Tag Archives: Austrian Royalty

August 28th

04 Saturday Jan 2014

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Events:
1619 – Ferdinand II is elected Holy Roman Emperor, succeeding his childless cousin, Matthias. Under his rule, the Thirty Years War would start.

1913 – Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands officially opened the Peace Palace in The Hague. The concept of diplomats and philanthropists (including Andrew Carnegie). It is the home of the International Court of Justice, the Permanent Court of Arbitration, The Hague Academy of International Law, and other organizations.

1996 – The divorce of the Prince and Princess of Wales, Charles and Diana, would be final. Diana would die suddenly in a car crash the following year.

Birthdays:
1667 – Louise of Mecklenburg-Gustrow is born in Germany to the Ducal family of Mecklenburg-Gustrow. In 1695, she married the future Frederick IV of Denmark, and they became King and Queen in 1699. Frederick was famously unfaithful, even entering into bigamous marriages. She was dutiful, but never very popular. Louise amassed a large collection of religious books during her time, which was donated after her death, with much praise from the clergy. Her son would become Christian IV, but Louise would die in 1721.

1691 – Elisabeth Christine of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel is born in Germany. Elisabeth was the oldest daughter of Louis Rudolph, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg and Princess Christine Louise of Oettingen. In 1708, she married Austrian Archduke Charles in Spain, the future Holy Roman Emperor Charles VI. In 1711, they succeeded to the Imperial throne, but Charles went alone, leaving Elisabeth as Governor of Catalonia, where we was said to be a wise and effective ruler. She joined him later, and gave him four children, with only two surviving into adulthood. Her oldest surviving child would be the indomitable future Empress Maria Theresa. Elisabeth would live well into her daughter’s reign, dying in Vienna at age 58.

1694 – Charlotte Christine of Brunswick-Lüneburg is born to the Duke and Duchess of Brunswick-Lüneburg. She shared a birthday with her elder sister, Elisabeth Christine of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel. Charlotte was married in 1711, to Tsarevitch Alexei, the son of Peter the Great of Russia. She was isolated at court, and never fully assimilated into the Russian court. Charlotte gave birth to two children, a daughter named Natalia, then a son, the future Peter II. Her death came just a few days after the birth of Peter. She was only 21 years old.

Deaths:

1481 – Afonso V of Portugal died in Lisbon, at age 49. He was the son of King Edward of Portugal and Eleanor of Aragon. In 1438, He became king at age 6, under the rule of a regency. He spent many years on campaign in North Africa, fighting the Muslims by Papal decree. He would attempt to claim the throne of Castile from Isabella I, but to no avail. Afonso would retire after, abdicating in favour of his son, and spending the rest of his life in a monastery.

1943 – Tsar Boris III of Bulgaria died of heart failure in his home country. He had just met with Adolf Hitler a few days before, and it has been suspected that the German leader poisoned him. Her had been Tsar since the abdication of his father, Ferdinand I, in 1918, after World War I. During World War II, Bulgaria was allied with Germany, but Boris did not cede control to the Nazis. Boris also refused to deport Bulgarian Jews, and helped many escape to other countries.

1972 – Prince William of Gloucester died in a crash at an air show. He was the son of Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester, a grandson to King George V, and a cousin to Queen Elizabeth II. William was just 30 years old, and unmarried. In 1968, he had been diagnosed with porphyria, a blood disorder, but had continued to attend to royal duties. He was close to his cousin, Charles, Prince of Wales, who would name his eldest son in his honor.

Have a great day!

August 23rd

03 Sunday Nov 2013

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Events:
2007 – The remains of a boy and girl were found near Yekaterinburg, Russia. DNA testing later confirmed that the remains were of Alexei Romanov, Tsarevitch of Russia, and one of his sisters, probably Maria or Anastasia. The remains of Alexei’s parents, Nicholas II and Alexandra, as well as his other 3 sisters had already been found.

Birthdays:
1754 – The future King Louis XVI of France is born at the Palace of Versailles. He became Dauphin after the death of his father, and King after the death of his grandfather, Louis XV, when he was just 19. He ruled through a time of great upheaval in France, which culminated with his arrest and overthrow in 1792, as part of the French Revolution. While Dauphin, he married Austrian Archduchess Maria Antonia, know now as Marie Antoinette. Of their four children, only their oldest daughter would survive into adulthood, and both Louis and Marie were executed in 1793.

