Monthly Archives: June 2013

June 30th

30 Sunday Jun 2013

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Events:
1559 – King Henry II of France was mortally wounded in a jousting tournament. He would not die immediately. Henry hung on for several days, due to the efforts of his royal surgeon, but he would succumb to his injuries and infection on July 10. Henry had asked for his mistress, Diane de Poitiers, but she was denied access to the King by his wife, Catherine de Medici. The new King was his 15 year old son, Francis II.

1688 – William, Prince of Orange and Stadtholder of the Netherlands received a letter from seven British nobles asking him to invade Britain and take the throne along side his wife, Princess Mary Stuart. They asserted that the infant son of King James II and VII was an impostor, and the were unhappy with James’ Catholic rule, and the idea of it continuing. William’s wife, Mary, was also James’ daughter, but a Protestant, and William was James’ nephew and third in line for the British crown. William would successfully invade later that year, in what is now called the “Glorious Revolution”.

Birthdays:
1470 – The future Charles VIII of France is born to King Louis IX and Charlotte of Savoy. He succeeded his father in 1483, when just thirteen years old. His elder sister, Anne of France, served as regent along side her husband, Peter, Duke of Bourbon, until Charles took the reigns of government in 1491. He married Anne of Brittany, and they would have four children, none of which survived childhood. He also began the French invasions into Italy, but they would be postponed in 1498, when he suddenly died of a head injury at age 27.

1964 – In not so dead royalty, Alexandra, Countess of Fredericksborg is born in Hong Kong to part British, part Asian, and part Austrian parents. In 1995, she married Danish Prince Joachim of Denmark and had two sons with him. They divorced in 2005, and she remarried in 2007, losing her title of Her Royal Highness and Princess, but retaining her Countess title.

Deaths:
1670 – Princess Henrietta of England, died in France at just age 26. When she was three years old, she fled England with the rest of her family, and was just five when her father was executed. She would live in the court of her cousin, Louis XIV, and marry Phillippe, Louis’ brother, and also her first cousin, in 1660, after her brother’s restoration as King Charles II. She had two daughters with him, who went on to be Queen consorts of Spain and Sardinia, and was a key player in the secret Treaty of Dover, which attempted to reconcile France and England.

Have an awesome day!

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June 29th

29 Saturday Jun 2013

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Events:
1644 – The Battle of Cropredy Bridge takes place between the Royalist forces led by King Charles I and the forces of the Parliamentarians. It was a victory in favor of the Royalists, and one of the few.

Birthdays:
1136 – Petronilla of Aragon is born in Spain to Ramiro II of Aragon and his wife, Agnes of Aquitaine. She became Queen when just one year old at the abdication of her father. She was also married when a baby, but did not consummate the marriage until she was 15. They had five children, and in 1164, after her husband’s death, she abdicated in favor of her eldest son, Alfonso, who was just seven. She lived out her days in Barcelona until her death in 1173 at age 37.

1398 – John II of Aragon is born to Ferdinand I and Queen Eleanor. He married Blanche I of Navarre in 1425, and was this king by marriage. In 1458 he succeeded to the throne of Aragon. He would later fight his son by Blanche for the Navarrese crown. His daughter later became Queen as Eleanor I. He lived until 1479 when he died at age 81. His son by his second marriage, Ferdinand became ruler of Aragon, and with his wife, Isabella, the united Spain.

1482 – A daughter is born to Isabella of Aragon and Ferdinand of Castile. Maria of Aragon, was actually a twin, but the other girl was stillborn. She was the sisters of Catherine of Aragon, and Juana of Castile. In 1500, she married Manuel of Portugal, who was married to her sister Isabella, until Isabella’s death in 1498. They had eight children to survive into adulthood. Her eldest son went on to be John III of Portugal, and her daughter Isabella, was Holy Roman Empress as the wife of Charles V. She died in 1517 at age 34.

