Top 10 Most Tragic Deaths in British Royal History
This list shows the saddest historic deaths that affected the British Royal Family.
Diana, Princess of Wales (born Lady Diana Frances Spencer; 1 July 1961 - 31 August 1997), was the first wife of Charles, Prince of Wales, who is the eldest child and heir apparent of Queen Elizabeth II, and the mother of Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, and Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex... read more Reports of Diana's death were big news in 1997. She died in a car crash with Dodi Fayed when the car lost control at 12:23 AM on 31 August. She died young at the age of 36. Her death was mourned not just by the Royal Family, the BBC, and the British public, but around the world, including the Americas and Europe. Her funeral was watched by 2.5 billion people on 6 September.
There were many tributes to her, including the Beanie Baby I have based on her. This will be the saddest death in the British Royal Family until Elizabeth II dies.
I heard about this along with DMX's death on CBS News on the morning of 9 April 2021, a day after my birthday with my dad. Philip was about to turn 100 years old, becoming a centenarian, but sadly didn't as he died early. It was the saddest day, coming right after my birthday. It was so unexpected.
His death was mourned by the British Royal Family, the BBC, the British public, and people all around the world, including Europe and the Americas. His wife, Elizabeth II, was deeply saddened, and it left her with a "huge void." They were married for 74 years. I feel very bad for her because she is lonely right now. Still, Philip died in his sleep peacefully.
George was King of the United Kingdom from 1936 until 2 February 1952, when he died from lung cancer. When his death was announced, there was a period of national mourning, and it was big news in the UK. Elizabeth II became Queen and has held the record for nearly 70 years.
Charlotte was the child of King George IV and Caroline of Brunswick. She was born in 1796. When she gave birth to a large stillborn boy on 5 November 1817, he died shortly after due to being born too late. Several hours later, Charlotte began vomiting violently, bleeding, and could barely breathe. She died of blood loss at the age of 21, due to the doctor's mistakes.
When her death was announced, the British mourned deeply. If King George III had died three years later, Charlotte would have become Queen of the United Kingdom. Things would have been different if she and her baby had survived, potentially affecting the line of succession, such as Elizabeth II not being the Queen today.
Over 200 years ago, pregnancies were riskier than today because there were barely any hospitals, and most tools that aid pregnancy and birth had not yet been invented. It was not easy, and there was a higher chance that women would die from pregnancy than today.
She is known as "The Queen Mother" of Elizabeth II. She married The Duke of York, George VI, who was king from 1936 until 1952, after which the title passed to Elizabeth II, who still holds it today (it may be predicted that her death will be in a few years). In 2002, The Queen Mother passed away, along with her sister Margaret, which left Elizabeth II weeping in tears.
The remarkable thing about this is that The Queen Mother was 101 years old, and Elizabeth II was 76. It's surprising that both mother and daughter reached old age while they were still alive together.
John was born in 1905 and was the youngest son of King George V and Queen Mary. Four years later, John was diagnosed with autism and epilepsy and was kept away from the public eye. In 1919, he experienced a severe seizure and died at the age of 13. His death was reported to the wider public but has now been largely forgotten.
The "Kent" George was the fourth son of George V and Queen Mary. On 25 August 1942, while in the military, he took off in the RAF Short Sunderland flying boat W4026, which crashed, killing all but one. Sadly, the survivor wasn't George. It was Sergeant Andrew Jack, who was the Wireless Operator/Air Gunner of the plane. This marked the first time in over 450 years that a member of the British Royal Family died on active service.
Not to be confused with the 39-year-old Duke of Cambridge, who is the son of Charles, Prince of Wales (Elizabeth II's oldest son and first in line for the British throne). The "Gloucester" William was the cousin of Elizabeth II and grandson of King George V, who had died five years earlier. When he was born, he was fourth in line for the British throne. He was diagnosed with porphyria and had mental breakdowns.
William died in 1972 at the age of 30 when his plane crashed during a competition. He was 9th in line for the British throne at the time of his death.
Queen Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and seven months was longer than that of any previous British monarch and is known as the Victorian era... read more
Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and 14 other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until her death in 2022. Elizabeth was born in Mayfair, London, as the first child of the Duke and Duchess of York (later King George VI and... read more
He was born in 1930 and married Princess Margaret (Elizabeth II's sister) in 1960. They divorced in 1978. He is known for being a photographer and filmmaker, an unusual career for someone involved in the British Royal Family. He took pictures of famous people such as David Bowie, Elizabeth Taylor, Princess Diana, and J. R. R. Tolkien. He died on 13 January 2017.
