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Sofia of Nassau, Queen of Sweden and Norway; Credit – Wikipedia

December 30, 1460 – Death of Richard, 3rd Duke of York at the Battle of Wakefield during the Wars of the Roses; initially buried at Pontefract Castle in Pontefract, Yorkshire, England, in 1476, during the reign of Richard’s son King Edward IV, his remains were reinterred at the Church of Saint Mary and All Saints in Fotheringhay, Northamptonshire, England
Richard Plantagenet, 3rd Duke of York was a claimant to the English throne, the leader of the Yorkist faction during the Wars of the Roses, and the father of King Edward IV of England and King Richard III of England.
Unofficial Royalty: Richard Plantagenet, 3rd Duke of York

December 30, 1880 – Death of Marie of Hesse-Kassel, Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, wife of Grand Duke Georg of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, in Neustrelitz, Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, now in Střelice Stoda, Czech Republic; buried in the New Crypt at the Johanniterkirche in Mirow, Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, now in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany
In 1817, Marie married Grand Duke Georg of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. They had four children including Friedrich Wilhelm, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz who married Queen Victoria’s husband Princess Augusta of Cambridge. A talented painter, Marie often painted copies of famous paintings. Many were used as altarpieces in churches in the grand duchy, including the town churches in Schönberg and Neustrelitz, both of which still exist. Marie died at the age of 67.
Unofficial Royalty: Marie of Hesse-Kassel, Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg-Strelitz

December 30, 1913 – Death of Sofia of Nassau, Queen of Sweden, wife of King Oscar II of Sweden, at the Royal Palace of Stockholm; buried at Riddarholmen Church in Stockholm, Sweden
In 1857, Sofia married the future King Oscar II of Sweden and the couple had four sons. Queen Sofia was instrumental in establishing organized nursing schools in Sweden. A follower of Florence Nightingale, she learned much from a visit to the United Kingdom in 1881 and began her project upon returning to Sweden. In 1882, she arranged formal classes for nurses at the Sabbatsberg hospital. Two years later, she opened the Sophiahemmet University College, and in 1889 it became the Sophiahemmet, a combined school for nurses and hospitals. When Queen Sofia died in 1913 at the age of 77, she was the longest-serving Queen Consort of Sweden, until surpassed in 2011 by Queen Silvia, wife of King Carl XVI Gustaf, and is the last to hold the title of Dowager Queen. Queen Sofia is the ancestor of the current sovereigns of Belgium, Denmark, Luxembourg, Norway, and Sweden.
Unofficial Royalty: Sofia of Nassau, Queen of Sweden

December 30, 1949 – Death of Leopold IV, Prince of Lippe in Detmold, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany; buried at Christ Church in Detmold
During Leopold IV’s reign, there was much economic and cultural advancement. The major building projects provided much-needed employment for the people of Lippe. Christ Church in Detmold was built in 1908 to accommodate the growing Protestant community which had outgrown the small Church of the Redeemer. It is the burial site of Leopold IV, his two wives, and most of their children. Leopold was the last reigning Prince of Lippe, abdicating on November 12, 1918.  He negotiated a treaty with the new government that allowed his family to remain in Lippe. Leopold died at the age of 78.
Unofficial Royalty: Leopold IV, Prince of Lippe

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Elizabeth I, Empress of All Russia; Credit – Wikipedia

December 29, 1709 – Birth of Elizabeth, Empress of All Russia, daughter of Peter I (the Great), Emperor of all Russia and Catherine I, Empress of All Russia, at Kolomenskoye near Moscow, Russia
During the ten-year reign of her cousin Anna, Empress of All Russia, Elizabeth had been gathering support in the background. After the infant Ivan VI succeeded Anna, a conspiracy soon arose with the aim of obtaining the Russian throne for Elizabeth Petrovna, the only surviving child of Peter I the Great, Emperor of All Russia. A coup took place during the night of December 5-6, 1741 with financial support from France and military support from the Preobrazhensky Regiment. Empress Elizabeth never married but she did have a long-term relationship with and was possibly morganatically married to Alexei Grigorievich Razumovsky, born Alexei Rozum to a Ukrainian-born Cossack. Elizabeth was responsible for having three of the most important Romanov palaces – the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg, the Catherine Palace in Tsarskoye Selo, and Peterhof near St. Petersburg – renovated and refurbished. Elizabeth’s court was very lavish and her 21-year reign is remembered as a period of luxury and excess.
Unofficial Royalty: Elizabeth, Empress of All Russia

