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Amélie of Orléans, Queen of Portugal; Credit – Wikipedia

September 28, 1663 – Birth of Henry FitzRoy, 1st Duke of Grafton, an illegitimate son of King Charles II of England by Barbara Palmer, 1st Duchess of Cleveland
In 1679, Henry married Isabella Bennet, daughter and heiress of Henry Bennet, 1st Earl of Arlington and Elisabeth of Nassau, a granddaughter of Maurits of Nassau, Prince of Orange, and a great-granddaughter of Willem I (the Silent), Prince of Orange. When her father died, Isabella became the 2nd Countess of Arlington in her own right. Henry and Isabella had one son Charles FitzRoy, who succeeded his parents as 2nd Duke of Grafton and 3rd Earl of Arlington. Henry was raised as a sailor and was well-suited to military life. He was appointed Colonel of the Grenadier Guards in 1681 and served as Vice-Admiral of England from 1682 to 1689. On October 9, 1690, in Cork, Ireland, 27-year-old Henry FitzRoy, 1st Duke of Grafton died from wounds received two weeks earlier at the Siege of Cork, during the Williamite War in Ireland when supporters of the former King James II attempted to retake the English throne from King William III and Queen Mary II.
Unofficial Royalty: Henry FitzRoy, 1st Duke of Grafton

September 28, 1765 – Birth of Princess Wilhelmine Luise of Nassau-Weilburg, Princess Reuss of Greiz, wife of Heinrich XIII, 2nd Prince Reuss of Greiz, in The Hague, then in the Dutch Republic, now in The Netherlands
The daughter of Karl Christian, Duke of Nassau-Weilburg and Princess Carolina of Orange-Nassau, twenty-year-old Wilhelmine Luise married thirty-eight-year-old Heinrich XIII, the heir to the throne of the Principality of Reuss-Greiz in 1786. Wilhelmine Luise and Heinrich XIII had four sons. When his father died in 1800, Heinrich XIII succeeded as Prince Reuss of Greiz. Heinrich XIII, 2nd Prince Reuss of Greiz died on January 29, 1817, aged 69. Wilhelmine Luise survived her husband by twenty years, dying on October 10, 1837, aged 72.
Unofficial Royalty: Wilhelmine Luise of Nassau-Weilburg, Princess Reuss of Greiz

September 28, 1828 – Birth of Antoinette de Mérode-Westerloo, Princess of Monaco, wife of Prince Charles III of Monaco, in Brussels, Belgium
Full name: Antoinette Ghislaine
Antoinette was the daughter of daughters of Werner Jean-Baptiste Merode, Count of Merode, a Belgian politician from a Belgian noble family, and Countess Victoire de Spangen Uyterness. In 1846, on her 18th birthday, Antoinette married the 27-year-old future Charles III, Prince of Monaco, then the Hereditary Prince of Monaco and Marquis of Baux. Charles and Antoinette had one child, Albert I, Prince of Monaco. Charles began to lose his eyesight during his early reign. He depended greatly on his wife Antoinette as his condition continued to worsen. In 1862, Antoinette was diagnosed with cancer, and she died on February 10, 1864, at the age of 35.
Unofficial Royalty: Antoinette de Mérode-Westerloo, Princess of Monaco

September 28, 1863 – Birth of King Carlos I of Portugal at the Ajuda Palace in Lisbon, Portugal
Full name: Carlos Fernando Luís Maria Victor Miguel Rafael Gabriel Gonzaga Xavier Francisco de Assis José Simão
In 1886, Carlos married Princess Amélie of Orléans, the daughter of Prince Philippe, Count of Paris, a pretender to the French throne, and the couple had two sons. Carlos became King of Portugal upon his father’s death in 1889. In June 1892, Portugal faced the first of two bankruptcies which further strengthened the Republican movement that placed the blame for the bankruptcy solely on the monarchy. As the King’s reign continued, the political landscape became more volatile. In 1906, Carlos appointed João Franco as Prime Minister, despite the misgivings of many of his family and advisers. Franco asked Carlos to dissolve parliament, causing a huge campaign in Portugal claiming that the country was now a dictatorship. Public support for King Carlos quickly diminished, particularly as he strongly supported Franco. It would lead to his tragic death. On February 1, 1908, King Carlos I and his elder son Luís Filipe, Prince Royal were shot and killed by two gunmen while riding in an open carriage in Lisbon, Portugal.
Unofficial Royalty: King Carlos I of Portugal

