg, Germany; buried at the Temple of Antiquities in Potsdam, Germany
Hermine was a widow with five children when one of Hermine’s sons sent birthday wishes to Wilhelm II, formerly German Emperor, living in exile at Huis Doorn in Doorn, the Netherlands, who then invited the boy and his mother to Doorn. Wilhelm found Hermine very attractive and greatly enjoyed her company. Having both been recently widowed, the two had much in common. Wilhelm was determined to marry Hermine despite objections from his children. 63-year-old Wilhelm and 34-year-old Hermine married on November 5, 1922, in Doorn. Although Wilhelm had abdicated, he continued to use his royal styles and titles, and therefore Hermine was styled Her Imperial Majesty The German Empress, Queen of Prussia. Hermine returned to Germany after Wilhelm died in 1941. After World War II, Hermine was held under house arrest at Frankfurt an der Oder in the Soviet Zone of Germany. She died at Paulinenhof, a Soviet internment camp near Brandenburg, Germany. She was buried at the Temple of Antiquities in Potsdam, Germany where Wilhelm’s first wife, Augusta Victoria of Schleswig-Holstein, and several other family members are buried.
Unofficial Royalty: Hermine Reuss of Greiz, German Empress, Queen of Prussia

August 7, 1972 – Death of Aspasia Manos, Princess of Greece, wife of King Alexander I of Greece, in Venice, Italy; first buried at the Cemetery of San Michele Island near Venice, Italy, reburied at the Tatoi Royal Cemetery in Greece
Aspasia and Prince Alexander, the second son of King Constantine I of Greece, began a romance, despite the unlikelihood of being able to marry due to their different ranks. In June 1917, King Constantine I was forced to step down from the throne, and his son Alexander was appointed to replace him. Despite the challenges from his family and the Prime Minister, Aspasia and Alexander married secretly on November 17, 1919. Aspasia was not given the title of Queen, instead, she was known simply as Madame Manos. Less than a year later, King Alexander died after contracting septicemia from a monkey bite several weeks earlier. When Alexander died, Aspasia was four months pregnant and gave birth to their daughter Alexandra in 1921. Alexander’s father was restored to the throne and issued a decree recognizing the marriage of Alexander and Aspasia and legitimizing their daughter Alexandra. Aspasia was now Princess Alexander of Greece and Denmark. Despite this, her relationship with her husband’s family was never easy.
Unofficial Royalty: Aspasia Manos, Princess of Greece

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Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh; Credit – Wikipedia

August 6, 1644 – Birth of Louise de la Vallière, Duchess of La Vallière and Vaujours, mistress of King Louis XIV of France, born Louise Françoise de La Baume Le Blanc at the Hôtel de la Crouzille in Tours, France
Louise de la Vallière was the mistress of King Louis XIV of France from 1661 until 1667. She later became a nun, Sister Louise de la Miséricorde (Sister Louise of Mercy), and lived the last 36 years of her life in a convent.
Unofficial Royalty: Louise de la Vallière, mistress of King Louis XIV of France

August 6, 1666 – Birth of Maria Sofia of Neuberg, second wife of King Pedro II of Portugal, at Schloss Benrath outside Düsseldorf in the Electorate of Palatine-Neuberg, now in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany
Full name: Maria Sophia Elisabeth
Portugal had a succession crisis. Isabel Luísa of Braganza, Princess of Beira, the only child and heir presumptive of Pedro II, King of Portugal, was not married. Because of her sickly nature and the Law of the Cortes of Lamego that prevented the marriage of an heiress to a foreign prince, all marriage possibilities failed. 39-year-old Pedro knew he had to marry again to provide for the succession. 21-year-old Marie Sophia was chosen as Pedro’s second wife because of her family’s reputation for producing fertile women. Pedro II and Maria Sophia had eight children so Maria Sophia did her duty by providing heirs. However, only their eldest surviving child João V, King of Portugal married and had children although some of their sons had illegitimate children. On August 4, 1699, two days before her thirty-third birthday, Maria Sophia died at Ribeira Palace in Lisbon, Portugal from erysipelas, a bacterial infection of the skin that can spread to other areas of the body through the bloodstream.
Unofficial Royalty: Maria Sofia of Neuberg, Queen of Portugal

August 6, 1673 – Birth of Henry FitzJames, 1st Duke of Albemarle, Illegitimate son of King James II of England, in a private house in St. James’s Square, Westminster, London, England

Unofficial Royalty: Henry FitzJames, 1st Duke of Albemarle (article coming soon)

