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Wedding of Princess Beatrice of the United Kingdom and Prince Henry of Battenberg; Credit – www.victorian-gothic.co.uk  THE BACK: (L-R): Prince Alexander of Bulgaria, brother of the groom; Princess Louise of Wales; Princess Irene of Hesse and by Rhine; Princess Victoria of Wales; Prince Franz Joseph of Battenberg, brother of the groom THE MIDDLE: (L-R): Princess Maud of Wales; Princess Alix of Hesse and by Rhine; Princesses Marie Louise and Helena Victoria of Schleswig-Holstein THE FRONT: (L-R): Princesses Victoria Melita, Marie, and Alexandra of Edinburgh and the bridal couple

July 23, 1536 – Death of Henry Fitzroy, Duke of Richmond and Somerset, the illegitimate son of King Henry VIII of England, in Thetford, Norfolk, England; buried first at Thetford Priory, later moved to St. Michael’s Church in Framlingham, Suffolk, England
Henry Fitzroy died somewhat unexpectedly at the age of seventeen, likely of tuberculosis. At this point, King Henry VIII had made both his daughters, Mary and Elizabeth, illegitimate and was left with no real heir. Henry VIII may have been planning to legitimize his son in the years before Fitzroy’s death. Fitzroy was buried rather hastily at Thetford Priory in Norfolk and with no autopsy, suggesting that perhaps he died of the plague. Fitzroy’s remains were later moved to St. Michael the Archangel Church in Framlingham, Suffolk, England where his widow was later interred.
Unofficial Royalty: Henry Fitzroy, Duke of Richmond and Somerset

July 23, 1781 – Birth of Juliane of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, Grand Duchess Anna Feodorovna of Russia in Coburg, Duchy of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, now in Thuringia, Germany
Full name: Juliane Henriette Ulrike
Juliane was the aunt of both Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. She had an unhappy marriage with Grand Duke Konstantin Pavlovich of Russia, grandson of Catherine II (the Great), Empress of All Russia and son of the future Paul I, Emperor of All Russia. In 1799, Juliane left Russia under the auspices of medical treatment but was soon forced to return. After her father-in-law Paul I was assassinated in 1801, she once again found an opportunity to leave. Later that year, her mother came to Russia to accompany Juliane to Coburg to recover from ill health. Upon arriving home in Coburg, she refused to return to Russia and soon began negotiations for a divorce. However, the Russian court would not allow a formal end to the marriage.
Unofficial Royalty: Juliane of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, Grand Duchess Anna Feodorovna of Russia

July 23, 1880 – Birth of Prince Elia of Bourbon-Parma in Biarritz, Switzerland
Full name: Elia Roberto Carlo Maria
Prince Elia of Bourbon-Parma was head of the House of Bourbon-Parma and pretender to the former ducal throne of Parma from 1950 until he died in 1959. Additionally, he served as regent from 1907-1950 for two of his elder brothers Enrico and Giuseppe, who were mentally disabled.
Unofficial Royalty: Prince Elia of Bourbon-Parma

July 23, 1885 – Wedding of Princess Beatrice of the United Kingdom, daughter of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom, and Prince Henry of Battenberg, at St. Mildred’s Church in Whippingham, Isle of Wight, England
In 1884, Henry of Battenberg’s brother Prince Louis of Battenberg married Princess Victoria of Hesse and by Rhine, the eldest child of Queen Victoria’s third child Alice, Grand Duchess of Hesse and by Rhine. Of course, Henry attended the wedding in Darmstadt and so did the bride’s aunt Princess Beatrice. Queen Victoria had expectations that Beatrice would never marry and would remain her personal assistant and secretary. However, during the wedding celebrations, Henry and Beatrice fell in love. When Beatrice told her mother of her desire to marry Henry, Queen Victoria did not speak to Beatrice for seven months. Eventually, the Queen realized that Beatrice would not back down and with some persuasion from the Prince of Wales, Alice’s widower Ludwig IV, Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine, and Henry’s brother Prince Louis of Battenberg, Queen Victoria decided to allow the marriage with several conditions: Henry must renounce his military career, his nationality, and his home and agree to live with Beatrice and the Queen.
Unofficial Royalty: Wedding of Princess Beatrice of the United Kingdom and Prince Henry of Battenberg

July 23, 1986 – Wedding of Prince Andrew, Duke of York and Sarah Ferguson at Westminster Abbey in London, England
Sarah and Andrew had crossed paths throughout their lives, but they first really noticed each other a couple of years prior to their engagement at a weekend party at Floors Castle, the Scottish home of the Duke and Duchess of Roxburghe. Afterward, Sarah visited Windsor Castle, attended Ascot Week, dined at Buckingham Palace, and attended the ballet at Covent Garden with Andrew. Their friendship was slowly becoming something more. Their budding romance was helped along by the matchmaking skills of the Princess of Wales. Diana and Andrew, having been childhood neighbors at Sandringham, were longtime friends. On February 19, 1986, Andrew’s birthday, at the Scottish home of the Duke and Duchess of Roxburghe, where their romance first started, Andrew proposed to Sarah. Sarah accepted but added, “If you wake up tomorrow morning, you can tell me it’s all a huge joke.” Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson separated on March 19, 1992, and divorced on May 30, 1996. The couple remains on friendly terms and Sarah, no longer HRH The Duchess of York, uses the style of a divorced duchess, Sarah, Duchess of York.
Unofficial Royalty: Wedding of Prince Andrew, Duke of York and Sarah Ferguson

July 23, 1999 – Death of King Hassan II of Morocco in Rabat, Morocco; buried at the Mausoleum of Mohammed V in Rabat, Morocco
On July 23, 1999, King Hassan II of Morocco died, aged 70, from pneumonia in Rabat, Morocco. Over forty heads of state and other dignitaries attended his funeral including United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan, American President Bill Clinton, former American President George H.W. Bush, French President Jacques Chirac, Palestinian Authority President Yasser Arafat, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, King Abdullah II of Jordan, King Juan Carlos of Spain, and Prince Charles representing his mother Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom. The funeral became a diplomatic opportunity with many leaders holding informal meetings before and after the funeral.
Unofficial Royalty: King Hassan II of Morocco

July 23, 2012 – Death of Maria Emanuel, Margrave of Meissen, Head of the House of Saxony and pretender to the former throne of Saxony from 1968, in La Tour-de-Peilz, Switzerland; buried at the Royal Chapel in Königskapelle in Karrösten, Austria
Maria Emanuel, Margrave of Meissen was Head of the House of Saxony and pretender to the former throne of Saxony from 1968 until he died in 2012. Having no children, his death brought about a dispute over the headship of the family between several of his relatives.
Unofficial Royalty: Maria Emanuel, Margrave of Meissen

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Wedding of Princess Maud of Wales and Prince Carl of Denmark, later King Haakon VII of Norway; Credit – Wikipedia

