This Day in History

[Susan]

April 1 in royal history:

April 1, 1204 - Death of Eleanor of Aquitaine, wife of Henry II, at Fontevrault Abbey, Maine-et-Loire, France; buried at Fontevrault Abbey near Chinon, France
Eleanor was about 82 when she died. No other queen consort was to reach this age for over 700 years. Queen Alexandra, wife of Edward VII died at age 81 and Queen Mary, wife of George V died at age 85. Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, wife of George VI, passed away on March 30, 2002 at age 101.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eleanor_of_Aquitaine

April 1, 1412 – Death of Albert of Sweden at Mecklenburg; buried at the monastery of Doberan, Mecklenburg
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_of_Sweden

April 1, 1922 - Death of Emperor Karl I of Austria at Madeira, Portugal; buried at the Church of Our Lady of the Monte in Madeira, his heart is with the heart of his wife Zita at Loreto Chapel of Muri Abbey near Basle, Switzerland
Karl has been beatified, a step towards sainthood.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karl_of_Austria

April 1, 1947 - Death of George II of Greece at the Royal Palace in Athens; buried at Tatoi Royal Cemetery
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_II_of_Greece

April 1, 1993 - Death of Infante Juan of Spain, Count of Barcelona, son of King Alfonso XIII, father of King Juan Carlos at Pamplona, Spain; buried in the Royal Crypt at San Lorenzo del Escorial
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juan_de_Bo ... _Barcelona

[Susan]

April 2 in royal history:

April 2, 742 - Birth of Charlemagne, King of the Franks in Liège in present-day Belgium
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlemagne

April 2, 1272 – Death of Richard, Earl of Cornwall, son of King John, at Berkhamsted Castle in Hertfordshire; buried at Hailes Abbey
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard%2C ... f_Cornwall

April 2, 1502 - Death of Arthur, Prince of Wales, son of Henry VII, at Ludlow Castle, Shropshire; buried at Worcester Cathedral
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur%2C_Prince_of_Wales

April 2, 1545 – Birth of Élisabeth de Valois, third wife of Philip II of Spain, at Château de Fontainebleau
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabeth_of_Valois

April 2, 1653 – Birth of Prince George (Jørgen) of Denmark, husband of Queen Anne, at Copenhagen, Denmark
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prince_George_of_Denmark

April 2, 1851 - Death of Jessadabodindra, Rama III of Siam, in Bangkok
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jessadabodindra

April 2, 1955 - Birth of Princess Sirindhorn, daughter of King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand, in Bangkok
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maha_Chakri_Sirindhorn

[Susan]

April 3 in royal history:

April 3, 1043 - Edward the Confessor crowned at Winchester Cathedral
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_the_Confessor

April 3, 1812 – Birth of Louise-Marie of France, wife of Leopold I of the Belgians, in Palermo, Sicily
Full name: Louise-Marie Thérèse Charlotte Isabelle d'Orléans
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louise-Mar ... l%C3%A9ans

April 3, 1831 – Birth of Adelaide of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg, wife of Miguel of Portugal, but after he was deposed, in Kleinheubach, near Miltenberg, Bavaria
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adelaide_o ... -Rosenberg

[Susan]

April 4 in royal history:

April 4, 1305 – Death of Jeanne of Navarre, wife of Philip IV of France, at Chateau de Vincennes, France
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joan_I_of_Navarre

April 4, 1406 - Death of Robert III of Scotland at Rothesay Castle; buried at Paisley Abbey, Renfrewshire
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_III_of_Scotland

April 4, 1588 – Death of Frederik II of Denmark and Norway at Antvorskov Castle; buried at Roskilde Cathedral
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frederick_ ... and_Norway

April 4, 1715 – Wedding of Queen Ulrika Eleonora of Sweden and Frederick of Hesse-Kassel
Ulrika Eleonora was Queen Regnant of Sweden from 1718 -1720 when she abdicated in favor of her husband who reigned as Frederik I from 1720-1751.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ulrika_Eleonora

April 4, 1793 - Wedding of Prince Augustus, son of George III, and Lady Augusta Murray at Rome, Italy in violation of the Royal Marriages Act
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prince_Aug ... _of_Sussex
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lady_Augusta_Murray

April 4, 1814 – Napoleon abdicates for the first time
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Napoleon_I_of_France

April 4, 1819 – Birth of Maria II of Portugal at São Cristóvão Palace, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maria_II_of_Portugal

