Monthly Archives: February 2013

February 28th

27 Wednesday Feb 2013

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No major events.

Birthdays:
1155 – A second son is born to Henry II of England and Eleanor of Aquitaine, who is christened Henry, after his father. He would be crowned in 1170 as King of England, Duke of Normandy, Count of Anjou and Maine while his father was still alive, as was the custom in France at the time. He would almost immediately begin revolting against his father for more power. However he would pass away from an illness during a fight with his father’s forces at age 28.

1261 – Margaret of Scotland is born as the daughter to Scottish King Alexander II and Queen Margaret. At 20 years old, she would be sent to Norway to marry the young King Eric II in a political alliance. She would pass away in 1283 shortly after giving birth to a daughter, also named Margaret, who would go on to become Queen regnant of Scotland.

Deaths:
1648 – Christian IV of Denmark and Norway died at age 70 in Copenhagen. He had been King since age 18, and his 59 years on the throne make him the longest serving Danish monarch. He is still regarded as one of the most popular and highly regarded Danish Kings, even though Denmark lost its supremacy of the North Sea. His reforms would make him popular with the people.

1941 – King Alfonso XIII of Spain died in Rome 10 years after the declaration of the Second Spanish Republic. He did not formally abdicate until January 1941, although he had been living in Rome for a decade. He had married into the British royal family, by wedding Princess Victoria Eugenie, a niece of King Edward VIII. The current Spanish King, Juan Carlos I, is his grandson.

Have an awesome day!

February 26th

26 Tuesday Feb 2013

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Events:
1266 – The Battle of Benevento occurs between forces loyal to Charles of Anjou and Manfred of Sicily. Manfred would be killed in battle. Pope Urban IV, who supported Charles, would crown him as King of Sicily shortly thereafter.

1658 – The Treaty of Roskilde is finalized between Frederick III of Denmark and Norway and Charles X Gustav of Sweden, ending the Second Northern War. Denmark had been soundly defeated and was forced to give up half its territory to Sweden.

1815 – The deposed French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte escapes from captivity on the island of Elba. He would arrive on the French mainland 2 days later and march into Paris for the Hundred Days by the end of the following month.

Birthdays:
1746 – Maria Amalia is born as an Archduchess of Austria as a daughter of Holy Roman Emperor Francis I and Empress Maria Theresa. She would go on to be the Duchess of Parma by marriage. She was the sibling of two Holy Roman Emperors, Joseph II and Leopold II, and also Queen consort of Naples Maria Carolina, and the ill-fated French Queen consort, Marie Antoinette.

1861 – The future Ferdinand I of Bulgaria is born in Vienna. He would go on the be elected Prince regnant of Bulgaria, and later be declared Tsar. He would later be forced to abdicate in favour of his son Boris after the Bulgarian defeat in World War I, in 1918.

Deaths:
1577 – Eric XIV of Sweden is believed to have been poisoned and died today after eating his last meal. He had been dethroned by his brother in 1568 for erratic behavior and insanity. He was more than likely schizophrenic. His remains were examined in 1958 and he was found to have been poisoned by arsenic.

1933 – Princess Thyra of Denmark, daughter of King Christian IX and Queen Louise died at age 79 in Austria. She had married the Crown Prince of Hanover, but his father lost the throne and thus the couple spent most of their marriage in exile. Her husband was also a member of the British royal family as the Duke of Cumberland. Her siblings would include Frederik VIII of Denmark, George I of Greece, Queen Alexandria of the United Kingdom, and Empress Maria of Russia.

Have a great day!!

February 25th

25 Monday Feb 2013

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Events:
1570 – Pope Pius V issues a bull called Regnans in Excelsis declaring Elizabeth I of England a heretic and releasing her subjects from any allegiance to her. It also encouraged her subjects to aid in any rebellion. It did not have the desired effect with most people, but caused Elizabeth’s government to began treating Catholics more harshly.

Birthdays:
1883 – Princess Alice, Countess of Athlone is born in England to Prince Leopold, son of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. She would marry into a minor German royal family from the duchy of Teck. They were forced to relinquish their German titles by Alice’s cousin, King George V in order to retain their British titles, after World War I. Princess Alice would live to be 97 years old, and be the longest living Blood Princess of the British Royal family, and the last surviving grandchild of Queen Victoria.

