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Elizabeth Stuart, Electress Palatine of the Rhine; Credit – Wikipedia

February 13, 1457 – Birth of Mary, Duchess of Burgundy in her own right, daughter of Charles the Bold, Duke of Burgundy and wife of Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor, at the Castle of Coudenberg in Brussels, Duchy of Burgundy now in Belgium
The daughter of the powerful Charles I the Bold, Duke of Burgundy, Mary, Duchess of Burgundy in her own right was his only child and heir presumptive. Her father’s vast and rich Burgundian State consisted of parts of the present-day Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, France, and Germany. Mary married Archduke Maximilian of Austria, son of Friedrich III, Holy Roman Emperor and Archduke of Austria. It was through the marriage of Maximilian and Mary’s son Philip IV, Duke of Burgundy, also called Philip of Habsburg and Philip the Handsome, to Juana I, Queen of Castile and León, Queen of Aragon that the Habsburg lands would be joined with the Spanish lands. Philip and Juana’s son Carlos, best known as Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, was one of the most powerful ever monarchs and had a large number of titles due to his vast inheritance of the Burgundian, Spanish, and Austrian realms. Sadly, 25-year-old Mary died from injuries sustained in a horse-riding accident while pregnant.
Unofficial Royalty: Mary, Duchess of Burgundy, Archduchess of Austria

February 13, 1542 – Execution of Catherine Howard, fifth wife of King Henry VIII of England, at the Tower of London in London, England; buried at the Chapel of St. Peter ad Vincula, Tower of London in London, England
Henry VIII married the teenage Catherine Howard, a first cousin of Henry’s beheaded second wife Anne Boleyn, in 1540. Less than two years later, Catherine Howard was indicted for high treason on charges of premarital relations and extramarital relations with Francis Dereham and Thomas Culpeper who were both executed. Catherine’s lady-in-waiting, Jane Boleyn, Viscountess Rochford, the widow of George Boleyn, who had been accused, convicted, and executed for adultery with his sister Anne Boleyn, was charged with aiding and abetting Catherine. Catherine was brought to the Tower of London on February 10, 1542, by barge, passing under London Bridge where Dereham and Culpepper’s heads were displayed and remained displayed until 1546. Her execution by beheading was to take place on February 13, 1542, at 7:00 AM. The night before her execution, Catherine is believed to have practiced how to lay her head upon the block, which had been brought to her at her request. Catherine was beheaded with one stroke on Tower Green within the Tower of London.  Jane Boleyn, Viscountess Rochford, was executed immediately afterward.
Unofficial Royalty: Catherine Howard, Queen of England

February 13, 1660 – Death of King Karl X Gustav of Sweden at Gothenburg, Sweden; buried at Riddarholmen Church in Stockholm, Sweden
Karl Gustav was the eldest of the three sons of Johann Casimir, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken-Kleeburg and Princess Katarina of Sweden. In 1654, he became King of Sweden upon the abdication of his cousin Christina, Queen of Sweden. Four months after becoming king, Karl Gustav married Hedwig Eleonora of Holstein-Gottorp. They had only one child, the future Karl XI, King of Sweden, who succeeded his father. Karl Gustav’s short reign concentrated on the healing of domestic discords from the reign of Queen Christina and the rallying of Sweden around his new policy of conquest. He achieved great military successes in the Second Northern War against Denmark-Norway and Poland-Lithuania. In February 1660, Karl Gustav became ill with influenza which developed into pneumonia. He became increasingly ill with a high fever and had difficulty breathing. He signed his will appointing a regency consisting of six relatives and close friends for his four-year-old son who would soon be Karl XI, King of Sweden. Karl Gustav said goodbye to his wife, his son, and his closest friends. In the early evening, his condition worsened again and he could not lie down due to his breathing difficulties. He was held up in the arms of two of his friends. At midnight, the doctors announced that death was approaching, and Karl Gustav said goodbye to those present again, and he died at the age of 37 in the early morning hours of February 13, 1660.
Unofficial Royalty: King Karl X Gustav of Sweden

February 13, 1662 – Death of Elizabeth Stuart, Electress Palatine of the Rhine, daughter of King James I of England, wife of Friedrich V, Elector of Palatine of the Rhine, at Leicester House in London, England; buried at Westminster Abbey in London, England
In 1613, Elizabeth married Friedrich V, Elector Palatine of the Rhine and the couple had thirteen children. Through her daughter Sophia, Electress of Hanover whose son succeeded to the British throne as King George I after the Protestant Stuarts died out, Elizabeth is the ancestor of the British royal family and most other European royal families, including those of Belgium, Denmark, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, and Sweden, as well as the former royal families of Greece, Romania, Prussia, and Russia. Elizabeth’s husband Friedrich died from an infection in 1632, at the age of 36. Between her husband’s death in 1632 and her death in 1662, Elizabeth suffered the death of four of her children and the execution of her brother King Charles I of England in 1649. In 1660, Elizabeth’s nephew King Charles II was restored as King of England and Elizabeth decided to visit England. She arrived in England on May 26, 1661, and by July she was determined to remain there. She first lived in Drury House on Wych Street in London. In January of 1662, she moved to Leicester House on the north side of present-day Leicester Square. On February 13, 1662, Elizabeth died of bronchitis at the age of 65 and was buried in the Henry VII Chapel at Westminster Abbey near her brother Henry, Prince of Wales.
Unofficial Royalty: Elizabeth Stuart, Electress Palatine of the Rhine

