August 8: Today in Royal History

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Empress Maria Alexandrovna of Russia, born Princess Marie of Hesse and by Rhine; Credit – Wikipedia

August 8, 1709 – Birth of Ernst Ludwig II, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen in Coburg, Duchy of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, now in Bavaria, Germany
Although Ernst Ludwig was the third son, both of his elder brothers had died before their father, making him heir to the ducal throne. He became Duke upon his father’s death in November 1724. Just fifteen years old, his brief reign was overseen by his two uncles, Friedrich Wilhelm and Anton Ulrich. Ernst Ludwig died just five years later.
Unofficial Royalty: Ernst Ludwig II, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen

August 8, 1824 – Birth of Empress Maria Alexandrovna of Russia, born Princess Marie of Hesse and by Rhine, first wife of Alexander II, Emperor of All Russia, in Darmstadt, Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine, now in the German state of Hesse
Full name: Maximiliane Wilhelmine Auguste Sophie Marie
Name after marriage: Maria Alexandrovna
In 1841, Marie married the future Alexander II, Emperor of All Russia. Now Maria Alexandrovna, she had eight children with her husband including Alexander III, Emperor of All Russia, the father of Nicholas II, the last Emperor of All Russia, Nicholas II’s five paternal uncles, and one daughter Maria Alexandrovna who married Queen Victoria’s son Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh. In 1863, Maria Alexandrovna contracted tuberculosis. Frequent childbirth, her husband’s infidelity, and the death of her eldest son Tsarevich Nicholas Alexandrovich completely undermined Maria’s already weak health. Maria spent the autumn and the fall in the warmer climates of Crimea and Italy. Her health worsened after two assassination attempts on her husband’s life in 1879 and another one in 1880. Empress Maria Alexandrovna died on June 3, 1880, at the age of 55, just eight months before her husband was assassinated.
Unofficial Royalty: Marie of Hesse and by Rhine, Empress Maria Alexandrovna of Russia

August 8, 1832 – Birth of King Georg of Saxony in Dresden, Kingdom of Saxony, now in Saxony, Germany
Full name: Friedrich August Georg Ludwig Wilhelm Maximilian Karl Maria Nepomuk Baptist Xaver Cyriacus Romanus
As his elder brother King Albert of Saxony had no children, Georg was heir-presumptive to the Saxon throne from the time of Albert’s accession in 1873. Albert died in 1902, and Georg became King of Saxony at nearly 70 years old. Because of his age, many people felt that he should step down and let the throne pass to his son, Friedrich August. His unpopularity increased during the textile workers’ strike in Crimmitschau in 1903-1904. Refusing to give in to the demands for higher wages and better working conditions, the King instead sent military forces into the city to force the end of the strike. His reign lasted only two years. After falling ill with influenza earlier in the year, King Georg died on October 15, 1904.
Unofficial Royalty: King Georg of Saxony

August 8, 1867 – Death of Maria Theresa of Austria, Queen of the Two Sicilies, second wife of Ferdinando II, King of the Two Sicilies, in Albano Laziale, Kingdom of Italy, now in Italy; buried at the Basilica of Santa Chiara in Naples
In 1836, Maria Cristina of Savoy, Queen of the Two Sicilies, first wife of Ferdinando II, King of the Two Sicilies died at the age of 23 from childbirth complications after giving birth to a son. The widowed king met Maria Theresa during his stay in Vienna, Austria later in 1836, and they became engaged to strengthen the relations between Austria and the Two Sicilies and married in 1837. Maria Cristina and Ferdinando had twelve children. Ferdinando died in 1859 at the age of 49 after hesitating to have surgery for a strangulated hernia. During Ferdinando II’s reign, the Italian unification movement led by Vittorio Emanuele II, King of Sardinia, later Vittorio Emanuele I, King of Italy, and Giuseppe Garibaldi, a noted general and politician, began. During the reign of Ferdinando’s son Francesco II, Giuseppe Garibaldi’s 1860-1861 invasion called the Expedition of the Thousand led to the fall of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, which then was annexed to the new Kingdom of Italy in 1861. Maria Theresa, along with her children, left Naples and settled in Rome. In the summer of 1867, a cholera epidemic broke out in Rome.  Both Maria Theresa and her youngest son, ten-year-old Gennaro developed cholera and died from the disease.
Unofficial Royalty: Maria Theresa of Austria, Queen of the Two Sicilies

August 8, 1955 – Death of Crown Prince Rupprecht of Bavaria at Leutstetten Castle in Starnberg, in the German state of Bavaria; buried at the Theatinerkirche in Munich, Bavaria, Germany
Full name: Rupprecht Maria Luitpold Ferdinand
Rupprecht was Crown Prince of Bavaria from 1913 until the end of the Bavarian monarchy in 1918. From his father’s death in 1921, he became the pretender to the former Bavarian throne and Head of the House of Wittelsbach. Through his direct descent from King Charles I of England, he also became heir to the thrones of England, Scotland, and Ireland in the Jacobite Succession.
Unofficial Royalty: Crown Prince Rupprecht of Bavaria
Unofficial Royalty: The Jacobite Succession – Pretenders to the British Throne

August 8, 1959 – Birth of Sheikha Mozah bint Nasser Al Missneid of Qatar, wife of Sheikh Hammad bin Khalifa Al Thani, the former Emir of Qatar, in Al-Khor, Qatar
In 1977, Mozah became the second wife of Sheikh Hammad bin Khalifa Al Thani, the future Emir of Qatar. The couple had seven children. On June 25, 2013, after eighteen years as Emir, Sheikh Hamad publically announced his abdication in favor of his son, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad bin Khalifa. Internationally, Mozah often represented her husband at major royal functions and accompanied him on most state visits. She is considered by many to be one of the most glamorous and fashionable royals in the world and remains a visible member of Qatar’s royal family, often seen supporting her son, the current Emir.
Unofficial Royalty: Sheikha Mozah bint Nasser Al Missneid of Qatar

August 8, 1988 – Birth of Princess Beatrice, Mrs. Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, daughter of Prince Andrew, Duke of York at Portland Hospital in London, England
Full name: Beatrice Elizabeth Mary
On September 26, 2019, Buckingham Palace announced the engagement of  Princess Beatrice to Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi. Beatrice and Edoardo’s wedding, scheduled for May 29, 2020, was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic. Beatrice and Edoardo were married in a private ceremony at the Royal Chapel of All Saints, on the grounds of Royal Lodge in Windsor Great Park, on July 17, 2020.
Unofficial Royalty: Princess Beatrice, Mrs. Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi

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August 7: Today in Royal History

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Princess Amelia of the United Kingdom; Credit – Wikipedia

August 7, 1282 – Birth of Elizabeth of Rhuddlan, Countess of Holland, Countess of Hereford, daughter of King Edward I of England, at Rhuddlan Castle in Wales
Elizabeth married Humphrey de Bohun, 4th Earl of Hereford and Constable of England and the couple had ten children. Elizabeth and especially her husband Humphrey had issues with King Edward II’s relationship with his favorite Piers Gaveston who Humphrey bluntly called a traitor. This caused years of estrangement between Elizabeth and her brother King Edward II. They were finally reconciled in 1315, three years after Gaveston’s murder by English nobles who had had enough of him. Elizabeth gave birth on May 5, 1316, to her tenth child, a daughter but sadly, 33-year-old Elizabeth and her daughter both died the same day.
Unofficial Royalty: Elizabeth of Rhuddlan, Countess of Holland, Countess of Hereford