1844 – King Peter I of Serbia is born in Belgrade. He spent much of his youth in exile, in Romania and Geneva. After a coup d’état, he was offered the crown of Serbia in 1903. He was a hands off ruler, especially during World War I, But after the war, the name of the kingdom was changed to the Kingdom of the Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes. This made him the last king of Serbia and the first king of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes. His son succeeded him as Alexander I.

1911 – Prince Bernhard of Lippe-Biesterfeld was born in Germany. He met Princess Juliana of the Netherlands in 1936, and they married in 1937. He was the father of the future Queen Beatrix. He fought alongside the Dutch during World War II, and when the Nazis invaded the Netherlands, he did not want to leave in exile with his wife and daughters. He would work closely with the British and fly planes with the RAF. He became Prince Consort in 1948 when Juliana became Queen. His post war years were unfortunately marred with scandal.

Deaths:
1509 – Lady Margaret Beaufort, Countess of Richmond and Derby died in London. She outlived her son, Henry VII of England by just two months. She was a descendant of Edward III, through his son, John of Gaunt and his legitimized children. When she was 12, she was married to Edmund Tudor, Earl of Richmond, who was a half brother to King Henry VI. She became pregnant, and while very pregnant, Edmund was killed. The birth was very difficult, but mother and baby survived. Despite further marriages, the baby, Henry, would be her only child. While her son was abroad in France, for his protection, she arranged his future marriage to Elizabeth of York, once he successfully claimed the crown, which he did, in 1485. She was devoted and protective of her son, and was a major influence on him, even after he was king. She was known to be extremely pious, and endowed and created schools.

1875 – Ferdinand I of Austria died in Prague at age 82. He was the son of Francis II, Holy Roman Emperor and Maria Theresa of the Two Sicilies. He was burdened with mental illness and several disorders. He was severely epileptic, and had five seizures trying to consummate his marriage to Maria Anna of Sardinia. In 1848, the people revolted, and Ferdinand would abdicate in favor of his cousin Franz Joseph I, who ruled the Austrian Empire for 68 years. He lived out his days in the Bohemian lands where he was popular and the people were sympathetic.

Have a great day!

June 28th

28 Friday Jun 2013

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Events:
1461 – Edward IV of England is crowned as king at Westminster Abbey. He was the Duke of York, and had successfully taken the throne from his cousin, Henry VI, during what is called the Wars of the Roses. He would rule until 1470 when Henry took the throne back from Edward until 1471, when the Yorkists took it back once again.

1519 – Charles I of Spain was elected to succeed his grandfather as Holy Roman Emperor, becoming known as Charles V. He was 19 years old. Between his succession as Emperor, and inheriting the Habsburg lands of father, and the Trastamara lands of his mother, Charles ruled an intimidatingly large portion of Europe. He ruled Spain until 1555, when he abdicated in favor of his son, Phillip II, and then abdicated as Emperor in 1556, in favor of his brother, Ferdinand. However Ferdinand would not be confirmed for another 2 years.

1709 – The Battle of Poltava takes place in modern day Ukraine. It was part of the Great Northern War, and fought between the Swedish forces of Charles XII and the Russian forces led by Peter I, or Peter the Great. The fight was a decisive victory for the Russians, and we saw the decline of Swedish as a European power.

1838 – The 19 year old Victoria was crowned as Queen of Great Britain. She went on to have the longest reign of any British Monarch and became an icon.

1914 – Austrian Archduke and heir to the Austro-Hungarian Imperial throne, Franz Ferdinand, was shot and killed, alongside his wife, Sophie, in Sarajevo, Serbia. Franz was the nephew of Emperor Franz Joseph I and was not expected to succeed until 1889, when he cousin, Crown Prince Rudolf committed suicide, and then his father renounced his place in the line. This was the spark that set off World War I, though fueled by several other issues.

1921 – The Vidovdan Constitution is proclaimed as the first constitution of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes by King Alexander I.

