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Maria Theresa, Archduchess of Austria, Queen of Hungary, Croatia, and Bohemia in her own right; Credit – Wikipedia

May 13, 1568 – Death of Sophie of Pomerania, Queen of Denmark and Norway, second wife of Frederik I, King of Denmark and Norway, in Kiel, County of Holstein, now in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany; buried in Schleswig Cathedral now in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany
In 1518, Sophie became the second wife of King Frederik I of Denmark. Sophie became the stepmother of Frederik’s two children from his first marriage and had six children with Frederik. Sophie had a long dispute with her stepson King Christian III and then his son and successor King Frederik II about her property. First, Christian III claimed Gottorp Castle for himself and forced Sophia to retire to Kiel Castle. Sophie considered the lands that her husband had bestowed upon her as her private property and she had conflicts over revenue management and the appointment of civil servants. Sophie survived her husband King Frederik I by thirty-five years, dying at Kiel Castle at the age of 70.
Unofficial Royalty: Sophie of Pomerania, Queen of Denmark and Norway

May 13, 1717 – Birth of Maria Theresa, Archduchess of Austria, and Queen of Hungary, Croatia, and Bohemia in her own right, at the Hofburg Palace in Vienna, Austria
Full name: Maria Theresa Walburga Amalia Christina
Maria Theresa’s only brother died several weeks before she was born and her two younger siblings were sisters.  Throughout his reign, her father Holy Roman Emperor Charles VI expected to have a male heir and never really prepared Maria Theresa for her future role as sovereign. Upon her father’s death, Maria Theresa became Queen of Hungary, Croatia, and Bohemia in her own right. She was unable to become the sovereign of the Holy Roman Empire because she was female. Via a treaty, Maria Theresa arranged for her husband Francis Stephen, Duke of Lorraine to be elected Holy Roman Emperor. Despite the snub, Maria Theresa wielded the real power. Maria Theresa and her husband had had sixteen children but eight of them died in childhood. Two of their sons were Holy Roman Emperors and their daughter Maria Antonia married King Louis XVI of France and became Queen Marie Antoinette of France.
Unofficial Royalty: Maria Theresa, Archduchess of Austria, and Queen of Hungary, Croatia, and Bohemia

May 13, 1767 – Birth of King João VI of Portugal at the Queluz Palace in Lisbon, Portugal
Full name: João Maria José Francisco Xavier de Paula Luís António Domingos Rafael
João VI was the son of Maria I, Queen of Portugal and her husband and paternal uncle Pedro III, King of Portugal. Because Maria I’s father José I, King of Portugal had no sons, it was inevitable that Maria would become the reigning Queen of Portugal. However, since female succession to the throne of Portugal had never happened before, her father decided that Maria would marry his younger brother Infante Pedro of Portugal, then the first male in the line of succession. In 1792, because of his mother’s mental instability, João took over the government on his mother’s behalf but he did not assume the title of Prince Regent until 1799. In 1816, Maria I, Queen of Portugal died, and her son succeeded her as João VI, King of Portugal, Brazil, and the Algarves. On March 4, 1826, after returning from a visit to the Jerónimos Monastery in Lisbon, João suddenly fell ill with symptoms that included vomiting and convulsions., and died six days later. Doctors could not definitively determine a cause of death but it was suspected that João VI had been poisoned. In 2000, a team of researchers exhumed the Chinese 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.
Unofficial Royalty: King João VI of Portugal

May 13, 1768 – Death of Princess Louisa Anne of Wales, daughter of Frederick, Prince of Wales and sister of King George III of Great Britain, at Carlton House on Pall Mall in London, England; buried at Westminster Abbey in London, England, in the Hanover Vault under the central part of the Henry VII Chapel
Louisa Anne’s father never became King, dying when Louisa Anne was two years old and leaving a pregnant widow with eight children. Louise Anna was in poor health from birth and this caused several; unsuccessful marriage negotiations. By 1764, Louisa Anne’s health was deteriorating due to tuberculosis and she became an invalid. On May 13, 1768, nineteen-year-old Louisa Anne died from tuberculosis.
Unofficial Royalty: Princess Louisa Anne of Wales

