April 9: Today in Royal History

© Unofficial Royalty 2024

Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh; Credit – Wikipedia

April 9, 1483 – Death of King Edward IV of England at the Palace of Westminster in London, England; buried at St. George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle
The first Yorkist King of England, Edward was the son of Richard of York, 3rd Duke of York and Cecily Neville, both great-grandchildren of King Edward III of England.  Edward’s father could claim descent from Edward III’s second and fourth surviving sons, Lionel of Antwerp, 1st Duke of Clarence and Edmund of Langley, 1st Duke of York. He was the Yorkist leader during the Wars of the Roses until his death in battle when his son Edward became the leader of the Yorkist faction. His decisive victory over the Lancastrians at the Battle of Towton on March 29, 1461, cemented his status as King of England. He was crowned at Westminster Abbey on June 29, 1461. In 1464, King Edward IV married the widowed Elizabeth Woodville and they had ten children. If King Edward IV lived longer, perhaps he would have become one of England’s most powerful kings. He died a few weeks before his 41st birthday. His cause of death is not known for certain. Pneumonia, typhoid, malaria, poison, and an unhealthy lifestyle are some possibilities. King Edward IV was buried at St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle close by his rival King Henry VI.
Unofficial Royalty: King Edward IV of England

April 9, 1484 – Death of Edward of Middleham, Prince of Wales, son of King Richard III of England, at Middleham Castle in Middleham, England; his burial place is unknown
Edward of Middleham was one of the seven Princes of Wales who never became King. At the time of his birth, his parents were the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, the future King Richard III and his wife Lady Anne Neville. Edward was a sickly child and spent most of his time at Middleham Castle. King Richard III and Queen Anne were on a royal progress and had reached Nottingham when they heard that on April 9, 1484, their son Edward died of unknown causes at the age of ten at his birthplace, Middleham Castle. The Croyland Chronicle reported, “You might have seen his father and mother in a state almost bordering madness, by reason of their sudden grief.” His burial place is unknown.  For a very long time, it was thought that an effigy of a young boy on a cenotaph (empty tomb) in St. Helen and Holy Cross Church in Sheriff Hutton, England was Edward, but it is now thought to be an earlier member of the Neville family.
Unofficial Royalty: Edward of Middleham, Prince of Wales

April 9, 1649 – Birth of James Scott, 1st Duke of Monmouth, 1st Duke of Buccleuch, the illegitimate son of King Charles II of England and one of his mistresses Lucy Walter, in Rotterdam, the Netherlands
James was the eldest of Charles II’s illegitimate children. Sarah, Duchess of York, Princess Alice of Gloucester, and Diana, Princess of Wales are descendants of the Duke of Monmouth.  James was convicted of treason for leading a rebellion against his uncle King James II of England. James groveled at the feet of his uncle, begging for his life.  James was sent to the Tower of London and beheaded on Tower Hill on July 15, 1685.
Unofficial Royalty: James Scott, Duke of Monmouth

April 9, 1765 – Death of Marie Luise of Hesse-Kassel, Princess of Orange, wife of Johan Willem Friso, Prince of Orange, in Leeuwarden, Friesland, now in the Netherlands; buried with her husband at the Grote of Jacobijnerkerk in Leeuwarden
When she was 21-years-old, Marie Luise’s marriage was arranged by her future mother-in-law Henriëtte Amalia of Anhalt-Dessau who was concerned that her son Johan Willem Friso, Prince of Orange had been almost killed twice in battle and had no heir. Sadly, their marriage lasted only two years. While Johan Willem Friso’s carriage was crossing a river by ferry, the ferry capsized and Johan Willem Friso drowned at the age of 23. At the time of her husband’s death, Marie Luise was pregnant with her second child. Six weeks later, she gave birth to a son who immediately became Willem IV, Prince of Orange.  On April 9, 1765, Marie Luise died at the age of 77. She had survived her husband Johan Willem Friso by 54 years. Until 2022, Marie Luise of Hesse-Kassel and her husband held the distinction of being the most recent common ancestors to all currently reigning European monarchs. Louis IX, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt and his wife Countess Palatine Caroline of Zweibrücken became the most recent common ancestors of all current hereditary European monarchs on September 8, 2022 after Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, who was not a descendant, died and her son, Charles III, a descendant through his father, became king.
Unofficial Royalty: Marie Luise of Hesse-Kassel, Princess of Orange

April 9, 1806 – Death of Willem V, Prince of Orange in Brunswick, Principality of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, now in Lower Saxony, Germany; first buried in Brunswick, reinterred at the Nieuwe Kerk in Delft, the Netherlands on April 29, 1958
Willem was the son of Willem IV, Prince of Orange and Anne, Princess Royal, the eldest daughter of King George II of Great Britain. In 1767, Willem married Princess Wilhelmina of Prussia. They had five children, but only three survived infancy including Willem I, the first King of the Netherlands. In 1795, the revolutionary Patriots in the Dutch Republic, 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 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 the European mainland where they lived in the Principality of Orange-Nassau and the Principality of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel. Willem spent the rest of his life in exile. Willem was vilified during his lifetime and is still considered a failure as a ruler. Queen Wilhelmina refused to attend the reburial of Willem V at the Nieuwe Kerk. When asked why, she said that she did not want to walk behind the coffin of a fool.
Unofficial Royalty: Willem V, Prince of Orange

April 9, 1835 – Birth of King Leopold II of the Belgians in Brussels, Belgium
Full name: Léopold Louis Philippe Marie Victor
Leopold II was the second-born but first surviving child of King Leopold I of the Belgians. His father was formerly Prince Leopold of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, uncle of both Queen Victoria and her husband Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha and Leopold II was the first cousin of both Victoria and Albert. In 1853, he married Marie Henriette of Austria. They had three daughters and one son who died young. The marriage was not a happy one, and the couple lived mostly separate lives. After the death of their only son, Leopold and Marie Henriette tried to have another son, but the result was another daughter Clémentine. The couple completely separated after the birth of Clémentine. Leopold II was the second monarch of Belgium and is known for his exploitation of the Congo Free State for his personal gain and the horrendous atrocities committed against the native people. When Leopold II died at the age of 74, he was so unpopular with the Belgian people that his funeral procession was booed.
Unofficial Royalty: King Leopold II of the Belgians

April 9, 1882 – Birth of Friedrich Franz IV, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin in Palermo, Kingdom of Italy, now in Italy
Full name: Friedrich Franz Michael
Friedrich Franz became Grand Duke upon his father’s death in April 1897. Because he was still a minor, his uncle Duke Johann Albrecht, served as regent until Friedrich Franz came of age in 1901. Once he had taken control of his government, the young Grand Duke attempted to reform the Mecklenburg constitution. However, his efforts failed when the government of Mecklenburg-Strelitz refused to agree to his ideas. In 1904, he married Princess Alexandra of Hanover and Cumberland and they had five children. Friedrich Franz was the last Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, abdicating on November 14, 1918. Forced to leave Mecklenburg-Schwerin, Friedrich Franz and his family traveled to Denmark at the invitation of his sister, Queen Alexandrine where they lived for a year, before being permitted to return to Mecklenburg, Germany, and recovering several of the family’s properties. At the end of World War II, with the advance of the Soviet Union’s Red Army, Friedrich Franz, his wife, and son Christian Ludwig, fled to Glücksburg Castle, in Glücksburg, Germany, the home of his youngest daughter and her husband, intending to return to Denmark. However, he became ill, and while under house arrest at Glücksburg  Castle, died at the age of 63.
Unofficial Royalty: Friedrich Franz IV, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin

April 9, 1914 – Death of Empress Shōken of Japan, wife of Emperor Meiji of Japan, at the Imperial Villa in Numazu, Japan; buried in the East Mound of the Fushimi Momoyama Ryo in Kyoto, Japan, her soul was enshrined in Meiji Shrine in Tokyo, Japan
Born Lady Masako Ichijō, Empress Shōken would be the first Empress Consort of Japan to play a public role but sadly, she had no children. Emperor Meiji had fifteen children by five official ladies-in-waiting but only five children survived to adulthood. Empress Shōken officially adopted Yoshihito, her husband’s eldest surviving son by a concubine, as was the custom. Emperor Meiji died in 1912, at the age of 59. He had suffered from diabetes, nephritis, and gastroenteritis, and died of uremia. Yoshihito succeeded his father as Emperor and is known as Emperor Taishō, his posthumous name. Empress Shōken survived her husband by less than two years, dying on April 9, 1914, at the age of 64.
Unofficial Royalty: Empress Shōken of Japan

April 9, 1953 – Wedding of Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg and Princess Josephine-Charlotte of Belgium at Notre Dame Cathedral in Luxembourg City, Luxembourg
Rumors of a Belgian-Luxembourg engagement began appearing in the press in November 1952. While Joséphine-Charlotte and Jean were indeed officially engaged the previous month, the engagement was not made official to the public until December 26, 1952. The April 9, 1953 wedding date was announced the following day. The wedding was attended by 2500 guests, including three kings, three queens, 40 princes, and princesses, all from ruling and former houses of European royalty.
Unofficial Royalty: Wedding of Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg and Princess Josephine-Charlotte of Belgium

April 9, 1955 – Birth of Princess Tomohito of Mikasa, widow of Prince Tomohito of Mikasa, born Nobuko Asō in Tokyo, Japan
Princess Tomohito was married to Prince Tomohito of Mikasa, a first cousin of Emperor Emeritus Akihito, who died in 2012 from cancer complications. Princess Tomohito supports many Japanese and international organizations dealing with cancer research and the promotion of the welfare of people with physical or mental disabilities.  She serves as President of the Tokyo Jikeikai, a foundation to fund the Tokyo Jikeikai Hospital and the Jikeikai University School of Medicine.
Unofficial Royalty: Princess Tomohito of Mikasa

April 9, 1961 – Death of King Zog I of the Albanians at the Foch Hospital in Suresnes, Hauts-de-Seine, France;  first buried in the Thiais Cemetery in Paris, France, in November 2012, his remains were reinterred in the newly rebuilt Royal Mausoleum in Tirana, Albania
After Albania achieved independence, Ahmed Muhtar Zogu held numerous positions within the government, including Minister of the Interior, Chief of the Albanian Military, Prime Minister, and President. In 1927, several Albanian politicians suggested that Albania should become a monarchy again. A commission was quickly established and on August 30, 1928, the Constitutional Assembly overwhelmingly approved the vote. The Kingdom of Albania was established, and President Zogu was offered the throne. The following day, September 1, 1928, Ahmet Zogu took the oath, becoming King Zog I of the Albanians, the country’s first and only reigning King. In 1938, King Zog married Geraldine Apponyi de Nagy-Appony. On April 7, 1939, just two days after Queen Geraldine gave birth to the couple’s only child, Italian forces invaded Albania. Despite attempts to hold them off, the Albanian military was unsuccessful and the royal family was forced into exile. After several years of ill health, King Zog passed away on April 9, 1961, at the age of 66.
Unofficial Royalty: King Zog I of the Albanians

April 9, 2005 – Wedding of King Charles III of the United Kingdom and Queen Consort Camilla at the Guildhall in Windsor, England
King Charles III, then The Prince of Wales, and Camilla Parker Bowles were married in a civil ceremony at the Windsor Guildhall in Windsor, England followed by a Service of Prayer and Dedication at St. George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle in Windsor, England.
Unofficial Royalty: Wedding of King Charles III and Camilla Parker Bowles

April 9, 2021 – Death of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, husband of Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, at Windsor Castle in Windsor, England; buried in the King George VI Memorial Chapel at St. George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle in Windsor, England
Born Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark, he was the son of Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark and  Princess Alice of Battenberg. In 1947, he married the future Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom and they had four children. Prince Philip was the patron of over 800 organizations in the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth with special interests in scientific and technological research and development, the encouragement of sport, the welfare of young people, and conservation and the environment. He accompanied Queen Elizabeth on her Commonwealth tours and State visits, as well as on most of her public engagements in the United Kingdom. Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh died at Windsor Castle in Windsor, England on April 9, 2021, at the age of 99, just two months short of his 100th birthday.
Unofficial Royalty: Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
Unofficial Royalty: Funeral of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
Unofficial Royalty: Service of Thanksgiving for Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh

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Kalākaua, King of the Hawaiian Islands

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2024

The Hawaiian Islands, located in the Pacific Ocean, were originally divided into several independent chiefdoms. The Kingdom of Hawaii was formed in 1795, when the warrior chief Kamehameha the Great of the independent island of Hawaii, conquered the independent islands of Oahu, Maui, Molokai, and Lanai, and unified them under one government and ruled as Kamehameha I, King of the Hawaiian Islands. In 1810, the whole Hawaiian archipelago became unified when Kauai and Niihau voluntarily joined the Kingdom of Hawaii. Two major dynastic families ruled the kingdom: the House of Kamehameha and the House of Kalākaua.

In 1778, British explorer James Cook visited the islands. This led to increased trade and the introduction of new technologies and ideas. In the mid-19th century, American influence in Hawaii dramatically increased when American merchants, missionaries, and settlers arrived on the islands. Protestant missionaries converted most of the native people to Christianity. Merchants set up sugar plantations and the United States Navy established a base at Pearl Harbor. The newcomers brought diseases that were new to the indigenous people including influenza, measles, smallpox, syphilis, tuberculosis, and whooping cough. At the time of James Cook’s arrival in 1778, the indigenous Hawaiian population is estimated to have been between 250,000 and 800,000. By 1890, the indigenous Hawaiian population declined had to less than 40,000.

In 1893, a group of local businessmen and politicians composed of six non-native Hawaiian Kingdom subjects, five American nationals, one British national, and one German national overthrew Queen Liliuokalani, her cabinet, and her marshal, and took over the government of the Kingdom of Hawaii. This led to the 1898 annexation of Hawaii as a United States territory. On August 21, 1959, Hawaii became the 50th state of the United States.