July 22, 1210 – Birth of Joan of England, Queen of Scots, daughter of King John of England, wife of  Alexander II, King of Scots, in Gloucester, England
Joan was the eldest of the three daughters and the third of the five children of King John of England and Isabella of Angoulême.  Joan’s father died when she was six years old, leaving his eldest son King Henry III, a nine-year-old, to inherit his throne. Five years later, marriage negotiations were occurring for Joan. Twelve years older than Joan, Alexander II, King of Scots was the only son of William I, King of Scots (the Lion), and became King of Scots in 1214 when he was sixteen years old. On June 21, 1221, at York Minster in York, England, eleven-year-old Joan married 23-year-old Alexander. Alexander’s court was dominated by his mother Dowager Queen Ermengarde and Joan’s position was not strong. Joan and Alexander never had any children, which left Alexander without an heir, a major issue for any king. An annulment of the marriage was risky as it could provoke a war with England.
Unofficial Royalty: Joan of England, Queen of Scots

July 22, 1478 – Birth of Philip of Austria, Duke of Burgundy, husband of Juana I, Queen of Castile and León, in Bruges, Duchy of Burgundy, now in Belgium
Philip was the son of Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor and Mary, Duchess of Burgundy in her own right. When his mother died, he inherited the Burgundian Netherlands.  He married Juana, the second daughter of Queen Isabella I of Castile and León and King Ferdinand II of Aragon, and their eventual successor.  The year before his death, he co-reigned with his wife as Philip I. 
Unofficial Royalty: Philip of Austria, Duke of Burgundy, King of Castile and León 

July 22, 1535 – Birth of Katarina Stenbock, Queen of Sweden, third wife of King Gustav Vasa I of Sweden, in Torpa, Västergötland, Sweden
Katarina’s mother was the sister of King Gustav I Vasa of Sweden’s second wife Margareta Eriksdotter Leijonhufvud. Therefore, Katarina was the first cousin of the ten children of Gustav Vasa and Margareta Leijonhufvud. Katarina’s parents, part of the Kungafränderna (The King’s Relatives), were given prominent positions and had much influence at court. It is quite probable that Katerina served as a maid of honor to her aunt Margareta Leijonhufvud. When Katerina’s aunt died in 1551, Gustav Vasa decided to marry Katarina despite the king being 56 and Katarina being 17. Gustav Vasa saw this marriage as a way to forgo the costs and the time-consuming negotiations necessary to arrange a marriage with a foreign princess in the complicated political climate in Europe due to the ongoing conflicts caused by the Protestant Reformation. Katarina’s family saw the marriage as a way to preserve the family connection they had made with Gustav Vasa through his previous marriage with Margareta Leijonhufvud. Katarina and Gustav Vasa had no children but Katarina served as a stepmother to her first cousins, the children of Gustav Vasa and her aunt Margareta Leijonhufvud.
Unofficial Royalty: Katerina Stenbock, Queen of Sweden

July 22, 1746 – Death of Maria Teresa Rafaela of Spain, Dauphine of France, 1st wife of Louis, Dauphin of France, the son of Louis XV, King of France, at the Palace of Versailles in Versailles, France; buried at the Basilica of Saint-Denis near Paris, France
In 1744, Maria Teresa married Louis, Dauphin of France, the son of Louis XV, King of France. Maria Teresa Rafaela soon became pregnant. On July 19, 1746, she gave birth to a daughter, named Marie-Thérèse by her husband in honor of his adored wife. Maria Teresa Rafaela initially recovered from childbirth but then her condition deteriorated quickly and she died on July 22, 1746, aged 20, at the Palace of Versailles. Maria Teresa’s husband Louis never succeeded to the French throne. He died of tuberculosis on December 20, 1765, at the age of 36.
Unofficial Royalty: Maria Teresa Rafaela of Spain, Dauphine of France

July 22, 1751 – Birth of Caroline Matilda of Wales, Queen of Denmark and Norway, daughter of Frederick, Prince of Wales, sister of King George III of the United Kingdom, wife of King Christian VII of Denmark, was born at Leicester House in London, England
Caroline Matilda has a sad history. Soon after her marriage to her first cousin Christian VII, Caroline Matilda discovered he was severely mentally ill. Johann Friedrich Struensee, Christian’s doctor, had some success dealing with the king but he also became the lover of the ill-treated Caroline Matilda, whose marriage was less than satisfactory. When the affair became known, Sturensee was brutally executed and Caroline Matilda’s marriage was dissolved, she lost her title of Queen and was forcibly separated from her children whom she never saw again. She was held in custody for the rest of her life at Celle Castle in the Kingdom of Hanover. Her time in custody proved to be short.  Three years later, Caroline Matilda died of “a putrid fever and sore throat,” probably scarlet fever at the age of 23.
Unofficial Royalty: Caroline Matilda of Wales, Queen of Denmark

July 22, 1832 – Death of Napoléon II (Napoléon François Charles Joseph Bonaparte), son of Napoleon Bonaparte and his second wife Marie Louise of Austria, at Schönbrunn Palace in Vienna, Austria; originally buried in the Kapuzinergruft in Vienna; in 1940 his remains were transferred to Les Invalides in Paris, France where his father is buried
Napoléon I divorced his childless first wife Joséphine de Beauharnais telling her he needed to find another wife who could provide him a son. He married Marie Louise of Austria and they had one son Napoléon François Charles Joseph Bonaparte. After his defeat at the Battle of Waterloo, Napoléon I abdicated in favor of his four-year-old son and was exiled to the island of Saint Helena. Napoléon II “reigned” for two weeks, when King Louis XVIII of France, the elder of the two surviving brothers of the beheaded King Louis XVI of France, returned to France to resume the throne he had vacated earlier that year due to Napoléon I’s return from his first exile. Napoléon II and his mother lived in her homeland of Austria. He had been dealing with lung problems from a very early age and eventually developed tuberculosis. He died on July 22, 1832, at Schönbrunn Palace in Vienna, Austria at the age of twenty-one.
Unofficial Royalty: Napoléon François Charles Joseph Bonaparte, Napoleon II

July 22, 1848 – Birth of Adolf Friedrich V, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, in Neustrelitz, Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, now in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany
Full name: Adolf Friedrich August Viktor Ernst Adalbert Gustav Wilhelm Wellington
Adolf Friedrich was the son of Friedrich Wilhelm, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz and Princess Augusta of Cambridge. At the time of his birth, he was 14th in line to the British throne, as his mother was a granddaughter of King George III of the United Kingdom. Adolf Friedrich was the highest-ranking person in the British succession who did not hold any British titles.
Unofficial Royalty: Adolf Friedrich V, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz

July 22, 1896 – Wedding of Princess Maud of Wales, daughter of King Edward VII of the United Kingdom, and Prince Carl of Denmark, later King Haakon VII of Norway, at the Private Chapel in Buckingham Palace in London, England
Because Maud’s mother was a Danish Princess, Maud visited her Danish relatives often and was familiar with her first cousin Prince Carl of Denmark, who was three years younger than her. There had been family gossip that Maud and Carl might marry, so it was not all that surprising when Carl proposed to Maud during a family reunion at Fredensborg Castle and Maud accepted. In 1905, upon the dissolution of the Union between Sweden and Norway, Carl became King of Norway taking the name Haakon VII. Because of their mutual descent from King Edward VII of the United Kingdom, the Norwegian Royal Family is the most closely related royal family to the British Royal Family.
Unofficial Royalty: Wedding of King Haakon VII of Norway and Princess Maud of Wales

