Tag Archives: mary queen of scots

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 7th

18 Sunday Aug 2013

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Events:
1514 – Henry VIII signed a peace treaty with France. Part of the treaty was a betrothal of Henry’s 18 year old sister to the 52 year old Louis XII, King of France. Louis had no heir at the time and needed a young bride to try and conceive. Mary would be sent to France in October, and Louis would be dead in January.

1549 – A 5 year old Mary, Queen of Scots would be whisked away by boat to be raised at the French Royal Court, as the future wife of the Dauphin. She had been Queen of Scotland since shortly after her birth, and would be Queen of France as a teenager.

Birthdays:
1751 – Wilhelmina of Prussia is born in Berlin to Prince Augustus William and Princess Louise. In 1767, she was married to Prince William V of Orange, Stadtholder of the Dutch Republic. She was a staunch supporter of her husband during the revolutions of the 1780’s and used her political abilities to negotiate support from her German relatives, and was able to keep him in power until 1795, when they were exiled for a time. They lived in various places in Germany until William’s death in 1806. In 1813 though, her son would be installed as King William I of the Netherlands, the first King of the modern Dutch monarchy. She returned shortly after and lived at her son’s court, even receiving important guests, such as Russian Tsar Alexander I. She died in 1820.

1783 – Princess Amelia, the youngest child of King George III and Queen Charlotte of the United Kingdom was born in London. She was well loved by her family, but her father would suffer his first major decline into mental illness when she was just 5. She would also suffer from several afflictions throughout her life as well, including developing tuberculosis at age 15. “Emily” as her father called her, never married, but was in love with Charles Fitzroy, the son of a Baron, to the point of telling one of her brothers that she considered herself married to him. In 1808, she developed measles and other illnesses, which plunged her closer to death, which finally took her in 1810. Her father was crushed by the news, and it is believed this is one of the events that pushed him to his final bout of madness. Her eldest brother, the future George IV, who was also her godfather, asked for a death mask, and was said to be affected by the mention of her name for the rest of his life. Amelia was just 27 at her death.

1862 – Victoria of Baden is born in Germany to Grand Duke Frederick I and Princess Louise of Prussia. In 1881, she married the future King Gustaf V of Sweden, and they would be succeed to the titles of King and Queen in 1907. Despite having three children, the marriage was unhappy, and she lost her initial popularity. She was also thought to be too Pro-German during World War I. After the war, and as she got older, she spent less and less time in Sweden, leaving for months at a time, and only returning for events like birthdays. At the time of her death at age 67, she was living in Rome. Her eldest son later became King Gustaf VI Adolph of Sweden.

Deaths:
1106 – Henry IV, Holy Roman Emperor died in Germany at age 55. He had been forced off the Imperial throne the previous year. He had been Emperor since age 6, and was fighting his sons for authority when he died. His elder son, Conrad, had been crowned King of Italy, and his younger son, would go on to be Emperor as Henry V.

1972 – Aspasia Manos, the wife of the deceased Greek King Alexander, died at age 75 in Greece. In 1919, she had married Alexander in secret civil ceremony, because of her status as a commoner. She was never referred to as Queen, only as Madame Manos, until years after her husband’s death, when she was retroactively given the title Princess of Greece and Denmark, and elevated to the title of Her Royal Highness. She and Alexander had one child, a daughter named Alexandra, who when on to be Queen consort of Yugoslavia. She lived in England for a time, and helped raise her grandson.

Have a great day!

July 29th

08 Thursday Aug 2013

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Events:
1565 – Mary, Queen of Scots married her second husband, Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley. They would have one son together, the future James VI and I of Scotland and England. The marriage would end with Darnley’s death in 1567.

1567 – James VI of Scotland (later also known James I of England) was crowned at Stirling Castle. He was only a year old.

1863 – The Arc de Triomphe is dedicated in Paris in honor of all the soldiers who died in the Revolution and the Napoleonic Wars.

