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British RoyalsHistoryHistory

August’s most memorable royal moments

It might be the height of summer but August has plenty of royal history within its 31 days. From birthdays to wedding anniversaries to coronations, here are some of the most famous royal August anniversaries.

August 4, 1981

On this day in 1981 Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex was born in Los Angeles, California to Doria Ragland and Thomas Markle.

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Meghan joined the British Royal Family when she married Prince Harry on May 19, 2018 at St. George’s Chapel, Windsor. The couple welcomed their first child, Master Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor on May 6 2019, he is seventh in line to the throne. The family officially stepped down as senior royals in January 2020 and now live in Los Angeles.

August 4, 1900

On this day in 1900, Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother was born in either Hitchin or London. The mother of Queen Elizabeth II and Princess Margaret was married to King George VI and became Queen Consort in 1936. The former Queen was 101 when she died, making her the second longest-lived royal, just behind Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester who was 102 when she passed away. The Queen is buried at St. George’s Chapel, Windsor along with her husband and younger daughter.

August 5, 1901

The eldest daughter and first child of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert died on this day in 1901. Princess Victoria, The Princess Royal had married the German Emperor Frederick III and had eight children, one of whom was Wilhelm II, also German Emperor. The Princess died only a few months after her mother.

August 6, 1844

On this day in 1844, Prince Alfred, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha was born at Windsor Castle, Berkshire. He was the second son and fourth child of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. The Prince had five children with his wife Grand Duchess Maria of Russia. He died in Germany in 1900.

August 8, 1988

On this day in 1988, Princess Beatrice was born at the Portland Hospital, London, to the Duke and Duchess of York. The royal attended Goldsmith’s University, London and holds a degree in history. Beatrice does undertake some minor royal duties as a patron to non-profit organisations appears at key royal events, such as garden parties and Trooping the Colour. The Princess married her fiancée, Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, at the Royal Chapel of All Saints in Windsor in July 2020.

August 9, 1902

On this day in 1902, the coronation of King Edward VII took place.

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He had become king on January 22, 1901 when his mother, Queen Victoria, died at Osborne on the Isle of Wight. Edward’s coronation occurred at Westminster Abbey, London. He went on to reign until his death in 1910, where he was succeeded by his second son King George V.

August 12, 1872

On this day in 1872, Princess Marie, the daughter of Princess Helena of the United Kingdom, was born at Cumberland Lodge on the Windsor Estate in Berkshire. The Princess was a granddaughter of Queen Victoria. She went on to marry Prince Aribert of Anhalt in 1891 at St George’s Chapel, Windsor. She is a royal who famously attended the coronations of four British monarchs and published her memoirs ‘My Memories of Six Reigns’. Princess Marie died childless in 1956 and is buried at the Royal Burial ground, Frogmore on the Windsor Estate.

August 14, 1862

On this day in 1862, Prince Henry of Prussia was born in Germany to Princess Victoria, The Princess Royal and Frederick III, The German Emperor. Prince Henry was the brother of Kaiser Wilhelm II. He married his first cousin, Princess Irene of Hesse and by Rhine in 1888 in Berlin. The couple had three sons, Prince Waldemar, Prince Sigismund, and Prince Henry. Prince Henry of Prussia died in 1929 in Germany.

August 15, 1950

On this day in 1950, Princess Anne, The Princess Royal was born at Clarence House, London. Anne is the second child and only daughter of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip. Princess Anne married Captain Mark Phillips on November 14, 1973 and they went on to have two children, Peter Phillips and Zara Tindall. They divorced in 1992 and Anne married Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence on December 12, 1992. Princess Anne has four granddaughters, Savannah and Isla Phillips (via Peter and Autumn Phillips) and Mia and Lena Tindall (via Zara and Mike Tindall).

August 21, 1924

On this day in history, the second son of Princess Mary and Henry Lascelles, 6th Earl of Harewood was born in 1924. Gerald Lascelles was styled as The Right Honourable Gerald Lascelles and was a first cousin of Queen Elizabeth II. He was married twice and had two sons, one from each marriage. Lascelles went onto to live to the age of 73 and died in France in 1998.

August 21, 1930

On this day in 1930, Princess Margaret Rose, the youngest daughter of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother was born at Glamis Castle, Scotland.

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The younger sister of Queen Elizabeth II married Antony Armstrong-Jones and the couple had two children, David and Sarah, as well as four grandchildren, Charles and Margarita Chatto, via David, and Samuel and Arthur Chatto, via Sarah. The Princess became the first royal to seek a divorce since King Henry VIII in 1533 when she parted from her husband in 1978. She died of a stroke in 2002, shortly before the death of her mother.

August 25, 1942

On this day in 1942, Prince George, The Duke of Kent died in a plane crash. He was travelling from Scotland to Iceland on deployment during World War Two. The son of King George V and Queen Mary died just days after the christening of his third child, Prince Michael of Kent. The Queen’s cousin was married to his second cousin, Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark.

August 26, 1819

On this day in 1819, Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha was born in Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld. He married his cousin Victoria at the age of 20 and they had nine children. In 1861 he died from unexpected typhoid fever at Buckingham Palace in the presence of his wife, Queen Victoria, and five of their nine children. Albert was buried at St. George’s Chapel, Windsor. Albert’s death resulted in his widow, Queen Victoria, entering a period of mourning that would last the rest of her life, until her death in 1901.

August 26, 1944

On this day in 1944, Prince Richard, The Duke of Gloucester was born in Northampton. He was the younger son of Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester and Princess Alice, The Duchess of Gloucester and became heir to his father’s title on the unexpected death of his older brother, Prince William. Prince Richard has three children with his wife Birgitte Van Deurs, whom he married in 1972.

August 28, 1996

On this day in 1996, the Prince and Princess of Wales officially divorced after initially separating in 1992.

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The parents of Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex married at St. Paul’s Cathedral, London in July 1981. Their decree absolute came through almost exactly a year before the death of Diana, Princess of Wales.

August 28, 1972

On this day in 1972, Prince William of Gloucester died in a tragic plane crash whilst competing in a competition. He was the elder son of Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester and a grandson of King George V, as well as a first cousin to Queen Elizabeth II. The Prince was only 30 when he died and had not married or had any children.

August 31, 1997

On this day in 1997, Diana, Princess of Wales tragically died in a car crash in Paris. The Princess’s funeral took place on September 6 in London at Westminster Abbey. Her two young sons, Prince William and Prince Harry, famously walked behind her coffin along with their father, Prince Charles; their grandfather, Prince Philip; and their uncle, Earl Spencer in the procession.