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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 he died 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 did not influence Danish politics. 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, 1726 – Death of Margarete Gertrud von der Schulenburg in the Electorate of Hanover, the illegitimate daughter of the future King George I of Great Britain and his mistress Melusine von der Schulenburg, in Mannheim, then in the Electorate of the Palatinate, now in the German state of Baden-Württemberg; buried in the Princely Mausoleum at the St. Martini Church (links in German) in Stadthagen, then in the County of Schaumburg-Lippe, now in the German state of Lower Saxony
Margarete Gertrud von der Schulenburg was the youngest of the three daughters of the future King George I of Great Britain and his mistress Melusine von der Schulenburg, from an old Brandenburg noble family. In 1714, when her father succeeded to the British throne as King George I, Melusine and her daughters accompanied George to England. They lived with King George I in the royal palaces, and Melusine acted as his hostess. Margarete Gertrud married Albrecht Wolfgang, Count of Schaumburg-Lippe, and the couple had two sons. Twenty-five-year-old Margarete Gertrud died from tuberculosis in Mannheim, then in the Electorate of the Palatinate, now in the German state of Baden-Württemberg.
Unofficial Royalty: Margarete Gertrud von der Schulenburg, Countess of Schaumburg-Lippe

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.
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 V 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 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 she died 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, the wife of 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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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, 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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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
IN 1189, Richard succeeded his father, King Henry II. 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, captivity, or 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. He 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 began another relationship. Charlotte had an active social life and 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. When Carlo Felice died 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 and the court library and promoted the arts. He is also credited with creating the Botanical Garden in Darmstadt. Grand Duke Ludwig I died 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. Xenia and Sandro 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 Irina’s husband Prince Felix Yusupov. Xenia settled in England, where she was granted management letters for the British properties of her brother Nicholas, 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 happy, 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 the age of 81. 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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Victoria of Hesse and by Rhine, Marchioness of Milford-Haven; Credit – Wikipedia

April 5, 1472 – Birth of Bianca Maria Sforza, Holy Roman Empress, Archduchess of Austria, the third wife of the three wives of Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor, Archduke of Austria, in Pavia, Duchy of Milan, now in Italy
Bianca Maria Sforza was the third of the three wives of Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor, Archduke of Austria. She had a miscarriage shortly after her marriage, and it seems that she was never able to conceive again. Bianca Maria was a stepmother to the two surviving children of Maximilian and his first wife, Mary of Burgundy. They were relatively close in age to Bianca Maria, and she very much liked them. After 1500, Maximilian lost all interest in Bianca Maria. She lived with her own court of 150 – 200 people from Milan, traveling to various castles. In the last years of her life, Bianca Maria suffered from a debilitating illness and died on December 31, 1510, aged 38, in Innsbruck, County of Tyrol, now in Austria.
Unofficial Royalty: Bianca Maria Sforza, Holy Roman Empress, Archduchess of Austria

April 5, 1674 – Birth of Elisabeth Sophie of Brandenburg, Duchess of Saxe-Meiningen, second wife of Ernst Ludwig I, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen, in Cölln, Electorate of Brandenburg, now part of Berlin, Brandenburg, Germany
Elisabeth Sophie of Brandenburg was the second wife of Ernst Ludwig I, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen, her third husband, whom she married in 1714.  Their marriage was childless. She had previously married her first cousin, Friedrich Casimir Kettler, Duke of Courland (one surviving son), and Christian Ernst, Margrave of Brandenburg-Bayreuth (no children). She died at the age of 74.
Unofficial Royalty: Elisabeth Sophie of Brandenburg, Duchess of Saxe-Meiningen

April 5, 1684 – Death of Karl Eusebius, Prince of Liechtenstein at Kostelec Castle in Schwarzkosteletz, now Kostelec nad Černými lesy in the Czech Republic. He was buried in the Old Crypt at Chuch of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary in Vranov, Moravia, now in the Czech Republic
In 1627, when Karl Eusebius was fifteen years old, his father Karl I, the first Prince of Liechtenstein, died, and he became the second Prince of Liechtenstein. In 1644, Karl Eusebius married his niece Johanna Beatrix of Dietrichstein, and they had nine children. Karl Eusebius I successfully consolidated and rebuilt the House of Liechtenstein territories devastated by the Thirty Years’ War. He left his son and successor, Hans-Adam I, Prince of Liechtenstein, a rich inheritance and an extensive collection of artworks that were both multiplied by his son and other descendants. The current Prince of Liechtenstein, Hans-Adam II, is the richest European monarch. After a reign of 57 years, Karl Eusebius died at 72, on April 5, 1684.
Unofficial Royalty: Karl Eusebius, Prince of Liechtenstein

April 5, 1697 – Death of King Karl XI of Sweden at Stockholm Palace in Stockholm, Sweden; buried at Riddarholmen Church in Stockholm, Sweden
Karl XI, King of Sweden, was the only child of Karl X Gustav, King of Sweden. Karl X died at 37 in 1660, from influenza and pneumonia, and his four-year-old son Karl became King of Sweden. Karl XI’s mother, Hedwig Eleonora of Holstein-Gottorp, served as Regent of Sweden until her son reached his majority. In 1680, Karl married Ulrika Eleonora of Denmark. The couple had seven children, but only three survived childhood, including two Swedish monarchs, King Karl XII and Queen Ulrika Eleonora. Karl died on April 5, 1697, aged 41, after suffering severe abdominal pain for some time. An autopsy revealed that he had developed cancer that had spread throughout the abdominal cavity.
Unofficial Royalty: King Karl XI of Sweden