1981 – Charles, Prince of Wales married Lady Diana Spencer in Saint Paul’s Cathedral in London. It was a beautiful and lavish ceremony. There were over 3000 people in attendance, including the majority of European Royals, and an estimated 750 million people from around the world watched on television.

Birthdays:
1846 – Isabel, Princess Imperial of Brazil is born in Rio de Janeiro to Emperor Pedro II and Empress Teresa Christina. Her parents would have no surviving sons, so she would be her father’s heir. She would marry a French Count, and was said to be learned, and spoke four languages. Three times she would serve as regent for her father, during his absences abroad. She was well liked by the public, and in 1888, she would sign the Golden Law, which freed all slaves in Brazil. The people gave her the nickname “the Redemptress” for her action. However it was widely unpopular with nobles and wealthy landowners. The following year the monarchy in Brazil would be deposed and Isabel lived out her days on her husbands lands in France.

Deaths:
1030 – Olaf II of Norway died in exile after trying to reclaim his throne. He had been King from 1015 until 1028. He is still a cultural hero in Norway. Olaf is depicted in Norway’s coat of arms, and after his death, he was both given the title of Norway’s Eternal King, and was canonized as a Saint. Also the Norwegian Order of St. Olav is named for him.

1095 – Ladislaus I of Hungary died in his nation after almost twenty years on the throne. He became King after his brother, Geza I. He ruled during a time of civil war with his cousins, but he greatly expanded Hungarian territory and was widely loved but he was a harsh legislator. One hundred years after his death he would be canonized as a Saint of the Catholic Church.

1108 – Philip I of France died at age 56. He had been King since age 7, with his mother, Anna of Kiev serving as his regent. He was much more a successful ruler than his father, and his 48 years on the throne was unprecedented at the time. He would be married twice and he would be succeeded by his son as Louis VI.

1900 – Umberto I of Italy was assassinated. His killer said he wanted to avenge the people who died in the Beva-Beccaris massacre two years before. He also attempted to expand Italy’s colonial presence in Africa and his reign would be one of political and social turmoil.

Have an awesome day!

July 24th

03 Saturday Aug 2013

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Events:
1148 – Louis VII of France would begin the Siege of Damascus, as part of the Second Crusade. The siege would end 5 days later, in a sound defeat for the Crusaders, and begun the collapse of that Crusade.

1567 – Mary, Queen of Scots, was forced to abdicate the Scottish Crown in favor of her infant son, now James VI. She would be held at Loch Leven Castle for another year, before she escaped, attempted to regain her throne, but lost in her attempt. She then fled to England where she would be kept as a prisoner by nobles of Elizabeth I.

2001 – Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha was sworn in as Prime Minister of Bulgaria. Simeon had been the last Tsar of Bulgaria as a small child and ruled under a regency. He lived in exile after the fall of Bulgaria to the Soviets and is the only monarch to return to elected office after his overthrow.

Birthdays:
1860 – Princess Charlotte of Prussia was born in Potsdam to the future Emperor Frederick III and Victoria, Princess Royal of the United Kingdom. She was the younger sister of Kaiser Wilhelm II, and a granddaughter of Queen Victoria. She was married to Prince Bernhard of Saxe-Meiningen in 1878, and in 1914, they became the Duke and Duchess of Saxe-Meiningen, but by the end of World War I, her husband abdicated. She was said to have a nervous personality at a young age, and had a terrible relationship with her only child, a daughter named Feodora.

Deaths:
1568 – Carlos, Prince of Asturias died in Madrid at age 23. He was the eldest son of the future Phillip II of Spain and his first wife, Princess Maria of Portugal. His father would attempt several betrothals to various prominent houses, but none would come through. He was said to be mentally unstable. In 1567, he was angry with his father over a government position he was promised, and spoke of helping the revolts in the Netherlands, and he may have spoke of his father’s murder. Phillip had him arrested, and he died in prison.

Have a great day!