August 7, 1385 – Death of Joan of Kent, 4th Countess of Kent, Princess of Wales, wife of Edward, Prince of Wales (the Black Prince) and the mother of King Richard II of England, at Wallingford Castle in Oxfordshire, England; buried at the Church of the Greyfriars, a Franciscan friary in Stamford, Lincolnshire, England
Joan’s father was Edmund of Woodstock, 1st Earl of Kent, the younger of the two sons of King Edward I of England and his second wife, Margaret of France, and was, therefore, a half-brother of King Edward II. Joan and her first husband Thomas Holland are the ancestors of many prominent figures in the Wars of the Roses, including Richard Plantagenet, 3rd Duke of York (father of King Edward IV and King Richard III), Henry Tudor (later King Henry VII) and his wife Elizabeth of York (daughter of King Edward IV), Richard Neville, 16th Earl of Warwick (the Kingmaker) and his daughter Anne Neville (wife of King Richard III). They were also ancestors of Catherine Parr, the sixth and last wife of King Henry VIII. After the death of her first husband, Joan married Edward, Prince of Wales (the Black Prince), her first cousin once removed and the son and heir of King Edward III of England, and became the very first Princess of Wales. Her husband predeceased his father Edward III and their son succeeded his grandfather as King Richard II. Joan requested to be buried beside her first husband at the Church of the Greyfriars, a Franciscan friary in Stamford, Lincolnshire, England which was destroyed during King Henry VIII’s Dissolution of the Monasteries.
Unofficial Royalty: Joan of Kent, 4th Countess of Kent, Princess of Wales

August 7, 1751- Birth of Wilhelmina of Prussia, Princess of Orange, wife of Willem IV, Prince of Orange, in Berlin, Kingdom of Prussia, now in Brandenburg, Germany
Full name: Friederike Sophie Wilhelmina
In 1767, 16-year-old Wilhelmina married 19-year-old Willem V, Prince of Orange, son of Willem IV, Prince of Orange and Anne, Princess Royal, eldest daughter of King George II of Great Britain. The marriage was negotiated at the request of the bride’s uncle King Friedrich II of Prussia. In 1795, the revolutionary Patriots, supported by the French Army, replaced the Dutch Republic with the Batavian Republic which remained in power until 1806. Willem V and his family fled to England where they lived in exile until 1802 in London in the part of Kew Palace known as the Dutch House with the permission of Willem’s first cousin King George III. In 1802, the family went to Germany where they lived in Nassau and Brunswick. Willem spent the rest of his life in exile. Wilhelmina eventually returned to the Netherlands and survived long enough to see her son become Willem I, the first King of the Netherlands.
Unofficial Royalty: Wilhelmina of Prussia, Princess of Orange

August 7, 1783 – Birth of Princess Amelia of the United Kingdom, daughter of King George III of the United Kingdom, at Royal Lodge in Windsor, Berkshire, England
Amelia was the sixth of the six daughters and the youngest of the fifteen children of King George III. The living conditions of King George III’s daughters came to be known as “the Nunnery.” None of the daughters was allowed to marry at the age when most princesses would marry. Only three of the six daughters were eventually allowed to marry. Amelia was frequently ill and her early symptoms indicate tuberculosis. While taking a cure at the seaside town of Weymouth, she was accompanied by Colonel The Honorable Charles Fitzroy, an equerry to King George III. A romance began that was immediately shut down by Amelia’s mother Queen Charlotte. By 1810, Amelia was fatally ill with pulmonary tuberculosis when she developed erysipelas, an acute skin infection. Before the advent of antibiotics, erysipelas frequently resulted in death. On her deathbed, Amelia made a will leaving much of her assets to Charles Fitzroy. Amelia made one last attempt to marry Fitzroy when she asked her doctor to seek permission from her father to marry. The doctor refused her request. Amelia died at the age of 27 with her sister Mary at her bedside. Mary wrote to Fitzroy, “My dear Fitzroy, Our beloved Amelia is no more but her last words to me were, ‘Tell Charles I die blessing him.'”
Unofficial Royalty: Princess Amelia of the United Kingdom

August 7, 1821 – Death of Caroline of Brunswick, Queen of the United Kingdom, estranged wife of King George IV of the United Kingdom, at Brandenburg House in Hammersmith, London, England; buried at the Cathedral of St. Blasius in Brunswick, Duchy of Brunswick, now in Lower Saxony, Germany
Caroline was chosen as the bride for her first cousin, the future King George IV. This marriage is one of the worst ever royal marriages. It is doubtful that the couple spent more than a few nights together as husband and wife. Their only child, Princess Charlotte of Wales, was born nine months later. Caroline and George both found each other equally unattractive and never lived together nor appeared in public together. When George became king in 1820, George was determined to be rid of Caroline and his government introduced a bill in Parliament, the Pains and Penalties Bill 1820, to strip Caroline of the title of queen consort and dissolve her marriage. Although the bill passed, it was so controversial that the Prime Minister withdrew it. No plans had been made for Caroline to participate in George IV’s coronation. On the day of the coronation, Caroline went to Westminster Abbey, was barred at every entrance, and finally left. Three weeks later Caroline died at the age of 53. Prior to her death, Caroline had requested that she be buried in her native Brunswick. The official route of Caroline’s funeral cortege through London was to avoid major streets. However, members of the public blocked those streets and forced a new route through the major streets. Caroline was buried alongside her father. Her casket bears the inscription, “Here lies Caroline, the Injured Queen of England.”
Unofficial Royalty: Caroline of Brunswick, Queen of the United Kingdom

August 7, 1834 – Birth of Sophie of Baden, wife of Woldemar, Prince of Lippe, in Karlsruhe, then in the Grand Duchy of Baden, now in the German state of Baden-Württemberg

Unofficial Royalty: Sophie of Baden, Princess of Lippe (article coming soon)

August 7, 1862 – Birth of Queen Victoria of Sweden, wife of King Gustav V of Sweden, born Victoria of Baden in Karlsruhe, Grand Duchy of Baden, now in Baden-Württemberg, Germany
Full name: Sophie Marie Viktoria
In 1881, Victoria married the future King Gustaf V of Sweden. As a great-granddaughter of King Gustaf IV Adolf of Sweden, Victoria’s marriage united the former ruling house of Holstein-Gottorp with the new Bernadotte dynasty, and she was known in Sweden as the ‘Vasa Princess’.  The couple had three children including King Gustaf VI Adolf who married Princess Margaret of Connaught and Lady Louise Mountbatten. When her husband became king, Victoria took part in all the court festivities and responsibilities of her new role. She traveled extensively with her husband and entertained visiting royalty from around Europe. She spent much of her time working with several charities, including taking the helm of Sophiahammet after the death of her mother-in-law Queen Sofia. During World War I, Queen Victoria’s German roots often led to unpopularity amongst the Swedes.
Unofficial Royalty: Victoria of Baden, Queen of Sweden

 August 7, 1909 – Birth of Prince Roberto Hugo of Parma, Duke of Parma, at Weilburg Palace in Baden bei Wien, Austria
Roberto Hugo was the head of the house of Bourbon-Parma and pretender to the former throne of the Duchy of Parma from 1959 until 1974.
Unofficial Royalty: Prince Roberto Hugo of Parma, Duke of Parma