February 13, 1904 – Birth of Princess Irene of Greece, Duchess of Aosta, daughter of King Constantine I of Greece, in Athens, Greece
Irene was the daughter of King Constantine I of Greece and Princess Sophie of Prussia, a granddaughter of Queen Victoria. Irene and her sister Katherine served as bridesmaids for their cousin Princess Marina of Greece when she married Prince George, Duke of Kent in 1934.  In 1939, Irene married Prince Aimone of Savoy, 4th Duke of Aosta, and the couple had one son. After the fall of the Italian monarchy in 1946, Irene and her son escaped to Switzerland while Aimone fled to Argentina. The couple was effectively separated after this time, having spent little time together during the preceding years. Aimone died in Buenos Aires in 1948. Irene lived at Villa Domenico in Fiesole, Italy, near her sister Helen, who lived in Villa Sparta. Irene died in 1974, after a long illness, at her home in Fiesole, Italy.
Unofficial Royalty: Princess Irene of Greece, Duchess of Aosta

February 13, 1913 – Birth of King Khalid of Saudi Arabia in Riyadh, Saudi, Arabia
Khalid was the son of Abdulaziz, the first King of Saudi Arabia, and Al Jawhara bint Musaed bin Jiluwi Al Saud, one of Abdulaziz’s many wives. On March 25, 1975, 68-year-old King Faisal, Khalid’s half-brother, was shot and killed by his 30-year-old nephew Prince Faisal bin Musaid bin Abdulaziz Al Saud at the Royal Palace in Riyadh. Khalid, who did not even want to be Crown Prince, succeeded to the throne of Saudi Arabia. Although Khalid initially was reluctant to rule Saudi Arabia, he gradually warmed to his role and worked on improving the education, health care, and infrastructure of Saudi Arabia during his seven-year reign.
Unofficial Royalty: King Khalid of Saudi Arabia

February 13, 1991 – Death of Georg Moritz, Hereditary Prince of Saxe-Altenburg, Head of the House of Saxe-Altenburg in Rendsburg, Germany
Georg Moritz was the Hereditary Prince of Saxe-Altenburg and the last Head of the House of Saxe-Altenburg. He died from pneumonia with no heir and the House of Saxe-Altenburg merged into the House of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach.
Unofficial Royalty: Georg Moritz, Hereditary Prince of Saxe-Altenburg, Head of the House of Saxe-Altenburg

February 13, 2018 – Death of Prince Henrik of Denmark, born Henri de Laborde de Monpezat, husband of Queen Margrethe II of Denmark, at Fredensborg Palace in Denmark; his remains were cremated with half of his ashes spread over Danish seas, and the other half interred in the private garden at Fredensborg Castle
Prince Henrik’s parents were members of the French nobility. After a brief stint in the military, Henrik entered the French foreign services. At the time he met Princess Margrethe of Denmark, the eldest daughter of King Frederik IX of Denmark in 1965, Henri was working as the third secretary at the French embassy in the Department of Oriental Affairs in London. Princess Margrethe married Henrik in 1967 and the couple had two sons. In 1972, Margrethe became Queen of Denmark upon the death of her father. In April 2016, Henrik renounced the title of Prince Consort, which he had been given in 2005. He retired from public life and decided to participate in official events to a very limited extent. In 2017, it was announced that Henrik was suffering from dementia. Henrik was hospitalized on January 28, 2018, with a benign tumor in his left lung. His condition severely deteriorated, and on February 13, 2018, Henrik was transferred from the Rigshospitalet in Copenhagen to Fredensborg Castle, where he wished to stay during his remaining time. Later that day Prince Henrik died peacefully in his sleep.
Unofficial Royalty: Prince Henrik of Denmark
Unofficial Royalty: The Funeral of Prince Henrik of Denmark

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Franz I, Emperor of Austria; Credit – Wikipedia

