Author Archives: Susan

May 8: Today in Royal History

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Natalija Keschko, Queen of Serbia; Credit – Wikipedia

May 8, 1670 – Birth of Charles Beauclerk, 1st Duke of St Albans, the illegitimate son of King Charles II of England and Nell Gwynne
On April 17, 1694, Charles married Lady Diana de Vere, daughter of Aubrey de Vere, 20th Earl of Oxford, and the couple had twelve children. In 1688, Charles supported his first cousin William III, Prince of Orange in overthrowing their uncle King James II in the Glorious Revolution of 1688, resulting in his first cousins, husband and wife William III, Prince of Orange and Princess Mary of England, the elder of the two daughters of King James II, reigning England jointly as King William III and Queen Mary II. Charles held several important appointments under King William III and Queen Mary II and under King George I, including Captain of the Band of Gentlemen Pensioners, Lord of the Bedchamber, and Lord Lieutenant of Berkshire.
Unofficial Royalty: Charles Beauclerk, 1st Duke of St Albans

May 8, 1893 – Death of Adolf I, Prince of Schaumburg-Lippe in Bückeburg, Principality of Schaumburg-Lippe, now in Lower Saxony, Germany; buried in the Princely Mausoleum at the St. Martin Church in Stadthagen, Principality of Schaumburg-Lippe, now in Lower Saxony, Germany
Adolf married his maternal first cousin, Princess Hermine of Waldeck and Pyrmont. The couple had eight children, including Adolf’s successor Georg, Prince of Schaumburg-Lippe and Prince Adolf of Schaumburg-Lippe, who married Princess Viktoria of Prussia, daughter of Friedrich III, German Emperor and Victoria, Princess Royal. On November 21, 1860, when his father died, Adolf became the reigning Prince of Schaumberg-Lippe. After a reign of 33 years, Adolf I, Prince of Schaumberg-Lippe died at the age of 75, on May 8, 1893.
Unofficial Royalty: Adolf I, Prince of Schaumburg-Lippe

May 8, 1935 – Birth of Princess Elisabeth of Denmark, daughter of Hereditary Prince Knud of Denmark, at Sorgenfri Palace in Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
Full Name: Elisabeth Caroline-Mathilde Alexandrine Helena Olga Thyra Feodora Estrid Margarethe Désirée
Princess Elisabeth was the first cousin of Queen Margrethe II of Denmark.  She never married, perhaps to retain her position within the Danish Royal Family. Until she died in 2018, Elisabeth was the last person in the line of succession to the Danish throne. Elisabeth had a long-term relationship with Claus Hermansen, a videographer, until he died in 1997. She served as Patron of several organizations in Denmark and was usually seen at most State events.
Unofficial Royalty: Princess Elisabeth of Denmark

May 8, 1941 – Death of Natalija Keschko, Queen of Serbia, wife of King Milan of Serbia, at the Monastery of Saint-Denis near Paris, France; buried at the Cemetery of Lardy in Seine et Oise, France
After the horrendous assassination of her son Alexander I, King of Serbia and his wife in 1903, Natalija was the only member of the Obrenović dynasty. She donated the Obrenović inheritance to the University of Belgrade and churches and monasteries in Serbia. Natalija became a nun and died at the age of 81 at the Monastery of Saint-Denis near Paris, France.
Unofficial Royalty: Natalija Keschko, Queen of Serbia

May 8, 2003 – Birth of Crown Prince Moulay Hassan of Morocco, son of King Mohammed VI of Morocco, at the Royal Palace in Rabat, Morocco
Crown Prince Moulay Hassan of Morocco is the heir apparent to the throne of Morocco. He is the eldest child and the only son of King Mohammed VI of Morocco and Salma Bennani, now known as Princess Lalla Salma. The Crown Prince was named after his paternal grandfather, King Hassan II of Morocco.
Unofficial Royalty: Crown Prince Moulay Hassan of Morocco

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May 7: Today in Royal History

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Feodor III, Tsar of All Russia;  Credit – Wikipedia

May 7, 1682 – Death of Feodor III, Tsar of All Russia in Moscow, Russia; buried at the Cathedral of the Archangel in Moscow, Russia
When Feodor’s father, Alexei I, Tsar of All Russia, died in 1676, he was succeeded by 15-year-old Feodor. Even though Feodor had been well educated and had a fine intellect, he had a debilitating physical condition that prevented him from really reigning. In 1682, at the age of 20, Feodor died childless and without making an order concerning the succession to the throne. This was eventually resolved by the decision to have two tsars simultaneously, Feodor’s brother Ivan V and his half-brother Peter I (the Great) under the regency of Sofia Alexeevna, Feodor’s eldest sister.
Unofficial Royalty: Feodor III, Tsar of All Russia

