June 13th

Events - 

1625 - King Charles I of England married Princess Henrietta Maria of France, daughter of the late King Henry IV of France and Maria de' Medici, in Canterbury.  The couple had already been married by proxy on May 11th before Charles' first Parliament - he had just ascended the throne in March - could meet and forbid the marriage.  Many in England were against the marriage because Henriette Maria was Catholic, and they feared that Charles would move away from the Church of England and back to the old religion.  When Charles was crowned in February of the following year, Henrietta Maria was unable to be crowned due to the controversy over her religion.  Although the marriage did not start out well - Henrietta Maria was an extremely devote Catholic which made her unpopular in England and Charles forcibly removed most of the French entourage she had brought to England with her - Henrietta Maria eventually became Charles' closest advisor.  The couple had nine children, four sons and five daughters.  Two of their children were stillborn and two died in childhood.  Of the remaining five, two were future kings of England (Charles II and James II), one daughter was the mother of a future king (Mary, Princess Royal married William II of Orange and was the mother of William III of England), and another daughter (Henrietta) was the great-grandmother of Louis XV of France.  In addition to William III, the couple had two other grandchildren who would become queens of England - Mary II and Anne.

Born on this date - 

823 - Charles, youngest son of Emperor Louis I (Holy Roman Emperor and King of the Franks, son of Charlemagne) and Judith of Bavaria.  By the time of his birth, Charles' older brothers were all adults and had been assigned their own subkingdoms.  Louis attempted to provide his youngest son his own kingdom, but several attempts were unsuccessful.  Eventually, Louis made Charles heir to the land that would eventually become France.  When Louis insisted that the nobles honor Charles as their heir, Louis' older sons rebelled against their father.  After Louis' death in 840, the sons went to war with each other, with Charles aligning himself with his brother Ludwig of Bavaria against Lothair I, the new Holy Roman Emperor, and Pepin II of Aquitaine (son of Pepin I of Aquitaine and nephew of Charles, Ludwig and Lothair).  The war ended in 843 with the Treaty of Verdun, which gave Charles the kingdom of the West Franks, which roughly corresponds to present-day France.  Charles became Holy Roman Emperor in 875 after the death of his nephew Louis II (son of Lothair).  Ludwig, angered at being passed over for the imperial crown, then invaded France, but died the following year.  Charles reigned as emperor for only two years before dying of an illness on October 6, 877.  By his two wives, Ermentrude of Orléans and Richilde of Provence, he had 14 children, including his heir as King of the West Franks Louis, King of Aquitaine Charles, and Judith, who married two kings of Wessex and the first count of Flanders.

839 - Charles, youngest son of Ludwig of Bavaria and Emma.  In 865, Ludwig divided his lands among his heirs, with Charles receiving Alemannia (the German duchy of Swabia, the two names being used interchangeably) and a share of Lotharingia.  Charles later received Italy in 879 when his oldest brother Carloman had a stroke.  After the Papal States were invaded in 880, Pope John VIII appealed to Charles for help, crowning him emperor on February 12, 881.  In 882, he inherited East Francia when his brother Louis died, and was invited to be king of West Francia on the death of Carloman II in 884.  Charles proved to be an inept king and was deposed in 887.  He died six weeks later on January 13, 888. leaving no legitimate heirs, although he tried twice without success to make his illegitimate son Bernard his heir.

1673 - Anna Maria Franziska of Saxe-Lauenburg, oldest surviving daughter of Duke Julius Franz of Saxe-Lauenburg and Maria Hedwig of the Palatinate-Sulzbach.  On her father's death in 1689, she was the legal heir to the duchy of Saxe-Lauenburg since the male line had died out and Salic Law did not apply.  Her cousin Georg Ludwig of Branschweig-Lüneburg conquered the duchy the same year, while several other monarchs tried to stake their claims as well.  The resulting war ended in 1693 with Anna Maria and her sister being dispossessed from their claims.  By her second husband, Gian Gastone de' Medici, she became Grand Duchess consort of Tuscany in 1723.  She died October 15, 1741 at the age of 69.

1965 - Cristina Federica Victoria Antonia de la Santísima Trinidad de Borbón y de Grecia, younger daughter of the future King Juan Carlos of Spain and Sofia of Greece.  She was named Duchess of Palma de Mallorca by her father when she married team handball player Iñaki Urdangarín Liebaert in 1997, with whom she has four children.

Died on this date -

1886 - King Ludwig II of Bavaria, aged 40.  He was born on August 25, 1845, the oldest son of then-Crown Prince Maximilian of Bavaria and Marie of Prussia.  He was named after his grandfather Ludwig I of Bavaria, with whom he shared a birthday (August 25th is also the feast day of St. Louis, who is the patron saint of Bavaria).  Ludwig was not close to his parents - his father refused to spend time with him and he called his mother "my predecessor's consort" - and was greatly influenced by his grandfather, who had abdicated in 1848.  Ludwig succeeded as king at age 18 on his father's death.  One of his first acts as king was to become the patron of composer Richard Wagner, an act which probably saved the constantly-in-debt Wagner's career.  Ludwig became engaged to his cousin Sophie in 1867 (younger sister of Empress Elisabeth of Austria), but broke off the relationship later that year.  He never married and fought an internal battle against his homosexual inclinations for most of his life.  Ludwig was also known for the fairy tale castles he had built, particularly Neuschwanstein, which became the model for Disneyland's Sleeping Beauty Castle.  his castles and other projects were paid out of his private funds, but when he demanded his finance ministers seek loans from other monarchs to continue his works, his cabinet acted (before he could dismiss them due to their opposition to his projects) and declared him unfit to rule due to mental illness.  His uncle was declared regent and Ludwig was eventually captured and sent into exile at Castle Berg, on the shore of Lake Starnberg.  The day after his capture, Ludwig invited psychiatrist Dr. Bernhard von Gudden (chief of the Munich asylum) to walk with him along the lake.  That evening, both men's bodies were pulled from the lake.  Ludwig's death was declared suicide by drowning, although an autopsy showed no water in his lungs.  The doctor had received blows to the head and neck and showed signs of being strangled.  Some believed that Ludwig was murdered trying to escape from his captors.

1918 - Grand Duke Mikhail Alexandrovich of Russia, aged 39.  He was the youngest son of then-Tsesarevich Alexander Alexandrovich and Dagmar of Denmark and was born on December 4, 1878.  After the death of his brother George of tuberculosis in 1899, Mikhail became their brother Nicholas II's heir, until the birth of Tsesarevich Alexei in 1904.  After he was forbidden to marry his cousin Beatrice of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, daughter of his aunt Marie (marriage between first cousins being forbidden in the Russian Orthodox Church), he became involved with one of his sister's ladies-in-waiting, a relationship which was forbidden by his mother and brother.  He married in 1912 the ex-wife of a fellow Army officer, Natalia Sergeyevna Wulfert, who had given birth to his illegitimate son George in 1910.  Mikhail, who stood to become heir to the throne again if the hemophilic Alexei died, said that he married Natalia so that he would be removed from the succession.  The couple was banished from Russia, but were allowed back after World War I broke out.  When Nicholas was forced to abdicate in March 1917, it was in favor of Mikhail, due to Alexei's ill health.  Mikhail refused to accept the throne unless approved by the Provisional Government.  Since they did not approve, Mikhail was never officially tsar, although some still consider him to be Mikhail II, last Tsar of Russia.  In August, Mikhail and Natalia were placed under house arrest, along with Mikhail's secretary Nicholas Johnson.  The foreign minister said the Mikhail would be allowed to go into exile in England, but as with Nicholas and his family, England refused to accept him.  His house arrest was lifted and reinstated twice more, before he and his secretary were sent to Perm in Siberia in March 1918.  His wife had their son smuggled out of Russia and joined her husband in Perm in May, although she left a week later due to the advance of the White Army.  The local secret police planned to murder Mikhail, and forced him out of his hotel with a forged transfer order.  Mikhail and his secretary (who insisted on accompanying him) were taken into the woods outside Perm, on the pretext of going to catch a train, and were shot to death.  Mikhail was the first Romanov to be executed by the Soviets.  His body was never found.

