compiled by Susan Flantzer

This does not purport to be a complete list. All images are from Wikipedia unless otherwise indicated.

King Louis III of West Francia

• Born: circa 863-864
• Parents: King Louis II of West Francia and Ansgarde of Burgundy
• Died: August 5, 882, aged 18-19, in St. Denis, Île-de-France, now near Paris, France
• Buried: Basilica of St. Denis near Paris, France
• Wikipedia King Louis III of France

While mounting his horse to chase a girl who was running to seek refuge in her father’s house, Louis hit his head on the lintel of a low door and fell and fractured his skull.

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King Louis IV of West Francia

• Born: September 920 or September 921 in Laon, France
• Parents: King Charles III of West Francia and Eadgifu of Wessex, daughter of Edward the Elder, King of England
• Married: Gerberga of Saxony
• Died: September 10, 954, aged 33-34, in Reims, France
• Buried: Saint-Remi Abbey in Reims, France
• Wikipedia: King Louis IV of France

Louis IV went riding with some friends on the road from Laon to Reims. As he went through a forest, he saw a wolf and attempted to capture it but fell from his horse. He was carried to Reims, where he died from his injuries.

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King Louis V of France

• Born: circa 966
• Parents: King Lothair of West Francia and Emma of Italy
• Married: Adelaide-Blanche of Anjou
• Died: May 21, 987, aged 20-21, in the Forest of Halatte in Oise, France
• Buried: Abbey of Saint-Corneille in Compiègne, France
• Wikipedia: King Louis V of France

Louis died from injuries after falling from his horse while hunting.

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William I the Conqueror, King of England, Duke of Normandy

• Born: circa 1027-1028 at the Château de Falaise in Falaise, Duchy of Normandy, now in France
• Parents: Robert I the Magnificent, Duke of Normandy and his mistress Herleva of Falaise
• Married: Matilda of Flanders
• Died: September 9, 1087, aged circa 59, at the Priory of Saint Gervais in Rouen, Duchy of Normandy, now in France
• Buried: Abbaye-aux-Hommes (St. Stephen’s) in Caen, Duchy of Normandy, now in France
• Unofficial Royalty: King William I of England (the Conqueror)

Towards the end of 1086, William traveled from England to Normandy where the marriage of his daughter Constance was celebrated. In 1087, the French garrison at Mantes made a raid into Normandy. William retaliated by sacking the town. While he was urging on his soldiers. William’s horse stumbled and he was violently flung against his saddle pommel. He received serious internal injuries, most likely a ruptured bladder. William was taken to the Priory of St. Gervais in Rouen where peritonitis developed, resulting in his death.

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Philippe, Co-King of France

• Born: August 29, 1116
• Parents: King Louis VI of France and Adélaide of Maurienne
• Died: October 13, 1131, aged 15, in Paris, France
• Buried: Basilica of St. Denis near Paris, France
• Wikipedia: Philippe of France

From 1129, Philippe reigned with his father as co-king. Philippe was out riding with friends along the Seine River in Greve, a Paris market area. A black pig darted out in front of Philippe and his horse was tripped. The horse fell forward and Philippe was thrown over the horse’s head. Philippe died the next day without regaining consciousness.

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Fulk, Count of Anjou, King of Jerusalem

• Born: circa 1089-1092 in Angers, County of Anjou, now in France
• Parents: Fulk IV, Count of Anjou and Bertrade de Montfort
• Married: (1) Erembourg, Countess of Maine in 1100 (2) Melisende, Queen of Jerusalem
• Died: November 13, 1143 in Acre, Kingdom of Jerusalem, now in Israel
• Buried: Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, now in Israel
• Wikipedia: Fulk, Count of Anjou, King of Jerusalem

Fulk’s eldest child with his first wife, Geoffrey V, Count of Anjou, was the father of King Henry II of England. While hunting, Fulk’s horse stumbled and fell. Fulk’s skull was crushed by the saddle, “and his brains gushed forth from both ears and nostrils”, as the chronicler William of Tyre described. Fulk was carried back to Acre, where he lay unconscious for three days before he died.

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Geoffrey II, Duke of Brittany

• Born: September 23, 1158
• Parents: King Henry II of England and Eleanor of Aquitaine
• Married: Constance, Duchess of Brittany
• Died: August 19, 1186, aged 27, in Paris, France
• Buried: Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris, France
• Unofficial Royalty: Geoffrey II, Duke of Brittany

Geoffrey was thrown from his horse during a tournament and trampled to death. King Philippe II of France was so overcome with grief for his friend that he had to be restrained from throwing himself upon Geoffrey’s coffin in the open grave. Geoffrey’s half-sister from his mother’s first marriage to King Louis VII of France, Marie, Countess of Champagne, attended his funeral and contributed funds to pay for masses for his soul.