In 1993, one hundred years after the Hawaiian monarchy was overthrown, the United States Congress passed and President Bill Clinton signed the Apology Resolution which “acknowledges that the overthrow of the Kingdom of Hawaii occurred with the active participation of agents and citizens of the United States and further acknowledges that the Native Hawaiian people never directly relinquished to the United States their claims to their inherent sovereignty as a people over their national lands, either through the Kingdom of Hawaii or through a plebiscite or referendum”. As a result, the Hawaiian sovereignty movement, a grassroots political and cultural campaign to reestablish an autonomous or independent nation or kingdom in Hawaii, was established along with ongoing efforts to redress the indigenous Hawaiian population.

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Kalākaua, King of the Hawaiian Islands; Credit – Wikipedia

Known for his patronage and the restoration of many Hawaiian cultural traditions, Kalākaua, King of the Hawaiian Islands from 1874 – 1891 was the first of the two monarchs of the Kingdom of the Hawaiian Islands from the House of Kalākaua. He was born David Laʻamea Kamanakapuʻu Māhinulani Nālaʻiaʻehuokalani Lumialani Kalākaua on November 16, 1836, in the grass hut compound of his maternal grandfather at the base of Punchbowl Crater in Honolulu, Kingdom of Hawaii now in the state of Hawaii. Known as David, he was the second eldest of the seven surviving children who survived infancy and the second of the three surviving sons of first cousins Caesar Kaluaiku Kamakaʻehukai Kahana Keola Kapaʻakea and Analea Keohokālole.

David’s family was aliʻi nui, Hawaiian nobility, and were distantly related to the reigning House of Kamehameha, sharing common descent from Keaweʻīkekahialiʻiokamoku, King of the island of Hawaii and the great-grandfather of Kamehameha I, the first King of the Kingdom of Hawaii. His father Caesar Kapaʻakea was a Hawaiian chief who served in the House of Nobles from 1845 until he died in 1866 and on the King’s Privy Council from 1846 – 1866. David’s mother Analea Keohokālole, who was of a higher rank than her husband, was a Hawaiian chiefess and a member of the House of Nobles from 1841 to 1847, and on the King’s Privy Council 1846 to 1847.

David had six siblings who survived infancy:

David, aged fourteen; Credit – Wikipedia

David was declared eligible to be in the line of succession by the royal decree of King Kamehameha III and therefore attended the Chiefs’ Children’s School, later known as Royal School, in Honolulu, which is still in existence as a public elementary school, the Royal Elementary School, the oldest school on the island of Oahu. His classmates included the other children declared eligible to be in the line of succession including his siblings James Kaliokalani and the future Queen Lydia Liliʻuokalani, and their thirteen royal relations including the future kings Kamehameha IV, Kamehameha V, and Lunalilo. Following his formal schooling, David studied law under Charles Coffin Harris, a New England lawyer who became a politician and judge in the Kingdom of Hawaii. David would appoint Harris as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Hawaii in 1877. David held various military, government, and court positions that provided him with much experience for his future role as King of the Hawaiian Islands.

David’s wife Queen Kapiʻolani; Credit – Wikipedia

On December 19, 1863, David married Kapiʻolani Napelakapuokakaʻe, the daughter of High Chief Kūhiō Kalanianaʻole of Hilo and High Chiefess Kinoiki Kekaulike of Kauaʻi, the daughter of King Kaumualiʻi, the last king of an independent Kauaʻi. Kapiʻolani was the widow of High Chief Bennett Nāmākēhā, the uncle of King Kamehameha IV’s wife Queen Emma, and served as Queen Emma’s lady-in-waiting, and Prince Albert Edward Kamehameha‘s nurse and caretaker, the only child of King Kamehameha IV and Queen Emma who died when he was four years old. David and Kapiʻolani’s marriage was childless.

On February 3, 1874, Lunalilo, King of the Hawaiian Islands (born William Charles Lunalilo) died from tuberculosis at the age of 39 without naming an heir. As King Lunalilo had wanted to make Hawaii more democratic, it is thought that he wished to have the people choose their next ruler. The Legislature of the Hawaiian Kingdom, the people’s representatives, would choose the next monarch from the eligible royal family members. Queen Emma, the widow of King Kamehameha IV, claimed that King Lunalilo had wanted her to succeed him, but he died before a formal proclamation could be made. She decided to run in the election against David who had lost to King Lunalilo in a similar election in 1873. While the Hawaiian people supported Emma, it was the legislature that elected the new monarch. They favored David who won the election 39 – 6. David reigned as King Kalākaua and became the first of two monarchs of the Kingdom of Hawaiian Islands from the House of Kalākaua, who were also the last two monarchs of the Kingdom of Hawaii. Upon his accession to the throne, David named his brother William Pitt Leleiohoku II as his heir apparent. When his brother died from rheumatic fever in 1877, David changed the name of his sister Lydia Dominis to Liliuokalani and named her as his heir apparent. She acted as regent during her brother’s absences from the country, and after his death, she became the last monarch of Hawaii.

During David’s reign, the Reciprocity Treaty of 1875, a free trade agreement between the Kingdom of the Hawaiian Islands and the United States greatly benefitted Hawaii. The treaty gave free access to the United States market for sugar and other products grown in the Kingdom of Hawaii. In return, Hawaii guaranteed the United States that it would not cede or lease any of its land to other foreign powers. The treaty led to large investment by Americans in sugarcane plantations in Hawaii. At a later time, an additional clause was added to the treaty allowing the United States exclusive use of land in the area known as Puʻu Loa, which was later used for the American Pearl Harbor naval base. David’s extravagant expenditures and his plans for a Polynesian confederation gave power to the annexationists who were already working toward a United States takeover of Hawaii, which would happen during the reign of David’s sister Queen Liliuokalani. In 1887, David was pressured to sign a new constitution that made the monarchy little more than a figurehead position.

The hula being danced at David’s 49th birthday celebrations; Credit – Wikipedia

During the earlier reigns of Christian converts, dancing the hula was forbidden and punishable by law. Gradually Hawaiian monarchs began to allow the hula but it was David who brought it back in full force. David encouraged Hawaiians with knowledge of the old songs and chants to participate in events and arranged for musicologists to observe and document the old songs and chants. Called the “Merrie Monarch” for his patronage of the arts and the restoration of many Hawaiian cultural traditions during his reign, David is honored by the Merrie Monarch Festival, an annual week-long cultural festival in Hilo, Hawaii, held the week after Easter.

David (in white slacks) aboard the USS Charleston en route to San Francisco; Credit – Wikipedia

On November 25, 1890, David sailed for California aboard the USS Charleston. The purpose of the trip was uncertain but there were reports that the trip was for his ill health. David arrived in San Francisco, California on December 5, 1890. He suffered a minor stroke in Santa Barbara, California, and was rushed back to San Francisco. Two days before his death, he lapsed into a coma. Kalākaua, King of the Hawaiian Islands, born David Laʻamea Kamanakapuʻu Māhinulani Nālaʻiaʻehuokalani Lumialani Kalākaua died in San Francisco, California on January 20, 1891, aged 54. He had been under the care of US Navy doctors who listed the cause of his death as nephritis, an inflammation of the kidneys.

