Tag Archives: Monagesque Royalty

August 3rd

13 Tuesday Aug 2013

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No major events.

Birthdays:
1770 – The future Frederick William III of Prussia is born in Potsdam. He was the eldest son of Frederick William II and Frederika Louise. He was said to be shy and quiet as a child, and that carried over when he succeeded his father in 1797. He was slow to bring Prussia into the Napoleonic Wars, which led to an embarrassing defeat for the Prussians. After the war though, he refused to give Prussia the constitution he promised before the war. His eldest son would succeed him as Frederick William IV, and later his younger son, as Wilhelm I, who would unite all of Germany under Prussian rule.

1872 – Prince Carl of Denmark is born in Copenhagen, as a younger son of Frederick VIII of Denmark and Queen Louise of Sweden. He would be the younger brother of Christian X. In 1896, he married Maud of Wales, daughter of the future Edward VII of Great Britain and Queen Alexandra. In 1905, Sweden and Norway dissolved their union, and Carl was asked to be the first monarch of Norway. He asked for a referendum from the people stating they wanted a monarchy, and the people voted overwhelmingly yes. The following year, he and Maud were crowned, with Carl taking the name Haakon VII. He would be a popular King, and rule through both World Wars, and was a fierce resistor of Nazi occupation. He ruled until 1957, when he died at age 85.

1943 – In not so dead royalty, Swedish Princess Christina is born near Stockholm to Prince Gustaf Adolf and Princess Sybilla. She is an elder sister of the current Swedish King, Carl XVI Gustaf. Because she married someone of unequal station in 1974, she is known as Princess Christina, Mrs. Magnusson.

1986 – Also in not so dead royals, Charlotte Casiraghi is born in Monaco to Princess Caroline of Monaco. She is a granddaughter of Prince Rainier III and Princess Grace, and a niece to the current monarch, Albert II.

Deaths:
1460 – King James II of Scotland died at age 29, when a cannon he was standing next to exploded. He was laying siege to Roxburgh Castle, which was still held by the English. He had been king since 1437, when his father was assassinated. James was just 6 years old, and ruled through regents until 1449. He would be popular with the common people, but he is also known for his struggle with the Douglas family, which culminated with beheading of William, 6th Earl Douglas. His young son would succeed him as James III.

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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.

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May 31st

01 Saturday Jun 2013

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Events:
1578 – The first stones of the Pont Neuf bridge in Paris are laid by Henry III. It is the oldest bridge in Paris.

Birthdays:
1443 – Lady Margaret Beaufort is born in England. At age 12, she married Edmund Tudor, Earl of Richmond. Tudor was the half brother of Henry VI, through their mother, Catherine of Valois. Margaret had one child who would later become Henry VII of England. She would marry three more times, but at her death, be buried by Edmund. In 1485, her son became king, and she would live at court and be an influential member of his government. She lived two months into the reign of her grandson, Henry VIII.

1469 – Manuel I of Portugal is born. In 1495, he became King after his cousin, John II. Portugal made great strides in exploration during his reign, including the discovery of Brazil and a route to India. He also oversaw an Inquisition towards the Jews. There were many deaths and forced conversions at the time. He was married three times and among his children there are two Kings of Portugal and a Holy Roman Empress.

1557 – Feodor I of Russia is born in Moscow to Ivan IV and Anastasia Romanova. He became Tsar in 1584, but wasn’t supposed to until is elder brother died. He had no children and little, to no interest in politics. His chief minister Boris Godunov would succeed him as Tsar, and lead to a time called “The Troubles” .

1923 – The future Prince Rainier III of Monaco is born. He became Sovereign Prince in 1949, after the death of his grandfather, Louis II. In 1956, he famously married American movie star Grace Kelly, with whom he had three children, including the current ruler of Monaco, Prince Albert. He helped Monaco get a new constitution in 1962, which effectively ended autocratic rule.