1836 – Archduchess Marie Henriette of Austria is born in Hungary, as a granddaughter of Holy Roman Emperor Leopold II. In 1853, she married Prince Leopold of Belgium, the future Leopold II. The marriage was a political move, as Belgium was trying to bolster the legitimacy and popularity of its monarchy, by aligning itself with a well-established family, like the Habsburgs. However the marriage was unhappy, and despite their four children, they lived apart for many years. In 1865, they became King and Queen of Belgium. Her daughters would perform court duties in her absence, and Marie died away from Brussels in 1902, at age 66.

Deaths:
1387 – King Olaf II of Denmark and IV of Norway died at age 16. Through him, Denmark and Norway had become united as one kingdom and would remain that way until 1814. He had been King of Denmark since age 5, after the death of his grandfather, and King of Norway since 1380, after the death of his father. Olaf’s mother, Margaret, had served as his regent, and would take over rule of both nations after his death.

Have a good one!

August 21st

28 Monday Oct 2013

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Events:
1810 – Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte, Marshal of France and renowned military leader is elected to be Crown Prince of Sweden, to succeed the childless Charles XIII. He is the founder of the current reigning House of Bernadotte in Sweden.

Birthdays:
1165 – Phillip Augustus is born in France as the son of Louis VII of France. In 1179, he was crowned as co-ruler with his father, and then became King in his own right in 1180. He was Phillip II, King of France, and the first to use that title, as his predecessors are called King of the Franks. He went on the Third Crusade with Richard the Lionheart and Frederick Barbarossa, and after Richard’s death, he successfully dismantled the Angevin Empire of France, now led by King John of England. He was popular with the commons, for taking power from the nobles, and is known as one of the more successful medieval monarchs.

1643- Afonso IV of Portugal is born as a younger son of John IV and Luisa of Medina-Sidonia. An illness as a toddler left his mentally unstable and partially paralyzed. He succeeded his father at age 13, with his mother acting as regent for six years. Despite his mental instability Portugal scored some major military victories under him, but in 1668, his brother Peter was appointed Prince Regent and ruled on Afonso’s behalf until his death in 1683.

1765 – The future William IV of the United Kingdom is born in Britain. He would become King in 1830, after the death of his elder brother, George IV. Like the other British Hanoverian kings, he was also ruler of the German province of Hanover, which he never visited as King. He had spent time in his youth in the Royal Navy, and later was active in the House of Lords. He enacted several reforms during his short reign, including restrictions on child labor, the abolition of slavery in the majority of the colonies, and gave Hanover a constitution. Although he had several illegitimate children, he had none with his wife, Queen Adelaide, when he passed. So the Crown of Britain went to his niece, Princess Alexandrina Victoria of Kent, now Queen Victoria. Hanover observed Salic law, so his brother, Ernest Augustus, became King there.

1858 – Austrian Crown Prince Rudolf is born as the only son of Emperor Franz Joseph and Empress Elisabeth. Despite being groomed from an early age to be Emperor, he was quite different politically from his father. He married Princess Stephanie of Belgium and had a daughter. However he was unfaithful. In 1889, he was found dead from an apparent murder-suicide, next to a mistress of his. His mother wore black for mourning for the rest of her life.

Deaths:
1157 – Alfonso VII of Leon and Castile died at age 52. He was the son of Urraca of Castile and Raymond of Burgundy, and in 1111, as a child, he was named King of Galicia by his mother. In 1126, she died, leaving Alfonso as King of Leon and Castile. He called himself Emperor of All Spain. He also participated in the Reconquista of lower Spain, attempting to expel the Muslims. Before his death, he split his lands between his two elder sons, and his daughters would go on to be Queens of France, Navarre, and Aragon.

August 19th

15 Tuesday Oct 2013

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Events:
1561 – Mary, Queen of Scots lands back in Scotland after living in France since childhood. She had been widowed earlier in the year by Francis II of France.

1745 – Charles Edward Stuart, or “Bonnie Prince Charlie” raises his standard in Glenfinnan, Scotland. This is considered the start of the second Jacobite Rebellion to restore the Catholic Stuarts to the thrones of Great Britain instead of the Protestant Hanovers.

1772 – Swedish king Gustav III enacts a new constitution in a coup d’état that takes power from the Riksdag and gives to the King.