April 4, 1930 – Death of Viktoria of Baden, wife of Gustav V of Sweden, at her home, Villa Svezia, in Rome; buried at Riddarholmen Church in Stockholm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victoria_of_Baden

April 4, 1953 - Death of Carol II of Romania at Estoril, Portugal; buried at the Curtea de Argeş monastery (remains transferred in 2003)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carol_II

[Susan]

April 5 in royal history:

April 5, 1691 – Birth of Louis VIII, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt, in Darmstadt
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_VIII ... -Darmstadt

April 5, 1697 – Death of Karl XI of Sweden at Stockholm Palace; buried at Riddarholmen Church
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karl_XI_of_Sweden

April 5, 1857 – Birth of Alexander of Battenberg, first prince (knyaz) of modern Bulgaria
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_of_Battenberg

April 5, 1863 – Birth of Princess Victoria of Hesse and by Rhine, daughter of Grand Duke Louis IV, at Windsor Castle
Full name: Victoria Alberta Elisabeth Mathilde Marie
Victoria was the daughter of Princess Alice of the United Kingdom and granddaughter of Queen Victoria. She married Prince Louis of Battenberg and they were the maternal grandparents of Prince Philip.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Princess_V ... _the_Rhine

April 5, 1939 - Birth of King Leka I of Albania, pretender to the Albanian throne, at the Royal Palace in Tirana, Albania
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leka,_Crow ... of_Albania

April 5, 1951 - Birth of Princess Ubol Ratana of Thailand at Mont Suisse Hospital in Lausanne, Switzerland
Ubol Ratana is the daughter of King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand. She relinquished her rank as princess in 1972. Her son Bhumi Jensen was killed in the December, 2004 tsunami.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ubol_Ratana

April 5, 1954 – Death of Märtha of Sweden, wife of Crown Prince Olav, at the State Hospital, Oslo; buried at Akershus Castle and Fortress
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M%C3%A4rth ... _of_Norway

[Susan]

April 6 in royal history:

pril 6, 1199 - Death of Richard I of England (the Lionheart) at the Siege of Chalus in France after he is struck by an arrow; buried at Fontevrault Abbey near Chinon, France
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_I

April 6, 1790 – Death of Louis IX, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_IX,_ ... -Darmstadt

April 6, 1830 – Death of Louis I, Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine, at Pirmasens, Germany
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_I,_G ... e_of_Hesse

April 6, 1871 - Birth of Prince John, son of King Edward VII at Sandringham House, Norfolk
Full name: Alexander John Charles Albert
Prince John was the youngest child of Edward and Alexandra. He was born prematurely on April 6, 1871 and died the next day. John was buried in the Sandringham churchyard.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prince_Ale ... n_of_Wales

April 6, 1875 – Birth of Grand Duchess Xenia Alexandrovna, daughter of Tsar Alexander III, at the Anichkov Palace in St. Petersburg
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Duch ... exandrovna

April 6, 1889 - Death of Augusta of Hesse-Kassel, wife of Prince Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge, at St. James Palace; buried at St. George's Chapel, Windsor Castle
Augusta is the grandmother of Queen Mary, wife of George V
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Princess_A ... sse-Cassel

April 6, 1979 - Birth of Lord Frederick Windsor, son of Prince Michael of Kent, at St Mary's Hospital in Paddington, London
Full name: Frederick Michael George David Louis
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lord_Frederick_Windsor

April 6, 2005 – Death of Prince Rainier III of Monaco at the Cardio-Thoracic Centre in Monte Carlo; buried at Saint Nicholas Cathedral, Monaco
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prince_Rainier

[Susan]

April 7 in royal history:

April 7, 1498 – Death of Charles VIII of France at Château d'Amboise, France; buried at Saint Denis Basilica
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_VIII_of_France

April 7, 1816 – Death of Maria Ludovika of Austria-Este, third wife of Francis I of Austria; buried at the Imperial Crypt, Vienna
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maria_Ludo ... stria-Este

April 7, 1818 - Wedding of Princess Elizabeth, daughter of George III, and Landgrave Frederick VI of Hesse-Homburg, at the Private Chapel, Buckingham Palace
Elizabeth was the third daughter and seventh child of George III and his wife Charlotte. She married late in life at age 48 to Hereditary Prince Friedrich of Hesse-Homburg. Her husband succeeded his father as Landgrave of Hesse-Homburg in 1820.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Princess_E ... ed_Kingdom
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frederick_ ... se-Homburg

