Prince Gustaf Adolf, father of the current Swedish King Carl Gustaf, died in a tragic plane crash while traveling back from the Netherlands to Stockholm on January 26, 1947. The flight had made a routine stop in Copenhagen, but as soon as it took off, at an altitude of only 50 m (164 ft), it dove head-first to the ground and exploded. All 22 people that were on board died.
The widow of Prince George, Duke of Kent, passed away hours after the Kensington Palace announced that she was suffering from a brain tumor. She died on August 27, 1968, at age 61.
The fourth son of King George V died on August 25, 1942, at age 39 during World War II. On that day, he boarded a military plane to Iceland, which later mysteriously crashed in Scotland.
Prince William of Gloucester, first cousin of Queen Elizabeth II, died unexpectedly at age 30 during a leisure activity.
The prince, who owned several aircraft, competed in different amateur air show competitions. On August 28, 1972, he took part in the Goodyear International Air Trophy Race. His plane crashed shortly after takeoff in front of 30,000 spectators.
On February 17, 1934, King Albert I of Belgium went for a climb—which was one of his passions— in Marche-les-Dames, near the province of Namur in Belgium. But several hours after his departure, he still wasn't back.
A search party was soon organized, only to find the King's body. Evidence confirmed that he died following a fatal fall from a cliff. He was succeeded by his son, King Leopold III.
Princess of Sweden by birth and first wife to King Leopold III of Belgium, she was mother to former Belgian King Baudouin and King Albert II, as well as Princess Joséphine-Charlotte, who would later become Grand Duchess consort of Luxembourg.
The couple went on holiday to Switzerland in August 1935. On August 29, they decided to go for a hike in the mountains before going back home. The King took the wheel with Astrid sitting in the passenger seat next to him, while their driver took a seat in the back. As Astrid pointed out something to her husband, he got distracted, lost control of the convertible car, and violently slammed into a pear tree. Ejected by the shock, the Queen fractured her skull and died almost instantly. She was only 29 years old.
Prince John, who was born to King George V and Queen Mary on July 12, 1905, suffered from epilepsy and possibly autism. He is often referred to as the "Forgotten Prince" or the "Lost Prince" due to the fact that he was kept out of the public eye and sent to live at Sandringham House.
On the evening of November 5, 1817, Princess Charlotte gave birth to a stillborn baby boy. A few hours later, she began vomiting and bleeding, and eventually passed away. She was only 21 years old and was set to become queen one day.
Anne Boleyn was the second wife of King Henry VIII, who married her in 1533. The queen soon gave birth to a daughter, followed by three miscarriages. The fact that she couldn't produce a male heir led Henry to accuse her of adultery, and conspiracy—not witchcraft as some rumors say— in order to annul the marriage and marry his then-mistress and Anne's maid of honor, Jane Seymour. The Queen was tried and found guilty on May 19, 1536 and was beheaded four days later by a French swordsman.
Ten days later, on the evening of July 31, the king unexpectedly died of a heart attack while on vacation with his wife, Queen Fabiola. King Baudouin was the longest-reigning monarch of Belgium after King Leopold II. The country was plunged into a period of deep mourning.
Every family experience tragedies, and royal families are no exception. Throughout history, many royals from around the world have been struck by terrible events, and their deaths have left countries deep in mourning.
These are the most memorable royals who had a tragic destiny.
Royals who died unexpectedly
These royals had a tragic ending
CELEBRITY Royalty
Every family experience tragedies, and royal families are no exception. Throughout history, many royals from around the world have been struck by terrible events, and their deaths have left countries deep in mourning.
These are the most memorable royals who had a tragic destiny.