Birthdays:
1491 – The future Henry VIII is born at Greenwich Palace to King Henry VII and Elizabeth of York. He was a second son, and not initially set to be king, but with the sudden death of his elder brother, Arthur, in 1502, Henry was thrust forward. He succeeded his father in 1509, just before he turned 18. He would then marry his first wife, Catherine of Aragon, the widow of his brother. They had one daughter to survive, Mary, who later became the first undisputed Queen regnant of England. Henry would then be married five more times after he had his marriage to Catherine was annulled. Anne Boleyn was next, with whom he had a daughter, later Elizabeth I. Anne was executed in 1536 and shortly after he married Jane Seymour, with whom he had the future Edward VI. Jane died shortly after the birth of their child. The German Anne of Cleves was next; their marriage was also annulled. Then Catherine Howard, who was also executed, the finally, Catherine Parr, who outlived Henry. He was also responsible for the separation of England from the Roman Catholic Church, and is one of the founder of the English Navy. Henry was also known to be very intelligent, despite his later behavior, and was an accomplished composer.

No additional major deaths.

June 27th

27 Thursday Jun 2013

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Events:
1743 – The Battle of Dettingen took place in Bavaria, Germany, as part of the War of Austrian Succession. The battle was fought between the French, and the “Pragmatic Army” which consisted of the Austrians, Hanoverians, and the British, led by King George II himself. It would be the last time a British monarch personally led troops in battle. They were called the Pragmatic Army because they were fighting to uphold the Pragmatic Sanction of 1713, which outlined that Maria Theresa of Austria would succeed her father. The battle would be a win in favor of the Pragmatic forces.

Birthdays:
1462 – The future Louis XII if born the Orleans branch of the royal Valois family. He succeeded his cousin, Charles VIII in 1498. He was married a total of three times, First to Joan of France, his cousin, whom he was able to get an annulment from after his accession. The case behind the annulment was far from solid, and was granted by Pope Alexander VI, for political reasons. He married again to Anne, Duchess of Brittany, who was his predecessors widow. The marriage produce 2 daughters, Claude, who became Queen consort as the wife of Francis I, and Renee, who became Duchess of Ferrara. Louis married again after the death of Anne, to Princess Mary Tudor, the younger sister of Henry VIII, in 1514. The marriage would be extremely short, due to Louis’ death in 1515.

1550 – Charles IX of France is born to Henry II and Catherine de Medici. Because he was a younger son, he was Duke of Orleans from birth. He succeeded his brother, Francis II, when he was just ten years old, with his mother as regent. His reign was dominated with the bloody French Wars of Religion, and late in his reign he witnessed the horror of the St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre. In 1574, he became fiercely ill with tuberculosis, from which he died that year when he was 23. His younger brother, Henry succeeded him as Henry III.

Deaths:
1458 – Alfonso I of Aragon died in Naples, Italy. He was King of Aragon, Valencia, Majorca, Sicily, Sardinia and Corsica from 1416 and King of Naples from 1442 until his death. He was married to Maria of Castile after his accession, but they had no children. His illegitimate son, Ferdinand, succeeded him in Naples, and his brother John, succeeded him in his Spanish lands.

Have a great day!

June 26th

26 Wednesday Jun 2013

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Events:
1483 – Richard III accepts the crown of England, after testimony is brought forward that Richard’s elder brother, Edward IV’s marriage to his Queen, was invalid. Edward’s two sons, Edward V and Richard, Duke of York, were living in the Tower, awaiting the boy’s coronation.

Birthdays:
1575 – Anne Catherine of Brandenburg is born in Germany to the Margrave of Brandenburg. In 1597, she married Christian IV of Denmark and Norway, making her Queen consort. She didn’t seem to have much political influence, but they had six children, who include Frederick III of Denmark, who introduced the absolute monarchy to the country. Anne died in 1612, at age 36.

1681 – Princess Hedvig Sophia of Sweden is born in Stockholm to Charles XI of Sweden and Ulrika Eleanora. In 1698 she married Frederick, Duke of Holstein-Gottorp. They had one son, Charles Frederick, who became Duke upon his father’s death in 1702. Hedvig was regent for him, however she was also the heir to the Swedish throne, so she resided there. She was close to her brother, the future Karl XII, who refused to believe the news of her sudden death in 1708, at age 27.

