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King Christian VI of Denmark, Credit – Wikipedia

November 30, 1016 – Death of King Edmund II (Ironside) of England; buried at Glastonbury Abbey in Glastonbury, Somerset, England
Edmund was the third of the six sons of Æthelred II (the Unready), King of the English. Edmund was not expected to become king as he had two elder brothers but they both predeceased their father. Edmund became king upon the death of his father on April 23, 1016. Edmund was now king but had to fight to keep the Kingdom of England. He earned the added name “Ironside” because of his bravery in resisting the Danish invasion led by Cnut the Great. The war between Edmund and Cnut ended in a decisive victory for Cnut at the Battle of Assandun on October 18, 1016. Because Edmund’s reputation as a warrior was great, Cnut agreed to divide England, with Edmund taking Wessex and Cnut the rest of the country beyond the River Thames. However, Edmund died on November 30, 1016, and Cnut the Great became King of England.
Unofficial Royalty: King Edmund II of England

November 30, 1699 – Birth of King Christian VI of Denmark and Norway at Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen, Denmark
Christian married  Sophia Magdalene of Brandenburg-Kulmbach in 1721. The couple had one son and two daughters including Frederik V, King of Denmark and Norway. Christian became King of Denmark and Norway upon the death of his father Frederik IV, King of Denmark and Norway in 1730. Christian VI is known as a religious ruler and remained devoted to Pietism. His court was considered dull. Only religious music was played and dancing was not allowed. Christian was a shy person, anxious about responsibility and decisions, and uncomfortable about carrying out his ceremonial obligations as the king. He never traveled except for one trip to Norway in 1733. Christian died at the age of 46.
Unofficial Royalty: King Christian VI of Denmark and Norway

November 30, 1719 – Birth of Augusta of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg, Princess of Wales, wife of Frederick, Prince of Wales and mother of King George III of Great Britain, in Gotha, Duchy of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg, now in Thuringia, Germany
In 1736, at the age of 16, and still very young for her age, clutching a doll, and knowing no English, Augusta arrived in England for her marriage to Frederick, Prince of Wales, the son of King George II of Great Britain. Frederick and Augusta had nine children including King George III who succeeded his grandfather King George II, and Caroline Matilda, Queen Consort of Denmark whose marriage was a tragic story. In 1751, Augusta’s husband died at the age of 44. At the time of Frederick’s death, his 32-year-old widow was pregnant with her ninth child. Augusta spent her years as a widow raising her nine children and improving the gardens at Kew Palace, which today are a world-class botanical garden. Her eldest son George succeeded his grandfather as king in 1760. Augusta died of cancer of the throat in 1772, at the age of 52.
Unofficial Royalty: Augusta of Saxe-Gotha, Princess of Wales

November 30, 1834 – Death of Prince William Frederick, Duke of Gloucester, great-grandson of King George II, nephew and son-in-law of King George III, and husband of Princess Mary of the United Kingdom, at Bagshot Park in Surrey, England; buried in the Gloucester Vault at St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle in Windsor, England
William Frederick was educated at Trinity College, Cambridge and like his father, Prince William Henry, 1st Duke of Gloucester (brother of King George III), had a career in the British Army, attaining the rank of Field Marshal in 1816. He was an advocate for the abolition of slavery, served as President of the African Institution, and was Chancellor of the University of Cambridge. In 1816, 40-year-old William Frederick married his 40-year-old first cousin Princess Mary, the daughter of King George III.  Mary and William’s marriage was childless and the couple lived at Gloucester House in Piccadilly, London, and Bagshot Park, now the home of Queen Elizabeth II’s youngest child Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex. William Frederik died at the age of 58 after being ill with a fever for fifteen days.
Unofficial Royalty: Prince William Frederick, Duke of Gloucester

November 30, 1863 – Death of Kamehameha IV, King of the Hawaiian Islands, in Honolulu on the island of Oahu in the Kingdom of the Hawaiian Islands, now in the state of Hawaii; first buried in the Royal Mausoleum, Mauna ʻAla in Honolulu, later moved to thKamehameha Tomb, an underground vault, under the Kamehameha Dynasty Tomb on the grounds of the Royal Mausoleum
Birth name: Alexander Liholiho ‘Iolanian

Unofficial Royalty: Kamehameha IV, King of the Hawaiian Islands (article coming soon)

November 30, 1934 – Birth of Albert, Margrave of Meissen, disputed Head of the House of Saxony and pretender to the former throne of the Kingdom of Saxony, in Bamberg, Bavaria, Germany
Full name: Albert Joseph Maria Franz-Xaver, Prince of Saxony
Albert, Margrave of Meissen was briefly one of the disputed Heads of the House of Saxony, and pretender to the former throne of the Kingdom of Saxony.
Unofficial Royalty: Albert, Margrave of Meissen

November 30, 1965 – Birth of Crown Prince Akishino of Japan, son of Emperor Emeritus Akihito of Japan, brother of Emperor Naruhito of Japan, at the Imperial Household Agency Hospital, Tokyo Imperial Palace in Tokyo, Japan 
After his early education, Akishiono attended Gakushuin University in Tokyo, studying law and biology. He later studied at St John’s College, Oxford, England, and received a Ph.D. in ornithology from the Graduate University for Advanced Studies in Japan in 1996. In June 1990, Akishino married Kiko Kawashima. The couple had two daughters and one son. As his elder brother Emperor Naruhito has no sons, Akishino became the heir presumptive to the Chrysanthemum Throne upon Naruhito’s accession in 2019. Crown Prince Akishino is followed in the line of succession only by his son Prince Hisahito and his elderly uncle Prince Hitachi. This situation causes a succession crisis. Unless Emperor Naruhito has a son (unlikely) or the laws of succession are changed, it is very likely that Prince Hisahito will one day inherit the throne and that the line of succession will depend upon Hisahito marrying and producing sons.
Unofficial Royalty: Crown Prince Akishino of Japan
Unofficial Royalty: Japanese Succession Crisis

November 30, 1967 – Death of Josias, Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont at Schaumburg Castle, and was buried in the Princely Cemetery at Schloss Rhoden (link in German), the burial site of the Waldeck-Pyrmont family in Rhoden, now in the German state of Hesse
Josias, Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont was the last heir apparent to the throne of the Principality of Waldeck and Pyrmont, Head of the Princely House of Waldeck and Pyrmont from 1946 until his death in 1967, and a convicted Nazi war criminal.
Unofficial Royalty: Josias, Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont

November 30, 2011 – Death of Crown Prince Leka I of Albania, pretender to the Albanian throne, at Mother Teresa Hospital in Tirana, Albania; first buried at Sharra Cemetery in Tirana, Albania, in November 2012 his remains were reinterred in the newly rebuilt Royal Mausoleum in Tirana, Albania
Leka was the only child of  King Zog I of the Albanians who reigned from 1928-1939. Just two days after Leka’s birth, Fascist forces invaded Albania, and the family quickly fled into exile. They settled briefly in France before moving to England where they lived through the end of World War II and eventually moved to Egypt in 1946. During that time, Leka attended the British Boys School and Victoria College in Egypt before graduating from Aiglon College in Switzerland in 1956. In 1975, Leka married Susan Cullen-Ward and the couple had one son who is styled Crown Prince Leka II. Leka I and his family were allowed to return to Albania in 2002. When Leka I died in 2011 at the age of 72,  the government declared a National Day of Mourning, and he was given a state funeral, with full military honors.
Unofficial Royalty:  Crown Leka I Prince of Albania

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Wedding of Prince George, Duke of Kent and Princess Marina of Greece; Photo Credit – http://www.npg.org.uk/ by Bassano Ltd

November 29, 1338 – Birth of Lionel of Antwerp, Duke of Clarence, son of King Edward III of England, at Antwerp, Duchy of Brabant, now in Belgium
The third, but the second surviving son of King Edward III of England and Philippa of Hainault, Lionel of Antwerp, was one of the two people on whom the House of York would base its claim to the English throne during the Wars of the Roses. Lionel married the wealthy heiress Elizabeth de Burgh, 4th Countess of Ulster in her own right. Lionel and Elizabeth had one child, a daughter Philippa, who married Edmund Mortimer, 3rd Earl of March. It is through Philippa and Edmund’s eldest son Roger Mortimer that the House of York is derived. During the reign of the childless King Richard II, the only surviving child of Edward, Prince of Wales (the Black Prince) who predeceased his father King Edward III, Lionel’s daughter Philippa was the heir presumptive to the English throne and then after her death in 1382, her eldest son Roger was the heir presumptive. In 1400, King Richard II was deposed by his first cousin Henry of Bolingbroke (King Henry IV), the eldest son of John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster, King Edward III’s third surviving son. Thus the beginnings of the Wars of the Roses between the Lancasters and the Yorks.
Unofficial Royalty: Lionel of Antwerp, Duke of Clarence

November 29, 1489 – Birth of Archibald Douglas, 6th Earl of Angus, 2nd husband of Margaret Tudor  in Douglasdale, Lanarkshire, Scotland
Archibald Douglas, 6th Earl of Angus, a Scottish nobleman active during the reigns of James V, King of Scots and Mary, Queen of Scots, was a leader of the Anglophile faction in Scotland in the early decades of the 16th century, seizing power several times. However, by the later part of his life, Archibald was once again a Scottish patriot. Through their daughter Margaret Douglas, Archibald and Margaret Tudor are the grandparents of Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley, the first cousin and second husband of Mary, Queen of Scots, the great-grandparents of James VI, King of Scots, later also James I, King of England, and the ancestors of the British royal family and most other European royal families.
Unofficial Royalty: Archibald Douglas, 6th Earl of Angus

November 29, 1780 – Death of Maria Theresa, Archduchess of Austria and Queen of Hungary and Bohemia, died at the Hofburg Palace in Vienna, Austria; buried at the Imperial Crypt in Vienna, Austria
Maria Theresa’s only brother died several weeks before she was born and her two younger siblings were sisters.  Throughout his reign, her father Holy Roman Emperor Charles VI expected to have a male heir and never really prepared Maria Theresa for her future role as sovereign. Upon her father’s death, Maria Theresa became Queen of Hungary, Croatia, and Bohemia in her own right. She was unable to become the sovereign of the Holy Roman Empire because she was female. Via a treaty, Maria Theresa arranged for her husband Francis Stephen, Duke of Lorraine to be elected Holy Roman Emperor. Despite the snub, Maria Theresa wielded the real power. Maria Theresa and her husband had had sixteen children but eight of them died in childhood. Two of their sons were Holy Roman Emperors and their daughter Maria Antonia married King Louis XVI of France and became Queen Marie Antoinette. In 1767, Maria Theresa had smallpox and after that, her health deteriorated. She died surrounded by her surviving children at the age of 67 after a reign of 40 years.
Unofficial Royalty:  Maria Theresa, Archduchess of Austria and Queen of Hungary and Bohemia

November 29, 1794 – Death of Sophia Friederike of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, Hereditary Princess of Denmark and Norway, at Sorgenfri Palace in Kongens Lyngby, Denmark, north of Copenhagen; buried at Roskilde Cathedral in Roskilde, Denmark
Unofficial Royalty: Sophia Friederike of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, Hereditary Princess of Denmark and Norway
Sophia Friederike married Hereditary Prince Frederik of Denmark and Norway, the only child of King Frederik V of Denmark and Norway and his second wife Juliana Maria of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel. They were the parents of King Christian VIII of Denmark. Through their daughter Louise Charlotte, they are the ancestors of the Belgian, British, Danish, Luxembourg, Norwegian, and Spanish royal families and the former royal families of Greece and Romania.