July 22, 1899 – Birth of King Sobhuza II of Swaziland at the Zombodze Royal Residence in Zombodze, Swaziland
King Sobhuza II of Swaziland was the Paramount Chief and King of Swaziland, from 1899 – 1982, for 82 years and 254 days. Because Swaziland was a British protectorate from 1906–1968 and not a sovereign state, he is not on the list of longest-reigning sovereign monarchs. However, he is number one on the list of longest reigning monarchs of dependent or constituent states. Sobhuza was quite influential in the events leading to Swaziland’s independence. He rejected the constitution proposed by the British government, in which he would become a constitutional monarch. Following the elections of 1973, the constitution of Swaziland was suspended by King Sobhuza II who ruled the country by decree until he died in 1982. Despite being an absolute monarch, Sobhuza was able to blend traditional tribal customs with strategies to manage economic and social change for Swaziland, now called Eswatini.
Unofficial Royalty: King Sobhuza II of Swaziland

July 22, 2013 – Birth of Prince George of Wales, son of Prince William, Prince of Wales, at St. Mary’s Hospital in London, England
Full name: George Alexander Louis
Prince George is the eldest of the three children of Prince William, Prince of Wales and the former Catherine Middleton. He is second in line to the British throne, behind his father.
Unofficial Royalty: Prince George of Wales

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Maria Christina of Austria, Queen of Spain; Credit – Wikipedia

July 21, 1782 – Death of Karl Wilhelm, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen in Sonneberg, Duchy of Saxe-Meiningen, now in Thuringia, Germany; initially buried at the Castle Church at Elisabethenburg Palace in Meiningen, Duchy of Saxe-Meiningen, now in Thuringia, Germany, his remains were later moved to the Meiningen municipal cemetery in 1977
When he was eight years old, Karl Wilhelm succeeded his father as Duke of Saxe-Meiningen. Because of his age, his mother served as Regent and was instrumental in bringing the duchy back from the brink of financial and economic disaster. Karl Wilhelm married Princess Luise of Stolberg-Gedern but the couple had no children. Karl Wilhelm died at the age of 27 and was succeeded by his brother Georg I, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen.
Unofficial Royalty: Karl Wilhelm, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen

July 21, 1838 – Death of Sophie of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg, Princess Reuss of Gera, first wife of Heinrich XX, 4th Prince Reuss of Greiz
In 1834, Sophie married the future Heinrich XX, 4th Prince Reuss of Greiz. Sophie was Catholic and her husband was Lutheran. There is no information on whether Sophie remained Catholic or converted to Lutheranism. On October 31, 1836, Heinrich XX’s elder brother Heinrich XIX, 3rd Prince Reuss of Greiz died. Because his brother had no son to succeed him, Sophie’s husband became the 4th Prince Reuss of Greiz. Sophie was in ill health for most of her marriage and never had any children. She died on July 21, 1838, at the age of 29. Her husband had the Sophienkreuz (Sophie Cross), also known as the White Cross, built in her memory on a hill overlooking Greiz. The cross has been knocked down several times due to bad weather but has always been rebuilt.
Unofficial Royalty: Sophie of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg, Princess Reuss of Greiz

July 21, 1858 – Birth of Maria Christina of Austria, Queen of Spain, second wife of King Alfonso XII of Spain, at Židlochovice Castle near Brno, Moravia, now in the Czech Republic
Full name: Maria Christina Henriette Desideria Felicitas Raineria
After the death of his first wife, King Alfonso XII of Spain married Maria Christina. On November 25, 1885, three days before his 28th birthday, King Alfonso XII died from tuberculosis, leaving two daughters and Maria Christina pregnant with their third child. It was decided that Maria Christina would rule as regent until the child was born. If the child were a male, he would become king. If the child were a female, Alfonso and Maria Christina’s elder daughter María Mercedes would become queen. On May 17, 1886, a son was born who immediately became King Alfonso XIII. Maria Christina continued as regent until Alfonso XIII reached the age of 16 and took control of the monarchy in 1902.
Unofficial Royalty: Maria Christina of Austria, Queen of Spain

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Wilhelm, German Crown Prince and Crown Prince of Prussia; Credit – Wikipedia

July 20, 1346 – Birth of Margaret of Windsor, Countess of Pembroke, daughter of King Edward III of England, at Windsor Castle in Windsor, England
In 1359, 11-year-old Margaret married 12-year-old John Hastings, 2nd Earl of Pembroke. After their marriage, Margaret and her husband John remained at the royal court. Sadly, 15-year-old Margaret, Countess of Pembroke died unexpectedly, sometime after October 1, 1361, the last date there is a record that she was living. John Hastings, 2nd Earl of Pembroke was in royal service for the rest of his short life, mostly as a military commander. He died in 1375 at the age of 27.
Unofficial Royalty: Margaret of Windsor, Countess of Pembroke

July 20, 1524 – Death of Claude of France, Duchess of Brittany, Queen of France, first wife of King François I of France and eldest daughter of King Louis XII of France and his second wife Anne, Duchess of Brittany in her own right at the Chateau de Blois in Blois, France; buried at Basilica of St. Denis near Paris, France
Because her parents had no sons, Claude was the heir to her mother’s Duchy of Brittany and she succeeded her mother upon her death. François, Count of Angoulême (the future King François I of France) became the heir presumptive to the French throne and remained the heir throughout Louis XII’s reign due to his lack of sons.  In 1514, François and Claude were married and in 1515, Claude’s father Louis XII died and her husband succeeded as King François I of France. Queen Claude, Duchess of Brittany died at the age of 24. It is suspected that Claude had tuberculosis and contracted syphilis from her husband and certainly seven pregnancies in eight years weakened her health.
Unofficial Royalty: Claude of France, Duchess of Brittany, Queen of France

July 20, 1649 – Birth of William Bentinck, 1st Earl of Portland, favorite of King William III of England, born Hans Willem Bentinck in Diepenheim, Overijssel, Dutch Republic, now in the Netherlands
Bentinck and his first wife Anne Villiers are ancestors of Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom through her mother’s family, specifically through her maternal grandmother Cecilia Cavendish-Bentinck. In 1664, fifteen-year-old Bentinck came to the court of fourteen-year-old Willem III, Prince of Orange, the future King William III of England, as a page. In 1672, Bentinck became Willem III’s chamberlain. Bentinck was an important advisor to Willem III and also had a military career. Bentinck played a key role in the planning and execution of the Glorious Revolution of 1688, which resulted in the deposing of Willem’s uncle and father-in-law King James II of England, and Willem and his wife and first cousin becoming King William III and Queen Mary II of England. Bentinck went to England with William and Mary and was generously rewarded for his service with titles and estates. He remained William III’s closest advisor until William III’s death.  When William III’s wife Mary II died from smallpox, it was Bentinck who carried the nearly insensible William from the room. When William III was on his deathbed, he beckoned Bentinck to his bedside. Bentinck bent down and put his ear to William’s mouth but could only distinguish a few words of William’s incoherent speech. William then took Bentinck’s hand and placed it against his heart. Then William’s head fell back, he closed his eyes, took two or three breaths, and died.
Unofficial Royalty: William Bentinck, 1st Earl of Portland, favorite of King William III of England