1899 – A third daughter is born to Emperor Nicholas II and Empress Alexandra, named Maria Nikolaevna. Maria was said to be very pretty, vivacious, and a flirt even from a young age. She developed crushes on soldiers that she encountered at events and gatherings, and was said to want a large family one day. On the outbreak of World War I, she was too young to become a nurse like her mother and older sisters, but with her younger sister Anastasia, they visited and spent time with wounded soldiers. When the family was arrested after the 1917 Revolution, Maria attempted to befriend the workers and soldiers in the house where they stayed, and was admonished by her mother for being too friendly with them. She was killed in 1918, along with the rest of her family. Like her other sister, there were imposters that came forward as the Grand Duchess, but the remains of the entire Romanov family have been found, as of 2007.

2005 – In not so dead royalty, Princess Alexia of the Netherlands is born in The Hague to now King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima. She is currently second in line of succession, behind her elder sister.

Deaths:

1718 – Alexei Petrovich, Tsarevich of Russia died at age 28. He was the eldest son and heir of Peter the Great of Russia and his first wife, Eudoxia Lopukkhina. There was bad blood between his parents, stemming from their divorce, and Alexei held on to resentment against his father. As a teenager, he began serving in the military, where the father/son relationship soured further. He married Princess Charlotte of Brunswick-Luneburg, with whom he would have two children, which included the future Peter II. The elder Peter then began to demand Alexei’s further involvement in state matters and sent for him to join him at the front lines. Alexei fled to Austria instead, and eventually only agreed to return to Russia if his father gave him a pardon. However, Peter found a reason to renounce the pardon, and Alexei was arrested, sentenced to death and tortured. The sentence was never carried out, as the Prince died from being tortured, just two days later.

1830 – George IV of the United Kingdom died at Windsor Castle at age 67. He had only been King officially since 1820, after succeeding his father, George III. He had also served as Prince Regent from 1811, due to his father’s mental illness. He was notorious for his bad relations with his wife, Caroline of Brunswick, whom he had attempted to divorce, although he was ultimately unsuccessful. He did not allow Caroline to attend his coronation though. They had one daughter, Charlotte, who died in 1817, during childbirth. While he was said to be charming, with good manners, he was also lazy, and prone to gluttony. He was not popular at the end of his reign, due to his lifestyle and lack of leadership during the Wars going on in Europe. He was succeeded by his younger brother, William IV.

1922 – Prince Albert I of Monaco died in Paris. He was 73 years old, and had ruled since 1889, after the death of his father, Charles III. He was almost overthrown in 1910, but he acquiesced and gave Monaco a Constitution. He also laid led his country during World War I. Despite Monaco’s official neutrality, Albert heavily assisted the Allies with supplies, hospitals, and troops.

Have an awesome day!

June 25th

25 Tuesday Jun 2013

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Events:
1741 – Maria Theresa of Austria is crowned as Queen of Hungary. She was the daughter of Holy Roman Empress Charles VI, and is the only female ruler in all the Habsburg dynasty. Her accession caused the War of Austrian Succession, and her husband would be elected Holy Roman Emperor in 1745, although all the power laid with Maria Theresa.

Birthdays:
1242 – Eleanor of Provence, mentioned below, gave birth to a daughter named Beatrice, in Bordeaux, France. She was married to John II, Duke of Brittany, although he did not become Duke until after she died, so Beatrice was never known as the Duchess of Brittany. John was also the Earl of Richmond. The two titles would be split between Beatrice and John’s eldest sons, Arthur II, Duke of Brittany, and John of Brittany, Earl of Richmond. Beatrice died in 1275, while in London.

1755 – Princess Wilhelmina Louisa of Hesse-Darmstadt is born in Brandenburg, Germany to the Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt. In 1773, she was married to the future Paul I of Russia, son of Catherine the Great. The marriage was not happy, and Natalia Alexeievna, as she became known after her marriage, was probably having an affair. She became pregnant and the paternity was disputed, but it didn’t seem to matter to the Empress. However, the Princess died giving birth to a still born baby. She was only twenty years old.

