Llywelyn ap Gruffydd, Prince of Wales

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2024

Wales was divided into a number of separate kingdoms. The largest of these was Gwynedd in northwest Wales and Powys in east Wales. Gwynedd was the most powerful of the Welsh kingdoms. For one man to rule all of Wales during this period was rare. This was because of the inheritance system practiced in Wales. All sons received an equal share of their father’s property, including illegitimate sons, resulting in the division of territories.

The Principality of Wales was created in 1216 at the Council of Aberdyfi when it was agreed by Llywelyn the Great and the other Welsh princes that he was the paramount Welsh ruler and the other Welsh princes would pay homage to him. Although he never used the title, Llywelyn was the de facto Prince of Wales. Llywelyn dominated Wales for 45 years and was one of only two Welsh rulers to be called “the Great”, the other being his ancestor Rhodri the Great. Llywelyn was succeeded by his son Dafydd ap Llywelyn and then by his two grandsons who were the sons of his illegitimate son Gruffydd ap Llywelyn.

The campaign of King Edward I of England in Wales (1276 – 1284) resulted in Wales being completely taken over by England. It ended with the deaths of the last two native Princes of Wales: Llywelyn ap Gruffudd who was ambushed and killed in 1282 and his brother Dafydd ap Gruffydd, who was the first prominent person in recorded history to have been hanged, drawn, and quartered, in 1283. To ensure there would be no further members of the House of Aberffraw, the English imprisoned Dafydd ap Gruffydd’s two young sons for the rest of their lives at Bristol Castle and sent his daughter and the daughter of his brother Llywelyn ap Gruffydd to convents. To further humiliate the Welsh, King Edward I invested his son and heir, the future King Edward II, with the title Prince of Wales. Since then, the title has been granted (with a few exceptions) to the heir apparent of the English or British monarch.

Unofficial Royalty: Principality of Wales Index

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Alexander III, King of Scots (on the left) with Llywelyn, Prince of Wales (on the right) as guests of King Edward I of England (in the middle) at the sitting of an English parliament; Credit – Wikipedia

Note: In Welsh, “ap” means “son of” and “ferch” means “daughter of”.

Llywelyn ap Gruffydd, also known as Llywelyn the Last, was born circa April 1228 in the Principality of Gwynedd, now in Wales. He was the second son of Gruffydd ap Llywelyn and Senana ferch Caradog. Llewelyn’s paternal grandparents were Llywelyn ap Iorwerth, Prince of Gwynedd, also known as Llywelyn Fawr (Llywelyn the Great), and his mistress Tangwystl ferch Llywarch Goch. His maternal grandparents were Caradog ap Membyr Ddu and Eva ferch Gwyn.

Llywelyn had three brothers and three sisters. Information on his siblings is sketchy, including birth and death dates and marriage information.

Margred ferch Gruffydd (1221 – 1261), married Madog II ap Gruffydd, Lord of Dinas Branof Powys Fadog, had two sons
Owain Goch ap Gruffydd (circa 1225 – circa 1282)
Rhodri ap Gruffydd (circa 1230 – 1235 to circa 1315), married (1) Beatrice, daughter of David of Malpas (2) Unknown, had one son
Dafydd ap Gruffydd, Prince of Gwynedd (1238 – 1283), married Elizabeth Ferrers, had two sons and one daughter
Gwladys ferch Gruffydd (circa 1225 – 1261), half-sister, married Rhys Fychan
Catrin ferch Gruffydd (circa 1234 – ?), a half-sister, married Iorwerth Fychan ab Iorwerth Hen, had two children

Llywelyn ap Gruffydd’s father Gruffydd ap Llywelyn was the eldest son of Llywelyn the Great. Even though Gruffydd ap Llywelyn was illegitimate, according to Welsh law, all sons received an equal share of their father’s property, including illegitimate sons, resulting in the division of assets. However, Llywelyn the Great wanted his legitimate son Dafydd ap Llywelyn, the son of Llywelyn the Great’s wife Joan, Lady of Wales, an illegitimate daughter of King John of England, to be his sole heir. In 1220, Llywelyn the Great managed to convince Dafydd ap Llywelyn’s maternal uncle King Henry III of England to recognize Dafydd as his sole heir, and in 1226, Pope Honorius III officially declared Llywelyn the Great’s wife Joan to be the legitimate daughter of King John of England, strengthening Dafydd’s position. In 1238, at a council at Ystrad Fflur Abbey, the other Welsh princes recognized Dafydd as Llywelyn’s sole legitimate heir.

Llywelyn the Great on his deathbed with his sons Gruffydd ap Llywelyn and Dafydd ap Llywelyn; Credit – Wikipedia

On April 11, 1240, Llywelyn the Great died and his son Dafydd ap Llywelyn succeeded him as Prince of Gwynedd. In August 1241, King Henry III of England invaded Gwynedd, and after a short war, under the Treaty of Gwerneigron, Dafydd ap Llywelyn was forced to give up all his lands outside Gwynedd and hand over his imprisoned half-brother Gruffydd ap Llywelyn, Llywelyn ap Gruffydd’s father, to King Henry III who imprisoned him in the Tower of London. Since Gruffydd ap Llywelyn was a rival claimant to the Principality of Gwynedd, King Henry III put limits on Dafydd ap Llywelyn by threatening to set up Gruffydd as a rival in Gwynedd. However, on March 1, 1244, Llywelyn ap Gruffydd’s father Gruffydd ap Llywelyn fell to his death while trying to escape from the Tower of London by climbing down a knotted bedsheet.

Gruffydd ap Llywelyn falling from the Tower of London; Credit – Wikipedia

Dafydd ap Llywelyn, Prince of Gwynedd and his wife Isabella de Braose had no children. Llywelyn ap Gruffydd was in the entourage of his uncle Dafydd ap Llywelyn and appeared to be his designated heir. However, shortly after Dafydd ap Llywelyn died in 1246, the 1247 Treaty of Woodstock divided Gwynedd between Llywelyn ap Gruffydd, his elder brother Owain ap Gruffydd, and his younger brothers Rhodri ap Gruffydd and Dafydd ap Gruffydd. In 1255, Llywelyn ap Gruffydd defeated his brothers at the Battle of Bryn Derwin and established himself as the sole ruler of Gwynedd. He received the homage of the Welsh princes and assumed the title Prince of Wales. King Henry III of England eventually recognized Llywelyn ap Gruffydd as Prince of Wales in 1267.

Eleonor de Montfort, wife of Llywelyn ap Gruffydd; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1265, a marriage contract had been concluded for a marriage with Eleonor de Montfort, the daughter of Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester and Eleonor of England, the youngest of the five children of King John of England and Isabella of Angoulême. In 1275, Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, Prince of Wales and Eleanor de Montfort were married by proxy. While making her way from France to Wales by ship, Eleonor was captured by agents of her first cousin King Edward I of England. She was held prisoner at Windsor Castle for nearly three years and was finally released in 1278 following the signing of the Treaty of Aberconwy between King Edward I of England and Llywelyn ap Gruffydd, Prince of Wales.

On October 13, 1278, the feast day of Saint Edward the Confessor, King of England, Llywelyn ap Gruffydd, Prince of Wales and Eleonor de Monfort were married in person at Worcester Cathedral in England with King Edward I giving the bride away and paying for the wedding feast. Llywelyn ap Gruffydd and Eleonor had one child, a daughter Gwenllian ferch Llywelyn, also known as Gwenllian of Wales, born at the Palace of Aber Garth Celyn in Gwynedd, Wales. Sadly, Eleonor died due to childbirth complications on June 19, 1282, aged 29 – 30. She was buried at Llanfaes Friary in Llanfaes, Anglesey, Wales which had been founded by Llywelyn the Great, the grandfather of Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, in memory of his wife Joan, Eleanor’s aunt.

Monument to Llywelyn ap Gruffydd, Prince of Wales in Cilmery, Wales near where he was killed; Credit – By Philip Halling, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=11285019

Within nineteen months of Gwenllian’s birth, her father Llywelyn ap Gruffydd and her uncle Dafydd ap Gruffydd were put to death by the English army under King Edward I of England. On December 11, 1282, at the Battle of Orewin Bridge near Builth Wells, Wales, Llywelyn ap Gruffydd, Prince of Wales was one of 3,000 Welshmen killed that day. He was ambushed, horribly murdered, and beheaded. His head was sent to London for public display, and it is thought that the rest of his body was interred at Cwmhir Abbey in Abbeycwmhir, Wales.

Llywelyn ap Gruffydd’s brother Dafydd ap Gruffydd was Prince of Wales from December 11, 1282, until his execution on October 3, 1283 on the orders of King Edward I of England. Dafydd was dragged through the streets of Shrewsbury, England attached to a horse’s tail, then hanged alive, revived, then disemboweled and his entrails burned before him. He was then beheaded and his body was cut into four quarters. Dafydd ap Gruffydd was the first prominent person in recorded history to have been hanged, drawn, and quartered. His head was placed on a pole in the Tower of London near the head of his brother Llywelyn. The days of an independent Wales were over. King Edward I of England had completed a conquest of Wales that resulted in his annexation of the Principality of Wales.