May 7, 1718 – Death of Maria Beatrice of Modena, Queen of England, second wife of King James II of England, at Château St. Germain-en-Laye near Paris, France; buried at the Abbey of Visitation of St. Mary in Chaillot, France. Her remains were lost when the convent was looted and destroyed during the French Revolution, but her viscera were found and were reburied at the Chapel of the College of the Scots in Paris
15-year-old Maria Beatrice became the second wife of 40-year-old James, Duke of York, brother of King Charles II of England. Between 1675 and 1684, Maria Beatrice had ten pregnancies and gave birth to five live children, all of whom died young. After her husband, who converted to Catholicism, succeeded to the throne as King James II of England, Maria Beatrice gave birth to a son who survived. Fearful of a return to Catholicism, some members of Parliament began what is called the Glorious Revolution. King James II was overthrown, and the family fled to France. After her husband’s death, Maria Beatrice started to periodically stay at the Convent of the Visitations in Chaillot, France, where she befriended Louise de La Vallière, one of Louis XIV’s mistresses who had become a nun.  She was buried at the Convent of the Visitations in Chaillot, a place she greatly loved.
Unofficial Royalty: Maria Beatrice of Modena, Queen of England

May 7, 1767 – Birth of Princess Frederica of Prussia, Duchess of York, wife of Prince Frederick, Duke of York, at Charlottenburg Palace in Berlin, Kingdom of Prussia, now in Germany
Full name: Friederike Charlotte Ulrike Katharina
Frederica was the only child of the future King Friedrich Wilhelm II of Prussia and his first wife and first cousin, Elisabeth Christine of Brunswick-Lüneburg. Her mother was placed under house arrest as a prisoner of the state when she became pregnant with the child of her lover, a musician named Pietro. She remained imprisoned until her death, 71 years later. Frederica’s marriage to Frederick, Duke of York was unsuccessful. Frederick was unfaithful, and the couple was unable to have children. In 1794, the couple separated, and Frederica lived out her life at Oatlands Park in Weybridge, Surrey, England. Frederick and Frederica remained on good terms, and the couple never caused any scandal.
Unofficial Royalty: Princess Frederica of Prussia, Duchess of York

May 7, 1895 – Death of Susanna Innes-Ker, Duchess of Roxburghe, Lady of the Bedchamber to Queen Victoria, at her home in Hereford Gardens, London, England; buried in the Innes-Ker family crypt at the Bowden Kirk, in Bowden, Roxburghshire, England
Born Susanna Stephania Dalbiac, she was the daughter of Lieutenant-General Sir James Dalbiac, a British Army officer and Member of Parliament. She married James Innes-Ker, 6th Duke of Roxburghe.
Unofficial Royalty: Susanna Innes-Ker, Duchess of Roxburghe

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Royal News Recap for Monday, May 5, 2025

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Royal News Recaps are published Mondays-Fridays and on Sundays, except for Thanksgiving in the United States, Christmas Eve, and New Year’s Eve. The Royal News Recap for Sundays will be a weekend recap. If there is any breaking or major news, we will add an update as necessary.

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Unofficial Royalty

Belgium

Denmark

Jordan

Luxembourg

Monaco

Spain

United Kingdom

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May 6: Today in Royal History

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King Edward VII of the United Kingdom; Credit – Wikipedia

May 6, 1685 – Birth of Sophie Luise of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, Queen in Prussia, third wife of Friedrich I, King in Prussia, at Grabow Castle in Grabow, Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, now in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Germany
Sophie Luise and her husband had no children. Being so much younger than her husband and close in age to his children, Sophie struggled to find acceptance at the Prussian court. It did not help that her predecessor, Friedrich’s second wife Sophie Charlotte of Hanover, was greatly loved and admired by the Prussian people, and many saw Sophie Luise as a poor replacement. Sophie Luise became deeply religious, and her devotion became obsessive and manic. During his final illness, her husband Friedrich awoke to find his wife standing before him, covered in blood and screaming at him. She had crashed through a glass door in a fit of hysteria while running from her apartments to his, apparently to confront him. Sophie Luise had no recollection of the event. Her husband sent her back to Mecklenburg to be with her family. She lived the rest of her life with her widowed mother.
Unofficial Royalty: Sophie Luise of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, Queen in Prussia

May 6, 1737 – Death of Lady Barbara FitzRoy, never publicly acknowledged by King Charles II of England as his child by Barbara Palmer, 1st Duchess of Cleveland, died and was buried at the English Priory of St. Nicholas in Pontoise, Normandy, France, where she was a nun
There are questions about Lady Barbara’s paternity. Barbara Palmer had several lovers before Lady Barbara’s conception. Her mother claimed that she was King Charles II’s daughter, but possibly she was the daughter of her mother’s second cousin and lover, John Churchill, later the 1st Duke of Marlborough. Philip Stanhope, 2nd Earl of Chesterfield, who Lady Barbara resembled, was also a lover of Barbara Palmer. Roger Palmer, 1st Earl of Castlemaine, the husband of Lady Barbara’s mother, believed her to be his daughter and left his estate to her. King Charles II informally recognized Lady Barbara by giving her the surname Fitzroy. In 1689, 17-year-old Lady Barbara became a novice at the Benedictine English Priory of St. Nicholas in Pontoise, Normandy, France, taking the name Sister Benedicta. On April 2, 1691, Lady Barbara professed her final vows as a nun. In 1721, Lady Barbara became prioress of the convent. On May 6, 1737, Lady Barbara, aged sixty-five, died at the Benedictine English Priory and was buried in the church there.
Unofficial Royalty: Lady Barbara Fitzroy, Illegitimate Daughter of King Charles II of England

