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Jane Seymour, Queen of England, Credit – Wikipedia

October 24, 1503 – Birth of Isabel of Portugal, Queen of Spain, Holy Roman Empress, wife of King Carlos I of Spain (Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor), in Lisbon, Portugal
The daughter of Manuel I, King of Portugal and his second wife Infanta Maria of Aragon, Isabella was the wife of her first cousin Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor who was also King of Spain, Archduke of Austria, Lord of the Netherlands, Duke of Burgundy, among many other titles. Charles and Isabella had five children but only three survived to adulthood. Their son Felipe would become King of Spain, King of Portugal, King of Naples and Sicily, Duke of Milan, Lord of the Seventeen Provinces of the Netherlands, and jure uxoris (by right of his wife) King of England and Ireland during his marriage to his second wife Queen Mary I of England from 1554 until Mary’s death in 1558. In 1539, during the third month of Isabella’s seventh pregnancy, she developed a fever causing her to miscarry. The fever caused her condition to worsen and Isabella died two weeks later in Toledo, Spain, on May 1, 1539, aged thirty-five. Charles never recovered from her death, dressed in black for the rest of his life, and despite being only thirty-nine, never remarried.
Unofficial Royalty: Isabel of Portugal, Queen of Spain, Holy Roman Empress

October 24, 1537 – Death of Jane Seymour, Queen of England, third wife of King Henry VIII of England, from childbirth complications at Hampton Court Palace in Richmond, England; buried at St. George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle in Windsor, England
On May 30, 1536, King Henry VIII was married to Jane Seymour, his third wife, in a private ceremony held in the Queen’s Closet at Whitehall Palace. On October 12, 1537, Jane gave birth to Henry VIII’s long-awaited male heir. Jane’s labor had been long, two days and three nights. Three days later, the baby was christened Edward after Edward the Confessor. On October 17, 1537, Jane’s condition deteriorated and she was given the last rites. She died on October 24, 1537, most likely from puerperal fever or childbed fever, a bacterial infection.
Unofficial Royalty: Jane Seymour, Queen of England

October 24, 1723 – Death of Praskovia Feodorovna Saltykova, Tsaritsa of All Russia, wife of Ivan V, Tsar of All Russia, in St. Petersburg, Russia; buried at the Alexander Nevsky Monastery in St. Petersburg, Russia in the crypt of the Annunciation Church
Praskovia Feodorovna Saltykova was the wife of Ivan V, Tsar of All Russia and the mother of Anna I, Empress of All Russia. Ivan V was physically and mentally disabled and co-reigned with his younger half-brother Peter I (the Great), Emperor of All Russia. Praskovia and Ivan had five daughters. Ivan died in 1696 at the age of 29. Praskovia had great respect for her brother-in-law Peter I and often served as the first lady, welcoming visitors to the Russian court. She understood the need for the changes Peter was making in Russia, raised her daughters, and held her court in a modern Western manner, which made her well-regarded by Peter. Praskovia’s health began to suffer towards the end of her life and she suffered from several ailments. She died the day after her 59th birthday.
Unofficial Royalty: Praskovia Feodorovna Saltykova, Tsaritsa of All Russia

October 24, 1829 – Death of Luise of Hesse-Darmstadt, Grand Duchess of Hesse and by Rhine, wife of Grand Duke Ludwig I of Hesse and by Rhine, at the summer residence Fürstenlager in Auerbach now in Hesse, Germany; buried in the Darmstadt Stadtkirche until 1910, when her remains were moved to the Altes Mausoleum in the Rosenhöhe in Darmstadt
In 1777, Luise married her first cousin, the future Grand Duke Ludwig I of Hesse and by Rhine. The couple had six children. Luise’s husband Ludwig succeeded his father in April 1790 as Ludwig X, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt. After the fall of the Holy Roman Empire, Hesse-Darmstadt was raised to the Grand Duchy of Hesse, with Ludwig becoming its first Grand Duke, Ludwig I. In 1816, at the Congress of Vienna, he was forced to cede his Westphalian territories, but in return was given the Rheinhessen region which included the city of Mainz. It was then, that the Grand Duchy of Hesse became the Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine. Luise died at her summer residence at the age of 68.
Unofficial Royalty: Luise of Hesse-Darmstadt, Grand Duchess of Hesse and by Rhine

October 24, 1887 – Birth of Victoria Eugénie of Battenberg, Queen of Spain, wife of King Alfonso XIII of Spain and granddaughter of Queen Victoria, at Balmoral Castle in Scotland
Full name: Victoria Eugénie Julia Ena
Known as Queen Ena of Spain, she was the daughter of Princess Beatrice of the United Kingdom and Prince Henry of Battenberg. The current Spanish Royal Family are her descendants. In 1906, Ena married King Alfonso XIII of Spain. The couple had seven children and Ena passed on hemophilia to two of her sons. She threw herself into her new role as Queen and began working with charities that supported the poor, promoted education, and took a particular interest in nursing and hospital care. Following the establishment of the Second Spanish Republic in 1931, the family went into exile and Ena and Alfonso soon went their separate ways. In February 1968, Ena returned to Spain for the first time since going into exile in 1931 to serve as godmother to her new great-grandson, the future King Felipe VI of Spain. After she returned to her home in Switzerland, and soon her health began to fail. Ena died, aged 87, at her home in Lausanne, Switzerland, surrounded by her family.
Unofficial Royalty: Victoria Eugénie of Battenberg, Queen of Spain

