Royal News Recap for Friday, July 11, 2025

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Unofficial Royalty

Japan

Monaco

Spain

Tonga

United Kingdom

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July 12: Today in Royal History

© Unofficial Royalty 2025

Margarita Teresa of Spain, Holy Roman Empress, first wife of Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor; Credit – Wikipedia

July 12, 1122 – Death of Sybilla of Normandy, Queen of Scots, illegitimate daughter of King Henry I of England, wife of Alexander I, King of Scots, on the Isle of Loch Tay, north of Kenmore, in Perthshire in the Highlands of Scotland; buried at the priory on the Isle of Loch Tay
In 1107, upon his accession to the Scots throne, Alexander I, King of Scots married the fifteen-year-old Sybilla. Alexander I and Sybilla’s father King Henry I were brothers-in-law as Henry I had married Alexander I’s sister Matilda (also known as Edith) of Scotland.  Sybilla and Alexander had no children. On July 12, 1122, Sybilla, aged around thirty, died on the Isle of Loch Tay (in Gaelic Eilean nam Bannaomh, Isle of Holy Women), north of Kenmore, a small village in Perthshire in the Highlands of Scotland. Alexander had erected a priory on the Isle of Loch Tay and granted it to Scone Abbey, which he and Sybilla had founded. It was at the priory on the Isle of Loch Tay that Sybilla died and was buried. Some sources say Sybilla was buried at Dunfermline Abbey in Fife, Scotland where her husband was buried.
Unofficial Royalty: Sybilla of Normandy, Queen of Scots, Illegitimate Daughter of King Henry I of England

July 12, 1651 – Birth of Margarita Teresa of Spain, Holy Roman Empress, the first of the three wives of Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor, at the Royal Alcazar in Madrid, Spain
Margarita Teresa was both first cousin and niece of her husband Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor. Margarita Teresa and Leopold had four children, but only one survived to adulthood. Weakened from six pregnancies in six years (four living childbirths and two miscarriages), and four months into her seventh pregnancy, Margarita Teresa died on March 12, 1673, at the age of 21, and was buried in the Imperial Crypt at the Capuchin Church in Vienna.
Unofficial Royalty: Margarita Teresa of Spain, Holy Roman Empress

July 12, 1663 – Birth of James Stuart, Duke of Cambridge, son of King James II of England, at St. James Palace in London, England
James, was the second son of James, Duke of York (later James II) and his first wife, Anne Hyde.  Little James fell ill in April 1667 and died on June 20, 1667. He was buried in Westminster Abbey.
Unofficial Royalty: James Stuart, Duke of Cambridge

July 12, 1692 – Birth of Princess Maria Gabriele of Liechtenstein, the third cousin and first of the four wives of Josef Johann Adam, Prince of Liechtenstein, in Vienna, Archduchy of Austria, now in Austria
Maria Gabriele was the daughter of Hans-Adam I, the sovereign Prince of Liechtenstein who reigned 1684 – 1712. On December 1, 1712, in Vienna, twenty-year-old Maria Gabriele married twenty-two-year-old Josef Johann Adam, who became the sovereign Prince of Liechtenstein in 1721, after Maria Gabriele’s death. Sadly, after only eleven months of marriage, Maria Gabriele, aged twenty-one, died due to childbirth complications on November 7, 1713, while giving birth to her only child Prince Karl Anton of Liechtenstein, who died in 1715.
Unofficial Royalty: The Four Wives of Josef Johann Adam, Prince of Liechtenstein

July 12, 1856 – Birth of Archduchess Gisela of Austria, daughter of Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria, in Laxenburg, Lower Austria, Austrian Empire, the summer retreat of the Habsburgs
Full name: Gisela Louise Marie
In April 1873, Gisela married her second cousin Prince Leopold of Bavaria, son of Prince Regent Luitpold of Bavaria and Archduchess Augusta of Austria.  On September 10, 1898, Gisela’s mother Empress Elisabeth was assassinated when she was stabbed in the heart by the Italian anarchist Luigi Lucheni in Geneva, Switzerland. After her mother’s death, Gisela received 40% of her mother’s monetary assets and Achilleion Palace, which her mother had built on the Greek island of Corfu to escape life at court
Unofficial Royalty: Archduchess Gisela of Austria, Princess of Bavaria