February 12, 1554 – Execution of Lady Jane Grey and her husband Lord Guildford Dudley at the Tower of London in London, England; buried at the Chapel of St. Peter ad Vincula, Tower of London in London, England
Jane was the great-granddaughter of King Henry VII of England through his younger surviving daughter Mary Tudor, Duchess of Suffolk, and was a first cousin once removed of King Edward VI of England. In May 1553, Jane married Lord Guildford Dudley, a younger son of Edward VI’s chief minister John Dudley, Duke of Northumberland. In June 1553, fifteen-year-old Edward VI of England, who was dying, probably of tuberculosis, composed a document “My devise for the succession” naming Jane and her male heirs as his successors because his half-sister Mary was Catholic, while Jane was a committed Protestant and would support the reformed Church of England. Both Mary and Elizabeth were still considered to be legally illegitimate and Edward opposed the succession of his half-sisters for reasons of illegitimacy. The document removed his half-sisters Mary and Elizabeth from the succession. After Edward’s death, Jane was proclaimed Queen of England on July 10, 1553. However, support for Edward’s elder half-sister Mary grew quickly, and most of Jane’s supporters abandoned her. The Privy Council suddenly changed sides and proclaimed Mary as Queen of England on July 19, 1553, deposing Jane. Jane’s father-in-law John Dudley, Duke of Northumberland, was accused of treason and executed less than a month later. Jane was convicted of high treason in November 1553 but Queen Mary I initially spared her life. However, Mary soon saw Jane as a threat when Jane’s father Henry Grey, 1st Duke of Suffolk, became involved with Wyatt’s Rebellion against Queen Mary’s intention to marry the future King Philip II of Spain. Both Jane and her husband Guildford Dudley were executed on February 12, 1554. Jane’s father was executed eleven days later.
Unofficial Royalty: Execution of Lady Jane Grey, Queen of England
Unofficial Royalty: Lady Jane Grey
Unofficial Royalty: Lord Guildford Dudley

February 12, 1627 – Death of Karl I, Prince of Liechtenstein at the Liechtenstein Palace in Prague, Kingdom of Bohemia, now in the Czech Republic; buried in the Old Crypt at Chuch of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary in Vranov, Moravia, now in the Czech Republic
Karl I was the first Prince of Liechtenstein and the founder of the Princely Family of Liechtenstein. In 1590, Karl married Baroness Anna Maria von Boskowitz and Černahora. They had four children including Karl I’s successor Karl Eusebius. In 1592, Karl became the treasurer of Archduke Matthias of Austria, a future Holy Roman Emperor. Karl and his younger brothers had been raised in the Evangelical Lutheran faith but they all converted to Catholicism in 1599. Karl’s younger brother Maximilian and his wife founded a Pauline monastery and had the Chuch of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary built on the monastery grounds in the village of Vranov, then in Moravia, now in the Czech Republic. A crypt in the church served as the burial site for members of the House of Liechtenstein until the burial property was seized after World War II by the Communist government of Czechoslovakia. Since then, both Czechoslovakia and the current Czech Republic have refused to return the property to the Princely Family of Liechtenstein.
Unofficial Royalty:  Karl I, Prince of Liechtenstein

February 12, 1689 – Death of Marie Louise of Orléans, first wife of King Carlos II of Spain, at the Royal Alcázar in Madrid, Spain; buried at the Monastery of San Lorenzo El Real in El Escorial, Spain
The daughter of Philippe I, Duke of Orléans and Henrietta of England, and the granddaughter of King Charles I of England and King Louis XIII of France, Marie Louise married Carlos II, King of Spain in 1679. Carlos II was from the House of Habsburg, which ruled over Austria, Spain, and their many territories, and was notorious for its inbreeding. Carlos suffered from physical and mental developmental disabilities. His very pronounced Habsburg jaw was so severe that he swallowed his food without thoroughly chewing. Marie Louise and Carlos’ childless marriage lasted ten years. After taking a ride on horseback, Marie Louise began to feel strong pain in her stomach. She died the next day, aged 26, on February 12, 1689, at the Royal Alcázar of Madrid in Spain. Although many reasons were considered as causes of Marie Louise’s death including poison, it is most likely that she died from appendicitis, a fatal infection until the mid-nineteenth century when the advent of anesthesia and new surgical techniques allowed for successful appendectomies.
Unofficial Royalty: Marie Louise of Orléans, Queen of Spain

February 12, 1712 – Death of Marie Adélaïde of Savoy, Duchess of Burgundy, wife of Louis, Duke of Burgundy, Le Petite Dauphin at the Palace of Versailles in Versailles, France; buried at the Basilica of St. Denis
Marie Adélaïde of Savoy was the wife of Louis, Duke of Burgundy, Le Petite Dauphin, and the mother of Louis XV, King of France. King Louis XIV outlived both his son Louis, Duke of Burgundy, Le Grand Dauphin and his grandson Louis, Duke of Burgundy, Le Petite Dauphin and was succeeded by his five-year-old great-grandson King Louis XV when he died in 1715. On February 12, 1712, at the Palace of Versailles, 26-year-old Marie Adélaïde died from measles. Her husband Louis dearly loved his wife and stayed by her side throughout her illness. He caught the disease and died six days after her death, on February 18, 1712, aged 29.
Unofficial Royalty: Marie Adélaïde of Savoy, Duchess of Burgundy

February 12, 1768 – Birth of Franz I, the last Holy Roman Emperor and the first Emperor of Austria, in Florence, Grand Duchy of Tuscany, now in Italy
Full name: Franz Joseph Karl
Franz was the son of Pietro Leopoldo I, Grand Duke of Tuscany (later Leopold II, Holy Roman Emperor) and Infanta Maria Luisa of Spain. Franz’s paternal grandparents were the formidable and powerful Empress Maria Theresa, who was in her own right Archduchess of Austria, Queen of Hungary, Queen of Croatia, and Queen of Bohemia, and Francis Stephen, Holy Roman Emperor, Grand Duke of Tuscany, and Duke of Lorraine. Even though her husband was the nominal Holy Roman Emperor, Maria Theresa wielded the real power. Franz married four times but only his second wife Maria Theresa of Naples and Sicily had children – a total of twelve children, before dying in childbirth. Upon the death of his father in 1794, Franz became Franz II, Holy Roman Emperor. During the Napoleonic Wars of the early 19th-century, Holy Roman Emperor Franz II feared that Napoleon could take over the personal, hereditary Habsburg lands within the Holy Roman Empire, so in 1804 he proclaimed himself Emperor Franz I of Austria. As it turned out, Franz’s move was a wise one because the Holy Roman Empire was dissolved in 1806.
Unofficial Royalty: Emperor Franz I of Austria