July 20, 1835 – Birth of Adelheid of Hohenlohe-Langenburg, Duchess of Schleswig-Holstein, wife of Friedrich VIII, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein, in Langenburg, Principality of Hohenlohe-Langenburg, now in Baden-Württemberg, Germany
Full name: Adelheid Victoria Amalie Louise Maria Konstanze
Adelheid’s mother was Princess Feodora of Leiningen, the elder half-sister of Queen Victoria, and therefore Adelheid was Queen Victoria’s niece. In 1856, Adelheid married the future Friedrich VIII, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein. They had seven children including Princess Auguste Viktoria who married Wilhelm II, German Emperor and King of Prussia.
Unofficial Royalty: Adelheid of Hohenlohe-Langenburg, Duchess of Schleswig-Holstein

 July 20, 1859 – Birth of  Prince Adolf of Schaumburg-Lippe, first husband of Princess Viktoria of Prussia, daughter of Friedrich II, German Emperor, King of Prussia and granddaughter of Queen Victoria, at Schloss Bückeburg in Bückeburg, Principality of Schaumburg-Lippe, now in Lower Saxony, Germany
Full name: Adolf Wilhelm Viktor
In 1890, Prince Adolf married Princess Viktoria of Prussia, known as Moretta, daughter of Friedrich III, German Emperor and Victoria, Princess Royal. After an extended honeymoon in Egypt and Greece, the couple lived in the Palais Schaumburg in Bonn. Moretta had a miscarriage early in the marriage and the couple remained childless. Following the death of Woldemar, Prince of Lippe in 1895, Prince Adolf became the Regent for Woldemar’s successor and brother Alexander who was mentally incapacitated. Adolf served as Regent until 1897 when Count Ernst of Lippe-Biesterfeld replaced him.
Unofficial Royalty: Prince Adolf of Schaumburg-Lippe

July 20, 1927 – Death of King Ferdinand I of Romania at Pelisor Castle in Sinaia, Romania; buried at the Cathedral of Curtea de Arges in Romania
Ferdinand’s uncle King Carol I of Romania had no sons to inherit the throne, and so the succession passed to his younger brother Leopold, Ferdinand’s father. When Leopold renounced and his eldest son their rights, Ferdinand became heir-presumptive to the Romanian throne and succeeded to the throne in 1914.  Ferdinand married Princess Marie of Edinburgh, daughter of Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh (and later Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha) and Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna of Russia and a granddaughter of Queen Victoria. The couple officially had six children, however, the two youngest children are believed to have been fathered by Marie’s lover but were formally acknowledged by Ferdinand as his own.
Unofficial Royalty: King Ferdinand I of Romania

July 20, 1933 – Death of Elisabeth of Anhalt, Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg-Strelitz in Neustrelitz in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany; buried in the New Crypt at the Johanniterkirche in Mirow in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany
Elisabeth married the future Grand Duke Adolf Friedrich V of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. Elisabeth used her public profile to bring attention to the causes near her heart, including nature and flowers. Following her husband’s death in 1914, she remained the first lady of Mecklenburg-Strelitz during the reign of her unmarried son and became very active with the Red Cross during World War I. Remaining active right up until her death, Elisabeth hosted visits from her daughters and grandchildren and stayed in close contact with relatives throughout Europe.
Unofficial Royalty: Elisabeth of Anhalt, Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg-Strelitz

July 20, 1951 – Death of Johanna Loisinger, Countess of Hartenau, wife of Prince Alexander of Battenberg, former Prince of Bulgaria, in Vienna, Austria; buried at St. Leonhard Cemetery in Graz, Austria
Johanna was an opera singer, virtuoso pianist, and actress. She sang soprano operatic roles in Prague and Opava (now in the Czech Republic), in Linz, Austria, and at the court theater in Darmstadt in the Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine (now in Hesse, Germany). Johanna was one of the best-known singers of Mozart’s music of her time. She married the former reigning Prince of Bulgaria, born Prince Alexander of Battenberg, (known as Sandro), and had two children. After her husband’s death, Johanna received a pension from Bulgaria, and she and her young children moved to Vienna. Johanna was active in Viennese musical life and was involved in building the Academy Mozarteum in Mozart’s birthplace, Salzburg, Austria. She served as president of the Vienna Mozart Society, the Vienna Concert Association, and the Vienna Symphony Orchestra.
Unofficial Royalty: Johanna Loisinger, Countess of Hartenau

July 20, 1951 – Assassination of King Abdullah I of Jordan at Al Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem; buried at Royal Cemetery in Amman, Jordan
On July 16, 1951, the former Prime Minister of Lebanon, Riad Bey Al Solh, was assassinated in Amman, Jordan. Four days later, King Abdullah, accompanied by his grandson, the future King Hussein I of Jordan, traveled to Jerusalem to attend Al Solh’s funeral at the Al-Aqsa Mosque. While waiting for Friday prayers to begin, King Abdullah I was approached by a Palestinian activist, Mustafa Shukri Ashu, who fired three shots, hitting the king in the chest and head and killing him instantly. The future King Hussein was also caught in the gunfire, miraculously escaping harm when a bullet ricocheted off a medal he was wearing at his grandfather’s insistence.
Unofficial Royalty: Assassination of Abdullah I, King of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan
Unofficial Royalty: King  Abdullah I of Jordan

July 20, 1951 – Death of Wilhelm, the last German Crown Prince and Crown Prince of Prussia, son of Wilhelm II, the last German Emperor and King of Prussia, in Hechingen, Germany; buried at Hohenzollern Castle in Bisingen, Zollernalbkreis, Germany
Wilhelm was the last Crown Prince of Germany. After World War I, he went into exile in the Netherlands. Wilhelm and his wife Cecilie of Mecklenburg-Schwerin returned to Germany five years later after promising to remain out of politics. The family was able to retain much of its wealth and even some former residences, allowing them to live a comfortable life in Germany. By this time Wilhelm and Cecilie had separated but maintained friendly relations and reunited during family events. Wilhelm did not entirely remain out of politics despite his promise, as he met with and supported Adolf Hitler in his early days of power. He did not support Hitler’s activities after 1934 and lived a quiet life. Wilhelm became head of the House of Hohenzollern in 1941, upon the death of his father. After Cecilienhof, the family home in Potsdam, Germany, was seized by the Soviets following World War II, Wilhelm moved to a small house in Hechingen, Germany.
Unofficial Royalty: Wilhelm, German Crown Prince , Crown Prince of Prussia

July 20, 1964 – Death of Anna Alexandrovna Vyrubova, lady-in-waiting and favorite of Empress Alexandra Feodorovna, wife of Nicholas II, Emperor of All Russia, in Helsinki, Finland; buried in the Russian Orthodox section of the Hietaniemi Cemetery in Helsinki, Finland
Anna was a lady-in-waiting and a great friend of Empress Alexandra Feodorovna, wife of Nicholas II, Emperor of All Russia. After the arrest of the Imperial Family, Anna was also arrested and was imprisoned for five months in the Peter and Paul Fortress in St. Petersburg on suspicion of espionage and treason and underwent numerous interrogations. Anna lived in obscurity in St. Petersburg, then called Petrograd and later Leningrad where she was re-imprisoned several times. She became friendly with the writer Maxim Gorky who encouraged her to write her memoirs. In 1920, Anna and her mother escaped to Finland, where she spent the rest of her life. Anna did write her memoirs as Maxim Gorky had suggested, Memoirs of the Russian Court, published in 1923 and still available. After World War II, Anna took vows as a Russian Orthodox nun but was permitted to live in her home because of her physical disabilities. In memory of her beloved friend Empress Alexandra, Anna wore the ribbon of a maid of honor until her death.
Unofficial Royalty: Anna Alexandrovna Vyrubova, lady-in-waiting and favorite of Empress Alexandra Feodorovna of Russia

