September 20: Today in Royal History

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Arthur, Prince of Wales, Credit – Wikipedia

September 20, 1486 – Birth of Arthur, Prince of Wales, son of King Henry VII of England, at St. Swithin’s Priory in Winchester, England
The first child of King Henry VII of England, the first Tudor monarch, and Elizabeth of York, daughter of King Edward IV, niece of King Richard III, and sister of King Edward V, was born purposefully in Winchester, England which was once the capital of the Kingdom of Wessex. The name Arthur was chosen in hopes that he would bring a new Arthurian age to the new Tudor dynasty. In 1501, the two 15 year-olds, Catherine of Aragon and Arthur, were married at the Old St. Paul’s Cathedral in London. Catherine was escorted to the cathedral by Arthur’s brother, the 10-year-old Henry, Duke of York, who would eventually become her second husband as King Henry VIII. Within months of the marriage, both Arthur and Catherine became ill, probably of the sweating sickness. Catherine survived, but she was left a widow as Arthur did not survive.
Unofficial Royalty: Arthur, Prince of Wales

September 20, 1789 – Birth of Georg II, Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont in Weil am Rhein, Grand Duchy of Baden, now in Baden-Württemberg, Germany
Full name: Georg Friedrich Heinrich
Upon the death of his father in 1813, Georg succeeded him as Prince of Waldeck-Pyrmont. In 1823, Georg married Emma of Anhalt-Bernburg-Schaumburg-Hoym and they had five children. Through their son Georg Viktor, Prince of Waldeck-Pyrmont, they were the grandparents of Emma who married King Willem III of the Netherlands, and Helena who married Prince Leopold, Queen Victoria’s hemophiliac, youngest son.
Unofficial Royalty: Georg II, Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont

September 20, 1843 – Birth of Tsesarevich Nicholas Alexandrovich of Russia, son of Alexander II, Emperor of All Russia, at Alexander Palace at Tsarskoye Selo near St. Petersburg, Russia
Although Nicholas was born to succeed his father as Emperor of All Russia, it was not to be. In 1864, Nicholas became betrothed to Princess Dagmar of Denmark, daughter of King Christian IX of Denmark. However, in the spring of 1865, 21-year-old Nicholas was on his deathbed, dying of cerebrospinal meningitis. Within a few days, Dagmar was sitting by the bed of her dying fiancé.  There is an uncorroborated story that shortly before he died, Nicholas clasped together the hands of Dagmar and his brother Alexander, begging them to marry. The couple did marry in 1866, became Alexander III, Emperor of All Russia and Empress Maria Feordorova, and had six children including Nicholas II, the last Emperor of All Russia, who was named in honor of his deceased uncle.
Unofficial Royalty: Tsesarevich Nicholas Alexandrovich of Russia

September 20, 1870 – Death of Kalama, Queen Consort of the Hawaiian Islands, wife of King Kamehameha III, in Honolulu, on the island of Oahu, Kingdom of the Hawaiian Islands, now in the state of Hawaii; first buried at Mauna ʻAla (Fragrant Hills), the Royal Mausoleum of Hawaii in Honolulu, Oahu; later moved to the Kamehameha Tomb, an underground vault, under the Kamehameha Dynasty Tomb on the grounds of the Royal Mausoleum

Unofficial Royalty: Kalama, Queen Consort of the Hawaiian Islands, wife of King Kamehameha III

September 20, 1886 – Birth of Crown Princess Cecilie of Germany, wife of Crown Prince Wilhelm of Germany, born Cecilie of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, in Schwerin, Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, now in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany
Full name: Cecilie Auguste Marie
In 1905, Cecilie married Crown Prince Wilhelm of Germany, the son of Wilhelm II, German Emperor and King of Prussia, and had six children. Wilhelm was a perpetual womanizer and made little attempt to keep any of his affairs quiet. As Crown Princess, Cecilie was immensely popular and took on quite a bit of charity work. She particularly enjoyed working with organizations that promoted and provided education for women. Shortly after the end of World War I and the fall of the German monarchies, the marriage of Cecilie and Wilhelm became a marriage in name only.
Unofficial Royalty: Cecilie of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, Crown Princess of Germany

September 20, 1925 – Birth of Ananda Mahidol, King of Thailand (Rama VIII) in Heidelberg, Germany
Known for being found shot dead in his bed under mysterious circumstances, King Ananda Mahidol of Thailand was born in Heidelberg, Germany where his parents were studying at Heidelberg University at the time of his birth. In 1935, upon the abdication of his uncle, nine-year-old Ananda Mahidol King of Thailand. In December 1941, during World War II, Japan occupied Thailand. King Ananda Mahidol was studying in Switzerland and he remained there until the end of World War II. He returned to Thailand in December 1945 after receiving a law degree from the University of Lausanne.  In 1946, 20-year-old King Ananda Mahidol was found shot to death in his bed in the Boromphiman Throne Hall, a residential palace located in the Grand Palace in Bangkok, Thailand. He was succeeded by his 18-year-old brother Bhumibol Adulyadej who reigned for seventy years. Although three people were tried and executed for King Ananda Mahidol’s supposed assassination, the circumstances of his death have never been fully explained and his death is still seen as a mystery.
Unofficial Royalty: Ananda Mahidol, King of Thailand

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