September 28, 1865 – Birth of Amélie of Orléans, Queen of Portugal, wife of King Carlos I of Portugal, in Twickenham, United Kingdom
Full name: Marie Amélie Louise Hélène
Amélie was born in Twickenham, London, England where her family had been living in exile since the French monarchy of the House of Orléans had fallen in 1848. In 1886, Amélie married the future King Carlos of Portugal and they had two sons. As Queen, Amélie took great interest in the well-being of the Portuguese people, establishing hospitals, sanatoriums, pharmacies, kitchens, and nurseries. She founded the Royal Institute of Aid to the Shipwrecked in 1892. the National Coach Museum in 1905, the Pasteur Institute in Portugal, and the National Assistance for Tuberculosis in 1899. However, along with her philanthropic efforts, she was also greatly criticized for her lavish spending, particularly in the midst of Portugal’s two bankruptcies. Amélie was in the open carriage when her husband King Carlos and son Luís Filipe, Prince Royal were shot and killed by two gunmen. Amazingly, Queen Amélie was unharmed, and her younger son Prince Manuel only suffered a gunshot to his arm.
Unofficial Royalty: Amélie of Orléans, Queen of Portugal

September 28, 1891- Death of Ida of Schaumburg-Lippe, Princess Reuss of Greiz, wife of  Heinrich XXII, 5th Prince Reuss of Greiz, due to childbirth complications, in Schleiz, Principality of Reuss-Gera, now in Thuringia, Germany; first buried in the Waldhaus Mausoleum in Greiz, Principality of Reuss-Greiz, 1969 remains cremated and buried at the Neue Friedhof (New Cemetery) in Greiz, Thuringia, Germany; 1997, remains moved to Stadtkirche St. Marien in Greiz, Thuringia, Germany
In 1872, Ida married Heinrich XXII, 5th Prince Reuss of Greiz and they had one son and five daughters. Heinrich XXII built Jagdschloss Ida-Waldhaus, a hunting lodge in the forest near Greiz named after his beloved wife Ida. Heinrich XXII loved the tranquility of that forest so much that he decided to be buried there. He commissioned the building of the Waldhaus Mausoleum, a Gothic-style chapel with a crypt. Sadly, Ida died, aged 39, from complications that occurred during the birth of her sixth child, a daughter, named Ida after her.  When Ida’s husband Heinrich XXII died in 1902 and when their son Heinrich XXIV died in 1927, they were also buried in the Waldhaus Mausoleum. In 1969, the Waldhaus Mausoleum had fallen into disrepair and the remains of Heinrich XXII, Ida, and their son Heinrich XXIV were cremated and placed in urns. Their remains have been reinterred twice since then.
Unofficial Royalty: Ida of Schaumburg-Lippe, Princess Reuss of Greiz

September 28, 1893 – Birth of Prince Felix of Bourbon-Parma, husband of Grand Duchess Charlotte of Luxembourg, at Schwarzau Castle, in Schwarzau am Steinfeld, Austria
Full name: Félix Marie Vincent
Felix was the son of Robert I, Duke of Parma and his second wife, Infanta Maria Antonia of Portugal, and a brother of Zita who married Karl I, the last Emperor of Austria. In 1919, Felix married his first cousin Grand Duchess Charlotte of Luxembourg and the couple had six children. Felix spent his married life supporting his wife and helping to bring more prominence to the small Grand Duchy. In 1964, Charlotte decided to abdicate, and their son Jean became the new Grand Duke. Felix and Charlotte spent their remaining years at Fischbach Castle, devoted to their grandchildren and extended family.
Unofficial Royalty: Prince Felix of Bourbon-Parma

September 28, 1907 – Death of Friedrich I, Grand Duke of Baden at his summer residence at the island of Mainau, Grand Duchy of Baden, now in Baden-Württemberg, Germany; buried in the Grand Ducal Chapel in the Pheasant Garden in Karlsruhe, Grand Duchy of Baden, now in Baden-Württemberg, Germany
In 1856, Friedrich married Princess Luise of Prussia, the daughter of the future King Wilhelm I of Prussia, and had three children. Through their daughter Victoria who married King Gustav V of Sweden, Friedrich and Luise are ancestors of the current Swedish royal family. Friedrich’s father died in 1852 and was succeeded by Friedrich’s elder brother, Ludwig II. However, Ludwig was deemed mentally ill, and Friedrich was appointed regent during his reign. When Ludwig died in 1858, Friedrich succeeded him as Grand Duke Friedrich II. Friedrich sided with Prussia in the wars against Austria and France and represented Baden at the Palace of Versailles when his father-in-law was created German Emperor in 1871.
Unofficial Royalty: Friedrich I, Grand Duke of Baden