July 20, 1973 – Birth of Crown Prince Haakon of Norway at Rikshospitalet in Oslo, Norway
Full name: Haakon Magnus
Haakon is the second of the two children and the only son and heir apparent of King Harald V of Norway. In 2001, he married Mette-Marit Tjessem Høiby and the couple had two children. The Crown Prince undertakes many official duties, both within Norway and around the world.
Unofficial Royalty: Crown Prince Haakon of Norway

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Philippa of Lancaster, Queen of Portugal; Credit – Wikipedia

July 19, 1415 – Death of Philippa of Lancaster, Queen of Portugal, daughter of John of Gaunt, granddaughter of King Edward III of England, wife of King João I of Portugal, in Sacavem, Portugal; buried at Batalha Monastery in Leiria, Portugal
Philippa married King Joáo I of Portugal in the Cathedral of the Assumption of Our Lady in Porto, Portugal on February 2, 1387, sealing the Anglo-Portuguese Alliance, a treaty that is still in effect. She is known as the mother of the “Illustrious Generation” of infantes (princes) and infantas (princesses). Philippa died at the age of 55 of the plague.
Unofficial Royalty: Philippa of Lancaster, Queen of Portugal

July 19, 1543 – Death of Mary Boleyn, mistress of King Henry VIII of England, probably buried at St. Peter Churchyard in Hever, Kent, England
After Mary Boleyn was sent back from France where she had been one of Mary Tudor’s English ladies during her short marriage to King Louis XII of France, her father arranged for her to be a maid-of-honor to Catherine of Aragon, King Henry VIII’s first wife. She married Sir William Carey who served King Henry VIII as a Gentleman of the Privy Chamber. At some point, perhaps even before her marriage, Mary became Henry VIII’s mistress, supplanting Elizabeth Blount, but the starting date and length of the relationship are unknown. Wiliam Carey profited from his wife’s affair as he was granted manors and estates by King Henry VIII. Two children were born during the marriage of Mary and William. Because of Mary’s affair with King Henry VIII, it has been suggested that one or both of the children may have been Henry VIII’s biological children.  Although there is no proof, this claim has been a continued subject of debate. On June 22, 1528, at the age of 28, William Carey died of the sweating sickness. By the time of William’s death, Mary’s sister Anne had already caught the attention of King Henry VIII.
Unofficial Royalty: Mary Boleyn, mistress of King Henry VIII of England

July 19, 1578 –  Birth of Ferdinand II, Holy Roman Emperor at the Schlossberg in Graz, Duchy of Styria, Archduchy of Austria, now in Austria
In addition to being Holy Roman Emperor (reigned 1619 – 1637), Ferdinand was also Archduke of Inner Austria (reigned 1590 – 1637), King of Bohemia (1st reign 1617 – 1619, 2nd reign 1620 – 1637), and King of Hungary and Croatia (reigned 1618 – 1637). In 1600, he married his 26-year-old first cousin Maria Anna of Bavaria. They had seven children but only four survived childhood. After Maria Anna’s death, Ferdinand married his first cousin once removed Eleonora Gonzaga of Mantua but their marriage was childless. The Thirty Years’ War (1618 – 1648) began in 1618 as a result of the inadequacies of Ferdinand II’s predecessors Rudolf II and Matthias. The war was one of the longest and most destructive conflicts in European history, with an estimated 4.5 to 8 million soldiers and civilians dying as a result of battle, famine, and disease. On February 15, 1637, at the age of fifty-eight, Ferdinand II, Holy Roman Emperor died in Vienna, Archduchy of Austria, now Austria.
Unofficial Royalty: Ferdinand II, Holy Roman Emperor, Archduke of Inner Austria, King of Bohemia, King of Hungary and Croatia

July 19, 1770 – Birth of Lucia Migliaccio, Duchess of Florida, the morganatic second wife of Ferdinando I, King of the Two Sicilies, in Syracuse, Kingdom of Sicily, now in Italy
Lucia was the daughter of Vincenzo Migliaccio, 8th Duke of Floridia, a Sicilian nobleman, and Dorotea Borgia dei Marchesi del Casale who was from a Spanish noble family. In 1791, Lucia married Benedetto Grifeo, Prince of Partanna, and the couple had seven children. Lucia’s husband died in 1812. In 1814, Maria Carolina, the wife of King Ferdinando I of the Two Sicilies died. Wanting to remarry, the 63-year-old Ferdinando turned his attention to the 44-year-old Lucia, whom he had met frequently at court. Because Lucia was not royal, the marriage caused a considerable scandal. Lucia did not receive the title of queen and any children from the marriage would not be in the line of succession. However, the marriage remained childless. Ferdinando died from a stroke in 1825, and Lucia survived her husband by a little more than a year, dying on April 26, 1826, aged 55.
Unofficial Royalty: Lucia Migliaccio, Duchess of Florida

July 19, 1810 – Death of Luise of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, Queen of Prussia, wife of King Friedrich Wilhelm III of Prussia, at Schloss Hohenzieritz in Hohenzieritz, Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, now in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany; buried in the garden at Charlottenburg Palace in Berlin, Kingdom of Prussia, now in Brandenburg, Germany, where a mausoleum was built over her grave
Luise married the future King Friedrich Wilhelm III of Prussia. Luise was wildly popular in Prussia from the start, and descriptions of her from this time speak of her grace, goodness, and beauty. The marriage was happy and the couple raised their nine children quietly at Paretz Palace west of Berlin. Friedrich Wilhelm became King of Prussia in 1797. As queen, Luise traveled around Prussia with her husband, becoming more well-known and well-liked. On July 19, 1810, while visiting her father, 34-year-old Luise died in her husband’s arms from an unidentified illness. Her grieving husband later instituted the Order of Louise in her name and her family mourned her death each year on July 19.
Unofficial Royalty: Luise of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, Queen of Prussia

July 19, 1822 – Birth of Augusta of Cambridge, Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg-Strelitz,  wife of Friedrich Wilhelm, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, at the Palace of Montbrillant in Hanover, Kingdom of Hanover, now in Lower Saxony, Germany
Full name: Augusta Caroline Charlotte Elizabeth Mary Sophia Louisa
Augusta was a granddaughter of King George III of the United Kingdom, first cousin of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom, and aunt of Queen Mary, wife of King George V of the United Kingdom.  Even though Augusta lived in the Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Strelitz after her marriage, she and her husband visited London frequently, staying with the Duchess of Cambridge at Kensington Palace. Augusta retained close ties with the British Royal Family. Before the coronation of King Edward VII of the United Kingdom and his wife Queen Alexandra in 1902, Augusta was consulted on matters of ceremony and attire as she was almost the only person alive who could remember the coronation of King William IV and Queen Adelaide.  Her recollection of Queen Victoria’s coronation also proved invaluable.
Unofficial Royalty: Augusta of Cambridge, Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg-Strelitz