August 7, 1947 – Death of Hermine Reuss of Greiz, German Empress, Queen of Prussia, second wife of Wilhelm II, German Emperor, King of Prussia, at Paulinenhof, a Soviet internment camp near Brandenburg, Germany; buried at the Temple of Antiquities in Potsdam, Germany
Hermine was a widow with five children when one of Hermine’s sons sent birthday wishes to Wilhelm II, formerly German Emperor, living in exile at Huis Doorn in Doorn, the Netherlands, who then invited the boy and his mother to Doorn. Wilhelm found Hermine very attractive and greatly enjoyed her company. Having both been recently widowed, the two had much in common. Wilhelm was determined to marry Hermine despite objections from his children. 63-year-old Wilhelm and 34-year-old Hermine married on November 5, 1922, in Doorn. Although Wilhelm had abdicated, he continued to use his royal styles and titles and therefore Hermine was styled Her Imperial Majesty The German Empress, Queen of Prussia. Hermine returned to Germany after Wilhelm’s death in 1941. After World War II, Hermine was held under house arrest at Frankfurt an der Oder in the Soviet Zone of Germany. She died at Paulinenhof, a Soviet internment camp near Brandenburg, Germany. She was buried at the Temple of Antiquities in Potsdam, Germany where Wilhelm’s first wife, Augusta Victoria of Schleswig-Holstein, and several other family members are also buried.
Unofficial Royalty: Hermine Reuss of Greiz, German Empress, Queen of Prussia

August 7, 1972 – Death of Aspasia Manos, Princess of Greece, wife of King Alexander I of Greece, in Venice, Italy; first buried at the Cemetery of San Michele Island near Venice, Italy, reburied at the Tatoi Royal Cemetery in Greece
Aspasia and Prince Alexander, the second son of King Constantine I of Greece, began a romance, despite the unlikelihood of being able to marry due to their different ranks. In June 1917, King Constantine I was forced to step down from the throne, and his son Alexander was appointed to replace him. Despite the challenges from his family and the Prime Minister, Aspasia and Alexander married secretly on November 17, 1919. Aspasia was not given the title of Queen, instead, she was known simply as Madame Manos. Less than a year later, King Alexander died after contracting septicemia from a monkey bite several weeks earlier. Aspasia was four months pregnant at the time and gave birth to their daughter Alexandra in 1921. Alexander’s father was restored to the throne and issued a decree recognizing the marriage of Alexander and Aspasia and legitimizing their daughter Alexandra. Aspasia was now Princess Alexander of Greece and Denmark. Despite this, her relationship with her husband’s family was never easy.
Unofficial Royalty: Aspasia Manos, Princess of Greece

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Royal Birthdays & Anniversaries: August 6 – 12

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Below is a select list of birthdays and wedding anniversaries for current monarchies. It does not purport to be a complete list. Please see the Current Monarchies Index in the heading above for more information on current monarchies.

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35th birthday of Princess Beatrice, Mrs. Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, daughter of Prince Andrew, Duke of York and Sarah Ferguson; born at Portland Hospital in London, England on August 8, 1988
Full name: Beatrice Elizabeth Mary
Unofficial Royalty: Princess Beatrice, Mrs. Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi

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Princess Mabel of Orange-Nassau; Credit – Wikipedia

55th birthday of Princess Mabel of Orange-Nassau, widow of Prince Friso of Orange-Nassau; born Mabel Martine Los in Pijnacker, Netherlands on August 11, 1968 (when her mother remarried in 1984, Mabel took her stepfather’s surname, Wisse Smit)
Unofficial Royalty: Princess Mabel of Orange-Nassau

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Queen Sirikit of Thailand, Photo Credit – Wikipedia

91st birthday of Queen Sirikit of Thailand, widow of King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand; born Sirikit Kitiyakara at the home of Lord Vongsanuprabhand, her maternal grandfather, in Bangkok, Thailand on August 12, 1932
Unofficial Royalty: Queen Sirikit of Thailand

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August 6: Today in Royal History

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Louise de la Vallière with her children by King Louis XIV of France; Credit – Wikipedia

August 6, 1644 – Birth of Louise de la Vallière, Duchess of La Vallière and Vaujours, mistress of King Louis XIV of France, born Louise Françoise de La Baume Le Blanc at the Hôtel de la Crouzille in Tours, France
Louise de la Vallière was the mistress of King Louis XIV of France from 1661 until 1667. She later became a nun, Sister Louise de la Miséricorde (Sister Louise of Mercy), and lived the last 36 years of her life in a convent.
Unofficial Royalty: Louise de la Vallière, mistress of King Louis XIV of France

August 6, 1666 – Birth of Maria Sofia of Neuberg, second wife of King Pedro II of Portugal, at Schloss Benrath outside Düsseldorf in the Electorate of Palatine-Neuberg, now in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany
Full name: Maria Sophia Elisabeth
Portugal had a succession crisis. Isabel Luísa of Braganza, Princess of Beira, the only child and heir presumptive of Pedro II, King of Portugal, was not married. Because of her sickly nature and the Law of the Cortes of Lamego that prevented the marriage of an heiress to a foreign prince, all marriage possibilities failed. 39-year-old Pedro knew he had to marry again to provide for the succession. 21-year-old Marie Sophia was chosen as Pedro’s second wife because of her family’s reputation for producing fertile women. Pedro II and Maria Sophia had eight children so Maria Sophia did her duty by providing heirs. However, only their eldest surviving child João V, King of Portugal married and had children although some of their sons had illegitimate children. On August 4, 1699, two days before her thirty-third birthday, Maria Sophia died at Ribeira Palace in Lisbon, Portugal from erysipelas, a bacterial infection of the skin that can spread to other areas of the body through the bloodstream.
Unofficial Royalty: Maria Sofia of Neuberg, Queen of Portugal

August 6, 1697 – Birth of Karl VII, Holy Roman Emperor, also Karl I, Prince-Elector of Bavaria, in Brussels, then in the Duchy of Brabant, now in Belgium

Unofficial Royalty: Karl VII, Holy Roman Emperor, Elector of Bavaria

August 6, 1746 – Death of King Christian VI of Denmark and Norway at Hørsholm Palace in Denmark; buried at Roskilde Cathedral in Roskilde, Denmark
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.
Unofficial Royalty: King Christian VI of Denmark

August 6, 1775 – Birth of Louis Antoine of France, Duke of Angoulême (Legitimist pretender as King Louis XIX of France), son of King Charles X of France, at the Palace of Versailles
Louis-Antoine was the last Dauphin of France and was technically King of France for less than twenty minutes on August 2, 1830, after his father abdicated and before he himself abdicated. After his father’s death, he was the Legitimist pretender to the French throne and is sometimes known as King Louis XIX. He married his first cousin Marie-Thérèse of France, the only surviving child of the executed Louis XVI, King of France and Marie Antoinette.
Unofficial Royalty: Louis Antoine of France, Duke of Angoulême

August 6, 1820 – Death of Frederica, Duchess of York, born Frederica of Prussia, wife of Frederick, Duke of York, at Oatlands Park in Weybridge, Surrey, England, buried at Weybridge Churchyard in Surrey, England
Fredrica was the only child of King Friedrich Wilhelm II of Prussia and his first wife and first cousin, Elisabeth Christine of Brunswick-Lüneburg. Her marriage to Prince Frederick, Duke of York was unsuccessful. Frederick was unfaithful and the couple was unable to have children. In 1794, the couple separated and Frederica lived out her life at Oatlands Park in Weybridge, Surrey, England. Frederick and Frederica remained on good terms and the couple never caused any scandal. Frederica had suffered from tuberculosis for some time and died at the age of 53 at her home Oatlands Park. Frederick was present at her death and shortly before she died, Frederica begged him to allow her to be buried in Weybridge instead of St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle.
Unofficial Royalty: Frederica of Prussia, Duchess of York