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Leopold V, Duke of Austria

• Born: 1157 in Austria
• Parents: Heinrich II, Duke of Austria and Theodora Komnene
• Married: Helena of Hungary
• Died: December 31, 1194, aged 37, in Graz, Duchy of Styria, now in Austria
• Buried: Heiligenkreuz (Holy Cross) Abbey in Heiligenkreuz, Austria
• Wikipedia: Leopold V, Duke of Austria

Leopold’s suffered an open leg fracture when his horse fell on him at a tournament in Graz. He died a few days later from gangrene.

Leopold is credited with the origin of the Austrian flag. His white coat of arms is said to have been red with blood in the battles during the Siege of Acre in 1191. When he took off his wide belt, a white streak was visible. Since his banner was lost during the battle, Holy Roman Emperor Heinrich VI gave Leopold the right to use the red-white-red colors as a new banner – which later became the flag of Austria. It can be seen in the picture above.

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Enguerrand III, Lord of Coucy

Born: circa 1182 in Marle, Picardy, France
Parents: Ralph I, Lord of Coucy and Alix de Dreux
Married: (1) Beatrix de Vignory in 1201 (2) Matilda of Bavaria, a granddaughter of King Henry II of England, in 1204 (3) Marie de Montmirail
Died: 1242 in Coucy, Picardy, France
Wikipedia: Enguerrand III, Lord of Coucy

Enguerrand’s eldest child Marie de Coucy was the mother of Alexander III King of Scots, below. Enguerrand was killed when he fell from his horse onto his sword.

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Isabella of Aragon, Queen of France

• Born: 1248
• Parents: King Jaume I of Aragon and Violant of Hungary
• Married: King Philippe III of France
• Died: January 28, 1271, aged 22-23, in Cosenza, Kingdom of Sicily, now in Italy
• Buried: Basilica of St. Denis near Paris, France
• Wikipedia: Isabella of Aragon, Queen of France

Isabella accompanied her husband on the 8th Crusade against the city of Tunis, now in Tunisia. On January 11, 1271, on the way back from Tunis, Isabella, who was six months pregnant, had a serious fall from her horse in Cosenza, Calabria, now in Italy. She gave birth to a premature stillborn son. Isabella never recovered from her injuries and childbirth and died seventeen days later.

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Alexander III, King of Scots

• Born: September 4, 1241 at Roxburgh Castle, Roxburghshire, Scotland
• Parents: Alexander II, King of Scots and Marie de Coucy
• Married: (1) Margaret of England in 1251 (2) Yolande de Dreux in 1285
• Died: March 19, 1286, aged 44, in Kinghorn Ness, Fife, Scotland
• Buried: Dunfermline Abbey in Dunfermline, Fife, Scotland
• Wikipedia: Alexander III, King of Scots

Alexander planned to ride from Edinburgh Castle to visit his wife Queen Yolande at Kinghorn in Fife for her birthday. He was to ride at night and was advised to postpone the trip because of bad weather conditions. However, Alexander decided to proceed with his travel plans. Alexander became separated from his guides and it is assumed that in the dark his horse lost its footing. The king was found dead the next morning with a broken neck.

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Marjorie Bruce

• Born: 1296
• Parents: Robert I, King of Scots (Robert the Bruce) and Isabella of Mar
• Married: Walter Stewart, 6th High Steward of Scotland
• Died: March 2, 1316, aged 20
• Buried: Paisley Abbey in Paisley, Renfrewshire, Scotland
• Wikipedia: Majorie Bruce

The traditional story is that Marjorie was riding in Gallowhill, Paisley, Renfrewshire while very pregnant. Her horse was suddenly startled and threw her to the ground. Majorie went into premature labor, had her baby, and died. Her baby survived to become Robert II, King of Scots, the first Stewart (later Stuart) monarch of Scotland. Majorie is the ancestor of the current British royal family and several other European royal families.

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King Juan I of Castile

• Born: August 24, 1358 in Épila, Kingdom of Aragon, now in Spain
• Parents: King Enrique II of Castile and Juana Manuel of Castile
• Married: (1) Eleanor of Aragon in 1375 (2) Beatrice of Portugal in 1383
• Died: October 9, 1390, aged 32, in Alcalá de Henares, Kingdom of Castile, now in Spain
• Buried: Toledo Cathedral in Toledo, Kingdom of Castile, now in Spain
• Wikipedia: King Juan I of Castile

Juan was killed when he fell off his horse while riding in a fantasia. A fantasia, a tradition from Muslim northern Africa, consists of a group of horse riders, all wearing traditional clothes, who charge in a line along a straight path at the same speed, and then at the end of the charge, they fire into the sky using muskets (in Juan’s time) or rifles (in modern time). Juan’s death was kept secret by Cardinal Pedro Tenorio for several days, claiming that he was only wounded, until the cardinal resolved issues to the regency of Juan’s eleven-year-old son who succeeded to the throne of Castile as King Enrique III.