Birthdays:
1342 – Catherine of Bohemia is born in Prague to Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV and Blanche of Valois. In 1356, she entered into a political marriage to the Duke of Austria, Rudolf IV. He left her a widow after a nine year childless marriage. The following year, she was married to Otto V, Duke of Bavaria, and was later caught in territorial disputes when her father invaded her husbands Brandenburg lands. She died in Austria in 1395.

1596 – Elizabeth Stuart is born in Scotland to King James VI and Anne of Denmark. She stayed in Scotland for a while after her father became King of England as well, and actually during the Gunpowder Plot, it was said that she was to be set up as an alternative Catholic monarch to her fathers and brothers. In 1613, she was married to Frederick V, Count Palatine of the Rhine. Three years later, Frederick was elected to be King of Bohemia, only to be overthrown a few months later, earning Elizabeth the nickname, “The Winter Queen.” In 1621, she ended up in The Hague, where she would be widowed in 1632. Elizabeth continued to try and parent her remaining children as possible. Her youngest daughter, Sophia, would be the mother of the future George I of Great Britain. In 1661, she returned to Britain, living out her days in the court of her nephew, Charles II.

Deaths:
1186 – Geoffrey, Duke of Brittany died at age 27 in Paris. There are two accounts of his death, one saying he was trampled to death in a tournament, the other saying he died after a sudden illness. Geoffrey was the son of Henry II of England, and Eleanor of Aquitaine. He had participated in his brother Henry’s rebellion against their father, and had been close to Phillip II of France. His son and heir, Arthur, would later come into conflict with Geoffrey’s younger brother, John.

1493 – Holy Roman Emperor Frederick III died in Austria at age 77. A son of the Habsburg family, he was born in 1415. He became Archduke of Austria in 1424, King of Germany and the Romans in 1440, and finally Holy Roman Emperor in 1452. He was the first Habsburg Emperor, and the last Emperor to be crowned in Rome. For the last ten years, his son, Maximilian I, ruled jointly with him as co-ruler.

August 18th

09 Wednesday Oct 2013

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Events:
1572 – Henry III of Navarre married Margaret of Valois in Paris. The bride was the daughter of Henry II of France and Catherine de Medici, as well as the sister of the French Kings Francis II, Charles IX, and Henry III. Henry of Navarre was the heir to the French throne and would become Henry IV of France later on. Six days later, the St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre occurred.

Birthdays:
1606 – Maria Anna of Spain is born in Spain to King Phillip III of Spain and Margaret of Austria. In 1631, she was married to Ferdinand III, titular King of Hungary and future Holy Roman Emperor. Their relationship was a good one, and she served as regent for her husband during his absences. They would have six children, including a future Queen of Spain, and a Holy Roman Emperor. She died at age 39, while in Austria, from complications during the birth of her sixth child, who also died shortly after birth.

1611 – Marie Louise Gonzaga is born in France to a noble family. In 1646, she married Wladyslaw IV of Poland. Within two years, he died leaving her a widow. His brother, John Casimir was elected as the next King of Poland, and Marie was married to him in 1649. She was active politically, much to the scandal of the Polish nobility. She founded the first Polish newspaper and was a patron of the literary salons. Marie died in her adopted homeland, in 1667.

1819 – Russian Grand Duchess Maria Nikolaevna is born as a daughter of Tsar Nicholas I and Empress Alexandra. She grew up close with her family, including her parents, who doted on their children. She was known to have a strong personality, and was active with the arts. Despite the animosity from her family, she married the German Duke of Leuchtenberg, Maximilian, nephew of Ludwig I of Bavaria. The couple remained in Russia, where she became the President of the Academy of the Arts. Her husband died in 1852, and she remarried morganatically in 1856. She eventually moved to Italy and continued to collect art until her death in 1876.

1830 – The future Franz Joseph of Austria is born in Vienna. He became Emperor in 1848, after the abdication if his uncle, Ferdinand I. He would reign for a tumultuous 68 years, through years of wars with the Italians, the Germans, and increasing nationalism in all the Austro-Hungarian lands. In 1854, he had married the young and beautiful Elisabeth of Bavaria, with whom he was very in love with, but she was not suited for Imperial court life. They had four children, the eldest daughter died in childhood, and their only son, Rudolf, committed suicide in 1889, after killing his mistress. Empress Elisabeth was herself stabbed in 1898 while traveling. In 1914, Franz’s heir, the Archduke Franz Ferdinand was killed in Sarajevo, an event which not only kicked off a succession crisis in Austria-Hungary, but World War I. The Emperor did not survive the war, and died in 1916.

