Tag Archives: Portugese Royalty

August 29th

29 Wednesday Jan 2014

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Events:
1756 – Frederick the Great of Prussia attacks Saxony, starting what’s called the Seven Years War, over territorial disputes with the neighboring German nations and Austria.

1825 – The Kingdom of Portugal officially recognizes the independence of Brazil. In 1822, Brazil would declare itself its own empire.

1968 – Crown Prince Harald of Norway married Sonja Haraldsen, after dating in secret for nine years. She was not of royal status, so there was concern of a scandal. The couple rule today as King Harald V and Queen Sonja.

Birthdays:
1729 – Maria Anna Sophia of Saxony is born to King Augustus III of Poland and Maria Josepha of Austria. She was one of 15 children, and the sister of Frederick Christian, Elector of Saxony, Queen Maria Amalia of Spain, and French Dauphine Maria Josepha. This makes Maria Anna the aunt of French Kings Louis XVI, Louis XVIII, and Charles X. In 1747, she married the Elector of Bavaria, Maximilian III Joseph. The marriage was childless, and Maximilian died in 1777, but Maria would outlive him by 20 years, remaining in her adopted homeland.

Deaths:
1526 – King Louis II of Hungary, Croatia, and Bohemia died while fighting the Ottomans during the Battle of Mohacs. He had been king for ten years, after the death of his father, Vladislaus II. Louis was only twenty at the time of his death, and was childless, in his marriage.

Enjoy your day!

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 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 14th

24 Saturday Aug 2013

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Events:
1385 – The Battle of Aljubarrota takes place between the forces of John I of Portugal and John I of Castile. The Portuguese were fighting for independence from Spain, and they one it with a decisive victory.

1415 – Prince Henry of Portugal, known as Henry the Navigator, fought for territory against the Kingdom of Morocco. The bad was a swift, decisive victory for the Portuguese, and they continued their expansion.

Birthdays:
1479 – Catherine of York was born to King Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville. She was their sixth daughter, and ninth child overall. The same year, her father tried to contract an advantageous marriage for her, betrothing her to John, Prince of the Asturias, heir of Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain, but nothing came of it. Later, after her sister Elizabeth became Queen consort with her marriage to Henry VII, Henry attempted to marry her to James III of Scotland, but to no avail. Finally in the 1490’s, she was married to William Courtenay, who later became the Earl of Devon. They would have three children, the eldest Henry, who was a courtier under his cousin, Henry VIII. Widowed at 31, she lived out her days in England, never marrying again, and outlived all her siblings.

1688 – Frederick William I of Prussia was born in Berlin, as the son of Frederick I and Sophia Charlotte of Hanover. He became King in Prussia in 1713, and was an active ruler in most aspects of government. His wife was Sophia Dorothea of Hanover, sister of George II of the United Kingdom. He kept Prussia out of war, except for one minor intervention in the Great Northern War, and left a sound economy. He did however, have a terrible relationship with his eldest son, the future Frederick II. The younger Frederick was even imprisoned, and there were rumors of his execution. Frederick William died in Berlin at age 51.

1727 – Twin girls are born at Versailles to King Louis XV and Queen Marie. They were Louise Elisabeth and Anne Henriette of France.The elder twin, Elisabeth, was married to Prince Phillip of Spain in 1739, to the chagrin of her sister, who was upset at the loss of her sister. Henriette would then pour herself into her music and become an accomplished musician. Elisabeth, despite having three children, was unhappy in Spain, and with her marriage. They were reunited at one point, but were of differing opinions on one of their father’s mistresses. In 1752, Henriette died of smallpox, while Elisabeth was living in Parma as its Duchess. She died in 1759 while visiting France, and the sisters are buried next to one another.

1876 – The future Alexander I of Serbia is born in Belgrade to King Milan I and Natalija Obrenovic. In 1889, his father suddenly abdicated, and Alexander became king under a regency until he was 16. He married in 1900, to a former lady in waiting to his mother, named Draga Masin. The match was wildly unpopular. In 1903, the couple were assassinated in their beds by a group of conspirators who didn’t want the king to name Draga’s brother as his successor. Alexander was only 26.

Deaths:
1040 – Duncan I of Scotland is killed in battle fighting fellow claimant to the throne, MacBeth. Duncan had been king since 1034, and was approximately 39 years old.

1433 – John I of Portugal died in Lisbon at age 75. He was the illegitimate son of Peter I of Portugal, and had become King in 1385, after the death of his half-brother Ferdinand I. In 1385, he married into the powerful English family of Lancaster, when he married Phillippa, daughter of John of Gaunt. He ended up being a successful ruler, and his son, Edward would succeed him.

Have a good one!

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!

August 4th

13 Tuesday Aug 2013

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Events:
1265 – The Battle of Evesham takes place in England as part of the Second Baron’s War. The army of King Henry III, led by his son, the future Edward I, would defeat the rebels. Simon de Montfort, the leader of the rebels would be killed in battle.