Deaths:
1162 – Geza III of Hungary died in his early 30’s. He became King at age 10 after the death of his father, Bela II. He was a successful ruler for his time, both at home and militarily. The only rebellions he would see would come later in his reign from his brother and uncle. However it would be crushed quickly. Two of his sons would become king after him, as Stephen III and Bela III.

1246 – Isabella of Angouleme died at Fontevraud Abbey. She had been the second wife of John I of England, whom she had married when she was about 12, in the year 1200. In 1202, at the death of her father, she became Countess of Angouleme in her own right. Through John she would mother Henry III of England, and her daughters would become a Queen in Scotland and Holy Roman Empress. After John’s death, she went back to France, remarried (causing a scandal), and assisted in an attempt to overthrow French King Louis IX.

1495 – Cecily Neville, Duchess of York died at age 80. She was a great-granddaughter to Edward III and Queen Philippa. She married Richard Plantagenet, Duke of York, and in time, gave birth to three daughters, who all married into peerage, and four sons, two of whom became Kings of England as Edward IV and Richard III. “Proud Cis” lived until she was 80, and thus watched the whole of the Wars of the Roses, which her family was deeply entrenched in. She outlived all of her sons. But Cecily lived long enough to watch her granddaughter, the once illegitimatized Elizabeth, Edward IV’s daughter, become Queen consort of England. Since Henry VIII, every English monarch is somehow descended from Cecily Neville.

1740 – Frederick William I of Prussia died in Berlin. Called the Soldier King because of his time in the military and his fondness for it, he attempted to instill the same virtue in his son, the future Frederick II. His relationship with son would be difficult for a long time, and would include an exile and court martialing of the young man. As a whole, he did a lot improve the Prussian military and the country as a whole.

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May 9th

09 Thursday May 2013

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Events:
1671 – Thomas Blood, and Irishman, leads a small group that attempted to steal the English Crown Jewels. They took the jewels but the alarm was sounded and they were caught. The jewels were damaged, but Blood was ultimately pardoned and released.

1946 – Italian King Victor Emmanuel III of Italy abdicates in favour of his son, Umberto II. There was a vote coming up among the people whether or not to retain the monarchy. After the disasters of World War II, Victor was hoping to build support for the crown with his abdication. He died the following year in Egypt and Umberto would only be King for a month.

Birthdays:
1892 – Zita of Bourbon-Parma is born in Tuscany. She was the daughter of Robert I, Duke of Parma and Infanta Maria Antonia of Portugal. In 1911, she married Austrian Archduke Charles, who after the deaths of Franz Ferdinand and Franz Joseph I, became the last Austrian Emperor in 1916. Between 1912 and 1922, Zita and Charles had seven children, both before and after their deposition in 1918. Charles died in 1922, leaving her a widow at age 29. Zita lived her days out in exile, even living in the US and Canada during World War 2. She died in 1989 at age 96.

Deaths:
1949 – Louis II, Prince of Monaco died in Monte Carlo at age 78. He had become Sovereign in 1922, following the death of his father Albert I. Under his rule, Monaco formed its first Football Club and the first Grand Prix of Monaco took place as well. He attempted to remain neutral during World War II, but Monaco was occupied by the Nazis. He would do his best to help Jews who were about to be arrested escape capture. His grandson and successor, Rainier thought Louis to hesitant to fight the Nazis, which caused a rift between them.

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April 19th

19 Friday Apr 2013

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Events:
1713 – Holy Roman Emperor Charles VI issues the Pragmatic Sanction of 1713. The sanction states that if he should die with no living male heirs, the Habsburg lands and crown would pass to his daughter, the future Maria Theresa of Austria, who was born in 1717.

1770 – Maria Antonia, Archduchess of Austria is married by proxy in Vienna to the Dauphin of France, Louis Auguste. Four years later they would become the King and Queen of France as Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette.