Funeral Procession; Credit – Wikipedia

News of David’s death did not reach Hawaii until January 29, 1891, when the USS Charleston returned to Hawaii with his remains. His sister Liliuokalani ascended to the throne of the Queen of the Hawaiian Islands the same day. After a state funeral, David was buried in the Royal Mausoleum at Mauna ʻAla on February 15, 1891.

Tomb of David and his wife; Credit – Wikipedia

Due to overcrowding, in 1907, the Territory of Hawaii allocated $20,000 for the construction of a separate underground vault for the Kalākaua family. David’s coffin and the coffins of the Kalākaua family were transferred to the new underground Kalākaua Crypt in a ceremony on June 24, 1910, officiated by his sister, the former Queen Liliuokalani.

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

  • Wikimedia Foundation. (2024). Kalākaua. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kal%C4%81kaua
  • Wikimedia Foundation. (2023). Royal Mausoleum (Mauna ʻAla). Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Mausoleum_(Mauna_%CA%BBAla)
  • Wikimedia Foundation. (2023). Hawaiian Kingdom. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawaiian_Kingdom

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April 8: Today in Royal History

© Unofficial Royalty 2024

Albert I, King of the Belgians; Credit – Wikipedia

April 8, 1605 – Birth of King Felipe IV of Spain at  the Royal Palace of Valladolid in Valladolid, Spain
Besides being King of Spain, Felipe was also King of Portugal (from 1621 to 1640) and King of Sardinia, King of Naples, King of Sicily, Duke of Milan, Duke of Lothier, Duke of Brabant, Duke of Limburg, Duke of Luxemburg, Count Palatine of Burgundy, Count of Flanders, Count of Hainaut and Count of Namur from 1621 until his death in 1665. Felipe first married Elisabeth of France. They had eight children but only their youngest child survived to adulthood. Elisabeth died in 1644 after a miscarriage. In 1649, 44-year-old Felipe IV married his son’s former fiancée, his 14-year-old niece Mariana of Austria. They had five children but only two survived childhood. The Spanish House of Habsburg would end with the reign of Felipe IV and Mariana’s physically and mentally disabled son Carlos II, King of Spain. Carlos II’s disabilities were due to the serious inbreeding within the House of Habsburg. After great suffering from dysentery, Felipe IV, King of Spain, aged 60, died on September 17, 1665.
Unofficial Royalty: King Felipe IV of Spain

April 8, 1612 – Death of Anna Katharina of Brandenburg, Queen of Denmark, first wife of King Christian IV of Denmark and Norway, in Copenhagen, Denmark; buried in Roskilde Cathedral in Roskilde, Denmark
Anna Katharina of Brandenburg married King Christian IV of Denmark in 1597 and they had six children. She was praised for her modesty and piety and often accompanied Christian IV on his trips but had no influence on the politics of Denmark. Christian IV had affairs during his marriage and Anna Katharina was certainly aware of them. A little more than a year after the birth of her last child, Anna Katharina died on April 8, 1612, at the age of 36.
Unofficial Royalty: Anna Katharina of Brandenburg, Queen of Denmark and Norway

April 8, 1676 – Death of Archduchess Claudia Felicitas of Austria, the second of the three wives and the second cousin of Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor, in Vienna, Austria; buried in the Dominican Church, also known as the Church of St. Maria Rotund, in Vienna
Claudia Felicitas married her second cousin the future Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor. Claudia Felicitas and Leopold I combined for a gene pool that was also problematic. They were second cousins four times over. Leopold’s parents and Claudia Felicitas’ parents were all double first cousins with each other. All four had the same pair of grandparents Karl II, Archduke of Austria and Maria Anna of Bavaria. Perhaps that is why their two daughters died in infancy. Six months after giving birth to her last daughter, 22-year-old Claudia Felicitas died from tuberculosis on April 8, 1676, less than two-and-a-half years after her marriage.
Unofficial Royalty: Archduchess Claudia Felicitas of Austria

April 8, 1783 – Death of Karoline Luise of Hesse-Darmstadt, Margravine of Baden, 1st wife of Karl Friedrich, Margrave of Baden-Durlach, later the first Grand Duke of Baden, in Paris, France; buried at St. Michael’s Church in Pforzheim, Grand Duchy of Baden, now in Baden-Württemberg, Germany
In 1751, Karoline Luise married the future Karl Friedrich, the first Grand Duke of Baden and they had four children. Karoline Luise’s numerous collections, including artwork, musical manuscripts, minerals, and other natural history artifacts, later formed the foundation for several museums in Karlsruhe.  After falling down some stairs in 1779, her health began to deteriorate. While in Paris, France with her son, she suffered a stroke and died.
Unofficial Royalty: Karoline Luise of Hesse-Darmstadt, Margravine of Baden

April 8, 1795 – Wedding of George, Prince of Wales (later King George IV) and Caroline of Brunswick at St. James Palace in London, England
This marriage was one of the worst ever royal marriages. Upon first seeing Caroline, George said to his valet, “Harris, I am not well. Pray get me a glass of brandy.” Caroline said George was fat and not as handsome as his portrait. 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. They found each other equally unattractive, and never lived together nor appeared in public together.
Unofficial Royalty: King George IV of the United Kingdom
Unofficial Royalty: Caroline of Brunswick, Queen of the United Kingdom

April 8, 1801 – Birth of Archduchess Maria Karoline of Austria, Crown Princess of Saxony, first wife of the future King Friedrich August II of Saxony, in Vienna, Austria
Full name: Maria Karoline Ferdinande Theresia Josephine Demetria
Maria Karoline was the first wife of the future King Friedrich August II of Saxony. She never served as Queen, as she died before her husband’s accession. She had epilepsy and was often plagued with seizures that left her incapacitated for long periods of time.
Unofficial Royalty: Maria Karoline of Austria, Crown Princess of Saxony

April 8, 1818 – Birth of King Christian IX of Denmark at Gottorp Castle in Schleswig, Duchy of Schleswig, now in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany
Born: Prince Christian of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg
Not born destined to be a king, King Christian IX was the father of King Frederick VIII of Denmark, King George I of Greece, Queen Alexandra of the United Kingdom, and Empress Marie Feodorovna of Russia. He was as much the “grandfather of Europe” as Queen Victoria was the “grandmother”. His grandchildren sat upon the thrones of Denmark, the United Kingdom, Russia, Greece, and Norway. He is the ancestor of six of the ten current European monarchs: King Charles III of the United Kingdom (through both his parents), King Frederik X of Denmark, King Harald of Norway, Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg, Philippe, King of the Belgians, and King Felipe VI of Spain. The late former King Michael of Romania and the late former King Constantine of Greece are also among his many descendants.
Unofficial Royalty: King Christian IX of Denmark
Unofficial Royalty: Children, Grandchildren, Great-Grandchildren and Notable Descendants of King Christian IX of Denmark