Deaths:
1291 – Eleanor of Provence died in England. This date is disputed, as she may have died the 24th. She was from Aix-en-Provence, and was the daughter of Ramon Berenguer IV, Count of Provence, and his Countess, Beatrice of Savoy. In early 1236, when she was only approximately 12 years old, she was sent to England, where she was married to Henry III of England. They had five children, the eldest being the future Edward I of England. While she and Henry were seemingly devoted to each other, she was unpopular with the people, for promoting her foreign relatives, and was even attacked while sailing down the Thames on her barge. She outlived Henry, and eventually went to live in a convent, although she kept in touch with her children, especially Edward.

1533 – Mary Tudor, Queen of France and Duchess of Suffolk, died in England at age 37. She was the youngest child of Henry VII of England and Elizabeth of York, and sister Henry VIII. In late 1514, she was married to Louis XII of France against her will. The marriage only lasted for three months when Louis suddenly died. Henry sent his friend, Charles Brandon, Duke of Suffolk, whom the Princess married in secret. After they paid a fine, they were allowed at court and returned to royal favor. Mary and Charles had children, and through their daughter, Frances, Mary was the grandmother of the ill-fated Jane Grey, the Nine Days Queen of England.

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June 24th

24 Monday Jun 2013

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Events:
1314 – The Battle of Bannockburn concludes between the English and Scottish forces, with a rout in favor of the Scots. It would take England another 14 years to recognize Scottish Independence.

1340 – The Battle of Sluys took place as part of the Hundred Years War. It was a naval battle, and a decisive victory for the English, giving them control of the Channel.

1509 – Henry VIII of England and his first wife, Catherine of Aragon, are crowned at Westminster Abbey in London.

Birthdays:
1314 – Philippa of Hainault is born in the Low Countries, to William I of Hainault and Joan of Valois. In 1326, she was betrothed to the future Edward III of England, in order to secure an alliance between her father and Edward’s mother, Isabella of France, who was planning an invasion of England. They married in early 1328, and her coronation took place in 1330. She would give birth to their first child, Edward, also in 1330, shortly before she turned 16. She was popular and well loved by the people, and known for her kind and compassionate nature. She acted as regent for Edward at times, while he was away on military campaigns. She passed away at age 55, outliving nine of her 14 children.

1343 – Joan of Valois is born in France, as the fifth child of John II of France and Bonne of Luxembourg. She would lose her mother to the plague when she was a young child. In 1352, she married Charles II of Navarre. She would have seven children with him. Her children include Charles III of Navarre, and Joanna of Navarre, second wife of Henry IV of England. She sadly died early in 1373, at age 30.

1535 – Joanna of Austria, Princess of Portugal is born in Madrid to Holy Roman Emperor Charles V and Isabella of Portugal. She was married to her first cousin twice over, Prince John Manuel of Portugal. They would have one child, born after John’s death, who went on to be Sebastian I of Portugal. She left Portugal and her son while he was still a baby, never to return or see him in person again. She lived out her days at the court of her brother, Phillip II of Spain, where she died at age 38.

1825 – Grand Duchess Alexandrova Nikolaevna is born in St. Petersburg to Russian Emperor Nicholas I and Empress Charlotte of Prussia. She was said to be beautiful with a great personality, and a talented musician. In 1844, she married to Prince Frederick William of Hesse, but she was already ill with tuberculosis, and then became pregnant shortly after. Her illness caused her to go into labor three months early, and neither her or the infant would survive. She was only 19 years old.

1860 – Mercedes of Orleans is born in Madrid as the daughter of the Duke of Montpensier, Antoine d’Orleans, and Spanish Infanta Luisa Fernanda. The niece of Queen Isabella II, she lived in Spain until the deposition of her aunt, but in 1878, after the restoration, she married her first cousin, now Alfonso XII. The marriage lasted only six months, which included a miscarried child, before Mercedes succumb to typhoid fever, just days after her 18th birthday.

