On this Day in German Royal/Imperial History


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1482- Birth of Frederick II The wise, Elector Palatine.

Frederick II had quite the interesting love life. Frederick was a figure at the Hapsburg court. In 1514 Christian II came looking for a wife. Eleanor of Castille was sought, but as the eldest child, she was thought too valuable as she or her kids may see the throne. Instead her younger sister Isabella was chosen by their grandfather, and became queen of Denmark. In 1517 Frederick was caught having a love affair with Eleanor. He was exiled by her furious brother Charles V. A year later Eleanor married Manuel I of Portugal, and later Frances I of France. Frederick would remain single for 18 years before he married Dorothea of Denmark who just happened to be Eleanor's niece. He and Dorothea had no children.


Frederick was his father's fourth son. He only became Elector on the death of his eldest brother Louis in 1544. Louis and his wife Sibylla of Bavaria had no children. The next brother Philip never married and died in 1541. The third brother Ruprecht had died in 1504, but he had two living sons. Frederick served as guardian to his nephews Otto Henry and Philip. Since he died childless, he was succeeded by his nephew Otto Henry.


1117- death of Getrude of Brunswick. She was the daughter of Margrave Egbert I of Meissen. She was married three times, Countess of Katlenberg by her first husband and Margravine of Frisia by her first two husbands. She served as regent for her sons by both husbands, till they came of age.


Gertrude's father was succeeded by her brother Egbert II. Egbert though quarrelled with Henry IV and his position as Margrave of Meissen was stripped and given to Henry the Elder. His remaining lands though had gone to Gertrude and her second husband. In 1102 Henry married the widowed Gertrude to cement his rule as Margrave. He was succeeded by his son Henry II who was born posthumously. Henry II would die childless.


Gertrude had a daughter Richenza (who inherited the lands of her half brother Henry though not the titles) by her second husband. Richenza married Lothar III, Holy Roman emperor.


1437- death of Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor. Sigismund was known as the founder of the Order of the Dragon which was founded to fight the Turks. His first wife Mary was Queen of Hungary in her own right. Her sister tried to claim the throne when Mary died, but Sigismund remained king. He later married Barbara of Cilli and had one child, Elizabeth. Elizabeth's husband Albert V, Archduke of Austria would succeed his father in law as king of Hungary, Germany and Bohemia.
 
On this day, December 10, 1756 - Birth of Frederick Francis I, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
 
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On this day, December 19, 1756 - Birth of Frederick Francis I, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
His grandchildren included Helene of Mecklenburg-Schwerin the wife of Ferdinand Duke of Orleans (son and heir of King Louis Philippe of France) and Louise of Saxe-Gotha the mother of Prince Albert (husband of Queen Victoria).
 
December 10

1776- birth of Archduchess Maria Leopoldine of Austria-Este. She was Electress of Bavaria by marriage to Charles Theodore, Elector of Bavaria (his 2nd wife). Her father was Archduke Ferdinand, the 2nd youngest son of Empress Maria Theresa, and founder of the house of Hapsburg-Este. She married Charles in 1795 at 18, he was 70 years old. Charles had been married for 52 years to his first wife Elizabeth but their only child had died shortly after birth. Charles died 4 years later.

After having a natural son (father's identity and the fate of the baby was never known), she married Count Ludwig von Arco. Her husband preferred to live in Munich, while Maria remained on her own estates. They had 2 sons and a daughter together. She died when her carriage was crashed into by a salt wagon and she was trapped for hours under the wreck.
 
Maria Leopoldine and Count Ludwig are the ancestors of Countess Olympia von und zu Arco-Zinneberg the wife of Jean Christophe Prince Napoleon.
 
Maria Leopoldine and Count Ludwig are the ancestors of Countess Olympia von und zu Arco-Zinneberg the wife of Jean Christophe Prince Napoleon.

Indeed, and twice over.

Her father Riprand is descended from the couple by both his parents.

The couple's second son Maximilian married Countess Leopoldine von Waldburg zu Zeil und Trauchburg. They had 13 children.

-their son Ludwig is Riprand's paternal great-grandfather
-their daughter Christiane was his maternal great-grandmother
 
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On this day, December 11, 1752 - Demise of Adolf Frederick, Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
 
On this day, December 11, 1752 - Demise of Adolf Frederick, Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
Uncle of Queen Charlotte wife of George III. Her brother another Adolf Frederick succeeded him as Duke.
 