1956 – Prince Rainier of Monaco marries American movie star Grace Kelly. They had a civil ceremony the previous day, and a religious ceremony on this day. It was watched by an estimated 30 million people.

Birthdays:
1793 – Ferdinand I of Austria is born in Vienna. He was the heir of Francis II and Maria Theresa of the Two Sicilies. He would come to the Imperial throne in 1835, and while his diaries show that he was mentally capable and witty, he also suffered from a severe speech impediment and epilepsy. It was so severe that when he tried to consummate his marriage to Maria Anna of Sardinia, he had 5 seizures. So thus he had no children. He would abdicate after the 1848 Revolutions and he was succeeded by his nephew, Franz Joseph I.

Deaths:
1390 – Robert II of Scotland dies at age 74. He was the son of Marjorie Bruce, and Walter Stewart, 6th High Steward of Scotland. Marjorie was the daughter of the Scottish hero, Robert the Bruce. He came to the throne after the death of his uncle, David II. He would spend a good part of his reign fighting off an English invasion. He was the first ruler from the House of Stewart (later Stuart), who would rule just Scotland until 1603, when then inherited the throne of England too.

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April 6th

06 Saturday Apr 2013

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Events:
1320 – Scotland reaffirms its independence with a document called the Declaration of Arbroath, named for the Abbey in which it was probably written. It was sealed by 51 nobles and magnates of the land. One copy survives today.

1385 – The Portuguese Council of the Kingdom meets in Coimbra and declares John, Master of Aviz, King of Portugal. He was the illegitimate son of Peter I, but there had been civil war before him, as his sister, Beatrice was married to John I of Castile, and thus with their accession, Portugal would have been annexed by Castile.

Birthdays:
1632 – Maria Leopoldine of Austria is born in Innsbruck. She was he daughter of and Archduke of Austria, thus making her and Archduchess. She would marry Ferdinand III, Holy Roman Emperor in 1648, and thus be Empress consort. They were first cousins. A year later, Maria would die after a difficult labour with the couples only child. She was 17 years old.

1871 – A baby boy is born to the future Edward VII and Alexandra of the United Kingdom. He would be christened as Alexander John, but would die within 24 hours of his birth.

Deaths:
1199 – King Richard I of England dies in France of injuries while laying siege to a castle. He had been King of England for 10 years, but spent most of the time on the Third Crusade or protecting his vast lands in southern France. He was the son of first Plantagenet king, Henry II, and the equally indomitable Eleanor of Aquitaine. His legacy lives on in the Royal Arms of England, which still bear his standard, three gold lions. He is also the only English king better known by his nickname , the Lionheart, rather than his number.

1490 – Matthias Corvinus, King of Hungary, Croatia, Bohemia, and Duke of Austria, dies in Vienna at age 47. He had been king of Hungary since age 14 and acquired the other titles in time. He was one of the first rulers to fully embrace the Italian Renaissance, and fashioned himself a philosopher king after Plato’s Republic. However his empire would not last after him, as he had only one illegitimate son, and he was not accepted as ruler in most lands.

2005 – Prince Rainier III of Monaco dies at age 81. He had been sick for some time, and suffered from multiple illnesses. He came to the throne in 1949 after the death of his father, Louis II. He famously married American movie star, Grace Kelly in 1956 and they had three children, including the current ruler, Albert II. But more than that, he expanded Monaco’s economy from more than just gambling revenues, which were 95% of the country’s revenue at his accession, and less than 5% at his death.

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March 14th

14 Thursday Mar 2013

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Events:

1489 – Catherine Cornaro, Queen of Cyprus, formally abdicates and sells the island to the Republic in Venice. She has been Queen consort since 1472, and had ruled as regent since the death of her husband in 1473, and the death of her infant son in 1474. The kingdom had been in a steady decline for years and was already being run by Venetian merchants.

