© Unofficial Royalty 2023

King Ludwig I of Bavaria; Credit – Wikipedia

August 25, 1160 – Death of Gervase of Blois, Abbot of Westminster, illegitimate son of King Stephen of England; buried in the south cloister of the old Westminster Abbey in London, England

Unofficial Royalty: Gervase of Blois, Abbot of Westminster, illegitimate son of King Stephen of England (article coming soon)

August 25, 1482 – Death of Margaret of Anjou, Queen of England, wife of King Henry VI of England, at Château de Dampiere in Anjou, France, buried at St. Maurice’s Cathedral in Angers, France
In 1445, Margaret married King Henry VI of England and had one son Edward of Westminster, Prince of Wales. Margaret was one of the principal players in the Wars of the Roses, the battle for the English crown between the House of Lancaster and the House of York.  Her son was killed at the Battle of Tewkesbury where Margaret led the Lancastrian forces. Her husband was sent to the Tower of London and where he died, probably murdered on orders from King Edward IV from the House of York. Margaret was imprisoned at Wallingford Castle in England while her father René, Duke of Anjou worked tirelessly to arrange his daughter’s release. In 1475, King Louis XI agreed to pay Margaret’s ransom provided that her father would cede to France his territories of Anjou, Bar, Lorraine, and Provence. Margaret returned to France and died Margaret died on August 25, 1482, at the age of 53.
Unofficial Royalty: Margaret of Anjou, Queen of England

August 25, 1699 – Death of King Christian V of Denmark and Norway in Copenhagen, Denmark after a hunting accident; buried at Roskilde Cathedral in Roskilde, Denmark
Christian V died from the after-effects of a hunting accident that occurred on October 19, 1698. Christian was hunting with his two surviving sons and his half-brother. While they were taking a break, they received the news that the hunting dogs had exhausted and surrounded a deer. Christian immediately left to give the deer the death blow. Instead, he missed and the deer kicked him. The injuries were severe and Christian never recovered,
Unofficial Royalty: King Christian V of Denmark and Norway

August 25, 1707 – Birth of King Luis I of Spain at Buen Retiro Palace in Madrid, Spain
After the abdication of his father, Luis I, King of Spain had a very short reign, from January 14, 1724 to August 31, 1724. In 1722, Luis married Princess Louise Élisabeth of Orléans. The marriage was not successful and resulted in no children due to the young age of Louise Élisabeth and because she became increasingly known for her erratic and impulsive behavior. On January 14, 1724, Luis’s father King Felipe V abdicated the Spanish throne in favor of Luis for reasons that are still unclear. Perhaps it was because Felipe suffered from mental instability and did not wish to reign due to his increasing mental decline. King Luis I contracted smallpox in July 1724. His wife Louise Élisabeth was his only company because his parents, fearful of the illness, left the Palacio del Buen Retiro in Madrid, Spain. Luis’s smallpox was complicated by pneumonia. Fourteen-year-old Louise Élisabeth cared for and remained with her seventeen-year-old husband until his death, on August 31, 1724. She also contracted smallpox but recovered from the illness.
Unofficial Royalty: King Luis I of Spain

August 25, 1786 – Birth of King Ludwig I of Bavaria at the Hôtel des Deux-Ponts in Strasbourg, France
Full name: Ludwig Karl August
In 1810, Ludwig married Princess Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen. The wedding took place in a large outdoor space called the Theresienwiese, in Munich. Named for his bride, Theresienwiese is the site of Oktoberfest, held every year to commemorate the wedding. Ludwig became King of Bavaria upon his father’s death in 1825. However, by 1848, Ludwig’s reign was coming to an abrupt end. Facing protests and demonstrations by students and the middle classes, the King had ordered the closure of the university. Shortly after, the crowds raided the armory on their way to storm the Munich Residenz. Ludwig’s brother, Karl, managed to appease the protesters, but the damage was done. The King’s family and advisors turned against him, and he was forced to sign the March Proclamation, giving substantial concessions toward a constitutional monarchy. Unwilling to rule this way, King Ludwig I abdicated on March 20, 1848.  Ludwig spent the rest of his life in Bavaria, devoting his time to supporting and fostering the arts. He published several books of poems during his reign, as well as several translations of plays. On February 29, 1868, Ludwig died in Nice, France, aged 81, having survived his wife and five of his children.
Unofficial Royalty: King Ludwig I of Bavaria
Unofficial Royalty: Oktoberfest’s Royal Connection

August 25, 1805 – Death of Prince William Henry of Wales, Duke of Gloucester and Edinburgh, son of Frederick, Prince of Wales and brother of King George III, at Gloucester House on Upper Grosvenor Street in London, England; buried in the Gloucester Vault at St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle in Windsor, England
William Henry was one of the two brothers of King George III whose marriages caused the passing of the Royal Marriages Act in 1772. The act stipulated that no descendant of King George II under the age of 25, with the exception of descendants of princesses who married into foreign families, could marry without obtaining the consent of the sovereign. Over the age of 25, those wishing to marry without obtaining consent needed to inform the Privy Council of their intention. They would then be free to marry in a year if no objection had been raised by Parliament. In 1766, William Henry married Maria Waldegrave, Countess Waldegrave, née Walpole. William Henry and Maria’s marriage was held in secret as William Henry’s marriage to a widow of non-royal rank and illegitimate birth would not have been acceptable. King George III was unaware of this marriage until 1772. The Royal Marriages Act was repealed on March 26, 2015, as a result of the 2011 Perth Agreement. The Royal Marriages Act’s provisions were replaced by less limited restrictions that apply only to the first six people in the line of succession to the British throne.
Unofficial Royalty: Prince William Henry of Wales, Duke of Gloucester and Edinburgh