October 24, 1895 – Birth of Count Pierre de Polignac, after his marriage, Prince Pierre of Monaco, Duke of Valentinois, at the Château de Kerscamp in Hennebont, Britanny region,  France
Pierre was the husband of Princess Charlotte of Monaco, the daughter of Louis II, Prince of Monaco, and the father of Rainier III, Prince of Monaco. Once Pierre had produced a male heir, he was no longer necessary. His father-in-law Prince Louis II disliked him and Charlotte became unhappy shortly after the marriage. In the mid-1920s, the couple unofficially separated. Pierre and Charlotte were legally separated by a French court in 1930. On February 18, 1933, they were divorced by the ordinance of Prince Louis II, and the divorce was confirmed by a French tribunal in December 1933. During the reign of his son Prince Rainier III, Pierre lived in a villa near the Prince’s Palace in Monaco. Pierre Prince Pierre died of cancer on November 10, 1964, and was buried at the Chapelle de la Paix in Monaco where his former wife Princess Charlotte, his daughter Princess Antoinette, and her deceased children have also been buried.
Unofficial Royalty: Count Pierre de Polignac, Prince Pierre of Monaco, Duke of Valentinois

October 24, 1921 – Birth of Princess Gina of Liechtenstein, born Countess Georgina von Wilczek, wife of Prince Franz Josef II of Liechtenstein, in Graz, Austria
Full name: Georgina Norberta Jane Marie Antonie Raphaela, called Gina
In 1943, Gina married Franz Josef II, Prince of Liechtenstein. They had five children including the present Prince of Liechtenstein, Hans-Adam II. During World War II, Princess Gina, like her mother, had concerns for prisoners of war. In 1945, she founded the Liechtenstein Red Cross and was president from 1945 to 1984. Gina died in 1989, in a hospital in Grabs, Switzerland, six days before her 68th birthday after a long battle with cancer. Her husband Franz Josef died 26 days later.
Unofficial Royalty: Countess Gina von Wilczek, Princess of Liechtenstein

October 24, 1947 – Birth of Prince Nikolaus of Liechtenstein, son of Prince Franz Josef II, brother of Prince Hans-Adam II, in Zurich, Switzerland
Full name: Nikolaus Ferdinand Maria Josef Raphael
In 1982, Prince Nikolaus married Princess Margaretha of Luxembourg, daughter of Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg. Their marriage would be the last between two reigning royal houses in Europe. Nikolaus worked for the International Red Cross in Geneva, and later as a consultant in Liechtenstein’s Office of International Relations. From 1979-1989, he served as Permanent Representative to the Council of Europe. In 1986, he was appointed the first non-resident Ambassador to the Holy See, a position which he held until July 2017. In addition, he served as Ambassador to Switzerland from 1989-1996, and Ambassador to Belgium and the European Union from 1996-2010.
Unofficial Royalty: Prince Nikolaus of Liechtenstein

October 24, 1951 – Death of Prince Carl of Sweden, Duke of Västergötland, son of King Oscar II of Sweden, in Stockholm, Sweden; buried in the royal cemetery in Haga Park, Solna, Sweden
In 1897, Carl married Princess Ingeborg of Denmark, daughter of King Frederik VIII of Denmark. Despite the fact that neither was the heir to a throne, the prospect of another Danish-Swedish royal union was an exciting one to the families of the couple and citizens of their respective countries. Carl and Ingeborg are ancestors of the current Belgian royal family, Luxembourg grand ducal family, and Belgian royal family. Belgian Kings Baudouin and Albert II, Norwegian King Harald V, and Grand Duchess of Luxembourg Josephine-Charlotte are all grandchildren of Carl and Ingeborg. Carl exhibited excellent skills of diplomacy and was later sought to help mediate peace talks and arrange the release of political prisoners. He distinguished himself as the President of the Swedish Red Cross, earning several Nobel Peace Prize nominations for his work with prisoners of war. Carl died on October 24,  1951, in Stockholm, Sweden at the age of 90.
Unofficial Royalty: Prince Carl of Sweden, Duke of Västergötland

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Alexander of Battenberg, Prince of Bulgaria; Credit – Wikipedia

October 23, 1636 – Birth of Hedwig Eleonora of Holstein-Gottorp, Queen of Sweden, Regent of Sweden, wife King Karl X of Sweden, at Gottorp Castle at Schleswig, in the Duchy of Schleswig, now in the German state of Schleswig-Holstein
Hedwig Eleonora married King Karl X of Sweden in 1654, the day after her eighteenth birthday.  They had one son. Karl died at the age of 37 in 1660 from influenza and pneumonia, leaving his four-year-old son to succeed him as Karl XI, King of Sweden. Hedwig Eleonora was to be Regent of Sweden and her son’s guardian until he reached his majority. Even after her son married Ulrika Eleonora of Denmark, Hedwig Eleonora remained the first lady of the court. Foreign ambassadors always paid their respects to Hedwig Eleonora first, and then to Ulrika Eleonora. After the death of her husband, Hedwig Eleonora was the dowager queen for 55 years. She survived her husband by fifty-five years and her son by eighteen years.
Unofficial Royalty: Hedwig Eleonora of Holstein-Gottorp, Queen of Sweden

October 23, 1664 – Birth of Praskovia Feodorovna Saltykova, Tsaritsa of All Russia, wife of Ivan V, Tsar of All Russia
Praskovia Feodorovna Saltykova was the wife of Ivan V, Tsar of All Russia and the mother of Anna I, Empress of All Russia. Ivan V was physically and mentally disabled and co-reigned with his younger half-brother Peter I (the Great), Emperor of All Russia. Praskovia and Ivan had five daughters. Ivan died in 1696 at the age of 29. Praskovia had great respect for her brother-in-law Peter I and often served as the first lady, welcoming visitors to the Russian court. She understood the need for the changes Peter was making in Russia, raised her daughters, and held her court in a modern Western manner, which made her well-regarded by Peter.
Unofficial Royalty: Praskovia Feodorovna Saltykova, Tsaritsa of All Russia