1972 - Stephanie Julianne von Hohenlohe, aged 80.  When in her 20s, she had an affair with the son-in-law of Emperor Franz Josef I, Archduke Franz Salvator (husband of Franz Josef's daughter Marie Valerie).  When she became pregnant, she was married off to Prince Friedrich Franz von Hohenlohe-Waldenburg-Schillingsfürst.  She gave birth to Franz Salvator's son, Franz Josef Rudolf Hans Weriand Max Stefan Anton von Hohenlohe-Waldenburg-Schillingsfürst, on December 5, 1914.  After she and her husband divorced in 1920, she traveled throughout Europe as Princess von Hohenlohe.  Despite being of Jewish descent, she became close friends with several high Nazi officials, including Adolf Hitler.  After moving to London in 1932, she used her developing connections to Britain's elite to spy for the Nazis.  It was she who arranged the visit of the Duke and Duchess of Windsor to Germany in 1937.  She fled to the US after the outbreak of World War II and started an affair with the director of the INS.  After the attack on Pearl Harbor, she was arrested and detained until the end of the war.  She returned to Europe after the war and died in Switzerland.

1982 - King Khalid bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud of Saudia Arabia, aged 69.  He was born on February 13, 1913, the fifth son of King Abdulaziz and his one of his favorite wives, Al Jawharah bint bin Abdulaziz bin Musaed bin Jalawi.  Khalid was named Crown Prince in 1965 to his older half-brother Faisal, after his full brother Mohammed declined the position.  He became king on March 25, 1975, after the assassination of Faisal by their nephew.  His half-brother Fahd became Crown Prince and, since Khalid was uninterested in politics, took over the running of the government.  After reigning for seven years, King Khalid died of a heart attack and his brother Fahd became king.

June 11th

Events - 

1509 - King Henry VIII of England married Catherine of Aragon, thus beginning Henry's checkered marital history.  Catherine was the widow of Henry's older brother Arthur, but claimed that the marriage had never been consummated.  Soon after Arthur died, marriage between Henry and Catherine was already being discussed between Henry VII of England and Ferdinand II of Aragon, Henry having already spent a good portion of Catherine's dowry, which he would have had to return if her second marriage wasn't made to another member of his family.  There was even talk that Henry VII was thinking of marrying her himself, since he had only one living son.  Henry VII dithered on the proposed marriage, and died before matters could be resolved.  Henry VIII, who seemed to truly love Catherine at the time, married her as soon as feasible after his father's death (less than two months).  Catherine had no problem getting pregnant, but out of six pregnancies, she had two stillbirths (one boy, one girl), three babies of whom the longest lived was just under two months (two boys, one girl), and one surviving girl, Mary.  By the time of her last pregnancy, Catherine was already into her thirties.  Since England had never "technically" had a queen regnant (Empress Matilda was hardly in power long enough to count in the 1140s), Henry was obsessed with having a son.  In the mid-1520s, one of Catherine's ladies-in-waiting, Anne Boleyn, caught his eye and he began to look for ways to get out of his marriage.  He claimed he was being punished with no living sons because he had sinned in marrying his brother's widow, as well as suggesting the marriage was invalid because Catherine had consummated her marriage to Arthur.  Finally, after much protesting on Catherine's part and the reluctance of the Catholic Church to sanction an annulment, Henry's new Archbishop of Canterbury declared the marriage invalid - even though he had secretly married a pregnant Anne Boleyn four months earlier.  Catherine was more or less kept imprisoned in two castles, forbidden to see her daughter Mary, until she died, probably of cancer, in January 1536.  Ironically, the woman she had been tossed away for only survived her by four months.

Born on this date - 

1456 - Anne Neville, daughter of Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick, and Anne Beauchamp.  Along with her older sister Isabella, Anne would spend her childhood as a marriage pawn in her father's desire for power.  Warwick first encouraged relationships to develop between his daughters and the younger brothers of King Edward IV, George and Richard.  When Edward refused to grant permission for the marriages, Warwick had Isabella married to George, who remained on Warwick's side when he rebelled against Edward with the intent of putting George on the throne.  Richard, who remained on Edward's side in the conflict, was separated from Anne.  When it became obvious that putting George on the throne would not work, Warwick made a deal with Margaret of Anjou to help her regain the throne for her husband Henry VI, and offered his daughter Anne as wife for Margaret and Henry's son Edward.  Warwick did succeed in driving Edward IV and Richard from the kingdom and install Henry VI back on the throne, but Edward and Richard invaded England in the spring of 1470.  Warwick was killed in the Battle of Barnet on Easter Sunday, 1471.  The Lancastrians made a last stand at Tewkesbury at the beginning of May, but they were defeated and Edward, Prince of Wales, was killed, leaving Anne a widow.  Anne was taken into her sister and brother-in-law's home shortly afterwards, but disappeared under mysterious circumstances.   Theories behind the disappearance include George hiding her away to prevent Richard from marrying her, or Anne running away because George was threatening her, again to prevent her marriage to Richard.  The Neville sisters were their parents' only heirs and George didn't want to split the inheritance with Richard and Anne.  Richard eventually found her and took her to sanctuary, where George could not get to her.  Richard and Anne finally married in July 1472 and settled at their mutual childhood home of Middleham.  They lived contentedly there for 11 years with Richard as Lord of the North, trying to reconcile northern Lancastrians to Yorkist rule.  About a year after their marriage, Anne gave birth to their only son, Edward of Middleham.  After Richard became King of England when the marriage of Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville was declared invalid (making all their children bastards, and thus ineligible for the throne), Anne, who had been Princess of Wales through her first husband, was now Queen of England through her second.  Anne would not enjoy her time as Queen.  In April 1484, her only child died suddenly of what seems to be appendicitis.  Anne would die the following year at the age of 28, likely of tuberculosis.  There were rumors that Richard poisoned his wife so that he could take another who would give him sons, but Anne had been ailing for some time and contemporary reports indicate Richard was very grieved when she died.

1726 - María Teresa Antonia Rafaela of Spain, the second daughter of Philip V of Spain and Elizabeth Farnese.  Relations were tense between the French and Spanish royal courts, largely due to a broken engagement between Louis XV and Maria Teresa's older sister Mariana Victoria.  Maria Teresa was engaged to Louis XV's son Louis, while her brother Felipe of Spain was married to Louis' sister Louise Elisabeth of France.  Five years after her engagement was announced, Maria Teresa married Louis, the Dauphin by proxy in December 1844 and arrived in France two months later.  Although the marriage did not start off well - it went unconsummated for seven months - Louis and Maria Teresa seem to have fallen in love.  Nine months later, Maria Teresa gave birth to a daughter and died 3 days later in July 1746.  The Dauphin was so devastated that the King had to drag his son away from his wife's deathbed.  When the Dauphin died 19 years later, he requested that his heart be buried by his first wife.

1897 - Tatiana Nikolaevna Romanova (Татьяна Николаевна), second daughter of Tsar Nicholas II of Russia and Alix of Hesse.  For the second time, Alix had given birth to a daughter instead of the son Russia wanted, since girls could not inherit the throne.  Two more daughters followed after Tatiana's birth before the long-awaited heir was finally born.  Her sisters gave her the nickname "The Governess" as she was the practical and organized one.  They also said that if they needed a favor from their parents, Tatiana should be the one to ask for it.  After World War I began, Tatiana trained as a Red Cross nurse with her mother and older sister Olga.  At the outbreak of the revolution, Tatiana was sick at Alexander Palace with the rest of her siblings - that had all contracted measles.  Nicholas returned to the family soon after the abdication, and the family lived in fairly comfortable captivity at their home until August, when they were taken to Tobolsk in Siberia for protection.  While they were in Tobolsk, the Bolsheviks overthrew the Provisional Government in the October Revolution.  Soon, life became more difficult for the Romanovs, and they were told they were being moved to Moscow, presumably for trial.  However, Alexei was suffering a hemorrhage and was unable to travel.  Afraid of what might happen to Nicholas, Alix decided to travel with him and took Maria along to help take care of her.  Tatiana was left behind in charge of the household.  Nicholas and his party was diverted to Ekaterinburg by a bloodthirsty Ural Soviet which was anxious to take revenge on Nicholas.  The rest of the family joined them a few weeks later in Ekaterinburg.  Two months later, on July 17, 1918, Tatiana was murdered at the age of 21, along with her parents, four siblings, and four servants.  The bodies remained missing until a grave containing nine of the eleven bodies was excavated in 1991.  Tatiana's body was finally given a proper burial with the rest of the recovered bodies on July, 17, 1998, the 80th anniversary of the murders.