King Edward I of England wanted to make sure that there were no more claimants to the Welsh throne. Llywelyn ap Gruffydd’s infant daughter Gwenllian ferch Llywelyn and Dafydd ap Gruffydd’s young daughter Gwladys ferch Dafydd were confined for life in remote convents in Lincolnshire, England, and never allowed freedom. Gwenllian died in 1337 and Gwladys died circa 1336. Dafydd ap Gruffydd’s two young sons 15-year-old Llywelyn ap Dafydd and 7-year-old Owain ap Dafydd were imprisoned for the rest of their lives at Bristol Castle in England. Much of the time they were kept in cages. Llywelyn died in 1287 while Owain was last reported to be alive in 1325 when he would have been in his fifties.

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Works Cited

Flantzer, Susan. (2023). Dafydd ap Llywelyn, Prince of Gwynedd. Unofficial Royalty. https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/dafydd-ap-llywelyn-prince-of-gwynedd/
Gruffydd ap Llywelyn Fawr. geni_family_tree. (2022). https://www.geni.com/people/Gruffydd-ap-Llywelyn-Fawr/6000000006727931003
Wikimedia Foundation. (2023). Gruffudd ap Llywelyn ap Iorwerth. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gruffudd_ap_Llywelyn_ap_Iorwerth
Wikimedia Foundation. (2023). Llywelyn ap Gruffudd. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Llywelyn_ap_Gruffudd
Wikimedia Foundation. (2022). Llywelyn ap Gruffudd. Wikipedia (Welsh). https://cy.wikipedia.org/wiki/Llywelyn_ap_Gruffudd
Williamson, David. (1996). Brewer’s British Royalty: A Phrase and Fable Dictionary. Cassell.

January 9: Today in Royal History

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Napoleon III, Emperor of the French; Credit – Wikipedia

January 9, 1500 – Birth of Diane de Poitiers, mistress of King Henri II of France, at the Château de Saint-Vallier in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of France
Diane de Poitiers was the royal mistress of King Henri II of France from around 1534 until Henri’s death in 1559. It was through her presence at court as a lady-in-waiting to Queen Claude of France (mother of Henri II) that she became known to the young Prince Henri. Eighteen years older than Henri, she made quite an impression on him. Despite his marriage to Catherine de’ Medici, Diane’s second cousin, Henri was smitten with Diane. For the next 25 years, Diane de Poitiers would be Henri’s closest companion, and many felt she was the most powerful woman in France at the time. Her influence on Henri was without match, and he relied heavily on her advice in all official decisions. Such was her position that when foreign royals and leaders would send gifts to Catherine de Medici, they would also send gifts for Diane. Diane’s influence and power would come to a complete halt in 1559 after King Henri II died from injuries received in a jousting tournament. The widowed Catherine de’ Medici quickly took steps to remove Diane from the existence she had enjoyed for so many years.
Unofficial Royalty: Diane de Poitiers, mistress of King Henri II of France

January 9, 1514 – Death of Anne, Duchess of Brittany, Queen of France, wife of King Charles VIII of France and second wife of King Louis XII of France, at the Royal Château de Blois in Blois, France; buried at the Basilica of Saint-Denis near Paris
Anne, Duchess of Brittany in her own right, is the only woman to have been Queen Consort of France twice. She was the wife of King Charles VIII and the second of the three wives of King Louis XII. Anne was the daughter of François II, Duke of Brittany. Upon the death of her father in 1488, Anne became the Duchess of Brittany in her own right. In 1491, Anne married King Charles VIII of France. Anne and Charles had seven children but none survived. King Charles VIII died unexpectedly from a head injury in 1498. Because he had no surviving children, Louis, Duke of Orléans succeeded him as King Louis XII of France. Anne returned to Brittany and began taking steps to ensure the independence of her duchy. Louis XII did not want this to happen and so he had his 24-year childless marriage to Charles VIII’s sister Jeanne of France annulled and married Anne of Brittany in 1499. They had four stillborn sons and three miscarriages but they did have two daughters who survived to adulthood. After Anne’s death, the 52-year-old King Louis XII, still seeking a son to succeed him, married 18-year-old Mary Tudor, the younger sister of King Henry VIII of England, but Louis XII died three months after the marriage.
Unofficial Royalty: Anne, Duchess of Brittany, Queen of France

January 9, 1819 – Death of Queen Catherina of Württemberg, second wife of King Wilhelm I of Württemberg, born Grand Duchess Ekaterina Pavlovna of Russia, in Stuttgart, Kingdom of Württemberg, now in Baden-Württemberg, Germany; buried at the Württemberg Mausoleum in Rotenberg, Stuttgart
Catherina was the daughter of Paul I, Emperor of All Russia and the sister of Alexander I, Emperor of All Russia, and Nicholas I, Emperor of All Russia. She had a short marriage and two sons with her first cousin Duke Georg of Oldenburg, who died from typhoid fever. She then married the future King Wilhelm I of Württemberg in 1816 and they had two daughters. Despite having a happy marriage, Wilhelm continued his relationships with numerous mistresses, including the Italian Blanche de la Flèche. When Catharina was made aware of this, she drove to Scharnhausen Castle on January 3, 1819, where she found Wilhelm and his mistress together. She quickly returned to Stuttgart and just six days later, 30-year-old Catharina died of complications from pneumonia
Unofficial Royalty: Ekaterina Pavlovna of Russia, Queen of Württemberg

January 9, 1854 – Birth of Lady Randolph Churchill, mistress of King Edward VII of the United Kingdom, born Jennie Jerome in Brooklyn, New York (mother of Sir Winston Churchill)
Jennie Jerome was an American socialite who was the mistress of King Edward VII of the United Kingdom, among others. Through her first marriage to Lord Randolph Spencer-Churchill, a younger son of John Winston Spencer-Churchill, 7th Duke of Marlborough, she was the mother of Prime Minister Winston Churchill. The Spencer-Churchills were opposed to the marriage, but after the offer of a dowry of $250,000 (several million dollars today), they quickly agreed to the marriage. Jennie is also reported to have had affairs with King Milan I of Serbia, Prince Karl Kinsky, and Herbert von Bismarck. She married two more times after the death of her first husband.
Unofficial Royalty: Lady Randolph Churchill, mistress of King Edward VII of the United Kingdom

January 9, 1873 – Death of Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte, Emperor Napoleon III of the French, in exile at Camden Place (now Chislehurst Golf Club) in Chislehurst, England; buried at Saint Michael’s Abbey in Farnborough, Hampshire, England
Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte, later Napoleon III of the French, was the son of Louis Bonaparte, King of Holland (younger brother of Emperor Napoleon I) and Hortense de Beauharnais, the daughter of Emperor Napoleon’s first wife, Joséphine de Beauharnais and her first husband Alexandre de Beauharnais who was beheaded during the French Revolution. Elected to the presidency of the French Second Republic in 1848, Louis-Napoléon seized power by force in 1851, when he could not constitutionally be reelected, and later proclaimed himself Emperor of the French. After being turned down by Princess Carola of Vasa (daughter of the deposed Swedish King Gustaf IV Adolf), and Princess Adelheid of Hohenlohe-Langenburg (a niece of Queen Victoria), Napoleon III married Eugénie de Montijo, Countess of Teba and Marquise of Ardales in 1853. The couple had one son, Napoléon, Prince Imperial who died unmarried in 1879 while fighting in the Anglo-Zulu War. In July 1870, France entered the Franco-Prussian War. Without significant allied support, and with unprepared and limited forces, the French army was quickly defeated. Napoleon III was captured at the Battle of Sedan and quickly surrendered. As word reached Paris, the Third Republic was declared on September 4, 1870, ending, for the last time, the French monarchy. Louis-Napoléon and his family went into exile in England. After falling ill in the summer of 1872, and undergoing two operations, he died at the age of 64.
Unofficial Royalty: Napoleon III, Emperor of the French

January 9, 1907 – Death of Marie of Saxe-Altenburg, Queen of Hanover, wife of King George V of Hanover, in Gmunden, Austria; buried in the Crypt at Cumberland Palace in Gmunden, Austria
Marie was the eldest daughter of the six daughters of Joseph, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg and Amalie of Württemberg. In 1843, she married the future and last King of Hanover, George V, and they had three children. George succeeded his father in 1851 but reigned for only 15 years, being exiled from Hanover as a result of his support for Austria in the Austro-Prussian War. In 1866, Hanover was annexed by Prussia. George never abdicated from the throne of Hanover and he and Marie lived in exile at Gmunden, Austria. After George’s death, Marie continued living in the Villa Thun in Gmunden which became known as the Queen’s Villa and is still owned by the House of Hanover. Through her son Ernst Augustus, Marie is the ancestor of former King Constantine I of Greece, his sister Queen Sofia of Spain, Sofia’s son King Felipe VI of Spain, and Prince Ernst Augustus of Hanover (third husband of Princess Caroline of Monaco).
Unofficial Royalty: Marie of Saxe-Altenburg, Queen of Hanover

January 9, 1982 – Birth of The Princess of Wales, wife of Prince William, The Prince of Wales, born Catherine Elizabeth Middleton, at Royal Berkshire Hospital in Reading, England
Catherine is the eldest of three children of Michael Middleton and Carole Goldsmith. In 2001 she enrolled at the University of St Andrews in Scotland. It was here that Catherine met Prince William, second in the line of succession to the British throne. First as friends, and later flat-mates, a couple of years later, their relationship became romantic. After graduating in 2005, Catherine worked for her family’s business Party Pieces, and launched her own brand within the company in 2008, called First Birthdays. In addition, she worked as a part-time buyer for Jigsaw Junior, a London-based clothing company. Following intense media scrutiny and speculation, and a brief and very public breakup, Catherine and William became engaged while on holiday in Kenya in October 2010. The engagement was formally announced on November 16, 2010. On April 29, 2011, the couple married at Westminster Abbey. Catherine and William have two sons and one daughter.
Unofficial Royalty: Catherine, The Princess of Wales

A New Baby in Luxembourg!