October 23, 1715 – Birth of Peter II, Emperor of All Russia in St. Petersburg, Russia
In 1725, Peter I (the Great), Emperor of All Russia died at the age of 52 from a bladder infection without naming a successor. A coup arranged by Prince Alexander Menshikov proclaimed Catherine, Peter’s second wife, the ruler of Russia. Catherine I’s reign was only two years and even before her death, it was clear that the inheritance of Peter the Great’s grandson Peter could not be denied. Menshikov began to see this during the end of Catherine I’s reign. Through his efforts, Peter was named Catherine’s heir apparent, even though Catherine had two daughters of her own. In 1727, 43-year-old Catherine I, Empress of All Russia died of tuberculosis and 11-year-old Peter became Emperor of All Russia.  On a frigid day, Peter II attended a parade. When he returned to the palace, he had a fever that developed into smallpox.  On January 30, 1730, the delirious Peter ordered his sleigh to be readied so he could go see his sister Natalia who had died a little more than a year earlier. Fourteen-year-old Peter died a few minutes later.
Unofficial Royalty: Peter II, Emperor of Russia

October 23, 1849 – Birth of Sir James Reid, 1st Baronet, Queen Victoria’s Resident Physician 1881 – 1889 and Physician-in-Ordinary 1889 – 1901, also Physician-in-Ordinary to King Edward VII and King George V
Unofficial Royalty: Sir James Reid, 1st Baronet

October 23, 1893 – Death of Alexander of Battenberg, Prince of Bulgaria from 1879 – 1886, at his home Villa Hartenau in Graz, Austria; buried at the Battenberg Mausoleum in Sofia, Bulgaria
Alexander was the son of Prince Alexander of Hesse and by Rhine and Countess Julia von Hauke. He was the brother of Prince Ludwig (Louis) of Battenberg who married Princess Victoria of Hesse and by Rhine, and Prince Henry of Battenberg who married Princess Beatrice of the United Kingdom. Alexander often visited Russia where his paternal aunt Marie of Hesse and by Rhine was married to Alexander II, Emperor of All Russia. Bulgaria became a principality of the Ottoman Empire under the terms of the Treaty of Berlin in 1878. Alexander II proposed Alexander for the newly created throne, and he was unanimously elected as Prince of Bulgaria. After a contentious seven-year- reign, often caught between the conflicting goals of the Bulgarian politicians and the Russian Emperor, Alexander fell victim to a military coup and was forced to abdicate. In 1889, Alexander married opera singer Johanna Loisinger, at which point he assumed the title Count von Hartenau, which he used for the remainder of his life. The couple had two children. The couple lived in Graz, Austria where Alexander held a post in the Austrian Army.  He died unexpectedly at the age of 36 and was initially buried in Graz, Austria. Later, under the direction of the new Prince Ferdinand of Bulgaria, his remains were returned to Bulgaria and a state funeral was held and he was buried at the newly built Battenberg Mausoleum.
Unofficial Royalty: Alexander of Battenberg, Prince of Bulgaria

October 23, 1897 – Death of Agnes of Anhalt-Dessau, Duchess of Saxe-Altenburg, wife of Ernst I, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg at Schloss Hummelshain in the Duchy of Saxe-Altenburg, now in Thuringia, Germany; initially buried in the Ducal Mausoleum in Altenburg Cemetery in the Duchy of Saxe-Altenburg, now in Thuringia, Germany, later her remains were moved to the Duchess Agnes Memorial Church built in Altenburg in her honor
In 1853, Agnes married the future Ernst I, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg, and the couple had two children. A few months after their marriage Ernst’s father died and he succeeded to the throne. Agnes became very involved in charity work, particularly in the area of nursing and education. Agnes died at the family’s summer residence, Schloss Hummelshain at the age of 73.
Unofficial Royalty: Agnes of Anhalt-Dessau, Duchess of Saxe-Altenburg

October 23, 1991 – Birth of Mako Komuro, formerly Princess Mako of Akishino, daughter of Crown Prince Akishino of Japan, at the Imperial Household Agency Hospital  in Tokyo, Japan
After a three-year delay, Mako married Kei Komuro on October 26, 2021. Mako, like her paternal aunt, Sayako, Princess Nori, and other princesses who married commoners, formally lost her title and became a commoner upon marriage as required by Imperial Household Law.  She announced that she would forego the Japanese government’s taxpayer-funded payment of approximately $1.3 million given to royal women upon leaving the Imperial Family. Mako lives in the United States with her husband Kei Komuro, who received a law degree from Fordham University in New York City in 2021 and is employed by the New York-based law firm Lowenstein Sandler LLP.
Unofficial Royalty: Mako Komuro, formerly Princess Mako of Akishino

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João V, King of Portugal; Credit – Wikipedia

October 22, 1687 – Birth of Anton Ulrich, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen in Meiningen, Duchy of Saxe-Meiningen, now in Thuringia, Germany
In 1711, Anton Ulrich had secretly married Philippine Elisabeth Caesar, a lady-in-waiting to his elder sister. The marriage was morganatic and was met with great disapproval from his family. Anton Ulrich and Philippine Elisabeth had ten children who were not eligible to succeed to the throne. Philippine Elisabeth Caesar died in 1744.  In 1746, Friedrich Wilhelm, Anton Ulrich’s brother who had jointly reigned with him, died, and Anton Ulrich was now the only Duke of Saxe-Meiningen. His relatives had already been discussing the division of Saxe-Meiningen after his death due to the lack of heirs. However, Anton Ulrich married Charlotte Amalie of Hesse-Philippsthal, who was forty-three years younger, and the couple had eight children.
Unofficial Royalty: Anton Ulrich, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen

October 22, 1689 – Birth of King João V of Portugal at Ribeira Palace in Lisbon, Portugal
Full name: João Francisco António José Bento Bernardo
After his mother died when he was ten years old, João V’s paternal aunt Catherine of Braganza, the widow of King Charles II of England, who returned to Portugal to live in 1693, took over the responsibilities of the care for João and remained his main female role model until her death in 1705. João succeeded his father as King of Portugal when he was seventeen years old. In 1708, João V married his first cousin Archduchess Maria Anna of Austria, the daughter of Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor. The couple had six children including two kings of Portugal. In 1742, 52-year-old João had a stroke and became partially paralyzed. He recovered somewhat but was left diminished and much less energetic. His wife Maria Anna served as regent for the rest of his life, until his death in 1750.
Unofficial Royalty: King João V of Portugal

October 22, 1701 – Birth of Archduchess Maria Amalie of Austria, wife of Karl VII, Holy Roman Emperor who was also Karl I, Elector of Bavaria, at Hofburg Palace in Vienna, Austria

Unofficial Royalty: Maria Amalie of Austria, Holy Roman Empress, Electress of Bavaria (Article coming soon)

October 22, 1751 – Death of Willem IV, Prince of Orange at Huis ten Bosch in The Hague, Dutch Republic, now in the Netherlands; buried at Nieuwe Kerk in Delft, the Netherlands 
Six weeks before Willem IV’s birth, his 23-year-old father Johan Willem Friso, Prince of Orange drowned when the ferry he was traveling on across a wide river capsized. From the day of his birth, Willem was Prince of Orange. In 1734, Willem married Anne, Princess Royal, the eldest daughter of King George II of Great Britain and the couple had two children. Willem IV died at age 40 from a stroke and was succeeded by his three-year-old son as Willem V with his mother Anne serving as Regent.
Unofficial Royalty: Willem IV, Prince of Orange

October 22, 1759 – Birth of Louise d’Aumont Mazarin, Hereditary Princess of Monaco, wife of the future Prince Honoré IV of Monaco, in Paris, France
Full name: Louise Félicité Victoire
Louise d’Aumont, a wealthy heiress, was the wife of Honoré IV, Prince of Monaco. However, Louise divorced Honoré before he became Prince of Monaco, and so the title she held during their marriage was Hereditary Princess of Monaco. Louise and Honoré IV had two sons, both Sovereign Princes of Monaco. In 1794, while Honoré IV was in prison during the French Revolution, Louise gave birth to an illegitimate daughter Amélie Céleste Erodore d’Aumont. The father of the child is believed to have been Antoine de Montazet, Archbishop of Lyon. After Honoré IV’s release from prison, Louise and Honoré IV’s marriage became unhappy and the couple separated. In 1798, Louise divorced Honoré IV, giving Louise sole access to her fortune.
Unofficial Royalty: Louise d’Aumont Mazarin, Hereditary Princess of Monaco

October 22, 1858 – Birth of Augusta Viktoria of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg, German Empress, Queen of Prussia, wife of Wilhelm II, German Emperor, King of Prussia, in Dolzig Palace in Lubsko, Kingdom of Prussia, now in Poland
Full name: Auguste Viktoria Friederike Luise Feodora Jenny
Known as Dona, she was a great-niece of Queen Victoria, a niece of Prince Christian of Schleswig-Holstein who was the husband of Queen Victoria’s daughter Princess Helena, and a descendant of Danish and British kings. In 1881, Dona married the future Wilhelm II, German Emperor and King of Prussia. They had six sons and one daughter. When Dona became German Empress and Queen of Prussia in 1888, she took up and enjoyed the traditional roles of a consort, serving as a hostess and working with charities.
Unofficial Royalty: Augusta Victoria of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg, German Empress, Queen of Prussia

October 22, 1942 – Birth of Prince Christian of Denmark, later Count Christian of Rosenborg, son of Prince Knud of Denmark and grandson of King Christian X of Denmark, at Sorgenfri Palace in Lyngby, Denmark
Full name: Christian Frederik Franz Knud Harald Carl Oluf Gustav Georg Erik
Christian was born a Prince of Denmark but did not seek the permission of King Frederik IX to marry, and therefore forfeited his succession rights and lost his royal title. He was a first cousin of Queen Margrethe II of Denmark.
Unofficial Royalty: Count Christian of Rosenborg

October 22, 2002 – Death of Queen Geraldine of the Albanians, born Countess Geraldine Apponyi de Nagy-Apponyi, wife of King Zog I of the Albanians, at Tirana, Albania; buried at Sharra Cemetery in Tirana, Albania; reburied in 2012 in the newly built Royal Mausoleum in Tirana, along with husband, son, and daughter-in-law
In 1938, Geraldine married King Zog I of the Albanians. The following year, she gave birth to the couple’s only child Crown Prince Leka I. Two days later, Italian forces invaded and took control of Albania, and the royal family went into exile. After over 62 years in exile, the Albanian government changed the law in 2002, allowing the Royal Family to return to the country. In June 2002, Queen Geraldine, along with her son and his family, returned home to a massive welcome. Sadly, just five months later, Queen Geraldine of the Albanians died at a military hospital in Tirana at the age of 87.
Unofficial Royalty: Geraldine Apponyi de Nagy-Apponyi, Queen of the Albanians