1869 – The future Prince George of Greece and Denmark is born in Corfu, Greece. He was the second son of George I of Greece and Queen Olga Constantinova. He was active in the Greek military fighting against the Ottomans, and is known for once saving his cousin, the future Tsar Nicholas II, from an assassination attempt while visiting Japan. In 1907, he married Marie Bonaparte, from the non-imperial branch on the family. They had two children, Peter and Eugenie. They lived out their days in France and were married for over 50 years.

No major deaths.

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June 23rd

23 Sunday Jun 2013

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Events:
1314 – The Battle of Bannockburn started in Scotland between the Scottish forces led by Robert the Bruce and the English forces under Edward II. The battle is considered part of the First War of Scottish Independence. The fighting would last two days, and be a decisive victory in favor of the Scots.

1532 – Francois I of France and Henry VIII of England sign a secret treaty to oppose Holy Roman Emperor Charles V.

1661 – The marriage contract between Charles II of England, Scotland, and Ireland and Catherine of Braganza is finalized.

Birthdays:
1373 – Joan II of Naples is born in Dalmatia to Charles III and Margaret of Durazzo. She would become Queen of Naples in 1414 after the death of her elder brother. She married twice, but had no children. She ruled until 1435, when she died at age 61.

1456 – Margaret of Denmark is born as the daughter of Christian I and Dorothea of Brandenburg. At age 13, she was married to James III of Scotland in order to settle disputes. They would have three sons, which include the future James IV. She was said to be a popular Queen, more so than her husband. She died early though at age 30, and rumors of her being poisoned still persist.

1703 – Marie Leszczynska is born to Stanislaus I of Poland and Catherine Opalinska. In 1725, at the age of 22, she married the 15 year old Louis XV of France. She would have ten children, seven surviving childhood, all by 1738. After this Louis began to have several public affairs, with Madame de Pompadour being the most famous. She was not politically involved, but stayed at court and had ceremonial duties. Marie was also popular with the French people, who widely mourned her death in 1768.

1763 – Marie Josephe Rose Tascher de La Pagerie is born on the island Martinique to wealthy land owners. She came to France as a small child, and eventually married Alexandre de Beauharnais, with whom she had a son and a daughter. He died during the Revolution, but Rose emerged, when she finally met an up-and-comer in the Army, Napoleon Bonaparte, who preferred to call her Josephine. Napoleon married Josephine, and became his Empress consort when he was declared Emperor. However the marriage would be dissolved later, as it became obvious she could not have more children. She lived out her days in Paris, where she kept beautiful flower gardens and entertained guests. She died in 1814, and Napoleon was said to be inconsolable. Josephine has many illustrious descendants, which include the Royal houses of Sweden, Denmark, Belgium, Norway, and Luxembourg.

1894 – The future King Edward VIII of The United Kingdom is born in southern England. He is the eldest child of George V and Queen Mary. He was made Prince of Wales when he was 16 years old, and served in the military during the First World War, and spent time on the front lines. He was popular with the people and visited areas of low-income families in Britain. He was also a womanizer and seen as irresponsible by his parents. He succeeded to the throne in 1936, but he intended to marry Wallis Simpson, a divorced American. Before the year was out, he abdicated in favor of his brother, Albert. He was named the Duke of Windsor, and he and Wallis lived in exile until their deaths.

Deaths:
1222 – Constance of Aragon died in Italy, died of malaria while in her early 40’s. She had been married twice, the first in 1198, when she was married to Emeric of Hungary. She had a son with him the following year, who was crowned co-ruler at age 5 while his father was dying. Constance served as regent for her son, Ladislaus III, who died in 1205. She was married again in 1209, to Frederick III, and became Queen of Sicily and Germany. In 1220, she became Holy Roman Empress, but she would only be Empress for two years. Her son by Frederick would go on to be Henry VII of Germany.

Have an awesome day!