August 6, 1697 – Birth of Karl VII, Holy Roman Emperor, also Karl I, Prince-Elector of Bavaria, in Brussels, then in the Duchy of Brabant, now in Belgium
Karl reigned as Karl VII, Holy Roman Emperor from 1742 – 1745 and as Karl I, Prince-Elector of Bavaria from 1726 – 1745. He was a member of the House of Wittelsbach and his reign as Holy Roman Emperor marked the end of three centuries of the House of Habsburg’s rule as Holy Roman Emperors. In 1726, Karl married Archduchess Maria Amalia of Austria, daughter of Holy Roman Emperor Joseph I and niece of Emperor Karl VI. The couple had seven children but only four survived to adulthood. After Holy Roman Emperor Karl VI died in 1740, Karl claimed the Archduchy of Austria and briefly gained hold of the Bohemian throne. In 1742, he was elected emperor of the Holy Roman Empire. He ruled until his death three years later.
Unofficial Royalty: Karl VII, Holy Roman Emperor, Elector of Bavaria

August 6, 1746 – Death of King Christian VI of Denmark and Norway at Hørsholm Palace in Denmark; buried at Roskilde Cathedral in Roskilde, Denmark
Christian became King of Denmark and Norway upon the death of his father Frederik IV, King of Denmark and Norway in 1730. Christian VI is known as a religious ruler and remained devoted to Pietism. His court was considered dull. Only religious music was played and dancing was not allowed. Christian was shy, anxious about responsibility and decisions, and uncomfortable with his ceremonial obligations as the king. He never traveled except for one trip to Norway in 1733.
Unofficial Royalty: King Christian VI of Denmark

August 6, 1775 – Birth of Louis Antoine of France, Duke of Angoulême (Legitimist pretender as King Louis XIX of France), son of King Charles X of France, at the Palace of Versailles
Louis-Antoine was the last Dauphin of France and was technically King of France for less than twenty minutes on August 2, 1830, after his father abdicated and before he also abdicated. After his father’s death, he was the Legitimist pretender to the French throne and is sometimes known as King Louis XIX. He married his first cousin Marie-Thérèse of France, the only surviving child of the executed Louis XVI, King of France and Marie Antoinette.
Unofficial Royalty: Louis Antoine of France, Duke of Angoulême

August 6, 1820 – Death of Frederica, Duchess of York, born Frederica of Prussia, wife of Frederick, Duke of York, at Oatlands Park in Weybridge, Surrey, England, buried at Weybridge Churchyard in Surrey, England
Fredrica was the only child of King Friedrich Wilhelm II of Prussia and his first wife and first cousin, Elisabeth Christine of Brunswick-Lüneburg. Her marriage to Prince Frederick, Duke of York was unsuccessful. Frederick was unfaithful and the couple was unable to have children. In 1794, the couple separated and Frederica lived out her life at Oatlands Park in Weybridge, Surrey, England. Frederick and Frederica remained on good terms and the couple never caused any scandal. Frederica had suffered from tuberculosis for some time and died at the age of 53 at her home Oatlands Park. Frederick was present at her death and shortly before she died, Frederica begged him to allow her to be buried in Weybridge instead of St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle.
Unofficial Royalty: Frederica of Prussia, Duchess of York

August 6, 1844 – Birth of Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, son of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom, at Windsor Castle in Windsor, England
Full name: Alfred Ernest Albert
Alfred’s father Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha and elder brother, the future King Edward VII of the United Kingdom had both renounced their rights of succession to the throne of the Duchy of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, leaving Alfred as heir to childless his uncle Ernst II, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. The transition to his new position was not easy. The people were mostly against the idea of a British prince being their Duke even though his father was born a Prince of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. However, Alfred gained the people’s confidence in him and soon became quite popular.
Unofficial Royalty: Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh

August 6, 1845 – Birth of John Campbell, 9th Duke of Argyll, husband of Princess Louise of the United Kingdom, daughter of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom, at Stafford House in London, England
Full name: John George Edward Henry Douglas Sutherland
The marriage of Lorne, as he was called after the courtesy title he used while his father was alive, and Louise was met with protests by some of Louise’s siblings and the Prussian court. Queen Victoria saw the marriage as an opportunity to “infuse new and healthy blood” into the royal family. However, the marriage was childless. In 1878, Lorne was appointed Governor-General of Canada, serving for five years. Lorne and Louise traveled extensively throughout Canada, bringing a royal touch to the country.
Unofficial Royalty: John Campbell, 9th Duke of Argyll

August 6, 1915 – Birth of Queen Geraldine of the Albanians, wife of King Zog I of the Albanians, born Countess Geraldine Apponyi de Nagy-Apponyi in Budapest, Hungary
Full name: Geraldine Margit Virginia Olga Maria
Queen Geraldine was born Countess Geraldine Margit Virginia Olga Maria Apponyi de Nagy-Appony. Her father Count Gyula Apponyi de Nagy-Appony was from a prominent family of Hungary’s high upper nobility. Her mother, Gladys Steuart, was the daughter of an American diplomat who had served as Consul in Belgium. Geraldine first met her future husband, King Zog I of the Albanians, in 1937. After seeing a photo of her, the King asked one of his sisters to invite Geraldine to a New Year’s Ball where they were introduced. Quickly smitten, the King proposed within days and Geraldine accepted. The couple married in 1938 in a civil ceremony at the Royal Palace in Tirana, Albania. Despite their religious differences – the King was a Muslim while Geraldine was Catholic – the marriage was blessed by all of the religious leaders, including the Pope who had initially refused.
Unofficial Royalty: Queen Geraldine of the Albanians