May 13, 1778 – Birth of Honoré V, Prince of Monaco in Paris, France
Full name: Honoré Gabriel
The French Revolution had dire consequences for the princely family of Monaco. In January 1793, Honoré V’s grandfather Honoré III, Prince of Monaco was officially declared deposed, and France annexed the Principality of Monaco. Members of the former ruling Grimaldi dynasty lost all aristocratic privileges in France, were dispossessed of their French property, and became French citizens. During the Reign of Terror, in September 1793, Honoré V’s parents Honoré IV and Louise, his eight-year-old brother Florestan, and his grandfather Honoré III were arrested and imprisoned in Paris as enemies of the people. Fifteen-year-old Honoré V somehow escaped imprisonment. Illnesses resulting from his imprisonment incapacitated Honoré IV in his later years, and following the re-establishment of the Principality of Monaco in 1814, a regency was established to rule in Honoré’s name. This regency was first directed by his brother Joseph Grimaldi, then from 1815 by his son, the Hereditary Prince Honoré, who succeeded him in 1819 as Sovereign Prince Honoré V.
Unofficial Royalty: Honoré V, Prince of Monaco

May 13, 1822 – Birth of Francisco, Duke of Cadiz, King Consort of Queen Isabella II of Spain, at the Royal Palace of Aranjuez in Aranjuez, Spain
Full name: João Maria José Francisco Xavier de Paula Luís António Domingos Rafael
Francisco married his double first cousin, the sixteen-year-old Queen Isabella II of Spain. Francisco and Isabella’s marriage was not happy and there were persistent rumors that few, if any, of her children, were fathered by her husband. Nevertheless, Francisco claimed all the children as his.  Only five of the nine reached adulthood.  The only surviving son was King Alfonso XII of Spain, the great-great-grandfather of the current Spanish monarch, King Felipe VI.
Unofficial Royalty: Francisco, Duke of Cadiz, King Consort of Spain

May 13, 1896 – Birth of Josias, Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont at Arolsen Castle in Arolsen, then in the Principality of Waldeck and Pyrmont, now in the German state of Hesse
Full name: Josias Georg Wilhelm Adolf
Josias, Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont, a convicted Nazi war criminal, was the last heir apparent to the throne of the Principality of Waldeck and Pyrmont, and Head of the Princely House of Waldeck and Pyrmont from 1946 until his death in 1967.
Unofficial Royalty: Josias, Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont

May 13, 1883 – Birth of Caroline Lacroix, mistress of Leopold II, King of the Belgians, in Bucharest, Romania
Caroline was the mistress of King Leopold II from 1900 until his death in 1909. She was just sixteen years old when their relationship began, while Leopold was nearly fifty years her senior. The couple had two sons. Caroline frequently accompanied Leopold on his travels including accompanying him to London in 1901 for the funeral of his first cousin Queen Victoria.
Unofficial Royalty: Caroline Lacroix, mistress of Leopold II, King of the Belgians

May 13, 1895 – Birth of Heinrich XLV, Hereditary Prince Reuss of Gera, son of Heinrich XXVII, 5th and the last reigning Prince Reuss of Gera, at Schloss Ebersdorf in Ebersdorf, Principality of Reuss-Gera, now in Saalburg-Ebersdorf in Thuringia, Germany
Heinrich XLV was a lover of theater and worked in the theater as a director, author, and consultant. He became a Nazi sympathizer and member of the Nazi Party. After World War II, the area that included the property and assets of Heinrich XLV was in the area of Germany the Soviet Union controlled. It eventually became part of East Germany. In August 1945, Heinrich XLV was arrested by the Soviet military and has been missing ever since. He was likely imprisoned and killed at NKVD special camp Nr. 2, the former German concentration camp Buchenwald, which was transformed into one of the post–World War II internment camps in the Soviet-occupied parts of Germany. He was legally pronounced dead in 1962.
Unofficial Royalty: Heinrich XLV, Hereditary Prince Reuss of Gera

May 13, 1900 – Birth of Georg Moritz, Hereditary Prince of Saxe-Altenburg, Head of the House of Saxe-Altenburg
Full name: Wilhelm Georg Moritz Ernst Albrecht Friedrich Karl Constantine Eduard Maximilian
Georg Moritz was the Hereditary Prince of Saxe-Altenburg and the last Head of the House of Saxe-Altenburg. Upon his death with no heir, the House of Saxe-Altenburg merged into the House of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach.
Unofficial Royalty: Georg Moritz, Hereditary Prince of Saxe-Altenburg, Head of the House of Saxe-Altenburg