July 12, 1870 – Birth of Louis II, Prince of Monaco, at the home of his widowed maternal grandmother, born Princess Marie Amelie of Baden, in Baden-Baden, Grand Duchy of Baden, now in Baden-Württemberg, Germany
Full name: Louis Honoré Charles Antoine
Louis was the only child of Prince Albert I of Monaco and Lady Mary Victoria Hamilton, daughter of William Hamilton, 11th Duke of Hamilton, and Princess Marie of Baden. Shortly after his birth, his mother left her husband and took Louis to the Grand Duchy of Baden, where he was raised until the age of 11. He then returned to Monaco to begin preparing for his future royal role. Prince Louis was the grandfather of Prince Rainier III, who succeeded him.
Unofficial Royalty: Louis II, Prince of Monaco

July 12, 1905 – Birth of Prince John of the United Kingdom, youngest son of King George V of the United Kingdom, at York Cottage on the Sandringham Estate in Sandringham, England
Full name: John Charles Francis
For the first four years of his life, John appeared healthy, but at the age of four, he suffered his first epileptic seizure, and his condition gradually worsened. Besides epilepsy, it is quite possible that John also had a mild form of autism. A household was set up for John at Wood Farm on the Sandringham Estate, and John lived there under the care of his nanny, Charlotte Bill, who was called Lala, and several other staff members. A young girl named Winifred Thomas, who suffered from asthma and had been sent to the country to live with her aunt and uncle, was John’s companion. Winifred visited John nearly every day, and the two went on walks and took care of the garden. Later in life, Winifred recounted John’s excitement at watching zeppelins passing over Sandringham in 1916 and his pleasure in meeting ‘a real, live soldier’, her father Sergeant Frederick Thomas, who visited that same year. She also remembered his mother Queen Mary as a loving and interested parent who spent much time with her son. John’s grandmother Queen Alexandra also visited him often.
Unofficial Royalty: Prince John of the United Kingdom

July 12, 1959 – Birth of King Tupou VI of Tonga at the Royal Palace in Nukuʻalofa, Tonga
King Tupou VI of Tonga is the current King of Tonga. He became king upon the death of his elder brother King George Tupou V, on March 18, 2012.  King Tupou VI and his wife Queen Nanasipau’u were crowned in a ceremony conducted at Centenary Church in Nuku’alofa, Tonga on July 4, 2015. Many international guests attended, and an estimated 15,000 people lined the roads.
Unofficial Royalty: King Tupou VI of Tonga

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Eric IV, King of Denmark

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2025

Eric IV, King of Denmark, fresco in St Bendt’s Church, Ringsted, Denmark; Credit – Wikipedia

Eric IV, King of Denmark co-reigned with his father from 1232 to 1241, and then reigned solo from 1241 to 1250. Born in 2016, he was the eldest of the three sons and the eldest of the four children of Valdemar II, King of Denmark and his second wife, Berengaria of Portugal. Eric IV’s paternal grandparents were Valdemar I the Great, King of Denmark and Sophia of Minsk. His maternal grandparents were Sancho I, King of Portugal and Dulce of Aragon. In 1221, Eric’s mother, Berengaria, died in childbirth, delivering a stillborn child.

Eric IV had three full siblings:

Eric had one half-brother from his father’s first marriage to Dagmar of Bohemia, who died in childbirth in 1212, giving birth to a stillborn son:

In 1218, when his older half-brother Valdemar the Young was crowned Junior King as their father’s co-ruler and heir, Eric was created Duke of Schleswig. On November 28, 1231, Valdemar the Young was accidentally shot by an arrow while hunting and died the same day. After Valdemar the Young died, Eric was crowned Junior King of Denmark, his father’s co-ruler and heir, at Lund Cathedral on May 30, 1232. At that time, Eric ceded the Duchy of Schleswig to his younger brother Abel.

On November 17, 1239, Eric married Jutta of Saxony, daughter of Albert I, Duke of Saxony and Agnes of Austria.

Eric and Jutta had six children but no surviving sons:

Eric’s father, Valdemar II, King of Denmark, aged seventy, died on March 28, 1241, at Vordingborg Castle in Vordingborg, Denmark. Eric was now the sole King of Denmark, but his reign was marked by conflicts with his brothers, especially with his next eldest brother Abel, who was Duke of Schleswig.

Eric’s brother Abel; Credit – Wikipedia

Abel, as Duke of Schleswig, demanded independence for his duchy, leading to seemingly never-ending conflicts over many years. He had married Matilda of Holstein, and her two brothers, Johann I, Count of Holstein-Kiel and Gerhard I, Count of Holstein-Itzehoe, were strong supporters of their brother-in-law Abel. Abel raided as far north as Randers, Denmark, defeating Eric’s supporters, and then moved into Funen, Denmark. Eric eventually struck back, surprising Abel’s army at Schleswig and forcing Abel’s daughter Sophie to flee “without so much as a pair of shoes for her feet.” Through the mediation of their sister Sophia, a treaty was concluded between Eric and Abel in 1247, which restored Eric’s sole rule of Denmark and assured the other brothers of their duchies.