August 25, 1845 – Birth of King Ludwig II of Bavaria in Nymphenburg Palace in Munich, Kingdom of Bavaria, now in Bavaria, Germany
Full name: Ludwig Otto Friedrich Wilhelm
Ludwig was just 18 years old when he became king upon his father’s death. He continued with his father’s policies and retained his ministers, but his interests were not in ruling the country. His interests lay almost solely in the arts and he is probably best known for his love of architecture. Using his personal funds, he built several magnificent palaces and castles, the most famous being Neuschwanstein Castle. By 1885, the king was millions of marks in debt due to his spending on his castles and palaces and had all but withdrawn from his duties as King. Several of his ministers began trying to find grounds to depose him, believing him to be mentally ill. Ultimately, Ludwig II had a mysterious end. On June 13, 1886, Ludwig went for a walk on the grounds of the castle, accompanied by Dr. von Gudden, his doctor, and several attendants. They went out again that evening, this time without servants, but never returned. Several hours later, King Ludwig II’s body was found in the water of Lake Starnberg, along with that of Dr. von Gudden. His death remains a mystery. It was ruled a suicide by drowning, but no water was found in his lungs during an autopsy. One belief is that Ludwig II was murdered while trying to escape; another is that he died of natural causes, possibly due to the extremely cold temperature of the water.
Unofficial Royalty: King Ludwig II of Bavaria

August 25, 1862 – Death of Mathilde of Bavaria, Grand Duchess of Hesse and by Rhine,  wife of Ludwig III, Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine, in Darmstadt, Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine, now in Hesse, Germany; buried at St. Ludwig’s Catholic Church in Darmstadt
Mathilde Karoline married the future Grand Duke Ludwig II of Hesse and by Rhine. They had no children. She became Grand Duchess upon her husband’s accession in 1848. She died of cancer at the age of 48. Because  Mathilde Karoline had remained Catholic after her marriage into the Grand Ducal family who was Lutheran, she is buried at St. Ludwig’s Catholic Church in Darmstadt.
Unofficial Royalty: Mathilde of Bavaria, Grand Duchess of Hesse and by Rhine

August 25, 1942 – Death of Prince George, Duke of Kent, son of King George V of the United Kingdom and brother of King George VI of the United Kingdom, when a military plane taking him to Iceland, crashed in Scotland, buried at the Royal Burial Ground, Frogmore in Windsor, England
Prince George, Duke of Kent was the father of Queen Elizabeth II’s first cousins Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, Princess Alexandra of Kent, and Prince Michael of Kent. On August 25, 1942, just six weeks after the birth of his youngest child, George boarded a Royal  Air Force plane in Scotland, headed for Iceland. The plane crashed near Dunbeath, Caithness in Scotland, killing all except for one person aboard. There is much speculation as to the nature of this trip. While officially it was a standard visit to troops in Iceland, there are allegations and suggestions that it was some sort of “secret mission”. The Duke’s body was found with a briefcase handcuffed to his wrist, full of 100 kroner notes. These had no value in Iceland at the time.
Unofficial Royalty: Prince George, Duke of Kent
Unofficial Royalty: Tragedy in the British Royal Family at the End of August

August 25, 2001 – Wedding of Crown Prince Haakon of Norway and Mette-Marit Tjessem Høiby at Oslo Cathedral in Oslo, Norway
Crown Prince Haakon and Mette-Marit first met in the mid-1990s at a garden party during the Quart Festival, Norway’s largest music festival, in her hometown of Kristiansand. The two met at the Quart Festival again in 1999 and began a relationship. On December 1, 2000, the couple’s engagement was announced, but it was not without controversy. Mette-Marit was a commoner, had a child born out of wedlock, and was surrounded by rumors of a party-girl past and alleged drug use. The couple was also living together which did not sit well with the Church of Norway. Surveys at that time reported that most Norwegians did not mind the couple had lived together or that she was a single mother. However, public support for the monarchy suffered as the details emerged about Mette-Marit’s drug past and there were calls for Haakon to relinquish his place in succession if he chose to marry Mette-Marit. The couple did, however, have the support of the King and Queen, and after a series of public interviews, they also regained the support of the Norwegian people.
Unofficial Royalty: Wedding of Crown Prince Haakon of Norway and Mette-Marit Tjessem Høiby

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King Ferdinand I of Romania; Credit – Wikipedia

August 24, 1113 – Birth of Geoffrey V, Count of Anjou, father of King Henry II of England
After the death of William Ætheling, King Henry I’s only legitimate son,  in the White Ship disaster, Henry I needed male heirs from his daughter Matilda who was quite unhappy about the marriage to Geoffrey. This would be her second marriage. When she was twelve years old, Matilda married 28-year-old Heinrich V, Holy Roman Emperor. Matilda returned to England when she was widowed eleven years later. She was eleven years older than Geoffrey and marriage to a mere future Count would diminish her status as the widow of an Emperor. The couple was married in 1128 and produced three sons including King Henry II of England. The couple did not get along and their marriage was stormy with frequent, long separations. Matilda insisted on retaining her title of Empress for the rest of her life.
Unofficial Royalty: Geoffrey V, Count of Anjou

August 24, 1507 – Death of Cecily of York, Viscountess Welles, daughter of King Edward IV of England; the place of her death and burial site are uncertain, most likely she died on the Isle of Wight, England was buried at Quarr Abbey, Isle of Wight
Cecily was the daughter of Edward IV, the first King of England from the House of York, and Elizabeth Woodville. In 1485, Cecily’s uncle King Richard III arranged for a marriage for Cecily to Ralph Scrope, who was much below her in status to rule out her claim to the throne. When Henry VII, the first Tudor king, came to the throne, Cecily’s marriage to Ralph Scrope was annulled because the marriage was not in the interests of the new Tudor dynasty. Cecily was married to a nobleman loyal to King Henry VII, John Welles, 1st Viscount Welles, the younger half-brother of King Henry VII’s mother Lady Margaret Beaufort. Cecily and John had two daughters who both died in childhood. After the death of her husband and daughters, Cecily returned to the court seeking comfort and protection from her older sister Elizabeth of York who had married King Henry VII. In addition to Elizabeth, Lady Margaret Beaufort, Henry VII’s mother, helped Cecily protect her rights to her deceased husband’s property which was claimed by his half-sisters. Cecily married Sir Thomas Kyme without the permission of King Henry VII.
Unofficial Royalty: Cecily of York, Viscountess Welles