May 13, 1979 – Birth of Prince Carl Philip of Sweden, son of King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden, at the Royal Palace in Stockholm, Sweden
Full name: Carl Philip Edmund Bertil
Carl Philip is the only son and the second of the three children of King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden. In 1979, the Riksdag, the Swedish legislature, introduced an Act of Succession that changed the succession to absolute primogeniture, meaning that the eldest child of the monarch, regardless of gender, is first in the line of succession. This Act of Succession became law on January 1, 1980, making Sweden the first country to adopt absolute primogeniture. The previous 1810 Act of Succession allowed only males to inherit the throne. Carl Philip had been born Crown Prince and retained his title and first place in the succession for seven months until January 1, 1980, when his elder sister Victoria became Crown Princess and heir apparent.
Unofficial Royalty: Prince Carl Philip of Sweden

May 13, 2008 – Death of Saad Al-Abdullah Al-Salim Al-Sabah, 4th Emir of Kuwait at Shaab Palace in Kuwait City, Kuwait; buried at Sulaibikhat Cemetery in Sulaibikhat, Al Asimah, Kuwait
Saad Al-Abdullah Al-Salim Al-Sabah reigned only a little more than a week from January 15-24, 2006. He abdicated due to ill health.
Unofficial Royalty: Saad Al-Abdullah Al-Salim Al-Sabah, 4th Emir of Kuwait

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King Gustav I Vasa of Sweden; Credit – Wikipedia

May 12, 1496 – Birth of King Gustav I Vasa of Sweden at Rydboholm Castle in Lindholmen, Uppland, Sweden
Gustav I Vasa, the first king of the House of Vasa, is considered the founding father of the modern Swedish state. He ranks among Sweden’s greatest monarchs and some argue that he was the most significant ruler in Swedish history. He ended foreign domination in Sweden, centralized and reorganized the government, cut religious ties to Rome, established the Church of Sweden, and founded Sweden’s hereditary monarchy. In the late 1550s, Gustav I’s health declined. He died, aged 64, at Tre Kronor Castle (Three Crowns Castle) which stood on the site of the present Stockholm Palace in Stockholm, Sweden. The official cause of death was cholera but it may have been dysentery or typhoid.
Unofficial Royalty: King Gustav I Vasa of Sweden

May 12, 1707 – Birth of Countess Maria Anna Kottulinska von Kottulin, the fourth of the four wives of Josef Johann Adam, Prince of Liechtenstein
Maria Anna and Josef Johann Adam were married on August 22, 1729, in Vaduz, Liechtenstein. They had two children who died in infancy.  After Josef Johann Adam died in 1732, Maria Anna married Count Ludwig Ferdinand von Schulenburg-Oeynhausen. Maria Anna, aged 80, died on February 6, 1788, in Vienna, Austria. She was buried at the Mariabrunn Pilgrimage Church in Vienna, Austria but her tomb has not been preserved
Unofficial Royalty: The Four Wives of Josef Johann Adam, Prince of Liechtenstein

May 12, 1874 – Birth of Archduke Peter Ferdinand of Austria in Salzburg, Austria
Archduke Peter Ferdinand of Austria, Prince of Tuscany was the Pretender to the former Grand Ducal throne of Tuscany from 1921 until he died in 1948.
Unofficial Royalty: Archduke Peter Ferdinand of Austria

May 12, 1893 – Death of Georg Viktor, Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont in Marienbad, Bohemia, now in the Czech Republic; buried at Princely Burial Crypt in Rhoden, Principality of Waldeck-Pyrmont, now in Hesse, Germany
In 1845, Georg Viktor’s father died and his mother Emma served as Regent of the Principality of Waldeck-Pyrmont until he reached his majority in 1852. In 1853, Georg Victor married Helena of Nassau. Helena proved to be very successful in finding suitable marriages for their children by making contact with various European royal houses. Because of her efforts, the relatively poor House of Waldeck-Pyrmont was linked to the richer ruling dynasties of Würtemberg, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom. Their daughter Emma married King Willem III of the Netherlands and their daughter Helena married Queen Victoria’s son Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany. Georg Viktor and his wife Helena are the ancestors of the Dutch royal family through their daughter Emma and the Swedish royal family through their daughter Helena. Three years after Georg Viktor’s wife Helena died in 1888, he married Louise of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg. They had one son, Prince Wolrad, who was killed in action during World War I. A year after the birth of his son Wolrad, Georg Viktor, aged 62, died from pneumonia on May 12, 1893.
Unofficial Royalty: Georg Viktor, Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont

May 12, 1937 – Coronation of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth of the United Kingdom at Westminster Abbey in London, England
The coronation of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth was the first coronation to be broadcast on radio and the first coronation to be filmed.
Unofficial Royalty: Coronation of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth

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Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich of Russia; Credit – Wikipedia

May 11, 1366 – Birth of Anne of Bohemia, Queen of England, first wife of King Richard II of England, in Prague, Kingdom of Bohemia, now in the Czech Republic
When Richard II was 15, a bride was sought for him, and Anne, daughter of Karl IV, Holy Roman Emperor and King of Bohemia, seemed a logical choice as Bohemia and the Holy Roman Empire were seen as potential allies against France in the ongoing Hundred Years’ War. Their marriage was childless and Anne died from the plague at the age of 28.
Unofficial Royalty: Anne of Bohemia, Queen of England

May 11, 1857 – Birth of Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich of Russia, son of Alexander II, Emperor of All Russia, at the Catherine Palace at Tsarskoye Selo, near St. Petersburg, Russia
Sergei married  Princess Elisabeth “Ella” of Hesse and by Rhine, a granddaughter of Queen Victoria but their marriage was childless. The couple was very close with Sergei’s brother Alexander III, Emperor of All Russia and his wife Empress Maria Feodorovna and were often asked to represent them at royal events elsewhere in the world.  In 1891, Alexander III appointed his brother Serge Governor-General of Moscow. In 1905 in Moscow, Sergei was killed when an assassin threw a nitroglycerin bomb into his carriage. The bomb landed in Sergei’s lap and exploded.
Unofficial Royalty: Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich of Russia

May 11, 1942 – Birth of Princess Irene of Greece and Denmark, daughter of King Paul of Greece, in Cape Town, South Africa
Irene is the younger sister of Queen Sofia of Spain and the late King Constantine II of Greece. She was born in South Africa, where her family lived in exile during World War II. They returned to Greece in 1946, and the following year, Irene’s father became King of Greece. Irene never married and by the time of her mother’s death in 1981, she had spent large amounts of time in Spain, which became her permanent residence. Irene lives in an apartment at Zarzuela Palace in Madrid, Spain, the home of her sister Sofia. In 2018, Irene was granted Spanish citizenship by Royal Decree.
Unofficial Royalty: Princess Irene of Greece and Denmark

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Ekaterina Pavlovna of Russia, Queen Catherina of Württemberg; Credit – Wikipedia

May 10, 1403 – Death of Katherine Swynford, Duchess of Lancaster, 3rd wife of John of Gaunt, 1st Duke of Lancaster, a son of King Edward III of England, in Lincoln, England; buried at Lincoln Cathedral in Lincoln, England
Katherine Swynford was the long-time mistress and the third wife of John of Gaunt, 1st Duke of Lancaster, the fourth but the third surviving son of King Edward III of England and Philippa of Hainault. The descendants of Katherine Swynford and John of Gaunt are significant in English and Scottish history. The Tudor dynasty was directly descended from their eldest son John Beaufort, great-grandfather of King Henry VII of England, the first monarch of the House of Tudor. Katherine and John of Gaunt are the great-grandparents of King Edward IV and King Richard III from the House of York. Their granddaughter Joan Beaufort married James I, King of Scots, and was an ancestor of the Scots House of Stuart and the English House of Stuart.
Unofficial Royalty: Katherine Swynford, Duchess of Lancaster

May 10, 1726 – Death of Charles Beauclerk, 1st Duke of St Albans, an illegitimate son of King Charles II of England and Nell Gwynne in Bath, England; buried at Westminster Abbey in London, England
Wikipedia: Charles Beauclerk, 1st Duke of St Albans

May 10, 1743 – Death of Melusine von der Schulenburg, Duchess of Kendal, mistress of King George I of Great Britain, at her home Kendal House in Isleworth, London, England; buried at Grosvenor Chapel in South Audley Street, London, England
In 1691, Melusine became the mistress of George, Electoral Prince of Hanover, the future Elector of Hanover and King George I of Great Britain. Despite the fact that the future King George I had affairs while he lived in Hanover, when his wife had one, she was divorced, sent off to a German castle for the rest of her life, and her lover disappeared, supposedly murdered. Melusine was more like a wife to George. She accompanied him to London when he became King of Great Britain and became a naturalized British citizen. After George I’s death, Melusine lived out the remainder of her life at her London home in the companionship of a large bird, probably a raven, in which she believed that George’s soul had been reincarnated. Melusine died, aged 75, at her London home Kendal House.
Unofficial Royalty: Melusine von der Schulenburg, Duchess of Kendal, mistress of King George I of Great Britain