February 12, 1771 – Death of King Adolf Fredrik of Sweden at Stockholm Palace in Stockholm, Sweden; buried at Riddarholmen Church in Stockholm, Sweden
The first Swedish king of the House of Holstein-Gottorp, Adolf Frederik was born Prince Adolf Friedrich of Holstein-Gottorp. In 1743, after the Russo-Swedish War which ended in Sweden’s defeat, negotiations were held with Empress Elizabeth of Russia. She agreed to restore part of Finland to Sweden if her heir’s uncle Adolf Friedrich of Holstein-Gottorp was made heir to the childless King Frederik I of Sweden. Empress Elizabeth’s heir was Karl Peter Ulrich, Duke of Holstein-Gottorp (the ill-fated future Peter III, Emperor of All Russia), the only child of Elizabeth’s deceased sister. Thereafter, Adolf Friedrich was known by the Swedish version of his name, Adolf Frederik. In 1744, Adolf Frederik married Louisa Ulrika of Prussia and the couple had four children including two Kings of Sweden. Upon the death of King Frederik I of Sweden in 1751, Adolf Frederik succeeded to the Swedish throne. During his twenty-year reign, Adolf Fredrik had no real power. The Riksdag (Swedish Parliament) held the power. Adolf Fredrik tried to change this twice, unsuccessfully. At the age of 60, King Adolf Fredrik died on February 12, 1771, after eating an extremely large meal and then suffering a stroke. In Sweden, he is remembered as “the king who ate himself to death.”
Unofficial Royalty: King Adolf Fredrik of Sweden

February 12, 1929 – Death of Lillie Langtry, actress and mistress of the future King Edward VII of the United Kingdom while he was Prince of Wales, in Monaco; buried in her parents’ tomb at St. Saviour’s Church in Jersey, Channel Islands, a British Crown Dependency
Lillie Langtry was the mistress of the future King Edward VII (while he was Prince of Wales) from 1877-1880. A married socialite at the time, she later embarked on a career in the theatre, with the encouragement and support of the Prince. She also took several other lovers, including Prince Louis of Battenberg, the Prince of Wales’s future nephew-by-marriage, who possibly fathered her only child. Lillie remained in close contact with The Prince of Wales, and was an invited guest to his coronation, sitting alongside Sarah Bernhardt and Lady Randolph Churchill. She was also an invited guest to his funeral in 1910. Lillie, aged 75, died of pneumonia in Monaco in the early morning of February 12, 1929. Per her wishes, she was buried along with her parents at St. Saviour’s Church in Jersey.
Unofficial Royalty: Lillie Langtry, Actress and Mistress of King Edward VII of the United Kingdom

February 12, 1932 – Birth of Princess Astrid of Norway, daughter of King Olav V of Norway and sister of King Harald V of Norway, at Villa Solbakken in Oslo, Norway
Full name: Astrid Maud Ingeborg
After her father became King of Norway in 1957, Astrid served as Norway’s “First Lady”, accompanying her father on most of his official duties. King Olav had been a widower since 1954 when his wife Märtha of Sweden died. In 1961, Princess Astrid married Johan Martin Ferner. Because of her marriage to a commoner, she lost her style of Royal Highness (becoming just Highness) but remained a very active member of the Norwegian Royal Family. The couple had five children. In 2015, Johan Martin Ferner, Princess Astrid’s husband of nearly 53 years, passed away. Princess Astrid is still very much involved in the activities of the Norwegian Royal Family, attending most State functions, and serving as Royal Patron to many organizations. In addition, she is the Chairperson of the Crown Princess Märtha Memorial Fund, established in memory of her mother, which provides financial support to social and humanitarian initiatives carried out by non-governmental organizations.
Unofficial Royalty: Princess Astrid of Norway

February 12, 1948 – Death of Caroline Lacroix, mistress of Leopold II, King of the Belgians, in Cambo, Pyrénées-Atlantiques, France; buried at Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris, France
Caroline was the mistress of King Leopold II from 1900 until his death in 1909. She was just sixteen years old when their relationship began, while Leopold was nearly fifty years older. The couple had two sons. Caroline frequently accompanied Leopold II on his travels including accompanying him to London in 1901 for the funeral of his first cousin Queen Victoria. Sensing his impending death, on December 12, 1909, King Leopold II married Caroline in a religious ceremony  However, no civil ceremony was held, a requirement under Belgian law, and the marriage was not deemed legal. Five days later, King Leopold II died with Caroline and their two sons by his side. Seven months after Leopold II’s death, Caroline married her former lover Antoine-Emmanuel Durrieux who helped her negotiate through the financial arrangements left for her by Leopold II. Durrieux adopted her two sons but the marriage soon ended. Caroline then lived a more quiet life, often in the company of her elder son, and spending time at her various homes around Europe.
Unofficial Royalty: Caroline Lacroix, Mistress of Leopold II, King of the Belgians