1885 – Another Princess Alice, this one of Battenberg is born also to the British royal family. She was the daughter of Prince Louis of Battenberg and Princess Victoria of Hesse and by Rhine. She would later marry Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark. Her life would be marred by mental illness and stays in hospitals, but her most famous contribution to history would be being the mother of Prince Phillip, husband of Queen Elizabeth II.

Deaths:
1558 – Eleanor of Austria dies at age 59 in Spain, where she lived close to her brother, Holy Roman Emperor Charles V. She had been both Queen consort of Portugal, when she married Manuel I of Portugal, until his death in 1521, and later Queen consort of France upon her marriage to Francis I of France from 1530 until his death in 1547.

1713 – King Frederick I of Prussia dies in Berlin at age 55. His was the first Prussian monarch to use the title King in Prussia. He had be be designated that way, as the Holy Roman Empire still held dominion over his territories. He was known for his patronage of the arts, including the founding of the Academy of Sciences in 1713.

1912 – William IV, Grand Duke of Luxembourg died in Berg at age 59. He was the last Protestant ruler of Luxembourg, as well as the last monarch to die while in office. His daughter, Marie-Adelaide succeeded him, as the first female ruler, until her abdication in 1919, when her sister, Charlotte, followed her to the crown.

Have an awesome day!!

February 24th

24 Sunday Feb 2013

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Events:
1848 – King Louis-Phillipe of France abdicates the throne of France in favour of the Second French Republic. He had started out as a popular monarch, but as his ineffective rule continued, working conditions got worse, and the income gap got wider. He would be the last King of France, but not its last monarch.

Birthdays:
1500 – The future Holy Roman Emperor, Charles V was born today in Ghent, Belgium, to Joanna of Castile and Phillip of Burgundy. He was also the grandson of Isabella and Ferdinand of Spain. His father was the Burgundian heir and Hapsburg heir, thus when Charles came to power, he was ruler of most of Europe. He would spend most of his reign fighting the French and the Ottomans, and eventually fighting to stop the spread of the Reformation in Germany.

1557 – Another Holy Roman Emperor, Matthias, is born in Vienna to Emperor Maximilian II and Empress Maria. He would also later be King of Hungary and Croatia, and King of Bohemia. He had attempted to give concessions to Protestants to bring about peace, however, his policies would be undone by his successor.

Deaths:
1386 – Charles III of Naples died at age 41 today in Hungary from wounds from an attempted assassination earlier in the month. He was attempting to claim the crown of Hungary after the death of Louis I of Hungary. Louis’ only successor was a young daughter, Mary. Mary’s mother, Elisabeth of Bosnia is said to have ordered the assassination.

1777 – Joseph I of Portugal died today at age 62. He is known as “Joseph the Reformer” but the actual policies of his reign came from the Marquis of Pombal. He would be succeeded by his daughter, Maria.

Have a great day!

February 23rd

24 Sunday Feb 2013

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No major events.

Birthdays:
1443 – Matthias Corvinus, future Hungarian and Croatian king, is born in modern day Romania. He would become King of Hungary and Croatia at age 14, and later also King of Bohemia. He was one of the first monarchs to embrace the Italian Renaissance and culture in Hungary flourished under him.

1852 – Future Vietnamese Emperor Duc Duc was born to the Nguyen Dynasty. He became Emperor in July of 1883, and died just 3 days later. However, most Emperors of that time were considered to be puppets of the French, and not ruling on their own.

1960 – In not so dead royals, Japanese Crown Prince Naruhito was born in Tokyo. His father is the current Emperor, and Naruhito will assume rule after his father’s death. He is active in many pursuits, including water conservation and has carried out duties in place of his father, due to illness or other engagements.

2012 – A daughter is born in Sweden to Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel, christened Estelle. She is currently 2 in line to the throne, behind her mother.

Deaths:
1447 – Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester dies at age 56. Humphrey was the younger brother of Henry V and uncle to Henry VI. He would act as Lord Protector for his nephew during his minority. He had retired from public life in 1441 after the trial and conviction of his wife, Eleanor Cobham, of heresy and witchcraft.