June 20th

20 Thursday Jun 2013

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Events:
1567 – The Casket Letters were found on Mary, Queen of Scots. The letters would implicate Mary and the Earl of Bothwell in the murder of Mary’s second husband, Lord Darnley. The Earl of Bothwell would be Mary’s 3rd husband.

1685 – James Scott, Duke of Monmouth, starts a rebellion in England against his uncle, new King James II and VII. Monmouth was the eldest illegitimate son of Charles II and as a Protestant, he was bent on the deposition of his uncle, and having himself installed as King. The younger James was apprehended and later executed for treason.

Birthdays:
1389 – John of Lancaster is born in England to the future Henry IV and Mary de Bohun. He would serve in the military under his brother, Henry V, then later acted as regent for his infant nephew, Henry VI. He continued the Hundred Years War with France, even having their symbolic leader, Joan of Arc, executed. And he would also arrange his nephew’s coronation as King of France. He would pass away at age 46 while in Rouen, France.

1632 – The future Sigismund III Vasa is born. Swedish by birth, he was elected to be King of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in 1587, which sparked the War of Polish Succession, where Sigismund was the victor. From 1592 until 1599, he was also the King of Sweden, but could not hold both territories. He ruled Poland until his death. His reign is looked on positively, and with his death, ended the Golden Age of the Commonwealth.

Deaths:
1605 – Sixteen year old Feodor II of Russia is found dead in his apartments. He was the son of Boris Godunov, and he and his father both ruled Russia during the “Time of Troubles” when the succession was in dispute. While the autopsy stated he died from poisoning, there were reports that he was murdered by agents of another claimant to the throne.

1837 – King William IV of the United Kingdom died at age 71. He had only been king since 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.

Have a great day!

May 19th

19 Sunday May 2013

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Events:
1445 – The First Battle of Olmedo takes place between the forces of John II of Castile and troops from Aragon and Navarre.

1499 – Spanish Infanta Catherine of Aragon is married by proxy to Arthur Tudor, Prince of Wales. They were 13 and 12. Two years later they would marry in person, but just months later Arthur died suddenly.

1536 – Anne Boleyn, second wife of Henry VIII and mother of future Elizabeth I of England, is executed within the Tower of London on charges of Treason, Adultery, and Incest. She was executed by a French executioner from Calais who used a sword, instead of an axe. She gave a heartfelt speech, but was careful not to accuse anyone of wrongdoing, probably to protect her daughter. Henry did not make arrangements for her burial, so she was put in an arrow chest and buried in the chapel within the Tower.

1568 – Elizabeth I ordered the arrest of Mary, Queen of Scots, who had fled to England after her defeat and abdication. Mary was suspected of being involved in the death of her second husband. Although there was some circumstantial evidence, nothing could be proved and Mary was never found guilty. Her fate hung in limbo for almost 20 years, until she was found guilty of plotting Elizabeth’s murder and overthrow.

Birthdays:
1744 – Sophia Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz is born in Germany. In 1761, she married George III of the United Kingdom and Elector of Hanover. She and George would become King and Queen of Hanover in 1814. They had 13 children survive to adulthood, who include George IV and William IV of the United Kingdom, Ernest Augustus I of Hanover, and Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, father to Queen Victoria. She was said to be greatly troubled by her husbands illness and was his legal guardian for the last years of her life. Although, she did not visit him often, possibly because of violent outbursts. She was a great patron of music, including the works of Handel and even met a young Mozart.

1797 – Maria Isabel of Portugal is born as the daughter of John VI of Portugal and Carlota Joaquina of Spain. In 1816 she married her uncle, Ferdinand VII of Spain. She got pregnant twice within two years of the marriage, the first being stillborn, and the second being stillborn as well, but the second birth would claim Maria’s young life. She was just 21 years old.

Deaths:
1102 – Stephen II, Count of Blois dies at age 57 during the Second Battle of Ramla. He participated in the First Crusade and other small battles after. His most important contribution though is being the father Stephen I of England.