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Elizabeth of York, Queen of England; Credit – Wikipedia

February 11, 1466 – Birth of Elizabeth of York, Queen of England, daughter of King Edward IV of England, wife of King Henry VII of England, mother of King Henry VIII of England at Westminster Palace in London, England
February 11, 1503 – Death of Elizabeth of York, Queen of England at the Tower of London in London, England due to childbirth complications; buried at Westminster Abbey in London, England
Elizabeth of York was the eldest child of King Edward IV of England and she holds a unique position in British royal history. She was the daughter of King Edward IV, the sister of King Edward V, the niece of King Richard III, the wife of King Henry VII, the mother of King Henry VIII, and the grandmother of King Edward VI, Queen Mary I, and Queen Elizabeth I. Her great-granddaughter was Mary, Queen of Scots whose son, King James VI of Scotland, succeeded Queen Elizabeth I as King James I of England. Through this line, the British royal family and other European royal families can trace their descent from Elizabeth of York. In 1486, Elizabeth married King Henry VII, the victorious Lancaster leader in the Wars of the Roses.  Their marriage united the House of York and the House of Lancaster into the new House of Tudor. Elizabeth and Henry VII had seven children including King Henry VIII and Margaret Tudor whose first husband was James IV, King of Scotland. On February 2, 1503, Elizabeth gave birth to her seventh child, Katherine. Shortly after giving birth, Elizabeth became ill with puerperal fever (childbed fever) and died on February 11, 1503, her 37th birthday. Henry VII was so shaken by her death that he went into seclusion and would only see his mother. Little Katherine died on February 18, 1503.
Unofficial Royalty: Elizabeth of York, Queen of England

February 11, 1816 – Death of Christiane Henriette of Zweibrücken-Birkenfeld, Princess of Waldeck and Pyrmont, wife of Karl August, Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont, in Arolsen, Principality of Waldeck and Pyrmont, now in Hesse, Germany; buried in the park of the New Castle at Arolsen
In 1741, Christiane Henriette married her first cousin, Karl August, the reigning Prince of Waldek-Pyrmont. The couple had seven children including two reigning Princes of Waldeck-Pyrmont. Through Christiane Henriette, her children were the first cousins of Grand Duke Ludwig II of Hesse and by Rhine, King Friedrich Wilhelm III of Prussia, Grand Duke Karl Friedrich of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, and King Ludwig I of Bavaria. When Karl August died in 1763, he was succeeded by his son Friedrich Karl August. Christiane Henriette served as Regent of the Principality of Waldeck-Pyrmont until Friedrich Karl August reached his majority. Christiane Henriette survived her husband by fifty-three years, dying on February 11, 1816, aged 90.
Unofficial Royalty: Christiane Henriette of Zweibrücken-Birkenfeld, Princess of Waldeck and Pyrmont

February 11, 1901 – Death of King Milan I of Serbia in Vienna, Austria; buried at the Krušedol Monastery in Vojvodina, Serbia
Milan’s father was a member of the House of Obrenović which vied for control of Serbia, often violently, with the House of Karađorđević. In 1868, Milan’s childless uncle Mihailo Obrenović III, Sovereign Prince of Serbia was assassinated. Sympathizers of the House of Karađorđević were suspected of being behind the assassination. Fourteen-year-old Milan became the Sovereign Prince of Serbia. In 1882, the Principality of Serbia was elevated to the Kingdom of Serbia and so Milan became the first King of Serbia. In 1889, Milan suddenly abdicated the throne without any apparent reason and his twelve-year-old son Alexander became king. Milan lived in Paris, France until 1897 when he returned to Serbia. He became Commander-in-Chief of the Army, which he completely reformed and modernized. Milan and his wife strongly opposed his son’s marriage to Draga Mašin, a widow and a former lady-in-waiting to his mother, who was twelve years older than Alexander. Milan resigned his post as Commander-in-Chief of the Army and subsequently, King Alexander banished both his parents from Serbia. Milan eventually settled in Vienna, Austria where he died the next year on February 11, 1901, at the age of 46 from pneumonia. His son King Alexander I of Serbia and his wife Queen Draga were brutally assassinated in 1903 resulting in the extinction of the House of Obrenović.
Unofficial Royalty: King Milan I of Serbia