1554 – Henry Grey, Duke of Suffolk is beheaded at the Tower of London, just days after his daughter, Jane Grey, the disputed Queen of England. They had been attained for treason against Mary I; Henry for his part in Wyatt’s Rebellion, Jane, for accepting the crown when Mary was the rightful heir.

Have an awesome day!!

February 22nd

23 Saturday Feb 2013

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Events:
1495 – Charles VIII of France marches into Naples to claim the throne after a year of fighting. There would be another 3 years before the French were driven out of Naples. However they would be back, and the fighting continued through the 16th century.

Birthdays:
1403 – Charles VII of France is born in Paris as a son to Charles VI and Isabeau of Bavaria. A major player in the Hundred Years War, Charles had actually be disinherited by his father, who installed Henry V of England as his successor, and married one of Charles’ sisters to Henry. However, the rise of Joan of Arc turned the war in favour of the French, allowing Charles to be crowned and assume rule.

1440 – Ladislaus V of Hungary is born in Hungary to Elizabeth of Luxembourg and four months after the death of his father, King of the Romans, Albert II. He would officially accede to the crown of Hungary at age 4, and the crown of Bohemia at age 13. However, he would die unexpectedly at age 17, while in Prague, awaiting his wedding.

1933 – The future not so dead Katharine, Duchess of Kent, wife of Elizabeth II’s first cousin, Prince Edward, Duke of Kent is born in Yorkshire, England. She would famously convert to the Catholic Church in 1994, with the full blessing of the Queen. She has mostly withdrawn from public life, but does keep up her charity work.

Deaths:
1371 – King David II of Scotland dies at age 46 in Edinburgh. He was the only surviving son of King Robert the Bruce of Scotland. Having no children of his own, he was succeeded by the son of his sister, Robert II, who came as a member of the House of Stuart, which would rule Scotland for almost 400 years, and would also begin rule of England in 1603.

1511 – Henry, Duke of Cornwall, and son of Henry VIII of England and Catherine of Aragon, dies after just 53 days of life. His cause of death is unrecorded, but his parent’s despair was mentioned in contemporary writings.

Have an awesome day!!

February 21st

21 Thursday Feb 2013

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Events:
1613 – The Russian National Assembly declares Mikhail Romanov to be Tsar of Russia. He was the founder of the Romanov dynasty that would rule Russia for the next 300 years.

Birthdays:
1728 – The future Peter III of Russia is born in Kiel. He was a grandson of Peter I and nephew to Empress Elizabeth. He would marry a minor German princess who would convert to Russian Orthodoxy upon their marriage and would take the name Catherine. They would have a son, named Paul, who, later, after his death, would claim that Peter was not the boy’s father. Peter would be overthrown after just 6 months as Tsar, and replaced by his wife, who went on the become one the most famous Russian monarchs of history.

1783 – Princess Catharina is born to the Royal family of Wurttemberg in Russia. She would later become Queen consort of Westphalia, a Kingdom created by Napoleon Bonaparte, out of Germany, for his brother Jerome to rule. The kingdom would fall with the Bonaparte family, and Catharina would live out her days in Switzerland.

1937 – In not so dead royals, the future Harald V of Norway is born to King Olav V and Queen Martha. He is the current King and acceded the throne in 1991. He is closely related to most other European monarchs, as a first cousin to Albert II of Belgium and Henri of Luxembourg, and a second cousin of Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, Margarethe II of Denmark, and Carl XVI of Sweden.

1986 – Also in not so dead royals, Prince Amadeo of Belgium is born. He is a grandson of King Albert II and is seventh in line to the Belgian throne.

Deaths:
1437 – James I is assassinated by his uncle in a failed attempt to overthrow him. He was unpopular due to his policies with the commoners and his attacks against the nobility. He had become King at age 12, and spent 18 years in captivity under the regency of his uncle, the Duke of Albany.

Have a great day!

February 20th

20 Wednesday Feb 2013

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Events:
1472 – The marriage contract between Margaret of Denmark and James III of Scotland, with the islands of Orkney and Shetland being pawned to Scotland, instead of a dowry.

