The big Royal birthday

Prince Daniel's fortieth birthday might have been overshadowed just a little bit by dad in law having his jubilee on the same day (certainly put the end to any plans for a bevvy session the night before, what with having to be up early the next day for all kinds of events) but he's juts one of a seemingly endless number of royals who were born on September 15th.  Consort-wise it's him and Letizia but the man who was a spare to the heir until just a few months ago is also blowing out candles today.  Prince Harry turns 29 and let's hope that new dad William remembered to buy a 'Happy Birthday, Uncle' card amongst all his retiring from the army, starting up conservation projects, going to weddings and making speeches of the last few days.

 

Prince Henry of Wales has one year left until that milestone birthday of 30 - and just twelve months before everyone starts telling him he's old enough now and he really should start settling down

 

But the three current royals with birthdays today are merely following in very regal footsteps today.  Long before the helium balloons with crowns were put out for this trio, there were plenty of royals claiming September 15th as their special day.  First of all, there's that is she, isn't she queen (sort of) of England, Sophia Dorothea of Celle.  The wife of George I was just sixteen on their wedding day and most likely never had a truly happy birthday after that.  In fact, most of her birthdays were spent as a prisoner, albeit a very well looked after one as hubby locked her in a tower when he found out she'd had an affair and left her there while he went off to be King of England. 

 

 

Sophia Dorothea of Celle was married to a king of England but was never its queen consort

 

She was only slightly less happy than a queen of Poland born on September 15th 1533.  Queen Catherine started off as Kate of Austria, daughter of the Holy Roman Emperor, Ferdinand I.  Her first husband died just four months after their marriage and she went on to wed King Sigismund II Augustus of Poland who just happened to have been married to her sister, Elizabeth, until her death in 1545.  The couple weren't happy together and he, like George I, called a halt to proceedings although Catherine was allowed to go off and live in Austria again rather than being cooped up in a tower.

 

 

Catherine of Austria, born on this day in 1533, lost her first husband after four months of marriage and ended up splitting from hubby number two who decided marrying his sister in law had been a bad move

 

Then we have Umberto II, the last king of Italy.  He ruled for just over a month in 1946 in a last attempt to win support for the monarchy.  He was the only son of Victor Emmanuel III and when World War Two ended and a referendum was held on the future of the crown, Umberto ended up wearing it in the hope that it might gain more support for the monarchy.  When the people voted against a royal head of state, he went into exile in Portugal.

 

 

The last king of Italy, Umberto II, was born on September 15th 1904 in Piedmont

 

And at the very end is perhaps the saddest story of all.  Prince Sigismund of Prussia was born on September 15th 1864 in Potsdam, the fourth child of Queen Victoria's eldest daughter, Princess Vicky, and her husband, Frederick William who at that time was still Crown Prince of Prussia.  Little Sigismund died less than two months later of meningitis.  He was the first of Queen Victoria's grandchildren to die.  The last, Alice of Athlone, died 115 years later.

 

 

Prince Sigismund of Prussia died in 1866 at the age of 21 months