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George Plantagenet, Duke of Clarence; Credit – Wikipedia

October 21, 1449 – Birth of George Plantagenet, Duke of Clarence, son of Richard Plantagenet, 3rd Duke of York, and brother of King Edward IV of England and King Richard III of England, at Dublin Castle in Dublin, Ireland
George was the son of Richard Plantagenet, 3rd Duke of York, and Cecily Neville, both great-grandchildren of King Edward III of England, and the brother of two Kings of England, Edward IV and Richard III. Though a member of the House of York, during the Wars of the Roses, George switched sides to support the Lancastrians, before reverting to the Yorkists. He was later convicted of treason against his brother, King Edward IV, and was executed.
Unofficial Royalty: George Plantagenet, Duke of Clarence

October 21, 1786 – Birth of Sir John Conroy, 1st Baronet of Llanbrynmair, Equerry to Queen Victoria’s father The Duke of Kent from 1817 – 1820 and Comptroller and Private Secretary to Queen Victoria’s mother The Duchess of Kent from 1820 – 1839, in Maes-y-Castell, Caerhun, Caernarvonshire, Wales
Conroy was a confidant and political agent to Victoria’s mother The Duchess of Kent. Together, they designed the Kensington System, an elaborate and strict system of rules for the upbringing of young Victoria, designed to make her dependent upon them in the hope of allowing them one day to wield power through her. Princess Victoria grew to hate Conroy, thanks to the oppressive system, and he was also unpopular among the rest of the British royal family. When Victoria became Queen, she immediately dismissed Conroy from her household but she could not dismiss him from her mother’s household. However, she sent both her mother and Conroy off to a distant wing of the palace and cut off personal contact with them. After Conroy’s death, the Duchess of Kent finally agreed to have her financial accounts audited and acknowledged that significant funds were missing. She admitted that Conroy had swindled her and at the same time hurt her relationship with her daughter for his own benefit.
Unofficial Royalty: Sir John Conroy, 1st Baronet of Llanbrynmair

October 21, 1969 – Birth of Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa of Bahrain in Riffa, Bahrain
Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa is the eldest of the twelve children of King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa of Bahrain, who has four wives, and the eldest of the four children and the eldest of the three sons of King Hamad and his first wife and his first cousin, Sabika bint Ibrahim Al Khalifa.
Unofficial Royalty: Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa of Bahrain

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Empress Emerita Michiko of Japan as a child; Credit – Wikipedia

October 20, 1740 – Death of Karl VI, Holy Roman Emperor at the Palais Augarten in Vienna, Austria; buried at the Imperial Crypt at the Capuchin Church in Vienna

Unofficial Royalty: Karl VI, Holy Roman Emperor (article coming soon)

October 20, 1789 – Birth of Heinrich LXVII, 3rd Prince Reuss of Gera in Schleiz, then in the County of Reuss-Schleiz, later in the Principality of Reuss-Gera, now in Thuringia, Germany
In 1820, Heinrich LXVII married Princess Adelheid Reuss of Ebersdorf. They had eight children but only two survived childhood. Upon the death of his unmarried brother Heinrich LXII, 2nd Prince Reuss of Gera in 1854, Heinrich LXVII became the 3rd Prince Reuss of Gera. His reign was reactionary to the failed German Revolutions of 1848 which had demonstrated discontent with the traditional, autocratic political structure of the thirty-nine independent states of the German Confederation. Heinrich LXII’s government implemented a reactionary amendment to the constitution that limited the power of the legislature.
Unofficial Royalty: Heinrich LXVII, 3rd Prince Reuss of Gera

October 20, 1934 – Birth of Empress Emerita Michiko of Japan, wife of Emperor Emeritus  Akihito of Japan, born Michiko Shôda at the University of Tokyo Hospital in Tokyo, Japan
Michiko first met her future husband, then Crown Prince Akihito, son of Emperor Hirohito, on a tennis court in August 1957. They were married in a traditional Shinto ceremony in 1959, the first time a commoner married into the Imperial Family. The couple had two sons and one daughter. There was much speculation that Akihito’s mother strongly opposed the marriage and that after the marriage she treated her commoner daughter-in-law harshly. Michiko suffered from several nervous breakdowns because of the pressure of the media and the attitude of her mother-in-law, which resulted in making her lose her voice for seven months in the 1960s and again in the fall of 1993. While her husband was Emperor of Japan, Empress Michiko was been ever-present at the Emperor’s side, whether it be visiting the various regions of the country, or hosting visitors at the Imperial Palace. On April 30, 2019, Emperor Akihito abdicated and was succeeded by his elder son Naruhito. When her husband abdicated Michiko’s title became Jōkōgō, Empress Emerita.
Unofficial Royalty: Empress Emerita Michiko of Japan

October 20, 2012 – Wedding of Prince Guillaume, Hereditary Grand Duke of Luxembourg and Stephanie de Lannoy; at Notre-Dame Cathedral in Luxembourg City, Luxembourg
On April 26, 2012, Guillaume and Stéphanie’s engagement was announced by the Marshal of the Grand Ducal Court. They had dated for several years, although they had managed to keep it very quiet until a few months earlier. In November 2011, Guillaume mentioned publicly that he was in a relationship, and months of speculation began. The couple first met in 2004, when they were introduced by mutual friends in Germany. However, it would be five years later when they met again and soon began dating. Guillaume proposed about three weeks before the engagement was announced.
Unofficial Royalty: Wedding of Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume and Countess Stéphanie de Lannoy