April 8, 1824 – Birth of Sophie of the Netherlands, Grand Duchess of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, daughter of King Willem II of the Netherlands and wife of Karl Alexander, Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, at Lange Voorhout Palace in The Hague in the Netherlands
Full name: Wilhelmine Marie Sophie Luise
In 1842, Sophie married Grand Duke Karl Alexander of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach and the couple had four children. With her own significant wealth, she founded numerous schools and hospitals throughout the grand duchy. Sophie was the sister of King Willem III of the Netherlands. When her brother died in 1890, the Dutch throne passed to his ten-year-old only surviving child Queen Wilhelmina, and Sophie was first in line to inherit the Dutch throne until her death in 1897. She was very close to her niece Wilhelmina and her sister-in-law Queen Emma and made regular visits to the Netherlands to see them. After the death of her son in 1894, Sophie’s health began to deteriorate. She died on March 23, 1897, aged 73.
Unofficial Royalty: Sophie of the Netherlands, Grand Duchess of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach

April 8, 1875 – Birth of Albert I, King of the Belgians at the Palais de la Régence in Brussels, Belgium
Full name: Albert Léopold Clément Marie Meinrad
In 1900, Albert married Duchess Elisabeth in Bavaria. They had three children including Leopold III, King of the Belgians and  Marie-José who married King Umberto II of Italy. Albert, who had become heir-presumptive upon his father’s death in 1905, succeeded his uncle as King Albert I of the Belgians in 1909. Albert was an avid mountain climber. Sadly, this would bring about his early death. On February 17, 1934, while climbing alone on the Roche de Vieux Bon Dieu at Marche-les-Dames, in the Ardennes region of Belgium, King Albert I fell to his death.
Unofficial Royalty: Albert I, King of the Belgians

April 8, 1938 – Death of George Mountbatten, 2nd Marquess of Milford Haven, son of Prince Ludwig (Louis) of Battenberg (later 1st Marquess of Milford Haven) and Princess Victoria of Hesse and by Rhine, in London, England; buried in Bray Cemetery in Bray, Berkshire, England
Born Prince George of Battenberg, he was instrumental in the upbringing of his nephew Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh after Philip’s mother suffered a breakdown and his father was more or less separated from the family. George became Philip’s primary guardian, serving as a surrogate father and arranging for, and financing, Philip’s education. George died from bone marrow cancer at the age of 45.
Unofficial Royalty: George Mountbatten, 2nd Marquess of Milford Haven

April 8, 1970 – Death of Prince Felix of Bourbon-Parma, Prince of Luxembourg, husband of Grand Duchess Charlotte of Luxembourg, at Fischbach Castle in Fischbach, Luxembourg; buried at the Cathedral Notre-Dame in Luxembourg City, Luxembourg
Felix was the son of Robert I, Duke of Parma and his second wife, Infanta Maria Antonia of Portugal, and a brother of Zita who married Karl I, the last Emperor of Austria. In 1919, Felix married his first cousin Grand Duchess Charlotte of Luxembourg and the couple had six children. Felix spent his married life supporting his wife and helping to bring more prominence to the small Grand Duchy. In 1964, Charlotte decided to abdicate, and their son Jean became the new Grand Duke. Felix and Charlotte spent their remaining years at Fischbach Castle, devoted to their grandchildren and extended family. Prince Félix died on April 8, 1970, aged 77.
Unofficial Royalty: Prince Felix of Bourbon-Parma, Prince of Luxembourg

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April 7: Today in Royal History

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King Charles VIII of France; Credit – Wikipedia

April 7, 1498 – Death of King Charles VIII of France at Château d’Amboise in France; buried at Saint-Denis Basilica near Paris, France
Charles VIII was the only surviving son of King Louis XI of France. In 1492, Charles married Anne, Duchess of Brittany in her own right. They had seven children but none survived. On April 7, 1498, Charles and his wife planned to watch a game of jeu de paume (real tennis). As they were walking to the tennis court at the Château d’Amboise, Charles violently hit his head on a stone lintel of a low door. He stumbled but did not lose consciousness and proceeded to the tennis court where he watched the game. At around two o’clock in the afternoon, Charles suddenly collapsed, fell into a coma, and died nine hours later at the age of 27. Modern medical experts suspect that Charles died from a head trauma that led to a stroke with a subdural hematoma and neurological damage.
Unofficial Royalty: King Charles VIII of France

April 7, 1816 – Death of Maria Ludovika of Austria-Este, Empress of Austria, third wife of Emperor Franz I of Austria, at the Palazzo Canossa in Verona, Kingdom of Lombardy-Venetia, now in Italy; buried at the Imperial Crypt in Vienna, Austria
Maria Ludovika was the third of the four wives of Franz I, Emperor of Austria but their marriage was childless.  During the years of the Napoleonic conflicts, Maria Ludovika was ill with tuberculosis. After the defeat of Napoleon, she visited her former home in Modena, now liberated, and other Italian cities with her husband. Maria Ludovika was very ill and weak and told her mother that she wanted to die. In March 1816, she was in Verona, too ill to continue her travels. Her physician who was traveling with her called in numerous famous doctors but to no avail. 28-year-old Maria Ludovika died with her husband at her bedside.
Unofficial Royalty: Maria Ludovika of Austria-Este, Empress of Austria

April 7, 1818 – Wedding of Princess Elizabeth of the United Kingdom, daughter of King George III of the United Kingdom, and Landgrave Friedrich VI of Hesse-Homburg, at the Private Chapel, Buckingham Palace in London, England
Elizabeth was the third daughter and seventh child of King George III of the United Kingdom. She was one of three of the six over-protected daughters of George III to marry. Elizabeth married late in life at age 48 to Hereditary Prince Friedrich of Hesse-Homburg.  Her husband succeeded his father as Landgrave of Hesse-Homburg in 1820. When her husband died in 1829, Elizabeth wrote: “No woman was ever more happy than I was for eleven years and they will often be lived over again in the memory of the heart.”
Unofficial Royalty: Elizabeth of the United Kingdom, Landgravine of Hesse-Homburg
Unofficial Royalty: Friedrich VI, Landgrave of Hesse-Homburg

April 7, 1845 – Death of Julie Clary, wife of King Joseph Bonaparte of Spain and Naples, in Florence, Grand Duchy of Tuscany, now in Italy; buried at the Basilica Santa Croce in Florence
Marie Julie Clary was the wife of Napoleon Bonaparte’s brother Joseph Bonaparte who was King of Naples from 1806 – 1808, and King of Spain from 1808 – 1813. Julie and Joseph had two daughters. In 1808, King Carlos IV of Spain and his son King Fernando VII were summoned to a meeting with Napoleon where they forced them both to abdicate their rights to the Spanish throne. Napoleon declared the Bourbon dynasty of Spain deposed and installed his brother Joseph as King of Spain. Julie never lived in or even traveled to Spain, preferring to live in France. In 1813, Due to the defeats in the Peninsular War, Napoleon was forced to reinstate Ferdinand VII as King of Spain. Joseph went into exile in Switzerland and Julie remained in France.  Joseph eventually went to the United States where he lived for seventeen years before returning to Europe. In 1840, Joseph joined Julie in Florence, where she had settled. Julie accepted him back despite his adultery In the United States which resulted in two American daughters. In 1844, Joseph died in Florence. Julie survived him by eight months dying in Florence on April 7, 1845, aged seventy-three.
Unofficial Royalty: Julie Clary, Queen of Spain and Naples