However, the treaty lasted only three years. In 1250, Eric conquered most of Abel’s duchy, and the two brothers met at Abel’s home in Schleswig to make a settlement on August 10, 1250. During the visit, Eric was beheaded by Lave Gudmundsen, a knight and one of Abel’s trusted courtiers, who then sunk Eric’s body in the Schlei, an inlet in south Schleswig at the western end of the Baltic Sea.

Saint Bendt’s Church in Ringsted, Denmark, where Eric IV, King of Denmark, is buried; Credit – Wikipedia by Orf3us

The next morning, two fishermen found Eric’s headless body in their fishing net. They carried the body to the Dominican Abbey in Schleswig, where Eric was first buried. In 1258, the remains of Eric IV, King of Denmark, were transferred to St. Bendt’s Church in Ringsted, Denmark. Eric’s brother Abel succeeded him as King of Denmark and insisted he had nothing to do with the murder. Less than two years later, Abel himself was killed.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Works Cited

  • Autoren der Wikimedia-Projekte. (2005). König von Dänemark. Wikipedia.org; Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erik_IV._(D%C3%A4nemark)
  • Bidragsydere til Wikimedia-projekter. (2003). Konge af Danmark (1216-1250). Wikipedia.org; Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. https://da.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erik_Plovpenning
  • Flantzer, Susan. (2025). Valdemar II, King of Denmark [Review of Valdemar II, King of Denmark]. Unofficial Royalty. https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/valdemar-ii-king-of-denmark/
  • Wikipedia Contributors. (2025). Eric IV of Denmark. Wikipedia; Wikimedia Foundation.
  • Wikipedia Contributors. (2025). Jutta of Saxony. Wikipedia; Wikimedia Foundation.

Royal News Recap for Thursday, July 10, 2025

Belgium

Jordan

Monaco

Norway

Saudi Arabia

United Kingdom

July 11: Today in Royal History

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Elisabeth Farnese, Queen of Spain; Credit – Wikipedia

July 11, 1238 – Birth of Dafydd ap Gruffydd, Prince of Wales in Gwynedd, Wales
Dafydd ap Gruffydd was the last native and independent Prince of Wales from December 11, 1282, until his brutal execution on October 3, 1283, on the orders of King Edward I of England. Dafydd ap Gruffydd married Lady Elizabeth de Ferrers, daughter of William de Ferrers, 5th Earl of Derby. Dafydd and Elizabeth had two sons and one daughter, and all were ill-fated. After Dafydd’s brutal execution, King Edward I of England wanted to make sure that there were no more claimants to the Welsh throne. Dafydd’s two 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. Dafydd’s young daughter, Gwladys ferch Dafydd, was sent to the Sixhills Convent in Sixhills, Lincolnshire, England, where she spent the rest of her life, dying circa 1336.
Unofficial Royalty: Dafydd ap Gruffydd, Prince of Wales

July 11, 1274 – Birth of Robert I the Bruce, King of Scots at Turnberry Castle in Ayrshire, Scotland
Robert the Bruce is a Scottish national hero and was King of Scots during the First War of Scottish Independence. Robert de Bruis (or Brus), his birth name from his Norman ancestors, was popularly called Robert the Bruce. The Scots refused to tolerate English rule, resulting in the Wars of Scottish Independence, a series of military campaigns fought between Scotland and England, first led by William Wallace and, after his execution, led by Robert the Bruce. Robert the Bruce, as Earl of Carrick and 7th Lord of Annandale, held estates and property in Scotland, a barony and some minor properties in England, and a strong claim to the throne of Scotland. On March 27, 1306, Robert the Bruce was proclaimed Robert I, King of Scots.
Unofficial Royalty: Robert I the Bruce, King of Scots

July 11, 1657 – Birth of Friedrich I, King in Prussia in Königsberg, Duchy of Prussia, later in the Kingdom of Prussia, now Kaliningrad, Russia
Friedrich I, the founder of the Kingdom of Prussia and its first King, reigned from 1701 until 1713. Upon his father’s death in April 1688, Friedrich succeeded him as Friedrich III, Elector of Brandenburg and Duke of Prussia. In November 1700, in exchange for supporting the Holy Roman Empire in the Spanish War of Succession, Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor agreed to allow Friedrich III, Duke of Prussia, Elector of Brandenburg to make Prussia a kingdom and become its first king.
Unofficial Royalty: Friedrich I, King in Prussia