August 24, 1545 – Death of Charles Brandon, 1st Duke of Suffolk, 2nd Husband of Mary Tudor at Guildford Castle in Surrey, England; buried at St. George Chapel, Windsor Castle in Windsor, England
Charles Brandon’s father was the standard banner for Henry Tudor, Earl of Richmond (the future King Henry VII), and was then killed by King Richard III during the Battle of Bosworth Field while defending the standard banner of Henry Tudor. After his mother died, Charles was raised at King Henry VII’s court and became a close friend of Henry VII’s son, the future King Henry VIII. Charles had two marriages before he married Mary Tudor.  After the death of Mary Tudor’s first husband King Henry XII of France, Charles and Mary secretly married, which greatly angered Mary’s brother King Henry VIII. Eventually, Henry forgave them. Charles and Mary had two sons and two daughters, but only their daughters survived childhood. Their daughter Lady Frances Brandon was the mother of the ill-fated Lady Jane Grey. After Mary Tudor’s death, Charles married one more time. Throughout the reign of King Henry VIII, Charles Brandon remained close to the king, acting as a companion at court and often accompanying him on his travels. He accompanied Henry VIII to his famous 1520 summit with King François I of France known as the Field of the Cloth of Gold. In 1536, Brandon stood at the scaffold at the Tower of London, representing Henry VIII, at the execution of Anne Boleyn.
Unofficial Royalty: Charles Brandon, 1st Duke of Suffolk

August 24, 1739 – Birth of Elizaveta Romanovna Vorontsova, mistress of Peter III, Emperor of All Russia
Elizaveta’s father, Count Roman Illarionovich Vorontsov, took part in the 1741 coup that brought Elizabeth Petrovna, the only surviving child of Peter I (the Great), Emperor of All Russia, to the throne as Elizabeth, Empress of All Russia. Empress Elizabeth never married and her sister’s son Karl Peter Ulrich of Holstein-Gottorp, whose name was changed to Grand Duke Peter Feodorovich (the future Peter III, Emperor of All Russia), was her heir. Elizaveta was assigned to the court of Grand Duke Peter where she was to serve Peter’s wife Grand Duchess Catherine Alexeievna (the future Catherine II the Great, Empress of All Russia). Peter and Catherine’s marriage was not a happy one but Catherine did have one son, Paul, the future Emperor of All Russia, and one daughter Anna Petrovna, who died in early childhood, although neither of them may have been Peter’s children. Peter took Elizaveta Romanovna Vorontsova as his mistress and Catherine had affairs.
Unofficial Royalty: Elizaveta Romanovna Vorontsova, Mistress of Peter III, Emperor of All Russia

August 24, 1758 – Birth of Sophia Friederike of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, Hereditary Princess of Denmark and Norway in Schwerin, Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, now in the German state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
Sophia Friederike married Hereditary Prince Frederik of Denmark and Norway, the only child of King Frederik V of Denmark and Norway and his second wife Juliana Maria of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel. They were the parents of King Christian VIII of Denmark. Through their daughter Louise Charlotte, they are the ancestors of the Belgian, British, Danish, Luxembourg, Norwegian, and Spanish royal families and the former royal families of Greece and Romania.
Unofficial Royalty: Sophia Friederike of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, Hereditary Princess of Denmark and Norway

August 24, 1772 – Birth of King Willem I of the Netherlands at Huis ten Bosch in The Hague, the Netherlands
Full name: Willem Frederik
Willem was the eldest surviving son of Willem V, Prince of Orange, the last Stadtholder of the Dutch Republic. Willem’s life was disrupted by the Napoleonic Wars. The French invaded the Dutch Republic in 1795 and the family went into exile first in England and then in 1796 in Prussia where they lived until 1813. In 1806, Willem’s father died and he inherited the title Prince of Orange.  After the defeat of Napoleon, the Dutch Republic was proclaimed the Kingdom of the Netherlands and Willem became its first king. King Willem I abdicated in 1840 due to constitutional changes he did not agree with, anger over the loss of Belgium, and his desire to make a morganatic second marriage with Henriëtte d’Oultremont after the death of his first Wilhelmine of Prussia in 1837.  His eldest son succeeded him as Willem II.  After his abdication, Willem was styled King Willem Frederick, Count of Nassau.
Unofficial Royalty: King Willem I of the Netherlands

August 24, 1865 – Birth of King Ferdinand I of Romania at Sigmaringen Castle, in Sigmaringen, Kingdom of Prussia, now in Baden-Württemberg, Germany
Born: Prince Ferdinand Viktor Albert Meinrad of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen
In 1866, his uncle, Prince Karl of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen, had been elected Ruling Prince of the Romanian United Principalities, and in 1881 was proclaimed King Carol I of Romania. King Carol and his wife, Princess Elisabeth of Wied, had only one daughter who died at the age of three. With no sons to inherit the throne, the succession passed to his younger brother Leopold, Ferdinand’s father. Leopold renounced his rights in 1880, as did his eldest son Wilhelm in 1886. The second son Ferdinand became heir-presumptive to the Romanian throne. He was formally recognized by the Romanian government as Crown Prince in 1889. On October 10, 1914, Ferdinand became King of Romania upon the death of his uncle.
Unofficial Royalty: King Ferdinand I of Romania

August 24, 1888 – Death of Lord Alfred Paget, Queen Victoria’s Chief Equerry and Clerk Marshal 1846 – 1858 and 1859-1874 and Clerk Marshal 1874 – 1888, on his yacht off the coast of Inverness, Scotland; buried at St. Mary’s Church in Hampton, London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, England
Unofficial Royalty: Lord Alfred Paget