September 28, 1947 – Death of Princess Elsa of Liechtenstein, born Elisabeth von Gutmann, wife of Prince Franz I of Liechtenstein, in Vitznau, Switzerland; originally buried in the Chapel of Our Lady at Dux in Schaan, Liechtenstein, her remains were moved to Vaduz Cathedral in Liechtenstein when the Princely Crypt there was completed
Elsa’s father was a Jewish businessman, the founder of the largest coal company in the Austrian-Hungarian Empire. Elsa was raised in the Jewish religion but in January 1899, she converted to Roman Catholicism in preparation for her marriage to the Hungarian Baron Géza Erős of Bethlenfalva who died in 1908. In 1914, Elsa met Prince Franz of Liechtenstein at a gala for the Relief Fund for Soldiers. The couple wanted to marry but Franz’s brother Johann II, Prince of Liechtenstein refused to give his consent to the marriage. Elsa and Franz secretly married Elsa in 1919, and that same year, Pope Benedict XV received the couple at the Vatican. Johann II died in 1929, and as he was unmarried with no children, his brother succeeded to the throne as Franz I, Prince of Liechtenstein. The couple created the Franz and Elsa Foundation for Liechtenstein Children in 1930, which helped impoverished Liechtenstein children receive an education. The foundation is still in existence today.
Unofficial Royalty: Princess Elsa of Liechtenstein

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Sophia Alekseyevna, Regent of Russia, Credit – Wikipedia

September 27, 1601 – Birth of King Louis XIII of France at the Château de Fontainebleau in Fontainebleau, Seine-et-Marne, France
Louis XIII became King of France at the age of eight upon the assassination of his father King Henri IV of France. His mother Marie de’ Medici was appointed Regent. In 1615, Louis married Anne of Austria. They had two sons King Louis XIV and Philippe I, Duke of Orléans. Although best associated with later generations of French monarchs, the Palace of Versailles originated with Louis XIII. Having gone on several hunting trips in the area, King Louis XIII ordered the construction of a hunting lodge in 1624. Several years later, he acquired the surrounding land and began to enlarge the building. Under his son’s reign, the small hunting lodge was transformed into a grand palace, and became the seat of the French monarchy.
Unofficial Royalty: King Louis XIII of France

September 27, 1657 – Birth of Tsarevna Sophia Alekseyevna, Regent of Russia, daughter of Alexei I, Tsar of All Russia, in Moscow, Russia
Sophia was the Regent of Russia for seven years during the early co-reign of her brother Ivan V and her half-brother Peter I (the Great). During her regency, Sophia continued the military reforms of her father Alexei I and brother Feodor III. However, Russian military defeats led to her downfall. With Peter’s reputation as a military leader, his coming of age, and his marriage, the possibility of Sophia’s dismissal as Regent seemed a very real possibility. Therefore, Sophia and her followers planned to assassinate Peter but he was told of the plot and escaped. Eventually, Sophia had no followers ready to take risks for her interests. She was arrested, forced to give up her position as a member of the royal family, and forced to withdraw to the Novodevichy Convent under guard. During the Streltsy Uprising of 1698, the Streltsy secretly contacted Sophia and asked for her help. After Peter put down the rebellion, Sophia was forced to become a nun. She remained in the strictest seclusion with the other nuns allowed to see her only on Easter.
Unofficial Royalty: Sophia Alekseyevna, Regent of Russia

September 27, 1760 – Death of Maria Amalia of Saxony, Queen of Spain, wife of King Carlos III of Spain at Buen Retiro Palace in Madrid, Spain; buried at the Monastery of San Lorenzo El Real in El Escorial, Spain
Maria Amalia of Saxony was the wife of King Carlos III of Spain who also was King Carlo VII of Naples from 1735 – 1759 and King Carlo V of Sicily from 1734 – 1759. The couple had thirteen children but only seven survived childhood. Maria Amalia’s husband became King of Spain after the death of his childless half-brother Fernando VI, King of Spain in 1759. Maria Amalia had lived in her husband’s Italian kingdoms for twenty-one years and did not like Spain. On September 27, 1760, a year after arriving in Spain, 35-year-old Maria Amalia died from tuberculosis.
Unofficial Royalty: Maria Amalia of Saxony, Queen of Spain