Birthdays:
1900 – Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon is born to the future Earl and Countess of Strathmore and Kinghorne. In 1921, Prince Albert, Duke of York proposed marriage to her. She declined, stating she didn’t want to be in the public eye as a royal. He would ask again, and again, Elizabeth refused. Finally in 1923, he asked a third time, and she agreed. She would be the first royal bride to lay her bouquet at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, in honor of her brother who died in World War I. Ten years later Elizabeth and Bertie became King and Queen of the United Kingdom, who already had two young daughters, the future Elizabeth II and Princess Margaret. She remained in the public life and was a popular member of the royal family up through her daughter’s reign. She passed away in 2002, shortly after the death of her daughter Margaret.

1906 – Marie Jose of Belgium is born to King Albert I and Elisabeth of Bavaria. In 1930, she married Prince Umberto of Italy, becoming the Princess of Piedmont. They would have four children, despite the marriage being unhappy. She would be active in Italian politics, even throughout World War II. In 1946, she became Queen consort when her father in law abdicated, but 35 days later, the monarchy was abolished in Italy. They lived in Portugal for a time, but she and Umberto decided to separate, and Marie would move to Switzerland with her children. She lived there, in Mexico briefly, and returned to Italy after her husbands death. She herself died in Geneva at age 94.

Deaths:
1060 – Henry I of France died at age 52. He had been king on his own since 1031, when his father, Robert II died. He has the mixed legacy of being a strong king, but other Capetian historians believing he was the personification of the weakness of the Capets. He was succeeded by his son, Phillip I, who was seven years old. Henry’s third wife and Phillip’s mother, Anna of Kiev, would serve as regent.

1306 – The 16 year old Wenceslaus II of Bohemia died suddenly. He was the son of Wenceslaus II and Judith of Habsburg. He had been king of Bohemia since 1301, and King of Hungary, Croatia, and Poland since 1305. He had also married in 1305, but had no legitimate heirs.

1578 – Sebastian I of Portugal died in battle against the Moors. He was just 24 years old. He had been king since age 3, when his grandfather John III died. Sebastian’s father had died before his birth, and his mother left while he was still a baby, to serve as regent for her family’s Habsburg lands. His grandmother was his domineering regent, and Sebastian grew up very devout. His death left a succession crisis in Portugal.

Have a great day!

July 31st

11 Sunday Aug 2013

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Events:
1423 – The Battle of Cravant takes place in France as part of the Hundred Years War. It would be a victory for the English/Burgundian alliance against the French. It would be one of the few times the allies would fight together.

1492 – The Alhambra Decree takes affect in Spain, expelling Jews from all Spanish lands and territories. It would not be revoked until 1968.

1588 – The Spanish Armada is spotted off the English coast. Troops would be assembled on the ground, but the fleet would never make it to English shores.

Birthdays:
1527 – The future Maximilian II was born in Vienna. He became Holy Roman Emperor in 1564 after the death of his father, Ferdinand I. He married his cousin Maria of Spain, with whom he had sixteen children. Only nine would survive into adulthood. He was said to be very tolerant of the Protestants, despite previous tensions and opposition from his Spanish cousins. Two of his sons would later become Emperors and Rudolf II and Matthias I. His daughters Anna and Elizabeth would be Queen consort of Spain and Queen consort of France.

1737 – Princess Augusta of Great Britain is born in London to the Prince of Wales, Frederick, son of King George II, and Princess Augusta of Saxe-Gotha. In 1764, she married Charles William Ferdinand, Duke of Brunswick, with whom she would have seven children, despite the unhappiness of the arranged marriage. One of their daughters, Caroline, would later marry the future King George IV of the United Kingdom. In 1807, after the death of her husband, she moved back to London, while her brother, George III was king.

Deaths:
1750 – John V of Portugal died in Lisbon at age 60. He had been King since 1706, at the death of his father, Peter II. In 1707, he married Austrian Archduchess Maria Anna, and they would have 3 surviving children, who include Joseph I and Peter III. He was known as a great patron of the arts, and amassed one of the greatest art collections in all of Europe. He overhauled the economic system of Portugal, which at first worked, but were unpopular with the nobility, but later they were shown to be ineffective.

1993 – King Baudouin of Belgium died at age 62 of heart failure, while in Spain. He had been King since 1951, when he was age 20. Under his reign, the Belgian Congo became independent, and he attended the ceremony. In 1990, he was actually declared unable to rule for a day, due to his refusal to give Royal Assent to a bill he disagreed with for religious reasons. On the day he did not rule the bill was signed into effect by the other members of the government, and he was declared capable of ruling again the following day. He was childless, and was succeeded by his brother, Albert II.

Have a great day!

July 19th

26 Friday Jul 2013

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Events:
1553 – Mary Tudor, daughter of Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon was declared Queen of England in London. Her half-brother, Edward VI had died on July 6th, and on July 9th, Lady Jane Grey, a cousin of theirs, was declared Queen by Edward’s council. Edward was a fierce Protestant, and he and his council were afraid the Catholic Mary would undo their religious reforms. However, popular support was on Mary’s side. She would ride into London triumphantly in early August, with her sister Elizabeth in tow. Jane had been staying in the Tower of London after her accession and would never leave it.

