
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have welcomed a son. Their baby boy was born at 5.26am on May 6th 2019 and now all expectations and adds another royal chapter to a day already filled with regal landmarks. Here’s a look at the royal milestones of May 6th.
A very modern wedding
London came to a standstill on May 6th 1960 when the Queen’s sister (and Baby Sussex’s great great aunt), Princess Margaret, married society photographer, Antony Armstrong-Jones at Westminster Abbey.
A royal changing of the guard
George V ascended the throne on May 6th 1910. He became king on the death of his father, Edward VII, who passed away just before midnight on May 6th. George was proclaimed king the following day. It was a bittersweet moment – he wrote in his diary ”I have lost my best friend and the best of fathers”.
George initially ruled as part of the House of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha but in 1917, as World War One neared its end, he changed that to the much more British House of Windsor. That dynasty is about to welcome its newest member.
Sticky History
Queen Victoria made royal history on May 6th 1840 when the Penny Black went into circulation. The first adhesive stamp in the world, it had actually been issued on May 1st 1840 but wasn’t valid for use until May 6th.
Grand Designs
Louis XIV of France moved his court to the ever opulent surroundings of the Palace of Versailles on May 6th 1682.
Random royal births
Royals who have already claimed May 6th as their own include Henry II, Holy Roman Emperor between 1014 and 1024 (born 973) and Sophie Jagellion, a Polish princess who became Margravine of Brandenburg-Ansbach and Brandenburg-Kulmbach (born 1464). Ferdinand III, Grand Duke of Tuscany also arrived on May 6th, making his debut in 1769.
And now we can add another regal landmark to the date. May 6th is now the day of the birth of the Earl of Dumbarton.