Prince Felix with Princess Claire with their two eldest children Princess Amalia and Prince Liam, 2023; Credit – The Grand Ducal Court

Prince Felix of Luxembourg, the second child and the second of the four sons of Grand Duke Henri and Grand Duchess Maria Teresa of Luxembourg, and his wife Princess Claire have announced the birth of their third child, a son, Prince Balthasar Felix Karl of Nassau. Prince Balthasar was born on January 7, 2024 at the Grand Duchess Charlotte Maternity Hospital in Luxembourg City, Luxembourg. He weighed 3,220 kg/7.1 lbs. and measured 50 cm/19 in. and is seventh in the line of succession to the throne of Luxembourg.

The press release read:

We are happy to announce the birth of our son, born on January 7, 2024 at the Grand-Duchesse Charlotte Maternity Hospital.
The newborn Prince will be named Balthasar Felix Karl.
It weighs 3,220 kg and measures 50 cm.

The baby and Princess Claire are in perfect health.

Félix and Claire
with Amalia and Liam

The couple already had two children:

Princess Amalia Gabriella Maria Teresa of Nassau (born June 15, 2014)
Prince Liam Henri Hartmut of Nassau (born on November 28, 2016)

Read more about the Grand Ducal Family of Luxembourg at Unofficial Royalty: Grand Duchy of Luxembourg Index.

January 8: Today in Royal History

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Prince Albert Victor of Wales, Duke of Clarence; Credit – Wikipedia

January 8, 1864 – Birth of Prince Albert Victor of Wales (Eddy), son of King Edward VII of the United Kingdom, at Frogmore House in Windsor, England
Full name: Albert Victor Christian Edward
Albert Victor was named after his paternal grandparents Queen Victoria and her late husband Prince Albert but he was always known as Eddy in the family and later as Prince Eddy in the press. Eddy, who was inattentive and lazy, never excelled in his studies. Perhaps this was due to his premature birth which can be associated with learning disabilities. Prince Eddy’s apathetic attitude and his lack of interest in anything serious caused great anxiety to his family especially since in the line of succession, he would inherit the throne after his father. In 1891, Eddy became engaged to Princess Mary Victoria of Teck (known as May), and the wedding was set for February 27, 1892. However, on January 14, 1892, 28-year-old Eddy died from influenza. In 1893, Eddy’s brother married May and eventually became the beloved King George V and Queen Mary.
Unofficial Royalty: Prince Albert Victor, Duke of Clarence

January 8, 1873 – Birth of Elena of Montenegro, Queen of Italy, wife of King Vittorio Emanuele III of Italy, in Cetinje, Montenegro
Full name: Jelena Petrović Njegoš
Elena was the daughter of King Nikola I of Montenegro. Among her eleven siblings were Militza and Anastasia (Stana) who married Russian Grand Dukes and were instrumental in introducing Grigori Yefimovich Rasputin to Nicholas II, Emperor of All Russia and his family. In 1896, Elena married the future King Vittorio Emanuele III of Italy. The couple had two children including Vittorio Emanuele III’s brief successor King Umberto II of Italy and Giovanna who married Tsar Boris III of Bulgaria. Elena’s husband abdicated on May 9, 1946, hoping that a new King, his son Umberto II, would bring support for continuing the monarchy in an upcoming referendum. However, his son would only reign for several weeks before Italy became a Republic in an overwhelming vote. After the abdication, Vittorio Emanuele and Elena went into exile, settling in Alexandria, Egypt.
Unofficial Royalty: Elena of Montenegro, Queen of Italy

January 8, 1878 – Death of King Vittorio Emanuele II of Italy at the Quirinal Palace in Rome Italy; buried in the Pantheon in Rome, Italy
Vittoria Emanuele was the eldest son of Carlo Alberto, 7th Prince of Carignano, the future King of Sardinia. In 1842, he married Archduchess Adelheid of Austria and the couple had eight children. Vittorio Emanuele also had a longtime relationship with Rose Vercellana with whom he had two children. Vittorio Emanuele and Rosa eventually married. Following a massive defeat by the Austrian forces, Vittorio Emanuele’s father abdicated in 1849, and he became King of Sardinia as Vittorio Emanuele II. He became a driving force behind the Risorgimento, the Italian unification movement. In 1861, Vittorio Emanuele was proclaimed the first King of the new, united Kingdom of Italy. He focused on building up the new kingdom, both financially and culturally, further cementing his legacy as Father of the Fatherland (Padre Della Patria), a title given to him by the Italian people. He died at the age of 57.
Unofficial Royalty: King Vittorio Emanuele II of Italy

January 8, 1987 – Birth of Princess Sirivannavari of Thailand, daughter of King Vajiralongkorn of Thailand, born Chao Busyanambejra Mahidol in Bangkok, Thailand
Princess Sirivannavari is the only daughter and the youngest of the five children of King Vajiralongkorn of Thailand and Sujarinee Vivacharawongse, as she is now known, an actress and a consort, and the second of the king’s four wives. In 1996, Sujarinee fled to the United Kingdom with her five children. Vajiralongkorn, then the Crown Prince, accused her of adultery and managed to retrieve his daughter Sirivannavari and bring her back to Thailand. Sujarinee and her four sons were stripped of their royal titles and her marriage to the Crown Prince was dissolved. King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand, Sirivannavari’s paternal grandfather, gave her the name Sirivannavari and the style and title Her Royal Highness Princess of Thailand. Sirivannavari studied fashion and textile design at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok, Thailand and became a fashion designer.
Unofficial Royalty: Princess Sirivannavari of Thailand

January 8, 2011 – Birth of Prince Vincent and Princess Josephine of Denmark, twin son and daughter of Crown Prince Frederik, at the Rigshospitalet in Copenhagen, Denmark
Full Names: Vincent Frederik Minik Alexander and Josephine Sophia Ivalo Mathilda
Vincent was born 26 minutes before his twin sister Josephine making him fourth in the line of succession to the Danish throne after his father Crown Prince Frederik, his elder brother Prince Christian, and his elder sister Princess Isabella. Denmark changed its succession law in 2008 to absolute primogeniture where the succession passes to the eldest child of the sovereign regardless of gender. Males and females have equal succession rights. This means that Crown Prince Frederik’s second-born child Isabella is ahead of her younger brother Vincent in the line of succession.
Unofficial Royalty: Prince Vincent of Denmark
Unofficial Royalty: Princess Josephine of Denmark

January 8, 2020 – Death of Infanta Pilar of Spain, Duchess of Badajoz at the Ruber International Hospital in Madrid, Spain
Infanta Pilar was the daughter of Infante Juan, Count of Barcelona (son of King Alfonso XIII of Spain and Princess Victoria Eugenie of Battenberg, granddaughter of Queen Victoria) and Princess María Mercedes of Bourbon-Two Sicilies and the elder sister of King Juan Carlos I of Spain. In 1967, Pilar married Luis Gómez-Acebo y Duque de Estrada and the couple had five children. Pilar was President of the International Equestrian Federation from 1994 – 2005. She was a member of the International Olympic Committee from 1996 to 2006 and was then an Honorary member. She was also a member of the executive board of the Spanish Olympic Committee. Pilar had been ill with colon cancer, had surgery in February 2019, and had undergone chemotherapy. She died at the age of 83.
Unofficial Royalty: Infanta Pilar of Spain, Duchess of Badajoz

January 7: Today in Royal History

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Princess Charlotte of Wales; Credit – Wikipedia

January 7, 1355 – Birth of Thomas of Woodstock, Duke of Gloucester, son of King Edward III of England, at Woodstock Palace in Oxfordshire, England
1376, Thomas married Eleanor de Bohun, the elder of the two surviving daughters of Humphrey de Bohun, 7th Earl of Hereford and Lady Joan Fitzalan. The couple had five children. When Thomas’ father King Edward III died he was succeeded by his young grandson King Richard II, the only surviving child of Thomas’ eldest sibling Edward, Prince of Wales (the Black Prince) who had predeceased his father. In 1386, Parliament blamed Richard’s advisers for the military failures and accused them of misusing funds. Parliament authorized a commission of nobles known as the Lords Appellant to take over the management of the kingdom and act as Richard’s regents. Thomas was one of the Lords Appellant. Richard II was able to rebuild his power gradually until 1397 when he reasserted his authority and did away with the Lords Appellant. Thomas conspired with others to depose Richard II, but he was betrayed, arrested for treason, and imprisoned. After he confessed, Thomas died on September 8, 1397, at the age of 42, probably murdered, presumably on the orders of King Richard II.
Unofficial Royalty: Thomas of Woodstock, Duke of Gloucester

January 7, 1536 – Death of Catherine of Aragon, first wife of King Henry VIII of England, at Kimbolton Castle in England; buried at Peterborough Abbey now Peterborough Cathedral in England
After Catherine’s marriage to King Henry VIII was declared null and void in 1533, she was banished from the court and Henry refused her the right to any title but “Dowager Princess of Wales” in recognition of her position as the widow of his brother Arthur, Prince of Wales. Catherine was forbidden to see her daughter Mary. She suffered these indignities with patience and told her women not to curse the new queen Anne Boleyn. Catherine spent most of her time doing needlework and praying. By 1535, with no hope of ever seeing her daughter Mary, Catherine’s health deteriorated and she was taken to Kimbolton Castle. She knew by December 1535 that she would not live much longer. Catherine put her will in order, wrote to her nephew Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor asking him to protect Mary, and wrote her final letter to King Henry VIII. Catherine died on January 7, 1536, at the age of 50. Her daughter Mary was not allowed to attend her funeral.
Unofficial Royalty: Catherine of Aragon, Queen of England