July 11, 1723 – Birth of Karoline Luise of Hesse-Darmstadt, Margravine of Baden, 1st wife of Karl Friedrich, Margrave of Baden-Durlach, later the first Grand Duke of Baden, in Darmstadt, Landgraviate of Hesse-Darmstadt, now in Hesse, Germany
In 1751, Karoline Luise married the future Karl Friedrich, the first Grand Duke of Baden, and they had four children. Karoline Luise’s numerous collections, including artwork, musical manuscripts, minerals, and other natural history artifacts, later formed the foundation for several museums in Karlsruhe.  After falling down some stairs in 1779, her health began to deteriorate. While in Paris, France with her son, she suffered a stroke and died.
Unofficial Royalty: Karoline Luise of Hesse-Darmstadt, Margravine of Baden

July 11, 1766 – Death of Elisabeth Farnese of Parma, Queen of Spain, second wife of King Felipe V of Spain, at the Palacio Real de Aranjuez; buried at the Collegiate Church of the La Granja Palace in San Ildefonso, Spain
After the death of his first wife, Felipe V of Spain married Elisabeth in 1714, and they had six children. Felipe V experienced episodes of manic depression. During several periods, he was unable to handle government affairs, and Elisabeth became the de facto ruler. As he grew older, Felipe V’s mental issues worsened, and Elisabeth became the permanent de facto ruler of Spain. In 1746, Felipe V had a stroke and died a few hours later. Elisabeth’s stepson, Fernando VI, King of Spain, reigned for thirteen years. Fernando’s marriage was childless, and when he died in 1759, Elisabeth’s elder surviving son succeeded his half-brother as King Carlos III of Spain. On July 11, 1766, aged 73, Elisabeth died at the Royal Palace of Aranjuez in Aranjuez, Spain.
Unofficial Royalty: Elisabeth Farnese of Parma, Queen of Spain

July 11, 1866 – Birth of Irene of Hesse and by Rhine, granddaughter of Queen Victoria, at the Neues Palais in Darmstadt, Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine, now in Hesse, Germany
Full name: Irene Luise Maria Anna
Irene was the daughter of Princess Alice of the United Kingdom and Ludwig IV, Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine.  She married her first cousin, Prince Heinrich of Prussia. Like her own mother, Irene was a carrier of hemophilia and passed it to two of her three sons. They were two of the nine descendants of Queen Victoria who suffered from the disease.
Unofficial Royalty: Irene of Hesse and by Rhine, Princess of Prussia
Unofficial Royalty: Hemophilia in Queen Victoria’s Descendants

 July 11, 1867 – Death of Heinrich LXVII, 3rd Prince Reuss of Gera at Schloss Osterstein in Gera, Principality of Reuss-Gera, now in Thuringia, Germany; buried at the Bergkirche St. Marien now in Schleiz, Thuringia, Germany
Upon the death of his unmarried brother Heinrich LXII, 2nd Prince Reuss of Gera, on June 19, 1854, Heinrich LXVII became the 3rd Prince Reuss of Gera. His reign was reactionary to the failed German Revolutions of 1848, which had demonstrated discontent with the traditional, autocratic political structure of the thirty-nine independent states of the German Confederation. Heinrich LXII’s government implemented a reactionary amendment to the constitution limiting the legislature’s power.
Unofficial Royalty: Heinrich LXVII, 3rd Prince Reuss of Gera

July 11, 1914 – Death of Adolf Friedrich V, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz in a private hospital in Berlin, Kingdom of Prussia, now in Brandenburg, Germany; buried in the New Crypt at the Johanniterkirche in Mirow, Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, now in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany
In 1908, Adolf Friedrich introduced a ministerial form of government, but continued to meet resistance from the nobility when trying to make further reforms, such as the introduction of a new constitution. Thwarted at every attempt, in 1912 the Grand Duke offered to donate $2.5 million of his own funds to the national treasury and forfeit some of his sovereign rights, in exchange for a new constitution. But again, he was denied by the nobility. In January 1914, just months before his death, he was reported to be the second richest German sovereign, with a personal fortune of $88.75 million (over $2 billion today). In March 1914, the Grand Duke fell ill and underwent an operation in a private hospital in Berlin, Kingdom of Prussia, now in the German state of Brandenburg. He never fully recovered and died at the hospital.
Unofficial Royalty: Adolf Friedrich V, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz

July 11, 1920 – Death of Eugénie de Montijo, Empress of the French, at Liria Palace in Madrid, Spain; buried in the Imperial Crypt at Saint Michael’s Abbey in Farnborough, England with her husband and her son
After Eugénie’s husband, Napoleon III, Emperor of the French, lost his throne, the family went into exile in England, where Eugénie developed a friendship with Queen Victoria. Despite her advanced age, Eugénie was very active during World War I. She supported several hospitals in France and funded a military hospital in Farnborough, England. She also donated her yacht to the British Navy. For her contributions to the war effort, she was made a Dame Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire in 1919 by King George V. Eugénie died at the age of 94 while visiting relatives at the Liria Palace in Madrid, in her native Spain.
Unofficial Royalty: Eugénie de Montijo, Empress of the French

July 11, 2011 – Death of George Lascelles, 7th Earl of Harewood, son of Mary, Princess Royal and first cousin of Queen Elizabeth II, at Harewood House near Leeds, England; buried at All Saints Church in Harewood, West Yorkshire, England
Lord Harewood had a deep interest in music, especially opera. He was the editor of Opera magazine and the director of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. He served as chairman of the board and musical director of the English National Opera and artistic director of the Edinburgh, Adelaide, and Leeds Music Festivals. Lord Harewood was the editor of two books about opera and the author of an autobiography, The Tongs and the Bones. During World War II, Lord Harewood served in the British Army with the Grenadier Guards. He was captured by the Germans and held as a prisoner of war.
Unofficial Royalty: George Lascelles, 7th Earl of Harewood

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Royal News Recap for Wednesday, July 9, 2025

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Royal News Recaps are published Mondays-Fridays and on Sundays, except for Thanksgiving in the United States, Christmas Eve, and New Year’s Eve. The Royal News Recap for Sundays will be a weekend recap. If there is any breaking or major news, we will add an update as necessary.

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July 10: Today in Royal History

© Unofficial Royalty 2024

William the Silent, Prince of Orange; Credit – Wikipedia 

July 10, 1086 – Murder of (Saint) Cnut IV, King of Denmark, at St. Alban’s Priory Church in Odense, Denmark; buried in front of the main altar of St. Alban’s Priory Church
Cnut feared the nobles’ support of his half-brother, the future King Olaf I of Denmark. Olaf had concerns about Cnut’s ambitions and saw his young son Carl, born the previous year, as a future rival for power. Cnut blamed Olaf for stirring up trouble, and Olaf was imprisoned by their brother Eric, the future King Eric I of Denmark. Olaf was banished to Flanders, under the supervision of Robert I, Count of Flanders, Cnut’s father-in-law. However, Cnut’s actions resulted in open rebellion. On July 10, 1086, Cnut, his brother Benedikt, and seventeen of their followers took refuge in the wooden, Viking Age St. Alban’s Priory Church (link in Danish) at St. Alban’s Priory in Odense. The rebels stormed into the church and killed Cnut, his brother Benedikt, and their seventeen followers before the altar.
Unofficial Royalty: (Saint) Cnut IV, King of Denmark

July 10, 1103 – Death of Eric I, King of Denmark in Paphos, Cyprus; buried at Chrysopolitissa Basilica in Paphos, Cyprus
King Eric I and his wife Bodil were travelling to the Holy Land to make a pilgrimage. However, Eric never made it to the Holy Land. While in Constantinople, Eric became ill, and despite his illness, he continued his travels by sea. King Eric I of Denmark died on July 10, 1103, in Paphos, Cyprus, where his wife had him buried. However, the location of his grave is no longer known. After Eric died, Bodil continued the journey and reached Jerusalem later in 1103. She died in Jerusalem that same year and was buried on the Mount of Olives or at its foot in the Valley of Josaphat.
Unofficial Royalty: Eric I, King of Denmark

July 10, 1451 – Birth of James III, King of Scots at Stirling Castle in Scotland
James III’s birth date and birthplace are uncertain: either May 1452 at St. Andrew’s Castle or July 10, 1451, or July 20, 1451 at Stirling Castle. James III became King of Scots when he was nine years old. On August 3, 1460, his father, 29-year-old James II, King of Scots, was accidentally killed during the siege of Roxburgh Castle near the English border when a cannon nearby where he was standing exploded. As with the start of the reigns of James I and James II, Scotland once again had a child king. Mary of Guelders, the young king’s mother, served as the regent for her son until her death three years later. The remaining Scottish Stuarts, James IV, James V, Mary, Queen of Scots, and James VI, would also be child monarchs. James II’s death also continued the violent deaths of the Scottish Stuarts, which started with the assassination of his father James I and continued with the deaths in battle of James III and James IV and the beheading of Mary, Queen of Scots.
Unofficial Royalty: James III, King of Scots