November 29, 1918 – Birth of Prince Friedrich Josias  of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, son of Charles Edward, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, at Callenberg Castle in Coburg, Duchy of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, now in Bavaria, Germany
Full name: Friedrich Josias Carl Eduard Ernst Kyrill Harald
The Head of the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha from 1954 until his death in 1998, Friedrich Josias was born just three weeks after his father Charles Edward was deposed as Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. Through his father, Friedrich Josias was a great-grandson of Queen Victoria. In 1942, Friedrich Josias married his first cousin Countess Viktoria-Luise of Solms-Baruth The couple divorced in 1946 but they had one son who succeeded his father as the Head of the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. During World War II, Friedrich Josias was an adjutant to Field Marshal Erwin Rommel who was in charge of the German campaign in North Africa and on the staff of General Hermann von Hanneken, the supreme commander of the German forces in Denmark. In May 1945, Friedrich Josias was captured by British forces in Denmark and remained in captivity until he was released that autumn when he returned to Coburg. In 1948, Friedrich Josias married  Denyse Henriette de Muralt  The couple divorced in 1964 and had three children. He made a third marriage in 1964 to Katrin Bremme but they had no children.
Unofficial Royalty: Prince Friedrich Josias  of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha

November 29, 1934 – Wedding of Prince George, Duke of Kent, son of King George V of the United Kingdom, and Princess Marina of Greece at Westminster Abbey in London, England
In September 1933, Marina made a trip to London with her sister Olga and Olga’s husband Prince Paul of Yugoslavia. Both Marina and George attended a luncheon at Claridge’s Hotel. The two were second cousins as they were both great-grandchildren of King Christian IX of Denmark. They had met many times before but at the luncheon, they each paid more attention to the other. George’s eldest brother encouraged him to court Marina. The next summer, Marina’s mother and other members of the Greek royal family came to London and George and Marina began a serious courtship. On the evening of August 20, 1934, after a game of backgammon, Marina’s family left her alone with George and it was then that George proposed. On August 28, 1934, Buckingham Palace announced the engagement of Prince George, Duke of Kent to Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark.
Unofficial Royalty: Wedding of Prince George, Duke of Kent and Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark

November 29, 1939 – Death of Marie of Baden, Duchess of Anhalt died in Baden-Baden, Baden-Württemberg, Germany; buried in the Dessau Mausoleum in Dessau, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany, in 1958, all of the remains were removed from the mausoleum and buried in a mass grave in the Ziebigk Cemetery in Dessau
In 1889, Marie married the future Friedrich II, Duke of Anhalt. Her husband became the reigning Duke of Anhalt upon his father’s death in 1904. Although the couple did not have any children, their marriage was a happy one. Marie quickly became involved in charity after her marriage, supporting organizations that promoted education and care for the underprivileged. In 1892, along with her mother-in-law, she helped found the Anhalt Deaconess Institution, which educated women in caring for the sick and the poor. During World War I, Marie continued working to establish better medical and care facilities for wounded soldiers. When her husband died in April 1918, the throne of Anhalt passed to his younger brother Eduard. After World War I, Marie returned to Baden-Baden, Baden-Württemberg, Germany, where she died at the age of 74, having survived her husband by over 21 years.
Unofficial Royalty: Marie of Baden, Duchess of Anhalt

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Lilian Baels, Princess de Réthy, second wife of King Leopold III of the Belgians; Credit – Wikipedia

November 28, 1290 – Death of Eleanor of Castile, Queen of England, first wife of King Edward I of England, at Harby, Nottinghamshire, England; buried at Westminster Abbey in London, England
In 1254, Eleanor married the future King Edward I of England. The couple had 14 children, but only six survived childhood. Edward and Eleanor had a loving marriage and were inseparable throughout their married life.  Edward is one of the few English kings of the time period to apparently be faithful to his wife.  Eleanor accompanied her husband on Crusade and on other military campaigns. In the autumn of 1209, Edward was attending a session of Parliament in Nottinghamshire.  Eleanor was following him north at a leisurely pace. On her way to Lincoln, Eleanor became ill. She reached the village of Harby in Nottinghamshire but she could go no further, so she sought lodging at the house of Richard de Weston in Harby. Eleanor’s condition worsened and messengers were sent to summon Edward to her bedside.  Edward was devastated when Eleanor died.  Her remains were taken to London where Eleanor was to be interred at Westminster Abbey.  It took 12 days to reach Westminster Abbey and twelve crosses, known as Eleanor Crosses, were erected at the places where her funeral procession stopped overnight.  Charing Cross in London is perhaps the most famous, but the cross there is a reconstruction. Only three original crosses survive although they have had some reconstruction.
Unofficial Royalty: Eleanor of Castile, Queen of England

November 28, 1489 – Birth of Margaret Tudor, Queen of Scots, daughter of King Henry VII of England, at the Palace of Westminster in London, England
Margaret was the daughter of King Henry VII of England, the first Tudor monarch, and Elizabeth of York, the eldest child of King Edward IV of England. She married three times to James IV, King of Scots (had one surviving child James V, King of Scots, the father of Mary, Queen of Scots), Archibald Douglas, 6th Earl of Angus (had one child Lady Margaret Douglas, the mother of Henry Stewart, Lord Darnley who married his first cousin Mary, Queen of Scots), and Henry Stewart, 1st Lord Methven (no children). When the Tudor line died out with the death of Queen Elizabeth I of England in 1603, it was Margaret’s great-grandson James VI, King of Scots who succeeded to the English throne as King James I. Margaret is the ancestor of many past and present European royals.
Unofficial Royalty: Margaret Tudor, Queen of Scots

November 28, 1660 – Birth of Maria Anna Victoria of Bavaria, Dauphine of France in Munich, Electorate of Bavaria, later the Kingdom of Bavaria, now in the German state of Bavaria
Maria Anna Victoria was the wife of Louis, Le Grand Dauphin, the son of King Louis XIV of France. Her husband never became King of France because King Louis XIV outlived both his son and his grandson and when he died in 1715, Louis XIV was succeeded by his five-year-old great-grandson King Louis XV of France. Maria Anna Victoria and Louis, Le Grand Dauphin had three sons. The births of her three sons and at least six miscarriages had caused Maria Anna Victoria’s health to deteriorate. Her third son’s birth was particularly difficult, and on her deathbed, Maria Anna Victoria was convinced that her last childbirth had killed her. Maria Anna Victoria, aged twenty-nine, died on April 20, 1690.
Unofficial Royalty: Maria Anna Victoria of Bavaria, Dauphine of France

November 28, 1499 – Execution of Edward Plantagenet, 17th Earl of Warwick, George Plantagenet, Duke of Clarence and Isabel Neville, at Tower Hill, London, England; buried at Bisham Priory in Berkshire, England which was destroyed during the Dissolution of the Monasteries during the reign of King Henry VIII
Because he was a potential claimant to the English throne during the reign of King Henry VII, the first Tudor monarch of England, Edward Plantagenet, 17th Earl of Warwick was beheaded. His only surviving sibling Margaret Pole, 8th Countess of Salisbury had the same ending during the reign of King Henry VIII. On November 28, 1499, 24-year-old Edward Plantagenet, 17th Earl of Warwick, who had spent fourteen years imprisoned in the Tower of London, was beheaded on Tower Hill.
Unofficial Royalty: Edward Plantagenet, 17th Earl of Warwick