January 7, 1616 – Birth of Marie de Hautefort, favorite of King Louis XIII of France, at the Château de Hautefort in Hautefort, France
Marie de Hautefort was a close confidante and favorite of King Louis XIII of France. She was also a close friend and prominent member of the household of his wife Queen Anne, the former Anne of Austria. It was through her grandmother’s position as a lady-in-waiting to Louis XIII’s mother and wife that Marie first met King Louis XIII. Marie had an on-again, off-again relationship with Louis XIII and his wife Anne, shortly before and then after the death of Louis XIII. She left the French court permanently in 1644 and married Charles de Schomberg, Duke d’Halluin, a military leader. After her husband’s death, Marie then returned permanently to Paris and resumed contact with the Dowager Queen Anne. The two continued to correspond until Queen Anne’s death in 1666.
Unofficial Royalty: Marie de Hautefort

January 7, 1743 – Death of Anne Sophie Reventlow, Queen of Denmark, mistress, bigamous wife, and then legal wife of King Frederik IV of Denmark and Norway, at Clausholm Castle in Jutland, Denmark; buried in the Trolle Chapel in Roskilde Cathedral in Roskilde, Denmark
After having two previous mistresses, making a bigamous marriage to one, and wanting to make a bigamous marriage to the other, Frederik IV fell in love with 19-year-old Anna Sophie after meeting her at a masked ball. He abducted Anna Sophie from her parents’ home and bigamously married her as Frederik’s wife Queen Louise was still alive. After Queen Louise’s death, Frederik IV and Anna Sophie were married in a second formal wedding conducted with great ceremony. Although the marriage was still scandalous, it was not declared morganatic and Anna Sophie was crowned as Queen of Denmark and Norway. Anna Sophie and King Frederik IV had six children who all died in infancy. After the death of King Frederik VI, his son and successor King Christian VI did not follow the instruction in his father’s will to guarantee Anna Sophie’s rights as Queen Dowager. Christian VI’s opinion was that Anna Sophie had taken advantage of his father and that she had caused his family pain and suffering during the years of her open adultery. Christian VI granted Anna Sophie an allowance but confiscated all her property, and banished her to Clausholm Castle, her family home. She was allowed to be styled Queen Anna Sophie but not Queen Anna Sophie of Denmark and Norway or Queen Dowager. Anna Sophie spent the remainder of her life under house arrest at Clausholm Castle and was never granted permission to leave. When Anna Sophie died at the age of 49, Christian VI allowed her to be buried at Roskilde Cathedral, but in the Trolle Chapel which is on the opposite side of the cathedral, far away from his parents’ tombs in the chancel of the cathedral.
Unofficial Royalty: Anne Sophie Reventlow, Queen of Denmark

January 7, 1768 – Birth of Joseph Bonaparte, King of Spain, King of Naples in Corte on the island of Corsica, now in France
Joseph Bonaparte, the older brother of Napoleon Bonaparte, was King of Naples from 1806 – 1808 and King of Spain from 1808 – 1813 through the machinations of his brother. After the fall of Napoleon, Joseph spent his exile living in Switzerland, the United States (seventeen years total spent in New York City, Philadelphia, and New Jersey, where he had an estate, Point Breeze, in Bordentown, New Jersey, on the Delaware River), London, and the Grand Duchy of Tuscany where he died and is buried.
Unofficial Royalty: Joseph Bonaparte, King of Spain, King of Naples

January 7, 1796 – Birth of Princess Charlotte of Wales, the only child of King George IV of the United Kingdom, at Carlton House in London, England
Full name: Charlotte Augusta
Had Princess Charlotte of Wales survived her grandfather King George III and her father King George IV, she would have become Queen of the United Kingdom. During her lifetime, Charlotte was second in the line of succession to the British throne after her father. In 1816, Charlotte married Prince Leopold of Saxe-Coburg-Saafeld (after 1826, Prince of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, the uncle of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert and the future Leopold I, King of the Belgians). Sadly, Charlotte died in childbirth after delivering a stillborn son in 1817. Charlotte was mourned by the British people in a manner similar to the mourning of Diana, Princess of Wales. Her pregnancy and delivery had been grossly mismanaged and the doctor in charge, Sir Richard Croft, later died by suicide.
Unofficial Royalty: Princess Charlotte of Wales
Unofficial Royalty: Death of Princess Charlotte of Wales in childbirth and its impact on the succession to the British throne

January 7, 1830 – Death of Carlota Joaquina of Spain, Queen of Portugal, wife of King João VI of Portugal, at Queluz Palace in Lisbon, Portugal, buried at the Monastery of São Vicente de Fora in Lisbon, Portugal
The daughter of Carlos IV, King of Spain, Carlota Joaquina married the future João VI, King of Portugal in 1785. The couple had nine children including two Kings of Portugal and one Queen Consort of Spain. In 1816, Carlota Joaquina’s husband became King of Portugal. In 1824, Carlota Joaquina plotted with her son Miguel to overthrow her husband and place Miguel on the throne. The plot was discovered and King João VI reprimanded his son Miguel, deposed him from command of the army, and exiled him. Later in the year, another rebellion organized by Carlota Joaquina was discovered and she was placed under house arrest in the Palace of Queluz. In 1826, João VI died and it was suspected that he was poisoned. In 2000, a team of researchers exhumed the ceramic pot that contained João VI’s heart. An analysis of his heart detected enough arsenic to kill two people, confirming suspicions that João VI had been murdered. For the rest of her life, Carlota Joaquina remained confined in the Palace of Queluz, where she died alone and abandoned by her children on January 7, 1830, at the age of 56
Unofficial Royalty: Carlota Joaquina of Spain, Queen of Portugal

January 7, 1845 – Birth of Ludwig III, King of Bavaria, in Munich, Kingdom of Bavaria, now in Bavaria, Germany
Full name: Ludwig Luitpold Josef Maria Aloys Alfried
Ludwig was the eldest son of Prince Luitpold of Bavaria, son of King Ludwig I of Bavaria. In 1868, Ludwig married Archduchess Maria Theresia of Austria-Este and the couple had thirteen children. In 1886, Ludwig’s father Prince Luitpold became Prince Regent after his nephew King Ludwig II of Bavaria was declared mentally incompetent. Just days later, King Ludwig II died mysteriously and was succeeded by his brother King Otto. However, Otto was also mentally ill, and the regency continued. Upon his father’s death in 1912, Ludwig succeeded him as Prince Regent for his cousin King Otto. Less than a year later, the Bavarian Parliament passed legislation allowing the Regent to assume the throne himself, provided that the regency was for reasons of incapacity, had lasted more than ten years, and there was no prospect of the Sovereign being able to reign. With overwhelming support from the parliament, Ludwig deposed his cousin and assumed the Bavarian throne as King Ludwig III. On November 13, 1918, he would be the first monarch in the German Empire to be deposed, bringing an end to 738 years of rule by the Wittelsbach dynasty.
Unofficial Royalty: King Ludwig III of Bavaria

January 7, 1890 – Death of Augusta of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, German Empress and Queen of Prussia, wife of Wilhelm I, German Emperor and King of Prussia, at the Altes Palais in Berlin, Kingdom of Prussia, now in Brandenburg, Germany; buried in the mausoleum of Charlottenburg Palace in Berlin
Augusta was the daughter of Karl Friedrich, Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach and Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna of Russia, and also the granddaughter of Paul I, Emperor of All Russia. In 1828, she married the future Wilhelm I, German Emperor and King of Prussia. The couple had two children including Wilhelm’s (brief) successor Friedrich III, German Emperor and King of Prussia who married Victoria, Princess Royal, Queen Victoria’s eldest daughter. In 1861, Wilhelm became King of Prussia. Augusta was much more interested in politics than many of her predecessors and did not hesitate to voice her opinion. She despised Otto von Bismarck, statesman, diplomat, and the mastermind behind the unification of Germany in 1871, and the feeling was mutual. In 1871, Wilhelm was named the first German Emperor (Kaiser), with Augusta as his Empress (Kaiserin). Augusta founded the National Women’s Association and numerous hospitals and schools throughout Prussia to help those in need. Augusta’s husband died on March 9, 1888, and was succeeded by their son, Friedrich III. Friedrich was terminally ill with throat cancer, died just 99 days later, and was succeeded by his eldest son Wilhelm II, who became the last German Emperor and King of Prussia. Despite having been in ill health for nearly 10 years, Augusta continued to participate in official duties. Shortly after a New Year’s reception in 1890, she died at the age of 78.
Unofficial Royalty: Augusta of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, German Empress, Queen of Prussia

January 7, 1937 – Wedding of Queen Juliana of the Netherlands and Prince Bernhard of Lippe-Biesterfeld; civil ceremony in The Hague Town Hall in the Netherlands, religious ceremony at Great Church (St. Jacobskerk) in The Hague
Juliana and Bernhard first met at the 1936 Winter Olympics in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Bavaria, Germany. They became engaged during the summer of 1936 and the engagement was announced to the Dutch public on September 8, 1936. On January 7, 1937, Juliana and Bernhard had a civil ceremony in The Hague Town Hall followed by a religious service at the Great Church (St. Jacobskerk) in The Hague. Bernhard received the title of Prince of the Netherlands on the day of the wedding. Given Juliana’s position as heir to the Dutch throne, the usual bride’s vow to obey her husband was eliminated from the wedding ceremony. Juliana and Bernhard had four daughters including Juliana’s successor Queen Beatrix.
Unofficial Royalty: Wedding of Juliana of the Netherlands and Bernhard of Lippe-Biesterfeld