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Mary I, Queen of Hungary

• Born: 1371
• Parents: Louis I, King of Hungary and Elizabeth of Bosnia
• Married: Sigismund of Luxembourg in 1385
• Died: May 17, 1395, aged 23 – 24, in Buda, Kingdom of Hungary, now in Budapest, Hungary
• Buried: Cathedral of Várad, now in Oradea, Romania
• Wikipedia: Mary I, Queen of Hungary

Mary became Queen of Hungary in her own right at the age of eleven upon the death of her father. While pregnant, Mary decided to go hunting alone in the Buda Hills. Her horse tripped, threw her, and then landed on top of her. The accident induced premature labor and Mary gave birth to a son who died. Mary’s injuries were fatal.

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François II, Duke of Brittany

• Born: June 23, 1435 at Château de Clisson in Clisson, Duchy of Brittany, now in France
• Parents: Richard of Brittany and Margaret of Orléans
• Married: (1) Margaret of Brittany in 1455 (2) Margaret of Foix in 1471
• Died: September 9, 1488, aged 55, in Couëron, Duchy of Brittany, now in France
• Buried: Nantes Cathedral in Nantes, France
• Wikipedia: François II, Duke of Brittany

François’ biggest goal during his life was to maintain the Duchy of Brittany’s semi-independence from the Kingdom of France. He also unexpectedly became the protector of England’s House of Lancaster in exile from 1471–1484. Anne of Brittany, his daughter with his second wife, made three important marriages to Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor (marriage annulled), to King Charles VIII of France, and to King Louis XII of France. François died after falling from his horse during a leisurely ride.

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Mary, Duchess of Burgundy

• Born: February 13, 1457 in Brussels, Duchy of Burgundy, now in Belgium
• Parents: Charles the Bold, Duke of Burgundy and Isabella of Bourbon
• Married: Archduke Maximilian of Austria (the future Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor) in 1477
• Died: March 27, 1482, aged 25, at the Prinsenhof in Bruges, Flanders, Duchy of Burgundy, now in Belgium
• Buried: Church of Our Lady in Bruges, Flanders, Duchy of Burgundy, now in Belgium
• Wikipedia: Mary, Duchess of Burgundy

Mary was Duchess of Burgundy in her own right. Mary participated in at a hunt in the woods near Wijnendale Castle in Flanders, Duchy of Burgundy now in Belgium. Mary was an experienced rider and she held her falcon in one hand and the reins in the other hand. However, her horse stumbled over a tree stump while jumping over a newly dug canal. The saddle belt under the horse’s belly broke causing Mary to fall out of the saddle and into the canal with the horse on top of her. Mary was seriously injured and was transported to Prinsenhof, her palace in Bruges, where she died several weeks later from internal injuries.

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Prince Afonso of Portugal

• Born: May 18, 1475 in Lisbon, Portugal
• Parents: King João II of Portugal and Eleanor of Viseu
• Married: Isabella, Princess of Asturias, heir presumptive of King Ferdinand II of Aragon and
• Queen Isabella I of Castile
• Died: July 13, 1491, aged 16, in Santarém, Portugal, near the River Tagus
• Buried: Monastery of Batalha in Batalha, Portugal
• Wikipedia: Prince Afonso of Portugal

Afonso was the heir apparent to the Portuguese throne. During the summer of 1491, the Portuguese royal family spent time in Santarém, Portugal, near the River Tagus. King João II invited his son to swim with him in the river. Afonso refused, but after seeing his father’s disappointment, he changed his mind. Afonso got on his horse and with great speed, rode to the river. His horse stumbled and fell, pulling Afonso underneath the horse.

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William III, King of England, Prince of Orange

• Born: November 14, 1650 at the Binnenhof in The Hague, Dutch Republic, now in the Netherlands
• Parents: Willem II, Prince of Orange and Mary, Princess Royal, eldest daughter of King Charles I of England
• Married: Mary II, Queen of England, his first cousin and co-monarch, in 1677
• Died: March 19, 1702 at Kensington Palace in London, England
• Buried: Westminster Abbey in London, England
• Unofficial Royalty: King William III of England

William went riding on his horse Sorrel at Hampton Court Palace. The horse stumbled on a molehill and fell. William tried to pull the horse up by the reins, but the horse’s movements caused William to fall on his right shoulder. His collarbone was broken and was set by a surgeon, but instead of resting, William insisted on returning to Kensington Palace that evening by coach. A week later, it was discovered that the fracture was not mending well and William’s right hand and arm were puffy and did not look right. His condition continued to worsen and he developed a fever and had difficulty breathing. William died 2 ½ weeks after the fall, apparently from an infection.