August 6, 1926 – Birth of Moritz, Landgrave of Hesse was head of the House of Hesse, and pretender to the former Grand Ducal throne of Hesse and by Rhine from 1980 until he died in 2013, at the Castle of Racconigi in Racconigi, Italy
Full name: Moritz Friedrich Karl Emanuel Humbert
Moritz was the eldest child of Philipp, Landgrave of Hesse and Princess Mafalda of Savoy. In 1960, Moritz was adopted by his distant relative Prince Ludwig of Hesse and by Rhine. Ludwig had no children and would be the last member of the House of Hesse and by Rhine. This adoption ensured that the former grand ducal family’s estates and assets would remain in the Hesse family upon his death. In June 1964, Moritz married Princess Tatiana of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg. The couple had four children before divorcing in 1974. Moritz died in Frankfurt, Germany on May 23, 2013.
Unofficial Royalty: Moritz, Landgrave of Hesse

August 6, 1975 – Death of Infante Alfonso of Spain, Duke of Galliera, son of Infante Antonio of Spain, Duke of Galliera (a grandson of King Ferdinand VII of Spain) and Infanta Eulalia of Spain (a daughter of Queen Isabella II of Spain), at El Botánico Palace in Sanlúcar de Barrameda, Spain; buried at the Convent of the Capuchin Fathers in Sanlúcar de Barrameda, Spain
In 1906, at the wedding of his first cousin, King Alfonso XIII of Spain to Princess Victoria Eugenie of Battenberg, Alfonso met the bride’s first cousin, Princess Beatrice of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. A granddaughter of both Queen Victoria and Alexander II, Emperor of All Russia, Beatrice was the youngest daughter of Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh and Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, and Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna of Russia. Alfonso and Beatrice married in 1909. The civil ceremony was followed by both a Catholic and a Protestant ceremony, as the bride chose not to convert to Catholicism. She did later convert in 1913. In the following years, the Spanish monarchy was overthrown and the country was thrown into Civil War. The couple’s second son Alonso was killed in action and the family lost their properties. Initially exiled to England, they eventually returned to Spain in 1937, and settled at a new estate, El Botánico, in Sanlúcar de Barrameda, where they would live for the rest of their lives.
Unofficial Royalty: Infante Alfonso of Spain, Duke of Galliera

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Victoria, Princess Royal, German Empress, Queen of Prussia; Credit – Wikipedia

August 5, 1103 – Birth of William Ætheling, son of King Henry I of England, in Winchester, England
William Ætheling was the only son of Henry I, King of England and his first wife Matilda of Scotland. His death in the sinking of the White Ship caused a succession crisis that resulted in a terrible civil war known as The Anarchy which lasted eighteen years.
Unofficial Royalty: William Ætheling, Duke of Normandy
Unofficial Royalty: The Sinking of the White Ship and How It Affected the English Succession

August 5, 1301 – Birth of Edmund of Woodstock, 1st Earl of Kent, son of King Edward I of England, at Woodstock Palace in Oxfordshire, England
Edmund was the second of the three children of King Edward I of England and his second wife Margaret of France. The life of Edmund ended with his execution by beheading, but he is rarely mentioned among the beheaded English royals. In 1329, Edmund had been persuaded by an unknown friar that his half-brother Edward II, who died under suspicious circumstances, was still alive and set about raising forces to free him and restore him to the throne. It later emerged that Roger Mortimer, who had helped to overthrow Edward II, was responsible for leading Edmund to believe the former king was still alive, in a form of entrapment. Edmund was executed by beheading for high treason at Winchester Castle on March 19, 1330. The execution had to be held up for a day because no one wanted to be responsible for a prince’s death. Eventually, a convicted murderer agreed to be the executioner in return for a pardon.
Unofficial Royalty: Edmund of Woodstock, 1st Earl of Kent

August 5, 1578 – Birth of Charles d’Albert, Duke of Luynes, favorite of King Louis XIII of France, in Pont-Saint-Esprit, France
Charles d’Albert, Duke of Luynes was a close advisor and favorite of King Louis XIII of France from childhood until his death and held numerous top positions within the French court.
Unofficial Royalty: Charles d’Albert, Duke of Luynes, favorite of King Louis XIII of France