December 29, 1721 – Birth of Jeanne Antoinette Poisson, Madame de Pompadour,  mistress and confidante of King Louis XV of France,  in Paris, France
Madame de Pompadour was the official mistress of King Louis XV of France from 1745 until 1750 and continued to serve as one of the King’s closest confidantes until her death.
Unofficial Royalty: Jeanne Antoinette Poisson, Madame de Pompadour

December 29, 1731 – Death of Princess Louise-Hippolyte of Monaco at the Prince’s Palace in Monaco; buried at the Church of Saint Nicholas in Monaco
Louise-Hippolyte was the second but the eldest surviving of the six daughters of Antonio I, Prince of Monaco. Her father decided, with the permission of King Louis XIV of France, that Louise Hippolyte’s husband would take the surname Grimaldi and jointly rule Monaco with her. In 1715, Louise-Hippolyte married French noble Jacques François Leonor Goyon de Matignon. They had nine children but only four survived to adulthood, including Honoré III, Prince of Monaco. When her father died, Louise-Hippolyte decreed that she would be the sole ruler, all documents would be issued in her name only, and her husband and children would stay in France. Louise-Hippolyte had a very short reign of ten months. Several weeks before Christmas of 1731, a smallpox epidemic spread through the Mediterranean coastal areas. Louise-Hippolyte died from smallpox at the age of 34, on December 29, 1731.
Unofficial Royalty: Princess Louise-Hippolyte of Monaco

December 29, 1790 – Death of Maria Teresa Cybo-Malaspina, Duchess of Massa and Carrara, Duchess of Modena and Reggio, wife of Ercole III d’Este, Duke of Modena and Reggio, at the Ducal Palace in Reggio Emilia, Duchy of Modena and Reggio, now in Italy; buried at the Basilica of the Madonna della Ghiara in Reggio Emilia in Duchy of Modena and Reggio, now in Italy
Maria Teresa Cybo-Malaspina was the reigning Duchess of Massa and Carrara in her own right from 1731 until her death in 1790, and the wife of Ercole III, Duke of Modena and Reggio. The marriage was not a happy one. After Maria Teresa gave birth to two children, Ercole humiliated her with his open relationships with his mistresses. Eventually, the couple began to live apart. Maria Teresa and Ercole’s only surviving child Maria Beatrice d’Este married Archduke Ferdinand of Austria, son of Francis Stephen, Duke of Lorraine, Grand Duke of Tuscany, Holy Roman Emperor and Maria Theresa, in her own right Archduchess of Austria, and Queen of Hungary, Croatia, and Bohemia. Maria Beatrice and Ferdinand’s marriage created the House of Austria-Este, a cadet branch of the House of Habsburg-Lorraine. As far as ruling her Duchy of Massa and Carrara, now in Italy, Maria Teresa was an enlightened ruler and demonstrated excellent administrative skills.
Unofficial Royalty: Maria Teresa Cybo-Malaspina, Duchess of Massa and Carrara, Duchess of Modena and Reggio

December 29, 1820 – Death of Pauline of Anhalt-Bernburg, Princess of Lippe, Regent of Lippe, wife of Leopold I, Prince of Lippe, in Detmold, Principality of Lippe, now in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany; first buried at the Church of the Redeemer in Detmold, later her remains were moved to the Mausoleum at the Büchenberg in Detmold
Pauline of Anhalt-Bernburg was not only Princess Consort of Lippe, she ably served as Regent of the Principality of Lippe for eighteen years during the minority of her son Leopold II, Prince of Lippe. The social work that she started in Detmold, then in the Principality of Lippe, now in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt, continues today with the charity she founded, the Princess Pauline Foundation (Fürstin-Pauline-Stiftung in German). Pauline is considered one of the most important rulers of Lippe. She died, aged 51, from a lung ulceration.
Unofficial Royalty: Pauline of Anhalt-Bernburg, Princess of Lippe