Deaths:
1645 – Eudoxia Streshneva, wife of Tsar Michael I, died in Moscow. She was his second wife, and married him in 1626. She was not active in politics and was overshadowed by her mother in law. In 19 years of marriage, she gave birth to ten children. Michael died in 1645, and Eudoxia followed him just over a month later.

1765 – Holy Roman Emperor Francis I died in Austria at age 56. He was born in the Duchy of Lorraine, but in 1736, after Lorraine had been surrendered to France, he married Maria Theresa of Austria, heir to the Habsburg dominions. In 1745, he was elected as Holy Roman Emperor, however he did not wield much power. Maria Theresa was the true ruler of the Empire. Francis did not outwardly seem to have a problem with his wife being the one in power. They had sixteen children, who included 2 Holy Roman Emperors, a Queen of Naples, and a famous Queen of France, Marie Antoinette.

Have a great day!

August 17th

02 Wednesday Oct 2013

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Events:
1424 – The Battle of Verneuil takes place in France as part of the Hundred Years War. The English and Burgundians were victorious over the armies of the French and the Scottish. While it was strategically important, the battle was particularly bloody.

Birthdays:
1473 – Another son was born to King Edward IV and Queen Elizabeth, christened Richard. When he was a year old, he was created Duke of York, and since it has been tradition for the second son of the monarch to be given the title. Edward IV died in 1483, when Richard was only 9 years old. Both he and his brother were taken to the Tower of London to await the coronation of Richard’s brother as Edward V. However, he would never be crowned, and the boys would never be seen again after that summer. All the children of Edward IV were deemed illegitimate by an act of Parliament, and thus unable to rule. The elder Edward’s brother took the throne as Richard III. Exactly what happened and the parties responsible are still debated by historians.

1629 – The future John III Sobieski of Poland is born. He had been elected King of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in 1674. He was an able ruler, and his 20+ years on the throne offered much needed stability to the people of the Commonwealth. John is also famous for his defeat of the advancing Ottoman army in the Battle of Vienna in 1683. He still one of the most popular and well-loved rulers in Poland.

1786 – Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg and Saalfeld is born in Germany. She was a younger daughter of Duke Francis of Saxe-Coburg and Saalfeld and Countess Augusta of Ruess-Ebersdorf. She was the elder sister to the future Leopold I of Belgium. In 1803, she married for the first time, to Prince Charles of Leiningen, whom she bore two children by. In 1814, Charles died, leaving her a widow. However, in 1818, she remarried, this time to Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, who was a son of George III of Great Britain. In 1819, she gave birth to their only child, a daughter named Alexandrina Victoria. Edward died suddenly just a few months later. With her young daughter in direct succession for the throne, Duchess Victoria was very strict in raising her daughter, and clashed with her daughter’s uncle, now King William IV. When her daughter became Queen in 1837, as Victoria, they had a strained relationship, though eventually reconciling. Duchess Victoria died in 1861, at age 74.

1887 – Charles I of Austria was born. He was the grandnephew of Emperor Franz Joseph I, and the nephew of the doomed Franz Ferdinand. In 1911, he married Italian Princess Zita of Bourbon-Parma, and they would have eight children. After the death of his uncle, Charles was the heir apparent to the Imperial Austrian throne. In 1916, he became Emperor, and would be the last of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. After only two years of rule, he refused to further participate in state affairs, but did not formally abdicate. He attempted to regain the crown of Hungary, but to no avail. He died young, at age 34, while in Portuguese exile, in 1922.

Deaths:
1786 – Frederick the Great of Prussia died in Potsdam at age 74. He had been King in Prussia since the death of his father, Fredrick William I, in 1740. In his early years, he had a poor relationship with his father, and was imprisoned for a time. During his reign, he became renowned for his military acumen and was also a great patron of the arts. He married in 1733 to Elisabeth Christine of Brunswick-Bevern, but the marriage was unhappy and childless.

Have a great day!

August 16th

25 Wednesday Sep 2013

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Events:
1513 – The Battle of Guinegate takes place in France between the French and the English forces led by King Henry VIII. The French were caught off-guard, and England would win the day. However, it was joked that when the French sounded the retreat, all the English could see was glare from their spurs, leading to the English calling it, “The Battle of the Spurs.”

1858 – Queen Victoria of Great Britain and American President James Buchanan communicate through the first transatlantic telegraph cable, in its first communication.

