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King Haakon VII of Norway; Credit – Wikipedia
August 3, 1460 – Death of James II, King of Scots at Roxburgh Castle in Scotland, buried at Holyrood Abbey in Edinburgh, Scotland
The “Black Dinner” that occurred during James II’s reign was an inspiration for the famous “Red Wedding” massacre in “The Game of Thrones.” James II besieged Roxburgh Castle near the English border in support of King Henry VI of England and was accidentally killed 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 in James III, King of Scots, the son of James II. The rest of the 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 that 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 II, King of Scots
August 3, 1770 – Birth of Friedrich Wilhelm III, King of Prussia in Potsdam, Kingdom of Prussia, now in Brandenburg, Germany
Friedrich Wilhelm III became King of Prussia in 1797, upon his father’s death. He immediately implemented changes – cutting the expenses of the royal court, dismissing many of his father’s ministers, and taking on much of the responsibilities himself. This caused great inconsistency during his reign, as he was hesitant to delegate any responsibility to his own ministers. He also made efforts to restore the moral dignity of the Prussian royal court – long plagued during his father’s reign with “political intrigues and sexual affairs”.
Unofficial Royalty: Friedrich Wilhelm III, King of Prussia
August 3, 1853 – Death of Georg, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg at Jagdschloss Hummelshaim, now in Thuringia, Germany; buried in the Ducal Mausoleum in Altenburg Cemetery in the Duchy of Saxe-Altenburg, now in Thuringia, Germany. In 1974, all the remains in the mausoleum were removed and buried in an unmarked grave elsewhere in the cemetery.
Georg became Duke of Saxe-Altenburg in 1848, succeeding his brother Joseph who was forced to abdicate. As Duke, he reformed the financial administration of the duchy and founded the George Foundation, which worked to promote and support artists and craftsmen. Georg came significant amounts of his own money to welfare efforts for the poor, earning him the nickname ‘Georg the Good’. His reign lasted a little less than five years. In declining health, Georg handed over much of his role to his son Ernst in the spring of 1853 and died two months later.
Unofficial Royalty: Georg, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg
August 3, 1872 – Birth of King Haakon VII of Norway at Charlottenlund Palace, near Copenhagen, Denmark
Full name: Christian Frederik Carl Georg Valdemar Axel
Born Prince Carl of Denmark, the son of King Frederik VIII of Denmark, he was elected King of Norway when the union between Sweden and Norway was dissolved in 1905 and reigned for 52 years. Through his paternal aunts and uncles, Carl was related to many European royals. Among his first cousins were Nicholas II, Emperor of All Russia, King Constantine I of Greece, King George V of the United Kingdom, and his future wife Princess Maud of Wales who was the daughter of the future King Edward VII of the United Kingdom and Princess Alexandra of Denmark, Carl’s paternal aunt. Carl’s elder brother King Christian X of Denmark reigned from 1912 – 1947.
Unofficial Royalty: King Haakon VII of Norway
August 3, 1943 – Birth of Princess Christina of Sweden, Mrs. Magnuson, sister of King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden at Haga Palace in Solna Municipality, Stockholm, Sweden
Full name: Christina Louise Helena
Christina is the fourth of the four elder sisters of King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden. Princess Christina married Tord Magnuson and like her sisters Margaretha and Désirée, she lost her royal style and title, becoming Princess Christina, Mrs. Magnuson.
Unofficial Royalty: Princess Christina, Mrs. Magnuson
August 3, 1986 – Birth of Prince Louis of Luxembourg, son of Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg, at Grand Duchess Charlotte Maternity Hospital in Luxembourg City, Luxembourg
In 2006, Louis and Tessy Antony had a son, and they married later that year. At the time of the wedding, Louis relinquished his rights of succession, as well as that of any descendants. He retained his royal style and title and his wife took on the surname ‘de Nassau’. A second son was born in 2007. In 2009, Tessy was created HRH Princess Tessy of Luxembourg, and their sons were made HRH Prince Gabriel and HRH Prince Noah of Nassau. Louis and Tessy divorced in 2017 and the divorce was finalized in 2019. On April 6, 2021, the Grand Ducal Court of Luxembourg announced the engagement of Prince Louis of Luxembourg and Scarlett-Lauren Sirgue. On February 22, 2022, it was announced that Prince Louis and Scarlett-Lauren had called off the engagement
Full name: Louis Xavier Marie Guillaume
Unofficial Royalty: Prince Louis of Luxembourg
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