December 29, 1843 – Birth of Elisabeth of Wied, Queen of Romania, wife of King Carol I of Romania, at Schloss Monrepos in Neuwied, Principality of Wied, now in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany
Full name: Pauline Elisabeth Ottilie Luise
In 1869, Elisabeth married Prince Carol I, born Prince Karl of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen, who had been elected Ruling Prince of the United Principalities of Romania. They had one daughter,  Maria, born in September 1870. Maria died of scarlet fever in 1874, and Elisabeth never fully recovered from the loss of her only child. In 1881, the Romanian parliament declared Romania a Kingdom, and Elisabeth’s husband became King Carol I. A  patron of the arts, Elisabeth often hosted writers, composers, and musicians, and helped promote their works. Her true passion was writing. Under the pseudonym Carmen Sylva, she wrote hundreds of poems, plays, novels, short stories, and essays, and thanks to her fluency in several languages, published numerous translations of other works.
Unofficial Royalty: Elisabeth of Wied, Queen of Romania

December 29, 1916 – Murder of Grigori Efimovich Rasputin at Moika Palace in Saint Petersburg, Russia, home of Prince Felix Yusupov; buried at Tsarskoye Selo, near St. Petersburg, Russia; after the abdication of Nicholas II, Rasputin’s body was exhumed and burned to prevent his burial site from becoming a site of pilgrimage
After working with many physicians to help her hemophiliac son Tsesarevich Alexei Nikolaevich,  Empress Alexandra Feodorovna, wife of Nicholas II, Emperor of All Russia, turned to mystics and faith healers. This led to her close, and disastrous, relationship with Grigori Yefimovich Rasputin. Several times he appeared to have brought the Tsarevich back from the brink of death, which further cemented Alexandra’s reliance. To many historians and experts, this relationship would contribute greatly to the fall of the Russian monarchy. The belief of Nicholas II’s family in Rasputin’s healing powers brought him considerable status and power at court. He was suspected of exerting political influence over Nicholas II and was even rumored to be having an affair with Alexandra. Opposition to Rasputin’s influence grew within the Russian Orthodox Church. Even Imperial Family members became concerned with Rasputin’s influence when Nicholas II left St. Petersburg to take supreme command of the Russian armies fighting in World War I, leaving Alexandra in charge as Regent. Eventually, a group of conspirators plotted to murder Rasputin in hopes of ending his influence over Nicholas II’s family.  Nicholas II, Emperor of All Russia’s first cousin Grand Duke Dmitri Pavlovich and his niece’s husband Prince Felix Yusupov were among the conspirators.
Unofficial Royalty: Murder of Grigori Yefimovich Rasputin
Unofficial Royalty: Grigori Efimovich Rasputin

December 29, 1954 – Birth of Prince Takamado of Japan in Tokyo, Japan
Prince Takamado was the son of Prince Mikasa of Japan and Yuriko Takagi (Princess Mikasa). Takamado’s father Prince Mikasa was the youngest son of Emperor Taishō, the youngest brother of Emperor Hirohito (Shōwa), and the uncle of Emperor Akihito. Takamado worked from 1981 until his death in 2002 as the administrator of the Japan Foundation which promotes Japanese arts, culture, and language exchange around the world. In 1984, he married Hisako Tottori, the eldest daughter of a Japanese industrialist and the couple had three daughters. In 2002, while playing squash with the Canadian ambassador Robert Wright at the Canadian Embassy, Prince Takamado collapsed due to ventricular fibrillation. He was immediately taken to the hospital but was already in a state of cardiopulmonary arrest. He was resuscitated but his condition then worsened and soon there was no hope that he would survive. With the consent of his wife, Prince Takamado was removed from life support and died at the age of 47.
Unofficial Royalty: Prince Takamado of Japan