January 7, 1950 – Death of Prince Giuseppe of Bourbon-Parma, Titular Duke of Parma in Pianore, near Lucca, Italy
Prince Giuseppe of Bourbon-Parma was the titular Duke of Parma from 1939 until his death in 1950. As he was mentally disabled, his younger brother Elia served as regent.
Unofficial Royalty: Prince Giuseppe of Bourbon-Parma

January 7, 1960 – Death of Prince Ferdinando Pio of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, Duke of Calabria, at Villa Amsee in Lindau, Bavaria, Germany; buried at the Filialkirche St. Peter und Paul in Rieden, Swabia, Germany
Prince Ferdinando Pio, Duke of Calabria was Head of the House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies and pretender to the former throne from 1934 until his death in 1960. His death brought about a dispute between two branches of his extended family, both claiming to be the rightful heir and thus head of the House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies.
Unofficial Royalty: Prince Ferdinando Pio of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, Duke of Calabria

January 7, 1989 – Death of Emperor Shōwa of Japan (Hirohito) at the Fukiage Ōmiya Palace on the grounds of the Imperial Palace in Tokyo, Japan; buried at the Musashi Imperial Graveyard in Hachiōji, Tokyo, Japan
Emperor of Japan for 62 years, Hirohito, now known in Japan by his posthumous name Emperor Shōwa, was born during the reign of his grandfather Emperor Meiji. After World War II, some believed that Hirohito was chiefly responsible for Japan’s role in the war and others said that he was just a powerless puppet under the influence of Prime Minister Hideki Tōjō who was eventually executed for war crimes. The view promoted by both the Japanese Imperial Palace and the American occupation forces immediately after World War II portrayed Emperor Hirohito as a powerless figurehead behaving strictly according to protocol. However, since his death in 1989, a debate began to surface over the extent of his involvement and his culpability in World War II. In 1924, Hirohito married Princess Nagako Kuni. They had two sons and five daughters including Hirohito’s successor Emperor Akihito. Hirohito was very interested in marine biology and the Imperial Palace contained a laboratory where he worked. He published several scientific papers on the subject and was considered one of the most respected jellyfish experts in the world. In 1987, Emperor Hirohito underwent surgery on his pancreas after several months of digestive problems. The doctors discovered duodenal cancer. Hirohito seemed to recover well after the surgery but a year later, he collapsed. His health deteriorated and he suffered from constant internal bleeding. Emperor Hirohito died on January 7, 1989, at the age of 87.
Unofficial Royalty: Emperor Shōwa of Japan

Royal Birthdays & Anniversaries: January 7 – January 13

© Unofficial Royalty 2024

Below is a select list of birthdays and wedding anniversaries for current monarchies. It does not purport to be a complete list. Please see the Current Monarchies Index in the heading above for more information on current monarchies.

Princess Josephine and Prince Vincent, 2023; Credit – Wikipedia

13th birthday of Prince Vincent and Princess Josephine of Denmark, twin son and daughter of King Frederik IX of Denmark; born at the Rigshospitalet in Copenhagen, Denmark on January 8, 2011
Full Names: Vincent Frederik Minik Alexander and Josephine Sophia Ivalo Mathilda
Unofficial Royalty: Prince Vincent of Denmark
Unofficial Royalty: Princess Josephine of Denmark

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The Princess of Wales; Credit – Wikipedia

42nd birthday of The Princess of Wales, wife of Prince William, The Prince of Wales; born Catherine Elizabeth Middleton at the Royal Berkshire Hospital in Reading, England on January 9, 1982
Unofficial Royalty: Catherine, The Princess of Wales

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Princess Margriet of the Netherlands and Pieter van Vollenhoven; Credit – orderofsplendor.blogspot.com

57th wedding anniversary of Princess Margriet of the Netherlands and Pieter van Vollenhoven; married on January 10, 1967, at the Grote of Sint-Jacobskerk in The Hague, Netherlands
Unofficial Royalty: Princess Margriet of the Netherlands
Wikipedia: Pieter van Vollenhoven

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Luise of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg, Princess of Waldeck and Pyrmont

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2024

The County of Waldeck was a county within the Holy Roman Empire since 1180. In 1625, the much smaller County of Pyrmont became part of the much larger County of Waldeck through inheritance and the combined territory was known as the County of Waldeck-Pyrmont. In 1712, Friedrich Anton Ulrich, Count of Waldeck-Pyrmont was elevated to Prince of Waldeck-Pyrmont by Holy Emperor Karl VI.

Friedrich, the last Prince of Waldeck-Pyrmont, abdicated on November 13, 1918, and negotiated an agreement with the government that gave him and his descendants the ownership of the family home Arolsen Castle and Arolsen Forest. Today the territory that encompassed the Principality of Waldeck-Pyrmont is located in the German states of Hesse and Lower Saxony

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Luise of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg, Princess of Waldeck and Pyrmont, 1886; Credit – Wikipedia

The second wife of Georg Viktor, Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont, Princess Luise of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg was born on January 6, 1858, at Schloss Luisenlund in Kiel, Duchy of Schleswig, now in the German state of Schleswig-Holstein. Named Luise Karoline Juliane, she was the third of the three children and the second of the three daughters of Friedrich, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg and Princess Adelheid of Schaumburg-Lippe. Luise’s paternal grandparents were Friedrich Wilhelm, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg and Princess Luise Karoline of Hesse-Kassel. Her maternal grandparents were Georg Wilhelm, Prince of Schaumburg-Lippe and Princess Ida of Waldeck and Pyrmont.

Luise had four siblings:

Princess Auguste of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg (1844 – 1932), married (his fourth wife) Prince Wilhelm of Hesse-Philippsthal-Barchfeld, had one son
Friedrich Ferdinand, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein (1855 – 1934), married Princess Karoline Mathilde of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg, had six children
Princess Marie of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg (1859 – 1941), unmarried; Abbess of the Itzehoe Monastery, a Protestant unmarried or widowed noble women’s monastery
Prince Albrecht of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg (1863 – 1948), married (1) Countess Ortrud von Isenburg-Büdingen, had four children (2) Princess Hertha von Isenburg-Büdingen, had one daughter Ortrud who married Prince Ernst August IV of Hanover

Luise’s husband Georg Viktor, Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont; Credit – Wikipedia

Helena of Nassau, the first wife of Georg Viktor, Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont, had been in poor health for the last decade of her life and died on October 28, 1888, aged 57. On April 29, 1891, at Schloss Luisenlund in Güby, Duchy of Schleswig, now in the German state of Schleswig-Holstein, 60-year-old Georg Viktor married 33-year-old Luise of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg.

Luise became the stepmother to Georg Viktor’s five surviving children. Her eldest stepchild was three years older than Luise, the youngest was fifteen years younger.

Princess Pauline of Waldeck and Pyrmont (1855 – 1925), married Alexis, Prince of Bentheim and Steinfurt, had eight children
Princess Emma of Waldeck and Pyrmont (1858 – 1934), married King Willem III of the Netherlands, had one child Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands
Princess Helena of Waldeck and Pyrmont (1861 – 1922), married the youngest son of Queen Victoria, Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany, had two children including Charles Edward, last reigning Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha whose daughter Sibylla married Prince Gustaf Adolf of Sweden, Duke of Västerbotten, their son is King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden
Friedrich, Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont (1865 – 1946), married Princess Bathildis of Schaumburg-Lippe, had four children
Princess Elisabeth of Waldeck and Pyrmont (1873 – 1961) married Alexander, Prince of Erbach-Schönberg, had four children

Luise and Georg Viktor had one son Prince Wolrad of Waldeck and Pyrmont, born on June 26, 1892, in Arolsen, Principality of Waldeck-Pyrmont, now in the German state of Hesse. Through his half-sister Emma of Waldeck and Pyrmont, Wolrad was the uncle of Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands, the reigning monarch during World War I. He was also the uncle of Charles Edward, the reigning Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha during World War I, and Princess Alice of Albany through his half-sister Helena of Waldeck and Pyrmont who had married Prince, Leopold, Duke of Albany, the youngest son of Queen Victoria.

A year after the birth of his son Wolrad, Georg Viktor, aged 62, died from pneumonia on May 12, 1893, in the spa town Marienbad, Kingdom of Bohemia, now in the Czech Republic. He was buried with his first wife Helena in the Princely Cemetery at Schloss Rhoden (link in German) in Rhoden, Principality of Waldeck-Pyrmont, now in the German state of Hesse.

Luise’s son Prince Wolrad of Waldeck and Pyrmont; Credit – Wikipedia

Because he showed little interest in his studies, Wolrad was directed toward a military career. He became a Lieutenant in the Dragoon Regiment of the Grand Ducal Hessian Division of the Imperial German Army. During World War I, he fought during the early battles, the Battle of the Frontiers (August 7 – September 6, 1914) and the First Battle of the Marne (September 6 – September 12, 1914). On the evening of October 17, 1914, two months after the start of World War I, Prince Wolrad led a cavalry patrol near Moorslede, Belgium. The patrol came under fire from the advancing British troops. Several of the dragoons were hit and fell off their horses and Prince Wolrad’s horse was also hit. The prince and his aide reached a nearby trench, but then Prince Wolrad saw one of his men lying injured a short distance from the trench. The prince crawled to the wounded man and tried to pull him to safety, but was fatally hit by gunfire and died from his wounds at the age of 22.