May 10, 1752 – Birth of Amalie of Zweibrücken-Birkenfeld-Bischweiler, Queen of Saxony, wife of King Friedrich August I of Saxony, in Mannheim, Palatinate-Zweibrücken-Birkenfeld-Bischweiler, now in Baden-Württemberg Germany
Full name: Maria Amalie Auguste
At the time of her marriage, Amalie became the Electress of Saxony, the last to hold this title. In addition to three stillborn children, Amalie and her husband had one daughter.  In 1806, Amalie became the first Queen of Saxony when the Electorate of Saxony was elevated to a Kingdom, and her husband assumed the throne as King Friedrich August I.
Unofficial Royalty: Amalie of Zweibrücken-Birkenfeld-Bischweiler, Queen of Saxony

May 10, 1774 – Death of King Louis XV of France at the Palace of Versailles; buried at the Basilica of Saint-Denis near Paris, France
When he was five years old, Louis XV succeeded his great-grandfather King Louis XIV and reigned as King of France for 59 years. He is the second-longest reigning King of France after his great-grandfather King Louis XIV who reigned for 72 years. In 1725, Louis XV married Maria Leszczyńska, daughter of the deposed King Stanisław I of Poland. The couple had ten children but all their sons predeceased Louis XV and so he was succeeded by his grandson, the ill-fated King Louis XVI. King Louis XV’s reign saw France’s entry in The War of the Austrian Succession in 1740, with France gaining significant amounts of territory.  However, at the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle in 1748, Louis returned the lands back to their rightful owners.  For this, he was greatly praised throughout Europe but became very unpopular within his own country.  A few years later, Louis would find France at war with Great Britain in the French and Indian War and soon pulled into the Seven Years’ War. King Louis XV died of smallpox at the Palace of Versailles on May 10, 1774.
Unofficial Royalty: King Louis XV of France

May 10, 1775 – Death of Caroline Matilda of Wales, Queen of Denmark, wife of King Christian VII of Denmark, sister of King George III of the United Kingdom, at Celle Castle in Celle, Duchy of Brunswick-Lüneburg, now in Lower Saxony, Germany; buried at Stadtkirche St. Marien in Celle
Soon after her marriage to her first cousin Christian VII, Caroline Matilda discovered he was severely mentally ill. Johann Friedrich Struensee, Christian’s doctor, had some success dealing with the king but he also became the lover of the ill-treated Caroline Matilda, whose marriage was less than satisfactory. When the affair became known, Sturensee was brutally executed and Caroline Matilda’s marriage was dissolved, she lost her title of Queen and was forcibly separated from her children whom she never saw again. She was held in custody for the rest of her life at Celle Castle in the Kingdom of Hanover. Her time in custody proved to be short.  Three years later, Caroline Matilda died of “a putrid fever and sore throat,” probably scarlet fever at the age of 23.
Unofficial Royalty: Caroline Matilda of Wales, Queen of Denmark

May 10, 1788 – Birth of Queen Catherina of Württemberg, second wife of King Wilhelm I of Württemberg, born Grand Duchess Ekaterina Pavlovna of Russia at the Catherine Palace in Tsarskoye Selo, Russia
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: Grand Duchess Catherine Pavlovna of Russia, Queen of Württemberg

May 10, 1794 – Execution of Madame Elisabeth of France, sister of King Louis XVI of France, at the Place de la Révolution in Paris; first buried in a common grave at the Errancis Cemetery in Paris, later reburied with other victims of the guillotine in the Catacombs of Paris
Elisabeth was devoted to her brother King Louis XVI and with his permission declined all marriage offers so that she could remain in France. She accompanied her brother and his family to imprisonment in the notorious Temple where they were imprisoned. On May 9, 1794, Elisabeth was transferred to the Conciergerie where she was tried and condemned to be executed the next day.  She was executed by the guillotine at the Place de la Révolution in Paris (now called Place de la Concorde) with 23 other people.  A very religious person, Elisabeth comforted and prayed with several others awaiting execution.
Unofficial Royalty: Madame Elisabeth of France