August 6, 1844 – Birth of Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, son of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom, at Windsor Castle in Windsor, England
Full name: Alfred Ernest Albert
Alfred’s father Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha and elder brother, the future King Edward VII of the United Kingdom had both renounced their rights of succession to the throne of the Duchy of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, leaving Alfred as heir to childless his uncle Ernst II, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. The transition to his new position was not easy. The people were mostly against the idea of a British prince being their Duke even though his father was born a Prince of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. However, Alfred managed to build up the people’s confidence in him and soon became quite popular.
Unofficial Royalty: Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh

August 6, 1845 – Birth of John Campbell, 9th Duke of Argyll, husband of Princess Louise of the United Kingdom, daughter of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom, at Stafford House in London, England
Full name: John George Edward Henry Douglas Sutherland
The marriage of Lorne, as he was called after the courtesy title he used while his father was alive, and Louise was met with protests by some of Louise’s siblings as well as the Prussian court. Queen Victoria saw the marriage as an opportunity to “infuse new and healthy blood” into the Royal Family. However, the marriage was childless. In 1878, Lorne was appointed Governor-General of Canada, where he served for five years. Along with his wife, they traveled extensively throughout Canada, bringing a royal touch to the country.
Unofficial Royalty: John Campbell, 9th Duke of Argyll

August 6, 1915 – Birth of Queen Geraldine of the Albanians, wife of King Zog I of the Albanians, born Countess Geraldine Apponyi de Nagy-Apponyi in Budapest, Hungary
Full name: Geraldine Margit Virginia Olga Maria
Queen Geraldine was born Countess Geraldine Margit Virginia Olga Maria Apponyi de Nagy-Appony. Her father Count Gyula Apponyi de Nagy-Appony was from a prominent family of Hungary’s high upper nobility. Her mother, Gladys Steuart, was the daughter of an American diplomat who had served as Consul in Belgium. Geraldine first met her future husband, King Zog I of the Albanians, in 1937. Having seen a photo of her, the King asked one of his sisters to invite Geraldine to a New Year’s Ball where they were introduced. Quickly smitten, the King proposed within days and Geraldine accepted. The couple married in 1938 in a civil ceremony at the Royal Palace in Tirana, Albania. Despite their religious differences – the King was a Muslim while Geraldine was Catholic – the marriage was blessed by all of the religious leaders, including the Pope who had initially refused.
Unofficial Royalty: Queen Geraldine of the Albanians

August 6, 1926 – Birth of Moritz, Landgrave of Hesse was head of the House of Hesse, and pretender to the former Grand Ducal throne of Hesse and by Rhine from 1980 until his death in 2013, at the Castle of Racconigi in Racconigi, Italy
Full name: Moritz Friedrich Karl Emanuel Humbert
Moritz was the eldest child of Philipp, Landgrave of Hesse and Princess Mafalda of Savoy. In 1960, Moritz was adopted by his distant relative – Prince Ludwig of Hesse and by Rhine. Ludwig had no children and would be the last member of the House of Hesse and by Rhine. This adoption ensured that the former grand ducal family’s estates and assets would remain in the Hesse family upon his death. In June 1964, Moritz married Princess Tatiana of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg. The couple had four children before divorcing in 1974. Moritz died in Frankfurt, Germany on May 23, 2013.
Unofficial Royalty: Moritz, Landgrave of Hesse

August 6, 1975 – Death of Infante Alfonso of Spain, Duke of Galliera, son of Infante Antonio of Spain, Duke of Galliera (a grandson of King Ferdinand VII of Spain) and Infanta Eulalia of Spain (a daughter of Queen Isabella II of Spain), at El Botánico Palace in Sanlúcar de Barrameda, Spain; buried at the Convent of the Capuchin Fathers in Sanlúcar de Barrameda, Spain
In 1906, at the wedding of his first cousin, King Alfonso XIII of Spain to Princess Victoria Eugenie of Battenberg, Alfonso met the bride’s first cousin, Princess Beatrice of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. A granddaughter of both Queen Victoria and Alexander II, Emperor of All Russia, Beatrice was the youngest daughter of Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh and Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, and Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna of Russia. Alfonso and Beatrice married in 1909. The civil ceremony was followed by both a Catholic and a Protestant ceremony, as the bride chose not to convert to Catholicism. She did later convert in 1913. In the following years, the Spanish monarchy was overthrown and the country was thrown into Civil War. The couple’s second son Alonso was killed in action and the family lost their properties. Initially exiled to England, they eventually returned to Spain in 1937, and settled at a new estate, El Botánico, in Sanlúcar de Barrameda, where they would live for the rest of their lives.
Unofficial Royalty: Infante Alfonso of Spain, Duke of Galliera

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.

August 5: Today in Royal History

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Victoria, Princess Royal, German Empress, Queen of Prussia; Credit – Wikipedia

August 5, 1103 – Birth of William Ætheling, son of King Henry I of England, in Winchester, England
William Ætheling was the only son of Henry I, King of England and his first wife Matilda of Scotland. His death in the sinking of the White Ship caused a succession crisis that resulted in a terrible civil war known as The Anarchy which lasted eighteen years.
Unofficial Royalty: William Ætheling, Duke of Normandy
Unofficial Royalty: The Sinking of the White Ship and How It Affected the English Succession

August 5, 1301 – Birth of Edmund of Woodstock, 1st Earl of Kent, son of King Edward I of England, at Woodstock Palace in Oxfordshire, England
Edmund was the second of the three children of King Edward I of England and his second wife Margaret of France. The life of Edmund ended with his execution by beheading, but he is rarely mentioned among the beheaded English royals. In 1329, Edmund had been persuaded by an unknown friar that his half-brother Edward II, who died under suspicious circumstances, was still alive and set about raising forces to free him and restore him to the throne. It later emerged that Roger Mortimer, who had helped to overthrow Edward II, was responsible for leading Edmund to believe the former king was still alive, in a form of entrapment. Edmund was executed by beheading for high treason at Winchester Castle on March 19, 1330. Apparently, the execution had to be held up for a day because no one wanted to be responsible for a prince’s death. Eventually, a convicted murderer agreed to be the executioner in return for a pardon.
Unofficial Royalty: Edmund of Woodstock, 1st Earl of Kent

August 5, 1578 – Birth of Charles d’Albert, Duke of Luynes, favorite of King Louis XIII of France, in Pont-Saint-Esprit, France
Charles d’Albert, Duke of Luynes was a close advisor and favorite of King Louis XIII of France from childhood until his death and held numerous top positions within the French court.
Unofficial Royalty: Charles d’Albert, Duke of Luynes, favorite of King Louis XIII of France

August 5, 1737 – Birth of Johann Friedrich Struensee, favorite of King Christian VII of Denmark and lover of his wife Queen Caroline Matilda, in Halle, Kingdom of Prussia, now in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt
Because he was known for a new kind of therapy for mental illness, Struensee, a medical doctor, was called to treat King Christian VII’s mental issues. Struensee could handle Christian’s instability, which was a great relief to the king’s advisers. Because of Christian VII’s confidence in him, Struensee gained political power and he also became the lover of Christian’s ill-treated wife Caroline Matilda of Wales (the sister of King George III) whose marriage was less than satisfactory. Eventually, Queen Dowager Juliana Maria, Christian’s stepmother, maneuvered a coup that brought about the fall of Struensee, who was brutally executed, and discredit Caroline Matilda who spent the rest of her short life in custody.
Unofficial Royalty: Johann Friedrich Struensee, a favorite of King Christian VII and lover of Queen Caroline Matilda

August 5, 1785 – Birth of Zoé Talon, Countess of Cayla, favorite of King Louis XVIII of France, in Le Boullay-Thierry, France
Unofficial Royalty: Zoé Talon, Countess of Cayla, favorite of King Louis XVIII of France (Unofficial Royalty article coming soon.)