Luise of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg, Princess of Waldeck and Pyrmont, 1907; Credit – Wikipedia

Luise survived her husband by 43 years, dying on July 2, 1936, aged 78, in Marburg an der Lahn, Germany. She was buried with her husband Georg Viktor, their son Wolrad, and her husband’s first wife Helena of Nassau in the Princely Cemetery at Schloss Rhoden (link in German) in Rhoden, Hesse, Germany.

Princely Mausoleum and Cemetery at Schloss Rhoden; Credit – www.findagrave.com

Works Cited

Flantzer, Susan. (2021). Georg Viktor, Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont. Unofficial Royalty. https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/georg-viktor-prince-of-waldeck-and-pyrmont/
Flantzer, Susan. (2021). Prince Wolrad of Waldeck-Pyrmont. Unofficial Royalty. https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/prince-wolrad-of-waldeck-pyrmont/
Wikimedia Foundation. (2023). Friedrich, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friedrich,_Duke_of_Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Gl%C3%BCcksburg
Wikimedia Foundation. (2023). Princess Louise of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Princess_Louise_of_Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Gl%C3%BCcksburg

January 6: Today in Royal History

King Richard II of England; Credit – Wikipedia

January 6, 1156 – Birth of Matilda of England, Duchess of Saxony and Bavaria, daughter of King Henry II of England, at Windsor Castle in Windsor, England
Matilda married Heinrich the Lion, Duke of Saxony and Duke of Bavaria, one of the most powerful princes of his time and one of the most important allies of his cousin Friedrich I (Barbarossa), Holy Roman Emperor. Through their youngest child, Wilhelm of Winchester, Lord of Lüneburg, they are ancestors of the House of Hanover. Matilda died at Brunswick at the age of 33, about a week before the death of her father King Henry II of England. She was buried at the still incomplete Brunswick Cathedral where her husband Heinrich was also buried upon his death in 1195.
Unofficial Royalty: Matilda of England, Duchess of Saxony and Bavaria

January 6, 1367 – Birth of King Richard II of England in the Archbishop’s Palace in Bordeaux, then in the English-held Duchy of Aquitaine, now in France
Richard was the son of Edward, Prince of Wales (known as the Black Prince), eldest son and heir of King Edward III of England, and Joan of Kent, 4th Countess of Kent in her own right. Joan was a grandchild of King Edward I of England. Because his father predeceased his own father King Edward I, 10-year-old Richard succeeded his grandfather. Richard married twice to Anne of Bohemia, daughter of Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor and King of Bohemia, and to Isabella of Valois, daughter of King Charles VI of France. Both marriages were childless. In 1399, Richard was deposed by his first cousin Henry of Bolingbroke who then reigned as Henry IV, King of England. Held in captivity at Pontefract Castle in Pontefract, West Yorkshire, England, Richard is thought to have starved to death and died on or around February 14, 1400.
Unofficial Royalty: King Richard II of England

January 6, 1655 – Birth of Eleonore Magdalene of Neuburg, Holy Roman Empress, 3rd wife of Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor, in the Palatinate-Neuburg, now in the German state of Bavaria
Eleonore Magdalene of Neuburg was the third of the three wives and also the second cousin of Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor who was also King of Hungary, King of Bohemia, Archduke of Austria, King of Croatia, Duke of Teschen, King of the Romans, Archduke of Further Austria, and Prince of Transylvania. Leopold I had no male heir from his first tow wives. Eleanore Magdalene’s mother had 23 pregnancies and 17 live births and the family gained the reputation as a fertile family. Because of this reputation, 36-year-old Leopold chose his 21-year-old second cousin Eleonore Magdalene to be his third wife. Leopold made a good choice because his third wife Eleonore Magdalene had ten children with five surviving childhood including two Holy Roman Emperors.
Unofficial Royalty: Eleonore Magdalene of Neuburg, Holy Roman Empress

January 6, 1858 – Birth of Luise of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg, Princess of Waldeck and Pyrmont, second wife of Georg Viktor, Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont, at Schloss Luisenlund in Kiel, Duchy of Schleswig, now in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany
Luise was the second wife of Georg Viktor, Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont. Luise and Georg Viktor had one son, Prince Wolrad, who was killed in action during World War I.
Unofficial Royalty: Luise of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg, Princess of Waldeck and Pyrmont

January 6, 1875 – Birth of Princess Elsa of Liechtenstein, born Elisabeth von Gutmann in Vienna, Austria, wife of Prince Franz I of Liechtenstein
Elsa’s father was a Jewish businessman who had founded 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 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

January 6, 1900 – Birth of Marie of Romania, Queen of Yugoslavia, daughter of King Ferdinand of Romania and wife of King Alexander I of Yugoslavia, in Gotha, Duchy of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, now in Thuringia, Germany
Marie was the daughter of King Ferdinand of Romania and Princess Marie of Edinburgh, a granddaughter of Queen Victoria. In 1922, she married King Alexander I of Yugoslavia (at the time King of the Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes). The couple had three sons. Marie’s husband King Alexander was assassinated in 1934. The couple’s eldest son Peter became King of Yugoslavia at the age of 11, and a regency was established, led by King Alexander’s cousin, Prince Paul of Yugoslavia. In 1941, the family was forced into exile following the Axis invasion, and Queen Marie settled at a cottage in the countryside of England, where she remained for the rest of her life. In 1947, the Communist government of Yugoslavia formally revoked her Yugoslavian citizenship and confiscated all of her property and assets. Marie who was a great-granddaughter of Queen Victoria, lived a rather quiet life in England, pursuing her interests in painting and sculpting.
Unofficial Royalty: Marie of Romania, Queen of Yugoslavia

January 6, 1935 – Birth of Margarita Sakskoburggotska, sometimes styled Tsaritsa Margarita, wife of former Tsar Simeon II of Bulgaria, born Margarita Gomez-Acebo y Cejuela, in Madrid, Spain
Margarita grew up in a wealthy Spanish family. Her father was a lawyer involved with commercial and banking companies. In 1936, at the start of the Spanish Civil War, Margarita’s parents and her maternal grandmother were arrested by Spanish Republicans and were executed. In 1962, Margarita married the former Tsar Simeon II of Bulgaria. After their marriage, the couple resided in Madrid, Spain where all five of their children were born. Simeon reigned as Tsar of Bulgaria reigned 1943 – 1946 as a child. He was exiled from Bulgaria as a child, and never formally renounced his claim to the throne, but his wife and children have never received titles from Bulgaria. Outside of Bulgaria, Margarita is sometimes styled Tsaritsa Margarita of Bulgaria, and while in Bulgaria she is usually styled Margarita Sakskoburggotska. After the fall of the communist regime in Bulgaria, Margarita and her family were able to return to Bulgaria. Simeon announced that he intended to form a new political party. In the upcoming elections, the campaign was successful and Simeon served as Prime Minister of Bulgaria until 2005. He remained head of the party until stepping down in 2009. The couple currently resides in what was Simeon’s boyhood home, Vrana Palace, near Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria.
Unofficial Royalty: Margarita Sakskoburggotska, wife of former Tsar Simeon II of Bulgaria

January 5: Today in Royal History

Elizabeth, Empress of All Russia; Credit – Wikipedia

January 5, 1066 – Death of Saint Edward the Confessor, King of England in London, England; buried at Westminster Abbey in London, England
Edward the Confessor was the eldest of the three children of Æthelred II (the Unready), King of the English and his second wife Emma of Normandy. Before Edward became King of England in 1042, two half-brothers Edmund I and Harthacnut (son of Edward’s mother and Cnut the Great) and three Kings of Denmark, Sweyn Forkbeard, Cnut the Great, and Harold Harefoot, reigned in England. Upon his accession, Edward realized that his kingdom was divided between Saxons, Danes, and Norse with powerful earls from all three factions but to his credit, he succeeded in governing his kingdom despite those issues. In 1045, Edward married Edith of Wessex, daughter of the powerful Godwin, Earl of Wessex, the father of the last Anglo-Saxon king, Harold II Godwinson, King of England, who was defeated by William II, Duke of Normandy (William the Conqueror) at the Battle of Hastings in 1066. The marriage was childless and Edward treated Edith with great respect and endowed her with valuable property all over England. In 1042, Edward began rebuilding St. Peter’s Abbey to provide himself with a royal burial church, the first Westminster Abbey. It is possible that Edward had a series of strokes in 1065. He was too ill to attend the dedication of Westminster Abbey, on December 28, 1065, and died several days later. Edward was buried before the high altar in his new Westminster Abbey. In 1245, the construction of the second and present church was begun by King Henry III who selected the site for his burial. King Henry III oversaw a grand ceremony on October 13, 1269, to rebury Edward the Confessor in a magnificent new shrine, personally helping to carry the body to its new resting place.
Unofficial Royalty: Edward the Confessor, King of England

