April 3: Today in Royal History

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Princess Maud, Countess of Southesk; Credit – Wikipedia

April 3, 1812 – Birth of Louise-Marie of Orléans, Queen of the Belgians, the second wife of King Leopold I of the Belgians, in Palermo, Kingdom of Sicily, now in Italy
Full name: Louise-Marie Thérèse Charlotte Isabelle
Louise-Marie was the eldest daughter of Louis-Philippe I, King of the French and Maria Amalia of the Two Sicilies. Among her ancestors are the Kings of France, Spain, Poland, Sicily and Naples, and Holy Roman Emperors. Marie Antoinette, Queen of France was her mother’s aunt. In 1831, Prince Leopold of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, uncle of both Queen Victoria and her husband Prince Albert, became the first King of the Belgians. Leopold’s first wife had been Princess Charlotte of Wales, the only child of King George IV of the United Kingdom, who would have become Queen if she had not tragically died due to childbirth complications. Leopold had to marry again to provide for the Belgian succession and his choice was Louise-Marie. The couple married in 1832 and had four children. Louise-Marie died from tuberculosis at the age of 38 on October 11, 1850.
Unofficial Royalty: Louise-Marie of Orléans, Queen of the Belgians

April 3, 1831 – Birth of Adelaide of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg, wife of King Miguel of Portugal, in Kleinheubach, Kingdom of Bavaria, now in the German state of Bavaria
Full name: Sophie Amalie Adelheid Luise Johanne Leopoldine
Adelaide married King Miguel I of Portugal after he was deposed and lived with him in exile in the Grand Duchy of Baden. Miguel died leaving 35-year-old Adelaide with seven young children. She arranged prominent marriages for her children and is the ancestor of the current royal families of Belgium, Liechtenstein, and Luxembourg, as well as the former royal families of Austria, Bavaria, Portugal, and Romania. Adelaide retired to the Abbey of Sainte-Cécile in Solesmes, France where she eventually became a nun.
Unofficial Royalty: Adelaide of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg

April 3, 1893 – Birth of Princess Maud, Countess of Southesk at East Sheen Lodge in Richmond, London, England
Full name: Maud Alexandra Victoria Georgina Bertha
Maud was the youngest child of Princess Louise, Princess Royal and Alexander Duff, 1st Duke of Fife and a grandchild of King Edward VII of the United Kingdom. She married Charles Carnegie, 11th Earl of Southesk and they had one son. On December 14, 1945, Maud, aged 52, died of bronchitis on the 84th anniversary of the death of her great-grandfather Prince Albert.
Unofficial Royalty: Princess Maud, Countess of Southesk

April 3, 1960 – Death of King Norodom Suramarit of Cambodia at Chaktomuk Hall, Khemarin Palace in Phnom Penh, Cambodia; his ashes were buried in a stupa at Wat Preah Keo Morakot (Silver Pagoda) in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
Norodom Suramarit was the son of half-siblings, Prince Norodom Sutharot of Cambodia (1872–1945) and Princess Norodom Phangangam of Cambodia (1874–1944), both children of King Norodom Prohmbarirak of Cambodia but by different mothers. Norodom Suramarit, the father of King Norodom Sihanouk, reigned as King of Cambodia from 1955 -1960. His son King Norodom Sihanouk had been chosen over him to be king in 1941 but abdicated in 1955 so he could directly participate in politics. The reign of King Suramarit was peaceful due to the powerful political leadership and strict neutral policy of his son Prime Minister Norodom Sihanouk. King Norodom Suramarit, aged 64, died in 1960 after a long illness.
Unofficial Royalty: King Norodom Suramarit of Cambodia

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