August 24, 1909 – Birth of Prince Hubertus of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, son of Charles Edward, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, at Reinhardsbrunn Castle, in Friedrichroda, Duchy of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, now in Thuringia, Germany
Full name: Dietmar Hubertus Friedrich Wilhelm Philip
At the end of World War I, the Workers’ and Soldiers Council of Gotha, deposed Hubertus’ father as Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. Five days later, Charles Edward signed a declaration relinquishing his rights to the throne but he still remained Head of the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. In 1932, Hubertus’ elder brother Johann Leopold made an unequal marriage against the Saxe-Coburg and Gotha House Act of March 1, 1855, and had to renounce succession rights for himself and any children from the marriage. As the next son, Hubertus was designated the heir to his father as Head of the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. Hubertus became a member of the Nazi Party and saw action with the German Army on the Eastern Front during World War II. He served as a first lieutenant on the High Command of the Army and was deployed as a Luftwaffe pilot serving as a squadron leader. Hubertus was killed in action in an airplane crash at the age of 34 on November 26, 1943, in Velyki Mosty, in present-day Ukraine.
Unofficial Royalty: Prince Hubertus of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha

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King Louis XVI of France; Credit – Wikipedia

August 23, 1628 – Assassination of George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham, favorite of King James I of England and King Charles I of England, at the Greyhound Pub in Portsmouth, England; buried at Westminster Abbey in London, England
George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham, a courtier and favorite of King James I of England and his son King Charles I until a disgruntled army officer assassinated him. In 1615, George was knighted and became a Gentleman of the Bedchamber. He became Master of the Horse in 1616, was raised to the peerage as Baron Whaddon, Viscount Villiers, and was also made a Knight of the Garter. In 1619, George was made Lord High Admiral of England. In 1617, George was created Earl of Buckingham and climbed the steps of peerage when he was created Marquess of Buckingham in 1618, and Duke of Buckingham in 1623.
Unofficial Royalty: George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham, favorite of King James I of England and King Charles I of England

August 23, 1740 – Birth Ivan VI, Emperor of All Russia in St. Petersburg, Russia
The story of Ivan VI and his family is one of the most tragic stories in royal history. Ivan VI, Emperor of All Russia (Ivan Antonovich) succeeded to the throne at the age of two months. A little more than a year later, Ivan was deposed and spent the next 23 years imprisoned before being murdered during the reign of Catherine II (the Great). His parents spent the rest of their lives imprisoned and with the exception of his sister Catherine, all his other siblings were born while their parents were imprisoned. His siblings remained imprisoned until 1780.
Unofficial Royalty: Ivan VI, Emperor of All Russia

August 23, 1754 – Birth of King Louis XVI of France at the Palace of Versailles in Versailles, France
King Louis XVI of France reigned from 1774 until 1792, losing his throne – and his life – as a result of the French Revolution. He was born Louis-Auguste, Duc de Berry, the third son of Louis, Dauphin of France (son of King Louis XV) and Maria Josepha of Saxony. Upon his grandfather’s death, Louis-Auguste became King Louis XVI of France. Just 19 years old, and notably unprepared for his role, he faced growing distrust of the monarchy and a country that was deeply in debt.
Unofficial Royalty: King Louis XVI of France

August 23, 1836 – Birth of Queen Marie-Henriette of the Belgians, wife of King Leopold II of the Belgians, born Marie Henriette of Austria at Buda Castle in Budapest, Hungary
In 1852, Marie-Henriette married Leopold II, the future King of the Belgians. The marriage started out unhappy, remained unhappy, and the couple lived mostly separate lives. Leopold had many mistresses and he made no real attempt to have a successful marriage. Marie Henriette was cold and inaccessible. Her only passion remained her Hungarian horses. Their children were brought up very strictly and with discipline. In 1869 when her only son Leopold died, Marie Henriette was devastated. Leopold blamed Marie Henriette for their son’s death. Little Leopold had fallen into a pond, caught pneumonia, and died. Hoping for a crown prince she became pregnant again, but the long-awaited crown prince did not materialize as the child was a girl, Clémentine. The couple completely separated after the birth of Clémentine and in 1895 Marie Henriette moved to Spa, Belgium where she lived out the rest of her life at Hôtel du Midi, the home she had bought there.
Unofficial Royalty: Marie Henriette of Austria, Queen of the Belgians

August 23, 1863 – Birth of Grand Duke George Mikhailovich of Russia, 1st husband of Princess Maria of Greece, born in Bielyi-Kliutsch in the Tiflis Governorate of the Russian Empire, now in the country of Georgia
The first husband of Princess Maria of Greece who was the daughter of King George I of Greece, Grand Duke George Mikhailovich of Russia was executed in 1919  by the Bolsheviks along with his brother Nicholas and two other Russian Grand Dukes. While George did have a military career and served as a General in the Russian Army, he was a passionate coin collector. His collections of Russian coins and medals included practically every coin ever used in the Russian Empire and he wrote ten books on coins. One of them, Catalogue of Imperial Russian Coins 1725–1891, was reprinted in the United States in 1976 and is still an important reference on the subject.
Unofficial Royalty: Grand Duke George Mikhailovich of Russia
Unofficial Royalty: January 28, 1919 – Execution of Four Grand Dukes

August 23, 1904 – Birth of Thelma Furness, Viscountess Furness, mistress of King Edward VIII of the United Kingdom, born Thelma Morgan at the Grand Hotel National in Lucerne, Switzerland
Thelma was the identical twin sister of Gloria Morgan, the mother of Gloria Vanderbilt, the fashion designer and artist, and the mother of news anchor Anderson Cooper.
Unofficial Royalty: Thelma Furness, Viscountess Furness, mistress of King Edward VIII of the United Kingdom (coming soon)