Birthdays:

1807 – Josephine of Leuchtenburg, future Queen consort of Sweden and Norway is born in Milan. She was the granddaughter of Josephine de Beauharnais, first wife of Napoleon I, by her first marriage. Napoleon gave her titles upon her birth, which led to her being a royal consort. She would marry Oscar I of Sweden and Norway, and become a popular Queen for her patronage of several artists, and promoted social causes. Two of her four sons would become King.

1820 – Victor Emmanuel II of Sardinia is born today in Turin. He would become King of Sardinia in 1849. And in 1861, after leading the Wars of Italian Unification, he would become the first King of a unified Italy since the 6th century. He would have the capital moved to Rome 1871 where he would live out his days. He had also be excommunicated by the Church in 1860. His sons would go on to be Umberto I of Italy and Amedeo I of Spain.

1822 – Teresa Christina of the Two Sicilies is born in Naples to Francis I and Maria Isabella. She became Empress consort of Brazil in 1843 when she married Pedro II. She outlived all her children. Her husband was overthrown in 1889, and they were forced into exile, were she died a month later. She was widely loved and respected by the Brazilian people, even the ones who deposed the monarchy.

1844 – Umberto I of Italy is born as the son of Victor Emmanuel II of Sardinia. He would serve as a commander under his father during the Wars of Italian Unification. He would be assassinated in 1900 by an anarchist who said he was avenging the people of Milan for the Bava-Beccaris massacre in 1898.

1958 – In not so dead royalty, Prince Albert II of Monaco is born as the son of Rainier III and Princess Grace. He is the current ruling monarch of the small country with his sister, Caroline as his heir presumptive.

Deaths:

1647 – Frederick Henry, Prince of Orange and Stadtholder of Holland dies at age 63 in The Hague. He came to rule after the death of his childless half brother, Maurice. He would continue the Dutch military success against Spanish. He would be succeeded by his son, William II.

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March 4th

04 Monday Mar 2013

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Events:
1155 – Frederick I Barbarossa is elected King of the Germans, and would be crowned 5 days later. Three years later he is elected to be King of Italy and declared Holy Roman Emperor.

1461 – Henry VI is formally deposed and imprisoned during the War of the Roses. A cousin of his from the York branch of the Plantagenet family, Edward, is installed as King of England.

Birthdays:
1188 – Blanche of Castile is born to King Alfonso VIII and Queen Eleanor. Blanche’s mother was a daughter of Henry II of England and Eleanor of Aquitaine. Later, she would be married to the future Louis VIII of France in 1200. She would be widowed in 1226, but serve as regent for her son, the future Louis IX. She would later be regent again, while Louis went on Crusade.

1992 – A girl is born to Prince Albert II of Monaco and his mistress, Tamara Rotolo, named Jazmin Grace Grimaldi. She is not the line of succession for Monaco, but is heir to Albert’s personal fortune.

Deaths:
1192 – The first Egyptian Sultan, Salah al Din, or Saladin dies at age 55 in Damascus. He is most known for his military leadership between the Second and Third Crusades and the Muslim reconquest of Jerusalem in 1187. He was well respected by other monarchs and military leaders, including Richard the Lionheart, for his actions both on and off he battlefield, and is one of the models of chivalry.

1238 – Joan of England, Queen consort of Scotland and daughter of John I of England dies at age 27. She was the wife of Alexander II of Scotland and sister to Henry III. She and Alexander were childless.

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February 1st

01 Friday Feb 2013

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Events:
1327 – A fourteen year old Edward III is crowned King of England after the deposition of his father, Edward II. His father abdicated the throne after an invasion lead by Edward’s mother, Isabella of France, because of the disaster of the elder Edward’s rule. Isabella and her lover, Roger Mortimer, Earl of March, would be de facto rulers until Edward came of age and took the reigns of government.

1946 – The Hungarian Parliament votes and decides to declare a republic, abolishing its monarchy. Hungary had been a Kingdom for over 900 years.