1928 - Fabiola de Mora y Aragón, daughter of Gonzalo de Mora y Fernández and Blanca de Aragón y Carrillo de Albornoz.  Fabiola married King Baudouin of Belgium on December 15, 1960.  Unfortunately, the new queen was unable to provide an heir to the throne, as all five of her pregnancies ended in miscarriage.  As a result, when her husband died in 1993, his younger brother Albert succeeded to the throne.  Although she reduced her appearances after her husbands death, she still does make appearances on behalf of the Royal Family.

1934 - Henri Marie Jean André de Laborde de Monpezat, son of André de Laborde de Monpezat and Renée Doursenot.  In June 1967, he married the heiress presumptive to the Danish throne, Princess Margarete.  The couple have two sons and eight grandchildren. 

1968 - Alois Philipp Maria von und zu Liechtenstein, the son of Prince Hans Adam II and Marie Aglaë Kinsky of Wchinitz and Tettau.  Their oldest son, Alois is the heir apparent to the Lichtenstein throne.  In preparation for his future responsibilities, Hans Adam II handed the day-to-day governmental power over to his son, although he remains head of state.  In July 1993, Alois married Duchess Sophie in Bavaria.  The couple has four children, the oldest of whom is second in line to the throne after his father.

Died on this date -

1183 - Henry of England, "the Young King", aged 28.  Henry was born on February 28, 1155 as the son of King Henry II of England and Eleanor of Aquitaine.  In June 1170, Henry was crowned king during his father's lifetime, following the custom on the continent.  Two years later, Henry married Margaret of France, daughter of Louis VII of France by his second wife.  Henry, who wanted his father to share the power, and not just the title, of king, rebelled against his father in 1173.  The civil war which resulted from this rebellion led to Eleanor of Aquitaine being kept a prisoner for the remainder of her husband's life.  Henry would predecease his father, contracting dysentery in Jun 1183 while on a campaign against his father and brother Richard.  Near the end, he asked for is father, but Henry II, suspecting a trick, refused to meet his son.  Henry did send men to ascertain his son's condition and to pass on a ring as a sign of the father's love.  Henry predeceased his own son William, who lived for a few days in 1177.  As a result, Richard became heir to the throne - although Henry kept him in suspense over whether he wasn't going to be bypassed - and became King when their father died.

1216 - Henry of Flanders, Emperor of the Latin empire of Constantinople, aged about 42.  He was born around 1174 as the son of Baldwin V of Hainault (also Baldwin VIII of Flanders) and Margaret I of Flanders.  He distinguished himself during the Fourth Crusade and was named regent of Constantinople when his older brother Baldwin was captured after the Battle of Adrianople.  Once word of Baldwin's death reached him, he ascended to the throne.  By his first wife, Agnes of Montferrat, he only had a stillborn child.  His second marriage, to Maria of Bulgaria, was childless.  Henry's death was allegedly caused by poison, possibly supplied by his second wife.

1488 - James III of Scotland, aged 36.  He was the son of King James II of Scotland and Mary of Guelders and was born on July 10, 1451.  He was nine when he ascended the throne after his father was killed by a misfiring cannon.  James married Margaret of Denmark in 1469 and had three sons, the oldest of whom would succeed his father as James IV.  James died at the Battle of Sauchieburn, fighting against a rebellious group of Scottish nobles, leading to the succession of yet another child king.

1557 - João III of Portugal, aged 55.  He was born the son of King Manuel I of Portugal and Maria of Aragon on June 7, 1502.  He succeeded his father as King in 1521 when he was 19.  Portugal during his reign was the first western country to make contact with China and Japan.  He married Catherine of Austria, a marriage which produced nine children.  None of his sons followed him as king, as they all predeceased him.  His successor was his grandson Sebastião I, son of his fifth son João, who ascended to the throne at three when João died of a stroke.

1727 - King George I of Great Britain, aged 67.  He was the son of Ernest Augustus, Elector of Hanover, and Sofia von der Pfalz.  Sofia was the heir to the throne of Great Britain under the 1701 Act of Settlement, which barred Catholics and those married to Catholics from the throne.  Sofia predeceased Queen Anne by two months, leaving her claim to the British throne to her son, George.  George went back and forth between his two kingdoms, spending about a fifth of his time in Hanover.  It was while on a trip to Hanover that he had a stroke and died, being succeeded by his only son, George II.

1879 - Willem Nicolaas Alexander Frederik Karel Hendrik, Prince of Orange, aged 38. He was born on September 4, 1840, the son of King Willem III of the Netherlands and Sophie of Württemberg.  Willem was originally looked at by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert as a possible husband for their second daughter, Alice.  After those plans fell through, Willem fell in love with the non-royal Mathilde van Limburg-Stirum.  Even though she was from a noble family, his parents refused to allow the marriage, not seeing her as a suitable bride for their son.  Willem planned to marry Mathilde without permission, but since she was under 21, her parents still had to approve.  After her parents' lack of approval, Willem moved to Paris, where he led a dissipated life..  He died of typhus and liver problems.  After both Willem and his brother predeceased their father, the succession law in the Netherlands was changed to allow their half-sister Wilhelmina to succeed to the throne, which she did in 1890.

1903 - Alexander I of Serbia, aged 26 and Queen Draga of Serbia, aged 38.  He was the son of King Milan I of Serbia and Natalija Keşco and was born on August 14, 1876.  He unexpectedly came to the throne in 1889 when his father abdicated, with his mother as regent until he came of age.  When he was 16, he overthrew the regency and declared himself of age.  The following year, he made his father commander-in-chief of the army, in essence making him the country's ruler again.  Alexander's engagement to the widowed Draga Mašin (born September 11, 1864) in 1900 was very unpopular, both with his family and the country at large.  The marriage weakened the king in everyone's eyes.  When Alexander wished to name his wife's brother as his heir if their marriage was childless, a group of Army officers revolted and invaded the palace, murdering the King and Queen.  Eyewitnesses said that their mutilated bodies were thrown out a window onto a manure pile.  Alexander was replaced on the throne by Peter I, from the rival family of Karađorđević, which had ruled Serbia before the Obrenović family.

1914 - Adolf Friedrich V of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, aged 65.  He was born on July 22, 1848, the son of Grand Duke Friedrich Wilhelm of Mecklenburg and Augusta of Cambridge (granddaughter of King George III of Great Britain).  He became the grand duke on the death of his father in 1904, and at the time of his death, he was the second richest person in Germany after Kaiser Wilhelm II.  By his wife, Elisabeth of Anhalt, he had four children, including his heir Adolf Friedrich VI, who committed suicide four years later, a few months before the abolition of the monarchy.

June 10th

Born on this date - 

1688 - James Francis Edward Stuart, son of King James II of England and Mary of Modena.  James' birth was controversial in a country which wanted a Protestant back on the throne - some claimed that the King and Queen's son had been stillborn and another child substituted in his place, the so-called "warming pan baby".  Six months after his birth, his mother took him to France to protect him from those seeking to overthrow the Catholic James II.  The following day, James II was captured and imprisoned as he attempted to flee England, but was allowed to escape to France later that month.  When James II died in 1701, his son declared himself James III of England and VIII of Scotland, a title which was recognized in several Catholic countries in Europe.  The following year, just a few days before his half-sister Anne came to the throne, James was attained and his English titles considered forfeit.  In 1708, he attempted to invade Scotland, but was turned back.  It was suggested that had he been willing to convert to Protestantism, he might have been acceptable as next in line to the throne under the 1707 Act of Settlement, but James refused.  As a result, the throne passed under the Act to the son of Sophia of Hanover, the closest in the line of succession who was Protestant - George I.  In 1715, James finally landed in Scotland and planned to have himself crowned at Scone, but lack of support for his cause led him to leave the country again.  Since his patron King Louis XIV of France had passed away, James was no longer welcome in France and accepted the offer of a home in Rome from Pope Clement XI.  He married Maria Clementina Sobieska (granddaughter of the Polish King) in 1719 and had two son, each of whom succeeded to his claims to the English throne.  James died at the age of 77 on New Years' Day, 1766 in Rome and was buried in St. Peter's Basilica.  Had James actually ascended to the throne on his father's death, he would have ruled for over 64 years, longer than Queen Victoria (at 63+ years) and Queen Elizabeth II (at 60+ years), and the longest reigning monarch in British history.  Queen Elizabeth II will have to reign until May 23, 2016 to surpass his "reign."