April 7, 1853 – Birth of Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany, son of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom, at Buckingham Palace in London, England
Full name: Leopold George Duncan Albert
Prince Leopold was the eighth of the nine children and the fourth and youngest son of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. Leopold was described as delicate from a very early age. It soon became apparent that he suffered from the genetic disease hemophilia. He was the first of the nine hemophiliacs among Queen Victoria’s descendants. In 1882, Leopold married Princess Helena of Waldeck-Pyrmont. The couple had a son and a daughter. Leopold and Helena are the great-grandparents of Carl XVI Gustaf, the current King of Sweden. Unfortunately, Leopold and Helena’s marriage was short-lived. In early 1884, Leopold’s doctors recommended that he spend the winter in Cannes, France, which he had done before. At the time, Helena was expecting her second child. On March 27, 1884, Leopold slipped and fell on the staircase at Villa Nevada, the private home where he was staying in Cannes. He injured his knee and hit his head, and died early in the morning of March 28, 1884, apparently of a cerebral hemorrhage, the injuries having been exacerbated by his hemophilia. He was 31 years old.
Unofficial Royalty: Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany
Unofficial Royalty: Hemophilia in Queen Victoria’s Descendants

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Royal Birthdays & Anniversaries: April 7 – April 13

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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.

Photo Credit: www.kunaicho.go.jp

69th birthday of Princess Tomohito of Mikasa, widow of Prince Tomohito of Japan; born Aso Nobuko in Tokyo, Japan on April 9, 1955
Prince Tomohito, who died in 2012, was a first cousin of Emperor Akihito.
Unofficial Royalty: Princess Tomohito of Mikasa

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After the civil ceremony

19th wedding anniversary of King Charles III and Queen Consort Camilla of the United Kingdom, married at the Guildhall in Windsor, England on April 9, 2005
Unofficial Royalty: Wedding of King Charles III and Camilla Parker-Bowles
Unofficial Royalty: King Charles III of the United Kingdom
Unofficial Royalty: Queen Consort Camilla of the United Kingdom

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65th wedding anniversary of Emperor Emeritus Akihito of Japan and Empress Emerita Michiko; married at the Imperial Palace Shrine in Tokyo, Japan on April 10, 1959
Michiko Shōda was the first commoner to marry into the Imperial Family.
Unofficial Royalty: Wedding of Emperor Akihito of Japan and Michiko Shōda
Unofficial Royalty: Emperor Emeritus Akihito
Unofficial Royalty: Empress Emerita Michiko of Japan

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Embed from Getty Images
Princess Tatjana with her aunt Princess Nora

61st birthday of Princess Tatjana of Liechtenstein, daughter of  Prince Hans-Adam II of Liechtenstein; born in St. Gallen, Switzerland on April 10, 1973
Full name: Tatjana Nora Maria
Unofficial Royalty: Princess Tatjana of Liechtenstein

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Princess Ariane of the Netherlands, December 2023

17th birthday of Princess Ariane of the Netherlands, daughter of King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands; born at Bronovo Hospital in The Hague, The Netherlands on April 10, 2007
Full name: Ariane Wilhelmina Máxima Inés
Unofficial Royalty: Princess Ariane of the Netherlands

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Embed from Getty Images

21st wedding anniversary of Prince Laurent of Belgium and Claire Coombs; married at the Cathedral of Saints Michael and Gudula in Brussels, Belgium on April 12, 2003
Unofficial Royalty: Prince Laurent of Belgium
Unofficial Royalty: Princess Claire of Belgium

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Royal News Recap for Friday, April 5, 2024

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Royal News Recaps are published Mondays-Fridays and on Sundays, except for Thanksgiving in the United States, Christmas Eve, and New Year’s Eve. The Royal News Recap for Sundays will be a weekend recap. If there is any breaking or major news, we will add an update as necessary.

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Brunei

Denmark

Monaco

Norway

Spain

Thailand

United Arab Emirates

United Kingdom

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Disclaimer: Please be advised that any media article titles or content that appear in the Royal News that identify members of royal families with their maiden names, nicknames, incorrect style or title, etc., come directly from the media source and not from Unofficial Royalty. We encourage you to contact the media sources to express your concern about their use of the incorrect name, style, title, etc. Contact information can usually be found at the bottom of each media source’s main page.

Richard FitzRoy, Illegitimate Son of King John of England

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2024

Richard FitzRoy’s father King John of England; Credit – Wikipedia

Richard FitzRoy, born circa 1185/1186, was the illegitimate son of King John of England and Ela de Warenne. His surname FitzRoy comes from the Anglo-Norman Fitz, meaning “son of” and Roy, meaning “king”, implying the original bearer of the surname was a child of a king. Richard was also called Richard de Chilham and Richard de Dover. His paternal grandparents were King Henry II of England and Eleanor of Aquitaine. Richard’s maternal grandparents were Hamelin de Warenne, Earl of Surrey and Isabel de Warenne, 4th Countess of Surrey, one of the wealthiest heiresses in England.

Richard’s maternal grandfather Hamelin de Warenne, originally Hamelin of Anjou, was the illegitimate son of Geoffrey V, Count of Anjou who was married to Empress Matilda, Lady of the English, the only surviving child of King Henry I of England. Geoffrey and Matilda were the parents of King Henry II of England so therefore Hamelin was the elder half-brother of King Henry II, and the uncle to Henry II’s children including King Richard I and King John.

Richard’s royal half-siblings (l to r) Henry, Richard, Isabella, Eleanor, and Joan; Credit – Wikipedia

King John had several long-term mistresses and around twelve illegitimate children, Richard’s half-siblings. Richard had five royal half-siblings from his father’s marriage to Isabella of Angoulême, Countess of Angoulême in her own right:

Before May 11, 1214, Richard married Rohese de Dover, the only child and heiress of Fulbert II de Dover and Isabel de Briwere of Devon. Through his marriage, Richard received Chilham Castle in Chilham, Kent, England and about a dozen fiefs in Kent and Essex, and became 1st Baron of Chilham.