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Charles of France, Duke of Berry

• Born: July 31, 1686 at the Palace of Versailles in France
• Parents: Louis, Dauphin of France (son of King Louis XIV of France) and Marie Anne Victoire of Bavaria
• Married: Marie Louise Élisabeth d’Orléans
• Died: May 5, 1714, aged 27, at the Palace of Versailles in France
• Buried: Basilica of Saint-Denis near Paris, France
• Wikipedia: Charles of France, Duke of Berry

While hunting, Charles’ horse slipped and fell, causing Charles to be injured internally. He died of internal bleeding.

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Ferdinand-Philippe, Duke of Orléans, Prince Royal, Prince of Orléans

• Born: September 3, 1810 in Palermo, Kingdom of Sicily, now in Italy
• Parents: Louis Philippe I, King of the French and Maria Amalia of Naples and Sicily
• Married: Duchess Helene of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
• Died: July 13, 1842, aged 31, in Sablonville, France
• Buried: Royal Chapel of Dreux in Dreux, France
  Unofficial Royalty: Ferdinand-Philippe, Duke of Orléans, Prince Royal, Prince of Orléans

In July 1842, Ferdinand, the heir to the French throne, was scheduled to leave on a trip to review troops of which he had recently been made commander. Before he left on the trip, he planned to travel from the Tuileries Palace in Paris to nearby Neuilly-sur-Seine where his wife and two sons were staying. On July 13, 1842, he left Paris in an open carriage. During the short trip, the horses became out of control and Ferdinand either jumped or was projected out of the carriage, resulting in a skull fracture. Despite the best attention of the doctors, Ferdinand died a few hours later, surrounded by family members who had rushed to the scene.

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Friedrich August II, King of Saxony

• Born: Weissensee, Electorate of Saxony, later in the Kingdom of Saxony, now in Thuringia, Germany
• Parents: Prince Maximilian of Saxony and Princess Caroline of Parma
• Married: (1) Marie Caroline of Austria in 1819 (2) Maria Anna of Bavaria in 1833
• Died: August 9, 1854, aged 57, in at the Gasthof Neune in Karrösten, Austria
• Buried: Dresden Cathedral, formerly known as the Katholische Hofkirche (Catholic Church of the Royal Court of Saxony) in Dresden, Kingdom of Saxony, now in Saxony, Germany
• Unofficial Royalty: Friedrich August II, King of Saxony

On August 8, 1854, while traveling in Brennbüchel, Tyrol, Austria, Friedrich August fell from the carriage into the path of one of the horses which stepped on his head. He died the next day in an inn in a nearby town.

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Archduke Wilhelm Franz of Austria-Teschen

• Born: April 21, 1827 in Vienna, Austrian Empire, now in Austria
• Parents: Archduke Charles of Austria, Duke of Teschen and Princess Henrietta of Nassau-Weilburg
• Unmarried
• Died: July 29, 1894, aged 67, in Weikersdorf, Austrian-Hungarian Empire, now in Austria
• Buried in the Imperial Crypt at the Capuchin Church in Vienna, Austria
• Wikipedia: Archduke Wilhelm Franz of Austria-Teschen

While out riding, Wilhelm Franz’s horse was frightened by a motor car. The horse bolted and Wilhelm Franz was thrown. However, one of his feet remained stuck in the stirrup, and he was dragged more than 300 feet. He died the same day without regaining consciousness.

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Prince Albert of Saxony

 

• Born: February 25, 1875 in Dresden, Kingdom of Saxony, now in Saxony, Germany
• Parents: Georg I, King of Saxony and Infanta Maria Ana of Portugal
• Unmarried
• Died: September 16, 1900, aged 25, in Wölkau, Kingdom of Prussia, now in Saxony, Germany
• Buried: Dresden Cathedral, formerly known as the Katholische Hofkirche (Catholic Church of the Royal Court of Saxony) in Dresden, Kingdom of Saxony, now in Saxony, Germany
• Wikipedia: Prince Albert of Saxony

On September 16, 1900, Miguel was returning home after attending a dinner, when he crashed his carriage into Albert’s carriage. The collision was so strong that Albert’s carriage overturned and fell into a ditch, and he died a few hours later. There were rumors that Miguel had done this on purpose. Since it could not be determined whether this collision was accidental or intentional, Miguel escaped a trial but was forced to resign from his commission in the army and was exiled from Portugal.

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