August 5, 1828 – Birth of Queen Louise of Sweden and Norway, wife of King Carl XV of Sweden and Norway, born Princess Louise of the Netherlands in the Hague, the Netherlands
Full name: Wilhelmina Frederika Alexandrine Anna Louise
In 1849, Louise met Prince Carl of Sweden, the son and heir of King Oscar I, and negotiations were soon underway to arrange a marriage between the two. While Louise was enamored of her future husband from their first meeting, he found her unattractive. However, King Oscar was intent on creating familial ties between the relatively new Bernadotte dynasty in Sweden and some of the other long-established dynasties in Europe. With Louise’s Dutch and Prussian families, as well as the promise of a large dowry, she was an ideal candidate. Prince Carl eventually conceded to his father’s wishes and Louise and Carl were married in 1850. The marriage was an unhappy one. Louise was desperately in love with her husband, but he was consistently unfaithful to her. Having had complications in her second pregnancy, Louise was unable to bear any more children. Following their son’s death in 1854, leaving no male heir to inherit the throne, Louise offered her husband a divorce, which he declined.
Unofficial Royalty: Louise of the Netherlands, Queen of Sweden and Norway

August 5, 1833 – Birth of Carola of Vasa, Queen of Saxony, wife of King Albert of Saxony, at Schönbrunn Palace in Vienna, Austria
Full name: Karolina Fredrika Franciska Stefania Amalia Cecilia
Carola married the future King Albert of Saxony but the couple never had children. Between 1853 – 1860, Carola had ten miscarriages. Carola was very active in charity work. In addition to supporting organizations that provided medical care, she was also instrumental in establishing several organizations to provide training for a growing workforce due to an increase in industrialization. Through her efforts, homes were built for families who needed housing, nurses received more proper training, and advances were made in the care and treatment of tuberculosis within Saxony. Schools and nursing homes were established, along with several women’s organizations that provided vocational training. Queen Carola is often credited for greatly contributing to the increasing professional independence of women.
Unofficial Royalty: Carola of Vasa, Queen of Saxony

August 5, 1901 – Death of Victoria, German Empress, born Victoria Princess Royal, wife of Friedrich III German Emperor, at Friedrichshof in Krönberg im Taunus, Kingdom of Prussia, now in Hesse, Germany, buried at Friedenskirche in Potsdam, Kingdom of Prussia, now in Brandenburg, Germany
In 1899, while visiting her mother at Balmoral Castle in Scotland, Vicky was diagnosed with breast cancer. By 1900, cancer had spread to her spine and she suffered a great deal during the last months of her life. When Queen Victoria died on January 22, 1901, Vicky was too ill to go to England. She died less than seven months later on August 5, 1901, at the age of 60. Vicky was buried in the royal mausoleum of the Friedenskirche in Potsdam, Kingdom of Prussia, now in Brandenburg, Germany next to her beloved husband Fritz. Their two sons who died in childhood are buried in the same mausoleum.
Unofficial Royalty: Victoria, Princess Royal, German Empress

August 5, 1939 – Birth of Princess Irene of the Netherlands, daughter of Queen Juliana of the Netherlands, at Soestdijk Palace in the Netherlands
Full name: Irene Emma Elisabeth
Irene secretly converted to Catholicism and wanted to make a controversial marriage to Carlos Hugo, Duke of Parma. It was announced that the wedding would take place and that Princess Irene would cease to be a member of the Dutch Royal House, and would relinquish all rights to the throne for herself and her descendants. No members of the Dutch royal family attended. Following their honeymoon, they settled in Madrid, Spain. Before divorcing in 1981, the couple had four children. Irene and her children returned to live in the Netherlands. She prefers to be known simply as Irene van Lippe-Biesterfeld and rarely takes part in any official events in the Netherlands. However, she is almost always seen at family functions and maintains a very close relationship with her sisters and extended family.
Unofficial Royalty: Princess Irene of the Netherlands

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Anna Maria von Boskowitz and Černahora, Princess of Liechtenstein

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2023

Anna Maria von Boskowitz and Černahora, Princess of Liechtenstein; Credit – Wikipedia

Baroness Anna Maria von Boskowitz and Černahora was the wife of Karl I, the first Prince of Liechtenstein and the founder of the Princely Family of Liechtenstein. Born in 1575 in Vienna, then in the Archduchy of Austria, she was the elder of the two daughters of Baron Johann von Boskowitz and Černahora and Baroness Anna von Kraigk, both members of Moravian noble families.

Boskovic Castle, inherited by Anna Maria and her sister Katharina upon their father’s death; Credit – By Mardoko – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=35303874

Anna Maria had one sister. When their father died in 1597, Anna Maria and her sister Katharina inherited their father’s lands, including Boskovic Castle, because he had no male heirs.

  • Katharina von Boskowitz and Černahora (1579 – 1637), married Maximilian of Liechtenstein, brother of Anna Maria’s husband, Karl I, Prince of Liechtenstein, no children

Anna Maria’s husband Karl I, Prince of Liechtenstein,circa 1625; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1590, Anna Maria married Baron Karl von Liechtenstein, a Moravian nobleman and the son of Hartmann II, Baron of Liechtenstein and Countess Anna Maria of Ortenburg, and the future first Sovereign Prince of Liechtenstein

Anna Maria and Karl had four children:

Through his relationship with the brothers, the childless Holy Roman Emperor Rudolf II and Archduke Matthias of Austria (the future Holy Roman Emperor Matthias), Anna Maria’s husband Karl gained political positions and land, and ultimately became the first Sovereign Prince of Liechtenstein. In 1592, Karl became the treasurer of Archduke Matthias. Karl and his younger brothers Maximilian (who was the husband of Anna Maria’s sister) and Gundakar had been raised in the Evangelical Lutheran faith but they all converted to Catholicism in 1599. In 1599, Karl became the chief judge in Moravia. In 1600, Holy Roman Emperor Rudolf II appointed Karl Chief Steward at the Imperial Court in Vienna, Austria. Four years later, Karl was appointed Governor of Moravia.

Besides being the elected Holy Roman Emperor, Rudolf II also held the traditional Habsburg territories as King of Bohemia, King of Hungary, King of Croatia, Archduke of Austria, and Margrave of Moravia. A power struggle developed between the childless Rudolf and his heir and brother Matthias. In April 1608, Matthias besieged the city of Prague and forced his brother Rudolf to negotiate and sign a peace treaty. This resulted in the redistribution of power. Rudolf kept Bohemia, Silesia, and Lusatia while Matthias received Hungary, Austria, and Moravia. Karl of Liechtenstein had supported Matthias in the power struggle. On December 20, 1608, Matthias raised Karl from Baron of Liechtenstein to Fürst of Liechtenstein (Prince), a reigning sovereign ruler or monarch. (Non-reigning descendants of a Fürst are referred to in German as Prinz (prince) or Prinzessin (princess.)

Matthias was elected Holy Roman Emperor upon Rudolf’s death in 1612 and reigned until he died in 1619. In 1614, Holy Roman Emperor Matthias gave Karl another reward, the Duchy of Troppau in Silesia. In November 1620, Karl and his brother Maximilian took lead roles in the imperial victory at the Battle of White Mountain near Prague during the Thirty Years War. In 1622, Karl was appointed governor and then Viceroy of the Kingdom of Bohemia.

Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary in Vranov, Czech Republic: Credit – Von Ojin – Eigenes Werk, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6438939

Karl’s younger brother Maximilian and his wife Katharina, Anna Maria’s sister, founded a Pauline monastery and had the Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary built on the monastery grounds in the village of Vranov, then in Moravia, now in the Czech Republic. A crypt in the church served as the burial site for members of the House of Liechtenstein. When more room was needed for burials another crypt was built and the church then had the Old Crypt and the New Crypt.

Anna Maria died at the age of 50, on June 6, 1625, in Plumov, Moravia, now in the Czech Republic. She was buried in the Old Crypt at the Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary. Karl survived his wife by nearly two years, dying on February 12, 1627, aged 57, at the Liechtenstein Palace (link in German) on Lesser Town Square in Prague, Kingdom of Bohemia, now in the Czech Republic. He was also buried in the Old Crypt at the Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary.

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.

Works Cited

  • Anna Maria Semberová of Boskovice and Cerná Hora (2023) Wikipedia. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anna_Maria_%C5%A0emberov%C3%A1_of_Boskovice_and_%C4%8Cern%C3%A1_Hora (Accessed: 15 June 2023).
  • Flantzer, Susan, 2021. Karl I, Prince of Liechtenstein. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/karl-i-prince-of-liechtenstein/> [Accessed 15 June 2023].
  • Johann Schembera von Czerna-Hora Freiherr von Boskowitz (2022) geni_family_tree. Available at: https://www.geni.com/people/Johann-Schembera-von-Czerna-Hora-Freiherr-von-Boskowitz/6000000015270648137 (Accessed: 15 June 2023).
  • Princely House of Liechtenstein. 2023. Biographies of all Reigning Princes – 17th century. [online] Available at: <https://fuerstenhaus.li/en/die-biographien-aller-fuersten/17-century/> [Accessed 15 June 2023].

August 4: Today in Royal History

© Unofficial Royalty 2023

Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

August 4, 1338 – Death of Thomas of Brotherton, 1st Earl of Norfolk, son of King Edward I of England, at Framlingham Castle in Suffolk, England; buried at the Abbey of Bury St. Edmunds in Suffolk, England which was left in ruins during King Henry VIII’s Dissolution of the Monasteries
In 1316, Thomas was given the office of Lord Marshal of England. The title of “marshal” at one time designated the head of household security for the King of England. The office became hereditary under John FitzGilbert the Marshal and his second son William Marshal, 1st Earl of Pembroke, served four kings (Henry II, Richard I, John, and Henry III) in this office and became one of the most powerful men in Europe. The office of hereditary Marshal (currently Earl Marshal) evolved into a Great Officer of State. In 1672, the office of Marshal of England and the title of Earl Marshal of England were made hereditary in the Howard family and since then the offices have been held by the Duke of Norfolk. Today, the Earl Marshal’s role is chiefly involved in organizing major state ceremonies such as coronations, state funerals, and the opening of parliament. Thomas was an ancestor of two of the wives of Henry VIII, Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard.
Unofficial Royalty: Thomas of Brotherton, 1st Earl of Norfolk

August 4, 1699 – Death of Maria Sofia of Neuberg, Queen of Portugal, wife of King Pedro II of Portugal, in Lisbon, Portugal; buried at the Monastery of São Vicente de Fora in Lisbon, Portugal
Maria Sophia of Neuburg, the second wife of Pedro II, King of Portugal. He married her because Portugal had a succession crisis. Isabel Luísa of Braganza, Princess of Beira, the only child and heir presumptive of Pedro II, King of Portugal, was not married. Marie Sophia’s family had a reputation for producing fertile women. Pedro II and Maria Sophia had eight children so Maria Sophia did her duty by providing heirs. On August 4, 1699, two days before her thirty-third birthday, Maria Sophia died at Ribeira Palace in Lisbon, Portugal from erysipelas, a bacterial infection of the skin that can spread to other areas of the body through the bloodstream.
Unofficial Royalty: Maria Sofia of Neuberg, Queen of Portugal

August 4, 1900 – Birth of Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, wife of King George VI of the United Kingdom and mother of Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, born The Honourable Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon
Full name: Elizabeth Angela Marguerite
On August 4, 1900, The Honorable Elizabeth Angela Marguerite Bowes-Lyon was born, the youngest daughter and ninth child of the ten children of Claude Bowes-Lyon, Lord Glamis (later the 14th and 1st Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne) and Cecilia Cavendish-Bentinck. The exact place of her birth is unknown. She was alleged to have been born in her parents’ home in London, but her birth was registered at Hitchin, Hertfordshire, near her family’s English country house, St Paul’s Walden Bury, which was also given as her birthplace in the census the following year.
Unofficial Royalty: Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother

August 4, 1906 – Birth of Queen Marie-Jose of Italy, wife of King Umberto II of Italy, born Princess Marie-Jose of Belgium  in Ostend, Belgium
Full name: Marie-Jose Charlotte Sophie Amélie Henriette Gabrielle
Marie José was the youngest child and only daughter of Albert I, King of the Belgians and Elisabeth in Bavaria. She married Crown Prince Umberto of Italy, Prince of Piedmont, the son of King Vittorio Emanuele III of Italy. After World War II, King Victor Emmanuel III abdicated on May 9, 1946. Marie José and her husband became the new King and Queen of Italy, however, their reign was short-lived. A referendum was held on June 2, 1946,  with the majority voting to abolish the monarchy. Accepting the will of the people, Umberto and Marie José left Italy on June 13, 1946, and were barred under the terms of the new constitution from returning to Italian soil. They settled in Portugal, but soon separated, with Marie José and her children then living in Switzerland.
Unofficial Royalty: Marie-Jose of Belgium, Queen of Italy

August 4, 1981 – Birth of Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, wife of Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, born Rachel Meghan Markle in Los Angeles, California
Before her marriage, Meghan was an actress, appearing on Suits, an American legal drama television series, playing Rachel Zane, a senior paralegal with dreams of going to law school. Prince Harry and Meghan were married on May 19, 2018, at St. George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle in Windsor, England. The couple had one son and one daughter.
Unofficial Royalty: Meghan, Duchess of Sussex

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August 3: Today in Royal History

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King Haakon VII of Norway; Credit – Wikipedia

August 3, 1460 – Death of James II, King of Scots at Roxburgh Castle in Scotland, buried at Holyrood Abbey in Edinburgh, Scotland
The “Black Dinner” that occurred during James II’s reign was an inspiration for the famous “Red Wedding” massacre in “The Game of Thrones.” James II besieged Roxburgh Castle near the English border in support of King Henry VI of England and was accidentally killed when a cannon nearby where he was standing exploded. As with the start of the reigns of James I and James II, Scotland once again had a child king in James III, King of Scots, the son of James II. The rest of the Scottish Stuarts, James IV, James V, Mary, Queen of Scots, and James VI, would also be child monarchs. James II’s death also continued the violent deaths of the Scottish Stuarts that started with the assassination of his father James I and continued with the deaths in battle of James III and James IV and the beheading of Mary, Queen of Scots.
Unofficial Royalty: James II, King  of Scots