April 7, 1845 – Death of Julie Clary, wife of King Joseph Bonaparte of Spain and Naples; buried at the Basilica Santa Croce in Florence, Italy
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julie_Clary

April 7, 1853 - Birth of Prince Leopold, son of Queen Victoria, at Buckingham Palace
Full name: Leopold George Duncan Albert
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prince_Leo ... _of_Albany

April 7, 1963 - Birth of Jaime de Marichalar y Sáenz de Tejada, former husband of Infanta Elena of Spain
The couple divorced in December, 2009 and the divorce was registered at the Civil Registry of the Spanish Royal Family on January 10, 2010.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jaime_de_M ... _de_Tejada

[Susan]

April 8, 1320 – Birth of Pedro I of Portugal in Coimbra, Kingdom of Portugal
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_I_of_Portugal

April 8, 1364 – Death of John II of France at Savoy Palace, London, England; buried at Saint Denis Basilica
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_II_of_France

April 8, 1605 – Birth of Philip IV of Spain at Valladolid, Spain
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philip_IV_of_Spain

April 8, 1612 – Death of Anne Catherine of Brandenburg, wife of Christian IV of Denmark, in Copenhagen; buried in Roskilde Cathedral
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anne_Cathe ... randenburg
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roskilde_Cathedral

April 8, 1795 - Wedding of George, Prince of Wales (later George IV) and Caroline of Brunswick at St. James Palace
This marriage is one of the worst ever royal marriages. Upon first seeing Caroline, George said to his valet, “Harris, I am not well; pray get me a glass of brandy.” Caroline said George was fat and not as handsome as his portrait. It is doubtful that the couple spent more than a few nights together as husband and wife. Their only child, Charlotte, was born nine months later. They both found each other equally unattractive and never lived together nor appeared in public together. Caroline was prevented from seeing her daughter. She eventually went to live abroad where she ran up debts and had lovers. She returned to England when George became king and he promptly started divorce proceedings. However, a parliamentary bill dissolving the marriage and stripping Caroline of her title of Queen failed. Caroline was turned away from Westminster Abbey during her husband’s coronation. She died a few weeks later.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_IV
http://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/En ... nswick.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caroline_of_Brunswick

April 8, 1818 - Birth of Christian IX of Denmark at Gottorp Castle, Schleswig, Duchy of Schleswig
King Christian was the father of King Frederick VIII of Denmark, King George I of Greece, Queen Alexandra of the United Kingdom and Empress Marie Feodorovna of Russia. He was as much the "grandfather of Europe" as Queen Victoria was the grandmother. His grandchildren sat upon the thrones of Denmark, the United Kingdom, Russia, Greece and Norway. Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Philip, Queen Margrethe of Denmark, King Harald of Norway, Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg, King Albert II of Belgium, Queen Sofia of Spain, former King Michael of Romania and former King Constantine of Greece are among his many descendants.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_IX_of_Denmark

April 8, 1875 - Birth of Albert I of Belgium in Brussels
Full name: Albert Léopold Clément Marie Meinrad
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_I_of_Belgium

April 8, 1970 – Death of Felix of Bourbon-Parma, husband of Grand Duchess Charlotte of Luxembourg, at Fishbach Castle; buried at the Cathedral Notre-Dame in Luxembourg
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Felix_of_Bourbon-Parma

April 8, 2005 – Birth of Leah Isadora Behn, daughter of Princess Märtha Louise of Norway
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leah_Isadora_Behn

[Susan]

April 9 in royal history:

April 9, 1269 - Wedding of Edmund Crouchback, Earl of Leicester (son of Henry III) and Aveline de Forz at Westminster Abbey
Edmund was the second son and fourth child of Henry III and Eleanor of Provence. He spent his early years traveling back and forth to France with his mother gathering mercenaries and money for his father's battles with the barons. Edmund was a staunch supporter of his brother Edward I and was the commander in Wales when the last native Prince of Wales, Llywelyn ap Gruffydd. It was Edmund who captured and executed Llywelyn.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edmund_Crouchback
http://www.westminster-abbey.org/

Edmund with St. George
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/c ... George.jpg