February 11, 1929 – Death of Prince Johann II of Liechtenstein at Valtice Castle in Czechoslovakia, now the Czech Republic; buried in the New Crypt of the Princely Mausoleum on the grounds of the Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary in Vranov, near Brno, in the Czech Republic.
Johann, Prince II of Liechtenstein is one of the world’s longest-reigning monarchs. He reigned for 70 years, 91 days. In 1858, when Johann was eighteen years old, his father died and he became the Sovereign Prince of Liechtenstein. Johann led a solitary life. He was rather unsocial, did not participate in social events, and never married. He was an art connoisseur and added works to the princely collections but also donated artwork to museums. He also was generous in his support of science, culture, and charities for the needy, and for this support, he was given the nickname Johann the Good. Johann II, Prince of Liechtenstein died at the age of 88, on February 11, 1929. He was succeeded by his brother Franz, the youngest in the family who was thirteen years younger than Johann.
Unofficial Royalty: Prince Johann II of Liechtenstein

February 11, 1948 – Birth of Prince Katsura of Japan in Tokyo, Japan
Prince Katsura, the second son of Prince Mikasa and a first cousin of former Emperor Akihito, never married.  He was paralyzed from the waist down after suffering from a series of strokes in 1988 and used a wheelchair. Despite vision loss in his right eye, paralysis, and memory issues, he remained active in public life and was president of various charity organizations. Prince Katsura died from a massive heart attack on June 8, 2014, at the University of Tokyo Hospital at the age of 66.
Unofficial Royalty: Prince Katsura of Japan

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Henry Stewart, Lord Darnley, 2nd husband of Mary, Queen of Scots; Credit – Wikipedia

February 10, 1134 – Death of Robert III Curthose, Duke of Normandy, eldest son of William the Conqueror, at Cardiff Castle in Wales; buried at Gloucester Cathedral in England
Robert Curthose was the eldest son of King William I of England (the Conqueror). Despite being the eldest son, Robert did not follow his father upon the English throne. Robert’s nickname Curthose comes from the Norman French courtheuse, meaning “short stockings.” In 1087, King William I divided his lands between his two eldest surviving sons. Robert Curthose was to receive the Duchy of Normandy and William Rufus was to receive the Kingdom of England. Henry, the third son, was to receive 5,000 pounds of silver and his mother’s English estates but he did eventually succeed his childless brother William Rufus on the English throne as King Henry I. On his way back from the Crusades, Robert married a wealthy heiress Sybilla of Conversano in 1100 at the bride’s hometown of Apulia (now in Italy). Robert and Sybilla had one son. In 1105, King Henry I invaded Normandy and defeated Robert’s army at the Battle of Tinchebray on September 28, 1106.  Normandy remained a possession of the English crown for over a century. Robert was captured after the battle and spent the rest of his life imprisoned, first at Devizes Castle for twenty years and then at Cardiff Castle for the remainder of his life.  Robert Curthose lived into his eighties and died at Cardiff Castle on February 10, 1134.
Unofficial Royalty: Robert III Curthose, Duke of Normandy

February 10, 1567 – Death of Henry Stewart, Lord Darnley, second husband of Mary, Queen of Scots, when Kirk o’ Field, his house in Edinburgh, Scotland, blows up; buried at Holyrood Abbey in Edinburgh, Scotland
Lord Darnley was the second husband of Mary, Queen of Scots and the father of King James VI of Scotland/James I of England. Like his wife Mary, Queen of Scots, Darnley was the grandchild of Margaret Tudor (daughter of King Henry VII of England and the older sister of King Henry VIII of England). Darnley had claims to both the Scottish and English thrones as he was descended from both James II of Scotland and Henry VII of England. In 1565, Darnley and Mary, Queen of Scots were married. They had one child, the future James VI, King of Scots who succeeded to the English throne upon the death of Queen Elizabeth I as King James I of England. In 1565, while Mary was pregnant, Darnley, who was jealous of Mary’s friendship with her private secretary David Riccio, formed a conspiracy to do away with Riccio who was then murdered in Mary’s presence. Mary’s marriage was all but over and she began to be drawn to James Hepburn, 4th Earl of Bothwell. Bothwell entered into a conspiracy with Archibald Campbell, 5th Earl of Argyll and George Gordon, 5th Earl of Huntly to rid Mary of her husband. 1567, Kirk o’ Field, the house where Darnley was staying, was blown up. Darnley and his servant were found dead near the house in an orchard outside the city walls.
Unofficial Royalty: Henry Stewart, Lord Darnley, King Consort of Scotland

February 10, 1598 – Death of Anna of Austria, Queen of Sweden and Poland, first wife of King Sigismund III Vasa of Sweden and Poland, in Warsaw, Poland; buried at Wawel Cathedral in Kraków, Poland
In May 1592, Anna married Sigismund III Vasa, King of Poland. Anna and Sigmund had five children but only one, Ladislaus Vasa, who succeeded his father as King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania, survived childhood. On November 17, 1592, Sigismund’s father Johan III, King of Sweden, Grand Duke of Lithuania died and Sigismund was granted permission by the Polish legislature to claim his inheritance as the rightful King of Sweden. In 1594, Anna accompanied her husband to Sweden, where she and her husband were crowned King and Queen of Sweden. In 1598, Anna died due to birth complications during the birth of her sixth child, who also died.
Unofficial Royalty: Anna of Austria, Queen of Sweden and Poland