November 28, 1700 – Birth of Sophia Magdalene of Brandenburg-Kulmbach, Queen of Denmark and Norway, wife of King Christian VI of Denmark and Norway, at Castle Schonberg in the Margraviate of Brandenburg-Bayreuth-Kulmbach, now in Bavaria, Germany
In 1721, Sophia Magdalene married the future King Christian VI of Denmark and Norway. The couple had three children including King Frederik V of Denmark and Norway. The vast majority of the Danish crown jewels come from Sophia Magdalene’s collection. Sophie Magdalene’s crown and other crown jewels can be seen today, at Rosenborg Castle in Copenhagen, Denmark. Sophia Magdalene survived her husband by twenty-four years. She lived for the entire reign of her son King Frederik V and was alive for the first four years of the reign of her grandson King Christian VII.
Unofficial Royalty: Sophia Magdalene of Brandenburg-Kulmbach, Queen of Denmark

November 28, 1811 – Birth of King Maximilian II of Bavaria in Munich, Kingdom of Bavaria, now in Bavaria, Germany
Maximilian studied history and constitutional law at the University of Göttingen and the Friedrich Wilhelm University of Berlin (now Humboldt University) and reportedly said that had he not been born into his position, he would have liked to be a professor. In 1842, Maximilian married Marie Friederike of Prussia. The couple had two sons, King Ludwig II of Bavaria and,
King Otto of Bavaria. Both sons suffered from mental illness that severely hampered their abilities to rule Bavaria. Maximilian came to the throne suddenly in 1848, when his father abdicated, and quickly introduced reforms to the constitution to establish a more constitutional monarchy.
Unofficial Royalty: King Maximilian II of Bavaria

November 28, 1848 – Death of Amalie of Württemberg, Duchess of Saxe-Altenburg, wife of Joseph, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg, in Altenburg, Duchy of Saxe-Altenburg, now in Thuringia, Germany; buried in the Ducal Mausoleum in the Altenburg Cemetery, in 1974, the remains of those buried in the Mausoleum were removed and reburied in the grounds of the cemetery
Following her marriage to Joseph in 1817, the future Duke of Saxe-Altenburg, Amalie became involved with charitable causes in her new home. She founded the Industrial School for orphaned children in Hildburghausen and founded a Woman’s Association the following year. After her father-in-law became Duke of Saxe-Altenburg in 1826, the family, which included the couple’s six daughters, moved to Schloss Altenburg, and she continued with her philanthropic work, establishing several schools and institutions in Altenburg. Amalie died at the age of 48.
Unofficial Royalty: Amalie of Württemberg, Duchess of Saxe-Altenburg

November 28, 1857 – Birth of King Alfonso XII of Spain at the Royal Palace in Madrid, Spain
Full name: Alfonso Francisco de Asís Fernando Pío Juan María de la Concepción Gregorio Pelayo
17-year-old Alfonso became King of Spain in 1874. During Alfonso XII’s reign, the monarchy was consolidated and government institutions were stabilized, repairing the damage that the recent internal struggles had left. For this Alfonso earned the nickname “The Peacemaker.” In 1878, Alfonso married his first cousin Princess Maria de las Mercedes of Orléans and had three children. On November 25, 1885, three days before his 28th birthday, King Alfonso XII died from tuberculosis, leaving two daughters and his queen pregnant with her third child. It was decided that Alfonso’s widow Maria Christina would rule as regent until the child was born. If the child were a male, he would become king and if the child were a female, Alfonso and Maria Christina’s elder daughter María Mercedes would become queen. On May 17, 1886, a son was born who immediately became King Alfonso XIII.
Unofficial Royalty: King Alfonso XII of Spain

November 28, 1862 – Birth of Infanta Maria Antonia of Portugal, Duchess of Parma, second wife of Roberto I, Duke of Parma, in Bronnbach, Grand Duchy of Baden, now Wertheim in the German state of Baden-Württemberg
Maria Antonia youngest of the seven children of the deposed Miguel I, King of Portugal. In 1884, she married Roberto I, titular Duke of Parma, as his second wife. Roberto’s first wife Maria Pia of Bourbon-Two Sicilies had died due to puerperal fever (childbed fever) in 1882, a week after the birth of her twelfth child, a stillborn boy. Maria Antonia and Roberto had twelve children of their own including Zita who married Karl I, the last Emperor of Austria and Felix who married Grand Duchess Charlotte of Luxembourg.
Unofficial Royalty: Infanta Maria Antonia of Portugal, Duchess of Parma

November 28, 1899 – Death of Virginia Oldoini, Countess of Castiglione, mistress of Napoleon III, Emperor of the French, in Paris, France; buried at Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris, France
Virginia Oldoïni, Countess of Castiglione was the mistress of Emperor Napoleon III of France from 1856-1857. Virginia’s affair with the Emperor ended in 1857, and she returned to Italy. Four years later, the Kingdom of Italy was established, and Virginia maintained that her influence had, in part, contributed to the unification. By 1861, she had moved to France where she settled in Passy before returning to Paris. By then a very wealthy woman, she devoted much of her time and fortune to her newfound passion, photography. She died at the age of 62.
Unofficial Royalty: Virginia Oldoini, Countess of Castiglione, mistress of Napoleon III, Emperor of the French

November 28, 1901 – Birth of Edwina Ashley, Countess Mountbatten of Burma, wife of Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma, at Broadlands, her family’s home in Romsey, Hampshire, England
Birth name: Edwina Cynthia Annette Ashley
As the wife of the wife of Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma, Edwina was a member of the extended British Royal Family. Her grandfather was Sir Ernest Cassel, a successful financier and capitalist who had become one of the richest men in Europe. He had been a close friend and advisor of King Edward VII who had bestowed several honors on him during his reign. Upon his death, Sir Ernest left an estate valued at over £6 million (approx. £240 million today), a large portion of which went to Edwina. Edwina and her husband had two daughters, Lady Patricia Mountbatten and Lady Pamela Mountbatten who were first cousins of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.
Unofficial Royalty: Edwina Ashley, Countess Mountbatten of Burma