May 10, 1978 – Birth of Princess Lalla Salma of Morocco, former wife of King Mohammed VI of Morocco, born Salma Bennani in Fez, Morocco
On March 21, 2002, Salma Bennani married King Mohammed VI of Morocco at the Royal Palace in Rabat. She was granted the style Her Royal Highness and the title Princess Lalla. The couple had two children, Crown Prince Moulay Hassan, born in 2003 and Princess Lalla Khadija, born in 2007. A March 2018 article in the Spanish magazine Hola! mentioned that King Mohammed and Princess Lalla Salma had divorced according to sources close to the palace, however, there has been no formal announcement from the royal court.
Unofficial Royalty: Princess Lalla Salma of Morocco

May 10, 2020 – Birth of Prince Charles of Luxembourg, son of Hereditary Prince Guillaume of Luxembourg, at the Grand Duchess Charlotte Maternity Hospital in Luxembourg City, Luxembourg
Full Name: Charles Jean Philippe Joseph Marie Guillaume
Prince Charles is the second in the line of succession to the throne of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg after his father.
Unofficial Royalty: Prince Charles of Luxembourg

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Zita of Bourbon-Parma, Empress of Austria; Credit – Wikipedia

May 9, 1849 – Birth of Empress Shōken of Japan, wife of Emperor Meiji of Japan, born Lady Masako Ichijō in Heian-kyō, Japan
Lady Masako Ichijō, the third daughter of Tadaka Ichijō, a government minister and the head of the Ichijō branch of the Fujiwara clan, married Emperor Meiji in 1869. The new Empress would be the first Empress Consort of Japan to play a public role but sadly, she had no children. Emperor Meiji had fifteen children by five official ladies-in-waiting but only five children survived to adulthood. The Empress officially adopted Yoshihito, her husband’s eldest surviving son by a concubine, as was the custom. Yoshihito succeeded his father as Emperor and is known as Emperor Taishō, his posthumous name.
Unofficial Royalty: Empress Shōken of Japan

May 9, 1867 – Birth 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 Pierreval, France
Marie Juliette and Prince Louis met while she was working as a hostess in a cabaret in Paris, France. By the following year, she was working as a seamstress in a military barracks in Constantine, Algeria, where Prince Louis was also based. Later that year, Marie Juliette gave birth to the couple’s daughter Charlotte. The couple was not allowed to marry but their daughter Charlotte was later recognized as a member of the Princely Family of Monaco, and in 1919, was formally adopted by Prince Louis, becoming Princess Charlotte of Monaco, Duchess of Valentinois.
Unofficial Royalty: Marie Juliette Louvet

May 9, 1871 – Birth of Grand Duke George Alexandrovich of Russia, son of Alexander III, Emperor of All Russia, at the Alexander Palace at Tsarskoye Selo outside of St. Petersburg, Russia
George was the second surviving son of Alexander III, Emperor of All Russia, and the brother of Nicholas II, Emperor of All Russia. At birth, George was weak and suffered from respiratory issues, and for a while, his survival was questionable. In childhood, George’s health was problematic and was a great worry to his mother. He later developed tuberculosis which caused his death at the age of 28. In July 1994, George’s remains were exhumed for DNA testing to compare his DNA with the DNA of the suspected remains of Nicholas II and his children. The results proved beyond a doubt that the remains were those of Nicholas II and his children.
Unofficial Royalty: Grand Duke George Alexandrovich of Russia

May 9, 1892 – Birth of Zita of Bourbon-Parma, Empress of Austria, wife of Emperor Karl I of Austria, at the Villa Pianore, Tuscany, Italy
Full name: Zita Maria delle Grazie Adelgonda Micaela Raffaela Gabriella Giuseppina Antonia Luisa Agnese
Zita was the daughter of the deposed Robert I, Duke of Parma and his second wife Maria Antonia of Portugal. She had eleven siblings and twelve half-siblings from her father’s first marriage. In 1911, she married Archduke Karl, who would be the last Emperor of Austria, and the couple had eight children. Karl died in 1922 at the age of 34. Zita never married again and wore black for the 67 years of her widowhood. She died in 1989 at the age of 96.
Unofficial Royalty: Zita of Bourbon-Parma, Empress of Austria