August 23, 1945 – Death of Stéphanie of Belgium, Crown Princess of Austria at the Benedictine Abbey of Pannonhalma in Hungary; buried the Benedictine Abbey of Pannonhalma in Hungary with her second husband
Stéphanie was the wife of Crown Prince Rudolf of Austria who died by suicide with his mistress at Mayerling, his hunting lodge outside of Vienna, Austria.  Their marriage was happy at first, but shortly after the birth of their daughter, the relationship between Stéphanie and Rudolf began to deteriorate. It is likely that Rudolf infected Stéphanie with a sexually transmitted disease, causing her to be infertile and unable to provide a male heir for the Austrian throne.  After Rudolf’s suicide, the custody of Stéphanie’s daughter Elisabeth Marie was taken over by her grandfather Emperor Franz Joseph.  In 1900, Stéphanie married Hungarian Count Elemér Lónyay de Nagy-Lónya et Vásáros-Namény. Following the marriage, Stéphanie’s daughter Elisabeth broke off all contact with her mother. Stéphanie lost her imperial and royal titles because the marriage was unequal and incurred the wrath of her father.
Unofficial Royalty: Princess Stéphanie of Belgium, Crown Princess of Austria

August 23, 1951- Birth of Queen Noor of Jordan, fourth wife of King Hussein I of Jordan, born Lisa Najeeb Halaby in Washington, DC
Lisa attended Princeton University in Princeton, New Jersey, as a member of the first coed class, graduating in 1974 with a degree in architecture and urban planning. In 1977, Lisa met her future husband, King Hussein of Jordan, while working on the development of Queen Alia Airport in Jordan, named after the King’s recently deceased wife. Before her marriage, Lisa converted to Islam and relinquished her American citizenship. Upon marriage, Lisa was given the name Noor Al-Hussein and was made Queen of Jordan.  Noor and Hussein had four children. In addition, she raised three of her stepchildren, the children of King Hussein and his third wife Queen Alia who had died in a helicopter crash.
Unofficial Royalty: Queen Noor of Jordan

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© Unofficial Royalty 2023

Maria Christina of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, Queen of Spain; Credit – Wikipedia

August 22, 1358 – Death of Isabella of France, Queen of England, wife of King Edward II of England, at Castle Rising in Norfolk, England, buried at Grey Friars Church in Newgate, London, England
In 1326, Isabella and her lover Roger Mortimer, 1st Earl of March deposed King Edward II. Edward II and Isabella’s son was crowned King Edward III, and Isabella and Mortimer served as regents for the teenage king. In 1330, the 18-year-old King Edward III conducted a coup d’état at Nottingham Castle where Mortimer and Isabella were staying.  Mortimer was arrested and then executed on fourteen charges of treason, including the murder of Edward II. After the coup, Isabella was first taken to Berkhamsted Castle and then held under house arrest at Windsor Castle until 1332, when she then was moved to her own Castle Rising in Norfolk.  Edward III granted his mother a yearly income of £3,000, which by 1337 had increased to £4,000. She enjoyed a regal lifestyle, maintaining minstrels, huntsmen, and grooms and being visited by family and friends.
Unofficial Royalty: Isabella of France, Queen of England

August 22, 1485 – Death of King Richard III of England at the Battle of Bosworth Field; Henry Tudor becomes King Henry VII of England
On August 22, 1485, at the Battle of Bosworth Field, the last significant battle of the Wars of the Roses, the last king of the House of York and the Plantagenet dynasty, 32-year-old King Richard III of England, lost his life and his crown. The battle was a decisive victory for the House of Lancaster, whose leader Henry Tudor, Earl of Richmond, became the first monarch of the House of Tudor. Richard had entered the battle as a seasoned soldier, wearing a battle crown on top of his helmet. During the battle, he saw an opportunity to strike directly at Henry Tudor and his personal guard and sped off on his horse. After managing to kill Henry Tudor’s standard-bearer, Richard saw something he had not expected. Sir William Stanley changed sides. Instead of supporting Richard and the Yorkists, Stanley attacked them, helping to secure a victory for Henry Tudor and the Lancastrians.
Unofficial Royalty: Richard III: Lost and Found
Unofficial Royalty: King Richard III of England

August 22, 1658 – Birth of Johann Ernst IV, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld in Gotha, Duchy of Saxe-Gotha, now in Thuringia, Germany
Johann Ernst was the founder of the House of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld which was the precursor to the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, and the ancestor of all British monarchs since Queen Victoria. His father Ernst I, Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg had seven sons and disliked primogeniture in which the eldest son is the sole heir. When he died all seven brothers governed the Duchy of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg, as set out in their father’s will. In 1680, the seven brothers concluded a treaty of separation, with each brother getting a portion of the Duchy of Saxe-Gotha Altenburg and becoming a Duke. Johann Ernst IV became Duke of Saxe-Saalfeld. Joann Ernst’s elder brothers Albrecht of Saxe-Coburg and Heinrich of Saxe-Römhild died without male heirs. Upon their deaths, Johann Ernest took possession of Coburg and Römhild, and then became Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld.
Unofficial Royalty: Johann Ernst IV, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld

August 22, 1787 – Birth of Baron Christian Friedrich von Stockmar, advisor to Queen Victoria and Prince Albert from 1837-1847, in Obersiemau, the Duchy of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, now in Bavaria, Germany
Unofficial Royalty: Baron Christian Friedrich von Stockmar

August 22, 1854 – Birth of King Milan I of Serbia in Mărășești, then in Moldavia, Ottoman Empire, now in Romania
Milan’s father was a member of the House of Obrenović which vied for control of Serbia, often violently, with the House of Karađorđević. In 1868, Milan’s childless uncle Mihailo Obrenović III, Sovereign Prince of Serbia was assassinated. Sympathizers of the House of Karađorđević were suspected of being behind the assassination. Fourteen-year-old Milan became the Sovereign Prince of Serbia. In 1882, the Principality of Serbia was elevated to the Kingdom of Serbia and so Milan became the first King of Serbia. In 1889, Milan suddenly abdicated the throne without any apparent reason and his twelve-year-old son Alexander became king. Milan lived in Paris, France until 1897 when he returned to Serbia. He became Commander-in-Chief of the Army, which he completely reformed and modernized. Milan and his wife strongly opposed his son’s marriage to Draga Mašin, a widow and a former lady-in-waiting to his mother, who was twelve years older than Alexander. Milan resigned his post as Commander-in-Chief of the Army and subsequently, King Alexander banished both his parents from Serbia.
Unofficial Royalty: King Milan I of Serbia