July 10, 1559 – Death of King Henri II of France from injuries suffered during a tournament at the Hôtel des Tournelles (now the Place des Vosges) in Paris, France; buried at Saint-Denis Basilica near Paris, France
King Henri II, at age 40, still liked to participate in tournaments even though he had been advised not to because of dizziness after physical exertion. On June 30, 1559,  Henri participated in what would be his last tournament.  Henri and Gabriel de Lorges, Comte de Montgomery, Captain of the Scotch Guard, jousted, and Henri had been almost unseated from his horse. He insisted upon a rematch despite the urgings of his wife, the Duke of Savoy, and other friends to stop. The Comte de Montgomery reluctantly agreed to participate. de Montgomery’s lance struck the king’s helmet, splintered, and went through the visor, going through the king’s right eye and his temple into the brain. The king was bleeding profusely and was nearly unconscious. Henri’s wife, Catherine d’Medici, desperate to find a way to cure her husband, had four criminals beheaded and then had splintered lances poked through the eyes at the same angle the lance had gone through Henry’s eye.  Henri’s condition continued to worsen.  On July 9, he was given the last rites, and after suffering horribly for eleven days, Henri died, probably from a subdural hematoma and sepsis.
Unofficial Royalty: Henri II, King of France

July 10, 1584 – Assassination of Willem I, Prince of Orange (the Silent) at Prinsenhof in Delft, the Netherlands; buried at Nieuwe Kerk in Delft, the Netherlands
In the Netherlands, Willem I (the Silent), Prince of Orange, is known as the Vader des Vaderlands (Father of the Fatherland), and the Dutch national anthem, the Wilhelmus, was written in his honor. He got his nickname “the Silent” (in Dutch De Zwijger) not because he was quiet, but because of his habit of holding his tongue in difficult situations. Willem is the founder of the House of Orange-Nassau and the ancestor of the Dutch monarchs, the British monarchs from King George I forward, and other European royal families. Willem left the Roman Catholic Church and became a member of the Dutch Reformed Church. He was declared an outlaw by King Philip II of Spain, who offered 25,000 crowns to anyone who killed Willem. The assassin Balthasar Gérard went to the Prinsenhof, Willem’s home, announcing that he wanted to speak to Willem. He was told that Willem was at lunch and would speak with him afterward. Gérard went to his inn to get his pistols and returned to the Prinsenhof. Willem had finished his lunch and made his way to the stairs to his second-floor chamber, where he worked and slept. Gérard, who had been hiding behind a pillar, jumped out and fired two shots, hitting Willem in the chest at close range. Willem collapsed and died instantly.
Unofficial Royalty: Assassination of Willem I the Silent, Prince of Orange
Unofficial Royalty: Willem I, Prince of Orange (the Silent)

July 10, 1867 – Birth of Prince Maximilian of Baden, Margrave of Baden, pretender to the former throne of the Grand Duchy of Baden and the Head of the House of Zähringen from 1928 until he died in 1929, in Baden-Baden, Grand Duchy of Baden, now in the German state of Baden-Württemberg
Full name: Maximilian Alexander Friedrich Wilhelm
Unofficial Royalty: Prince Maximilian of Baden, Margrave of Baden

July 10, 1886 – Death of Duchess Agnes of Württemberg, Princess Reuss of Gera, wife of Heinrich XIV, 4th Prince Reuss of Gera, at Schloss Osterstein in Gera, Principality of Reuss-Gera, now in Thuringia, Germany; buried at the Bergkirche St. Marien in Schleiz, Principality of Reuss-Gera, now in Thuringia, Germany
As Princess of Reuss-Gera, Agnes founded numerous organizations and institutes that bore her name, such as the Agnes School, a training institute for female servants in Gera, the capital of the Principality of Reuss-Gera. She was also an author and used Angelica Hohenstein as her pen name.
Unofficial Royalty: Duchess Agnes of Württemberg, Princess Reuss of Gera

July 10, 1953 – Birth of Princess Takamado, widow of Prince Takamado of Japan, born Hisako Tottori in Tokyo, Japan
Born Hisako Tottori, she married Prince Takamado of Mikasa, son of Prince Mikasa, who was the youngest son of Emperor Taishō, the youngest brother of Emperor Hirohito (Shōwa), and the uncle of Emperor Akihito. The couple had three daughters. Princess Takamado’s husband suddenly died of a cardiopulmonary arrest while playing squash with the Canadian ambassador. Although Princess Takamado was left a widow with three daughters, she continued her husband’s efforts to foster international goodwill. She has been extremely active with charitable organizations involving sports, cultural exchange, and the environment, taking on all the positions formerly held by her late husband, and many new positions. Princess Takamado often represents the Japanese Imperial Family at royal events in other monarchies.
Unofficial Royalty: Hisako Tottori, Princess Takamado