May 9, 1949 – Death of Prince Louis II of Monaco at the Prince’s Palace in Monaco; buried at Saint Nicholas Cathedral in Monaco
Because Louis was unmarried and without an heir, the throne of Monaco was likely to pass to his first cousin once removed Wilhelm, Duke of Urach, a German nobleman who was the son of his father’s aunt Princess Florestine of Monaco.  To avoid this, Louis’ father Prince Albert I had a law passed recognizing Louis’ illegitimate daughter Charlotte as Louis’ heir and part of the sovereign family. However, this law was later ruled invalid under earlier statutes. In October 1918, another law was passed allowing for the adoption of an heir with succession rights. Louis legally adopted Charlotte, giving her the Grimaldi surname. Her grandfather created her Princess Charlotte of Monaco and Duchess of Valentinois. Upon Louis’ accession in 1922, Charlotte became the Hereditary Princess of Monaco. She eventually relinquished her succession rights in favor of her son who eventually became Rainer III, Prince of Monaco.
Unofficial Royalty: Louis II, Prince of Monaco

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Natalija Keschko, Queen of Serbia; Credit – Wikipedia

May 8, 1670 – Birth of Charles Beauclerk, 1st Duke of St Albans, the illegitimate son of King Charles II of England and Nell Gwynne
Wikipedia: Charles Beauclerk, 1st Duke of St Albans (Unofficial Royalty article coming soon)

May 8, 1893 – Death of Adolf I, Prince of Schaumburg-Lippe in Bückeburg, Principality of Schaumburg-Lippe, now in Lower Saxony, Germany; buried in the Princely Mausoleum at the St. Martin Church in Stadthagen, Principality of Schaumburg-Lippe, now in Lower Saxony, Germany
Adolf married his maternal first cousin Princess Hermine of Waldeck and Pyrmont. The couple had eight children including Adolf’s successor Georg, Prince of Schaumburg-Lippe and Prince Adolf of Schaumburg-Lippe who married Princess Viktoria of Prussia, daughter of Friedrich III, German Emperor and Victoria, Princess Royal, eldest daughter of Queen Victoria. On November 21, 1860, upon the death of his father Georg Wilhelm, Prince of Schaumberg-Lippe, Adolf became the reigning Prince of Schaumberg-Lippe. After a reign of 33 years, Adolf I, Prince of Schaumberg-Lippe died at the age of 75, on May 8, 1893.
Unofficial Royalty: Adolf I, Prince of Schaumburg-Lippe

May 8, 1935 – Birth of Princess Elisabeth of Denmark, daughter of Hereditary Prince Knud of Denmark, at Sorgenfri Palace in Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
Full Name: Elisabeth Caroline-Mathilde Alexandrine Helena Olga Thyra Feodora Estrid Margarethe Désirée
Princess Elisabeth was the first cousin of Queen Margrethe II of Denmark.  She never married, perhaps to retain her position within the Danish Royal Family. Until her death in 2018, she was the last person in the line of succession to the Danish throne. Elisabeth had a long-term relationship with Claus Hermansen, a videographer, until he died in 1997. She served as Patron of several organizations in Denmark and was usually seen at most State events.
Unofficial Royalty: Princess Elisabeth of Denmark

May 8, 1941 – Death of Natalija Keschko, Queen of Serbia, wife of King Milan of Serbia, at the Monastery of Saint-Denis near Paris, France; buried at the Cemetery of Lardy in Seine et Oise, France
After the horrendous assassination of her son Alexander I, King of Serbia and his wife in 1903, Natalija was the only member of the Obrenović dynasty. She donated the Obrenović inheritance to the University of Belgrade and churches and monasteries in Serbia. Natalija became a nun and died at the age of 81 at the Monastery of Saint-Denis near Paris, France.
Unofficial Royalty: Natalija Keschko, Queen of Serbia

May 8, 2003 – Birth of Crown Prince Moulay Hassan of Morocco, son of King Mohammed VI of Morocco, at the Royal Palace in Rabat, Morocco
Crown Prince Moulay Hassan of Morocco is the heir apparent to the throne of Morocco. He is the eldest child and the only son of King Mohammed VI of Morocco and Salma Bennani, now known as Princess Lalla Salma. The Crown Prince was named after his paternal grandfather King Hassan II of Morocco.
Unofficial Royalty: Crown Prince Moulay Hassan of Morocco

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Feodor III, Tsar of All Russia;  Credit – Wikipedia