May 6, 1747 – Birth of Georg I, Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont in Arolsen, Principality of Waldeck and Pyrmont, now in Hesse, Germany
In 1784, Georg married Augusta of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen. They had thirteen children, but seven of them died either in childhood or in their early twenties. In 1812, after the death of his childless elder brother, 65-year-old Georg succeeded him. Because of his age and perhaps illness, Georg knew that he would not be able to reign for long and died less than a year later.
Unofficial Royalty: Georg I, Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont

May 6, 1769 – Birth of Ferdinando III, Grand Duke of Tuscany in Florence, Grand Duchy of Tuscany, now in Italy
In 1790, when Ferdinando’s father Pietro Leopoldo I, Grand Duke of Tuscany, was elected Holy Roman Emperor as Leopold II, he abdicated the throne of the Grand Duchy of Tuscany in favor of his second son Ferdinando, who officially became Grand Duke of Tuscany. Ferdinando’s elder brother Franz would succeed to the Habsburg hereditary titles and be elected Holy Roman Emperor upon his father’s death in 1792.  In 1790, Ferdinando married his double first cousin, Luisa of Naples and Sicily, and they had five children. Luisa died in childbirth, delivering a stillborn son in 1802. Twenty years after Luisa’s death, Ferdinando married Maria Ferdinanda of Saxony, but the couple had no children. Ferdinando I, Grand Duke of Tuscany, aged 55, died three years later.
Unofficial Royalty: Ferdinando III, Grand Duke of Tuscany

May 6, 1882 – Birth of Crown Prince Wilhelm of Germany, son of Wilhelm II, German Emperor and King of Prussia at the Marmorpalais in Potsdam, Kingdom of Prussia, now in Brandenburg, Germany
Full name: Friedrich Wilhelm Victor August Ernst
The last German Crown Prince and Crown Prince of Prussia, Wilhelm married Cecilie of Mecklenburg-Schwerin in 1905, and the couple had six children. After the German defeat in World War I, Wilhelm and Cecilie went into exile in the Netherlands with much of the rest of the German imperial family following the ending of the monarchy in 1918. Shortly afterward, the marriage of Cecilie and Wilhelm became a marriage in name only. When his father, the former Wilhelm II, German Emperor, died in 1941, Wilhelm became Head of the House of Hohenzollern.
Unofficial Royalty: Crown Prince Wilhelm of Germany

May 6, 1910 – Death of King Edward VII of the United Kingdom at Buckingham Palace in London, England; buried at St. George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle
The habits of Edward VII, known in the family as Bertie, did not keep him in the best of health.  He ate too much and usually smoked twenty cigarettes and twelve cigars a day.  He began to suffer from chronic bronchitis. In March 1910, while vacationing in Biarritz, France, Bertie collapsed and remained in Biarritz to recuperate. On April 27, 1910, he returned to Buckingham Palace, but his condition worsened.  After waiting 59 years to become king and reigning for just nine years, he lapsed into a coma and died peacefully just before midnight on May 6, 1910, at the age of 68.
Unofficial Royalty: King Edward VII of the United Kingdom

May 6, 1954 – Death of Cecilie of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, Crown Princess of Germany, wife of Crown Prince Wilhelm of Germany, in Bad Kissingen, Germany; buried in the grounds at Hohenzollern Castle, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany
In 1905, Cecilie married Crown Prince Wilhelm of Germany, the son of Wilhelm II, German Emperor and King of Prussia, and had six children. Shortly after the end of World War I and the fall of the German monarchies, the marriage of Cecilie and Wilhelm became a marriage in name only. After the death of her husband in 1951, Cecilie moved to an apartment in the Frauenkopf district in Stuttgart, Germany. That same year, her memoirs were published, and she visited England, where she attended the christening of her granddaughter and enjoyed a final visit with Queen Mary. Later that year, her sister Queen Alexandrine of Denmark died, and Cecilie never fully recovered from the loss. Cecilie died on what would have been her husband’s 72nd birthday.
Unofficial Royalty: Cecilie of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, Crown Princess of Germany

May 6, 1960 – Wedding of Princess Margaret of the United Kingdom and Antony Armstrong-Jones at Westminster Abbey
In 1958, Margaret met Antony Armstrong-Jones (Tony) at a dinner party. A few months later, Tony was chosen to photograph Margaret. A relationship developed, and in 1960, Margaret’s sister consented to the marriage. The couple had one son and one daughter. However, Margaret and Tony’s marriage was anything but calm and peaceful. The two very strong personalities, often at odds, led to volatile rows and many affairs for both of them. The couple divorced in 1978. Tony married again, but Margaret did not.
Unofficial Royalty: Wedding of Princess Margaret of the United Kingdom and Antony Armstrong-Jones

May 6, 2019 – Birth of Prince Archie of Sussex, son of Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, at Portland Hospital for Women and Children in London, England
Archie is the elder of the two children of The Duke and Duchess of Sussex. Under the 1917 Letters Patent, Archie was entitled to the style and title His Royal Highness Prince, when his grandfather, King Charles III, succeeded to the throne.
Unofficial Royalty: Prince Archie of Sussex

May 6, 2023 – Coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla of the United Kingdom at Westminster Abbey in London, England
King Charles III acceded to the British throne on September 8, 2022, upon the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, the longest-reigning British monarch, having reigned 70 years, 214 days. The coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla took place at Westminster Abbey in London, England, on Saturday, May 6, 2023, at 11:00 AM British Time.
Unofficial Royalty: Coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla of the United Kingdom

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Saint Michael‘s Church in Pforzheim, Baden-Württemberg, Germany

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2025

St. Michael’s Church in Pforzheim, Baden-Württemberg, Germany; Credit – Wikipedia

History

Originally a Roman Catholic church dedicated to Saint Michael the Archangel, and then a Lutheran church after the Protestant Reformation, Saint Michael‘s Church, located in Pforzheim, Baden-Württemberg, Germany, is currently a member of the Evangelical Church in Germany, a federation of twenty Lutheran, Reformed, and United Protestant regional Churches in Germany. Saint Michael’s Church is owned by the state of Baden-Württemberg, and is rented to the Evangelical Church in Pforzheim.