September 27, 1781 – Birth of King Wilhelm I of Württemberg in Lüben, Kingdom of Prussia, now in Lubin, Poland
Full name: Friedrich Wilhelm Karl
Before he became King of Württemberg, Wilhelm had married twice. His marriage to Princess Karoline Auguste of Bavaria resulted in divorce and no children. His first cousin Grand Duchess Ekaterina Pavlovna of Russia, daughter of Paul I, Emperor of All Russia, was his second wife.  The couple had two children but Ekaterina died three years after the marriage. Wilhelm’s third wife was another first cousin Duchess Pauline of Württemberg who gave birth to three children including his heir. Wilhelm’s reign saw the economic boom of the 1830s, the expansion of roads and shipping routes, and a healthy and prosperous economy. But by the mid-1840s, several years of poor harvests had led to a rise in famine and calls for a more democratic government. Protests in 1848, and another revolution in France, led to Wilhelm conceding many of the demands being made – reinstating freedom of the press, and agreeing to form a liberal government.
Unofficial Royalty: King Wilhelm I of Württemberg

September 27, 1788 – Death of Augusta of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, Princess of Württemberg, first wife of the future King Friedrich I of Württemberg, at Koluvere Manor, Kullamaa near Reval, Estonia; buried at the Church of Kullamaa in Lääne County, Estonia
Augusta was the daughter of Karl Wilhelm Ferdinand, Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel and Princess Augusta of Great Britain, a sister of King George III. In 1780, Augusta married Prince Friedrich of Württemberg, later King Friedrich I of Württemberg. Despite an unhappy marriage, Augusta and Friedrich had four children. Augusta wanted to leave her husband as early as her first pregnancy.  In 1782, Friedrich impressed Catherine II (the Great), Empress of All Russia while visiting Russia, and she made him Governor-General of Eastern Finland. Four years later, while they were visiting Catherine II in St. Petersburg, Augusta asked Catherine for protection from her husband. She claimed that Friedrich was abusive to her, and was having affairs with several men. Catherine took Augusta in and told Friedrich to leave the country. Augusta hoped to obtain a divorce, but her father would not permit it. So Catherine provided Augusta with a home at Koluvere Castle in Estonia, along with a custodian, Wilhelm von Pohlmann. Soon, Augusta and von Pohlmann began an affair and she became pregnant. On September 27, 1788, Augusta went into premature labor. Fearing that their affair would become known, von Pohlmann refused to call for a doctor and Augusta died of blood loss.
Unofficial Royalty: Augusta of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, Princess Friedrich of Württemberg

September 27, 1820 – Birth of Elizabeth Wellesley, Duchess of Wellington, Queen Victoria’s Lady of the Bedchamber from 1843 until 1858, and then Mistress of the Robes from 1861 to 1868, and 1874 to 1880, at Yester House, in East Lothian, Scotland
Born Lady Elizabeth Hay, daughter of George Hay, 8th Marquess of Tweeddale, she married Arthur Wellesley, 2nd Duke of Wellington.
Unofficial Royalty: Elizabeth Wellesley, Duchess of Wellington

September 27, 1940 – Birth of Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, Emir of Kuwait, in Kuwait
After the death of Sabah IV Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, 15th Ruler and 5th Emir of Kuwait on September 29, 2020, his successor Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, 16th Ruler and 6th Emir of Kuwait nominated his half-brother Mishal as Crown Prince of Kuwait on October 7, 2020.  Upon the death of his half-brother Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, 16th Ruler and 6th Emir of Kuwait on November 16, 2023, Mishal succeeded as Emir of Kuwait.
Unofficial Royalty: Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, Emir of Kuwait

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King Christian X of Denmark, Photo Credit – Wikipedia

September 26, 1796 – Birth of Princess Ida of Waldeck and Pyrmont, wife of Georg Wilhelm, Prince of Schaumburg-Lippe, in Rhoden, then in the County of Waldeck and Pyrmont, later in the Principality of Waldeck and Pyrmont, and now in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt
The daughter of Georg I, Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont, Ida married Georg Wilhelm, Prince of Schaumburg-Lippe in 1816. The couple had nine children whose births spanned twenty-four years. As the Princess of Schaumburg-Lippe, Ida was concerned with social issues, arranging food for the poor, providing debt relief, and other humanitarian initiatives. Ida survived her husband by nine years, dying on April 12, 1869, in Menton, Alpes-Maritimes, France at the age of 72. She was buried with her husband in the Princely Mausoleum at St. Martini Church.
Unofficial Royalty: Ida of Waldeck and Pyrmont, Princess of Schaumberg-Lippe