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Marie-Thérèse-Charlotte of France; Credit – Wikipedia

October 19, 1216 – Death of King John of England at Newark Castle in Newark, England; buried at Worcester Cathedral in Worcester, England
In 1199, John succeeded his childless brother King Richard I as King of England. During his reign, John lost the French territories of Normandy, Maine, Touraine, Anjou, and Poitou, all ancestral territories of his Norman or Angevin ancestors. While John was trying to save his French territories, his discontented English barons led by Stephen Langton, Archbishop of Canterbury, were protesting John’s continued misgovernment of England. The result of this discontent was the best-known event of John’s reign, the Magna Carta, the “great charter” of English liberties. Among the liberties were the protection of church rights, protection for the barons from illegal imprisonment, access to swift justice, and limitations on feudal payments to the Crown. In the midst of the First Barons’ War, John was traveling through East Anglia, from Spalding in Lincolnshire to Bishop’s Lynn, in Norfolk, became ill with dysentery, and decided to turn back, taking the longer road route. John managed to ride to Swineshead Abbey where he spent the night. The next day, he was taken by a litter to Newark Castle where he died at the age of 49.
Unofficial Royalty: King John of England

October 19, 1765 – Death of Amalie von Wallmoden, Countess of Yarmouth, mistress of King George II of Great Britain, in Hanover, Electorate of Hanover, now in the German state of Lower Saxony
Amalie von Wallmoden, Countess of Yarmouth was the mistress of King George II of Great Britain from 1735 until the King’s death in 1760. She was the last British royal mistress to be granted a peerage title.
Unofficial Royalty: Amalie von Wallmoden, Countess of Yarmouth, mistress of King George II of Great Britain

October 19, 1851 – Death of Marie-Thérèse-Charlotte of France, eldest daughter of King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette of France, wife of Louis Antoine, Duke of Angoulême (Legitimist pretender to the French throne), at the Frohsdorf Palace in Lanzenkirchen, Austria; buried with her uncle King Charles X and her husband at the Kostanjevica Monastery in Görz, then in Austria, now Kostanjevica in Nova Gorica, Slovenia
Marie-Thérèse-Charlotte was the only one in her family to survive imprisonment in the Temple, the remains of a medieval fortress in Paris, during the French Revolution. She married her first cousin Louis-Antoine, Duke of Angoulême, the son of her father’s younger brother, the future King Charles X of France. The couple had no children. After the end of the Bourbon Restoration in 1830, once again, Marie-Thérèse lived in exile, this time with the former King Charles X, her uncle and her father-in-law, and her husband Louis-Antoine. The exiles ultimately moved to the estate of Count Johann Baptist Coronini near Gorizia, which was in Austria but now in Italy. After the death of her husband, Marie-Thérèse moved to the Schloss Frohsdorf, just outside Vienna, Austria where she spent her days taking walks, reading, sewing, and praying. There she died from pneumonia at the age of 72.
Unofficial Royalty: Marie-Thérèse-Charlotte of France, Duchess of Angoulême

October 19, 1889 – Death of King Luís I of Portugal at the Citadel of Cascais in Cascais, Portugal; buried at the Monastery of São Vicente de Fora in Lisbon, Portugal
Luis became King of Portugal in 1861 when his elder, childless brother King Pedro V died from typhoid fever. Two other brothers also died from typhoid. In 1862, Luís married Princess Maria Pia of Savoy and the couple had two sons. Luis’ reign saw many advances, both politically and culturally. He oversaw the construction of the port of Lisbon, the extension of the road network and railway throughout Portugal, and the advancement of the arts, founding the Philharmonic Union. An avid oceanographer, Luis also donated much of his fortune to finance research ships and vessels to gather different species of sea creatures from around the world. He also established the Vasco da Gama Aquarium in Lisbon, one of the first aquariums in the world. Luís died suddenly at just 50 years old.
Unofficial Royalty: King Luis I of Portugal

October 19, 1963 – Birth of Prince Laurent of Belgium, son of King Albert II of the Belgians, at Château de Belvédère in Laeken, Brussels, Belgium
Full name: Laurent Benoît Baudouin Marie
In 2003, Laurent married British-born, but Belgian-raised Claire Coombs. The couple had a daughter and twin sons. Laurent has been a somewhat controversial figure. In 2018, the Belgian parliament cut Prince Laurent’s annual allowance by 15% for a year.  The sanction was imposed after Prince Laurent, in full naval uniform, attended a Chinese embassy reception in 2017 without government permission. The government had warned Laurent to ask permission from the foreign ministry before conducting any diplomatic activity. Despite that, he went to the embassy event and tweeted a photo of himself there.
Unofficial Royalty: Prince Laurent of Belgium

October 19, 1972 – Death of Said bin Taimur, the former Sultan of Oman, in exile in London, United Kingdom; buried in Brookwood Cemetery in Woking, Surrey, England
In 1970, Said was overthrown in a coup d’etat by his son Qaboos bin Said Al Said, Sultan of Oman. He lived out the rest of his life in exile in the United Kingdom, living the last two years at the Dorchester Hotel in London, where he died at the age of 62.
Unofficial Royalty: Said bin Taimur, Sultan of Oman

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King Ludwig III of Bavaria; Credit – Wikipedia

October 18, 1541 – Death of Margaret Tudor, Queen of Scots, daughter of King Henry VII of England, wife of King James IV of Scotland, Archibald Douglas, and Henry Stewart and sister of King Henry VIII of England, at Methven Castle, Perthshire, Scotland; buried at the Carthusian Abbey of St John in Perth, Scotland
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). After suffering a stroke, Margaret died at Methven Castle on October 18, 1541, at the age of 51. 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