November 28, 1916 – Birth of Princess Lilian, Princess de Réthy, second wife of King Leopold III of the Belgians, born Mary Lilian Baels in London, United Kingdom
Full name: Mary Lilian Henriette Lucie Josephine Ghislaine
Lilian and Leopold married in a religious ceremony on September 11, 1941. This was against Belgian law which required a civil ceremony to be held first. They had planned to wait until after the war to hold a civil ceremony, but Lilian’s pregnancy led them to hold the civil ceremony on December 6, 1941, at which point their marriage was made public. The announcement was met with mixed reactions from the Belgian people. While some sent congratulations, many others felt that the marriage sullied the memory of Leopold’s first wife, their beloved Queen Astrid who had died in a car accident and that Lilian was nothing more than a “social climber.” Despite this, the couple had a very close and happy marriage. She also had a close relationship with Leopold’s three children – Josephine-Charlotte, Baudouin, and Albert. Leopold gave Lilian the title ‘Princess de Réthy’, and it was decided that any children would not have succession rights. They would, however, be styled and titled HRH Prince/Princess of Belgium.  Lilian and Leopold had three children.
Unofficial Royalty: Princess Lilian, Princess de Réthy

November 28, 1935 – Birth of Prince Hitachi of Japan, son of Emperor Shōwa (Hirohito) of Japan and brother of Emperor Emeritus Akihito of Japan at the Tokyo Imperial Palace in Tokyo, Japan
During the American Occupation of Japan, following World War II, Prince Hitachi was tutored in English and Western culture. In 1958, he graduated from Gakushuin University Faculty of Science Department of Chemistry with a Bachelor’s degree. He then became a research student at the University of Tokyo Graduate School of Science studying cellular biology. Prince Hitachi met his future wife Hanako Tsugaru, daughter of Count Yoshitaka Tsugaru, the last representative of the Tsugaru clan, while they were both students at The Gakushuin. The couple married in 1964 but they had no children. In 1969, Prince Hitachi became a Research Associate of the Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research. The results of his work on carcinogenesis and cancer biology were recognized worldwide and were published in prestigious journals. As the son and then the brother of The Emperor, Prince Hitachi was expected to represent his country internationally and participate in charitable works. As he grew older, his responsibilities in these areas have lessened.
Unofficial Royalty: Prince Hitachi of Japan

November 28, 1952 – Death of Elena of Montenegro, Queen of Italy, wife of King Vittorio Emanuele III of Italy, at Montpellier, France; buried at Saint-Lazare Cemetery in Montpellier, France
In 1896, Elena married the future King Vittorio Emanuele III of Italy. The couple had two children including Vittorio Emanuele III’s brief successor King Umberto II of Italy and Giovanna who married Tsar Boris III of Bulgaria. Elena’s husband abdicated on May 9, 1946, hoping that a new King, his son Umberto II, would bring support for continuing the monarchy in an upcoming referendum. However, his son would only reign for several weeks before Italy became a Republic in an overwhelming vote. After the abdication, Vittorio Emanuele and Elena went into exile, settling in Alexandria, Egypt. Vittorio Emanuele died in Alexandria in 1947, and in 1950, Elena moved to Montpellier, France, to undergo treatment for cancer. She died of a pulmonary embolism at the age of 79.
Unofficial Royalty: Elena of Montenegro, Queen of Italy

November 28, 1962 – Death of Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands at Het Loo near Apeldoorn, the Netherlands; buried at Nieuwe Kerk, in Delft, the Netherlands
Queen Wilhelmina holds the record for the longest-reigning Dutch monarch, 58 years. Her reign spanned World War I, the Great Depression, and World War II. In 1901, Wilhelmina married Heinrich of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. The couple had one child, Queen Juliana who succeeded her mother. On September 4, 1948, after a reign of nearly 58 years, Queen Wilhelmina abdicated in favor of her daughter and Juliana became Queen of the Netherlands. On November 22, 1962, the Dutch government announced that while there was no reason for immediate concern, Wilhelmina’s health had taken a turn for the worse. On November 28, 1962, Wilhelmina died at the age of 82 due to heart disease. After Wilhelmina’s death, it was announced that her condition during the last weeks of her life was more serious than had been announced.
Unofficial Royalty: Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands

November 28, 1972 – Death of Sibylla of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, Duchess of Västerbotten, wife of Prince Gustaf Adolf of Sweden, Duke of Västerbotten and mother of King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden, in Stockholm, Sweden; buried at the Royal Cemetery at Haga Park in Solna, Sweden
Sibylla was a great-grandchild of Queen Victoria through her father Charles Edward, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, the posthumous son of Queen Victoria’s youngest son Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany. In 1932, she married Prince Gustaf Adolf of Sweden, Duke of Västerbotten. Prince Gustaf Adolf was the eldest son of Crown Prince Gustaf Adolf of Sweden (the future King Gustaf VI Adolf of Sweden) and was therefore second in the line of succession to the Swedish throne. Sibylla and Gustaf Adolf had four daughters and one son including the current King of Sweden, Carl XVI Gustaf. Tragically, Prince Gustaf Adolf was killed in a commercial airplane crash in 1947, seven months after the birth of his son Carl Gustaf, at the Kastrup Airport in Kastrup, Denmark near Copenhagen. After her stepmother-in-law Queen Louise died in 1965, Sibylla was the senior royal princess and acted in a supporting role for her father-in-law King Gustaf VI Adolf. Unfortunately, Sibylla did not live long enough to see her son Carl Gustaf become king. She died of colon cancer at the age of 64, less than a year before her son would become king.
Unofficial Royalty: Sibylla of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, Duchess of Västerbotten

November 28, 1982 – Death of Helen of Greece, Queen Mother of Romania, wife of King Carol II of Romania, at Lausanne, Switzerland; initially buried at the Greek Orthodox Church in Lausanne, Switzerland; reburied at the new Archdiocesan and Royal Cathedral at Curtea de Argeș, Romania on October 19, 2019
The daughter of King Constantine I of Greece and Princess Sophie of Prussia, in 1921, Helen married the future King Carol II of Romania. They had one son, King Michael of Romania. Within a few years, Carol began an affair with Magda Lupescu, and in 1925 he renounced his rights to the throne and left the country. Helen was given the title Princess of Romania. Helen’s marriage to Carol was unsuccessful and the couple divorced. She was the Queen Mother of Romania during the reign of her son King Michael. Helen was noted for her humanitarian efforts to save Romanian Jews during World War II, which led to her being named Righteous Among the Nations by Israel. In 1947, King Michael was forced to abdicate the throne, and Romania was proclaimed a republic. Michael and Helen soon left Romania. Helen lived the rest of her life in exile, dying at the age of 86.
Unofficial Royalty: Helen of Greece, Queen of Romania