February 10, 1606 – Birth of Christine Marie of France, Duchess of Savoy, daughter of King Henri IV of France and wife of Vittorio Amadeo I, Duke of Savoy, at the Palais du Louvre in Paris, France
Christine was the daughter of King Henri IV of France and his second wife Marie de’ Medici. In 1619, on her 13th birthday, she married the future Vittorio Amadeo I, Duke of Savoy and they had seven children. Christine introduced French culture to the Savoy court and was quite active in the renovations of Savoy palaces and castles. Her sister Henrietta Maria had married King Charles I of England and the two sisters had a rivalry to see who had the more splendid court. Upon the death of her husband in 1637, Christine became Regent for her five-year-old son Francesco Giacinto, Duke of Savoy and when he died in 1638, she became Regent for her other son Carlo Emanuele II, Duke of Savoy. In later years, Christine had a religious conversion that radically transformed her from a life of pleasure to a life of extreme penitential practices. She died at the age of 57 and requested to be buried in the habit of a Discalced Carmelite nun.
United Kingdom: Christine Marie of France, Duchess of Savoy

February 10, 1723 – Death of Countess Eleonore Barbara Catharina von Thun-Hohenstein, wife of Anton Florian, Prince of Liechtenstein, in Vienna, Austria; buried in a crypt under the Pauline Church in Vienna, Austria
Eleonore Barbara married Anton Florian, the future sovereign Prince of Liechtenstein, and the couple had eleven children. Anton Florian  became Prince of Liechtenstein in 1718 but he died after a reign of only three years. Eleonore Barbara survived him by less than two years, dying at the age of 62 on February 10, 1723, in Vienna, Austria. She was buried in a crypt under the Pauline Church in Vienna, Austria. The crypt no longer exists and the tombs were not preserved.
Unofficial Royalty: Eleonore Barbara Catharina von Thun-Hohenstein, Princess of Liechtenstein

February 10, 1772 – Death of Prince Josef Wenzel Karl of Liechtenstein in Vienna, Austria; buried at Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary, Brno, now in the Czech Republic
The great-grandnephew of Karl I, Prince of Liechtenstein, Josef Wenzel I, Prince of Liechtenstein reigned from 1712 – 1718, was the Regent of Liechtenstein from 1732 – 1745 and reigned again from 1748 – 1772.  In 1718, Josef Wenzel married his first cousin Princess Anna Maria Antonie of Liechtenstein. They had five children who all died in childhood. Josef Wenzel had a successful military career in the Imperial Army of the Holy Roman Empire. He also served as a diplomat for Holy Roman Emperor Karl VI. Josef Wenzel, Prince of Liechtenstein died on February 10, 1772, aged 75, in Vienna Austria. With no surviving sons, Josef Wenzel was succeeded by his nephew, the son of his brother Prince Emmanuel, as Franz Josef I, Prince of Liechtenstein.
Unofficial Royalty: Prince Josef Wenzel Karl of Liechtenstein

February 10, 1840 – Wedding of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom and Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha at the Chapel Royal in St. James’ Palace in London, England
First cousins Victoria and Albert met for the first time in 1836 when Albert and his elder brother Ernst visited England. Seventeen-year-old Victoria seemed instantly infatuated with Albert. She wrote to their uncle Leopold I, King of the Belgians, “How delighted I am with him, and how much I like him in every way. He possesses every quality that could be desired to make me perfectly happy.” In October 1839, Albert and Ernst again visited England, staying at Windsor Castle with Victoria, who was now Queen. On October 15, 1839, the 20-year-old monarch summoned her cousin Albert and proposed to him. Albert accepted, but wrote to his stepmother, “My future position will have its dark sides, and the sky will not always be blue and unclouded.” The couple was married in the Chapel Royal at St. James’ Palace on February 10, 1840, at 1 pm. Traditionally, royal weddings had taken place at night but this wedding was held during the day so the Queen’s subjects could see the couple as they traveled down The Mall from Buckingham Palace.
Unofficial Royalty: Wedding of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha

February 10, 1858 – Birth of Alice Heine, Princess of Monaco, American-born second wife of Prince Albert I of Monaco, in New Orleans, Louisiana
Alice Heine was the second wife of Prince Albert I of Monaco, and the first American woman to marry a reigning European sovereign. Her father Michel Heine was a French banker and businessman who came from a prominent German-Jewish banking family and established a bank in New Orleans, Louisiana. The family returned to France, and in 1875, Alice married Marie Odet Richard Armand de La Chapelle de Saint-Jean de Jumilhac, 7th Duke of Richelieu. Jewish by birth, Alice converted to Roman Catholicism prior to the marriage. The couple had two children. Upon her husband’s death in 1880, Alice became a wealthy young widow. She became one of the leading hostesses in European society and met the future Prince Albert I of Monaco. However, Albert’s father, Prince Charles III, would not permit them to marry. After the death of his father in 1889, Albert became the Sovereign Prince of Monaco and married Alice. The couple had no children. Eventually, Alice and Albert’s lack of mutual interests drove them apart. Alice had an affair with the composer Isidore de Lara. Although Albert had many affairs, he could not tolerate Alice’s affair. In 1901, at the opening of the opera, Albert publicly accused Alice of her affair and slapped her across the face. Alice left the opera immediately and left Monaco the next morning. Albert banned her from ever returning to Monaco. The couple was granted a legal separation in 1902 but never divorced. Alice settled at Claridge’s in London, England. While in London, she became a close friend of Queen Alexandra, wife of King Edward VII of the United Kingdom. Alice died in Paris, France at the age of 67.
Unofficial Royalty: Alice Heine, Princess of Monaco