April 9, 1363 – Wedding of Queen Margrethe I of Denmark and King Haakon VI of Norway
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margrethe_I
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haakon_VI_of_Norway

http://www.copenhagen.com/swedish/theci ... grethe.jpg

April 9, 1413 - Coronation of Henry V
Henry’s wife Catherine of France was crowned on February 21, 1421.
http://www.westminster-abbey.org/our-hi ... oronations
http://www.westminster-abbey.org/our-hi ... -de-valois
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coronation ... sh_monarch
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_V_of_England

April 9, 1483 - Death of Edward IV at the Palace of Westminster; buried at St. George's Chapel, Windsor Castle
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_IV

April 9, 1484 – Death of Edward of Middleham, Prince of Wales, son of Richard III, at Middleham Castle; buried at the parish church at Sheriff Hutton
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_of_Middleham

April 9, 1649 - Birth of James Scott, 1st Duke of Monmouth, 1st Duke of Buccleuch, illegitimate son of Charles II by Lucy Walter, in Rotterdam , Netherlands
Sarah, Duchess of York, Princess Alice of Gloucester and Diana, Princess of Wales are descendants of the Duke of Monmouth.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Scot ... f_Monmouth

April 9, 1835 - Birth of Leopold II of Belgium in Brussels
Full name: Léopold Louis Philippe Marie Victor
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leopold_II_of_Belgium

April 9, 1953 - Wedding of Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg and Josephine-Charlotte of Belgium
Grand Duke Jean abdicated in 2000 in favor of his son Henri.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean%2C_Gr ... Luxembourg
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jos%C3%A9p ... of_Belgium

April 9, 1955 - Birth of Aso Nobuko, widow of Prince Tomohito of Japan, in Tokyo
Prince Tomohito, who died in 2012, was a first cousin of Emperor Akihito.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Princess_T ... _of_Mikasa

April 9, 1961 - Death of former King Zog of Albania at Hospital Foch, Suresnes, Hauts-de-Seine, France; first buried at Thiais Cemetery in Paris, remains were returned to Albania in November, 2012
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zog_of_Albania

April 9, 2005 – Wedding of Prince Charles and Camilla Parker-Bowles at the Guildhall in Windsor
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wedding_of ... ker_Bowles
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_depth/uk/ ... efault.stm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guildhall%2C_Windsor
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prince_Charles
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camilla%2C ... f_Cornwall

[Susan]

April 10 in royal history:

April 10, 1472 - Birth of Margaret of York, daughter of Edward IV, at Windsor Castle
Margaret was the fourth daughter and fifth child of Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville. She died at 8 months of age and was buried in Edward the Confessor's Chapel in Westminster Abbey.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margaret_o ... %281472%29

April 10, 1502 – Wedding of Frederik I of Denmark and Norway (first marriage) and Anna of Brandenburg
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frederick_I_of_Denmark
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anna_of_Brandenburg

April 10, 1512 - Birth of James V of Scotland at Linlithgow Palace
James was the son of James IV of Scotland and Margaret Tudor, daughter of Henry VII and sister of Henry VIII, and was the father of Mary, Queen of Scots.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_V

April 10, 1533 – Death of Frederik I of Denmark at Gottorp Castle; buried at the Cathedral of St. Peter at Schleswig
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frederick_I_of_Denmark

April 10, 1864 - Archduke Maximilian of Austria becomes Emperor of Mexico
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maximilian_of_Mexico

April 10, 1904 - Death of Isabella II of Spain in exile at Paris; buried at the Monasterio de El Escorial near Madrid
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isabella_II

April 10, 1959 - Wedding of Crown Prince Akihito of Japan and Shoda Michiko
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akihito
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michiko_Shoda

April 10, 1973 - Birth of Princess Tatjana of Liechtenstein
Full name: Tatjana Nora Maria
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Princess_T ... chtenstein

April 10, 1975 – Birth of Prince Floris of Orange-Nassau, son of Princess Margriet of the Netherlands, in Nijmegen, Netherlands
Full name: Floris Frederik Martijn
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prince_Flo ... ollenhoven

April 10, 2004 – Wedding of Princess Haya of Jordan, daughter of King Hussein, and Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Heir Apparent of Dubai
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haya_bint_Hussein
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mohammed_b ... Al_Maktoum

April 10, 2007 – Birth of Princess Ariane of the Netherlands, daughter of Willem-Alexander, Prince of Orange, at Bronovo Hospital in The Hague
Full name: Ariane Wilhelmina Máxima Inés
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Princess_A ... etherlands