December 29, 1994 – Birth of Princess Kako of Akishino, daughter of Crown Prince Akishino, at the Imperial Household Agency Hospital in Tokyo, Japan
Kako is the younger of the two daughters of Crown Prince Akishino. In 2021, her elder sister Mako married Kei Komuro, lost her title, and become a commoner upon marriage as required by Imperial Household Law. Her brother Hisahito is the only nephew of the current Emperor Naruhito and is currently second in the line of succession to the Chrysanthemum Throne after his father. In March 2019, Kako graduated from the International Christian University in Tokyo, Japan with a degree in psychology. Since May 2021, Princess Kako has been employed part-time at the Japanese Federation of the Deaf.
Unofficial Royalty: Princess Kako of Akishino

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Queen Mary II of England; Credit – Wikipedia

December 28, 1635 – Birth of Princess Elizabeth of England, daughter of King Charles I of England, at St. James’s Palace in London, England

Unofficial Royalty: Princess Elizabeth of England

December 28, 1694 – Death of Queen Mary II of England at Kensington Palace in London, England; buried at Westminster Abbey in London, England
Mary was the elder of the two surviving children (the other was Queen Anne) of King James II of England and his first wife Anne Hyde. She married her first cousin Willem III, Prince of Orange who followed Mary and her sister Anne in the line of succession to the English throne. William and Mary had no children. In 1688, Mary’s father King James II was deposed in the Glorious Revolution and Mary and her husband William became joint sovereigns as King William III and Queen Mary II. Queen Mary II died of smallpox at the age of 32.  Sadly, William’s father died of smallpox 8 days before his birth and his mother died of smallpox when he was just 10.  William continued his reign until his death in 1702 when he was succeeded by Mary’s younger sister Anne.
Unofficial Royalty: Queen Mary II of England

December 28, 1728 – Death of Anna Sophie of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg, Princess of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt, wife of Ludwig Friedrich I, Prince of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt, in Rudolstadt, Principality of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt, now in Thuringia, Germany; first buried at at the Schlosskirche Schwarzburg (link in German), the castle church at Schwarzburg Castle (link in German), in Schwarzburg, Principality of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt, now in the German state of Thuringia, reburied in the 1940s at Stadtkirche St. Andreas in Rudolstadt, now in the German state of Thuringia

Unofficial Royalty: Anna Sophie of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg, Princess of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt

December 28, 1757 – Death of Princess Caroline of Great Britain, daughter of King George II of Great Britain, at St. James Palace in London, England; buried at Westminster Abbey in London, England
Full name: Caroline Elizabeth
Princess Caroline, the daughter of the future King George II of Great Britain and his wife Caroline of Ansbach, was not only her mother’s namesake but her favorite child. She was known in the family for telling the truth and was always consulted when there were disagreements between the royal siblings because she could be counted on telling exactly what happened.  After the marriage of her eldest sister Anne to Willem IV, Prince of Orange, Caroline became her mother’s main confidant and she remained so for the rest of her mother’s life. Princess Caroline never married. When her mother died in 1737, Queen Caroline expressly left her three youngest children, all teenagers, in the care of her daughter Caroline. Princess Caroline had been a hypochondriac for most of her life and she apparently lost the will to live. As she lay dying, she refused to see any of her family. On December 28, 1757, she died at the age of 44,
Unofficial Royalty: Princess Caroline of Great Britain

December 28, 1782 – Death of Maria Carolina of Savoy, Electoral Princess of Saxony, 1st wife of the future Anton, King of Saxony, at the Royal Palace of Turin in the Kingdom of Sardinia, now in Italy, buried in the Great Crypt of the Catholic Church of the Royal Court of Saxony (in German: Katholische Hofkirche) in Dresden, now known as Dresden Cathedral.
Full name: Maria Carolina Antonietta Adelaide
The daughter of Vittorio Amadeo III, King of Sardinia, Duke of Savoy and Infanta Maria Antonia Ferdinanda of Spain, Maria Carolina was the first wife of the future Anton, King of Saxony.  She married Anton on October 24, 1781. Around December 14, 1782, Maria Carolina became ill with smallpox, and died on December 28, 1782, at the age of 18.
Unofficial Royalty; Maria Carolina of Savoy, Electoral Princess of Saxony