August 22, 1860 – Birth of Tsaritsa Eleonore of Bulgaria, second wife of Tsar Ferdinand of Bulgaria, born Eleonore of Reuss-Köstritz in Trebschen, Kingdom of Prussia, now in Poland
Full name: Eleonore Caroline Gasparine Louise
Following a bit of match-making by Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna of Russia, Eleonore became engaged to Ferdinand of Bulgaria (born Prince Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha-Koháry)  in December 1907.  Ferdinand’s first wife, Princess Maria Luisa of Bourbon-Parma, died in 1899, after the birth of the youngest of their four children. Eleonore and Ferdinand did not have any children however, Eleonore was instrumental in raising her four stepchildren.  With very little attention or affection from her husband, Eleonore focused on the welfare of the Bulgarian people. She quickly became involved with the Bulgarian Red Cross, and later set up the Queen Eleonore Fund in 1910 to raise funds to build institutes for children who were blind and deaf. She also founded an orphanage for Jewish children, which still exists today as The Queen Eleonore Orphanage.
Unofficial Royalty: Eleonore of Reuss-Köstritz, Tsaritsa of Bulgaria

August 22, 1878 – Death of Queen Maria Christina of Spain, born Maria Christina of the Two Sicilies, fourth wife of Ferdinand VII of Spain, at Le Havre, France; buried at the Royal Monastery of San Lorenzo El Real in Spain
Maria Christina was the fourth wife of King Ferdinand VII of Spain and the wife who finally gave him an heir. King Ferdinand VII died on September 29, 1833, and his daughter, not quite three years old, succeeded to the throne as Queen Isabella II with Maria Christina acting as Regent. Two months after Ferdinand died, Maria Christina secretly married an ex-sergeant of the royal guard Agustín Fernández Muñoz and the couple had eight children. The marriage was very unpopular and the government demanded that Maria Christina resign as regent. She lived most of the rest of her life in exile. However, As the widow of Ferdinand VII and mother of Isabella II, Maria Cristina was buried in the Pantheon of Kings in the Royal Crypt of El Escorial Monastery.
Unofficial Royalty: Maria Christina of the Two Sicilies, Queen of Spain

August 22, 1893 – Death of Ernst II, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha at Reinhardsbrunn Castle in Friedrichroda, Duchy of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, now in Thuringia Germany, buried in the Ducal Mausoleum in the Glockenberg Cemetery in Coburg, Duchy of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, now in Bavaria, Germany
Ernst was the elder brother of Prince Albert, Queen Victoria’s husband. He had at least three illegitimate children, but his marriage to Princess Alexandrine of Baden was childless, perhaps due to Ernst passing the venereal disease to Alexandrine causing her to become infertile. Alexandrine was loyal and devoted to her husband despite his infidelities, and believed that their lack of children was her fault. In 1844, Ernst’s father died and he became Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. Ernst had financial difficulties throughout his reign due to his extravagance.  He was an excellent musician, an amateur composer, and a great patron of the arts and sciences in Coburg. Ernst II died after a short illness at the age of 75. Thousands of people came to view his funeral procession.
Unofficial Royalty: Ernst II, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha

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King William IV of the United Kingdom; Credit – Wikipedia

August 21, 1643 – Birth of King Afonso VI of Portugal at Ribeira Palace in Lisbon, Portugal
13-year-old Afonso succeeded his father João IV, King of Portugal died in 1656. Afonso’s sister Catherine of Braganza was the wife of King Charles II of England. Afonso was debilitated mentally and physically due to the effects of a disease he contracted in childhood, controlled by a favorite early in his reign, relieved of his sovereign power by his brother who married his wife after their marriage was annulled, and confined under guard for the last fifteen years of his life,
Unofficial Royalty: Afonso VI, King of Portugal

August 21, 1765 – Birth of King William IV of the United Kingdom at Buckingham House (now Buckingham Palace) in London, England
Full name: William Henry
William was the third son of King George III and was not expected to become king. He had a naval career, was nicknamed Sailor Bill, and served on a number of ships and in a number of places. William had a long-term affair with actress Dorothea Jordan that produced ten children who married into the British nobility. In 1817, Princess Charlotte of Wales died in childbirth along with her son. At the time of her death, Charlotte, who was second in line to the throne, was the only legitimate grandchild of King George III, despite the fact that eleven of his fifteen children were still living. Her death left no legitimate heir in the second generation and prompted the aging, unmarried sons of King George III to begin a frantic search for brides to provide for the succession. William, along with his unmarried brothers Edward, Duke of Kent and Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge, all married. Sadly, William and his wife Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen had no surviving children. William’s brother King George IV died on June 26, 1830, and William succeeded to the throne. William’s heiress presumptive was his niece Princess Victoria of Kent, the only child of his brother Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, who succeeded to the throne upon William’s death.
Unofficial Royalty: King William IV of the United Kingdom

August 21, 1813 – Death of Queen Sofia Magdalena of Sweden, born Sofia Magdalena of Denmark and Norway, wife of King Gustav III of Sweden, at Ulriksdal Palace in Sweden; buried at Riddarholmen Church in Stockholm, Sweden
In 1766, Sofia Magdalena married the future Gustav III, King of Sweden. The marriage was not a happy one. Sophia Magdalena was quiet and serious and found it difficult to adapt to her husband’s pleasure-loving court. The interference of Gustav’s jealous mother, Queen Louisa Ulrika, did not help the situation. On March 16, 1792, King Gustav III was shot by Jacob Johan Anckarström during a masquerade at the Royal Opera House in Stockholm, Sweden, and died of his wounds two weeks later. Sophia Magdalena was horrified by the murder of her husband, but it was a relief that as Queen Dowager, she could retreat from public life. She lived in the Royal Palace in Stockholm during the winter, and at Ulriksdal Palace during the summer where she died from a stroke at the age of 67.
Unofficial Royalty: Sofia Magdalena of Denmark and Norway, Queen of Sweden