Richard and Rohese had three children:

Battle of Sandwich, showing the capture of the French flagship & the killing of Eustace the Monk; Credit – Wikipedia

During the First Barons’ War (1215 – 1217), when a group of barons, with the support of King Philippe II of France, rebelled against Richard’s father King John of England, Richard supported his father as one of the commanders of the royal army. On August 24, 1217, during the naval Battle of Sandwich, Richard, in command of a ship, attacked and captured the French flagship and personally killed Eustace the Monk, the commander of the French fleet. Richard’s father King John died on October 19, 1216, and was succeeded by his nine-year-old son King Henry III of England. The First Barons’ War continued after King John’s death, but the great William Marshal, 1st Earl of Pembroke, who served four English kings – Henry II, Richard I, John, and Henry III – managed to get most barons to switch sides from working with France to the new King Henry III and attacking the French.

Richard was the constable of several castles including the important Wallingford Castle in Berkshire, England, and served as Sheriff of Berkshire. He took part in the Fifth Crusade during the successful Siege of Damietta (1218 – 1219) in Egypt and then returned to England. In 1223, Richard accompanied his half-brother King Henry III on a campaign in Wales, and in 1225 he accompanied Alexander II, King of Scots, who was married to his half-sister Joan of England, on his pilgrimage to Canterbury.

In May 1230, King Henry III organized a campaign attempting to regain some of the Norman and Angevin French ancestral territories that his father had lost, and Richard accompanied his half-brother. The campaign did not go well. Henry III made a truce with King Louis X of France and returned to England having achieved nothing but a costly fiasco. After that, Richard had a career in royal service, mostly in command of castles on the Welsh border.

St. Mary’s Church and Churchyard in Chilham, Kent, England; Credit – www.findagrave.com

Richard FitzRoy, died before June 24, 1246, aged around sixty, at Chilham Castle in Chilham, Kent, England. All that is left of the Norman castle is the keep. A manor house, also called Chilham Castle, was built on the property in 1616 and still exists. It is thought that Richard was buried at St. Mary’s Churchyard in Chilham, Kent, England.

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

  • Flantzer, Susan. (2016). King John of England. Unofficial Royalty. https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/king-john-of-england/
  • Richard Fitzroy (1186-1246) – Find a Grave… Find a Grave. (n.d.). https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/157307212/richard-fitzroy
  • Richard Fitzroy, Baron of Chilham. geni_family_tree. (2023, August 13). https://www.geni.com/people/Richard-fitzRoy-Baron-of-Chilham/6000000013116383679
  • Wikimedia Foundation. (2023). Richard Fitzroy. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_FitzRoy
  • Wikimedia Foundation. (2024). Ричард Фицрой, 1-й барон Чилхем. Wikipedia (Russian). https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%A0%D0%B8%D1%87%D0%B0%D1%80%D0%B4_%D0%A4%D0%B8%D1%86%D1%80%D0%BE%D0%B9,_1-%D0%B9_%D0%B1%D0%B0%D1%80%D0%BE%D0%BD_%D0%A7%D0%B8%D0%BB%D1%85%D0%B5%D0%BC

April 6: Today in Royal History

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Grand Duchess Xenia Alexandrovna of Russia; Credit – Wikipedia

April 6, 1199 – Death of King Richard I of England (the Lionheart) at the Siege of Chalus in France; buried at Fontevrault Abbey near Chinon, France
Richard succeeded his father King Henry II in 1189. He spent very little time in England, perhaps as little as six months, during his ten-year reign. Rather than regarding the Kingdom of England as a responsibility requiring his presence as the king, Richard saw England as a source of revenue to support his armies. Most of his reign was spent on Crusade, in captivity, or actively defending his lands in France. In March 1199, Richard was suppressing a revolt by besieging a castle, the Château de Châlus-Chabrol in Châlus in the present-day Limousin region in western France. On the evening of March 25, 1199, Richard was walking the perimeter of the castle observing the trenches that were being dug. Not wearing his chainmail, Richard was hit by an arrow from a crossbow shot by a soldier on the castle battlements. The wound became infected. Richard’s mother, Eleanor of Aquitaine, arrived before Richard’s death. He died in his mother’s arms.
Unofficial Royalty: King Richard I of England

April 6, 1752 – Death of Charlotte Helene von Schindel, mistress of Frederik IV, King of Denmark and Norway, in Flensburg, Denmark, now in Germany
After the death of his mistress Elisabeth Helene von Vieregg, Frederik IV began an affair with her lady-in-waiting, Charlotte Helene von Schindel. As he did with his previous mistress, Frederik wanted to again make a bigamous marriage with Charlotte but received strong opposition from Lutheran church leaders who told him that the law against bigamy also applied to kings. Charlotte’s relationship with Frederik IV ended in 1711 when he entered into another relationship. Charlotte had an active social life and she had a relationship with Major-General Ernst Gotschalck von Bülow, the governor of Antvorskov Castle with whom she had a son, Frederik August Gotschalck von Bülow. When King Frederik IV heard about the child, he ordered von Bülow to marry Charlotte. After her husband’s death, Charlotte lived with her sister in Silesia, then part of the Kingdom of Prussia. Despite her annual pension, Charlotte died in poverty on April 6, 1752, aged 62.
Unofficial Royalty: Charlotte Helene von Schindel, mistress of Frederik IV, King of Denmark and Norway

April 6, 1765 – Birth of Carlo Felice, King of Sardinia at the Royal Palace in Turin, Kingdom of Sardinia, now in Italy
As the third son, Carlo Felice was not expected to succeed to the throne. In 1802, Carlo Felice’s brother Vittorio Emanuele became King of Sardinia upon the abdication of his brother Carlo Emanuele who was despondent after the death of his wife. There was a succession crisis in the Kingdom of Sardinia. The abdicated Carlo Emanuele was childless. The current king Vittorio Emanuele had five surviving daughters who could not succeed to the throne and his only son had died at the age of three from smallpox. The three other brothers of Carlo Felice, Vittorio Emanuele, and Carlo Emanuele had all died unmarried. In 1807, Carlo Felice married Maria Cristina of Naples and Sicily but their marriage was also childless. In 1821, liberal revolutions were occurring throughout Italy. However, Vittorio Emanuele I was not willing to grant a liberal constitution so he abdicated the throne of Sardinia in favor of his brother Carlo Felice. Upon the death of Carlo Felice, the main line of the House of Savoy became extinct. Upon the death of Carlo Felice aged 66, on April 27, 1831, he was succeeded by the senior male member of the House of Savoy-Carignano who reigned as Carlo Alberto I, King of Sardinia.
Unofficial Royalty: Carlo Felice, King of Sardinia

April 6, 1830 – Death of Ludwig I, Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine, in Darmstadt, Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine, now in Hesse, Germany; first buried in the Darmstadt Stadtkirche, in 1910 his remains were moved to the Altes Mausoleum in the Rosenhöhe in Darmstadt
In 1777, Ludwig married Luise of Hesse-Darmstadt, his first cousin and they had six children. Ludwig succeeded his father in April 1790 as Ludwig X, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt. After the fall of the Holy Roman Empire in 1806, the Landgraviate of Hesse-Darmstadt was raised to the Grand Duchy of Hesse, and Ludwig X, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt became the first Grand Duke, Ludwig I.  As Grand Duke, Ludwig granted the first constitution and worked to establish cultural institutions in the Grand Duchy. He established the court theater in Darmstadt as well as the court library and promoted the arts. He is also credited with creating the Botanical Garden in Darmstadt. Grand Duke Ludwig I on April 6, 1830, at the age of 77.
Unofficial Royalty: Ludwig I, Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine

April 6, 1875 – Birth of Grand Duchess Xenia Alexandrovna of Russia, daughter of Alexander III, Emperor of All Russia, at Anichkov Palace in St. Petersburg, Russia
Xenia was the daughter of Alexander III, Emperor of All Russia and the sister of Nicholas II, Emperor of All Russia. In 1894, Xenia married Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich, known as Sandro, the son of Grand Duke Michael Nikolaevich of Russia who was a son of Nicholas I, Emperor of All Russia, and they had one daughter and six sons. Xenia was one of the fortunate Romanovs who survived the Russian Revolution. She left Russia for good aboard the British battleship HMS Marlborough with her mother Empress Maria Feodorovna (born Dagmar of Denmark), her five youngest sons, her daughter Irina and Irinia’s husband Prince Felix Yusupov. Xenia settled in England where she was granted management letters for the properties of her brother Nicholas in England which gave her an income of 500 pounds sterling per year. By 1925, Xenia’s financial situation was desperate and her first cousin King George V allowed her the use of Frogmore Cottage, a grace and favor house, in Windsor Great Park. In March 1937, King George VI, Xenia’s first cousin once removed, granted her the use of Wilderness House, a grace and favor house, on the grounds of Hampton Court Palace where she died on April 20, 1960, at the age of 85.
Unofficial Royalty: Grand Duchess Xenia Alexandrovna of Russia

April 6, 1889 – Death of Augusta of Hesse-Kassel, Duchess of Cambridge, wife of Prince Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge, at St. James Palace in London, England; buried at St. George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle in Windsor, England
Augusta was the daughter of Prince Friedrich of Hesse-Kassel and Princess Caroline of Nassau-Usingen. Her father was the son of Landgrave Friedrich II of Hesse-Kassel and Princess Mary of Great Britain, daughter of King George II of Great Britain. After the tragic death in childbirth of Princess Charlotte of Wales, the only legitimate grandchild of King George III, the king’s aging bachelor sons needed to seek brides to provide for the succession. Of all the bachelor sons, Prince Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge was the most eligible. He married Augusta of Hesse-Kassel. The groom was 44 and the bride was 20. Despite the age difference, the marriage was a happy one, and the couple had three children. Augusta and Adolphus are the ancestors of the current British royal family. Their youngest child Princess Mary Adelaide of Cambridge was the mother of Princess Victoria Mary of Teck, later Queen Mary, the wife of King George V of the United Kingdom. Augusta survived her husband by 39 years, dying at age 91 on April 6, 1889. She was the last surviving daughter-in-law of King George III.  Queen Victoria wrote of her death: “Very sad, though not for her. But she is the last of her generation, & I have no longer anyone above me.”
Unofficial Royalty: Augusta of Hesse-Kassel, Duchess of Cambridge

April 6, 1904 – Death of Sophie of Baden, Princess of Lippe, wife of Woldemar, Prince of Lippe, in Karlsruhe, Grand Duchy of Baden, now in Baden-Württemberg, Germany; buried in the Mausoleum at the Büchenberg in Detmold, Principality of Lippe, now in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany
The daughter of Prince Wilhelm of Baden and Duchess Elisabeth Alexandrine of Württemberg, Sophie married Woldemar, the future Prince of Lippe in 1858. Their marriage was childless. Woldemar became Prince of Lippe upon the death of his childless elder brother Leopold III in 1875. Woldemar, Prince of Lippe died in 1895. Sophie survived her husband Woldemar by nine years, dying at the age of 70, on April 6, 1904, at the age of 70.
Unofficial Royalty: Sophie of Baden, Princess of Lippe

April 6, 1962 – Death of Bathildis of Schaumburg-Lippe, Princess of Waldeck and Pyrmont, wife of Friedrich, Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont, in Arolsen, West Germany, now in Germany; buried in the Princely Cemetery at Schloss Rhoden in Rhoden, now in the German state of Hesse
Bathildis was the wife of Friedrich, the last reigning Prince of Waldeck-Pyrmont. The couple married in 1895 and had four children. After the defeat of the German Empire in World War I, Friedrich abdicated and negotiated an agreement with the new government that gave him and his descendants the ownership of the family home Arolsen Castle and the Arolsen Forest. Both Bathildis and her husband Friedrich lived through World War II. While neither joined the Nazi Party, their eldest son Josias, his wife Altburg, and their eldest child Margarethe were members of the Nazi Party. Josias was a convicted Nazi war criminal and was sentenced to life imprisonment for crimes in connection to the Buchenwald concentration camp. His sentence was eventually reduced and he was released early due to health reasons. Bathildis’ husband Friedrich died in 1946. She survived her husband by sixteen years, dying on April 6, 1962, aged 88.
Unofficial Royalty: Bathildis of Schaumburg-Lippe, Princess of Waldeck and Pyrmont

April 6, 2005 – Death of Prince Rainier III of Monaco at the Cardio-Thoracic Centre in Monte Carlo, Monaco; buried at Saint Nicholas Cathedral in Monaco
Rainier was the second child, and only son, of Princess Charlotte of Monaco, the illegitimate and adopted daughter of Prince Louis II of Monaco, and Count Pierre de Polignac. In May 1944, he became the heir-presumptive to his grandfather, Prince Louis II, following his mother’s renunciation of her succession rights in his favor. Rainier became Prince of Monaco in 1949 upon the death of his grandfather. In 1956, Rainier married American film star Grace Kelly and they had three children. In 1982, Rainier’s wife Grace died following a car accident. By 2000, Rainier’s health was declining. In January 2005, he made one of his last public appearances, at the International Circus Festival of Monte-Carlo. After several weeks in the hospital, Prince Rainier III passed away at 81 years old. He was succeeded by his son, Prince Albert II, who had been serving as Regent since the prior week. His funeral was held on April 15 at the Saint Nicholas Cathedral, where he was buried beside his late wife Princess Grace.
Unofficial Royalty: Rainier III, Prince of Monaco

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Royal News Recap for Thursday, April 4, 2024

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Royal News Recaps are published Mondays-Fridays and on Sundays, except for Thanksgiving in the United States, Christmas Eve, and New Year’s Eve. The Royal News Recap for Sundays will be a weekend recap. If there is any breaking or major news, we will add an update as necessary.

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Jordan

Multiple Monarchies

Netherlands

Norway

Spain

Sweden

United Kingdom

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Disclaimer: Please be advised that any media article titles or content that appear in the Royal News that identify members of royal families with their maiden names, nicknames, incorrect style or title, etc., come directly from the media source and not from Unofficial Royalty. We encourage you to contact the media sources to express your concern about their use of the incorrect name, style, title, etc. Contact information can usually be found at the bottom of each media source’s main page.