January 5, 1209 – Birth of Richard, Earl of Cornwall, son of King John of England, at Winchester Castle in Winchester, England
In 1231, Richard married 30-year-old, widowed Isabel Marshal, daughter of William Marshal, 1st Earl of Pembroke, who had served three kings: Henry II, Richard I, and John, and had been the protector of Richard’s brother King Henry III, and regent of the kingdom. Isabel died in delivering her fourth child who also died. In 1243, Richard married Sanchia of Provence, who was the sister of Eleanor of Provence, the wife of his brother King Henry III. The couple had two children and Sanchia died in 1261. The displeasure of the English nobility with King Henry III ultimately resulted in a civil war, the Second Barons’ War (1264–1267). The leader of the forces against Henry was led by his brother-in-law Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester, who was married to Henry’s sister Eleanor. Richard was a supporter of his brother during the Second Barons’ War. He was taken prisoner at the Battle of Lewes and was imprisoned until his nephew the future King Edward I led the royalists into battle, defeating and killing de Montfort at the Battle of Evesham in 1265. 60-year-old Richard made a third marriage to 15-year-old Beatrice of Falkenburg in1269. In 1271, Richard had a stroke that paralyzed his right side and caused him to lose the ability to speak. He died one year later at the age of 63.
Unofficial Royalty: Richard, Earl of Cornwall

January 5, 1430 – Death of Philippa of England, Queen of Denmark, Sweden and Norway, daughter of King Henry IV of England and wife of Eric of Pomerania, King of Denmark, Sweden and Norway at Vadstena Abbey in Sweden; buried in St. Anna’s Chapel, which she had built at the Vadstena Abbey Church
In 1405, a marriage was arranged between Philippa and Eric of Pomerania, who was the heir to his great aunt Queen Margrethe I of Denmark, Sweden, and Norway. In 1406, at Lund Cathedral in Lund, Sweden, 12-year-old Philippa and 25-year-old Eric were married. Documentation from the wedding indicates that Philippa wore a tunic with a cloak in white silk bordered with gray squirrel and ermine, making her the first documented princess to wear a white wedding dress. Philippa was actively involved in state affairs. She was given large tracts of land in Sweden as her dower lands and acted as her husband’s representative in Sweden, where she spent much time. After 23 years of marriage, Philippa gave birth, for the first and last time, to a stillborn boy in 1429. Her health deteriorated after the stillbirth and during a visit to Vadstena Abbey, Philippa died at the age of 35. Her death was a great loss to both her husband Eric and the monarchy.
Unofficial Royalty: Philippa of England, Queen of Denmark, Sweden, and Norway

January 5, 1589 – Death of Catherine de’ Medici, wife of King Henri II of France, at Château de Blois in Blois, France; originally buried at Saint-Sauveur Church in Blois, reburied at the Basilica of Saint-Denis near Paris, France
Catherine de’ Medici was a member of the Italian House of Medici, a banking family and political dynasty that first came to prominence during the first half of the 15th century in the Republic of Florence. Catherine and her sister became wealthy heiresses after the early deaths of their parents. Their wealth did not go unnoticed by François I, King of France, Catherine’s future-father-in-law. In 1533, Catherine married Henri, Duke of Orléans, the second son of François I, King of France. At this time, Henri’s elder brother François III, Duke of Brittany, Dauphin of France was the heir to the throne and there was little prospect of Henri becoming King of France. In 1536, Henri’s elder brother François died at the age of 18 and Henri became the heir to the French throne. Catherine and Henri had ten children, seven surviving to adulthood. Henri succeeded his father as King Henri II of France on March 31, 1547, his 28th birthday. In 1559, King Henri II, aged 40, died due to injuries suffered while jousting in a tournament, Catherine played an important role in the government of France as three of her sons reigned as King of France: François II (the first of the three husbands of Mary, Queen of Scots), Charles IX, and Henri III. Catherine died at the age of 69 from pleurisy.
Unofficial Royalty: Catherine de’ Medici, Queen of France

January 5, 1762 – Death of Elizabeth, Empress of All Russia at the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg, Russia; buried at the Peter and Paul Cathedral in St. Petersburg, Russia
During the ten-year reign of her cousin Anna, Empress of All Russia, Elizabeth had been gathering support in the background. After the infant Ivan VI succeeded Anna, a conspiracy soon arose with the aim of obtaining the Russian throne for Elizabeth Petrovna, the only surviving child of Peter I the Great, Emperor of All Russia. A coup took place during the night of December 5-6, 1741 with financial support from France and military support from the Preobrazhensky Regiment. Empress Elizabeth never married and a particularly difficult problem for her was the succession. She had appointed her nephew Peter Feodorovich, her sister’s only child, born Karl Peter Ulrich of Holstein-Gottorp, as her successor. Elizabeth did not love her nephew and his political views did not suit her because he was an admirer of her enemy Friedrich II (the Great), King of Prussia. On January 3, 1762, Elizabeth had a massive stroke and the doctors agreed she would not recover. Elizabeth, alert and clear-headed, showed no signs of wishing to change the succession. She asked her nephew Peter to look after his son Paul, who she dearly loved. Peter quickly promised to do so, knowing that Elizabeth could change the succession with a single word. Elizabeth died two days later at the age of 52. The reign of Peter III, Emperor of All Russia lasted only six months. He was deposed by his wife, born Princess Sophie of Anhalt-Zerbst, who reigned as Catherine II (the Great), Empress of All Russia.
Unofficial Royalty: Elizabeth, Empress of All Russia

January 5, 1827 – Death of Frederick, Duke of York, son of King George III of the United Kingdom, at Rutland House, Arlington Street in London, England; buried at St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle in Windsor, England
Prince Frederick, Duke of York was the second son of King George III. In 1780, King George III decided that Frederick would have a career in the army and made the 17-year-old a colonel. Frederick attained his highest rank as Field Marshal and Commander-in-Chief of the Forces of Great Britain and Ireland in 1795. As Commander-in-Chief, Frederick instituted a number of reforms in the British Army. In 1801, he supported the founding of the Royal Military College, Sandhurst for training infantry and cavalry officers. He was also in charge of the preparations against Napoleon’s planned invasion of the United Kingdom in 1803. In 1791, Frederick married Princess Frederica Charlotte of Prussia, daughter of King Friedrich Wilhelm II of Prussia. The marriage was unsuccessful. Frederick was unfaithful and the couple was unable to have children. In 1794, the couple separated and Frederica lived out her life at Oatlands Park in Weybridge, Surrey England. With Frederick’s death in 1827 at the age of 63, King George III’s third childless son William, Duke of Clarence (the future King William IV) became the heir to the throne and Frederick’s seven-year-old niece, the only child of King George III’s fourth son Edward, Duke of Kent, moved a step closer to the throne she would inherit as Queen Victoria.
Unofficial Royalty: Prince F rederick, Duke of York

January 5, 1901 – Death of Karl Alexander, Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach in Weimar, Grand Duchy of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, now in Thuringia, Germany; buried in the Weimarer Fürstengruft in the Historical Cemetery in Weimar
In 1842, Karl Alexander married Princess Sophie of the Netherlands, the daughter of King Willem II of the Netherlands and Grand Duchess Anna Pavlovna of Russia. As their mothers were sisters, Karl Alexander and Sophie were first cousins. They had four children but their only son predeceased his father and so he was succeeded by his grandson Wilhelm Ernst. Karl Alexander became Grand Duke upon his father’s death in 1853. He was a great supporter of the arts and developed numerous friendships with some of the greatest writers, poets, and musicians of the day. Karl Alexander died at the age of 82.
Unofficial Royalty: Karl Alexander, Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach

January 5, 1909 – Birth of Princess Ileana of Romania, Archduchess of Austria-Tuscany in Bucharest, Romania
Ileana was the daughter of King Ferdinand I of Romania and Princess Marie of Edinburgh, a granddaughter of Queen Victoria. In 1931, she married Archduke Anton of Austria, Prince of Tuscany. Ileana’s brother King Carol II of Romania banished the couple from the country, claiming that the Romanian people would never tolerate a Habsburg living on Romanian soil. They settled at Castle Sonnenburg, just outside of Vienna, Austria and the couple had six children. After World War II, Ileana and her husband lived in Argentina before purchasing a house in Massachusetts, to allow for proper schooling for the children. Ileana and Anton divorced in May 1954, and Ileana remarried a month later, to Dr. Stefan Issarescu. This marriage would also end in divorce. In 1961, Illeana entered an Orthodox monastery in France, eventually becoming a nun, and taking on the name Mother Alexandra. Returning to the United States, she founded a monastery in Ellwood City, Pennsylvania, and served as abbess. She retired from her position as abbess in 1981 but remained at the monastery for the remainder of her life.
Unofficial Royalty: Princess Ileana of Romania, Archduchess of Austria-Tuscany

January 5, 1921 – Birth of Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg at Berg Castle in Colmar-Berg, Luxembourg
Full name: Jean Benoit Guillaume Robert Antoine Louis Marie Adolphe Marc d’Aviano
Grand Duke Jean was the eldest of six children of Grand Duchess Charlotte of Luxembourg and Prince Félix of Bourbon-Parma. During World War II, Jean joined the Irish Guards of the British Army on the advice of King George VI of the United Kingdom. After some preliminary training, Jean completed his military education at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. He was commissioned as a second lieutenant and later was promoted to lieutenant. Jean landed near Bayeux, Normandy five days after D-Day. He took part in the Battle for Caen and the liberation of Brussels. On September 10, 1944, he took part in the liberation of Luxembourg before participating in the invasion of Germany. In 1953, Jean married Princess Joséphine-Charlotte of Belgium, daughter of Léopold III, King of the Belgians and the couple had five children. In 1964, Jean’s mother Grand Duchess Charlotte abdicated and he became Grand Duke. Grand Duke Jean then reigned until 2000, when he abdicated in favor of his eldest son Henri. Jean died on April 23, 2019, at the age of 98, after being hospitalized with a pulmonary condition.
Unofficial Royalty: Jean, Grand Duke of Luxembourg