August 5, 1737 – Birth of Johann Friedrich Struensee, favorite of King Christian VII of Denmark and lover of his wife Queen Caroline Matilda, in Halle, Kingdom of Prussia, now in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt
Because he was known for a new kind of therapy for mental illness, Struensee, a medical doctor, was called to treat King Christian VII’s mental issues. Struensee could handle Christian’s instability, a great relief to the king’s advisers. Because of Christian VII’s confidence in him, Struensee gained political power and he also became the lover of Christian’s ill-treated wife Caroline Matilda of Wales (the sister of King George III) whose marriage was less than satisfactory. Eventually, Queen Dowager Juliana Maria, Christian’s stepmother, maneuvered a coup that brought about the fall of Struensee, who was brutally executed, and discredited Caroline Matilda who spent the rest of her short life in custody.
Unofficial Royalty: Johann Friedrich Struensee, a favorite of King Christian VII and lover of Queen Caroline Matilda

August 5, 1828 – Birth of Queen Louise of Sweden and Norway, wife of King Carl XV of Sweden and Norway, born Princess Louise of the Netherlands in the Hague, the Netherlands
Full name: Wilhelmina Frederika Alexandrine Anna Louise
In 1849, Louise met Prince Carl of Sweden, the son and heir of King Oscar I, and negotiations were soon underway to arrange a marriage between the two. While Louise was enamored of her future husband from their first meeting, he found her unattractive. However, King Oscar wanted to create familial ties between the relatively new Bernadotte dynasty in Sweden and some of the other long-established European dynasties. With Louise’s Dutch and Prussian families and the promise of a large dowry, she was an ideal candidate. Prince Carl eventually conceded to his father’s wishes and Louise and Carl were married in 1850. The marriage was an unhappy one. Louise was desperately in love with her husband, but he was consistently unfaithful. Having had complications in her second pregnancy, Louise was unable to bear any more children. Following their son’s death in 1854, leaving no male heir to inherit the throne, Louise offered her husband a divorce, which he declined.
Unofficial Royalty: Louise of the Netherlands, Queen of Sweden and Norway

August 5, 1833 – Birth of Carola of Vasa, Queen of Saxony, wife of King Albert of Saxony, at Schönbrunn Palace in Vienna, Austria
Full name: Karolina Fredrika Franciska Stefania Amalia Cecilia
Carola married the future King Albert of Saxony but the couple never had children. Between 1853 – 1860, Carola had ten miscarriages. Carola was very active in charity work. In addition to supporting organizations that provided medical care, she was also instrumental in establishing several organizations to provide training for a growing workforce due to an increase in industrialization. Through her efforts, homes were built for families who needed housing, nurses received more proper training, and advances were made in the care and treatment of tuberculosis within Saxony. Schools and nursing homes were established, along with several women’s organizations that provided vocational training. Queen Carola is often credited for greatly contributing to the increasing professional independence of women.
Unofficial Royalty: Carola of Vasa, Queen of Saxony

August 5, 1901 – Death of Victoria, German Empress, born Victoria Princess Royal, wife of Friedrich III German Emperor, at Friedrichshof in Krönberg im Taunus, Kingdom of Prussia, now in Hesse, Germany, buried at Friedenskirche in Potsdam, Kingdom of Prussia, now in Brandenburg, Germany
In 1899, while visiting her mother at Balmoral Castle in Scotland, Vicky was diagnosed with breast cancer. By 1900, cancer had spread to her spine and she suffered a great deal during the last months of her life. When Queen Victoria died on January 22, 1901, Vicky was too ill to go to England. She died less than seven months later on August 5, 1901, at the age of 60. Vicky was buried in the royal mausoleum of the Friedenskirche in Potsdam, Kingdom of Prussia, now in Brandenburg, Germany next to her beloved husband Fritz. Their two sons who died in childhood are buried in the same mausoleum.
Unofficial Royalty: Victoria, Princess Royal, German Empress

August 5, 1939 – Birth of Princess Irene of the Netherlands, daughter of Queen Juliana of the Netherlands, at Soestdijk Palace in the Netherlands
Full name: Irene Emma Elisabeth
Irene secretly converted to Catholicism and wanted to make a controversial marriage to Carlos Hugo, Duke of Parma. It was announced that the wedding would take place and that Princess Irene would cease to be a member of the Dutch Royal House, and would relinquish all rights to the throne for herself and her descendants. No members of the Dutch royal family attended. Following their honeymoon, they settled in Madrid, Spain. Before divorcing in 1981, the couple had four children. Irene and her children returned to live in the Netherlands. She prefers to be known simply as Irene van Lippe-Biesterfeld and rarely participates in official events in the Netherlands. However, she is almost always seen at family functions and maintains a very close relationship with her sisters and extended family.
Unofficial Royalty: Princess Irene of the Netherlands

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