September 26, 1870 – Birth of King Christian X of Denmark at Charlottenlund Palace in Gentofte Municipality near Copenhagen, Denmark
Full name: Christian Carl Frederik Albert Alexander Vilhelm
Through his paternal aunts and uncles, Christian X was related to many European royals. Among his first cousins were Nicholas II, Emperor of All Russia, King Constantine I of Greece, King George V of the United Kingdom, and Maud of Wales, Queen of Norway who married his brother Carl who became King Haakon VII of Norway. In 1898, Christian married Alexandrine of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. The couple had two sons including Frederik IX, King of Denmark. In 1940, during World War II, Germany occupied Denmark. Unlike King Haakon VII of Norway (Christian’s brother, born Prince Carl of Denmark) and Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands, both of whom went into exile during the German occupation of their countries, King Christian remained in Denmark. He is remembered for his daily horse ride without a guard through the streets of Copenhagen during the Nazi occupation of Denmark, a symbol of Danish sovereignty. After a fall from his horse in October 1942, Christian was more or less an invalid for the rest of his life. King Christian X died at Amalienborg Palace in Copenhagen on April 20, 1947, aged 76.
Unofficial Royalty: King Christian X of Denmark

September 26, 1922 – Birth of Prince Nicholas Romanov at the villa of his grandfather Grand Duke Peter Nikolaevich of Russia in Cap d’Antibes, France
Prince Nicholas Romanov, a great-great-grandson of Nicholas I, Emperor of All Russia, was one of the disputed pretenders to the Headship of the Russian Imperial Family from 1992 – 2014.
Unofficial Royalty: Prince Nicholas Romanov

September 26, 1994 – Death of Prince Louis Ferdinand of Prussia, son of Crown Prince Wilhelm of Prussia, in Bremen, Germany; buried in the castle cemetery at Hohenzollern Castle in Bisingen, Zollernalbkreis, Germany
Prince Louis Ferdinand of Prussia, a grandson of Wilhelm II, King of Prussia and German Emperor, was the pretender to the Prussian throne and Head of the House of Hohenzollern from 1951 until he died in 1994.
Unofficial Royalty: Prince Louis Ferdinand of Prussia

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Philip of Austria, Duke of Burgundy, King of Castile and León; Credit – Wikipedia

September 25, 1506 – Death of Philip of Austria, Duke of Burgundy, King of Castile and León, husband of Queen Juana I of Castile, at Burgos, Kingdom of Castile, now in Spain; buried at the Capilla Real in Granada, Kingdom of Castile, now in Spain
Philip was the son of Maximilian I, Archduke of Austria, Duke of Styria, Carinthia, and Carniola, and Holy Roman Emperor, and the first of his three wives, Mary, Duchess of Burgundy, the ruler of the Burgundian State in her own right. He was the heir and the eventual ruler of both his father’s and mother’s dominions.  In 1496, Philip married the future Juana I, Queen of Castile and León and Queen of Aragon. Philip and Juana had six children, all were kings or queen consorts.  Philip died on September 25, 1506, aged 28, apparently of typhoid fever, although an assassination by poisoning was rumored at the time.
Unofficial Royalty: Philip of Austria, Duke of Burgundy, King of Castile and León

September 25, 1697 – Birth of Franz Josias, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, in Saalfeld, Duchy of Saxe-Saalfeld, now in Thuringia, Germany
Christian Ernst, Franz Josias’s elder half-brother had made a morganatic marriage which meant that any children from the marriage would not be entitled to titles and privileges or be in the line of succession. As the elder son, Christian Ernst was his father’s heir but because of his unequal marriage, Franz Josias claimed the sole inheritance of the duchy. However, his father decided that both his sons should reign jointly, and upon his death in 1729, his will forced the joint reign.  From 1735, with the support of the Duke of Saxe-Meiningen, Franz Josias effectively ruled in his own right. In 1745, Christian Ernst died and his half-brother Franz Josias became the sole Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld. After the death of his brother, Franz Josias introduced primogeniture in the duchy so there would be no question about the succession.
Unofficial Royalty: Franz Josias, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld

