2 May 1729 - Catherine II "The Great", Empress of Russia 1762-96, born.

She was born in the tiny German Principality of Anhalt-Zerbst, the eldest child of Prince Christian August and was baptized Sophie Freiderike Auguste. In 1744 aged 15 she was chosen as bride for Peter of Holstein-Gottorp, the 16 year old nephew and heir to the Russian Empress Elizabeth. Sophie travelled to Russia and was received into the Russian Orthodox Church adopting the name Catherine. A year later she and Peter were married. It was a loveless union and although Catherine gave birth to a son Paul in 1754 and a daughter Anna in 1757 it is likely that they were the result of her affairs with Sergei Saltykov and Stanislaus Poniatowski (later King of Poland).

Her husband Peter succeeded to the Throne in January 1762 and immediately proved himself inadequate for the role. He ended the war with Prussia, which Russia was winning, and offered to cede parts of Poland to Prussia. Catherine seized the initiative, in July, when Tsar Peter was absent from St Petersburg, she toured the barracks addressing the troops on the need for strong leadership that only she could supply. The strategy worked, the army rebelled against Peter who was forced to abdicate. Just a week later he was murdered, possibly on Catherine's orders.

She ruled for 34 years turning Russia into a major European power by the time of her death at the age on 67.

That's one wife you could do without. 

Now Major, you say this and Shula says that she was only a strong willed Woman. What am I to believe. I thought all women were strong willed. Right Shula?

3 May 1826 - Carl XV, King of Sweden and Norway 1859-72, born.

The power of the Monarch was allowed to fall into the hands of the Council under Carl XV. A cultured individual, much given to the Arts, but lazy politically. He made one bad blunder in 1863 when war was imminent between Prussia and Denmark over the sovereignty of the Danish provinces of Schleswig-Holstein. The Danes knew they could not resist an attack by the highly disciplined Prussians and were prepared to give in after a brief show of defiance. But King Carl intimated that he would support Denmark with 20,000 troops, so the Danes defied the Prussians to attack, which they did. However the Swedish Council overruled the King and no troops were forthcoming. Consequently the Danes suffered a serious defeat and lost 40% of its territory and one million inhabitants.

In 1871 Carl's wife, Queen Louise died having produced just a daughter. Carl intended to re-marry so as to father a male heir. But his choice of bride, the Polish Countess Marya Krasinska, was deemed unacceptable. Nevertheless he was in the process of making plans to marry her in Switzerland when he suddenly died aged 46.

Queen Louise died having produced just a daughter

I'll overlook that for the moment.

Star Wars Day, may the force (fourth) be with you.

The jockey  A P McCoy is 45 today.

I'm afraid I disagree with you, PBA, that all women are strong-willed.  I've encountered far too many women who put up with unbelievable abuses, being told what to and how to live their lives.  Maybe I've just been lucky in having mostly nice relationships and the ability to support myself, so I'm hesitant to be too critical.  My husband is definitely the king of his castle and he has my permission to say so.

"Just a daughter" in the sense that the succession laws in Sweden meant that she could not inherit the Throne and King Carl wanted his personal line to succeed him. After his death in 1872 the Crown passed to his brother Oscar.

4 May 1471 - Edward, Prince of Wales killed in battle.

Only child of the ineffectual Lancastrian King Henry VI and his formidable wife Margaret.

In 1461 at the age of seven the young Prince was taken into exile by his mother after his father had been deposed by the Yorkist Edward IV. After several years in Scotland Edward and Margaret fled to France. There he married Lady Anne Neville, daughter of the Earl of Warwick "The Kingmaker".  

In October 1470 his father was restored to the Throne, but unaccountably his wife and son remained in France. They only sailed for England in April 1471 arriving to the news that Henry had been deposed for a second time and imprisoned and furthermore the Earl of Warwick had been killed in battle.

Lancastrian leadership now fell to Queen Margaret and her 17 year old son. They raised an army and marched north towards territory known to be pro-Lancastrian. King Edward headed west to intercept them and the two armies met at Tewkesbury in Gloucestershire on 4 May. The Lancastrians were heavily defeated with around 2000 killed, among them the Prince of Wales. How he died is unclear, but it seems likely that he survived the immediate fight but was caught as he attempted to flee the battlefield.

Within three weeks his father Henry VI was murdered in the Tower of London, the last of the Lancastrians.

Talking of marriage, 45 years today. Congradulation Art. I hear that they are presenting your wife with a Medal, is that true. Our's is coming up to 51 in July and my wife has already a chest full of Metals and here's just some of them.

Congratulations on 45 years of marriage, Major.  That should be quite enough time to get acquainted.

And 51 for you in July, PBA?  I'll bet you've spent 50 of those years in time-out.

5 May 1821 - Napoleon I, Consul (President) of France 1799-1804, Emperor 1804-14 & 1815, died.

After his defeat at Waterloo in June 1815 Napoleon fled first to Paris, where he formally abdicated, then to the port of Rochefort where he hoped to board a ship heading for the USA. But it was a forlorn hope, the Royal Navy were watching the port and he had no chance of escape. Eventually in July he surrendered to the Captain Maitland of HMS Bellerophon who presented his government with the problem of what to do with its greatest enemy. 

Bellerophon sailed for England and anchored firstly off Torbay then off Plymouth while Maitland awaited orders. Finally on 31 July he was told to rendezvous at sea with HMS Nothumberland and transfer his prisoner for the voyage into exile on the south Atlantic island of St Helena.

Napoleon arrived at his final destination in mid October. For the first two months he resided at the home of the East India Company agent until December when he moved to Longwood the summer home of the Lt-Gov. of St Helena.

For the next five years two Royal Navy vessels and nearly 3000 soldiers and administrators were employed in guarding their illustrious prisoner from escape or abduction.

His health began to suffer in the damp climate and under the regime of Gov. Lowe, appointed in 1816, Napoleon's movements, correspondence and companions were further restricted.

He fell seriously ill in March 1821 and died on 5 May aged 51. The official cause of death was stomach cancer, but in recent years arsenic poisoning, either accidental or deliberate, has been suggested.

He was buried on the island, but in 1840 his body was repatriated to Paris where it lies in Les Invalides.

I did allude to Emperor Akhito's abdication in my 29 April entry.

Another Royal event I failed to mention last month was the death of Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg. He succeeded to the Throne upon his mother's abdication in 1964 and abdicated himself in 2000. He died on 23 April having reached the impressive age of 98.

Congratulations on 45 years of marriage, Major.  That should be quite enough time to get acquainted.

And 51 for you in July, PBA?  I'll bet you've spent 50 of those years in time-out. Nothing worse that a witch with a cystal ball, Shula. lol

I've known you for a long time, PBA. 

Being confined must have been hard for Napoleon.  He was such a man of action.

Re Napoleon, every country in Europe would happily have hanged him and took their time doing it. He was very lucky indeed he fell into the hands of the Brits.

That's why he fled west, the idea of sailing into exile in the USA was too fanciful, he knew he would receive better treatment from the British than the French Bourbons, the Prussians or the Russians.