December 28, 1920 – Birth of Princess Antoinette of Monaco, sister of Prince Rainier III of Monaco, in Paris, France
Full name: Antoinette Louise Alberte Suzanne
Antoinette was the elder of the two children of Princess Charlotte of Monaco, Duchess of Valentinois and Count Pierre de Polignac.  Antoinette had one younger brother Prince Rainier III of Monaco. Princess Antoinette had a long-term affair with Alexandre-Athenase Noghès, a tennis player. The couple had three illegitimate children who were later legitimized when their parents married in 1951. The couple divorced three years later. Princess Antoinette married Dr. Jean-Charles Rey, President of the Conseil National, Monaco’s legislature, in 1961. Before they married, Antoinette and Rey had a long-term affair. Antoinette and Rey had no children and divorced in 1974. In 1983, Princess Antoinette married a former British ballet dancer John Gilpin. Gilpin died from a heart attack six weeks after marrying Antoinette.
Unofficial Royalty: Princess Antoinette of Monaco

December 28, 1947 – Death of King Vittorio Emanuele III of Italy, in exile at Alexandria, Egypt; first buried in the Cathedral of St. Catherine in Alexandria, Egypt, in December 2017, his remains were moved to the San Bernardo Chapel in the Sanctuary of Vicoforte in Italy
The only child of King Umberto I of Italy and Princess Margherita of Savoy, Vittorio Emanuele III became King of Italy in 1900 upon the assassination of his father and reigned until his abdication in 1946. In 1896, Vittorio Emanuele III married Princess Elena of Montenegro. The couple had five children. After World War I, the Fascist movement, led by Benito Mussolini gained power. In 1922, all sense of democracy was pushed aside and Mussolini established himself as a dictator with Vittorio Emanuele III merely his puppet. After Italy’s defeat in World War II, a referendum was held to decide whether to retain the monarchy or become a republic. Hoping to save the monarchy, Vittorio Emanuele III abdicated in 1946, in favor of his son. However, his hopes were not realized, and the Italian monarchy was formally abolished just weeks later. The royal family was sent into exile. Vittorio Emanuele settled in Alexandria, Egypt, where he died on December 28, 1947.
Unofficial Royalty: King Vittorio Emanuele III of Italy

December 28, 1952 – Death of Alexandrine of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, Queen of Denmark, wife of King Christian X of Denmark, at a hospice, Saint Lukas Foundation in Hellerup, Denmark; buried at Roskilde Cathedral in Roskilde, Denmark
Alexandrine was the eldest of the three children of Friedrich Franz III, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin and Grand Duchess Anastasia Mikhailovna of Russia. In 1898, she married the future King Christian X of Denmark. The couple had two sons including King Frederik IX of Denmark. Christian and Alexandrine were devoted to one another and enjoyed a happy marriage. The couple became king and queen of Denmark in 1912. While their popularity waxed and waned throughout Christian’s rule, he and Alexandrine are generally viewed as successful as king and queen. Alexandrine was widowed in 1947. During her time as dowager queen, she devoted most of her time to charitable causes, particularly those dedicated to children. Alexandrine died in her sleep four days after her 73rd birthday, at a hospice where she had undergone an intestinal operation a week and a half before her death.
Unofficial Royalty: Alexandrine of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, Queen of Denmark

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Christine Marie of France, Duchess of Savoy; Credit – Wikipedia

December 27, 1663 – Death 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 Palazzo Madama in Turin, Duchy of Savoy, now in Italy; buried at Basilica of Sant’Andrea in Vercelli, Duchy of Savoy, now in Italy, in 1802, her remains were transferred to the nearby Church of Saint Teresa of Avila
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.
Unofficial Royalty: Christine Marie of France, Duchess of Savoy