1859 – The National Assembly of Tuscany formally deposes the House of Hapsburg-Lorraine from its standing as Grand Dukes of Tuscany.

Birthdays:
1573 – Anne of Austria was born to Charles II, Archduke of Austria and Anne of Bohemia. She was a granddaughter to Holy Roman Emperor Ferdinand I and a member of the mighty Habsburg family. In 1592, she married Sigismund III Vasa, King of Poland and Sweden. She didn’t spend much time in Sweden, as she believed them to be heretics, but she agreed to respect their beliefs in exchange for properties. Between 1593 and 1598, she had five children, but only one lived to adult hood as Vladislaus IV Vasa of Poland. Her last pregnancy would claim her life. Anne was only 24 years old. Later, her husband married her sister, Constance.

1682 – Louis de France, Duke of Burgundy is born at Versailles to Louis, the Dauphin. Versailles was the court of his grandfather, Louis XIV. As he grew up, he was known as the Petit Dauphin, and his father the Grand Dauphin, until 1711, when the Grand Dauphin died. When he was twenty, he began to take a role in politics and was a part of his grandfathers council. At age 15, he had married Marie-Adelaide of Savoy, by which he had two children. However, sadly, in 1712, both he and his wife died from the measles, leaving their only son, the future Louis XV, an orphan.

Deaths:
1419 – Wenceslaus IV of Bohemia died in Prague. He had been King of Germany since 1376, and King of Bohemia since 1378. He spent most of his time in Bohemia, and because of his lack of time in Germany, he was deposed as King in 1400, but remained King of Bohemia. He had married twice, but no children.

1445 – Margaret Stewart, Dauphine of France died of a fever at approximately age 20. She was the eldest child of James I, and the sister of the future James II. When she was about 11 years old, she was sent to France to marry the Dauphin, the future Louis IX. The marriage was a political alliance, and they would have no children. She was popular at court for her grace and beauty.

1921 – King Peter I of Serbia died at age 77. Born in 1844 he became King of Serbia in 1903, and attempted to make Serbia like other modern constitutional monarchies. He became very popular for his leadership during the Balkan Wars, and despite being somewhat inactive during World War I, he still visited the front lines. During the war, his health began to fail, so his son, Prince Alexander, took on most of his duties. In 1918, the Kingdom of Serbia became the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes. Even after his death, he remained popular as a hero and father of the Serbian and Yugoslavian nations.

August 13th

24 Saturday Aug 2013

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Events:
1704 – The Battle of Blenheim takes place in Bavaria, Germany, as part of the War of Spanish Succession. The British were fighting on the side of the Holy Roman Empire and the Dutch, against French and German forces. Although the French would be ultimately successful, the Alliance would be victorious today.

1792 – French King Louis XVI was arrested and declared an enemy of the State. He was jailed and the following month, France was officially declared a Republic, with Louis being stripped of all titles. He was formally referred to as “Citizen Louis Capet”. The former King was executed the following January.

Birthdays:
1311 – Alfonso XI of Castile is born in modern day Spain as the son of Ferdinand IV of Castile and Constance of Portugal. He became king in 1312 after the death of his father, and ruled under regents until 1325. He continued the Reconquista of Granada from the Moors. He would become known for his ruthless and sometimes bloody methods. He ruled until 1350 when he passed away at age 38. Two of his sons would later become Kings and Peter I and Henry II.

1752 – Another daughter is born in Austria to Holy Roman Emperor Francis I and Empress Maria Theresa. She is named Maria Carolina. As a child, she was said to be close to her younger sister, Maria Antonia, the ill-fated Marie Antoinette of France. In 1768, she married Ferdinand IV of Naples, and despite the marriage being a duty to both parties, she bore eighteen children, with seven becoming adults. Like her mother, she was active politically and instituted many policies. In early 1799, she and her husband would be overthrown in Naples, only to be restored again that year, ruling until 1806, when they would be deposed again. She died in 1814, in her native Austria. Among her children, she numbers a King of the Two Sicilies, a Holy Roman Empress, a Queen of France, a Queen of Sardinia, and a Princess of Spain.

1792 – Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen is born in Germany. In 1818, she married Prince William, Duke of Clarence in a double ceremony, alongside William’s brother Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, and Victoria of Saxe-Coburg and Saalfeld. The younger sons of George III were trying to secure the succession after Princess Charlotte, daughter of the future George IV died. She would become pregnant several times, but she would either miscarry, or the baby would die early. In 1830, after the death of George IV, Adelaide became Queen consort. She was well loved by the people for her kindness and generosity, and got along well with her niece and future Queen, Victoria. William died in 1837, and she would not follow until 1849, well into the reign of Victoria.

