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Napoleon Bonaparte, Emperor of the French; Credit – Wikipedia
Today’s Royal Events
- Unofficial Royalty: Liechtenstein National Day (August 15)
August 15, 1316 – Birth of John of Eltham, Earl of Cornwall, son of King Edward II of England, at Eltham Palace in London, England
In 1327, when John was eleven years old, his father King Edward II was forced to give up his crown in favor of his son 14-year-old son King Edward III, with his mother Isabella of France and Roger Mortimer, 3rd Baron Mortimer, 1st Earl of March acting as regents. King Edward II died in Berkeley Castle on September 21, 1327, probably murdered on the orders of Isabella and Mortimer. John was the heir to the English throne until 1330, when his nephew Edward, Prince of Wales, the first child of King Edward III, was born. King Edward III began marriage negotiations for his brother several times but none of the negotiations led to a betrothal. John had a brilliant military career, similar to the later military career of his nephew Edward, Prince of Wales, known as The Black Prince, who predeceased his father, and whose career ended just as suddenly. John of Eltham, 1st Earl of Cornwall died on September 13, 1336, in Perth, Scotland at the age of 20. The cause of his death is uncertain. There are references to John dying from a fever and dying in a skirmish with the Scots.
Unofficial Royalty: John of Eltham, Earl of Cornwall
August 15, 1369 – Death of Philippa of Hainault, Queen of England, wife of King Edward III of England, at Windsor Castle in Windsor, England; buried at Westminster Abbey in London, England
Philippa married King Edward III of England in 1348. The couple had thirteen children including her eldest child, Edward the Black Prince, who was born days before her sixteenth birthday. The sons of Edward and Philippa married into the English nobility and it was their descendants who later battled for the throne in the Wars of the Roses. Like other medieval consorts, Philippa often accompanied her husband on military campaigns. She was known for her kind nature and successfully pleaded for the lives of six burghers who had surrendered their city of Calais to King Edward III. Philippa died of a “dropsical malady” (edema) that had bothered her for about two years. She was 55 years old and had outlived seven of her children. According to the chronicler Jean Froissart, Philippa died holding the hands of her husband and her youngest child Thomas who was fourteen years old.
Unofficial Royalty: Philippa of Hainault, Queen of England
August 15, 1769 – Birth of Napoleon Bonaparte, Emperor of the French, born Napoleone di Buonaparte in Corsica, France
Napoléon joined the French army and quickly advanced. During the latter part of the French Revolution, he rose to prominence and by the age of 30 was the First Consul of France. Napoléon was Emperor of the French from 1804 to 1815. In the early part of the 19th century, Napoléon’s quest for power led to wars throughout a large part of Europe. In 1814, Paris was captured by the coalition fighting against Napoléon and his marshals decided to mutiny. He had no choice but to abdicate. The Treaty of Fontainebleau exiled Napoléon to the Mediterranean island of Elba, off the coast of Tuscany, Italy. Napoléon escaped from Elba on February 26, 1815, and arrived in France two days later. He attempted to regain power, but he was ultimately defeated at the Battle of Waterloo on June 18, 1815, by a coalition of forces from the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Hanover, Nassau, Brunswick, and Prussia.
Unofficial Royalty: Napoleon Bonaparte, Emperor of the French
August 15, 1824 – Birth of Ludwig II, Grand Duke of Baden in Karlsruhe, Grand Duchy of Baden, now in Baden-Württemberg, Germany
Ludwig was the eldest surviving son of Leopold, Grand Duke of Baden and Sofia of Sweden. As Ludwig got older, signs of mental illness began to show, and in March 1852, he was diagnosed as having a non-curable mental disorder. The following month, Ludwig’s father died and he succeeded as Grand Duke of Baden. However, because of his illness, his brother Friedrich served as Regent during Ludwig’s brief four-year reign.
Unofficial Royalty: Ludwig II, Grand Duke of Baden
August 15, 1860 – Death of Juliane of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, Grand Duchess Anna Feodorovna of Russia, at her estate in Elfenau, near Bern, Switzerland; buried at her estate in Elfenau
Julianne was an aunt to both Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. She made an unsuccessful marriage to Grand Duke Konstantin Pavlovich of Russia, the second son of the future Paul I, Emperor of All Russia. Juliane managed to leave Russia and upon arriving back home in Coburg, she refused to ever return to Russia. She soon began to negotiate for a divorce. However, the Russian court would not allow a formal end to the marriage. Although still technically married, Juliane had several affairs, two of which resulted in the birth of children. In 1814, after refusing an offer of reconciliation from her husband, Juliane purchased an estate in Bern, Switzerland along the banks of the Aare River. She named the property Elfenau and it would become her home for the rest of her life.
Unofficial Royalty: Juliane of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, Grand Duchess Anna Feodorovna
August 15, 1950 – Birth of Princess Anne, Princess Royal at Clarence House in London, England
Full name: Anne Elizabeth Alice Louise
From a young age, Princess Anne was passionate about riding and she soon became an excellent equestrienne. In 1971, Anne won the European Eventing Championship and was voted the BBC Sports Personality of the Year. For more than five years Anne competed with the British eventing team, winning a silver medal in both individual and team disciplines in the 1975 European Eventing Championship. In the 1976 Montreal Summer Olympics, Anne competed as a member of the British equestrian team.
Unofficial Royalty: Anne, Princess Royal
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