On this day, December 12, 1785 - Demise of Charlotte of Hesse-Darmstadt, second wife of the future Grand Duke Carl II of Mecklenburg-Strelitz

On this day, December 12, 1801 - Birth of King Johann of Saxony in Dresden

On this day, December 14, 1873 - Demise of Elisabeth Ludovika of Bavaria, Queen Consort of King Frederick William IV of Prussia
 
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1878- the death of Princess Alice of the UK, Grand Duchess of Hesse and by Rhine. She was the 3rd child of Victoria and Albert, and died on the 17th anniversary of the passing of her father.

Her father died just over six months before her wedding to Louis of Hesse. Her mother ordered the wedding to take place even while in mourning. Alice was given away by Albert's brother Ernst. The couple were married in private at Osborne house due to the mourning, and her mother was hidden from site by her sons but attended.

Among her children was Empress Alexandra of Russia, wife of Nicholas II.
 
On this day, December 15, 1667 - Birth of Ernest Ludwig, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt

On this day, December 15, 1719 - Birth of Ludwig IX, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt
 
December 16:

1751- death of Leopold II, Prince of Anhalt-Dessau. He was one of the top generals under Frederick the Great. Leopold was a second son and was not expected to succeed his father, so he served in the Prussian army.

William Gustav, his elder brother, died in 1737 (10 years before their father). He revealed to his father Leopold I, shortly before he died from small pox, that he was married and had 9 children. He entrusted the care of his kids to his dad. His wife Joanna was a commoner so their marriage was not recognized and their children had no succession rights.

Leopold II did look out for his nieces and nephews. He got the Emperor to grant them the title Count/Countess of Anhalt. He also saw to his sister in law having a proper home.
 
On this day, December 17, 1800 - Birth of Bernhard II, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen
 
1554- birth of Ernest of Bavaria, prince-elector-archbishop of Cologne. He was the third son of Albert V of Bavaria and Anna of Austria (a granddaughter of Joanna the Mad). He was destined from birth for a life in cleric work. He was named Archbishop of cologne in 1583, when the current archbishop converted to Protestantism. On his 29th birthday, backed by Bavarian and Spanish troops, he led the siege of Godesberg, which drove Archbishop Gebhard of Truchsess Waldburg (the former bishop). So this day in 1583 is also a day.

On his death in 1612 he was succeeded by his nephew Ferdinand. Ferdinand was the son of William V, Duke of Bavaria and Renata of Lorraine. William V was Albert V's eldest son to reach adulthood (his elder brother died in less then a year of life). Ernest was the youngest of the seven children (though two brothers died in infancy). Ferdinand himself was the sixth of 10 children of his parents. Ferdinand had been running many of his Uncle's lands for several years prior to his death, as his Uncle retired from many of his duties, and was elected to officially succeed him when he died.


1890- birth of Prince Joachim of Prussia. He was the sixth son of Emperor Wilhelm II. Joachim is the paternal great-grandfather of Grand Duke Georgi, one of the Romanoff claimants. Joachim and his wife Marie-Auguste of Anhalt only had one child Prince Karl Franz of Prussia. Karl married Princess Henriette of Schönaich-Carolath. Henriette was Joachim's stepsister. When Henriette was 4, 2 years following the death of her father, her 35 year old mother married the 63 year old former Emperor. Karl and Henriette were married only for 6 years but they had three children (he would marry twice after, having 2 children with his third wife). Karl's eldest son Franz Wilhelm married Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna of Russia, and fathered GD Georgie.

Joachim suffered serious depression following his father's loss of his throne, and Joachim eventually committed suicide. He was divorced shortly before.
 
On this day, December 20, 1784 - Birth of George Wilhelm, Prince of Schaumburg-Lippe

On this day, December 21, 1800 - Birth of Louise of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg, the spouse of Duke Ernest I of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha :advent::advent:

On this day, December 23, 1750 - Birth of Frederick Augustus I, King of Saxony

On this day, December 24, 1803 - Demise of George I, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen

On this day, December 26, 1777 - Birth of Grand Duke Ludwig II of Hesse and by Rhine :stocking::stocking::stocking::stocking:

On this day, December 27, 1755 - Birth of King Anton (Anthony) of Saxony in Dresden

On this day, December 29, 1820 - Demise of Pauline of Anhalt-Bernburg, the wife of Prince Leopold I of Lippe

On this day, December 30, 1880 - Demise of Marie of Hesse-Kassel, the wife of Grand Duke George of Mecklenburg-Strelitz

On this day, December 30, 1949 - Demise of Leopold IV, Prince of Lippe in Detmold

On this day, December 31, 1885 - Birth of Victoria Adelaide of Schleswig-Holstein. She was the spouse of Duke Charles Edward of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.
 