From 1538, Saint Michael’s Church was designated as the burial place of the Ernestine line of the House of Baden. Until 1860, almost all members of that branch of the House of Baden were buried at St. Michael’s Church. In 1556, Karl II, Margrave of Baden-Durlach introduced the Protestant Reformation in the Margraviate of Baden, and Saint Michael’s Church became a Lutheran church.

In 1220, Herman V, Margrave of Baden chose Pforzheim as his residence. Five years later, a castle was built that became the residence of the Margraves of Baden and their descendants. Because Saint Michael’s Church was so close to the castle, it was often called Schlosskirche (Castle Church).

Saint Michael’s Church and the archive tower of the castle built by Herman V, Margrave of Baden are the last surviving medieval structures in Pforzheim. Pforzheim’s other medieval structures were destroyed during the Thirty Years’ War (1618 – 1648), the Nine Years’ War (1688 – 1697), and most recently in World War II (1939 – 1945).

In 1535, the Margraviate of Baden was split into the Margraviate of Baden-Durlach and the Margraviate of Baden-Baden. In 1565, Karl II, Margrave of Baden-Durlach chose Durlach as his new residential town. However, Pforzheim remained one of the administrative centers. In 1738, ten-year-old Karl Friedrich succeeded as Margrave of Baden-Durlach upon his grandfather’s death. Baden-Durlach was one of the branches of the Margraviate of Baden, which had been divided several times over the previous 500 years. When August Georg, Margrave of Baden-Baden, died in 1771 without heirs, his territory was inherited by Karl Friedrich. This brought all of the Baden territories together once again, and Karl Friedrich became Margrave of Baden. Upon the end of the Holy Roman Empire in 1806, Karl Friedrich declared himself sovereign, as Grand Duke, of the newly created Grand Duchy of Baden. In 1918, after Germany’s defeat in World War I, all the constituent monarchies in the German Empire, including the Grand Duchy of Baden, were abolished. The land encompassing the Grand Duchy of Baden is now in the German state of Baden-Württemberg.

Interior of St. Michael’s Church; Credit – Von SchiDD – Eigenes Werk, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=42939836

Saint Michael’s Church was built on the site of a Romanesque church between 1225 and 1475 in the Romanesque and late Gothic style. The first nave was completed around 1270. The choir and Saint Margaret’s Chapel were built between 1290 and 1310. Around 1470, Pforzheim stonemason Hans Spryss von Zaberfeld built a late Gothic choir at the eastern end and a rood screen between the choir and the nave. The church was damaged during the Nine Years’ War (1688 – 1697), but extensive restoration work was not carried out until the 19th century.

Hans Spryss von Zaberfeld’s rood screen; Credit – Von Moleskine – Eigenes Werk, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=76589652

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World War II Destruction

The Pforzheim in 1946; Credit – Wikipedia

On February 23, 1945, Pforzheim was nearly totally destroyed in an air raid by 379 British bombers within 22 minutes.  At least 17,600 people, a third of the population, were killed. St. Michael’s Church avoided destruction, but the bombing caused severe damage.

Pforzheim before the bombing. St. Michael’s Church can be seen in the upper right. Credit – https://www.foerderverein-schlosskirche.de/schlosskirche

The damage to St. Michael’s Church from World War II bombing; Credit – https://www.foerderverein-schlosskirche.de/schlosskirche

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Restoration

The State Building Authority supervised the restoration of Saint Michael’s Church after World War II with the support of the Friends of the Castle Church Foundation. German sculptor Oskar Loos (1903 – 1990) recreated the sculptures. The stained-glass windows in the choir were created by German painter and stained glass artist Charles Crodel, in collaboration with German architect Hermann Hampe (link in German).

The church’s portal, covered with bronze plates, was created in 1959 by German sculptor Jürgen Weber (link in German). Six biblical scenes appear in the work. The pulpit was designed by German painter, restorer, and glass painter Valentin Peter Feuerstein. (link in German).

Stained glass windows by Klaus Arnold; Credit – Von Moleskine – Eigenes Werk, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=75940522

In 1966, Klaus Arnold (1928 – 2009), German sculptor, painter, and professor at Karlsruhe Art Academy, was commissioned to design the windows of the nave of Saint Michael’s Church. His colored stained glass windows are spectacular works of post-war modern art. Arnold complemented the early Gothic architecture with its heavy pillars and cave-like side aisles with a dark, glowing color palette of blue, red, and orange tones in the abstract stained glass windows.