August 3, 1770 – Birth of Friedrich Wilhelm III, King of Prussia in Potsdam, Kingdom of Prussia, now in Brandenburg, Germany
Friedrich Wilhelm III became King of Prussia in 1797, upon his father’s death. He immediately implemented changes – cutting the expenses of the royal court, dismissing many of his father’s ministers, and taking on much of the responsibilities himself. This caused great inconsistency during his reign, as he was hesitant to delegate any responsibility to his own ministers. He also made efforts to restore the moral dignity of the Prussian royal court – long plagued during his father’s reign with “political intrigues and sexual affairs”.
Unofficial Royalty: Friedrich Wilhelm III, King of Prussia

August 3, 1853 – Death of Georg, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg at Jagdschloss Hummelshaim, now in Thuringia, Germany; buried in the Ducal Mausoleum in Altenburg Cemetery in the Duchy of Saxe-Altenburg, now in Thuringia, Germany. In 1974, all the remains in the mausoleum were removed and buried in an unmarked grave elsewhere in the cemetery.
Georg became Duke of Saxe-Altenburg in 1848, succeeding his brother Joseph who was forced to abdicate. As Duke, he reformed the financial administration of the duchy and founded the George Foundation, which worked to promote and support artists and craftsmen. Georg came significant amounts of his own money to welfare efforts for the poor, earning him the nickname ‘Georg the Good’. His reign lasted a little less than five years. In declining health, Georg handed over much of his role to his son Ernst in the spring of 1853 and died two months later.
Unofficial Royalty: Georg, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg

August 3, 1872 – Birth of King Haakon VII of Norway at Charlottenlund Palace, near Copenhagen, Denmark
Full name: Christian Frederik Carl Georg Valdemar Axel
Born Prince Carl of Denmark, the son of King Frederik VIII of Denmark, he was elected King of Norway when the union between Sweden and Norway was dissolved in 1905 and reigned for 52 years. Through his paternal aunts and uncles, Carl was related to many European royals. Among his first cousins were Nicholas II, Emperor of All Russia, King Constantine I of Greece, King George V of the United Kingdom, and his future wife Princess Maud of Wales who was the daughter of the future King Edward VII of the United Kingdom and Princess Alexandra of Denmark, Carl’s paternal aunt.  Carl’s elder brother King Christian X of Denmark reigned from 1912 – 1947.
Unofficial Royalty: King Haakon VII of Norway

August 3, 1943 – Birth of Princess Christina of Sweden, Mrs. Magnuson, sister of King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden at Haga Palace in Solna Municipality, Stockholm, Sweden
Full name: Christina Louise Helena
Christina is the fourth of the four elder sisters of King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden. Princess Christina married Tord Magnuson and like her sisters Margaretha and Désirée, she lost her royal style and title, becoming Princess Christina, Mrs. Magnuson.
Unofficial Royalty: Princess Christina, Mrs. Magnuson

August 3, 1986 – Birth of Prince Louis of Luxembourg, son of Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg, at Grand Duchess Charlotte Maternity Hospital in Luxembourg City, Luxembourg
In 2006, Louis and Tessy Antony had a son, and they married later that year. At the time of the wedding, Louis relinquished his rights of succession, as well as that of any descendants. He retained his royal style and title and his wife took on the surname ‘de Nassau’. A second son was born in 2007.  In 2009, Tessy was created HRH Princess Tessy of Luxembourg, and their sons were made HRH Prince Gabriel and HRH Prince Noah of Nassau. Louis and Tessy divorced in 2017 and the divorce was finalized in 2019. On April 6, 2021, the Grand Ducal Court of Luxembourg announced the engagement of Prince Louis of Luxembourg and Scarlett-Lauren Sirgue. On February 22, 2022, it was announced that Prince Louis and Scarlett-Lauren had called off the engagement
Full name: Louis Xavier Marie Guillaume
Unofficial Royalty: Prince Louis of Luxembourg

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Prince Carlos of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, Infante of Spain, Duke of Calabria

by Scott Mehl
© Unofficial Royalty 2023

The Kingdom of the Two Sicilies was located in today’s southern Italy. It included the island of Sicily and all of the Italian peninsula south of the Papal States. Ferdinando I, the first King of the Two Sicilies, had previously reigned over two kingdoms, as Ferdinando IV of the Kingdom of Naples and Ferdinando III of the Kingdom of Sicily. He had been deposed twice from the throne of Naples: once by the revolutionary Parthenopean Republic for six months in 1799 and again by Napoleon in 1805, before being restored in 1816 after the defeat of Napoleon. After the 1816 restoration, the two kingdoms were united into the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies.

Vittorio Emanuele II, King of Sardinia became a driving force behind the Italian unification movement along with Giuseppe Garibaldi, a general and nationalist, and Giuseppe Mazzini, a politician and journalist. Garibaldi conquered Naples and Sicily, the territories of the Kingdom of Two Sicilies. Francesco II, King of the Two Sicilies was deposed, the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies ceased to exist, and its territory was incorporated into the Kingdom of Sardinia. Eventually, the Sardinian troops occupied the central territories of the Italian peninsula, except Rome and part of Papal States. With all the newly acquired land, Vittorio Emanuele II was proclaimed the first King of the new, united Kingdom of Italy in 1861.

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Prince Carlos, known as Infante Carlos, Duke of Calabria, was one of the claimants to the disputed headship of the House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, and pretender to the former throne of the Kingdom of Two Sicilies, from 1964 until his death in 2015.

source: Wikipedia

Prince Carlos Maria Alfonso Marcelo of Bourbon-Two Sicilies was born on January 16, 1938 in Lausanne, Switzerland, the only son of Prince Alfonso of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, Duke of Calabria and Princess Alicia of Bourbon-Parma. He had two sisters:

  • Princess Teresa, Duchess of Salerno (1937) – married Íñigo Moreno y Arteaga, Marquess of Laserna, had issue
  • Princess Inés, Duchess of Syracuse (1940) – married Luis de Morales y Aguado, had issue

Carlos grew up close with his second cousin, the future King Juan Carlos I of Spain. They attended schools together in Switzerland and Spain, and later attended university together as well. They remained very close and were considered part of the extended Spanish Royal Family.

Embed from Getty Images

Carlos first met his wife, Princess Anne of Orléans, in 1961 at his elder sister’s wedding in Madrid. They met again a year later and the wedding of Juan Carlos and Princess Sofia of Greece and a relationship began. However, Anne’s father, Henri, Count of Paris, disagreed with Carlos’s father’s claim to the headship of the House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies. He, instead, supported the claim of Prince Ranieri of Bourbon-Two Sicilies. The dispute revolved around whether Carlos’s grandfather had renounced his rights upon his marriage to the Spanish Princess of Asturias. Henri based his support for Ranieri on his own claim to the French throne on a similar renunciation from Philippe, Duke of Anjou, in 1713. Thus, the Count of Paris refused to consent to the marriage.

It wasn’t until after Carlos’s father’s death in 1964, that Carlos finally convinced the Count of Paris to give his blessing, although he still refused to support Carlo’s claim to the headship of the former royal house. Finally, the couple were married in a civil ceremony on May 11, 1965 and Louveciennes, with a religious ceremony the next day at the Chapelle royale de Dreux. Carlos and Anne went on to have five children:

  • Princess Cristina (1966) – married Pedro López-Quesada y Fernández-Urrutia, had issue
  • Princess María (1967) – married Archduke Simeon of Austria, had issue
  • Prince Pedro, Duke of Calabria (1968) – married Sofía Landaluce y Melgarejo, had issue
  • Princess Inès (1971) – married Michele Carrelli Palombi dei Marchesi di Raiano, had issue
  • Princess Victoria (1976) – married Markos Nomikos, had issue

Carlos succeeded his father as Duke of Calabria in 1964, and claimed the headship of the House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies. The Senior (Calabrian) Line is considered by most to be the rightful heirs. In 1994, he was created Infante of Spain by King Juan Carlos.