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May 16th

16 Thursday May 2013

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Events:
1532 – Sir Thomas More resigned as Henry VIII’s Lord Chancellor. More and Henry had been close, but as More was a fervent Catholic opposed to Henry’s annulment from Catherine of Aragon and to the Reformation as a whole, it cause a rift between the two men. In 1534, More refused to take the Oath of Supremacy, and was imprisoned, and later beheaded over it.

1568 – Mary, Queen of Scots escaped to England following her defeat at the Battle of Langside. She had been forced to abdicate the year before and imprisoned. She escaped imprisonment, raised an army to get her crown back, but lost the battle. She would be taken into English custody two days later.

1770 – Louis-Auguste, Dauphin of France, was formally married to Austrian Archduchess Marie Antoinette. They had been married by proxy on April 19th. The ceremony took place at the Palace of Versailles, the groom age 15, the bride, 14. The ritual bedding followed, and the consummation was supposed to, but did not for another 7 years.

1920 – Joan of Arc was officially canonized as a Saint of the Catholic church. She was burnt at the stake as a heretic in 1431 by the English, whom she was helping to defeat in the Hundred Years War. She is the patron Saint of France, as well as martyrs, captives, people ridiculed for piety, prisoners, soldiers, and a couple Women’s military organizations.

1991 – Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain addresses a joint session of the U.S. Congress. She is the only British monarch in history to do so.

No major birthdays.

No major deaths.

May 15th

15 Wednesday May 2013

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Events:
1536 – Queen Anne Boleyn and her brother, George Boleyn, Viscount Rochford were found guilty of high treason, adultery and incest. They were both sentenced to death.

1567 – Mary, Queen of Scots, married her third husband, James Hepburn, Earl of Bothwell. Bothwell was believed to have been complicit in the murder of Mary’s second husband, Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley, just a few months prior. Bothwell abducted Mary, and possibly raped her. The marriage was very scandalous, because of the nature of Darnley’s death, and Catholics were upset that they were married under Protestant rites.

1800 – James Hadfield attempts to shoot King George III of the United Kingdom while the king was at the theater. Hadfield was later acquitted by reason of insanity.

No major birthdays.

Deaths:
1591 – Dmitry of Uglich the eight year old son of Ivan the Terrible of Russia, is found stabbed to death in his room. His father died three years prior. No one knows exactly what happened. The two theories are that he was stabbed under orders of Boris Godunov, who was acting as regent for Dmitry’s brother, and who eventually became Tsar in 1598. The other theory is that Dmitry stabbed himself accidentally during an epileptic fit.

Have a great day!

May 13th

13 Monday May 2013

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Events:
1515 – Mary Tudor, daughter of Henry VII of England and sister to Henry VIII, married Charles Brandon, Duke of Suffolk at Greenwich palace. They had actually married previously in France, when Charles was sent by the King to bring Mary home after the death her first husband, King Louis XII of France.

1568 – The Battle of Langside took place between forces looking to reinstate Mary, Queen of Scots, and troops led by her half-brother, the Earl of Moray, who was also regent for Mary’s infant son, and King, James VI. Moray’s forces were victorious and Mary ended up fleeing for England just a few days later. The fighting would continue though, as some nobles still fought to bring her back as Queen.

1940 – As a result of the Nazi invasion, Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands flees to Great Britain, and her daughter, Princess Juliana and children, head to Canada.

Birthdays:
1254 – Marie of Brabant is born in modern day Belgium to Henry III, Duke of Brabant and Adelaide of Burgundy. She married Phillip III of France in 1274 as his second wife. She had three children by Louis, the youngest, Margaret went on to be the second wife of Edward I of England. She lived well into the reign of her stepson, Phillip IV, and negotiated peace between England and France in 1294.

1717 – Maria Theresa of Austria was born today at Hofburg Palace in Vienna. The only Queen regnant of the House of Habsburg, Maria led the country with several reforms which included educational, financial, and military reforms, however, she was not tolerant of non-Catholic religions. She also managed to have 16 children, which included 2 Holy Roman Emperors, a Queen of Naples, a few Dukes and Duchesses, and a famous Queen of France, Marie Antoinette. Maria Theresa was a fierce woman for the ages, with even Frederick the Great of Prussia writing about her, “That woman’s achievements are those of a great man.”