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Burial Site

From 1538, Saint Michael’s Church was designated as the burial place of the Ernestine line of the House of Baden. Until 1860, almost all members of that branch of the House of Baden, which had become Protestant, were buried at St. Michael’s Church. The chancel contains grave markers of family members, and a two-chamber crypt is located under the floor.

1840 steel engraving by Louis Friedrich Hoffmeister – The Princely Crypt of the House of Baden in the St. Michael’s Church. In the center, brightly lit is August Moosbrugger’s 1833 monument to Karl Friedrich, first Grand Duke of Baden, which was destroyed in the World War II bombing. r; Credit – Wikipedia

Burials at Saint Michael’s Church

Note: This does not purport to be a complete list.

Works Cited

  • Autoren der Wikimedia-Projekte. (2009). Deutscher Künstler. Wikipedia.org; Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Klaus_Arnold_(Maler)
  • Autoren der Wikimedia-Projekte. (2002). Großstadt in Baden-Württemberg, Deutschland. Wikipedia.org; Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pforzheim
  • Autoren der Wikimedia-Projekte. (2004). Kirchengebäude in Pforzheim. Wikipedia.org; Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Michael_(Pforzheim)
  • Black Forest Highlights. (2025). Blackforest-Highlights.com. https://www.blackforest-highlights.com/poi/detail/schloss-und-stiftskirche-st.-michael-9a0fa678e8
  • Mehl, Scott. Baden Royal Burial Sites. (2017). Unofficial Royalty. https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/former-monarchies/german-royals/grand-duchy-of-baden/baden-royal-burial-sites/
  • Die Schlosskirche St. Michael in Pforzheim. (2025). EKIBA. https://www.ekiba.de/detail/nachricht-seite/id/7224-/?cataktuell=407
  • Schloßkirche — Förderverein Schloßkirche Pforzheim. (2022). Förderverein Schloßkirche Pforzheim. Förderverein Schloßkirche Pforzheim. https://www.foerderverein-schlosskirche.de/schlosskirche
  • Schlosskirche Pforzheim. (2020). Schlosskirche-Pforzheim.guide. https://schlosskirche-pforzheim.guide/
  • Schlosskirche St. Michael Pforzheim in Pforzheim, Baden-Württemberg – Find a Grave Cemetery. (2025). Findagrave.com. https://www.findagrave.com/cemetery/2190881/schlosskirche-st.-michael-pforzheim
  • Wikipedia Contributors. (2024). Margraviate of Baden. Wikipedia; Wikimedia Foundation
  • Wikipedia Contributors. (2025). Pforzheim. Wikipedia; Wikimedia Foundation.
  • Współtwórcy projektów Fundacji Wikimedia. (2024, July 25). Kolegiata zamkowa św. Michała w Pforzheimie. Wikipedia.org; Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. https://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kolegiata_zamkowa_%C5%9Bw._Micha%C5%82a_w_Pforzheimie

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Royal News Recap for Saturday, May 3 and Sunday, May 4, 2025

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Royal News Recaps are published Mondays-Fridays and on Sundays, except for Thanksgiving in the United States, Christmas Eve, and New Year’s Eve. The Royal News Recap for Sundays will be a weekend recap. If there is any breaking or major news, we will add an update as necessary.

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Unofficial Royalty

Denmark

Monaco

Netherlands

Norway

United Kingdom

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May 5: Today in Royal History

© Unofficial Royalty 2025

Leopold II, Holy Roman Emperor, Pietro Leopoldo I, Grand Duke of Tuscany; Credit – Wikipedia

May 5, 1316 – Death of Elizabeth of Rhuddlan, Countess of Holland, Countess of Hereford, daughter of King Edward I of England, in Quendon, Essex, England; buried at Waltham Abbey in Essex, England
Elizabeth died in childbirth, giving birth to her tenth child, who died shortly after birth.
Unofficial Royalty: Elizabeth of Rhuddlan, Countess of Holland, Countess of Hereford

May 5, 1572 – Death of Lady Margaret Erskine, mistress of James V, King of Scots
James V, King of Scots had several mistresses. Lady Margaret Erskine was his favorite and the mother of the most important of his nine illegitimate children, James Stewart, 1st Earl of Moray. James was an advisor to his half-sister Mary, Queen of Scots, and served as Regent of Scotland for his nephew, the infant King James VI, from 1567 until his assassination in 1570.
Unofficial Royalty: Lady Margaret Erskine, mistress of James V, King of Scots

May 5, 1582 – Death of Charlotte de Bourbon-Monpensier, Princess of Orange, third wife of Willem I, Prince of Orange (the Silent) in Antwerp (now in Belgium); buried at the Cathedral of Our Lady in Antwerp, but her tomb has not survived
Charlotte and Willem I, Prince of Orange had six daughters. After an unsuccessful assassination attempt on Willem on March 18, 1582, Charlotte took great care of her wounded husband. Exhausted from caring for Willem, she fell ill with pneumonia and a high fever and died.
Unofficial Royalty: Saxony, Charlotte de Bourbon-Monpensier, Princess of Orange