Embed from Getty Images

Infante Carlos died in Retuerta del Bullaque, Spain on October 5, 2015. His remains were placed in El Escorial where they will eventually be interred in the Pantheon of Princes. He was succeeded as Duke of Calabria by his son Pedro. Carlos was the last male Infante of Spain.

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Kingdom of the Two Sicilies Resources at Unofficial Royalty

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August 2: Today in Royal History

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King Henri III of France;  Credit – Wikipedia

August 2, 1100 – Suspicious death of King William II Rufus of England in the New Forest in Hampshire and Wiltshire, England; buried at Winchester Cathedral in Winchester, England
On August 2, 1100, William II Rufus, King of England rode out from Winchester Castle on a hunting expedition to the New Forest, accompanied by his brother Henry, who succeeded William II Rufus as King Henry I of England, and several nobles. During the hunt, an arrow hit William Rufus in his chest, puncturing his lungs, and killing him. Was there a conspiracy? Read more at the link below.
Unofficial Royalty: Suspicious Death of William II Rufus, King of England
Unofficial Royalty: King William II Rufus of England

August 2, 1589 – Assassination of King Henri III of France by Jacques Clement at the Château de Saint-Cloud in Hauts-de-Seine, France; buried at the Basilica of Saint-Denis, near Paris, France
Jacques Clément was a fanatic Dominican monk who sided with the Catholic League. He planned to kill King Henri III of France who he believed to be the enemy of Catholicism because he gave some rights to the Protestant Huguenots. On August 1, 1589, Henri III of France was with his army at Saint-Cloud, preparing to attack Paris. Jacques Clément, carrying false papers, was granted access to deliver important documents to Henri III. After giving Henri III some documents, Clément told Henri that he had a secret message for him. Henri III asked his attendants to step back to give him privacy. Clément whispered in Henri’s ear while stabbing him in the abdomen. Henri’s guards immediately killed Clément.
Unofficial Royalty: Assassination of Henri III, King of France
Unofficial Royalty: King Henri III of France

August 2, 1849 – Birth of Maria Pia of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, Duchess of Parma, first wife of Roberto I, Duke of Parma, in Gaeta, Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, now in Italy
Maria Pia was the daughter of Ferdinando II, King of the Two Sicilies and his second wife Maria Theresa of Austria. She was the first wife of Roberto I, Duke of Parma from 1854 – 1859 and titular Duke of Parma from 1859 until his death in 1907. As a not quite six-year-old, Roberto succeeded his father who was assassinated and then lost his throne five years later due to the Italian unification movement. Maria Pia and Roberto had twelve children. Six of the children were mentally disabled, two died in infancy, and one was stillborn. Their eldest child Marie Louise married Ferdinand I, Prince of Bulgaria (later Tsar). The dangerous practice of close pregnancies and births – twelve children in thirteen years of marriage – made Maria Pia weak and sickly. At the age of 33, Maria Pia died of puerperal fever (childbed fever), a week after giving birth to her last child, a stillborn son.
Unofficial Royalty: Maria Pia of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, Duchess of Parma

August 2, 1858 – Birth of Queen Emma of the Netherlands, second wife of King Willem III of the Netherlands, born Princess Emma of Waldeck and Pyrmont at Arolsen Castle in Arolsen, Principality of Waldeck and Pyrmont, now in Hesse, Germany
Full name: Adelheid Emma Wilhelmina Theresia
In 1877, Queen Sophie, the first wife of King Willem III of the Netherlands died, and Willem was eager to marry again to ensure the future of the House of Orange. One of his three children (all sons) had died and neither of the other two sons was married. At the suggestion of his only sister, he got in touch with the royal couple of Waldeck and Pyrmont, who had several marriageable daughters. In July 1878, Willem visited the family at their summer home where he met 23-year-old Princess Pauline and 20-year-old Princess Emma. His eyes first fell on Pauline, but soon he chose Emma and proposed to her. Willem was 61 years old, 41 years older than Emma. Emma had lessons in the Dutch language and history before her marriage because she wanted to come to her new country Dutch. The couple was married on January 7, 1879. Emma had a positive influence on Willem and the marriage was extremely happy. Their only child Wilhelmina succeeded her father as Queen of the Netherlands.
Unofficial Royalty: Emma of Waldeck and Pyrmont, Queen of the Netherlands

August 2, 1868 – Birth of King Constantine I of Greece in Athens, Greece
Constantine married a granddaughter of Queen Victoria, Princess Sophie of Prussia, daughter of Friedrich III, German Emperor and King of Prussia and Victoria, Princess Royal. In 1913, Constantine’s father King George I of Greece was assassinated and he acceded to the Greek throne as King Constantine I. Due to much political turmoil, Constantine was forced to abdicate in 1917, restored to the throne in 1920, and then forced to abdicate a second time. He lived the rest of his life in exile.
Unofficial Royalty: King Constantine I of Greece

August 2, 1878 – Birth of Princess Ingeborg of Denmark, Princess of Sweden, daughter of King Frederik VIII of Denmark at Charlottenlund Palace in Copenhagen, Denmark
Full name: Ingeborg Charlotta Carolina Frederikke Louise
Ingeborg married Prince Carl of Sweden, son of King Oscar II of Sweden, and they were the parents of Queen Astrid of Belgium and Crown Princess Märtha of Norway. Belgian Kings Baudouin and Albert II, Norwegian King Harald V, and the late Grand Duchess Josephine-Charlotte of Luxembourg, the wife of the late Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg are all grandchildren of Carl and Ingeborg. The royal families of Belgium, Luxembourg, and Norway descend from Carl and Ingeborg.
Unofficial Royalty: Ingeborg of Denmark, Princess of Sweden

August 2, 1906 – Birth of Johann Leopold, Hereditary Prince of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha at Callenberg Castle in Coburg, Duchy of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, now in Bavaria, Germany
Full name: Johann Leopold Wilhelm Albrecht Ferdinand Viktor
Johann Leopold was the eldest of the five children of Charles Edward, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, a grandson of Queen Victoria. Despite the fact that the Duchy of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha no longer existed, Johann lost his succession rights when he made an unequal marriage in 1932. His younger brother Friedrich Josias became Head of the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha upon the death of their father in 1954.
Unofficial Royalty: Johann Leopold, Hereditary Prince of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha

August 2, 1916 – Birth of Queen Zein of Jordan, wife of King Talal of Jordan and mother of King Hussein I of Jordan, born Zein al-Sharaf Bint Jamal in Alexandria, Egypt
Born Zein al-Sharaf bint Jamal, she married her first cousin Prince Talal bin Abdullah, the eldest son of the future King Abdullah I of Jordan. The couple had six children including King Hussein I of Jordan. In 1951, her husband became King of Jordan upon the assassination of his father King Abdullah I of Jordan. At the time of his father’s death, Talal was in a sanatorium in Switzerland being treated for a nervous breakdown. Zein held the power while the newly proclaimed King Talal was treated outside the country. The Jordanian Parliament declared Talal mentally unfit a year later and proclaimed his eldest son Hussein King of Jordan. Zein again took the reins of power when her son Hussein was proclaimed king, until May 1953, when he turned eighteen and assumed full constitutional duties. During the reign of her son, Zein was an influential figure behind the scenes.
Unofficial Royalty: Queen Zein of Jordan

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