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King Ferdinand VI of Spain; Credit – Wikipedia
August 10, 1250 – Murder of King Eric IV of Denmark
Eric IV, King of Denmark, co-reigned with his father from 1232 to 1241, and then reigned solo from 1241 to 1250. His solo reign was marked by conflicts with his brothers, especially with his next-oldest brother Abel, who was Duke of Schleswig. Abel demanded independence for his duchy, leading to seemingly never-ending conflicts over many years. Through the mediation of their sister Sophia, a treaty was concluded between Eric and Abel in 1247. However, the treaty lasted only three years. In 1250, Eric conquered most of Abel’s duchy, and the two brothers met at Abel’s home in Schleswig to make a settlement on August 10, 1250. During the visit, Eric was beheaded by Lave Gudmundsen, a knight and one of Abel’s trusted courtiers, who then sank Eric’s body in the Schlei, an inlet in south Schleswig at the western end of the Baltic Sea.
Unofficial Royalty: Eric IV, King of Denmark
August 10, 1520 – Birth of Madeleine of Valois, Queen of Scots, daughter of King François I of France and first wife of James V, King of Scots, at the Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye in Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France
After the Battle of Flodden in 1514, when James IV, King of Scots was defeated and died in the battle leading an invading army into England, Scotland wanted to strengthen their alliance with France. The Treaty of Rouen was signed in 1517, and one of the provisions was for James V, King of Scots to marry a French princess. When James V reached a marriageable age, talks began regarding a marriage with Madeleine. However, Madeleine had tuberculosis, and her ill health was an issue. Another French bride, Mary of Bourbon, was offered as a substitute. When James V came to France to meet Mary of Bourbon, he met Madeleine and decided to marry her. Because of his daughter’s health issues, King François I of France was reluctant to agree to the marriage, but eventually, he did so. Madeleine and King James V of Scotland were married on January 1, 1537, at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. The couple arrived in Scotland on May 19, 1537, after months of celebrations in France. However, Madeleine’s health had further deteriorated. Madeleine wrote a letter to her father on June 8, 1537, saying that she was feeling better and that her symptoms had subsided. Despite this, on July 7, 1537, Madeleine died from tuberculosis in her husband’s arms, a month short of her seventeenth birthday.
Unofficial Royalty: Madeleine of Valois, Queen of Scots
August 10, 1759 – Death of King Fernando VI of Spain at the Castle of Villaviciosa de Odón in Madrid, Spain; buried at Salesas Reales Church in Madrid, Spain
In 1729, Fernando married Barbara of Portugal, daughter of João V, King of Portugal. The couple had no children. Fernando succeeded his father, Felipe V, King of Spain, in 1746, and reigned for thirteen years. His wife Barbara died in 1758, and her death broke Fernando’s heart. During the last year of his reign, probably at least partially caused by his wife’s death, Fernando VI rapidly lost his mental capacity and was held at the Castle of Villaviciosa de Odón, near Madrid, where he died less than a year after Barbara’s death, on August 10, 1759, at the age of 45.
Unofficial Royalty: King Fernando VI of Spain
August 10, 1869 – Birth of Elisabeth Alexandrine of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, Grand Duchess of Oldenburg, second wife of Friedrich August II, Grand Duke of Oldenburg, in Schwerin, Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, now in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany
Elisabeth Alexandrine married Friedrich August II, the last Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. She was the sister of Prince Heinrich of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, the husband of Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands. After her husband was forced to abdicate on November 11, 1918, when the German Empire fell, the couple took up residence at Rastede Castle in Rastede near Oldenburg, Germany. Elisabeth Alexandrine remained close to her large family, often spending time with her brother Heinrich in the Netherlands.
Unofficial Royalty: Elisabeth Alexandrine of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, Grand Duchess of Oldenburg
August 10, 1876 – Death of Charles Elmé Francatelli, maitre d’hôtel and chief cook in ordinary to Queen Victoria from 1840 – 1842, in Eastbourne, England
Charles Francatelli’s story in the TV series Victoria is mostly fictional. For two years only, from March 9, 1840 to March 31, 1842, Francatelli served as maitre d’hôtel and chief cook in ordinary to Queen Victoria. For some reason, he was dismissed, perhaps because Queen Victoria did not like his French cuisine. Francatelli did have one more royal client. From 1863 to 1865, he served as chef de cuisine to the Prince and Princess of Wales (the future King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra) at their London home, Marlborough House. He did marry (but not to Queen Victoria’s dresser, Marianne Skerrett, as depicted in the television series Victoria) and have children.
Unofficial Royalty: Charles Elmé Francatelli
August 10, 1888 – Birth of Prince Christopher of Greece and Denmark, son of King George I of Greece, in Pavlovsk, near St. Petersburg, Russia
Christopher was the only one of his parents’ eight children not born in Greece. The pregnancy of his mother, born Grand Duchess Olga Konstantinovna of Russia, was a surprise, as his eldest sibling was 20 years old at the time of Christopher’s birth. Christopher was offered the thrones of Lithuania, Albania, and Portugal, all of which he refused. Christopher believed a throne should be accepted only when the prospective ruler was seriously dedicated to leading a country. Christopher did not consider himself to be sufficiently up to the challenge.
Unofficial Royalty: Prince Christopher of Greece and Denmark
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