April 5, 1857 – Birth of Alexander of Battenberg, Prince of Bulgaria (reigned 1879 – 1886) in Verona, Kingdom of Lombardy-Venetia, now in Italy
Full name: Alexander Joseph
Alexander was the son of Prince Alexander of Hesse and by Rhine and Countess Julia von Hauke. He was the brother of Prince Ludwig (Louis) of Battenberg, who married Princess Victoria of Hesse and by Rhine, and Prince Henry of Battenberg, who married Princess Beatrice of the United Kingdom. Alexander often visited Russia, where his paternal aunt Marie of Hesse and by Rhine was married to Alexander II, Emperor of All Russia. Bulgaria became a principality of the Ottoman Empire under the terms of the Treaty of Berlin in 1878. Alexander II proposed Alexander for the newly created throne, and he was unanimously elected as Prince of Bulgaria. After a contentious seven-year reign, often caught between the conflicting goals of the Bulgarian politicians and the Russian Emperor, Alexander fell victim to a military coup and was forced to abdicate. In 1889, Alexander married opera singer Johanna Loisinger, at which point he assumed the title Count von Hartenau, which he used for the remainder of his life. The couple had two children and lived in Graz, Austria, where Alexander held a post in the Austrian Army. He died at his home in Graz, Villa Hartenau, on October 23, 1893.
Unofficial Royalty: Prince Alexander of Battenberg

April 5, 1863 – Birth of Princess Victoria of Hesse and by Rhine, granddaughter of Queen Victoria, at Windsor Castle in Windsor, England
Full name: Victoria Alberta Elisabeth Mathilde Marie
Victoria was the daughter of Princess Alice, daughter of Queen Victoria, and Grand Duke Ludwig IV of Hesse and by Rhine.  She married Prince Louis of Battenberg and was the maternal grandmother of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. By the 1930s, Victoria had become a surrogate mother to her grandson Prince Philip. Victoria’s daughter Alice, Philip’s mother, suffered several breakdowns and spent many years institutionalized. Victoria and her two sons took over the care of the young Philip, overseeing his education and social ventures. In 1948, Victoria served as godparent to her great-grandson, the future King Charles III.  In the summer of 1950, while staying at Broadlands, the home of her son Lord Mountbatten, Victoria developed bronchitis and suffered a heart attack in August. Sensing the end was near, she insisted on returning home to Kensington Palace. It was here, on the morning of September 24, 1950, that she passed away, surrounded by her three surviving children.
Unofficial Royalty: Victoria of Hesse and by Rhine, Marchioness of Milford-Haven

April 5, 1939 – Birth of Crown Prince Leka I of Albania at the Royal Palace in Tirana, Albania
Leka was the only child of  King Zog I of the Albanians, who reigned from 1928 to 1939. Just two days after Leka’s birth, Fascist forces invaded Albania, and the family quickly fled into exile. They settled briefly in France before moving to England, where they lived through the end of World War II. In 1946, the family moved to Egypt. During that time, Leka attended the British Boys School and Victoria College in Egypt before graduating from Aiglon College in Switzerland in 1956. In 1975, Leka married Susan Cullen-Ward, and the couple had one son, who is styled Crown Prince Leka II. Leka I and his family were allowed to return to Albania in 2002. When Leka I died in 2011 at the age of 72,  the government declared a National Day of Mourning, and he was given a state funeral, with full military honors.
Unofficial Royalty: Crown Prince Leka I of Albania

April 5, 1951 – Birth of Princess Ubol Ratana of Thailand at Mont Suisse Hospital in Lausanne, Switzerland
Ubol Ratana is the daughter of King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand. She relinquished her rank of princess in 1972 upon her marriage to American businessman Peter Jensen. Ubol Ratana and her husband divorced in 1998, and in 2001, she left the United States and returned to Thailand. She resumed her royal duties and position within the Thai court and is styled Princess Ubol Ratana, without the style Her Royal Highness. Her son, Bhumi Jensen, was killed by the Indian Ocean tsunami on December 26, 2004.
Unofficial Royalty: Ubol Ratana of Thailand

April 5, 1954 – Death of Crown Princess Märtha of Norway, born Princess Märtha of Sweden, wife of the future King Olav V of Norway, at the Rikshospitalet in Oslo, Norway; buried at Akershus Castle and Fortress near Oslo, Norway
The granddaughter of both King Oscar II of Sweden and King Frederik VIII of Denmark, Märtha married her first cousin, Crown Prince Olav of Norway. They had two daughters and one son, King Harald V, the current King of Norway. During World War II, Märtha and her children fled Norway when the Germans invaded. They traveled to her native Sweden and then to the United States, where she developed a close friendship with President Franklin Roosevelt. Märtha and her children were often included in public and private functions at the White House. After World War II, she suffered from ill health and died in 1954 following a long battle with cancer. Her husband became King Olav V in 1957 and reigned until he died in 1991, when their son King Harald V became King of Norway.
Unofficial Royalty: Märtha of Sweden, Crown Princess of Norway

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