Birthdays:
1822 – Princess Augusta of Cambridge is born in Hanover to Prince Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge and Princess Augusta of Hesse-Kassel. Her father was one of the younger children of King George III of the United Kingdom. She was the first cousin to Queen Victoria and aunt to Mary of Teck, later Queen Mary. She married Frederick William and later they became Duke and Duchess of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. She lived most of her life in Germany, but as an elderly woman, she live in Britain, and had a good relationship with other royals. She did return to Germany where she died at age 94.

Deaths:
1415 – Phillippa of Lancaster died in Portugal at age 55. She was the daughter of John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster, and a sister to King Henry IV of England. She had married John I of Portugal in 1387. She would give birth to the future Edward of Portugal and the famous Henry the Navigator. She was said to be a model queen and was influential at both the English and Portuguese courts.

1543 – Mary Boleyn, the older sister of Anne would pass away. She had been exiled from court for marrying beneath her station and without royal permission for almost a decade, for marrying her second husband. The sisters had never been close, but Mary did write to Thomas Cromwell and ask him to intervene on her behalf with her father and brother. When he wrote back, after they refused, Mary wrote him back a scathing letter, and said in defense of her solider husband, “I would rather beg my bread with him, than be the greatest Queen in all Christendom.” Anne finally relented, sending her money and things to sell for money. There is no evidence that Mary had contact with her family again. Her children from her first marriage would rise to prominence and peerage under their maternal first cousin, Elizabeth I.

1810 – Louise of Mecklenburg Strelitz, Queen of Prussia, died suddenly of an illness. She was just 34 years old. She had married the future Frederick William III of Prussia. She was a widely loved Queen and was said to be everything a Queen and woman should be; beautiful, modest, pious, and a fierce supporter of her husband. In 1806, she met with Napoleon to negotiate with him on behalf of Prussia after its defeat in the Napoleonic Wars. Upon hearing of her death, the French Emperor said that the Prussian king “had lost his best minister.” Two of her sons would later be kings as Frederick William IV, and Wilhelm I, who was also the first Emperor of Germany. Her daughter Charlotte, also married into the Russian Imperial family, becoming Empress Alexandra, wife of Nicholas I.

Have an awesome day!

July 15th

22 Monday Jul 2013

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Events:
1381 – Richard II oversees the execution of John Ball, one of the leaders of the failed Peasant’s Rebellion.

Birthdays:
1737 – Princess Louise of France is born at Versailles to King Louis XV and Queen Marie Leszczynska. She was their tenth and youngest child. She grew up at Fontevraud Abbey, but returned to live at Versailles at her father’s court. She later took the vows of a nun, and was prioress of the convent at Saint-Denis. Louise died there in 1789 at the age of 50.

1837 – Stephanie of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen is born in Germany to the Prince Hohenzollern, Charles Anthony, and his wife, Josephine of Baden. In 1858, she was married to Peter V of Portugal. She founded a few hospitals, but within a year of the marriage, she died of diphtheria in 1859. She was just 22 years old, and Pedro never remarried.

Deaths:
1291 – Rudolph I of Germany died at age 73 in Speyer, Germany. He was elected King of Germany in 1273, he was one of the early monarchs of the House of Habsburg and helped push them into prominence in Europe. He attempted to consolidate his power by establishing peace among the German regions, but was unsuccessful. His attempts at peace would continue until shortly before his death.

1685 – James Scott, Duke of Monmouth was executed in London. He was an illegitimate son of the late King Charles II. Monmouth was also a Protestant, and tried to overthrow his Catholic Uncle, now King James II and VII. The rebellion failed, and the Duke was captured and executed.

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July 5th

11 Thursday Jul 2013

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Events:
1295 – John Balliol, King of Scots and Phillip IV of France signed a treaty against Edward I of England. Called the “Auld Alliance” this friendship would go on for another 400 years with the two countries helping each other militarily. In 1942, Charles De Gaulle would call it the ‘oldest alliance in the world.’ The treaty has never been revoked and is technically still active today.

Birthdays:
1321 – A daughter is born to king Edward II and his Queen Isabella of France. She would be named Joan, and called “Joan of the Tower” because she was born within the confines of the Tower of London while he mother was residing for protection. While a child, she was married to David II of Scotland. They would be married be for over thirty years, but have no children. Joan would pass away in 1362 at just age 41.

1554 – Elisabeth of Austria is born in Vienna to Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian II and Empress Maria. In 1570, she married Charles IX of France. She was not involved in affairs of state, and Charles spent more time with his mistress, although he was not unkind to his wife. She devoted her time to her household of ladies and charitable works. Charles died shortly after the birth of their daughter. She lived out her days in her native Austria, and did not see her daughter after age three.

1717 – Peter III of Portugal was born to John V of Portugal and Maria Anna of Austria. In 1777, he became married to the Portuguese heiress, Maria, who was also his niece. In 1777, they succeeded Joseph I as co-rulers. They ruled together until his death in 1786. They would be succeeded by their son, John VI of Portugal.

Have an awesome day!