1713 - Princess Caroline Elizabeth of Hanover, daughter of George, the Hereditary Prince of Hanover, and Caroline of Ansbach.  The year after her birth, Caroline's grandfather succeeded as King George I of England, making her father the Prince of Wales.  She became known as HRH Princess Caroline of Great Britain on her grandfather's ascension and HRH The Princess Caroline on the ascension of her father as George II.  Caroline died unmarried at the age of 44 on December 28, 1757 and was buried in Westminster Abbey.

1825 - Hildegard Luise Charlotte Theresia Friederike von Bayern, the fourth daughter of King Ludwig I of Bavaria and Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen.  In 1844, she married Archduke Albrecht of Austria, giving birth to three children.  Her oldest daughter married the heir to the Kingdom of Würrtemberg, her only son died of smallpox at only a year old, and her younger daughter accidentally set herself on fire at the ag of 18 while trying to hid a lit cigarette from her father, who detested smoking.  The cigarette, hidden behind her back, set fire to her dress.  Fortunately, her mother did not live to see her daughter burn to death in front of her (as had the rest of the family) - while in Munich for the funeral of her brother Maximilian II of Bavaria, she became ill, dying the following month in Vienna on April 2, 1864.

1894 - Prince Igor Constantinovich of Russia (Игорь Константинович), the sixth child of Grand Duke Constantine Constantinovich (Константи́н Константи́нович) and Elisabeth of Saxe-Altenburg (Елизавета Маврикевна).  Igor served as a captain during World War II and was a decorated hero, but ill-health forced him away from the front.  After the Russian Revolution broke out in 1917, Igor was allowed a relative amount of freedom compared to some of the other Romanovs.  However, he was exiled to Siberia in April 1918, eventually joining up with two of his brothers (Ioann and Constantine), two cousins (Vladimir Paley and Sergei Mikhailovich) and a cousin by marriage (Grand Duchess Elisabeth).  They, along with two other companions, were murdered July 18, 1918 by being thrown down a mind shaft outside of Alapayevsk.  The bodies were discovered in October 1918 after the White Army retook the area from the Bolsheviks. 

1921 - Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark, fifth child and only son of Prince Andrew of Greece and Alice of Battenberg.  When he was a year old, revolution forced his family into exile, with Philip being smuggled out of the country in a fruit box.  The family settled just outside Paris, where Philip began school.  He was eventually sent to England to continue his schooling under the guardianship of his maternal grandmother, Victoria of Milford Haven and his uncle George Mountbatten.  He was separated from his immediately family during this time - all his sisters were now married and living in Germany, his mother diagnosed with schizophrenia  and institutionalized and his father opting to live in Monte Carlo.  In 1939, Philip joined the British Navy and also met his future wife when, on a visit of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth to Dartmouth Naval College, Philip was assigned to escort the royal couple's two daughters Elizabeth and Margaret.  Elizabeth fell in love and began corresponding regularly with Philip.  After World War II ended, Philip formally asked for Elizabeth's hand, but the announcement of the engagement was postponed until after Elizabeth's 21st birthday.  Around this time, Philip changed his name to that selected by Philip and Elizabeth married November 20, 1947, eventually becoming the parents of four children.  In 1952, while the couple were on a visit to Kenya, King George VI died and Elizabeth ascended to the throne.  60 years later, Philip is both the longest living consort (91 years, although his mother-in-law was older at her death, she was a widow and not consort for 50 years) and the longest serving (over 60 years) in British history.  In addition, Philip and Elizabeth have the longest lived marriage (almost 65 years) among British monarchs.

1956 - Georg Borwin Friedrich Franz Karl Stephan Konrad Hubertus Maria of Mecklenburg, son of Grand Duke Georg Alexander of Mecklenburg and Ilona of Austria.  In 1963, Borwin became heir to the House of Mecklenburg when his grandfather died and his father succeeded to the title.  When his father died in 1996, Borwin because the head of the house.  With his wife Alice Wagner, he is the father of three children, a daughter and two sons.

1981 - Prince Hashim bin Al Hussein, the younger son of King Hussein and Queen Noor.  In 2006, he married Fahdah Mohammed Abunayyan of Saudi Arabia, with whom he has three daughters.

1982 - Madeleine Thérèse Amélie Joséphine of Sweden, youngest child of King Carl XVI Gustav and Queen Sylvia.  She is currently fourth in line to the Swedish throne, after her older sister Victoria, Victoria's daughter Estelle and Madeleine's older brother Carl Philip.  After the breakup of her engagement, she moved to New York, where she words for the World Childhood Foundation.

Died on this date -

323 BC - King Alexander III of Macedon, "Alexander the Great", aged 32.  He was born in July 356 BC, the son of Philip II of Macedon and Olympias of Epirus.  When he was 19, he succeeded to the throne on the assassination of his father.  He continued with plans drawn up by his father to expand the empire, and at its height, the empire stretched from Greece to the Indian subcontinent.  Alexander died in Babylon (modern-day Al Hillah, Iraq), allegedly of poisoning, although natural causes have been suggested.  He was succeeded by his half-brother, Philip III, and his posthumous son by Roxana of Bactria, Alexander IV.

1190 - Frederick I, Holy Roman Emperor, aged 67-68.  Frederick was born on 1122 as the son of Friedrich II of Swabia and Judith of Bavaria.  His descent from the two foremost families in Germany made him a desirable candidate to replace Conrad III as Holy Roman Emperor, which he did in 1152.  During his lifetime, he launched six expeditions into Italy for various reasons.  He also joined the Third Crusade in 1189, but he died the following year crossing the Saleph River, rather than trying to cross at the nearby bridge, which was clogged with soldiers.  He was succeeded as Holy Roman Emperor by a son by his second wife, Heinrich VI.

1424 - Duke Ernest of Austria, aged 56-57.  Ernest was born in 1377 as the son of Leopold III, Duke of Inner Austria, and Viridis Visconti.  He became Duke of Inner Austria on the death of his older brother Wilhelm in 1406.  Beginning in 1414, he called himself Archduke, the first time a member of the Habsburg dynasty had used it.  On his death, he was succeeded jointly by two of his sons, Friedrich and Albrecht.  Friedrich later became Holy Roman Emperor.

1776 - Hsinbyushin, King of the Konbaung dynasty in Burma, aged 39.  He was born on September 12, 1736, the second son of King Alaungpaya, and came to the throne in 1763 on the death of his older brother Naungdawgyi.  During his reign, he fought two wars with Siam (Thailand) and one with China.  When he died, his next brother should have been king, as his father Alaungpaya had wished each of his six sons to succeed in turn.  However, Hsinbyushin made his son Singu heir apparent, and Singu ascended the throne without incident.

1974 - Henry William Frederick Albert, Duke of Gloucester, aged 74.  The son of King George V and Mary of Teck, Henry was born on March 31, 1900.  After his brother Bertie ascended the throne (George VI), Henry was named a potential regent for his niece Elizabeth, should she come to the throne while a minor, which required Henry to remain in England until she turned 18.  At the time of his death in 1974, he was the last surviving child of King George V and Queen Mary.  His title was inherited by his younger son, the elder predeceasing him by two years.

June 9th

Events -

53 - Nero Claudius Caesar Drusus Germanicus, aged 15, married his stepsister Claudia Octavia, aged 13.  Octavia was the daughter of Emperor Claudius, while Nero was the son of Claudius' fourth wife Agrippina (who was also Claudius' niece).  Nero, who had been adopted by Claudius as his heir, succeeded as emperor the following year on Claudius' death.  The following year, Octavia's full brother Britannicus died, likely poisoned by Nero.  Although Octavia was careful to hide her feelings about the death of her brother, the marriage was unhappy and Nero tries several times to murder his wife.  After his lover, Poppaea Sabina, became pregnant with his child, Nero divorced Octavia because she had not provided him an heir.  Octavia was banished, which was unpopular with the Roman citizenry who demanded her return.  Nero considered remarrying her, but decided to have her executed.  Her wrists were slit and she was suffocated in a hot bath.