July 19, 1884 – Birth of Prince Charles Edward, Duke of Albany, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, grandson of Queen Victoria, at Claremont House in Esher, Surrey, England
Full name: Charles Edward George Albert Leopold
Charles Edward’s father Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany died three months before he was born. Prince Leopold, who inherited hemophilia from his mother Queen Victoria, died at age 30 from a fall that caused a cerebral hemorrhage. Charles Edward inherited his father’s title Duke of Albany at birth. In 1900, he became Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha upon the death of his uncle Alfred, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha and Duke of Edinburg. In 1905, Charles Edward married Princess Viktoria Adelheid of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg. The couple had five children including Princess Sibylla of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha who married Prince Gustav Adolf of Sweden, Duke of Västerbotten, and is the mother of  Carl XVI Gustaf, the current King of Sweden. At the end of World War I, Charles Edward was deposed and signed a declaration relinquishing his rights to the throne. In 1933, he joined the Nazi Party. After the end of World War II, Charles Edward was placed under house arrest because of his Nazi sympathies. In 1949, a denazification appeals court classified Charles Edward as a Nazi Follower, Category IV. He was heavily fined, several properties were seized, and he was almost bankrupted. Some of the Saxe-Coburg and Gotha properties that were now in East Germany were seized. Charles Edward spent the last years of his life in seclusion. He died of cancer on March 6, 1954, at the age of 69 in his apartment on Elsässer Straße (Street) in Coburg, Bavaria, Germany.
Unofficial Royalty: Charles Edward, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha

July 19, 1890 – Birth of King George II of Greece at Tatoi Palace near Athens, Greece
George II was the eldest son of King Constantine I of Greece and Princess Sophie of Prussia. Due to unrest in Greece, George was King of Greece twice (1st reign 1922 – 1924, monarchy abolished; 2nd reign 1935 – 1947)  and forced into exile three times. Also unlucky in marriage, he married his second cousin, Princess Elisabeta of Romania. Their marriage was childless and ended in divorce. His health declining, George was found unconscious in his office at the Royal Palace in Athens, Greece on April 1, 1947. Several hours later, it was announced that he had died of arteriosclerosis.
Unofficial Royalty: King George II of Greece

July 19, 1940 – Birth of  Princess Hitachi of Japan, wife of Prince Hitachi of Japan, born Hanako Tsugaro at her family home in Tokyo, Japan
The wife of Prince Hitachi of Japan, son of Emperor Shōwa (Hirohito), Princess Hitachi is the youngest of the four daughters of Count Yoshitaka Tsugaru and Hisako Mōri. Both her parents were descendants of the Japanese nobility. Prince and Princess Hitachi had no children.  Because her husband was the son and then the brother of The Emperor, Prince and Princess Hitachi were expected to represent Japan internationally and participate in charitable works. As the Prince and Princess got older, these responsibilities lessened.
Unofficial Royalty: Hanako, Princess Hitachi

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Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna of Russia; Credit – Wikipedia

July 18, 1501 – Birth of Isabella of Austria, Queen of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden, wife of King Christian II of Denmark, Sweden, and Norway, in Brussels, Duchy of Burgundy, now in Belgium
The daughter of Philip, Duke of Burgundy and Juana I, Queen of Castile and Aragon, Isabella was born an Archduchess of Austria and an Infanta of Castile and Aragon. Isabella’s brother was the powerful Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor who was also King of Spain. Catherine of Aragon, the first wife of King Henry VIII of England, was her maternal aunt, and Catherine and Henry VIII’s only surviving child, Queen Mary I of England was her first cousin. In 1514, Isabella married Christian II, King of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden who was deposed in 1523 causing them to the rest of their lives in exile. Even with family support, they had a difficult time, with many worries, and a lack of money. In late 1525, Isabella became seriously ill and died on January 19, 1526, at the age of 24.
Unofficial Royalty: Isabella of Austria, Queen of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden

July 18, 1552 – Birth of Rudolf II, Holy Roman Emperor, King of Bohemia, King of Hungary and Croatia, Archduke of Austria, Margrave of Moravia, in Vienna, Archduchy of Austria, now in Austria
Rudolf never married. In 1568, as part of the Habsburg marriage policy, sixteen-year-old Rudolf had been betrothed to his first cousin, two-year-old Isabella Clara Eugenia of Spain, the daughter of Rudolf’s maternal uncle King Felipe II of Spain. Isabella Clara Eugenia had to wait more than twenty years before Rudolf declared that he had no intention of marrying anybody. In 1572, Rudolf’s father Maximilian II passed the crown of Hungary to his son, and in 1575, Rudolf was also granted the crown of Bohemia and the Habsburg hereditary territories. Rudolf was elected King of the Romans in 1575, ensuring that he would succeed his father as Holy Roman Emperor. Rudolf is considered an ineffective ruler whose mistakes directly led to the Thirty Years’ War (1618 – 1648), one of the longest and most destructive conflicts in European history.
Unofficial Royalty: Rudolf II, Holy Roman Emperor, King of Bohemia, King of Hungary and Croatia, Archduke of Austria, Margrave of Moravia, in Vienna, Archduchy of Austria, now in Austria

July 18, 1712 – Birth of Karl Friedrich, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen in Meiningen, Duchy of Meiningen, now in Thuringia, Germany
Karl Friedrich’s father died in November 1724, making his elder brother, Ernst Ludwig II, the reigning Duke. As both brothers were underage, their two uncles, Friedrich Wilhelm and Anton Ulrich, oversaw the running of the duchy. Ernst Ludwig II died in 1729, and Karl Friedrich became the reigning Duke. Despite his uncles’ guardianship ending in 1733 when Karl Friedrich reached his majority, he continued to leave the daily running of the duchy to his uncles and his court officials. In poor health, he was unable to walk had to be carried and driven everywhere, and had little interest in anything requiring responsibility.
Unofficial Royalty: Karl Friedrich, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen

July 18, 1793 – Birth of Marie Caroline Gibert de Lametz, Princess of Monaco, wife of Florestan I, Prince of Monaco, in Coulommiers, France
Full name: Marie-Louise Charlotte Gabrielle
Prince Florestan of Monaco attended his half-sister’s wedding celebrations and met Maria Caroline Gibert de Lametz, the half-sister of the groom. Because Florestan’s family did not approve of the marriage, the wedding was quiet and modest. Florestan and Maria Caroline had two children including Charles III, Prince of Monaco. Florestan succeeded his brother Honoré V, who had never married. During Florestan’s reign, the real power lay in the hands of his wife Maria Caroline. She took over the finances of Monaco and ruled Monaco with an iron fist because her indecisive and politically disinclined husband left all affairs of state to her. When Marie Caroline’s son Charles III succeeded his father, she continued to have a role in governing as she was alive for twenty-three years of his thirty-three-year-long reign. The idea of opening a gambling casino in Monaco and developing Monaco into a seaside resort was Maria Caroline’s idea. The Casino de Monte-Carlo, named after Charles III as Carlo is the Italian for Charles (Monte-Carlo = Mount Charles in English), opened in 1865 and saved Monaco from bankruptcy. Fearing that the citizens of Monaco would squander their money on gambling, Maria Carolina had the idea to ban all citizens of Monaco from gambling at the casino. That rule is still in effect.
Unofficial Royalty: Marie Caroline Gibert de Lametz, Princess of Monaco