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On this day, January 1, 1728 - Demise of Friedrich Anton Ulrich, Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont

On this day, January 2, 1784 - Birth of Ernest I, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha

On this day, January 2, 1861 - Demise of King Frederick William IV of Prussia
http://www.gettyimages.com/license/534267814

On this day, January 3, 1724 - Birth of Sophia Antonia of Brunswick-Wolfenbuttel, the spouse of Duke Ernest Friedrich of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld

On this day, January 3, 1754 - Birth of Wilhelm, Grand Duke of Oldenburg

On this day, January 5, 1901 - Demise of Karl Alexander, Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach

On this day, January 6, 1858 - Birth of Luise of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glucksburg, the wife of Prince Georg Viktor of Waldeck and Pyrmont

On this day, January 7, 1582 - Birth of Magdalena of Brandenburg, the spouse of Landgrave Ludwig V of Hesse-Darmstadt

On this day, January 7, 1845 - Birth of Ludwig III, King of Bavaria

On this day, January 9, 1819 - Demise of Queen Catherina of Wurttemberg, the spouse of King Wilhelm I of Wurttemberg

On this day, January 9, 1907 - Demise of Marie of Saxe-Altenburg, Queen Consort of King George V of Hanover

On this day, January 10, 1840 - Demise of Princess Elizabeth of the United Kingdom, the spouse of Landgrave Friedrich VI of Hesse-Homburg

On this day, January 11, 1901 - Birth of Joachim Ernst (Ernest), Duke of Anhalt :anhaltflag::anhaltflag::anhaltflag:
 
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On this day, January 13, 1797 - Demise of Elizabeth Christine of Brunswick-Bevern, Queen Consort of King Frederick II of Prussia

On this day, January 13, 1905 - Demise of Alexander, Prince of Lippe

On this day, January 14, 1767 - Birth of Maria Theresia of Austria, Queen Consort of King Anton of Saxony

On this day, January 16, 1831 - Birth of Alexander, Prince of Lippe in Detmold, Principality of Lippe

On this day, January 16, 1928 - Demise of Bernhard III, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen

On this day, January 17, 1755 - Birth of Peter I, Grand Duke of Oldenburg

On this day, January 17, 1905 - Demise of Caroline Reuss of Greiz, Grand Duchess of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, the first wife of Grand Duke Wilhelm Ernst
 
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On this day, January 19, 1757 - Birth of Augusta Reuss of Ebersdorf, Duchess Consort of Franz Frederick, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld

On this day, January 21, 1705 - Demise of Sophia Charlotte of Hanover, Queen Consort of King Frederick I of Prussia

On this day, January 22, 1674 - Birth of Dorothea Maria of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg, the first wife of Ernst Ludwig I, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen

On this day, January 24, 1712 - Birth of Frederick II, King of Prussia

On this day, January 24, 1904 - Demise of Friedrich, Duke of Anhalt

On this day, January 27, 1763 - Demise of Anton Ulrich, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen

On this day, January 27, 1836 - Demise of Wilhelmine of Baden, the wife of Grand Duke Ludwig II of Hesse and by Rhine

On this day, January 27, 1859 - Birth of Wilhelm II, Emperor of Germany
 
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On this day, January 29, 1844 - Demise of Ernest I, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha

On this day, January 29, 1887 - Birth of Prince August Wilhelm of Prussia

On this day, January 30, 1757 - Birth of Luise of Hesse-Darmstadt, wife of Karl August, Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach

On this day, February 2, 1783 - Birth of Karl Friedrich, Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach

On this day, February 4, 1761 - Birth of Georg I, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen

On this day, February 8, 1792 - Birth of Caroline Augusta of Bavaria, the fourth wife of Emperor Francis I of Austria

On this day, February 8, 1857 - Birth of Elisabeth Anna of Prussia, Hereditary Grand Duchess of Oldenburg. She was the first wife of Grand Duke Friedrich August II of Oldenburg.
 