May 5, 1705 – Death of Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor, in Vienna, then in the Archduchy of Austria, now in Austria; buried in the Imperial Crypt at the Capuchin Church in Vienna 
A contemporary and first cousin of King Louis XIV of France, Leopold was not expected to be the heir of his father’s heir, but his elder brother died from smallpox at the age of twenty-one. When his father died in 1657, seventeen-year-old Leopold succeeded to his father’s Habsburg hereditary lands but was not elected as Holy Roman Emperor until July 18, 1658. Leopold’s reign was dominated by the defense against French expansion under his first cousin, King Louis XIV of France.
Unofficial Royalty: Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor

May 5, 1724 – Birth of Bernardina Christina of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, Princess of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt, wife of Johann Friedrich, Prince of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt, in Weimar, then in the Duchy of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, now in the German state of Thuringia
In 1744, in Eisenach, 20-year-old Bernardina Christina married 23-year-old Johann Friedrich, who had become the reigning Prince of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt just two months earlier. Bernadina Christina and Johann Friedrich had six children, but only two daughters survived childhood. Bernadina Christina was active in charitable causes. In 1756, she founded the Bernardina Abbey for noblewomen in Rudolstadt. However, she did not live to see the inauguration of the abbey in 1757. On June 5, 1757, aged 33, Bernadina Christina died in Rudolstadt, then in the Principality of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt, now in the German state of Thuringia.
Unofficial Royalty: Bernardina Christina of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, Princess of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt

May 5, 1747 – Birth of Leopold II, Holy Roman Emperor, King of Hungary and Bohemia, Archduke of Austria, and Grand Duke of Tuscany, in Vienna, Austria
Full name: Peter Leopold Joseph Anton Joachim Pius Gotthard
Leopold was the ninth of the sixteen children and the third but the second surviving of the five sons of Francis Stephen, Duke of Lorraine, Grand Duke of Tuscany, Holy Roman Emperor and Maria Theresa, Archduchess of Austria, and Queen of Hungary, Croatia, and Bohemia in her own right. When Leopold’s father became Grand Duke of Tuscany, it was decided that the second son would inherit that title and territory. However, Karl Joseph, the second son, died from smallpox at the age of fifteen, and Leopold, the third son, became the second surviving son and the heir to the Grand Duchy of Tuscany. In 1764, Leopold married Infanta Maria Luisa of Spain, daughter of Carlos III, King of Spain. The couple had sixteen children. Just days after, Leopold’s wedding, his father suddenly died, and Leopold became Grand Duke of Tuscany. Leopold was elected Holy Roman Emperor in 1790 after his childless brother Joseph died. At that time, he abdicated the throne of Tuscany in favor of his second son Ferdinand. After only seventeen months as Holy Roman Emperor, Leopold II died suddenly and unexpectedly on March 1, 1792, aged 44, in Vienna, Austria.
Unofficial Royalty: Leopold II, Holy Roman Emperor, Pietro Leopoldo I, Grand Duke of Tuscany

May 5, 1821 – Death of Napoleon I, Emperor of the French, on the island of St. Helena, originally buried on St. Helena, re-interred at St Jerome’s Chapel in Paris in 1840, and finally at Les Invalides in Paris in 1861
Napoleon died at his second place of exile, the island of Saint Helena, a British possession, in the Atlantic Ocean, and was buried in a nameless tomb in the Valley of the Willows on St. Helena. In 1840, Louis Philippe I, King of the French, received permission from the British to return Napoléon’s remains to France.  He was interred at St. Jerome’s Chapel, where his remains stayed until the tomb designed by Louis Visconti was completed. On April 2, 1861, Naploéon’s coffin was transferred to a huge tomb made of red quartzite on a green granite base under the dome of Les Invalides in Paris, France.
Unofficial Royalty: Napoleon I, Emperor of the French

May 5, 1826 – Birth of Eugénie de Montijo, Empress of the French, wife of Napoleon III, Emperor of the French, in Granada, Spain
Full name: María Eugenia Ignatia Augustina Palafox de Guzmán Portocarrero y Kirkpatrick
In 1849, Eugénie first met her future husband, Prince Louis Napoléon, the nephew of Emperor Napoleon I and the grandson of Empress Joséphine, the first wife of Napoleon I. At the time, he was president of the French Second Republic. His attempts to seduce her failed, as she insisted on marriage before any physical relationship. Louis Napoleon became Emperor Napoleon III in December 1852. The following month, on January 22, 1853, he announced his engagement to Eugénie, and the couple married a week later. The couple had one son, Louis Napoléon, Prince Imperial, who died fighting in the Zulu War in South Africa in 1879.
Unofficial Royalty: Eugénie de Montijo, Empress of the French

May 5, 1827 – Death of Friedrich August I, King of Saxony in Dresden, Kingdom of Saxony, now in Saxony, Germany; buried at the Dresden Cathedral
Friedrich August I was the first King of Saxony, reigning from 1806 to 1827. His family had been rulers of the Electorate of Saxony of the House of Wettin and held the title of Elector for several centuries. In 1769, Friedrich August married Amalie of Zweibrücken-Birkenfeld, and they had one daughter. As he had no male heirs, Friedrich August was succeeded by his younger brother Anton.
Unofficial Royalty: Friedrich Augustus I, King of Saxony