July 18, 1918 – Execution of Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna of Russia, daughter of Ludwig IV, Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine and Princess Alice of the United Kingdom, and a granddaughter of Queen Victoria, and five other Romanovs in Alapaevsk, Russia; her remains were reburied at the Church of Mary Magdalene in Jerusalem
The day after the execution of Nicholas II, Emperor of All Russia and his family, Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna (age 53) and five other Romanovs, Grand Duke Sergei Mikhailovich (age 59), Prince Ioann Konstantinovich (age 32), Prince Konstantin Konstantinovich (age 28), Prince Igor Konstantinovich (age 24), and Prince Vladimir Pavlovich Paley (age 21) along with Varvara Alexeievna Yakovleva, a nun from Elizabeth’s convent, and Feodor Semyonovich Remez, Grand Duke Sergei Mikhailovich’s secretary, were executed by the Bolsheviks. They were thrown down an abandoned mine shaft that was partially filled with water and then grenades were thrown down the mine shaft.
Unofficial Royalty: Execution of Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna of Russia and five other Romanovs

July 18, 1920 – Death of Prince Joachim of Prussia, son of Wilhelm II, German Emperor and King of Prussia, at Villa Leignitz in Sanssouci Park in Potsdam, Germany; first buried in the Friedenskirche in Sanssouci Park in Potsdam before being moved to the nearby Antique Temple in 1931
After World War I and the fall of all the German monarchies, Prince Joachim struggled to accept his status as a commoner and became greatly depressed. On the evening of July 18, 1920, he shot himself with a revolver at Villa Leignitz in Sanssouci Park in Potsdam, Germany. He was found by his elder brother August Wilhelm and taken to the Saint Joseph Hospital in Potsdam, where he died the following day.
Unofficial Royalty: Prince Joachim of Prussia

July 18, 1938 – Death of Marie of Edinburgh, Queen of Romania, wife of King Ferdinand I of Romania, granddaughter of Queen Victoria, at Peles Castle, Sinaia in Romania, buried at the Monastery of Curtea de Arges, Romania
Marie was the daughter of Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh and Grand Duchess Marie Alexandrovna of Russia. Just after the beginning of World War I, her husband’s uncle King Carol I of Romania died and Ferdinand ascended the Romanian throne. Drawn quickly into the war, Queen Marie threw herself into her charitable work, rallying support for the war effort, and serving tirelessly as a nurse. In 1919, after World War I, she represented Romania at the Paris Peace Conference, replacing the Romanian delegation that had left due to extreme conflict with the French prime minister. Marie is often credited with smoothing the situation and helping to bring about Romania’s huge gains at the end of the conference.
Unofficial Royalty: Marie of Edinburgh, Queen of Romania

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On floor: Tsarevich Alexei; Seated: Grand Duchess Maria, Empress Alexandra Feodorovna, Emperor Nicholas II, Grand Duchess Anastasia; Standing: Grand Duchess Olga, Grand Duchess Tatiana; Credit – Wikipedia

July 17, 924 – Death of Edward the Elder, King of the Anglo-Saxons, son of Alfred the Great, King of Wessex, King of the Anglo-Saxons, at the royal estate of Farndon-on-Dee in Mercia now in Chesire, England; buried in the New Minster in Winchester, England, later moved to Hyde Abbey Church which was destroyed in 1539 during the Dissolution of the Monasteries in the reign of King Henry VIII
According to Asser, the Welsh monk who was Alfred the Great’s contemporary biographer, Edward was brought up with his youngest sister Ælfthryth. They were educated at court by tutors and read ecclesiastical and secular works in English. Edward was a child throughout the wars his father Alfred the Great fought with the Danes and was more of a soldier than a scholar like his father. By 892, he was commanding part of the Anglo-Saxon army, and upon his father’s death in 899, the Anglo-Saxons were prepared to accept him as their leader. Edward was crowned on June 8, 900 by Plegmund, Archbishop of Canterbury at Kingston-upon-Thames, where the ancient coronation stone can still be seen.
Unofficial Royalty: Edward the Elder, King of the Anglo-Saxons

July 17, 1645 – Death of Robert Carr, 1st Earl of Somerset, favorite of King James I of England; buried at St. Paul’s Churchyard in London, England
In 1607, probably thanks to the influence of Thomas Overton, Robert participated in a tournament attended by King James I and attracted the king’s attention by breaking his leg. King James I immediately took a liking to nineteen-year-old Robert, got him some medical treatment and decided to improve his education. Robert did not have great intellectual gifts, however, he was good-looking, had a good temperament, and had good character and this must have been enough for King James who knighted him and kept him under his wing. Robert Carr is best known for being implicated with others in the murder of his friend Thomas Overbury. Read about it in the link below.
Unofficial Royalty: Robert Carr, 1st Earl of Somerset, favorite of King James I of England

July 17, 1762 – Assassination of Peter III, Emperor of All Russia at Ropsha, Russia; first buried without honors in the Alexander Nevsky Monastery in St. Petersburg, Russia; reburied by his son Paul, Emperor of All Russia at Peter and Paul Cathedral in St. Petersburg, Russia; Peter’s wife succeeds him as Catherine II (the Great), Empress of All Russia
Peter III, Emperor of All Russia was born Karl Peter Ulrich of Holstein-Gottorp. His father was Karl Friedrich, Duke of Holstein-Gottorp. His mother was Grand Duchess Anna Petrovna of Russia, daughter of Peter I (the Great), Emperor of All Russia. Peter III’s life dramatically changed when his unmarried maternal aunt, his mother’s younger sister, Elizabeth, Empress of All Russia, declared him her heir and brought him to St. Petersburg, Russia. He married his second cousin, Sophie of Anhalt-Zerbst (later Catherine II the Great). Peter succeeded his aunt in 1762. A conspiracy to overthrow Peter was planned and centered around the five Orlov brothers with Grigory, Catherine’s favorite, and Alexei being the main conspirators. Peter III, Emperor of All Russia died at the age of 34 on July 17, 1762, at Ropsha Palace, a country estate outside of St. Petersburg, Russia. He was probably murdered but the circumstances of his death remain unclear. His wife became the Empress of All Russia and is known as Catherine the Great.
Unofficial Royalty: Assassination of Peter III, Emperor of All Russia
Unofficial Royalty: Peter III, Emperor of All Russia