October 18, 1744 – Death of Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough, favorite of Queen Anne of Great Britain, at Marlborough House in London, England; buried in the chapel at  Blenheim Palace in Woodstock, Oxfordshire, England
Sarah Churchill is considered one of the most influential women in British history due to her friendship and the influence she had with Queen Anne of Great Britain. Queen Anne named Sarah Mistress of the Robes, the highest office in the royal court that could be held by a woman, Groom of the Stole, Keeper of the Privy Purse, and Ranger of Windsor Great Park. She was the first of only two women ever to be Keeper of the Privy Purse and the only woman ever to be Ranger of Windsor Great Park. Sarah exerted great influence on Queen Anne and had control over most of Anne’s existence, from her finances to the people admitted to the royal presence. However, the relationship between Sarah and Anne became increasingly strained. especially when Abigail Hill, a first cousin of Sarah, seemed to be in a position to replace her as Queen Anne’s favorite. By 1711, Sarah had lost all he positions and she and her husband John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough fell out of favor. In disgrace, Sarah and John left England and traveled in Europe for several years. Queen Anne died on August 1, 1714, the same day Sarah and John returned to England. The new King George I had a personal friendship with Sarah and John who had visited him frequently during their exile in Europe.  John was restored to his old office of Captain-General of the Army. Sarah survived her husband by twenty-two years, dying, aged 84, at Marlborough House in London, England.
Unofficial Royalty: Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough, favorite of Queen Anne of Great Britain

October 18, 1831 – Birth of Friedrich III, German Emperor and King of Prussia, husband of Princess Victoria, Princess Royal, at Neues Palais in Potsdam, Kingdom of Prussia, now in Brandenburg, Germany
Full name: Friedrich Wilhelm Nikolaus Karl
Friedrich was the only son of Wilhelm I, German Emperor, King of Prussia and his wife Augusta of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach. In 1858, he married Victoria, Princess Royal, the eldest daughter of Queen Victoria. They had eight children including Wilhelm II, the last German Emperor and King of Prussia. Both Prince Albert and Queen Victoria hoped that this marriage would make the ties between London and Berlin closer, and lead to a unified and liberal Germany. However, Vicky and Fritz were politically isolated and their liberal and Anglophile views clashed with the authoritarian ideas of the Minister-President of Prussia and later Chancellor, Otto von Bismarck. Despite their efforts to educate their eldest son Wilhelm about the benefits of democracy, he favored his German tutors’ views of autocratic rule and became alienated from his parents. The year 1888 is called “The Year of Three Emperors” in German history. Fritz’s father Wilhelm I died on March 9, 1888, and Fritz succeeded him as Friedrich III. However, Fritz was already gravely ill with cancer of the larynx and could no longer speak, but despite this, he did his best to fulfill his obligations as Emperor. In May 1888, Fritz lamented, “I cannot die … What would happen to Germany?” Fritz reigned for only 99 days, dying at the age of 56 on June 15, 1888, and was succeeded by his son Wilhelm.
Unofficial Royalty: Friedrich III, German Emperor and King of Prussia

October 18, 1884 – Death of Wilhelm, Duke of Brunswick at Sibyllenort Castle in Silesia, Kingdom of Prussia now in Szczodre, Poland; buried in the crypt at Brunswick Cathedral in Brunswick, Duchy of Brunswick, now in Lower Saxony, Germany
Wilhelm was the second Duke of Brunswick, reigning from 1830 until 1884. Under Wilhelm’s regency, the Duchy of Brunswick was granted a new constitution that extended significant fundamental rights to the people. He quickly became much more popular than his brother had ever been. He let his government do much of the ruling, leaving his ministers to handle most of the government business, and spending much of his time at his estates. Wilhelm never married but he had a number of illegitimate children.
Unofficial Royalty: Wilhelm, Duke of Brunswick

October 18, 1921 – Death of King Ludwig III of Bavaria at Nádasdy Castle in Sárvár, Hungary; buried at the Frauenkirche in Munich, Bavaria, Germany
In 1868, King Ludwig III married Archduchess Maria Theresia of Austria-Este and the couple had thirteen children. In 1886, his father became Prince Regent after King Ludwig II was declared mentally incompetent. Just days later, Ludwig II died mysteriously and was succeeded by his brother King Otto. However, Otto was also mentally ill, and the regency continued. Upon his father’s death in 1912, Ludwig III succeeded him as Prince Regent for his cousin King Otto. Less than a year later, the Bavarian Parliament passed legislation allowing the Regent to assume the throne himself, provided that the regency was for reasons of incapacity, had lasted more than ten years, and there was no prospect of the Sovereign being able to reign. With overwhelming support from the parliament, Ludwig deposed his cousin and assumed the Bavarian throne as King Ludwig III. On November 13, 1918, he would be the first monarch in the German Empire to be deposed, bringing an end to 738 years of rule by the Wittelsbach dynasty.
Unofficial Royalty: Ludwig III, King of Bavaria

October 18, 1978 – Birth of Mike Tindall, husband of Zara Phillips, daughter of Anne, Princess Royal, born in Otley, West Yorkshire, England
Full name: Michael James
A former professional rugby player, Mike Tindall met Zara Phillips, daughter of The Princess Royal and eldest granddaughter of Queen Elizabeth II, in Australia in 2003, during the Rugby World Cup. Their engagement was announced by Buckingham Palace in December 2010, and they were married on July 30, 2011, at the Canongate Kirk in Edinburgh, Scotland. Mike and Zara have two daughters and one son.
Unofficial Royalty: Mike Tindall