January 5, 1938 – Birth of King Juan Carlos of Spain in Rome, Italy
Full name: Juan Carlos Alfonso Víctor María
The son of Infante Juan, Count of Barcelona, son of King Alfonso XIII of Spain and Princess Victoria Eugenie of Battenberg, a granddaughter of Queen Victoria, and Princess María Mercedes of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, Juan Carlos was born in Rome where his family had settled after the monarchy was overthrown in 1931 and Spain became a Republic. In 1962, Juan Carlos married Princess Sophia of Greece, daughter of King Paul of Greece and Princess Frederica of Hanover. The couple had two daughters and one son. In 1969, the Spanish dictator General Francisco Franco formally named Juan Carlos as his successor, giving him the newly created title ‘The Prince of Spain’. Franco died in 1975, and Juan Carlos was proclaimed King of Spain by the Cortes, the Spanish legislature. In June 2014, King Juan Carlos abdicated in favor of his son who became King Felipe VI of Spain. In 2019, he retired completely from official duties. During recent years, Juan Carlos has been the subject of several corruption investigations. King Felipe VI announced that he would renounce any future inheritance from his father that was connected with his foreign bank accounts and he also stripped Juan Carlos of his annual stipend. In 2020, Juan Carlos informed his son, via a letter, of his decision to leave Spain because of increased media press concerning his business dealings in Saudi Arabia. The Royal Household confirmed that Juan Carlos was in the United Arab Emirates. His wife Queen Sofia remained in Spain and continued with her activities.
Unofficial Royalty: King Juan Carlos of Spain

January 5, 1946 – Birth of Prince Tomohito of Mikasa (Japan) in his father’s family home in Hayama, Kanagawa, Japan
Tomohito was the grandson of Emperor Taishō, the nephew of Emperor Hirohito (Shōwa), and the first cousin of Emperor Akihito. He graduated from Gakushuin University in Japan with a Bachelor’s degree in political science. He then studied at Magdalen College, University of Oxford, in the United Kingdom. While studying at the University of Oxford, Prince Tomohito met Nobuko Asō whom he married in 1980. The couple had two daughters. Tomohito had serious health issues. In 1991, he was diagnosed with esophageal cancer which went into remission. Over the years, Tomohito was treated sixteen times for various forms of cancer including larynx cancer, throat cancer, and recurrences of the cancers. He died in 2012 from multiple organ failure due to the cancers.
Unofficial Royalty: Prince Tomohito of Mikasa

January 5, 1997 – Death of Prince Bertil of Sweden, Duke of Halland at his home, Villa Solbacken in Djurgården, Sweden; buried at the Royal Cemetery at Haga Park in Solna, Sweden
Bertil was the son of King Gustav VI Adolf of Sweden and his first wife Margaret of Connaught, a granddaughter of Queen Victoria, who died before her husband became King of Sweden. Bertil served as an active naval officer. While serving as a naval attaché at the Swedish Embassy in London, Bertil met Welsh-born Lilian Craig (born May Lillian Davies) who was married to Scottish actor Ivan Craig. Bertil and Lilian soon became a couple, but their relationship remained a secret to the public for a long time. Craig was serving in World War II and when he returned home in 1945, the couple had an amicable divorce. At that time Bertil was third in the line of succession to the Swedish throne. By the time his father came to the throne in 1950, Bertil was now second in the line of succession. His elder brother Gustaf Adolf had been killed in a plane crash in 1947, leaving an infant son, Carl Gustaf, the future King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden, the heir to the throne. With the likelihood of Bertil being called to serve as Regent for his young nephew, he and Lilian chose not to marry so that he could retain his position in the Royal Family. Bertil’s father died in 1973, and Bertil’s nephew became King Carl XVI Gustaf. The rules, as well as the times, were beginning to change. In 1976, King Carl Gustaf married a commoner, Sylvia Sommerlath, and soon after, he granted his formal permission for Bertil and Lilian to marry. The couple married on December 7, 1976, at the Drottningholm Palace Chapel in the presence of the king and the queen. Bertil and Lilian had no children. Prince Bertil, aged 84, died after several years of declining health. Princess Lilian survived her husband for sixteen years, dying in 2013, at the age of 97.
Unofficial Royalty: Bertil of Sweden, Duke of Halland

January 4: Today in Royal History

Margherita of Savoy, Queen of Italy, Credit – Wikipedia

January 4, 1825 – Death of Ferdinando I, King of the Two Sicilies in Naples, the Kingdom of Naples, now in Italy; buried at the Basilica of Santa Chiara in Naples
In 1759, upon the death of his childless half-brother King Ferdinand VI of Spain, Ferdinando’s father King Carlos IV of Naples and Sicily succeeded him as King Carlos III of Spain. Because of treaties, Carlos could not be the sovereign of all three kingdoms. His eldest son Felipe was excluded from the succession because of intellectual disability and his second son Carlos was the heir apparent to the Spanish throne. That left the third son Ferdinando to become King of Naples and King of Sicily. In 1768, Ferdinando married Archduchess Maria Carolina of Austria. The couple had 17 children but only seven survived childhood. Four of their five surviving daughters married sovereigns. Ferdinando’s wife Maria Carolina was better educated and more qualified to reign. As part of the marriage contract, Maria Carolina was to have a place on the council of state after the birth of her first son. From 1777 on, Maria Carolina was the de facto ruler of the Kingdoms of Naples and Sicily. Ferdinando was deposed twice: once by the revolutionary Parthenopean Republic for six months in 1799 and again by Napoleon in 1805, before being restored in 1816. In 1820, after riots in Sicily, Ferdinando Ferdinando was forced to sign a constitution and appoint his son Francesco as regent of Sicily. This only lasted until 1821, when Austrian troops friendly to Ferdinando occupied Naples. Ferdinando was re-established as an absolute monarch and the constitution was withdrawn. Ferdinando I died from a stroke at the age of 73.
Unofficial Royalty: Ferdinando I, King of the Two Sicilies

January 4, 1836 – Birth of Anna of Saxony, Hereditary Grand Duchess of Tuscany, first wife of Ferdinando IV, Grand Duke of Tuscany, in Dresden, Kingdom of Saxony, now in the German state of Saxony
Anna of Saxony was the daughter of Johann, King of Saxony. Anna’s father was a close friend of Leopoldo II, Grand Duke of Tuscany. The two families were linked by several marriages. A marriage between Anna and Leopoldo’s eldest son and heir Ferdinando, Hereditary Grand Duke of Tuscany was negotiated when the future bride and groom were still children. Anna and Ferdinando were married on November 24, 1856, and Anna gave birth to a daughter in 1858. On February 6, 1859, during a trip to Naples, Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, now in Italy, Anna miscarried a daughter due to typhoid fever. Four days later, Anna died at the age of twenty-three.
Unofficial Royalty: Anna of Saxony, Hereditary Grand Duchess of Tuscany

January 4, 1926 – Death of Margherita of Savoy, Queen of Italy, wife of King Umberto I of Italy, at Villa Margherita in Bordighera, Italy; buried at the Pantheon in Rome, Italy
In 1868, Margherita married the future King Umberto I of Italy. They had one child, the future King Vittorio Emanuele III of Italy. Margherita became Queen of Italy when her husband ascended to the throne following his father’s death in 1878. Immensely popular with the Italian people, Margherita was very active with many cultural organizations, promoting the arts, and working with the Red Cross. In 1900, Margherita’s husband was assassinated. The throne passed to the couple’s son, Vittorio Emanuele III, and Margherita settled into her new role as Queen Mother. She devoted herself to her charity work and the advancement of the arts in Italy. In 1914, Margherita purchased Villa Etelinda in Bordighera, Italy. The villa was situated in a large park, which is where Margherita had a new house built, named Villa Margherita. For the remainder of her life, she spent several months at Villa Margherita each year, entertaining numerous artists and writers as well as members of her family. Margherita died at her home at the age of 75.
Unofficial Royalty: Margherita of Savoy, Queen of Italy

January 4, 1931 – Death of Louise, Princess Royal, Duchess of Fife, daughter of King Edward VII of the United Kingdom, at her home at 15 Portman Square in London, England; first interred at St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle, later buried with her husband at the private chapel in the mausoleum of Mar Lodge in Braemar, Aberdeenshire, Scotland
Louise was the eldest daughter of King Edward VII of the United Kingdom and his wife Alexandra of Denmark. In 1889, she followed the example of her aunt Princess Louise and married a husband from the British nobility, Alexander William George Duff. Duff, as he was called, had become 6th Earl Fife upon the death of his father in 1879. Two days after Louise and Duff’s wedding, Queen Victoria created the groom Duke of Fife and Marquess of Macduff in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. Louise and Duff had a stillborn son and two daughters. As the eldest daughter of the monarch, Louise was created Princess Royal during her father’s reign, in 1905. In December 1911, the Duke and Duchess of Fife and their two daughters set off to spend the winter in Egypt and Sudan where the climate was more beneficial to Louise’s health. Their ship went aground near Morocco and then their lifeboat sank. The family was rescued, but the Duke of Fife later developed pneumonia and died in Aswan, Egypt on January 29, 1912. Louise survived her husband by nineteen years, dying at the age of 63.
Unofficial Royalty: Louise, Princess Royal, Duchess of Fife

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