July 17, 1771 – Death of Count Alexei Grigorievich Razumovsky, lover of Elizabeth, Empress of All Russia, at Anichkov Palace in St. Petersburg, Russia; buried in the Annunciation Church of the Alexander Nevsky Lavra in St. Petersburg, Russia
Alexei’s singing brought him to the Russian court where he joined the Court Choir. His beautiful singing and good looks earned him the interest of Tsesarevna Elizabeth Petrovna, daughter of Peter I (the Great), Emperor of All Russia, the future Elizabeth, Empress of All Russia  In 1732, Elizabeth made Alexei a member of the choir in her private chapel. Soon, he had a room near her apartments. Alexei had personality qualities that made him a good choice to be Elizabeth’s favorite and lover. He was a simple and decent person and well-liked for his kindness, good nature, and tact. He had no ambition and never interfered in politics. Alexei survived Empress Elizabeth and was one of the people at her bedside when she died in 1762. Shortly after Elizabeth’s death, Alexei submitted his resignation from his various positions and moved from the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg to the nearby Anichkov Palace which Empress Elizabeth had built for Alexei.
Unofficial Royalty: Count Alexei Grigorievich Razumovsky, lover of Elizabeth, Empress of All Russia

July 17, 1859 – Death of Stephanie of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen, Queen of Portugal, wife of King Pedro V of Portugal, in Lisbon, Portugal; buried at the Monastery of São Vicente de Fora in Lisbon, Portugal
After a visit to the town of Vendas Novas, Stephanie fell ill with diphtheria and died at the age of 22. Her husband, King Pedro V, was greatly saddened by his wife’s death and fell into a deep depression. He died of typhoid fever just two years later and was succeeded by his brother, King Luís I.
Unofficial Royalty: Stephanie of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen, Queen of Portugal

July 17, 1917 – House of Windsor established by royal proclamation
By 1917, during World War I, anti-German sentiment had reached a fevered pitch in the United Kingdom. The British Royal Family’s dynastic name had gone from one German name to another, the House of Hanover to the decidedly more Germanic-sounding, House of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. Many British people felt that this implied a pro-German bias. King George V’s  Private Secretary Arthur Bigge, 1st Baron Stamfordham came up with the House of Windsor. When Wilhelm II, German Emperor, a grandson of Queen Victoria and a first cousin of King George V, received the news, he smiled, got up from his chair, and said in his perfect English that he was off to the theater to see Shakespeare’s play The Merry Wives of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. A number of King George V’s relatives who had Germanic titles and were British subjects exchanged their old names and titles for new English-sounding ones.
Unofficial Royalty: July 17, 1917: The Birth of the House of Windsor
Unofficial Royalty: House of Windsor Index

July 17, 1918 – Execution by firing squad of Nicholas II, Emperor of All Russia and his family along with three of their most loyal servants and the court doctor in Yekaterinburg, Siberia, Russia; buried on July 17, 1998, the 80th anniversary of their deaths, in St. Catherine Chapel at the Peter and Paul Cathedral in St. Petersburg, Russia
The family had been in exile in the Ipatiev House in Yekaterinburg, Siberia, Russia since the previous spring. The residence was also known as The House of Special Purpose, as the Bolsheviks had wanted to eventually bring Nicholas to trial. At the time of the family’s execution, the Bolshevik Red Army controlled Yekaterinburg with the anti-communist White Army gaining strength in the surrounding area. To prevent the family from possible escape into White Army hands, the decision was made to execute them.
Unofficial Royalty: Execution by firing squad of Nicholas II, Emperor of All Russia and his family
Unofficial Royalty: Nicholas II, Emperor of All Russia
Unofficial Royalty: Alix of Hesse and by Rhine (Empress Alexandra Feodorovna of Russia
Unofficial Royalty: Grand Duchess Olga Nikolaevna of Russia
Unofficial Royalty: Grand Duchess Tatiana Nikolaevna of Russia
Unofficial Royalty: Grand Duchess Maria Nikolaevna of Russia
Unofficial Royalty: Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna of Russia
Unofficial Royalty: Tsesarevich Alexei Nikolaevich of Russia

July 17, 1945 – Birth of Alexander, Crown Prince of Serbia, current pretender to the former Serbian throne, at Suite 212 of Claridge’s Hotel in Brook Street, London, England
Crown Prince Alexander II of Serbia is the son of King Peter II of Yugoslavia and Princess Alexandra of Greece and is the current pretender to the former Serbian throne. He was born in Suite 212 of Claridge’s Hotel in London, England where his parents were living in exile. Under the orders of Prime Minister Winston Churchill, the British government ceded sovereignty of the suite to Yugoslavia for the day so the new Crown Prince could be born on Yugoslav soil.
Unofficial Royalty: Alexander, Crown Prince of Serbia

July 17, 1947 – Birth of Queen Camilla of the United Kingdom, second wife of King Charles III of the United Kingdom, born Camilla Rosemary Shand at King’s College Hospital in London, England
Alice Keppel, Camilla’s great-grandmother, was the mistress of King Edward VII, King Charles III’s great-great-grandfather, from 1898 until King Edward’s death in 1910. Camilla, along with Diana, Princess of Wales and Sarah, Duchess of York, is a descendant of King Charles II of England through one of his illegitimate children, Charles Lennox, 1st Duke of Richmond, son of Charles II and his mistress Louise de Kérouaille, Duchess of Portsmouth. In addition, Camilla is the great-great-great-granddaughter of Sir Allan MacNab, who was Premier of the Province of Canada before Confederation in 1867.
Unofficial Royalty: Queen Camilla of the United Kingdom

July 17, 1963 – Birth of Letsie III, King of Lesotho at Scott Hospital in Morija, Lesotho
Letsie III is the current King of Lesotho, located in Africa. In 2000, King Letsie married Anna Karabo Mots’oeneng in a Roman Catholic ceremony at the national sports stadium with a crowd of 40,000 people watching. The couple has one son and two daughters.
Unofficial Royalty: Letsie III, King of Lesotho

July 17, 2004 – Death of Susan Cullen-Ward, Crown Princess of Albania, wife of Crown Prince Leka I of Albania, pretender to the Albanian throne, in Tirana, Albania; buried at Sharra Cemetery in Tirana, Albania, in 2012, her remains were moved to the newly rebuilt Royal Mausoleum in Tirana, along with the remains of her husband and his parents
After living in exile, the royal family was invited to return to Albania in June 2002. Arriving with her husband, son, and mother-in-law Queen Geraldine, Susan continued her work for improving conditions for the Albanian people and remained steadfast in her unyielding support for her husband’s efforts. Sadly, just two years later, she died after having been diagnosed with lung cancer.
Unofficial Royalty: Susan Cullen-Ward, Crown Princess of Albania

July 17, 2020 – Wedding of Princess Beatrice of York and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi in a private ceremony at the Royal Chapel of All Saints, on the grounds of Royal Lodge in Windsor Great Park in Windsor, England
The wedding was scheduled to take place on May 29, 2020, at the Chapel Royal at St James’s Palace in London, England, followed by a private reception in the gardens of Buckingham Palace. However, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the wedding was postponed.  The wedding was rescheduled and new arrangements were made. In line with British government guidelines for COVID-19, all social distancing measures were followed. After July 4, 2020, weddings with up to 30 attendees were allowed to take place. It is known that there were approximately twenty guests including the bride and groom’s parents and siblings, and the bride’s paternal grandparents Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. Prayers were said but in accordance with British government guidelines for COVID-19, no hymns were sung, but a selection of music was played. The National Anthem was played but not sung.
Unofficial Royalty: Wedding of Princess Beatrice and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi

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