October 18, 1989 – Death of  Princess Gina of Liechtenstein, born Countess Georgina von Wilczek, wife of Prince Franz Josef II of Liechtenstein, in a hospital in Grabs, Switzerland; buried in the Princely Crypt at St. Florian Cathedral in Vaduz, Liechtenstein
In 1942, Gina became engaged to Franz Josef II, Prince of Liechtenstein and they were married the following year at St. Florian Cathedral in Vaduz, Liechtenstein. It was the first royal wedding in Liechtenstein’s history that took place in the principality. Gina and Franz Josef had five children including the present Prince of Liechtenstein, Hans-Adam II. During World War II, Princess Gina, like her mother, had concerns for prisoners of war. In 1945, she founded the Liechtenstein Red Cross and was president from 1945 to 1984. Princess Gina died six days before her 68th birthday after a long battle with cancer. Her husband Franz Josef died 26 days later.
Unofficial Royalty: Princess Gina of Liechtenstein

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Grand Duchess Marie Alexandrovna of Russia, Duchess of Edinburgh and Saxe-Coburg and Gotha; Credit – Wikipedia

October 17, 1368 – Death of Lionel of Antwerp, 1st Duke of Clarence, son of King Edward III of England, in Alba, Lordship of Milan, now in Italy; buried at Clare Priory in Suffolk, England
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, 1st Duke of Clarence

October 17, 1680 – Death of Charles FitzCharles, 1st Earl of Plymouth, illegitimate son of King Charles II of England and his mistress Catherine Pegge, in Tangier, Morocco; buried at Westminster Abbey in London, England
Wikipedia: Charles FitzCharles, 1st Earl of Plymouth (Unofficial Royalty article coming soon.)

October 17, 1734 – Birth of Count Grigory Grigoryevich Orlov, lover of Catherine II (the Great), Empress of All Russia, at the family estate in Lyutkino, Russia
Count Grigory Grigoryevich Orlov was, along with his brother Alexei, instrumental in the fall of Catherine’s husband Peter III, Emperor of All Russia. He gave Catherine the famous Orlov Diamond which was used in the scepter of the Romanov rulers and was the father of at least one of Catherine’s children, Alexei Grigorievich Bobrinsky. Catherine and Orlov had a long-time relationship from 1759 – 1774, spanning the time Catherine was a Grand Duchess and Empress.
Unofficial Royalty: Count Grigory Grigoryevich Orlov, lover of Catherine II (the Great), Empress of All Russia

October 17, 1819 – Birth of Friedrich Wilhelm, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz in Neustrelitz, Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, now in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany
Full name: Friedrich Wilhelm Karl Georg Ernst Adolf Gustav
Friedrich Wilhelm married Princess Augusta of Cambridge. She was the daughter of Prince Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge (a son of King George III of the United Kingdom) and Friedrich Wilhelm’s maternal aunt Princess Augusta of Hesse-Kassel. Friedrich Wilhelm and Augusta were first cousins through their mothers and second cousins through their fathers. The couple had two children. Friedrich Wilhelm became Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz upon the death of his father in 1860. He took a particular interest in restoring and building churches. He also focused much of his time on improving the education systems, as well as building and refurbishing schools throughout the Grand Duchy. Friedrich Wilhelm is credited with restoring the Grand Duchy’s financial resources, taking a country that was riddled with war debt, and amassing a great fortune in its treasury. In addition, his personal wealth made him the wealthiest of the German sovereigns at the time.
Unofficial Royalty: Friedrich Wilhelm, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz

October 17, 1853 – Birth of Grand Duchess Marie Alexandrovna of Russia, Duchess of Edinburgh and Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, daughter of Alexander II, Emperor of All Russia, wife of Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh and Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, at Tsarskoe-Selo, near St. Petersburg, Russia
The only daughter of Alexander II, Emperor of All Russia, Marie met Prince Alfred during a family holiday in Denmark in 1871. Despite the misgivings of both her parents and Alfred’s mother Queen Victoria, the couple married in 1874, at the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg, Russia. Marie and Alfred had five children. The new Duchess of Edinburgh was not well received by British society, many of whom thought her very condescending and haughty. Used to the splendor and pageantry of the Russian court, she found the British court very dull by comparison. She also felt that, as the daughter of an Emperor, she should outrank all the other members of the British royal family, in particular, her sister-in-law, The Princess of Wales, who was merely the daughter of a king. Despite the demands of Marie and her father, Queen Victoria would not sanction anything of the sort.
Unofficial Royalty: Grand Duchess Marie Alexandrovna of Russia, Duchess of Edinburgh and Saxe-Coburg and Gotha

October 17, 1966 – Birth of Donatus, Landgrave of Hesse, the current pretender to the former Grand-Ducal throne of Hesse and by Rhine and Head of the House of Hesse, in Kiel in the German state of Schleswig-Holstein
Full name: Heinrich Donatus Philipp Umberton
Donatus, Landgrave of Hesse is the current pretender to the former grand ducal throne of Hesse and by Rhine, and Head of the House of Hesse. He succeeded to both upon his father’s death in 2013. Donatus maintains close ties with the British Royal Family and is often invited to events. In 2016, he was seated next to the Duchess of Cambridge at an event for Queen Elizabeth II’s 90th birthday celebrations, and in 2021, was one of a very small group of family members invited to attend the funeral of The Duke of Edinburgh. Donatus and his wife also attended the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II in 2022.
Unofficial Royalty: Donatus, Landgrave of Hesse

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.