May 5, 2012 – Death of Count Carl Johan Bernadotte of Wisborg, son of King Gustaf VI Adolf of Sweden and Princess Margaret of Connaught, in Ängelholm, Sweden; buried in the Royal Cemetery in Haga Park, Solna, Sweden.
The youngest surviving child of King Gustav VI Adolf of Sweden and Margaret of Connaught, Carl Johan was the last of Queen Victoria’s great-grandchildren. Carl Johan was the uncle of King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden and Queen Margrethe II of Denmark.
Unofficial Royalty: Count Carl Johan Bernadotte of Wisborg

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Royal Birthdays & Anniversaries: May 4 – May 10

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Archie on his father’s lap with his mother and sister Lilibet, from the 2021 Christmas card of The Duke and Duchess of Sussex; Credit – Alexi Lubomirski/The Duke and Duchess of Sussex; Credit – Alexi Lubomirski/The Duke and Duchess of Sussex

6th birthday of Prince Archie of Sussex, son of Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex; born at Portland Hospital for Women and Children in London, England on May 6, 2019 
Unofficial Royalty: Prince Archie of Sussex

22nd birthday of Crown Prince Moulay Al-Hassan of Morocco, son of King Mohammed VI of Morocco; born at the Royal Palace in Rabat, Morocco on May 8, 2003
Unofficial Royalty: Moulay Hassan, Crown Prince of Morocco

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Prince Charles of Luxembourg, 2025; Credit – Grand Ducal House of Luxembourg, Sophie Margue

5th birthday of Prince Charles of Luxembourg, son of Hereditary Prince Guillaume of Luxembourg, at the Grand Duchess Charlotte Maternity Hospital in Luxembourg City, Luxembourg on May 10, 2020 
Unofficial Royalty: Prince Charles of Luxembourg

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May 4: Today in Royal History

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King George Tupou V of Tonga; Credit – Wikipedia

May 4, 1471 – Death of Edward of Westminster, Prince of Wales, the only child of King Henry VI of England, at the Battle of Tewkesbury; buried at Tewkesbury Abbey in Gloucester, England
The final decisive Yorkist victory in the Wars of the Roses was at the Battle of Tewkesbury, where Margaret of Anjou, wife of King Henry VI of England, led the Lancastrian forces, and her son Edward, Prince of Wales was killed.  The only Prince of Wales to be killed in battle, he was buried at Tewkesbury Abbey, where a plaque on the floor in the center of the sanctuary marks his grave.  The plaque has an inscription in Latin, translated into English says: “Here lies Edward, Prince of Wales, cruelly slain whilst but a youth. Anno Domini 1471, May 4th. Alas, the savagery of men. Thou art the sole light of thy Mother, and the last hope of thy race.”
Unofficial Royalty: Edward of Westminster, Prince of Wales

May 4, 1661 – Birth of Countess Eleonore Barbara Catharina von Thun-Hohenstein, wife of Anton Florian, Prince of Liechtenstein, in Prague, Kingdom of Bohemia, now in the Czech Republic
Eleonore Barbara married Anton Florian, the future sovereign Prince of Liechtenstein, and the couple had eleven children. Anton Florian became Prince of Liechtenstein in 1718, but he died after a reign of only three years. Eleonore Barbara survived him by less than two years, dying at the age of 62 on February 10, 1723, in Vienna, Austria. She was buried in a crypt under the Pauline Church in Vienna, Austria. The crypt no longer exists, and the tombs were not preserved.
Unofficial Royalty: Eleonore Barbara Catharina von Thun-Hohenstein, Princess of Liechtenstein

May 4, 1679 – Birth of Elisabeth Helene von Vieregg, mistress and bigamous wife of Frederik IV, King of Denmark and Norway, probably at her father’s estate in Wattmannshagen, now in Lalendorf in the German state of Mecklenburg-West Pomerania
In 1703, without divorcing his wife Queen Louise, Frederik IV made a bigamous marriage to Elisabeth. On the same day, Elisabeth was created Countess of Antvorskov and was given Antvorskov Castle. She gave birth to a son, Frederik Gyldenløve. Following the practice of his predecessors, Frederik IV gave his illegitimate children the surname Gyldenløve, which means Golden Love. However, Elisabeth developed complications after the birth and died on June 27, 1704, aged 25. She was greatly mourned by Frederik IV, who gave her a lavish funeral and commanded that the bells of three churches should ring for two hours.
Unofficial Royalty: Elisabeth Helene von Vieregg, mistress of Frederik IV, King of Denmark

May 4, 1728 – Death of Grand Duchess Anna Petrovna of Russia, Duchess of Holstein-Gottorp in Kiel, Duchy of Holstein-Gottorp, now in the German state of Schleswig-Holstein; buried at the Peter and Paul Cathedral in St. Petersburg, Russia
Anna Petrovna was one of three of the fourteen children of Peter I (the Great), Emperor of All Russia to survive childhood. In 1725, Anna Petrovna married Karl Friedrich, Duke of Holstein-Gottorp. On February 21, 1728, at Kiel Castle in Kiel, then in the Duchy of Holstein-Gottorp, now in the German state of Schleswig-Holstein, Anna gave birth to a son named Karl Peter Ulrich. Sadly, Anna died three months later, on May 4, 1728, at the age of 20. Anna’s son Karl Peter Ulrich succeeded her younger sister Elizabeth, Empress of All Russia as Peter III, Emperor of All Russia. However, the reign of Peter III lasted only six months. He was deposed by his wife, born Princess Sophie of Anhalt-Zerbst, who reigned as Catherine II (the Great), Empress of All Russia.
Unofficial Royalty: Grand Duchess Anna Petrovna of Russia, Duchess of Holstein-Gottorp