November 28, 2021 – Death of Prince Andrew Romanov at an assisted living center in San Anselmo, California; buried at Olema Cemetery in Olema, California
Andrew was the son of Prince Andrei Alexandrovich of Russia and his first wife Duchess Elisabetta Sasso-Ruffo Di Sant Antimo from the Italian noble House of Ruffo di Calabria. Andrew’s paternal grandparents were Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich of Russia (grandson of Nicholas I, Emperor of All Russia) and Grand Duchess Xenia Alexandrovna of Russia (daughter of Alexander III, Emperor of All Russia and sister of Nicholas II, Emperor of All Russia). Known as Andrew Romanoff after he came to the United States in 1949, he was one of the disputed pretenders to the Headship of the Russian Imperial Family from 2016 – 2021. Andrew died surrounded by his family, on November 28, 2021, two months short of his 99th birthday.
Unofficial Royalty: Andrew Romanoff, born Prince Andrew Romanov

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Princess Mary Adelaide of Cambridge, Duchess of Teck; Credit – Wikipedia

November 27, 1635 – Birth of Françoise d’Aubigné, Marquise de Maintenon, mistress and morganatic second wife of King Louis XIV of France, at the Château of Lussac-les-Châteaux in Vienne, France
Françoise was first a mistress of King Louis XIV and became his morganatic second wife after the death of his first wife. She founded the Maison Royale de Saint-Louis, endowed by Louis XIV in Saint-Cyr, France. The Maison Royale was designed to be a school for girls from poorer noble families, much as Françoise had been in her childhood. Following Louis XIV’s death, Françoise retired to Saint-Cyr where she died and was buried in the school’s chapel.
Unofficial Royalty: Françoise d’Aubigné, Marquise de Maintenon

November 27, 1640 – Birth of  Barbara Palmer, 1st Duchess of Cleveland, mistress of King Charles II of England, born Barbara Villiers in the parish of St. Margaret’s, Westminster, London, England
In 1659, Barbara married Roger Palmer, later 1st Earl of Castlemaine. At the end of 1659, Roger and his new wife left with other supporters of the exiled  King Charles II of England, joining him in the Netherlands. In 1660, Barbara became Charles’ mistress and continued as his mistress when Charles II returned to England later that year. Barbara gave birth to six children, some of them, possibly all, were the children of Charles II. Among Barbara’s descendants are Diana, Princess of Wales; Sarah, Duchess of York; the Mitford sisters; philosopher Bertrand Russell; and British Prime Minister Sir Anthony Eden. In 1673, King Charles II cast Barbara aside and took Louise de Kérouaille as his newest favorite mistress. Barbara eventually reconciled with King Charles II and he enjoyed an evening in her company a week before he died in February 1685.
Unofficial Royalty: Barbara Palmer, 1st Duchess of Cleveland, mistress of King Charles II of England

November 27, 1676 – Birth of Friedrich Anton Ulrich, Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont in Waldeck, Principality of Waldeck and Pyrmont, now in Hesse, Germany
Friedrich Anton Ulrich was the Count of Waldeck-Pyrmont from 1706 – 1712 and then the first Prince of Waldeck-Pyrmont from 1712 – 1728. In 1700, Friedrich Anton Ulrich married Luise of Zweibrücken-Birkenfeld and the couple had eleven children. Friedrich Anton Ulrich’s most notable accomplishment was his building program which resulted in considerable indebtedness for the small principality. With the building of the Residenzschloss Arolsen, the town of Arolsen became the main town of the Principality of Waldeck-Pyrmont.
Unofficial Royalty: Friedrich Anton Ulrich, Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont

November 27, 1698 – Birth of Countess Marianne von Thun-Hohenstein, the second of the four wives of Josef Johann Adam, Prince of Liechtenstein
On February 3, 1716, seventeen-year-old Marianne married the widowed Prince Josef Johann Adam. The marriage did not even last a month. Three weeks after the marriage, on February 23, 1716, Marianne died in Vienna and was buried in the Old Crypt at the Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary in Vranov, Moravia, now in the Czech Republic.
Unofficial Royalty: The Four Wives of Josef Johann Adam, Prince of Liechtenstein

November 27, 1757 – Birth of Mary Robinson, mistress of King George IV of the United Kingdom, born Mary Darby in Bristol, England
Mary Robinson was a noted English poet and actress who became the first mistress of the future King George IV, while he was still Prince of Wales. Their relationship lasted just two years. Her first book of poetry, Poems By Mrs. Robinson,  was published in 1775. She soon caught the attention of Georgina Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire who became somewhat of a patron to Mary, sponsoring the publication of Mary’s second book of poetry, Captivity. While performing as Perdita in an adaptation of Shakespeare’s A Winter Tale in 1779 at the Drury Lane Theater in London, Mary caught the attention of The Prince of Wales who attended a performance and was instantly smitten.
Unofficial Royalty: Mary Robinson, Mistress of King George IV of the United Kingdom

November 27, 1763 – Death of Princess Isabella of Parma, Infanta of Spain, first wife of the future Holy Roman Emperor Joseph II, at Hofburg Palace in Vienna; buried in the Imperial Crypt at the Capuchin Church in Vienna, Austria
In 1760, Isabella and Joseph, both 18 year olds, were married. They had two daughters but neither survived childhood. When Isabella was six months pregnant with her second child, she developed a fever and it soon became clear that she had smallpox. Her high fever induced labor three months early, and on November 22, 1763, she gave birth to a premature second daughter. The baby was baptized Maria Christina, as Isabella requested, but died the same day. On November 27, 1763, one month and three days before her 22nd birthday, Isabella died from smallpox.
Unofficial Royalty: Isabella of Parma, Archduchess of Austria (article coming soon)