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On this day, February 9, 1763 - Birth of Ludwig I, Grand Duke of Baden

On this day, February 9, 1873 - Demise of Caroline Augusta of Bavaria, Empress of Austria, the fourth wife of Emperor Francis I of Austria

On this day, February 12, 1768 - Birth of Francis I, the last Holy Roman Emperor, first Emperor of Austria

On this day, February 13, 1457 - Birth of Mary, Duchess of Burgundy, the wife of Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I

On this day, February 15, 1761 - Birth of Luise of Hesse-Darmstadt, the wife of Grand Duke Ludwig I of Hesse and by Rhine

On this day, February 17, 1729 - Demise of Johann Ernst IV, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld
 
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On this day, February 13, 1457 - Birth of Mary, Duchess of Burgundy, the wife of Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I

Marie was the daughter of Charles the Bold, Count of Charolais (later Duke of Burgundy) and Isabelle de Bourbon.Through her mother she was related to the French Royal Family as Isabelle was the daughter of daughter of Charles I of Bourbon ,Duke of Bourbon a French Prince of the blood.

Isabelle de Bourbon

Edle_Dame1.jpg

 
On this day, February 23, 1769 - Birth of Pauline of Anhalt-Bernburg, Princess of Lippe, the wife of Prince Leopold I of Lippe

On this day, February 23, 1803 - Birth of Alexandrine of Prussia, the wife of Grand Duke Paul Friedrich of Mecklenburg-Schwerin

On this day, February 25, 1713 - Demise of King Frederick I of Prussia

On this day, February 28, 1823 - Birth of Frederick Francis II, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin

On this day, February 29, 1868 - Demise of King Ludwig I of Bavaria in Nice, France
 
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Also on this day February 29,1460 : Death of Albert III, Duke of Bavaria in Munich he was buried at Andechs Abbey in Bavaria.

Albrecht_III_von_Bayern_lehnt_K%C3%B6nigskrone_ab.jpg

 
On this day, March 6, 1823 - Birth of King Karl I of Wurttemberg

On this day, March 6, 1954 - Demise of Charles Edward, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
 
On this day, March 9, 1797 - The wedding of King Maximilian I Joseph of Bavaria and Caroline of Baden

On this day, March 9, 1888 - Demise of Wilhelm I, King of Prussia and Emperor of Germany
 
On this day, March 10, 1746 - Demise of Friedrich Wilhelm, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen

On this day, March 10, 1776 - Birth of Louise of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, Queen Consort of King Frederick William III of Prussia
 
On this day, March 13, 1741 - Birth of Holy Roman Emperor Joseph II
 
March 14 1989 death of Empress Zita at the age of 96. She unfortunately caught pneumonia while visiting her daughter the previous fall, and had been bed ridden for months. She informed Otto of her illness weeks before her death and her son and remaining family flew to her side. Members remained with her throughout her last days of illness. The family was given permission to bury her in Austria and her funeral in Vienna and be buried in the Imperial crypt, as long as they paid the expenses. 200 members of the Hapsburg and Bourbon-Parma families attended the funeral, and 6000 others including heads of state and emissaries from others like the Pope. Her heart though was removed and buried with her husband in Switzerland.

https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x34enpd

Zita was born in Luca, Italy. She was the daughter of Robert I, Duke of Parma and his second wife Maria Antonia of Portugal. She was the 5th of his 12 children with Maria Antonia. Her father had 12 children with his first wife Maria Pia. Her full siblings included Xavier (father of Prince Carl Hugo, husband of Princess Irene of the Netherlands) and Felix (married GD Charlotte of Luxembourg). Her half siblings included Marie Louise who was the mother of Boris III Tsar of Bulgaria (died before her husband became Tsar).

Zita was the niece of Archduchess Maria Theresa of Austria. Maria Theresa and Zita's mothers were sisters. Maria Theresa was the third wife of Archduke Karl Ludwig of Austria. Karl was the younger brother of Franz Joseph of Austria. By his second wife Karl was the father of Franz Ferdinand, and Otto among others. When Karl died in 1896, his son Franz Ferdinand became heir to the throne but of course he was assassinated. Franz had married morgantically so his children were not in line for the throne. Maria Theresa's stepson Otto died in 1906 leaving two sons Carl and Maximilian. There was pressure on Otto's two sons to marry royal women, so their sons would be in line for the throne.