February 10, 1859 – Death of Anna of Saxony, Hereditary Grand Duchess of Tuscany, first wife of Ferdinando IV, Grand Duke of Tuscany in Naples, Kingdom of the Two Sicilies; buried at the Basilica of San Lorenzo in Florence, Grand Duchy of Tuscany, now in Italy
Anna of Saxony was the daughter of Johann, King of Saxony. Anna’s father was a close friend of Leopoldo II, Grand Duke of Tuscany. The two families were linked by several marriages. A marriage between Anna and Leopoldo’s eldest son and heir Ferdinando, Hereditary Grand Duke of Tuscany was negotiated when the future bride and groom were still children. Anna and Ferdinando were married on November 24, 1856, and Anna gave birth to a daughter in 1858. On February 6, 1859, during a trip to Naples, Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, now in Italy, Anna miscarried a daughter due to typhoid fever. Four days later, Anna died at the age of twenty-three.
Unofficial Royalty: Anna of Saxony, Hereditary Grand Duchess of Tuscany

February 10, 1864 – Death of Antoinette de Mérode-Westerloo, Princess of Monaco, wife of Prince Charles III of Monaco, in Paris, France; buried at St. Nicholas Cathedral in Monaco
Antoinette was the daughter of daughters of Werner Jean-Baptiste Merode, Count of Merode, a Belgian politician from a Belgian noble family, and Countess Victoire de Spangen Uyterness. In 1846, on her 18th birthday, Antoinette married the 27-year-old future Charles III, Prince of Monaco, then the Hereditary Prince of Monaco and Marquis of Baux. Charles and Antoinette had one child, Albert I, Prince of Monaco. During her husband’s early reign, Charles had begun to lose his eyesight. He depended greatly on his wife Antoinette as his condition continued to worsen. in 1862, Antoinette was diagnosed with cancer, and she died on February 10, 1864, at the age of 35.
Unofficial Royalty: Antoinette de Mérode-Westerloo, Princess of Monaco

February 10, 1868 – Birth of Prince Waldemar of Prussia, grandson of Queen Victoria, at the Crown Prince’s Palace in Berlin, Kingdom of Prussia, now in Brandenburg, Germany
Full name: Joachim Friedrich Ernst Waldemar
Prince Waldemar was the son of Victoria, Princess Royal and Friedrich III, German Emperor. His birth came 20 months after the tragic death of his 21-month-old brother Sigismund from meningitis. Waldemar quickly took the place of his mother’s favorite son that had been held by his deceased brother Sigismund. Vicky hoped Waldemar would be everything that his elder brothers Wilhelm and Heinrich were not. Sadly, Waldemar died of diphtheria at age 11, three months after his maternal aunt Princess Alice and her daughter Princess May died from the same disease. A favorite royal story: During a visit to his grandmother Queen Victoria, Waldemar gave her quite a scare. Queen Victoria was working on some papers in her room and when she looked up she saw a small crocodile staring at her. Naturally, she screamed and all within hearing came running.  Waldemar had let Bob, his pet crocodile, out of his box.  In fits of laughter, Waldemar retrieved his crocodile, and order was restored.
Unofficial Royalty: Prince Waldemar of Prussia

February 10, 1872 – Death of Feodora of Hohenlohe-Langenburg, Duchess of Saxe-Meiningen, second wife of Georg II, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen, in Meiningen, Duchy of Saxe-Meiningen, now in Thuringia, Germany, from scarlet fever; buried in the Park Cemetery in Meiningen
Feodora was the youngest child of Ernst I, Prince of Hohenlohe-Langenburg and Princess Feodora of Leiningen, the half-sister of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom. Through her mother, she was the niece of Queen Victoria. In 1858, Feodora married the future Georg II, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen as his second wife. The marriage was primarily intended to find a mother for Georg’s children from his first marriage and was not a love match. Georg never got over the death of his first wife, with whom he shared many common interests. Feodora and Georg had three sons. Feodora died at the age of 33, from scarlet fever.
Unofficial Royalty: Feodora of Hohenlohe-Langenburg, Duchess of Saxe-Meiningen

February 10, 1886 – Birth of Princess Anna of Ysenburg and Büdingen, the second of the two wives of Leopold IV, Prince of Lippe, in Büdingen, then in the Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine, now in the German state of Hesse
Anna was the second of the two wives of Leopold IV, the last Prince of Lippe. The couple had one son. Following the German Empire’s defeat in World War I Leopold IV was forced to renounce the throne. However, Leopold negotiated a treaty with the new government that allowed his family to remain in Lippe. Anna and Leopold’s son Armin was head of the House of Lippe from 1949 until his death in 2015.
Unofficial Royalty: Anna of Ysenburg and Büdingen, Princess of Lippe

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