1946 -  Bhumibol Adulyadej became King of Thailand on the murder of his brother King Ananda Mahidol. Bhumibol Adulyadej is the curernt longest-reigning monarch in the world, having been on the throne 66 years as of today.

Born on this date -

1595 - Władysław Vasa was born near Kraków, Poland, the oldest son of King Zygmunt III Vasa of Poland and his wife Anna of Austria.  Władysław was elected King of Poland at the death of his father in 1632, reigning as Władysław IV.  He attempted to press his claims to the throne of Sweden - his father had been King of Sweden after his own father Gustav I, but had been deposed by his uncle - but was rebuffed.  Władysław reigned until his death, from either gallstones or kidney stones, on May 20, 1648 at the age of 52.  Despite two marriages - Cecilia Renata of Austria and Maria Luisa Gonzaga - he had no surviving legitimate children, so he was succeeded on the throne by his brother.

1640 - Leopold Ignaz Joseph Balthasar Felician of Austria, the second son of Emperor Ferdinand III and Maria Anna of Spain.  On the death of his older brother Ferdinand in 1654, he became heir and succeeded his father as Holy Roman Emperor four years later.  He married three times, to Margarita Teresa of Austria (his niece, not unusual among the Habsburgs), then to Claudia Felicitas of Austria, and finally to Eleanor Magdalene von der Pfalz.  By his wives, he had a total of 16 children, his oldest child by his third wife succeeding him as Emperor on his death on May 5, 1705, at the age of 64.

1661 - Fyodor Alexeyevich Romanov, son of Tsar Alexei and his first wife Maria Miloslavskaya.  Fyodor was 15 when he succeeded his father on the throne in 1676 as Fyodor III.  He was intelligent but disabled since birth.  He married twice - to Agaphia Simeonovna Grushevskaya (who died in childbirth with a son who died a few days later) and to Marfa Apraksina.  The second marriage was short-lived as Fyodor died three months later, on May 7, 1682, with no surviving heirs.  He was succeeded on the throne by his two younger brother, full-brother Ivan V and half-brother Peter I, with their sister Sophia as regent.

1672 - Pyotr Alexeyevich Romanov, son of Tsar Alexei and his second wife Natalya Naryshkina.  Pyotr was not quite four when his half-brother Fyodor ascended to the throne.  When Fyodor died in 1382, the Boyer Duma decided on ten-year-old Pyotr as the next tsar since his older brother Ivan suffered from ill health.  Sophia Alekseyevna, the boys' older sister, led a revolt in favor of putting her full-brother Ivan on the throne over her half-brother Pyotr.  A compromise was agreed to that the boys would be named joint Tsars, with Ivan being considered the senior, while Sophia ruled as regent for the next seven years.  Pyotr, now 17, overthrew his sister and forced her into a convent.  Pyotr took the reins of power, while Ivan V remained co-tsar - Pyotr was fond of his brother and never blamed him for Sophia's actions.  Pyotr became sole tsar when Ivan died in 1696.  During his 42-year reign, Pyotr used his interest in shipbuilding to found Russia's Navy and built a new city to be the capital of the country, St. Petersburg.  He was also known for the "Grand Embassy," where Pyotr traveled (incognito, although people often ended up recognizing him) to various European countries, seeking ideas and innovations he could bring back to Russia to make her more Westernized.  He fought a long war with Sweden, which ended with Russian gains of Ingria, Estonia, Livonia, and part of Karelia.  After the peace treaty that ended the war, Pyotr was proclaimed Emperor, and also received the appellation "the Great", the first of two Romanovs to receive the title.  Pyotr died February 8, 1725, at the age of 52, of a bladder infection which had turned to gangrene.  He was succeeded not by one of his children - his daughter Elizaveta would come to the throne in 1741 - but by his wife Martha Skavronskaya, who had taken the name Catherine on her marriage to Pyotr.

Died on this date - 

62 - Claudia Octavia, wife of the Emperor Nero, around age 22.  She was born in late 39 AD or early 40 AD, the daughter of Emperor Claudius and his second wife Valeria Messalina.  After Claudius married his niece Agrippina and adopted her son Nero as his heir, a marriage was arranged between the step-siblings.  The pair lived unhappily for nine years, until Nero divorced Octavia in 62 because she was barren.  Octavia was banished, but after the Roman citizens expressed their displeasure at her banishment, Nero ordered Octavia's death.  Her wrists were slit in the manner of a traditional Roman suicide - although not of her free will - and she was placed in an extremely hot vapor bath, where she suffocated.  Her head was severed and sent by Nero to his second wife as a gift.  According to one historian, her death would cause Nero nightmares, along with the death of his mother.

68 - Emperor Nero, aged 30.  He was born December 15, 37, to Gnaeus Domitius Ahenobarbus and Agrippina the Younger, sister of Emperor Caligula.  His mother was exiled by her brother two years later and Nero was sent to be raised by his aunt Domitia Lepida, the mother of Valeria Messalina, third wife of Claudius.  When Claudius became emperor in 41, he brought Agrippina back from exile.  After Claudius and Agrippina were married, Nero was adopted as Claudius' heir (even though he had a living son, Britannicus) and married to Claudius' daughter Claudia Octavia.  The following year, Claudius died, probably poisoned by his wife, and Nero became emperor.  Just 17, Nero was then the youngest man to become Emperor.  Originally greatly influenced by his mother, he broke with her when she took the side of his neglected wife Octavia.  Agrippina then pressed for the passed over Britannicus to be named Emperor in Nero's place, which led to the murder of Britannicus in 55.  Nero began an affair with Poppaea Sabina, whom he planned to marry after putting Octavia aside.  Since his mother championed Octavia, Nero decided to kill his mother to smooth the path.  He also had Claudia killed when the Roman citizenry demanded that Nero bring her back as Empress.  Aside from the numerous murders he ordered, he was known for "fiddling while Rome burned" during a fire in 64.  The store is certainly untrue, as there were no fiddles in 1st century Roman.  According to one historian, Nero - away from Rome at the time of the fire - returned to organize relief efforts which he paid for out of his own funds.  He was also known for persecuting Christians during his reign (Apostles Peter and Paul both died during his reign) and for an uprising in Britain by Queen Boadicca of the Iceni.  Rebellions broke out, with support eventually coalescing around Galba.  Nero fled, and after receiving a report that the Senate had ordered his execution, he decided to committ suicide.  Ultimately unable to do the deed, he asked his private secretary to kill him instead.  The secretary was later executed for failing to prevent Nero's suicide.  His death was the anniversary of his marriage to Claudia Octavia and of Octavia's death.

630 - Shahrbaraz, Shah of Persia, unknown age.  He was a general and commander of the Army of all Iran under King Khosrau II of Persia.  Shahrbaraz captured Damascus and Jerusalem for the Persians, but distrust between Shahrbaraz and Khosrau led to Shahrbaraz holding his army back, leading to the end of the war and victory for the Byzantine Empire.  In 630, Shahrbaraz killed King Ardashir III of Persia, thereby becoming the new King.  Shahrbaraz made peace with the Byzantine Empire and returned to Emperor Heraclius the True Cross which had been carried off during the conquest of Jerusalem.  A short time later, Armenia was invaded, and Shahrbaraz was slain two months later.  He was succeeded by Purandokht, the daughter of Khosrau II and one of only two women to rule during the Sassanid dynasty.

1923 - Princess Helena of the United Kingdom, aged 77.  She was born on May 25, 1846, the fifth child of Queen Victoria and Albert, the Prince Consort.  In 1866, Helena married Prince Christian of Schleswig-Holstein, who had agreed that the couple would live in England so Helena could be close to her mother.  The marriage was controversial because of Schleswig-Holstein, which were claimed by the Prussians, the Danes and by Austria on behalf of Prince Christians family.  Alix, the Princess of Wales, naturally sided with the Danes in the controversy, as did her husband Bertie and his sister Alice.  Vicky, the Princess Royal and Crown Princess of Prussia, might have been expected to come out against the marriage because of Prussia's interest in Schleswig-Holstein, but she had been friends with Prince Christian's family for years and came out in support of the marriage.  The marriage eventually took place, with Bertie being prodded to attend by Alice as a show of family unity.  Alix was unwilling to accept Christian although he was a third cousin, also descended from the Kings of Denmark.  The marriage turned out to be a happy one and they had four surviving children.  Two additional sons were short-lived, one living eight days and the other being stillborn.  Prince Christian died in 1917, with Helena following him six years later.