August 21, 1843 – Birth of Maria Ana of Portugal, Princess Georg of Saxony, wife of the future King Georg of Saxony, in Lisbon, Portugal
Full name: Maria Ana Fernanda Leopoldina Micaela Rafaela Gabriela Carlota Antónia Júlia Vitória Praxedes Francisca de Assis Gonzaga
In 1859, Maria Ana married Prince Georg of Saxony, who was second in the line to the Saxony throne, behind his older brother Albert. The couple had eight children but despite their large family, the marriage proved to be an unhappy one. Georg made little effort to support his wife in her new country and failed to live up to her expectations. Very pious and preferring private life to that of the court, Maria Ana’s primary focus was raising her family, and supporting several religious and social organizations. Maria Ana died at the age of 41 after several months of caring for her youngest son who had been in very ill health for some time.
Unofficial Royalty: Maria Ana of Portugal, Princess Georg of Saxony

August 21, 1858 – Birth of Crown Prince Rudolf of Austria, the only son of Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria, at Schloss Laxenburg in Laxenburg, Austria
Full name: Rudolf Franz Karl Joseph
Known for ending his life in a suicide pact with his mistress Baroness Mary Vetsera at the Mayerling hunting lodge, Crown Prince Rudolf was the only son of Franz Joseph, Emperor of Austria and his wife Elisabeth of Bavaria (Sisi). Rudolf married Princess Stéphanie of Belgium, daughter of King Leopold II of the Belgians, and they had one daughter. The marriage was happy at first, but shortly after the birth of their daughter, the relationship between Stéphanie and Rudolf began to deteriorate. It is likely that Rudolf infected Stéphanie with a sexually transmitted disease, causing her to be infertile and unable to provide a male heir for the Austrian throne. Both Stéphanie and Rudolf began affairs with other people in the following years and intermittently spoke of divorce.
Unofficial Royalty: Crown Prince Rudolf of Austria

August 21, 1934 – Birth of The Honourable Gerald David Lascelles, younger son of Mary, Princess Royal and first cousin of Queen Elizabeth II, at Goldsborough Hall, near Knaresborough in North Yorkshire, England
Gerald was the younger son of Henry Lascelles, 6th Earl of Harewood and Mary, Princess Royal, the only daughter of King George V of the United Kingdom. Gerald married twice. He first married actress Angela Dowding in 1952. The couple had one son and divorced in 1978. Their marriage collapsed when Gerald left Angela to live with another former actress, Elizabeth Collingwood, whom he had known for 20 years and with whom he already had a son. Gerald was a race car driver, a director of the Silverstone Circuit, a car race track in Northamptonshire, England, and served as president of the British Racing Drivers’ Club from 1964 to 1991. He died on February 27, 1998, in Bergerac, France at the age of 73.
Unofficial Royalty: The Honourable Gerald David Lascelles

August 21, 1930 – Birth of Princess Margaret of the United Kingdom, daughter of King George VI of the United Kingdom, at Glamis Castle in Glamis, Angus, Scotland
Full name: Margaret Rose
Princess Margaret was the second daughter of King George VI of the United Kingdom and the younger sister of Queen Elizabeth II. Margaret fell in love with Group Captain Peter Townsend, Comptroller of her mother’s household Townsend,  a former equerry to the late King George VI, and a former Deputy Master of the Household. Townsend proposed and Margaret accepted. At the time, the Church of England would not sanction the marriage of a divorced person. Eventually, Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, advised Queen Elizabeth II that Parliament would not approve the marriage unless Margaret was to relinquish her rights to the throne and her royal position. On October 31, 1955, Margaret issued a statement in which she announced that she would not be marrying Group Captain Townsend. She chose to put her royal role and duties ahead of her personal happiness. In 1960, Margaret married photographer Antony Armstrong-Jones who was created Earl of Snowdon and Viscount Linley the following year. The couple had two children and divorced in 1978.
Unofficial Royalty: Princess Margaret of the United Kingdom

August 21, 1963 – Birth of King Mohammed VI of Morocco in Rabat, Morocco
King Mohammed VI is the current King of Morocco, having succeeded his father King Hassan II upon his death in 1999.
Unofficial Royalty: King Mohammed VI of Morocco

August 21, 1982 – Death of King Sobhuza II of Swaziland (now called Eswatini) at the Embo State House in Mbabane, Swaziland; entombed in the mountain cave burial grounds, the Royal Burial Ground in Nhlangano, Shiselweni, Eswatini
King Sobhuza II of Swaziland was the Paramount Chief and King of Swaziland from 1899 – 1982, for 82 years and 254 days. Because Swaziland was a British protectorate from 1906–1968 and not a sovereign state, he is not on the list of longest-reigning sovereign monarchs. However, he is number one on the list of longest reigning monarchs of dependent or constituent states. Despite being an absolute monarch, Sobhuza was able to blend traditional tribal customs with strategies to manage economic and social change in Swaziland. In 1978, a new constitution was adopted which provided for a tribal mode of rule involving an electoral college of eighty members chosen by forty local tribal councils. Much of Swaziland’s and natural resources were originally owned by non-Swazi interests were brought under Swazi control during Sobhuza’s reign.
Unofficial Royalty: King Sobhuza II of Swaziland