May 4, 1884 – Death of Maria Anna of Savoy, wife of Emperor Ferdinand I of Austria at Hradčany Palace in Prague, Kingdom of Bohemia, now in the Czech Republic; buried at the Imperial Crypt in Vienna, Austria
Maria Anna married Emperor Ferdinand I of Austria. The marriage was childless and probably never consummated, but the couple remained devoted to each other. Emperor Ferdinand suffered from several ailments, including epilepsy and hydrocephalus. He was considered incapable of ruling, although he kept a coherent diary. Ferdinand abdicated the throne in favor of his nephew Franz Joseph during the Revolutions of 1848. He lived the rest of his life at Hradčany Palace in Prague, Kingdom of Bohemia, now in the Czech Republic, where he died in 1875. Maria Anna survived her husband by nine years and died at the age of 80 on May 4, 1884.
Unofficial Royalty: Maria Anna of Savoy, Empress of Austria

May 4, 1913 – Birth of Princess Katherine of Greece, The Lady Katherine Brandram, daughter of King Constantine I of Greece, at the New Royal Palace in Athens, Greece
Katherine married Major Richard Brandram, an officer in the British Royal Artillery, and lived the rest of her life in England. King George VI of the United Kingdom issued a decree granting Katherine the “style, title, place and pre-eminence as the daughter of a Duke”, and she became styled as Lady Katherine Brandram.  She died in 2007 and was the last surviving great-granddaughter of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom.
Unofficial Royalty: Princess Katherine of Greece, The Lady Katherine Brandram

May 4, 1948 – Birth of King George Tupou V of Tonga in Tongatapu, Tonga
King George Tupou V had a short reign from 2006 – 2012. His father had been an absolute monarch. George Tupou is known for introducing democracy to Tonga. During the period between his accession to the throne and his coronation, George Tupou and his advisors put together a framework for sweeping political reforms. Three days before the coronation ceremony, King George Tupou V announced he was ceding most of his executive powers to a democratically elected parliament. On March 18, 2012, King George Tupou V, aged 63, died and was succeeded by his brother, King Tupou VI.
Unofficial Royalty: King George Tupou V of Tonga

May 4, 1972 – Death of Johann Leopold, Hereditary Prince of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha at Callenberg Castle in Grein, Austria; buried at St. Zeno Church in Bad Reichenhall, Germany
Johann Leopold was the eldest of the five children of Charles Edward, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, a grandson of Queen Victoria. At the time of his birth, Johann Leopold was the heir to the Duchy of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. Although the Duchy of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha ceased to exist at the end of World War I,  Johann Leopold had to give up his succession rights when he made a morganatic marriage in 1932. The Head of the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha then descended from his younger brother Friedrich Josias.
Unofficial Royalty: Johann Leopold, Hereditary Prince of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha

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Greg King (1964 – 2025)

by Susan Flantzer

Greg King; Credit – Library Thing

I was very sad to hear that author Greg King passed away during the night of April 24/25, 2025, aged 60. He was the author of nineteen books, mostly about Russian royalty. I admired his work and read many of his books. His work will be missed among those of us who read royal history.

Greg King’s Works

  • The Last Empress: The Life and Times of Alexandra Feodorovna, Empress of Russia, 1994
  • The Mad King: The Life and Times of Ludwig II of Bavaria, 1996
  • The Man Who Killed Rasputin: Prince Felix Youssoupov and the Murder That Helped Bring Down the Russian Empire, 1996
  • The Duchess of Windsor: The Uncommon Life of Wallis Simpson, 1999
  • Sharon Tate and the Manson murders, 2000
  • The Fate of the Romanovs, co-authored with Penny Wilson, 2003
  • The Court of the Last Tsar: Pomp, Power and Pageantry in the Reign of Nicholas II, 2006
  • Gilded Prism: The Konstantinovichi Grand Dukes & the Last Years of the Romanov Dynasty, with Penny Wilson, 2006
  • Twilight of Splendor: The Court of Queen Victoria During Her Diamond Jubilee Year, 2007
  • A Season of Splendor: The Court of Mrs Astor in Gilded Age New York, 2008
  • The Resurrection of the Romanovs: Anastasia, Anna Anderson, and the World’s Greatest Royal Mystery, with Penny Wilson, 2010
  • The Assassination of the Archduke: Sarajevo 1914 and the Romance That Changed the World, with Sue Woolmans, 2013
  • Lusitania: Triumph, Tragedy, and the End of the Edwardian Age, with Penny Wilson, 2015
  • A Life for the Tsar, with Janet Ashton, 2016
  • Twilight of Empire: The Tragedy at Mayerling and the End of the Habsburgs, 2017
  • The Last Voyage of the Andrea Doria: The Sinking of the World’s Most Glamorous Ship, with Penny Wilson, 2020
  • Nine Days That Shook The World: Russia, Revolution And The Abdication of Nicholas II, 2023
  • The Romanovs on Film: A Cinematic History of the Russian Dynasty, with Penny Wilson, 2024
  • Nicholas II and the Jews: Antisemitism in the Reign of Russia’s Last Tsar, with Penny Wilson, 2025