May 7, 1682 – Death of Feodor III, Tsar of All Russia in Moscow, Russia; buried at the Cathedral of the Archangel in Moscow, Russia
When Feodor’s father Alexei I, Tsar of All Russia died in 1676, he was succeeded by 15-year-old Feodor. Even though Feodor had been well educated and had a fine intellect, he had a  debilitating physical condition that prevented him from really reigning. In 1682, at the age of 20, Feodor died childless and without making an order concerning the succession to the throne. This was eventually resolved by the decision to have two tsars at the same time – Feodor’s brother Ivan V and his half-brother Peter I (the Great) under the regency of Sofia Alexeevna, Feodor’s eldest sister.
Unofficial Royalty: Feodor III, Tsar of All Russia

May 7, 1718 – Death of Maria Beatrice of Modena, Queen of England, second wife of King James II of England, at Château St. Germain-en-Laye near Paris, France; buried at the Abbey of Visitation of St. Mary in Chaillot, France, her remains were lost when the convent was looted and destroyed during the French Revolution but her viscera were found and were reburied at the Chapel of the College of the Scots in Paris
15-year-old Maria Beatrice became the second wife of 40-year-old James, Duke of York, brother of King Charles II of England. Between 1675 and 1684, Maria Beatrice had ten pregnancies and gave birth to five live children, all of whom died young. After her husband, who had converted to Catholicism, succeeded to the throne as King James II of England, Maria Beatrice gave birth to a son who survived. Fearful of a return to Catholicism, some members of Parliament began what is called the Glorious Revolution. King James II was overthrown and the family fled to France. After her husband’s death, Maria Beatrice began to periodically stay at the Convent of the Visitations in Chaillot, France, where she befriended Louise de La Vallière, one of Louis XIV’s mistresses who had become a nun.  She was buried at the Convent of the Visitations in Chaillot, a place she greatly loved.
Unofficial Royalty: Maria Beatrice of Modena, Queen of England

May 7, 1767 – Birth of Princess Frederica of Prussia, Duchess of York, wife of Prince Frederick, Duke of York, at Charlottenburg Palace in Berlin, Kingdom of Prussia, now in Germany
Full name: Friederike Charlotte Ulrike Katharina
Frederica was the only child of the future King Friedrich Wilhelm II of Prussia and his first wife and first cousin, Elisabeth Christine of Brunswick-Lüneburg. Her mother was placed under house arrest as a prisoner of the state when she became pregnant with the child of her lover, a musician named Pietro. She remained imprisoned until her death, 71 years later. Frederica’s marriage to Frederick, Duke of York was unsuccessful. Frederick was unfaithful and the couple was unable to have children. In 1794, the couple separated and Frederica lived out her life at Oatlands Park in Weybridge, Surrey, England. Frederick and Frederica remained on good terms and the couple never caused any scandal.
Unofficial Royalty: Princess Frederica of Prussia, Duchess of York

May 7, 1818 – Wedding of Prince Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge, son of King George III of the United Kingdom, and Princess Augusta of Hesse-Kassel in the Landgraviate of Hesse-Kassel, now in Hesse, Germany
The groom was 44 and the bride was 20.  Despite the age difference, the marriage was a happy one and Adolphus was very much in love with Augusta.  The couple lived in the Kingdom of Hanover from 1818 – 1837 while Adolphus served his father and then his two brothers, King George IV and King William IV, as Viceroy of Hanover. Upon their return to England, Adolphus and Augusta lived at Cambridge House and later at St. James’s Palace, both in London.  Adolphus and Augusta are ancestors of the British Royal Family through their daughter Mary Adelaide, the mother of Queen Mary, wife of King George V.
Unofficial Royalty: Prince Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge
Unofficial Royalty: Princess Augusta of Hesse-Kassel, Duchess of Cambridge

May 7, 1895 – Death of Susanna Innes-Ker, Duchess of Roxburghe, Lady of the Bedchamber to Queen Victoria, at her home in Hereford Gardens, London, England; buried in the Innes-Ker family crypt at the Bowden Kirk, in Bowden, Roxburghshire, England
Born Susanna Stephania Dalbiac, she was the daughter of Lieutenant-General Sir James Dalbiac, a British Army officer and Member of Parliament. She married James Innes-Ker, 6th Duke of Roxburghe.
Unofficial Royalty: Susanna Innes-Ker, Duchess of Roxburghe

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