1946 - King Ananda Mahidol of Thailand, aged 20.  He was born September 20, 1925, the oldest son of Prince Mahidol Adulyadej of Songkhla (son of King Chulalongkorn) and Mom Sangwal.  His father died when he was four, pushing Ananda Mahidol forward in the line of succession.  He ascended the throne in 1935 on the abdication of his uncle King Prajadhipok, as the Cabinet found much to like in a nine-year-old monarch going to school in Switzerland, leaving all the power with them.  Thailand was drawn into World War II on December 8, 1941, during an invasion and occupation coordinated with the attack of Pearl Harbor in the United States.  Formally allied with Japan from 1942, Thailand came under attack by the Allies, with the country becoming the responsibility of Britain after the war ended.  Almost a year after the war ended, the King was found shot to death in his bedroom.  Although three men were executed for the death, the circumstance of the King's death are still considered a mystery.  Ananda Mahidol was succeeded by his brother Bhumibol Adulyadej, who is currently the longest-reigning monarch in the world (66 years as of today).

June 6th

Events -

1513 - The Battle of Novara, part of the War of the League of Cambrai, was fought between French forces and the Swiss Confederation on behalf of the Duchy of Milan.  The Swiss won the battle for Milan, which lead to the restoration of Milan's Duke, Massimiliano Sforza.  Massimiliano went into exile two years later after the French were victorious at the Battle of Marignano.

1523 - Gustav Vasa was crowned Gustav I of Sweden, and is considered to be the founder of the modern country of Sweden, since his coronation ended the Danish-led Kalmar Union.  The date of Gustav's coronation is still celebrated today as the National Day of Sweden (Sveriges nationaldag).

1644 - The Shunzhi Emperor's (順治帝) Manchu forces conquered Beijing during the dying years of the Ming Dynasty.  The Shunzhi Emperor (personal name Fulin) was the third emperor of the Qing Dynasty and the collapse of the Ming Dynasty made him the first emperor to rule all China.  The emperor entered the city on October 19th, and officially became Emperor of China on October 30th.  The Qing Dynasty would rule China until 1912.

1654 - Karl X Gustav, son of Catherine of Sweden and grandson of King Karl IX, succeeded his cousin Queen Christina as ruler of Sweden after Christina abdicated to become a Roman Catholic.  Karl X reigned for six years until his early death of pneumonia in November 1660 when he was 37.

1674 - Shivaji Bhosale was crowned sovereign of the newly-created Maratha Empire.  The empire at its greatest extent covered most of the Indian subcontinent.  The empire was founded after a resistance movement succeeded in freeing the Maratha people from the rule of the Mughal Empire and Sultanate of Bijapur.  The Maratha Empire re-established Hindu rule over India and lasted until the British gained control of India in 1818.

1808 - Joseph-Napoléon Bonaparte, brother of Emperor Napoléon, was created King of Spain and the Indies by his brother.  Joseph was never popular in Spain and eventually abdicated in 1813 after the defeat of the French in the Battle of Vitoria by the British.

1809 - Sweden instituted a new constitution and elected Karl XII as King of Sweden to succeed Karl's nephew Gustav IV Adolf, who had abdicated in March.

1857 - Sophia of Nassau-Weilburg married Prince Oskar of Sweden, son of then-King Oskar I and the future Oskar II.

Born on this date -

1714 - Infante José of Portugal, later King José I, third child of King João V of Portugal and Maria Anna of Austria.  José's older brother died at the age of two, making José heir apparent to the throne.  He became King after the death of his father in 1750, reigning for 35 years.  With his wife Mariana Victoria of Spain, he was the father of the future Maria I of Portugal, the first undisputed Queen Regnant in the country's history.  The most notable event of José's reign was the great Lisbon earthquake in 1755, which lead to the King developing a severe case of claustrophobia, despite the fact that he and his family had been outside the city attending All Saints' Day Mass when the earthquake struck and destroyed the royal palace.  The King's condition led to the royal court being moved into tents and pavilions outside the city of Lisbon.  The King died at the age of 62 on February 24, 1777.

1772 - Maria Teresa of Naples, daughter of Ferdinand I of the Two Sicilies and Maria Caroline of Austria (daughter of Empress Maria Teresa of Austria).  Maria Teresa married her double first cousin Archduke Franz of Austria, who later became the last Holy Roman Emperor as Franz II and Emperor of Austria as Franz I.  Maria Teresa died April 13, 1807 at the age of 34, a week after giving birth to her 13th child.  Among her children were Marie Louise (2nd wife of Napoléon), Emperor Ferdinand I of Austria, Maria Leopoldina (Empress consort of Brazil) and Marie Caroline (Crown Princess of Saxony).

1807 - Nguyễn Phúc Miên Tông of Vietnam, son of Emperor Minh Mang and Hồ Thị Hoa.  He became the third emperor of Vietnam's Nguyễn Dynasty after the death of his father in 1841, taking the name Thiệu Trị.  He was known for his desire to rid Vietnam of all Christian missionaries, which strained relations between Vietnam and France.  Although missionaries were persecuted during his reign, his order for all Christians in the country to be executed was ignored.  He died November 4, 1847 at the age of 40 and was succeeded by his son Nguyễn Phúc Hồng Nhậm, who reigned as Emperor Tu Duc.

1872 - Princess Alix Viktoria Helena Luise Beatrice of Hesse, sixth child of the future Grand Duke Ludwig IV of Hesse and Princess Alice of the United Kingdom, third child of Queen Victoria.  Alix lost her mother at age six and was raised by her father with much input from her grandmother the Queen.  In 1884, at the wedding of her older sister Elisabeth to Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich of Russia, brother of Tsar Alexander III, Alix fell in love with Alexander III's oldest son, Tsesarevich Nicholas.  Nicholas returned her feelings and pursued her in the early 1890s, with encouragement from his Uncle Sergei and Aunt Ella and despite the disapproval of his parents, who wanted a grander bride for their son.  Although Alix refused his suit due to the requirement that she change her religion to Russian Orthodoxy to marry the heir to the throne, Nicholas persisted.  Finally, at the wedding of Alix's brother to Alix and Nicholas' mutual cousin Victoria Melita of Edinburgh, Alix was convinced to overcome her objections to conversion and accepted Nicholas' proposal.  The wedding, originally planned for May 1895, was moved forward to November 1894 after the early death of Nicholas' father, giving Alix little time to acclimate to Russia and learn the language before becoming Empress.  Shortly after Alexander III's death, Alix was received into the Orthodox church and took the name Alexandra Feodorovna (Александра Фёдоровна).  It took almost ten years, and the births of four daughters, before Alix finally gave birth to an heir to the throne, Alexei - changes to the law during the reign of Pavel I restricted the throne to male Romanovs unless all male dynasts had died out.  Sadly, Alix passed to Alexei the "royal disease" hemophilia, which she had inherited from her mother Alice, who had inherited it from Queen Victoria.  The secrecy surrounding Alexei's condition, plus Alix's reliance on alleged holy man Rasputin to alleviate Alexei's condition helped contribute to the fall of the Romanov Dynasty.  Revolution broke out in 1917 and Nicholas was forced to abdicate on March 15th.  The family was held in captivity first at their home in Tsarskoe Selo, then in Tobolsk, and finally at Ipatiev House in Ekaterinburg, the latter two cities in Siberia.  The family's position became tenuous after the Bolsheviks seized power from the provisional government in November 1917, and the execution of the entire family was ordered by the Ural Soviet (although the ultimately decision reportedly rested with Vladimir Lenin).  In the early morning hours of July 17, 1918, Alix (aged 46), Nicholas, their five children (ranging in age from 13 to 22), their doctor and three servants were shot, bayoneted and bludgeoned to death.  Many other Romanovs, including Alix's sister Ella and Nicholas' brother Mikhail, were executed between June 1918 and January 1919.  The location of the family's remains remained unknown until 1991, when a grave was excavated near Ekaterinburg containing the bodies of nine of the eleven people massacred in Ipatiev House - the bodies of Alexei and one of his sisters (either Maria or Anastasia) were missing.  The bodies which had been found were buried in St. Petersburg on the 90th anniversary of the murders.  The two missing bodies were finally recovered in 2007 and positively identified the following year, although they have yet to be buried.