1742 – Maria Christina was born in Vienna today to Maria Theresa and Francis I. She was called “Mimi” and said to be her mother’s favourite, which caused bitter jealously from some of her siblings. She married Prince Albert of Saxony in what is said to be a love match. They were made the Duke and Duchess of Teschen, and Albert was made an Austrian Archduke and a governor of Hungary. During her brother Joseph’s reign, they were made governors of the Austrian Netherlands. Mimi’s relationship with her sisters never got better and Marie Antoinette famously snubbed her during a state visit, while Mimi acted indifferent at the news of her sister’s death.

1822 – Francis, Dike of Cadiz was born today in Spain. In 1846, he married his double first cousin Isabella II of Spain. They had five children, including the future Alfonso XII. The marriage was not happy at first, and after the wedding night, Isabella complained about his effeminate nature. They separated when Isabella was exiled to France, but eventually reconciled and had a friendly relationship. He did live long enough to see his son restored to the throne.

1979 – In not so dead royals, Prince Carl Phillip of Sweden is born in Stockholm. He is the second child and eldest son of King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia. He is currently third in the line of succession behind his elder sister, the Crown Princess Victoria and his niece, Estelle.

No major deaths.

Have a good one!

April 24th

24 Wednesday Apr 2013

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Events:
1558 – Mary, Queen of Scots marries the Dauphin of France, Francis in Paris. Francis was the heir of Henry II of France, and Mary had been Queen regnant of Scotland since days after her birth, although she had lived in France since age 5. Francis took the title of King consort of Scotland, until the following year, when he became King of France at age 15. Mary was then Queen consort of France, albeit for just over a year, as Francis died suddenly in 1560.

1854 – Austrian Emperor Franz Joseph I married a 17 year old Elisabeth of Bavaria. They would later have four children, 3 daughters and one son, Rudolf, who famously committed suicide with his mistress in what’s known as the Meyerling Incident. Franz is said to have loved his beautiful wife dearly, but due to her inability to cope with court and public life, she retreated into herself, and was said to be unable to reciprocate his love.

1953 – The new Queen of the United Kingdom, Elizabeth II knighted Winston Churchill. Later, after his retirement, the Queen offered him a Dukedom, but he declined, accepting a position as a Knight Companion in the Order of the Garter instead.

Birthdays:
1533 – William I, Prince of Orange and Stadtholder of the Dutch Provinces was born today in Nassau. Called William the Silent, he went on to be one of the early leaders of the Dutch Revolt against Catholic Spanish Habsburg rule. His fighting with the Imperial and Spanish forces are the precursors to the Eighty Years War, ending finally with Dutch Independence. William’s legacy lives on in the Netherlands today. Their flag, was based on his, although the colours have changed slightly. The Dutch coat of arms is also based on his. The National Anthem of the Netherlands, the Wilhelmus, comes from a propaganda song of Williams.

Deaths:
1736 – Prince Eugene of Savoy died in Vienna in his sleep, at age at age 72. He would attempt to serve in the French Military, but would be rejected. He then moved to Austria and began an illustrious military career spanning the lives of three Emperors, Leopold I, Joseph I, and Charles VI. He protected the Austrian Empire from French invasion, and removed the Ottomans from Central Europe. Napoleon himself considered Eugene to be one of the greatest military leaders in all of history.

1986 – Wallis, Duchess of Windsor died in Paris. She was the wife of the Duke of Windsor, Prince Edward, former King Edward VIII of the United Kingdom. Edward famously abdicated the throne in 1936 to marry Wallis, a twice divorced American socialite. Edward’s brother became George VI after the abdication. Wallis and Edward later married in 1937. Although she had a rather cold relationship with the royal family, she was buried at Frogmore Castle and her funeral was attended by the Queen, the Queen Mother and several other members of the royal family.

Have an awesome day!