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Royal News Recap for Tuesday, July 8, 2025

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July 9: Today in Royal History

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King Felipe V of Spain; Credit – Wikipedia

July 9, 1511 – Birth of Dorothea of Saxe-Lauenburg, Queen of Denmark and Norway, wife of King Christian III of Denmark and Norway, at Lauenburg Castle, Duchy of Saxe-Lauenburg, now in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany
Dorothea’s homeland, the Duchy of Saxe-Lauenburg, was one of the first states of the Holy Roman Empire to accept the Protestant Reformation so Dorothea came to her marriage as a Lutheran. In 1525, in Lauenburg, fourteen-year-old Dorothea married the twenty-three-year-old future King Christian III of Denmark and Norway, son of Frederik I, King of Denmark and Norway.  Dorothea’s dowry of 15,000 guilders was considered extremely small. The groom’s father Frederik I, who had only reluctantly given his permission to the marriage, did not attend the wedding. Frederik I was the last Danish monarch who was Roman Catholic. All subsequent Danish monarchs have been Lutheran. Christian already had Lutheran views and, as King, would turn Denmark Lutheran. Perhaps, Frederik I’s refusal to attend his son’s wedding was due to religion and the small dowry.
Unofficial Royalty: Dorothea of Saxe-Lauenburg, Queen of Denmark and Norway

July 9, 1746 – Death of King Felipe V of Spain, the first Bourbon King of Spain, born Philippe of France, Duke of Anjou; son of Louis of France, Le Grand Dauphin, and grandson of King Louis XIV of France, at El Escorial in Madrid, Spain; buried at Royal Palace of La Granja de San Ildefonso near Segovia, Spain
In 1700, Carlos II, King of Spain died childless with no immediate Habsburg heir. Philippe’s father Louis, Le Grand Dauphin had the strongest genealogical claim to the throne of Spain because his mother Maria Teresa, Infanta of Spain was the half-sister of Carlos II. However, neither Philippe’s father nor his elder brother, Louis, Duke of Burgundy, could be displaced from their place in the succession to the French throne. Therefore, Carlos II, King of Spain named 16-year-old Philippe of Anjou, Duke of Anjou as his successor. Felipe and his first wife Maria Luisa of Savoy had four sons but only two survived childhood, they both became Kings of Spain and both had childless marriages. With his second wife Elisabeth Farnese of Parma, Felipe had six children including his successor Carlos III. Felipe suffered from mental instability and as he grew older, his mental issues worsened and his wife Elisabeth became the de facto ruler of Spain. Only the singing of the Italian castrato opera singer Farinelli (born Carlo Maria Michelangelo Nicola Broschi) brought any peace to Felipe. Felipe died of a stroke at the age of 62.
Unofficial Royalty: King Felipe V of Spain

July 9, 1835 – Death of Sophie of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, Countess of Mensdorff-Pouilly in Tuschimitz, Bohemia, now in the Czech Republic; buried in the park of Schloss Preitenstein, the family residence of the Mensdorff-Pouilly family, now in the Czech Republic
Sophie was the sister of Leopold I, the first King of the Belgians, and an aunt to both Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom and her husband Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.
Unofficial Royalty: Sophie of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, Countess of Mensdorff-Pouilly

July 9, 1836 – Birth of Sophia of Nassau, Queen of Sweden, wife of King Oscar II of Sweden at Biebrich Palace in Wiesbaden, Duchy of Nassau, now in Hesse, Germany
Full name: Sophia Wilhelmine Marianne Henriette
In 1857, Sofia married the future King Oscar II of Sweden and the couple had four sons. Queen Sofia was instrumental in establishing organized nursing schools in Sweden. A follower of Florence Nightingale, she learned much from a visit to the United Kingdom in 1881 and began her project upon returning to Sweden. In 1882, she arranged formal classes for nurses at the Sabbatsberg Hospital. Two years later, she opened Sophiahemmet University College, and in 1889 it became Sophiahemmet, a combined school for nurses and hospitals. When Queen Sofia died in 1913, she was the longest-serving Queen of Sweden, until surpassed in 2011 by Queen Silvia, wife of King Carl XVI Gustaf. Sofia is the last to hold the title of Dowager Queen. Queen Sofia is the ancestor of the current sovereigns of Belgium, Denmark, Luxembourg, Norway, and Sweden.
Unofficial Royalty: Sophia of Nassau, Queen of Sweden

