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Princess Augusta of the United Kingdom; Credit – Wikipedia
September 22, 1601 – Birth of Anne of Austria, Queen of France, wife of King Louis XIII of France, at Benavente Palace in Valladolid, Spain
Full name: Ana María Mauricia
Anne was the eldest daughter of King Felipe III of Spain and married King Louis XIII of France in 1615. After several stillbirths and nearly 23 years of marriage, Anne gave birth to two healthy sons: the future King Louis XIV of France and Philippe I, Duke of Orléans. King Louis XIII died in 1643, leaving his five-year-old son as the new King Louis XIV. In his will, the late King had sought to limit any power that Queen Anne might have had, including becoming Regent. He instructed that a regency council be established instead. However, just days after his death, Queen Anne was able to convene the Parliament of Paris and had that part of his will overturned. Anne was named the sole Regent for her young son.
Unofficial Royalty: Anne of Austria, Queen of France
September 22, 1780 – Birth of Prince Alfred of Great Britain, son of King George III of the United Kingdom, at Windsor Castle in Windsor, England
Prince Alfred was the ninth and youngest son and fourteenth of the fifteen children of King George III and his wife Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. Alfred was probably a “blue baby” due to a heart defect and was always in delicate health. Before Edward Jenner developed the smallpox vaccine that contained the cowpox virus in 1796 and that ultimately led to the eradication of smallpox, there was another way to possibly prevent smallpox called variolation. George III had his children vaccinated via variolation. About 3% of those inoculated via variolation developed a severe case of smallpox and died but that was preferable to catching smallpox with its mortality rate of 20–40% and scarred survivors. Sadly, two of the 3% who died after receiving the smallpox inoculation were the two younger sons of King George III, Prince Octavius and Prince Alfred. After suffering from prolonged bouts of fever, Alfred died on August 20, 1782, a month short of his second birthday.
Unofficial Royalty: Prince Alfred of Great Britain
Unofficial Royalty: Smallpox Knew No Class Boundaries
September 22, 1840 – Death of Princess Augusta of the United Kingdom, daughter of King George III of the United Kingdom, at Clarence House in London, England; buried at St. George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle in Windsor, England
Princess Augusta was the second of the six daughters and the sixth of the fifteen children in her family. Augusta’s childhood was very sheltered. She spent most of her time with her parents and sisters. The living conditions of King George’s daughters came to be known as “the Nunnery.” None of the daughters was allowed to marry at the age when most princesses would marry. Three of Augusta’s six sisters eventually married, all later than was the norm of the time. Starved for male companionship, Sophia got pregnant by her father’s 56-year-old equerry and secretly gave birth to a boy who was placed in a foster home. Following the wedding of her niece Queen Victoria in 1840, Augusta’s health deteriorated. On July 2, 1840, a Windsor newspaper reported “the serious and alarming illness of the Princess Augusta.” Three days later, Queen Victoria ordered the gates of Green Park, which borders Clarence House, to be closed so that traffic would not bother Princess Augusta. With her sister-in-law Queen Adelaide, her surviving sisters Mary and Sophia, and her brother Adolphus at her bedside, Augusta died at the age of 71.
Unofficial Royalty: Princess Augusta Sophia of the United Kingdom
September 22, 1875 – Birth of Adelheid of Schaumburg-Lippe, Duchess of Saxe-Altenburg, wife of Ernst II, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg at Ratibořice Castle in Bohemia, now in the Czech Republic
Full name: Friederike Adelheid Marie Luise Hilda Eugenie
In 1898, Adelheid married the future Ernst II, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg and the couple had four children. In 1908, Adelheid became the last Duchess of Saxe-Altenburg when her husband succeeded his father as Duke. Their reign, however, would be relatively short-lived. Her husband was forced to abdicate on November 13, 1918, when the German Empire was abolished. Following the abdication, Adelheid felt that she no longer had to endure her husband’s affairs and the shame it brought to her marriage. The couple separated and divorced on January 17, 1920.
Unofficial Royalty: Adelheid of Schaumburg-Lippe, Duchess of Saxe-Altenburg
September 22, 1948 – Death of Prince Adalbert of Prussia, son of Wilhelm II, German Emperor and King of Prussia, in La Tour de Peilz, Switzerland; buried at Vassin Cemetery in La Tour de Peilz, Vaud, Switzerland
In 1914, Adalbert married Princess Adelheid of Saxe-Meiningen and the couple had three children. During World War I, Adalbert served in the Prussian Navy, eventually taking command of the SMS Dresden. Following the end of the monarchy in November 1918, Adalbert left his family and initially took refuge on his yacht. He soon moved to Bad Homburg, Germany where he purchased a villa – Villa Adelheidswert – and was joined by his wife and children. They often traveled to Switzerland due to his wife’s health and eventually settled there permanently in 1928. They adopted the names Count and Countess von Lingen, lived a quiet and private life, and took no part in German politics.
Unofficial Royalty: Prince Adalbert of Prussia
September 22, 1948 – Birth of Mark Phillips, first husband of Anne, Princess Royal in Tetbury, Gloucestershire, England
Full name: Mark Anthony Peter
Mark Phillips was the first husband of Anne, Princess Royal, and the father of her two children. The couple divorced in 1992. An avid horseman, Mark was a member of the British Equestrian Team with whom he won the Team Three-Day Event world title in 1970, the European title in 1971, and Olympic Gold in 1972. He also won Silver at the 1988 Olympics and is a four-time champion at the Badminton Horse Trials. Mark is a regular columnist for Horse & Hound magazine, remains a leading figure in British equestrian circles, and serves as the Chef d’Equipe (team manager) of the United States Eventing Team.
Unofficial Royalty: Mark Phillips
September 22, 1971 – Birth of Princess Märtha Louise of Norway, daughter of King Harald V, at the Rikshospitalet in Oslo, Norway
In 2002, Märtha Louise married Ari Behn and the couple had three daughters. In August 2016, it was announced that the couple separated and they divorced in 2017. Sadly, Ari Behn died by suicide on December 25, 2019. Märtha Louise has often faced criticism in Norway for her claims of being clairvoyant and for commercially exploiting her title of princess. In May 2019, Princess Märtha Louise announced that she was in a relationship with an American citizen, a shaman named Durek Verrett who has faced strong criticism in Norway and has been characterized by Norwegian media and other critics as a conman. Together Märtha Louise and Verrett have held seminars titled “The Princess and the Shaman,” which also were widely criticized. In August 2019, Märtha Louise stated that she would no longer use the princess title in commercial contexts. In June 2022, Märtha Louise and Durek Verrett announced their engagement and were married on August 31, 2024.
Unofficial Royalty: Princess Märtha Louise of Norway
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