August 21, 1990 – Birth of Theyazin bin Haitham Al Said, Crown Prince of Oman, son of Haitham bin Tariq Al Said, Sultan of Oman, in Muscat, Oman
Theyazin bin Haitham Al Said is the first Crown Prince of Oman. Before January 11, 2021, the day Theyazin became Crown Prince, the succession to the throne was handled in a somewhat unusual way. Upon the death of the Sultan, the royal family council was charged with naming his successor within three days. If they were unable to agree upon a new Sultan, there was a sealed envelope from the late Sultan naming his personal choice to succeed him. Theyazin bin Haitham, the eldest son of Sultan Haitham, became the Sultanate’s first Crown Prince following constitutional amendments approved by Sultan Haitham.
Unofficial Royalty: Theyazin bin Haitham Al Said, Crown Prince of Oman

August 21, 2019 – Death of Princess Dina Abdul-Hamid of Jordan, the former Queen Dina of Jordan, born Dina bint Abdul-Hamid, in Amman, Jordan; buried at the Royal Cemetery, near Raghadan Palace within the Royal Compound (Al-Marquar) in Amman, Jordan
Dina was the first of four wives of the late King Hussein I of Jordan. The couple had one daughter but divorced in 1957, at which time Dina lost her title of Queen. She became HRH Princess Dina Abdul-Hamid of Jordan. Dina later returned to her birthplace Egypt, and in 1970, she married Asad Sulayman Abd al-Qadir, a high-ranking official in the Palestine Liberation Organization. In 1983, a year after al-Qadir was imprisoned by the Israelis, Dina negotiated his release, along with 8,000 other prisoners.
Unofficial Royalty: Queen Dina of Jordan

August 21, 2021 – Death of Princess Marie of Liechtenstein, born Countess Marie Aglaë Kinsky von Wchinitz und Tettau, wife of Hans-Adam II, Prince of Liechtenstein; buried in the Princely Crypt at Vaduz Cathedral in Vaduz, Liechtenstein
In 1967, Marie married her second cousin, once removed, Hereditary Prince Hans-Adam of Liechtenstein and they had four children. In November 1989, Hans-Adam succeeded his father as the reigning Prince of Liechtenstein. Princess Marie was involved in many organizations within Liechtenstein, with her focus being on education, culture, and the arts. After suffering a stroke three days earlier, Princess Marie of Liechtenstein died at a hospital in Grabs, Switzerland on August 21, 2021, at the age of 81.
Unofficial Royalty: Princess Marie of Liechtenstein

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Prince Alfred of Great Britain; Credit – Wikipedia

August 20, 1752 – Birth of Friederike of Hesse-Darmstadt, Duchess of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, first wife of Carl II, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, in Darmstadt, Landgraviate of Hesse-Darmstadt, now in Hesse, Germany
Full name: Friederike Karoline Luise
In 1768, Friederike married Carl, the future Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. Friederike and Carl had ten children. Three days after giving birth to her last child, who died in infancy, Friederike died from childbirth complications. Two years later, her widower married her sister who also died in childbirth.
Unofficial Royalty: Friederike of Hesse-Darmstadt, Duchess of Mecklenburg-Strelitz

August 20, 1783 – Death of Prince Alfred of Great Britain, son of King George III of the United Kingdom, at Windsor Castle in Windsor, England, buried at St. George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle
Before Edward Jenner developed the smallpox vaccine that contained the cowpox virus in 1796 and that ultimately lead to the eradication of smallpox, there was another way to possibly prevent smallpox called variolation and it was first seen in China in the fifteenth century. About 3% of those inoculated developed a severe case of smallpox and died but that was preferable to catching smallpox with its mortality rate of 20–40% and scarred survivors. In 1722, King George I allowed the inoculation of two of his grandchildren, the children of the Prince and Princess of Wales, and they survived. King George III also allowed the inoculation of his children. Among the 3% who died after receiving the smallpox inoculation were the two younger sons of King George III, Prince Alfred, and at a later date, Prince Octavius. After the inoculation, Alfred did not recover as he should have, so he was taken to Deal by the sea, in hopes that the sea air and saltwater would help. However, the air and water did not help. His face and his eyelids had eruptions from the smallpox inoculation and he had difficulty with breathing. There was not much improvement when Alfred returned to Windsor Castle. The doctors agreed that he would survive for only a few weeks more which came as a great shock to his family. After suffering from prolonged bouts of fever, Alfred died on August 20, 1782, a month short of his second birthday.
Unofficial Royalty: Prince Alfred of Great Britain
Unofficial Royalty: Smallpox Knew No Class Boundaries

August 21, 1924 – Birth of The Honourable Gerald David Lascelles, younger son of Mary, Princess Royal and first cousin of Queen Elizabeth II, at Goldsborough Hall, near Knaresborough in North Yorkshire, England
Gerald first married actress Angela Dowding and the couple had one son. Angela and Gerald divorced in 1978. Their marriage had collapsed when Gerald left Angela to live with another former actress Elizabeth Collingwood, whom he had known for 20 years and with whom he already had a son. In 1978, Gerald married Elizabeth Collingwood. Neither their son nor his descendants are in the line of succession to the British throne because their son was born before their marriage. Gerald died on February 27, 1998, in Bergerac, France at the age of 73.
Unofficial Royalty: The Honourable Gerald Lascelles

August 20, 2003 – Birth of Prince Gabriel of Belgium, son of King Philippe of the Belgians, in Erasmus Hospital in Anderlecht, Belgium
Full name: Gabriel Baudouin Charles Marie
Prince Gabriel is the elder of the two sons and the second of four children of King Philippe of the Belgians and his wife Queen Mathilde, born Mathilde d’Udekem d’Acoz. Belgium changed its succession law in 1991 to absolute primogeniture where the succession passes to the eldest child of the sovereign regardless of gender. Males and females have equal succession rights. This means that Gabriel’s elder sister Elisabeth is the heir apparent and comes first in the line of succession as the eldest child. Following Elisabeth in the line of succession are her three siblings in order of their birth.
Unofficial Royalty: Prince Gabriel of Belgium

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