September 25, 1744 – Birth of King Friedrich Wilhelm II of Prussia at the Stadtschloss in Berlin, Kingdom of Prussia, now in Brandenburg, Germany
Friedrich Wilhelm became King of Prussia in 1786, upon the death of his uncle, King Friedrich II, better known as Frederick the Great. By that time, he had little respect for his uncle and ignored the late King’s wishes relating to his burial. He moved the Prussian court – for many years based in Potsdam – back to Berlin, and overturned many of his uncle’s policies. Friedrich Wilhelm became quite popular with the Prussian people through his patronage of the arts and his improvement of trade and transportation. However, that popularity soon faded, when he began to impose consumption taxes on items such as sugar, flour, and beer. He also depleted the country’s treasury, from overspending during military ventures and his personal projects, such as the construction of the Marble Palace. When he came to the throne, the treasury had over 50 million dollars. But by the time his reign ended, just 11 years later, the country was in debt of 48 million.
Unofficial Royalty: King Friedrich Wilhelm II of Prussia

September 25, 1792 – Death of Adam Gottlob Moltke, favorite of King Frederik V of Denmark, in Haslev, Sjælland, Denmark; buried at Karise Church in Karise, Denmark
Through the influence of his uncle, twelve-year-old Adam was employed as a page for Crown Prince Christian of Denmark in 1722. When Christian came to the throne in 1730 as Christian VI, King of Denmark, Adam was appointed chamberlain to Christian VI’s 7-year-old son Crown Prince Frederik (later Frederik V). The close relationship between Adam and Frederik was established and lasted until Frederik’s death. In 1746, when King Frederik V became King of Denmark, Adam was appointed Court Marshal of Denmark and was made a Privy Councilor. He was also given the Bregentved estate in Haslev on the Danish island of Zealand, still owned by Adam’s descendants. In 1750, Frederik V created Adam a Count. Although Frederik V took part in the government by attending council meetings, he suffered from alcoholism, and most of his reign was dominated by his very able ministers led by Adam Gottlob Moltke.
Unofficial Royalty: Adam Gottlob Moltke, favorite of King Frederik V of Denmark

September 25, 1826 – Death of Frederica of Baden, Queen of Sweden, former wife of King Gustav IV Adolf of Sweden, at Lausanne, Switzerland; buried at Schlosskirche St. Michael in Pforzheim, Grand Duchy of Baden, now in Baden-Württemberg, Germany.
In 1797, Frederica married King Gustav IV Adolph of Sweden and the couple had five children.
After a 17-year reign, Frederica’s husband was deposed in 1809, and the couple and their family went to Frederica’s homeland, the Grand Duchy of Baden. However, the couple became incompatible and divorced in 1812. In the divorce settlement, Gustav Adolf renounced all his assets in favor of his mother and his children. He also renounced the custody and guardianship of his children. Two years later, Frederica placed her children under the guardianship of her brother-in-law, Alexander I, Emperor of Russia. Frederica acquired several residences and spent much time at her brother’s court in Karlsruhe, but she also traveled around Germany, Switzerland, and Italy, using the name Countess Itterburg after a ruin in Hesse she had acquired. During her final years, Frederica was often ill and she died from heart disease at the age of only 45.
Unofficial Royalty: Frederica of Baden, Queen of Sweden

September 25, 1968 – Birth of Prince Friso of Orange-Nassau, son of Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands, at the University Medical Center in Utrecht, The Netherlands
Full name: Johan Friso Bernhard Christiaan David
Prince Friso was the second of the three sons of Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands and a younger brother of King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands. In 2004, Friso married Mabel Wisse Smit. Because of some controversy regarding Mabel’s past, Friso did not request formal consent from the Dutch parliament for the marriage. In doing so, Prince Friso relinquished his rights to the Dutch throne and his title of Prince of the Netherlands. However, he retained his personal title of Prince of Orange-Nassau and was granted the hereditary title Count of Orange-Nassau, with the surname Orange-Nassau van Amsberg. The couple had two daughters. On February 17, 2012, while on the royal family’s annual skiing holiday in Lech, Austria, Prince Friso was buried under an avalanche and was in a coma. He passed away on August 12, 2013, after being in a coma for 18 months.
Unofficial Royalty: Prince Friso of Orange-Nassau

September 25, 1983 – Death of former King Leopold III of the Belgians at Woluwe-Saint-Lambert, Belgium; buried in the Royal Vault at the Church of Our Lady of Laeken in Brussels, Belgium
At the beginning of World War II, Leopold tried to maintain Belgian neutrality, but after the German invasion in May 1940, he surrendered his country, earning him much hostility, both in Belgium and around the world. Leopold and his family found themselves under house arrest at the Royal Palace of Laeken. He attempted to assert his position as King of the Belgians, but the Germans were having no part in that, and his own Belgian government, by now settled in London, had declared his actions unconstitutional. In 1944, Leopold and his family were moved to Germany and then Austria, before being liberated by the Americans. However, Leopold was banned for some years from returning to Belgium, where his brother Prince Charles had been declared regent. Leopold’s eventual return to Belgium in 1950 nearly caused a civil war, and under pressure from the government, he abdicated in favor of his son Prince Baudouin in July 1951. Leopold died at the age of 83, a few hours after undergoing emergency heart surgery. He was buried in the Royal Crypt at the Church of Our Lady of Laeken, alongside his first wife, Queen Astrid who died in a car accident, and later his second wife, Princess Lilian, who died in 2002.
Unofficial Royalty: King Leopold III of Belgium