2005 – King Gyanendra of Nepal attempts to reinstate direct and authoritative rule in his country by dismissing the Prime Minister and naming himself Chairman on the Ministers. The monarchy would be abolished the following year.

Birthdays:
1965 – The only birthday is a not so dead royal one. Princess Stephanie of Monaco is born to Prince Rainier III and Princess Grace. Stephanie was actually with her mother when the car accident occured that caused Princess Grace’s death. She would miss her mother’s funeral, due to still being in the hospital recovering.

Deaths:
1328 – Charles IV of France died at age 33 without a male heir. He was the last of the direct Capetian line kings of France as the son of Phillip IV. France observed Salic law, which barred women from being sovereign, or the line of succession passing through a woman. This caused a crisis, as the next male heir was Phillip of Valois. Edward III of England would stake a claim to the throne, being a grandson of Phillip IV, through his mother, Isabella. This was one of the direct causes of the Hundred Years War.

1733 – King Augustus II of Poland died in Warsaw at age 62. He had actually been King of Poland twice, the first between 1697 and 1706, then again between 1709 and his death. He was known for his physical strength, and his patronage of the fine arts. However his rule is not regarded as successful because of his failure to keep the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth out of the Great Northern War.

1908 – King Carlos I of Portugal, and his eldest son, Prince Felipe are assassinated by republican activists while riding in an open carriage. His other son, Prince Manuel, would be declared King and was the last King of Portugal.

1945 – Prince Kiril of Bulgaria was assassinated by a coalition of the Communist Party of Bulgaria. He was the younger brother of the deceased Boris III and was regent and Prime Minister for his nephew, Simeon II.

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January 23rd

23 Wednesday Jan 2013

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Events:
1920 – Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands formally refuses to hand over German Emperor Wilhelm II, who was living in exile in her country. He fled to The Netherlands after his forced abdication after World War I, and part of the Treaty of Versailles called for his arrest and prosecution. However he would never be tried with war crimes, and live out his days in exile.

Birthdays:
1688 – Ulrika Eleonora, future Queen of Sweden is born in Stockholm. She would go on to be Queen regnant of Sweden in 1718 after the death of her brother. She would abdicate in 1720 in favour of her husband, who became Frederick I, and therefore served as both Queen regnant and Queen consort of Sweden. With their reigns, Sweden saw the decline of the absolute monarchy and its known as the “Age of Liberty”.

1896 – Charlotte, Grand Duchess of Luxembourg is born in Berg Castle. She was the second daughter of William IV, Grand Duke of Luxembourg, and became ruler after the abdication of her sister, Marie-Adelaide. Under her, Luxembourg became a constitutional monarchy, and she would spend the whole of World War II in Britain. She would abdicate in 1964, in favour of her son, Jean.

1957 – In not so dead royals, Princess Caroline of Monaco and Princess of Hanover by marriage is born to Prince Rainier II and Princess Grace. She is married to Ernst August, Prince of Hanover, titular Prince of the Hanover region of Germany. Her brother, Prince Albert II, is the current reigning sovereign of Monaco.

Deaths:
1516 – Ferdinand II of Aragon, husband to Isabella of Castile died in Spain. He was half of Spain’s original power couple, and through their children, they saw the union of the Spanish countries. He and his wife were also known by the epithets “the Catholic” because of their services to the church. These services included the Reconquest of Granada from the Moors, the beginning of the Inquisition, and forced conversion of Jews. He had served as regent for his daughter, Joanna in Castile after the death of Isabella. Joanna was then named as Queen after his death, but with her son, Charles, as co-ruler due to her mental incapacity.

1820 – Prince Edward, Duke of Kent and Strathearn is born in England as the fourth son of King George III and Queen Charlotte. He would spend time in the Army and be a commander of forces in Canada. However we best know him through his offspring, the future Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom. He would die within the first year of his life, and within a week of his father. Prince Edward Island, Canada, is named in his honor.