Deaths:
1382 – Eleanor of Aragon, Queen of Castile died giving birth to her third child, a daughter named for her, that died young as well. Eleanor was the daughter of Peter IV of Aragon and Eleanor of Sicily. In 1375, she married John I of Castile. They also had two sons, Henry who became king of Castile, and Ferdinand, who became King of Aragon. She was only 24 at her death.

Have an awesome day!

August 11th

22 Thursday Aug 2013

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Events:
1332 – The Battle of Dupplin Moor took place in Scotland as part of the Second War of Scottish Independence. It was fought between the English backed forces of Edward Balliol, and those loyal to the young heir of the deceased Robert Bruce, now David II. The Balliols would be successful, and Edward would be crowned at Scone, but later he would be overthrown, chased out of Scotland, and died in England.

1804 – Holy Roman Emperor Francis II formally adopted the title ‘Emperor of Austria’ as Francis I, in response to Napoleonic aggression. The Habsburg-Lorraine family wanted to keep Imperial status, in case the Holy Roman Empire were to be dissolved, which it was, two years later.

Birthdays:
1467 – Mary of York was born at Windsor Castle to King Edward IV and Queen Elizabeth Woodville. Not much is known about Mary’s life, other than she died young, at age 14, in London.

1968 – In not so dead royalty, the future Princess Mabel of Orange-Nassau is born in the Netherlands. In 2004, she married Dutch Prince Friso, younger son of Queen Beatrix. Because they married without the approval of the Dutch Parliament, Friso and his children with Mabel are excluded from the line of succession. However in 2012, Friso was in a skiing accident, and Mabel was left a widow in 2013.

No major deaths.

Have a great day!

August 6th

18 Sunday Aug 2013

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Events:
1514 – Margaret Tudor, Dowager Queen of Scotland and Princess of England, married her second husband, Archibald Douglas, Earl of Angus. Margaret was the older sister of Henry VIII, mother to James V of Scotland, and grandmother to Mary, Queen of Scots.

1806 – Holy Roman Emperor Francis II formally abdicated the Imperial Crown and dissolved the Empire. However, he remained Emperor of Austria, King of Hungary, Croatia, and Bohemia.

1942 – Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands became the first sitting Queen to address a dual session of the United States Congress. She was visiting the US at the time, while her nation was being occupied by the Nazis. During her exile, her picture was used as a symbol of the Dutch resistance movement, and she gave radio broadcasts funneled through the BBC to the Dutch people.

Birthdays:
1666 – Maria Sophia of Neuburg is born in Dusseldorf, Germany to Phillip William, Elector Palantine and Elisabeth Amalie of Hesse. In 1687, she became Queen consort of Portugal with her marriage to Peter II. She was a popular Queen and known for her charitable causes. She would give birth to 9 children, with only five living into adulthood. She died in 1699, just two days before her 33rd birthday.

1697 – The future Charles VII, Holy Roman Emperor is born in Brussels to the Elector of Bavaria and his wife. He married a daughter of an Emperor too, Maria Amalia, daughter of Joseph I. In 1741, he was elected to be Holy Roman Emperor after the death of Charles VI, the first non-Habsburg to be Emperor in over 300 years. He had rejected the Austrian Pragmatic Succession, and attempted to prevent the previous Emperor’s daughter, Maria Theresa, from ruling. However, in 1745, Charles died, and Maria Theresa’s husband was elected to Imperial rule.

1844 – Prince Alfred is born at Windsor Castle to Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. He spent his youth in the Royal Navy, and in 1866, was created Duke of Edinburgh. Alfred also became the first member of the royal family to visit Australia. In 1874, he married Russian Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna, daughter of Alexander II. They would have five children survive into adulthood, who include Queen Marie of Romania. Finally in 1893, he became Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha after his brother, the future Edward VII renounced his claim. Alfred would remain in Germany, dying there in 1900.

Deaths:
1272 – Stephen V of Hungary died suddenly at age 33. He was on his way to rescue his infant son, the future Ladislaus IV of Hungary, who had been kidnapped by nobles who Stephen had been fighting with. He had been king on his own since 1270 after the death of his father, Bela IV. In 1246, he had been crowned as co-king with his father to ensure the succession.

Have an awesome day!