November 27, 1833 – Birth of Princess Mary Adelaide of Cambridge, Duchess of Teck, at Cambridge House in the Kingdom of Hanover in Hanover, Kingdom of Hanover, now in Lower Saxony, Germany, where her father served as Viceroy of Hanover
Full name: Mary Adelaide Wilhelmina Elizabeth
The daughter of Prince Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge, Mary Adelaide was a male-line grandchild of King George III of the United Kingdom, a first cousin of Queen Victoria, and the mother of Mary of Teck, wife of King George V. Through her daughter Queen Mary, Mary Adelaide is the great-grandmother of Queen Elizabeth II and an ancestor of the members of the House of Windsor. Mary Adelaide married Prince Francis of Teck and the couple had three sons and one daughter. devoted her life to charity, serving as the first royal patron of Barnardo’s, a charity still in existence, founded by Thomas Barnardo in 1866 to care for vulnerable children and young people. Barnardo’s has a long history of royal patrons and presidents including Queen Alexandra, Queen Mary (Mary Adelaide’s daughter), Queen Elizabeth II, Diana, Princess of Wales, and Queen Consort Camilla.
Unofficial Royalty: Princess Mary Adelaide of Cambridge, Duchess of Teck

November 27, 1896 – Death of Elisabeth of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt, Princess of Lippe, wife of Leopold III, Prince of Lippe, in Niederkrossen, then in the Principality of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt, now in the German state of Thuringia; buried at the Stadtkirche St. Andreas in Rudolstadt, then in the Principality of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt, now in the German state of Thuringia
In 1852, 18-year-old Elisabeth married 30-year-old Leopold III, Prince of Lippe but their marriage was childless. Elisabeth used all the means at her disposal for charitable causes. She published a booklet with Bible verses for every day of the year and designed wall decorations with Bible verses. The booklet and wall decorations were mass-produced and the proceeds went to Elisabeth’s charitable causes. Devoted to children, Elisabeth founded a school, the Elisabeth-Anstalt. On December 8, 1875, Elisabeth’s husband Leopold III, Prince of Lippe, aged 54, died  after suffering a stroke. After Leopold’s death, Elisabeth moved into her widow’s residence at the New Palais in Detmold and continued her charitable work. Elisabeth became ill with pneumonia, and died on November 27, 1896, at the age of sixty-three. As per her wishes, Elisabeth was not buried at the traditional burial site of the princely family of Lippe but rather in the princely crypt at the Stadtkirche St. Andreas in Rudolstadt, then in the Principality of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt, now in the German state of Thuringia, where members of her birth family were buried.
Unofficial Royalty: Elisabeth of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt, Princess of Lippe

November 27, 1908 – Death of Grand Duke Alexei Alexandrovich of Russia, son of Alexander II, Emperor of All Russia, in Paris, France; the first to be interred in the newly built Grand Ducal Mausoleum adjacent to the Peter and Paul Cathedral in St. Petersburg, Russia
Alexei is most well-known for his coast-to-coast official visit to the United States in 1871 where one of the highlights was buffalo hunting with Buffalo Bill Cody, General George Armstrong Custer, and General Philip Sheridan. Being the fourth of six sons, Alexei had a career in the Russian Imperial Navy. He was ultimately promoted to Admiral-General and Chief of the Fleet and Naval Department and Chairman of the Admiralty Board. At the end of the Russo-Japanese War in 1905, when the Russian naval fleet was defeated, Alexei was dismissed from all naval posts.  He then spent most of the time in Paris, France in a house he had bought in 1897. There he welcomed writers, painters, actors, and actresses. He loved living in Paris and was a familiar figure in restaurants and theaters. He died of pneumonia on November 27, 1908, in Paris at the age of 58.
Unofficial Royalty: Grand Duke Alexei Alexandrovich of Russia

November 27, 1955 – Birth of Andreas, titular 8th Prince of Leiningen, pretender to the Headship of the House of Leiningen, and the heir to his brother Prince Karl Emich of Leiningen, one of the disputed pretenders to the Headship of the Russian Imperial Family and the throne of Russia since 2013, in Frankfurt am Main, then in West Germany, now in the German state of Hesse
The Monarchist Party of Russia recognizes Andreas’ Prince Karl Emich of Leiningen as the heir to the Russian throne and the Head of the Russian Imperial House. The claim will pass to Andreas and his descendants born of equal marriages upon the death of Karl Emich, and on the condition that they should convert to Russian Orthodoxy. There is no indication that Andreas or any of his children, who are Lutheran, have any interest in this claim. In 1981, Andreas married Princess Alexandra of Hanover, the sister of Prince Ernst August (V) of Hanover, and the couple had three children.
Unofficial Royalty: Andreas, 8th Prince of Leiningen

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Dagmar of Denmark, Empress Maria Feodorovna of Russia; Credit – Wikipedia

November 26, 1504 – Death of Queen Isabella I of Castile and León, wife of King Ferdinand of Aragon, mother of Catherine of Aragon, at Medina del Campo, Spain; buried at the Capilla Real in Granada, Spain
Isabella was the wife of King Ferdinand of Aragon and the mother of Catherine of Aragon, the first wife of King Henry VIII of England. Her great-grandfather was John of Gaunt, son of King Edward III of England. The marriage of Queen Isabella I of Castile and León (reigned 1474 – 1504) and King Ferdinand II (Fernando in Spanish) of Aragon (reigned 1479 – 1516) led to the political unification of the Kingdom of Aragon and the Kingdom of Castile and León into the Kingdom of Spain under their grandson King Carlos I of Spain who later also became Charles V, Holy Roman Empire.
Unofficial Royalty: Queen Isabella I of Castile and León

November 26, 1647 – Birth of Maria Hedwig of Hesse-Darmstadt, Duchess of Saxe-Meiningen, first wife of Bernhard I, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen, in Giessen, Landgraviate of Hesse-Darmstadt, now in Hesse, Germany
In 1671, Marie Hedwig married Bernhard I, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen. The couple had seven children. In 1680, Marie Hedwigs’s husband Bernhard and his six brothers, who collectively governed the Duchy of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg, concluded a treaty of separation, with each brother getting a portion of the Duchy of Saxe-Gotha Altenburg and becoming a Duke. One of the seven new duchies was the Duchy of Saxe-Meinigen and Bernhard became the first Duke of Saxe-Meinigen. However, the principality’s coat of arms featured a black hen, which was seen at the time as a symbol of magic and witchcraft. Marie Hedwig made it clear that she would not move to the “land of the black hen”. Nine weeks before the planned move, Marie Hedwig died after giving birth to her youngest child just a few weeks earlier.
Unofficial Royalty: Maria Hedwig of Hesse-Darmstadt, Duchess of Saxe-Meiningen