December 27, 1683 – Death of Maria Francisca of Savoy, Queen of Portugal, wife of King Afonso VI of Portugal and King Pedro II of Portugal, at the palace of the Count of Sarzedas in Palhavã, Portugal; first buried at the Convent of the Francesinhas, moved in 1912 to the Monastery of São Vicente de Fora in Lisbon, Portugal
Maria Francisca of Savoy was Queen of Portugal twice, once as the wife of Afonso VI, King of Portugal, and then as the wife of his brother Pedro II, King of Portugal. In 1666, she married King Afonso VI who was debilitated mentally and physically due to the effects of a disease he contracted in childhood. Maria Francisca cooperated with her brother-in-law Pedro in a coup that led to Pedro assuming the role of Prince Regent in 1668. While Pedro never formally usurped the throne, Afonso VI was king in name only for the rest of his life. After Maria Francisca’s marriage to Afonso VI was annulled on the grounds of non-consummation, she married Pedro. In 1683, Afonso VI died and his brother succeeded him as Pedro II, King of Portugal, and Maria Francisca was Queen of Portugal for a second time. She died on December 27, 1683.
Unofficial Royalty: Maria Francisca of Savoy, Queen of Portugal

December 27, 1755 – Birth of King Anton of Saxony in Dresden, Electorate of Saxony, now in Saxony, Germany
Full name: Anton Clemens Theodor Maria Josef Johann Evangelista Johann Nepomuk Franz Xavier Aloys Januar
In 1827, Anton became King of Saxony, upon the death of his elder brother King Friedrich August I, who had only one surviving child, a daughter. Anton also had no male heirs. His first marriage was childless and the one son and three daughters from his second marriage either died at birth or died in infancy. By 1830, following the July Revolution in France, Saxony began to see some small uprisings, usually directed at the Constitution. In order to maintain peace, several changes took place. In September 1830, Anton appointed his nephew and heir, Friedrich August, as Co-Regent. And the following year, a new Constitution was put into place, establishing Saxony as a true constitutional monarchy. Anton was succeeded by his nephew King Friedrich August II.
Unofficial Royalty: King Anton of Saxony

December 27, 1849 – Birth of Alicia of Bourbon-Parma, Titular Grand Duchess of Tuscany, second wife of Ferdinando IV, then the titular Grand Duke of Tuscany in Parma, Duchy of Parma, now in Italy
Full name: Alicia Maria Carolina Ferdinanda Rachael Giovanna Filomena
Alicia was the daughter of Carlo III, Duke of Parma and Princess Louise Marie Thérèse of France, who was a granddaughter of King Charles X of France. Alice’s father was assassinated in 1854 and her six-year-old brother Roberto became Duke of Parma. Roberto lost his throne in 1859 during the Italian unification movement. In 1868, Alicia became the second wife of the former Ferdinando IV, Grand Duke of Tuscany. Ferdinando lost his throne due to the Italian unification and was in exile like Alicia’s family. Alicia and Ferdinando had ten children. Ferdinando and Alicia lived at the Villa Tuscany in Lindau, Austria during the summer, and during the winter they lived in a wing of the Salzburg Residenz, formerly the residence of the Prince-Archbishops of Salzburg. Both residences were provided by Ferdinando’s second cousin Franz Joseph I, Emperor of Austria.
Unofficial Royalty: Alicia of Bourbon-Parma, Grand Duchess of Tuscany

December 27, 1894 – Death of the former Francesco II, King of the Two Sicilies in Arco, Austria-Hungary, now in Italy; originally buried at the Church of the Holy Spirit of the Neapolitans in Rome, in 1984, his remains were transferred to the Basilica of Santa Chiara in Naples, Italy
Francesco II was the last King of the Two Sicilies. In 1859, he married Maria Sophie of Bavaria. The couple had one daughter. Three months after his marriage Francesco’s father died and he became King of the Two Sicilies. During the reign of Francesco II, Giuseppe Garibaldi’s 1860-1861 invasion called the Expedition of the Thousand led to the fall of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, which then was annexed to the new Kingdom of Italy in 1861. After losing his throne, Francesco lived in Rome but in 1870, the annexation of the Papal States to Italy, including Rome, forced Francesco and Maria Sophie to find refuge in Austria, France, and Bavaria. Maria Sophie purchased Garatshausen Castle on Lake Starnberg in the Kingdom of Bavaria, now in the German state of Bavaria from her brother Ludwig, and the castle became their home. Francesco died at the age of 58 in Arco, where he spent winters, then in Austria-Hungary, now in Italy.
Unofficial Royalty: Francesco II, King of the Two Sicilies

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