Otto and Zita were introduced through her Aunt as kids and met over the years. They were married in Schwarzau castle in October 1911. The 81 year old emperor attended the wedding, and so happy that his great-nephew had made an appropriate marriage, even made a toast. Their first son was born a year later. Following the death of Franz Ferdinand in 1914, Carl was heir.

WWI was hard on Zita. Her brothers were fighting on different sides of the war. Felix and Renee joined the Austrian army, Sixtus and Xavier joined the Belgian army on the other side. Zita and her children moved into the emperor's palace while her husband served in the army. She became quite close to the aging emperor who died in 1916.

Her and her husband were crowned in 1916 but due to the war they thought it not fitting to have a large celebration for it. The couple remained in close contact during the war. The empire ended in 1918, and the couple and their children were moved to their hunting lodge.

Fortunately help came in the form of her brother Sixtus. Sixtus appealed to George V to help his sister and brother in law. George V had seen what had happened to his relatives in Russia and had stepped in to help. The British helped the couple and their family escape to Switzerland by train without abdicating their throne. They eventually ended up in exile on the Portugese island of Madeira. Charles unfortunately died of Bronchitis. Many of the children were sick and Zita who was pregnant nursed them. Zita was a widow for 67 years and never stopped wearing black. Her husband was buried on Madeira, but his heart was placed at the Muri abbey in Switzerland. There were attempts to move him later to the royal crypt.

Zita resided in Spain and eventually moved to Belgium where her children could attend university. During WWII they fled to Canada where they lived in Quebec, as her younger kids spoke French and could easily settle. Her sons were involved in the war effort, two of them had served in the US army.

She eventually moved back in 1952 and stayed with her mother who she helped nurse until her death in 1959. Zita spent her remaining years in Switzerland before her death.

Zita is being considered for sainthood. She is a 'servant of god', the first stage of being canonized. Her husband was also set forward for consideration for sainthood. Its a four stage process. Zita is in stage 1, her husband is in stage three, and is Blessed Charles.

The couple had 8 children, one born after Charles had died. Sadly Zita out lived one child, and a second died four months after her.


-CP Otto married Regina of Sax-Meningen. They have 7 children. Karl, the current head of the Hapsburg family is their son. He died in 2011.
-Adelheid died in 1971, unmarried
-Robert married Margerita of Savoy-Aosta They had five children. Archduke Lorenz (husband of Astrid of Belgium) was his eldest son. His granddaughter Olympia is married to Jean Christophe Napoleon. And his son Martin is married to the sister of Sophie, Princess of Prussia. Robert died in 1996.
-Felix died in 2011 in Mexico. He was married to Princess & Duchess Anna-Eugénie of Arenberg. They had 7 kids
-Karl Ludwig died in 2007. He was married to Yolanda of Ligne, the Aunt of the current Prince of Ligne, Michael. They had four children. Archduke Carl Christian, the husband of Marie Astrid of Luxembourg (sister of Henri) is his second son and third child.
-Rudolph died in 2010. He married Countess Xenia Czernichev-Besobrasov. They had 4 children. Archduke Simeon, husband of Maria of Bourbon-two Sicilies is one of their children. After Xenia died in a car accident, he married Princess Anna Gabriele von Wrede and had a 5th child.
-Charlotte died four months after her mother. She was married to George, Duke of Mecklenburg. Unfortunately her husband died 7 years after they married. They had no children together. She did have four stepchildren from her husband's first marriage. Her husband was 22 years her senior, and his children grown when they married. She was actually the same age as her eldest stepson, Georg Alexander (less then 6 months older). Her husband married his first wife the year before she was born.
-Elisabeth died in 1993. She was married to Prince Heinrich of Liechtenstein. Heinrich's grandfather Alfred was first cousins and brother in law of Franz I of Lichtenstein. Alfred married Franz's sister Henrietta. They had five kids, including Prince Vincenz.


As of today Zita had (may be off on great-great, these are numbers I find)
-33 grandchildren
-110 great-grandchildren
-35 great-great grandchildren


She was the last of the children of her father to die. Her last sibling Henrietta had died in 1987.
 
On this day, March 17, 1605 - Birth of George II, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt
 
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