1934 - Prince Albert Félix Humbert Théodore Christian Eugène Marie of the Belgians, second son of King Leopold III of the Belgians and Astrid of Sweden.  He succeeded as King Albert II after the death of his childless older brother King Baudouin in 1993.  With his wife Paola Ruffo di Calabria, he is the father of three children, including the heir to the throne Prince Philippe.  Second in line to the throne is Philippe's oldest child Élisabeth, who due to a change in the succession laws ten years before her birth is eventually expected to become Belgium's first Queen Regnant.

1938 - Luís Gastão Maria José Pio Miguel Gabriel Rafael Gonzaga de Orléans e Bragança e Wittelsbach, son of Prince Pedro Henrique of Orléans-Braganza and Maria Elisabeth of Bavaria.  Luis is a pretended to the defunct throne of Brazil as a great grandson of Emperor Pedro II and is known to legitimists as Luiz I of Brazil.  His "heir apparent" is his younger brother Bertrand, who became heir when three other brothers renounced their claim to the throne to marry commoners.

Died on this date - 

1393 - Emperor Go-En'yū (後円融天皇), Northern Pretender to the Japanese throne, aged 34.  He was born on January 11, 1359 with the name of Ohito (緒仁), the son of Emperor Go-Kōgon (後光厳天皇, also a Northern Pretender) and Fujiwara no Nakako (藤原仲子).  He nominally ruled Japan during the time known as the Period of Northern and Southern Courts, a 56-year period in which separate ruling courts were set up by rival emperors.  He became the Northern Pretender on the abdication of his father in 1371.  He abdicated in favor of his son Motohito (幹仁親王), who ruled as Emperor Go-Komatsu (後小松天皇) and later became the sole emperor of Japan when the Southern Court emperor abdicated in his favor.  The current Imperial family of Japan is descended from the Northern Pretenders, even though a law passed in 1911 proclaimed the descendants of the Southern Court emperors as the legitimate Emperors of Japan.

2012 - Prince Tomohito of Mikasa (寛仁親王), aged 66, died of cancer which he had battled on and off for over 20 years. Tomohito was born on January 5, 1946 to Prince Takahito (三笠宮崇仁親王) and Takagi Yuriko (崇仁親王妃百合子).  Takahito is the younger brother of Emperor Shōwa (昭和天皇, Hirohito), and the only surviving uncle of the current emperor, making Tomohito a first cousin of Emperor Akihito (明仁).  Tomohito was the heir apparent to the title Prince Mikasa.  He earned the nickname "bearded prince" for being the first member of the Imperial house to wear a full beard since Emperor Meiji 100 years ago.  With his wife Asō Nobuko (麻生信子), whom he had married in 1980, he had two daughters Akiko (彬子女王) and  Yōko (瑶子女王).

June 5th

Events - 

70 AD - Future Roman Emperor Titus (reigned 79 - 81) led four Roman legions in the breach of the middle wall of Jerusalem during the Siege of Jerusalem.  The siege, which began in March of that year, eventually ended with the destruction of the Second Temple in September.  The siege was one of the major events of the First Jewish-Roman War (also known as The Great Revolt), which was fought by the Jews of Judea against the Roman Empire from 66 - 73.  When Titus became emperor, he was the first Roman Emperor to follow his father as emperor.

1849 - King Frederik VII of Denmark signed the country's new constitution, which marked the move from an absolute to constitutional monarchy.  The signing of this constitution is now marked by a national holiday in Denmark, Constitution Day (or Grundlovsdag).

Born on this date - 

1341 - Edmund of Langley, 1st Duke of York, son of King Edward III of England and Philippa of Hainault.  Edmund was the fourth of the King and Queen's five surviving sons.  His descendants became the House of York during the War of the Roses.  Through his first wife, Isabella of Castile, he was the father of Richard, 3rd Earl of Cambridge, who was executed for treason in 1415.  Richard's son (Edmund's grandson) was the father of King Edward IV and King Richard III.  As a result, Edmund is the ancestor of all English monarchs after Henry VII, through Henry's wife Elizabeth of York, daughter of Edward IV.  Despite the fact that his descendants would later challenge for the throne, Edmund remained loyal to the Lancastrian Henry IV after Richard II was overthrown.  Edmund died August 1, 1402 at the age of 61.

1523 - Margaret of France, daughter of King François I of France and Claude of France (daughter of Louis XII of France).  When she was 26, she was created Duchess of Berry in her own right.  By her husband Emanuele Filiberto of Savoy, she was the mother of Carlo Emanuele I of Savoy.  She died September 14, 1574 at the age of 51.

1771 - Ernest Augustus of Great Britain, later King of Hanover, fifth son of King George III and Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz.  Because he had four older brothers, he was expected to have no chance to ascend to a thone, but the deaths of King George IV, King William IV and Frederick, Duke of York without any surviving children improved his prospects.  His other older brother, Edward, Duke of Kent, did leave a surviving daughter, but Salic law prevented her from ascending the throne of Hanover.  As a result, at the death of King William IV, Victoria of Kent became Queen of England and Ernest Augustus became King of Hanover, ending the union between Hanover and Great Britain which had existed since George I had become King of Great Britain in 1714.  Ernest Augustus' marriage was not without controversy.  He had fallen in love with his cousin Frederica of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, but she was married to her second husband.  When her husband conveniently died in 1814, some suspected Frederica of poisoning her husband to clear the way for her marriage to Ernest Augustus.  The marriage was also opposed by Queen Charlotte because Frederica had broken a previous engagement to the Duke of Cambridge.  Ernest Augustus died November 18, 1851 at the age of 80 and was succeeded as King of Hanover by his only child, George.  Ernest Augustus was greatly mourned in Hanover, but hardly at all in England, where The Times said of him "the good that can be said of the Royal dead is little or none."

2005 - Irene de Todos los Santos Urdangarín y de Borbón, daughter of Infanta Christina of Spain (daughter of King Juan Carlos I) and Iñaki Urdangarín Liebaert, Duchess and Duke Consort of Palma de Mallorca. 

Died on this date -

301 - Sima Lún (司马伦), usurper of the Chinese throne during the Jin Dynasty, more than 52 years old.  Sima Lún was born before 249, the youngest son of Sima Yi (司马懿), a general and politician who was posthumously honored as Emperor Juan of Jin when his grandson founded the Jin Dynasty in 265, and Lady Bai (柏夫人).  He became Prince of Langye when his nephew founded the Jin Dynasty, and later Prince of Zhao.  During the reign of his grand-nephew Emperor Hui, Sima Lún became a confidant of Empress Jia.  In 300, Jia was convinced to overthrew the Crown Prince, son of her husband's concubine.  Sima Lún then encouraged her to assassinate the Crown Prince while in exile.  The subsequent assassination was used as an excuse to murder her family and force Jia to commit suicide.  Sima Lún then became regent for the Emperor, who was developmentally disabled.  He was later persuaded to overthrow Hui and proclaim himself emperor.  Hui was put under house arrest and given the honorary title of "retired emperor", while the new Crown Prince, Hui's grandson, was executed.  Sima Lún was overthrown three months later and forced to commit suicide.  His four sons, the oldest of whom had been created Crown Prince, were subsequently executed.

1017 - Emperor Sanjō (三条天皇) of Japan, aged 42.  He was born with the name Iyasada-shinnō on February 6, 975, to Emperor Reizei (冷泉天皇) and Fujiwara no Chōshi (藤原超子).  He was appointed Crown Prince to his cousin Emperor Ichijō (一条天皇) when he was 11.  Although Ichijō was younger than Iyasada, he ascended the thrown when Iyasada's half-brother Emperor Kazan (花山天皇) retired to become a Buddist monk.  Ichijō resigned the throne after a reign of 25 years, and Iyasada became emperor with the name Sanjō.  During his sixth year as emperor, Sanjō abdicated to become a Buddist monk and was succeeded by his cousin Emperor Go-Ichijō (後一条天皇).  None of Sanjō's sons ever became emperor, although his daughter Princess Teishi was the wife and mother of future emperors.