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Pedro I, Emperor of Brazil/Pedro IV, King of Portugal; Credit – Wikipedia

September 24, 1513 – Birth of Katharina of Saxe-Lauenburg, Queen of Sweden, first wife of King Gustav I of Sweden, in Ratzeburg, Duchy of Saxe-Lauenburg, now in the German state of Schleswig-Holstein
The first of the three wives of Gustav Vasa I, King of Sweden, Katharina was the daughter of Magnus I, Duke of Saxe-Lauenburg and Katharina of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel. The fledgling King of Sweden needed heirs for his new House of Vasa. After being rejected by several potential brides’ families, Gustav Vasa was advised to consider the Duchy of Saxe-Lauenburg. Although the duchy was small and poor, the ducal family was related to many of the most powerful dynasties of Europe and was Protestant, which was important for the ongoing Swedish Reformation. With all this in mind, Gustav Vasa chose Katharina to be his wife.
Unofficial Royalty: Katharina of Saxe-Lauenburg, Queen of Sweden

September 24, 1704 – Birth of Karl August, Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont in Hanau, Principality of Waldeck and Pyrmont, now in Hesse, Germany
As the second son, Karl August was destined for a military career. He served briefly in a French regiment and then entered the Prussian army. Upon the death of his father on January 1, 1728, his elder brother Christian Philipp briefly was Prince of Waldeck-Pyrmont until his death on May 17, 1728. Karl August then became the reigning Prince of Waldeck-Pyrmont.
Unofficial Royalty: Karl August, Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont

September 24, 1812 – Death of Friedrich Karl August, Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont in  Arolsen, Principality of Waldeck and Pyrmont, now in Hesse, Germany; first buried at the Stadt-Kirche Bad Wildungen in Bad Wildungen now in the German state of Hesse. In 1962, his remains were transferred to the Princely Burial Chapel of St. Nicholas at the Church of St. Mary in Netze, a district of Waldeck, now in the German state of Hesse.
Full name: Friedrich Karl August Friedrich
In 1763, Friedrich Karl August’s father died and he succeeded him as reigning Prince of Waldeck-Pyrmont. However, his mother Christiane Henriette served as Regent of the Principality of Waldeck-Pyrmont until 1766. After a visit to England in 1775 to learn how to modernize Waldeck-Pyrmont, Friedrich Karl August instituted plans for road construction, agriculture improvements, wool and linen production, and iron mining. The education system was improved and a gymnasium, the term for a German secondary school, was constructed in Korbach. Friedrich Karl August died at age 68 and because he was unmarried, his brother Georg succeeded him.
Unofficial Royalty: Friedrich Karl August, Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont 

September 24, 1834 – Death of King Pedro IV of Portugal/Emperor Pedro I of Brazil at Queluz Palace in Lisbon, Portugal; first buried at the Monastery of São Vicente de Fora in Lisbon; re-buried in 1972 at the Museu do Ipiranga in São Paulo, Brazil
As Emperor Pedro I, he was the founder and first ruler of the Empire of Brazil. As King Pedro IV, he reigned briefly over Portugal. On April 7, 1831, after a political crisis that ended with the resignation of his ministers and in the middle of an economic crisis, Pedro abdicated the throne of Brazil in favor of his six-year-old son who reigned as Emperor Pedro II of Brazil. Pedro returned to Portugal where he died at the age of 35, from tuberculosis at his birthplace.
Unofficial Royalty: Pedro I, Emperor of Brazil/Pedro IV, King of Portugal