July 9, 1857 – Birth of Friedrich II, Grand Duke of Baden in Karlsruhe, Grand Duchy of Baden, now in Baden-Württemberg, Germany
Full name: Friedrich Wilhelm Ludwig Leopold August
Friedrich became Grand Duke upon his father’s death in September 1907 and continued his father’s liberal policies. When the German Emperor abdicated in 1918, riots broke out throughout the German Empire, and Friedrich and his family were forced to flee Karlsruhe Palace, for Zwingenberg Castle in the Neckar valley. They then arranged to stay at Langenstein Castle, where Friedrich formally abdicated the throne of Baden on November 22, 1918.
Unofficial Royalty: Friedrich II, Grand Duke of Baden

July 9, 1863 – Death of Baron Christian Friedrich von Stockmar, advisor to Queen Victoria and Prince Albert from 1837-1847, in Coburg, the Duchy of Saxe-Coburg-and Gotha, now in Bavaria, Germany; buried in the Stockmar family tomb at Glockenberg Cemetery in Coburg; later Queen Victoria’s eldest daughter Victoria, Princess Royal and her husband had a tomb erected for Stockmar in the Neo-Renaissance style
Unofficial Royalty: Baron Christian Friedrich von Stockmar

July 9, 1916 – Death of Prince Adolf of Schaumburg-Lippe, first husband of Princess Viktoria of Prussia, daughter of Friedrich II, German Emperor, King of Prussia and granddaughter of Queen Victoria, in Bonn, Kingdom of Prussia, now in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany; buried in the family mausoleum in Bückeburg, Principality of Schaumburg-Lippe, now in Lower Saxony, Germany
Prince Adolf of Schaumburg-Lippe was the first husband of Princess Viktoria of Prussia (Moretta), a granddaughter of Queen Victoria. In 1890, Prince Adolf met Princess Viktoria of Prussia, daughter of Friedrich III, German Emperor and Victoria, Princess Royal, during a visit to Princess Marie of Wied, the mother of Queen Elisabeth of Romania. On November 19, 1890, he married Viktoria, known as Moretta, in Berlin. After an extended honeymoon in Egypt and Greece, the couple took up residence in the Palais Schaumburg in Bonn. Moretta had a miscarriage early in the marriage and the couple remained childless.
Unofficial Royalty: Prince Adolf of Schaumburg-Lippe

July 9, 1929 – Birth of King Hassan II of Morocco at the Royal Palace in Rabat, Morocco
From the 1960s to the late 1980s, Morocco’s human rights record was extremely poor. In Morocco, those years are known as the Years of Lead.  Thousands of dissidents were jailed, exiled, or disappeared. During this time, Morocco was one of the most repressive and undemocratic countries in the world. Due to pressure from other countries and human rights groups and the threat of international isolation, King Hassan began to gradually democratize Morocco. Political reforms in the 1990s resulted in the establishment of a two-house legislature in 1997 and Morocco’s first opposition-led government came to power in 1998. On July 23, 1999, King Hassan II of Morocco died, aged 70, from pneumonia in Rabat, Morocco. Over forty heads of state and other dignitaries attended his funeral.
Unofficial Royalty: King Hassan II of Morocco

July 9, 1985 – Death of Charlotte, Grand Duchess of Luxembourg at Fischbach Castle in Fischbach, Luxembourg; buried in the Ducal Crypt at the Notre-Dame Cathedral in Luxembourg City, Luxembourg
Grand Duchess Charlotte of Luxembourg was the sovereign from January 14, 1919, until November 12, 1964, when she abdicated in favor of her son Jean. During World War II, Germany invaded Luxembourg, and Charlotte and her family spent most of the war in the United States. Charlotte returned to her homeland, and the family took up residence at Fischbach Castle, which had suffered significantly less damage than the other royal properties – Berg Castle and the Grand Ducal Palace. Her focus became rebuilding Luxembourg and bringing the tiny nation to a more prominent profile in Europe. Through the remainder of her reign, she entertained world leaders and paid visits to many others. Her efforts to gain Luxembourg a place on the world’s stage were successful.
Unofficial Royalty: Charlotte, Grand Duchess of Luxembourg

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Royal News Recap for Monday, July 7, 2025

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Royal News Recaps are published Mondays-Fridays and on Sundays, except for Thanksgiving in the United States, Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve. The Royal News Recap for Sundays will be a weekend recap. If there is any breaking or major news, we will add an update as necessary.

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