1296 - Edmund, 1st Earl of Leicester and Lancaster, aged 51.  Edmund was born January 16, 1245 as the second surviving son of King Henry III of England and Eleanor of Provence.  When he was 8, he was named King of Sicily and Apuila by the Pope, but it was an empty title as there was already a King of Siciliy living.  The Earldom of Chester, which he received around the same time, was later transferred to his older brother Edward (the future Edward I).  After the defeat of Simon de Montfort in 1265, Edmund received the forfeited Earldom of Leicester and also received the Earldom of Lancaster two years later.  By his second wife, Blanche of Artois, he was the father of Thomas, 2nd Earl of Lancaster, who was executed after rebelling against King Edward II and his favorite Hugh le Despencer the younger.

1316 - Louis X of France, aged 26.  He was born October 4, 1289 as the oldest son of Philip IV of France and Joan I of Navarre.  He was the brother of Isabella, Queen of England as the wife of Edward II.  Louis' first wife, Margaret of Burgundy, was accused of adultery in 1314 in the Tour de Nesle affair, which was apparently instigated by Louis' sister Isabella.  Margaret was convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment.  Louis received an annulment and subsequently married Clementia of Hungary five days after Margaret's mysterious death in captivity.  In the midst of all the personal upheaval, Louis became King of France on the death of his father in 1314.  Louis was a devoted tennis player and supposedly died after drinking a large quantity of cooled wine after a particularly exhausting game.  Pneumonia, pleurisy and poison have all been suggested as the cause of death.  Louis is the first tennis player known by name due to the circumstances of his death.  His wife was pregnant at his death, so France was ruled by Louis' brother as regent until the child was born and gender was determined - France was ruled by Salic Law, which would have barred the unborn child from the throne if female and also barred Louis' daughter by his first wife (although her paternity was doubted because of her mother's affair).  Queen Clementia eventually gave birth to a boy who would become Jean I of France.  Jean was the shortest-reigning King of France, living only five days after his birth.  Despite the questions of her paternity, Louis' daughter Joan did succeed as Queen of Navarre, which Louis had inherited from his mother and which was not governed by Salic Law.

1383 - Dmitri Konstantinovich of Suzdal (Дми́трий Константи́нович Су́здальский), Grand Duke of Vladimir, aged approximately 59.  Dmitri was born in 1324 and was the senior descendant of Grand Duke Vsevolod III (he was his great-great-great-great grandson).  He was Prince of Suzdal, which he inherited in 1359.  The following year, he was installed as Grand Duke of Vladimir by the Khan of the Golden Horde.  Three years later, he was deposed by Prince Dmitri I of Moscow, with whom he made peace by marrying Dmitri of Moscow to his daughter Eudoxia.  By his daughter, Dmitri was the ancestor of the later Grand Princes of Moscow and Tsars of Russia from the Rurik Dynasty.  He was allied with his son-in-law Dmitri until 1382, when he defected to the Khan of the Blue Horde in its assault against Moscow.  He died in unknown circumstances the following year.

1819 - King Bodawpaya of Burma, aged 74.  He was born the son of King Alaungpaya and chief Queen Me Yun San on March 11, 1745.  He seized the throne in 1782, deposing King Phaungkaza Maung Maung, son of his oldest brother, having the deposed King and his chief Queen executed by drowning.  After a reign of 37 years, he died and was succeeded by his grandson Bagyidaw, who had become Crown Prince after the death of his after Thado Minsaw in 1808.  Bodawpaya had 208 queens, who provided him with 62 sons and 58 daughters.  All the future Kings of Burma descended from Thado Minsaw, and therefor Bodawpaya.

June 2nd

Events -

455 - The 2nd sack of Rome.  A prior peace treaty between Rome and the Vandals included the engagement of Huneric, son of the Vandal King Genseric, and Eudocia, daughter of Roman Emperor Valentinian IIIthe Vandal King Genseric.  Valentinian III was killed in 455 and the throne usurped by Petronius Maximus, who married Valentinian's widow and had his son Palladius married to Eudocia.  The Vandals used the broken betrothal of Huneric and Eudocia as an excuse to proclaim the treaty invalid and set sail for Rome.  According to a chronicler of the time, Genseric reached an agreement with Pope Leo I not to destroy the city or murder its citizens, so the city gates were opened to him upon his arrival.  Rather than fight Genseric, Petronius tried to flee the city, but was killed by a Roman mob.  Palladius was believed killed around the same time, which allowed the marriage of Huneric and Eudocia to go forth as originally planned.

1946 - Italy held a constitutional referendum to determine whether the country should continue under a monarchy or whether the head of state should be elected by popular vote.  The monarchy had been damaged by King Victor Emmanuel III association with the Fascist government of Mussolini.  Not even the King's abdication in favor of his son Umberto II would prevent the ouster of the monarchy.  With an 89.1% turnout, Italians voted for a republic by 54.3% over 45.7%.  The new constitution which was later adopted forever banned the male descendants of the Savoy family from entering Italy, a provision which was finally overturned in October 2002.

1953 - Queen Elizabeth II is crowned queen of the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Her Other Realms and Territories and head of the Commonwealth.  Elizabeth had ascended to the throne on the death of her father over a year earlier, on February 6, 1952.  The coronation was the first major international event to be televised.  60 years later, the Queen is still on the British throne, about to celebrate her Diamond Jubilee.

Born on this Date -

1838 - Alexandra Frederika Wilhelmina of Oldenburg, daughter of  Duke Peter Georgievich of Oldenburg and  Princess Therese of Nassau-Weilburg.  She married Grand Duke Nicholas Nicholaevich of Russia, the third son of Tsar Nicholas I of Russia.  Among her children was Grand Duke Nicholas Nicholaevich, known as Nicholasha within the Romanov family, and Commander of the Russian army during the first part of World War I.  After time, the marriage disintigrated and Alexandra retired first to Kiev and later to a convent, refusing to grant her husband a divorce so he could marry his mistress.  Although Grand Duke Nicholas had hopes of outliving his wife, the ill Alexandra managed to outlive both her husband and his mistress.  Alexandra died of stomach cancer at the Kievo Pechersky Monastery on April 25, 1900.

1940 - King Constantine II of Greece (Κωνσταντῖνος Βʹ, Τέως Βασιλεὺς τῶν Ἑλλήνων), the last reigning King of Greece before the monarchy was abolished for the final time in 1973. He became King of Greece on March 6, 1964 with the death of his father.  Just three years later, he was forced to flee the country in December 1967 after a failed counter-coup against the military, which had seized power in April 1967.  He remained king until June 1, 1973, when the military abolished the monarchy.  Although not permanently banished from Greece, he has been discouraged against returning, and has returned for brief visits periodically.  However, in 1994, his Greek citizenship and passport were stripped from him until he adopts a surname, which he has refused to do.  When he does travel to Greece, he does so on a Danish diplomatic passport, which he is entitled to as a descendant of King Christian IX of Denmark.

Died on this Date - 

910 - Richilde of Provence, born about 845 as the daughter of Bivin, count of the Ardennes.  She married Charles the Bald, King of the Franks, in 870, after the death of Charles' first wife.  She served as regent when her husband was away at war, and after the death of Charles' successor, Louis the Stammerer, whose sons were too young to rule.  She was forced out after the nobility refused to recognize her authority, although she attempted two additional times to rule, after the deaths of Louis' sons in 882 and 884.  After the latter attempt, she was forced to return to Provence, where she died at the age of c.65.

1418 - Catherine of Lancaster, born on March 31, 1373, the daughter of John of Gaunt (son of Edward III of England) and Constance of Castile (daughter of King Pedro of Castile).  Catherine's parents attempted to press Constance's right to the throne of Castile.  Constance was eventually persuaded to renounce her claims to the throne in exchange for the marriage of her daughter Catherine to the future Enrique III of Castile.  Catherine and Enrique were married before September 17, 1388.  She became a joint-regent for her son, Juan II, who was a year and a half old at his father's death.  She eventually relinquished the regency due to ill-health, and died of a stroke at the age of 45, when her son was 13.

1567 - Seán Ó Néill, King of Tír Eógain in Ireland.  He was born around 1530 as the son of King Conn Bacach O'Neill and Alice FitzGerald.  He was murdered, about age 37, by the MacDonnell family after the battle of Farsetmore as he attempted to flee.