September 24, 1860 – Death of Marie of Württemberg, Duchess of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, second wife and niece of Ernst I, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, at Schloss Friedenstein in Gotha, Duchy of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, now in Thuringia, Germany; buried in the Ducal Mausoleum in the Glockenberg Cemetery in Coburg, Duchy of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, now in Bavaria, Germany
Marie was the eldest child and the only daughter of Duke Alexander of Württemberg and Antoinette of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld.  Marie had four brothers, but only two survived childhood. Marie and her brothers were first cousins of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert.  In 1832, Marie married her uncle Ernst I, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. The groom was 48 and the bride was 33. Ernst had been anxious to find a new bride after the death of his first, estranged wife, Louise of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg. However, Ernst’s age and his negative reputation left him with limited choices for a bride. His mother, Augusta, Dowager Duchess of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, arranged the marriage between her son and her granddaughter. After her marriage, Marie was not only the first cousin but also the stepmother of her husband’s sons from his first marriage, Ernst (later Ernst II, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha) and Albert (later husband of Queen Victoria). Marie and Ernst had no children, but Marie had a good relationship with her stepsons and maintained a correspondence with Albert throughout their lives.
Unofficial Royalty: Marie of Württemberg, Duchess of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha

 September 24, 1861 – Birth of Prince Franz Joseph of Battenberg, son of Prince Alexander of Hesse and by Rhine, in Padua, Kingdom of Lombardy–Venetia, now in Italy
The Battenberg /Mountbatten family descends from Franz Joseph’s parents Prince Alexander of Hesse and by Rhine and his morganatic wife Countess Julia von Hauke. While visiting Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom who was on holiday in Cimiez, France, Franz Joseph met Princess Anna of Montenegro. She was the daughter of King Nikola I of Montenegro and Milena Vukotić, and was in Cimiez visiting her sister and brother-in-law. The two quickly fell in love, and their engagement was announced. They married in Cetinje, Montenegro on May 18, 1897, in both Eastern Orthodox and Protestant ceremonies. The marriage was happy but the couple did not have any children.
Unofficial Royalty: Prince Franz Joseph of Battenberg

September 24, 1891 – Death of Alexandra of Greece and Denmark, Grand Duchess Alexandra Georgievna of Russia, daughter of King George I of Greece, wife of Grand Duke Paul Alexandrovich of Russia, at Ilyinskoye, the country estate outside of Moscow of her brother-in-law Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich of Russia; originally buried in the Peter and Paul Cathedral in St. Petersburg, Russia, in 1939, she was reburied at the Royal Cemetery in the grounds of Tatoi Palace in Greece
Alexandra gave premature birth to a son, Grand Duke Dmitri Pavlovich (a conspirator in the murder of Grigori Rasputin), and then she lapsed into a coma. She did not recover consciousness and died six days later.
Unofficial Royalty: Alexandra of Greece and Denmark, Grand Duchess Alexandra Georgievna of Russia

September 24, 1930 – Death of Marie Juliette Louvet, mistress of Prince Louis II of Monaco, mother of his only child Princess Charlotte of Monaco, grandmother of Prince Rainier III of Monaco, great-grandmother of Prince Albert II of Monaco, in Paris, France
In 1898, Marie Juliette gave birth to the future Prince Louis II’s daughter Charlotte. While Louis’ father Prince Albert I would not permit the couple to marry, their daughter Charlotte was later recognized as a member of the Monegasque Princely Family, and in 1919, was formally adopted by Prince Louis, becoming Princess Charlotte of Monaco, Duchess of Valentinois. She would also later become heir to the Monegasque throne following her father’s accession in 1922, later relinquishing her succession rights in favor of her son, the future Prince Rainier III.
Unofficial Royalty: Marie Juliette Louvet

September 24, 1950 – Death of Victoria of Hesse and by Rhine, Marchioness of Milford Haven, granddaughter of Queen Victoria, at Kensington Palace in London, England; buried at St. Mildred’s Church Cemetery, Whippingham on the Isle of Wight, England
Victoria was the daughter of Princess Alice, daughter of Queen Victoria, and Grand Duke Ludwig IV of Hesse and by Rhine.  She married Prince Louis of Battenberg and was the maternal grandmother of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. By the 1930s, Victoria had become a surrogate mother to her grandson Prince Philip. Her daughter Alice had suffered several breakdowns and spent many years institutionalized. Victoria and her two sons took over the care of the young Philip, overseeing his education and social ventures. In 1948, Victoria served as godparent to her great-grandson Prince Charles.  In the summer of 1950, while staying at Broadlands, the home of her son Lord Mountbatten, Victoria developed bronchitis and suffered a heart attack in August. Sensing the end was near, she insisted on returning home to Kensington Palace. It was here, on the morning of September 24, 1950, that she passed away, surrounded by her three surviving children.
Unofficial Royalty: Princess Victoria of Hesse and by Rhine, Marchioness of Milford Haven

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