June 22nd

22 Saturday Jun 2013

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Events:
1377 – Richard II is declared King of England, following the death of his grandfather, Edward III, the previous day.
Richard was the son of Edward, the Black Prince, and would rule until his overthrow at the hands of his cousin, Henry Bolingbroke.

1906 – Haakon VII of Norway and Maud of the United Kingdom are crowned as King and Queen in Trondheim’s Nidaros Cathedral.

1911 – The coronation of King George V of the United Kingdom, the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, along with his wife, Queen Mary, took place at Westminster Abbey in London. The Festival of the Empire started the following day at the Crystal Palace, as part of the celebrations.

1958 – Olav V of Norway is consecrated as King of Norway. He was widely popular and called “The People’s King”.

Birthdays:
1912 – Princess Caroline Mathilde of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha was born today in Coburg, Germany. She was the younger daughter of the Duke and Duchess of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, and a great-granddaughter of Queen Victoria, through her son, Prince Leopold. She was married three times throughout her life, but after the war, her family was decimated. She lived out her days in Germany, dying in 1983.

Deaths:
1961 – Queen Maria of Yugoslavia died in London, in exile. She was the daughter of Ferdinand I and Maria of Romania, and married Alexander I of Yugoslavia. Her husband was assassinated in France in 1934, and her son became Peter II. Recently in 2013, her body was allowed to be moved from its burial place in London, to her home in Serbia, where she was always very popular.

Have a great day!

June 21st

21 Friday Jun 2013

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Events:
1529 – The legatine court convenes at Blackfriars in London, to let the Papal representative, Cardinal Campeggio, hear the case for the annulment of the marriage of Henry VIII of England and his first wife, Catherine of Aragon. Catherine was said to make a passionate speech before Henry and then left the court.

1791 – King Louis XVI of France, along with his wife, children, and other family members began to flee France following the outbreak the French Revolution. Their attempt would be in vain.

Birthdays:
1528 – Maria of Austria is born in Spain to Holy Roman Emperor Charles V and his wife, Isabella of Portugal. A fervent Catholic, she was married to her first cousin, Austrian Archduke Maximilian who became Holy Roman Emperor in 1564. After her husband’s death, she moved back to Spain, where she was an influential part of her brother, Phillip II’s court. Two of her sons became Emperors as Rudolf II and Matthias. She had also served as regent in Spain for her father and her brother.

1646 – Maria Francisca of Savoy is born in Paris to the Duke and Duchess of Nemours. She is unique for being Portuguese Queen Consort twice. First she married King Afonso VI, but the marriage was annulled in 1668, due to non-consummation. Later that year she married his brother, Peter, who also became King in 1683. Later that year, Maria died as well.

1788 – Princess Augusta of Bavaria is born in Strasbourg to Maximilian I Joseph and Augusta-Wilhelmine. In 1806, she was married to Eugene de Beauharnais, son of Josephine, and stepson to Napoleon I. The marriage was a happy one, and Eugene was made a Duke of her father’s realm. Among their children, they can count a Queen consort of Sweden, Empress of Brazil, and the husband of Maria II of Portugal.

1982 – In not-so-dead royalty, His Royal Highness, Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, was born today to Charles and Diana, Prince and Princess of Wales in 1982. He is second in the line of succession to his grandmother’s crown, behind his father. Wills and his wife, Catherine, are expecting their first child any day now.

Deaths:
1377 – Edward III of England died at age 64. He is one of only 5 monarchs to rule England for more that 50 years, taking the throne in 1327 at age 14. He became king when his father was overthrown by his mother, Isabella of France, and her lover, Roger Mortimer. His father, Edward II, was forced to abdicate in the younger Edward’s favour. He was very popular during his reign, as was his wife, Phillippa of Hainault. They had nine children who survived into adulthood, who include such famous names as Edward, The Black Prince, and John of Gaunt. Edward also laid a claim to the throne of France, through his mother, and started what we know as the Hundred Years War. He also start the Chivalric Order known as the Order of the Garter, which is still in existence today.

Have a great day!