November 26, 1767 – Birth of Prince Platon Alexandrovich Zubov, lover of Catherine II (the Great), Empress of All Russia
Prince Platon Alexandrovich Zubov was the last lover of Catherine II (the Great), Empress of All Russia. There was a thirty-eight-year age difference between Platon and Catherine. He was also one of the conspirators in the assassination of Catherine II’s son and successor Paul I, Emperor of All Russia, and was one of the fourteen people present at Paul’s murder.
Unofficial Royalty: Prince Platon Alexandrovich Zubov, lover of Catherine II (the Great), Empress of All Russia

November 26, 1847 – Birth of Princess Dagmar of Denmark, Empress Maria Feodorovna of Russia, wife of Alexander III, Emperor of All Russia, mother of Nicholas II, Emperor of All Russia, at the Yellow Palace in Copenhagen, Denmark
Full name: Marie Sophie Frederikke Dagmar
Dagmar, known as Minnie in the family, was the daughter of King Christian IX of Denmark,  the sister of King Frederik VIII of Denmark, Queen Alexandra of the United Kingdom, and King George I of Greece. In 1864, Minnie became engaged to Tsarevich Nicholas Alexandrovich of Russia, the eldest son and heir of Alexander II, Emperor of All Russia. However, Nicholas died from meningitis in 1865, at the age of 21. Minnie married Nicholas’ brother, the new heir to the throne, the future Alexander III, Emperor of All Russia. The couple had six children, including Nicholas II, Emperor of All Russia.
Unofficial Royalty: Dagmar of Denmark, Empress Maria Feodorovna of Russia

November 26, 1869 – Birth of Queen Maud of Norway, daughter of King Edward VII of the United Kingdom, wife of King Haakon VII of Norway, born Princess Maud of Wales at Marlborough House in London, England
Full name: Maud Charlotte Mary
In 1896, Maud married her first cousin Prince Carl of Denmark, the son of Maud’s maternal uncle King Frederik VIII of Denmark. Maud and Carl had one child, Prince Alexander of Denmark, later King Olav V of Norway. In 1905, upon the dissolution of the union between Sweden and Norway, the Norwegian government began searching for candidates to become King of Norway. Because of his descent from prior Norwegian monarchs, as well as his wife’s British connections, Carl was the overwhelming favorite. In 1905, Carl officially became King of Norway. He took the name Haakon VII and his son two-year-old son was renamed Olav and became Crown Prince of Norway. Maud never gave up her love for her native country and visited often. However, she did fulfill her duties as Queen of Norway.
Unofficial Royalty: Maud of Wales, Queen of Norway

November 26, 1894 – Wedding of Nicholas II, Emperor of All Russia and Alix of Hesse and by Rhine in the Grand Church of the Winter Palace in Saint Petersburg, Russia
It was in 1894, while the family was all gathered in Coburg for the wedding of Alix’s brother Ernst and their first cousin Victoria Melita of Edinburgh and Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, that Nicholas and Alix became engaged. Sadly, in the fall of 1894, Nicholas’ father fell ill. Sensing that there was not much time left, Emperor Alexander III instructed Nicholas to send for Alix. Despite his ailing health, Emperor Alexander III insisted on greeting her in full uniform and gave her his blessing. Alexander III died just ten days later, leaving the 26-year-old Nicholas as the new Emperor of All Russia. Although originally planning to marry the following spring, the wedding was quickly arranged and the couple married on November 26, 1894, in the Grand Church of the Winter Palace.
Unofficial Royalty: Wedding of Nicholas II, Emperor of All Russia and Alix of Hesse and by Rhine
Unofficial Royalty: Nicholas II, Emperor of All Russia
Unofficial Royalty: Alix of Hesse and by Rhine, Empress Alexandra Feodorovna of Russia

November 26, 1912 – Death of Marie of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen, Countess of Flanders, mother of Albert I, King of the Belgians, in Brussels, Belgium; buried at the Church of Our Lady of Laeken near Brussels, Belgium
Princess Marie of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen was one-half of the couple who secured the future of the Belgian royal dynasty. Marie was the daughter of Sovereign Prince Karl Anton of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen and the sister of the future King Carol I of Romania. In 1867, Marie married Prince Philippe of Belgium, Count of Flanders, the second surviving son of Leopold I of the Belgians. In 1869, ten-year-old Leopold, Duke of Brabant, the only son and heir of Philippe’s brother King Leopold II, fell into a pond, caught pneumonia, and died. Hoping for a crown prince because only males could inherit the throne, Leopold II and his wife had another child, but the child was a girl. Marie and Philippe’s elder son Baudouin was second in line to the throne until his death in 1891 from influenza. Then Marie and Philippe’s younger son Albert became second in line to the throne. Marie lived long enough to see her son Albert succeed his uncle King Leopold II as King Albert I in 1909. She died from pneumonia at the age of 67.
Unofficial Royalty: Princess Marie of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen, Countess of Flanders

November 26, 1943 – Death of Prince Hubertus of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, son of Charles Edward, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, killed in action during World War II in Velyki Mosty, Ukraine; buried in the family cemetery at Callenburg Castle in Coburg, Bavaria, Germany
At the end of World War I, the Workers’ and Soldiers Council of Gotha, deposed Hubertus’ father as Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. Five days later, Charles Edward signed a declaration relinquishing his rights to the throne but he still remained Head of the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. In 1932, Hubertus’ elder brother Johann Leopold made an unequal marriage against the Saxe-Coburg and Gotha House Act of March 1, 1855, and had to renounce succession rights for himself and any children from the marriage. As the next son, Hubertus was designated the heir to his father as Head of the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. Hubertus became a member of the Nazi Party and saw action with the German Army on the Eastern Front during World War II. He served as a first lieutenant on the High Command of the Army and was deployed as a Luftwaffe pilot serving as a squadron leader. Hubertus was killed in action in an airplane crash at the age of 34 on November 26, 1943, in Velyki Mosty, in present-day Ukraine.
Unofficial Royalty: Prince Hubertus of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha

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