1547 – A nine year old Edward VI is crowned at Westminster Abbey in London. He was the only surviving son of Henry VIII and his third wife, Jane Seymour.

Birthdays:
1867 – Louise, Princess Royal and Duchess of Fife is born in London to the future Edward VII and Alexandra. She was the younger sister of George V and a granddaughter of Queen Victoria.

Deaths:
1618 – Phillip William, Prince of Orange, eldest son of Dutch leader William the Silent dies at age 63 in Brussels. He was a staunch Catholic despite heavy Protestant leanings in the country. Both he and his father had been active leaders in the Dutch Revolt against Spanish rule. He would be succeeded by his brother, Maurice of Nassau.

1773 – King Charles Emmanuel II of Sardinia dies in Turin at age 71. He had led Italy through the Wars of Polish and Austrian Succession but did not participate during the Seven Years War, instead working on infrastructure within his own kingdom.

1790 – Holy Roman Emperor Joseph II dies in Vienna at age 48. He is considered one of the Enlightened Monarchs, but was forced to undo most of his reforms, which included abolishing the death penalty. He had actually only ruled on his own in 1780, after the death of his mother, the formidable Empress Maria Theresa. He was also the older brother of the doomed Marie Antoinette.

Have an awesome day!!

February 19th

19 Tuesday Feb 2013

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Events:
1594 – Sigismund III is crowned as King of Sweden after the death of his father, John III. He had been elected to the throne of the Polish-Lithuania Commonwealth in 1587.

Birthdays:
1960 – A second son is born to Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Phillip, to be named Andrew. He would be created the Duke of York in 1986 upon his marriage to Sarah Ferguson. He is also known for his military service as a helicopter pilot, and saw actual combat during the Falklands War.

No major deaths.

Have an awesome day!!

February 18th

18 Monday Feb 2013

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Events:
1503 – An eleven year old Henry, the future Henry VIII of England, is created Prince of Wales, following the death of his older brother, Arthur.

1861 – Victor Emmanuel II, King of Piedmont, Savoy and Sardinia begins using the title King of Italy, due to his successes in the Wars of Italian Unification. The war would be officially over in just a months time.

Birthdays:
1374 – Possible birth date of Jadwiga of Poland, first Queen regnant of Poland. She became Queen at the approximate age of ten, and was crowned as King, not Queen, to show her reign was by birthright, not marriage. She was active in her government, but most day to day activities were done by her husband, who became ruler after her death, and her council. She would give birth to a daughter in 1399, and both Jadwiga and the baby would die within the month. She would later be sainted.

1516 – The future Mary I of England is born to Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon in Greenwich. She was later disinherited and deemed illegitimate when her father had his marriage to her mother annulled in 1533. She would become the first undisputed Queen regnant of England in 1553 and try to undo the Reformation, which was in full swing in England at the time. She persecuted Protestant leaders, including the Archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Cranmer, earning her the epithet “Bloody Mary”.

1947 – In not so dead royals, Princess Christina of the Netherlands is born to Queen Juliana and Prince Berhard. She is the youngest sister of former queen, Beatrix, and aunt to the current King Willem-Alexander. Queen Juliana had German measles during her pregnancy which left the little Princess almost blind at birth, but with modern advances, she has been able to live normally. One of her godparents is Winston Churchill, and she officially opted for her second name Christina in 1963, prior to that it was Marijke.

1984 – Stephanie, Hereditary Grand Duchess of Luxembourg was born in Belgium. She was a Countess in her own right, until 2012, when she married Guillaume, the heir to the Grand Ducal throne of Luxembourg. At the age of 18, she stayed in Moscow for a year, in order to study Russian. She also finished her master in German philology in Berlin.

Deaths:
1478 – George, Duke of Clarence is executed in private at the Tower of London after being convicted for treason. He was attained for treason for going the Lancastrian forces against his brother, Edward IV, during the War of the Roses. He was also the older brother of Richard III. How George was executed is still open to debate, as beheading was the traditional method, but when his skeleton was exhumed, it did not show signs of the head being removed. There are reports of his being drowned in a vat of wine, but there is no way to corroborate the story.

Have a great day!