This is a list of notable women who suffered maternal death. The World Health Organization (WHO) defines maternal death as the death of a pregnant mother due to complications related to pregnancy, underlying conditions worsened by the pregnancy or management of these conditions. This can occur either while she is pregnant or within six weeks of resolution of the pregnancy. Other definitions may include accidental and incidental causes or extend the period of observation to one year after the end of the pregnancy.
Women by country
Angola Ivone Mufuca (2016), handball player
Australia Emma Lambrick (1846), the first European woman to die at Port Essington Hattie Shepparde (1874), actor, and first wife of Henry Hallam Sumner Locke (1917), writer Daphne Akhurst (1933), five time consecutive winner of women's singles title at the Australian Championships from 1925 to 1930 Rona Glynn (1965), the first Indigenous Australian school teacher and nurse in Alice Springs
Austria Joanna of Austria (1578), Grand Duchess of Tuscany Margaret of Austria (1611), Queen of Spain and Portugal Maria Anna of Spain (1646), youngest daughter of King Philip III of Spain and Margaret of Austria, who also died in childbirth Maria Leopoldine of Austria (1649), Holy Roman Empress and Queen of Hungary and Bohemia Maria Antonia of Austria (1692), first wife of Maximilian II Emanuel, Elector of Bavaria Maria Anna of Austria (1744) Duchess Elisabeth of Württemberg (1790), Archduchess of Austria Princess Hermine of Anhalt-Bernburg-Schaumburg-Hoym (1817), Archduchess of Austria Maria Leopoldina of Austria (1826), Empress of Brazil and Queen of Portugal Adelaide of Austria (1855), first wife of Victor Emmanuel II of Sardinia, future King of Italy Archduchess Helena of Austria (1924)
Belarus Zofia of Słuck (1612)
Bohemia Judith of Bohemia (1086), Duchess of Poland Judith of Habsburg (1297), Queen of Bohemia Margaret of Bohemia (1322), daughter of Wenceslaus II of Bohemia and Judith of Habsburg, who also died in childbirth Kunigunde of Sternberg (1449), days after she delivered twins, Catherine of Poděbrady (who also died in childbirth) and Sidonie Catherine of Poděbrady (1464), Bohemian princess, Queen of Hungary Anne of Foix (1506), Bohemian princess, Queen of Hungary, mother of Anne of Bohemia and Hungary, who also died in childbirth. Anna of Bohemia and Hungary (1547), Bohemian princess died while giving birth to Joanna of Austria, Grand Duchess of Tuscany, who also died in childbirth Juliane Reichardt (1783), pianist
Bosnia and Herzegovina Barbara del Balzo (1459), second wife of Stjepan Vukčić Kosača
Bulgaria Princess Marie Louise of Bourbon-Parma (1899), mother of Tsar Boris III of Bulgaria.
Burma Mwei Daw (1368), principal queen of King Binnya U of Martaban–Hanthawaddy, and mother of King Razadarit. Shin Myo Myat (1520s), mother of King Bayinnaung of the Toungoo dynasty of Burma (Myanmar), and wet nurse of King Tabinshwehti. Hsinbyume (1812), first wife of Bagyidaw
Byzantine Empire Aelia Eudoxia (404), Empress consort of the Byzantine Emperor Arcadius Tzitzak (750), first wife of Byzantine Emperor Constantine V Eudokia Baïana (901), third wife of Leo VI the Wise Irene Angelina (1208), widow of Roger III of Sicily and widow of Philip of Swabia, who died two months before her Caterina Gattilusio (1442)
Cambodia Vichara Dany (1976), actress Saom Vansodany (1977), actress
Canada Simmi Kahlon (2009), Indian-Canadian serial killer
China Fu Hao (1200 BC), the consort of King Wu Ding of the Shang dynasty and, unusually for that time, also served as a military general and high priestess. Mother of Prince Jie Xu Pingjun (71 BC), consort of Emperor Xuan of Han Empress Yujiulü (540), second and last consort of Emperor Wen of Western Wei Princess Yongtai (701), daughter of the Emperor Zhongzong of Tang dynasty and granddaughter of Empress Wu Zetian Empress Xiaojiesu (1528), first Empress consort of the Jiajing Emperor of the Ming dynasty. Amannisa Khan (1560) Empress Xiaochengren (1674), first Empress consort of the Kangxi Emperor of the Qing dynasty Empress Xiaozhaoren (1678), second Empress consort of the Kangxi Emperor of the Qing dynasty Empress Xiaoyiren (1689), third Empress consort of the Kangxi Emperor of the Qing dynasty Noble Consort Xin (1764), consort of the Qianlong Emperor of the Qing dynasty Princess Rong'an (1875), daughter of the Xianfeng Emperor of the Qing dynasty Lu Yin (1934), writer Cai Weilian (1939), oil painter, daughter of philosopher Cai Yuanpei, wife of Lin Wenzheng.
Croatia Dora Pejačević (1923), composer
Czech Republic Anna von Schweidnitz (1362), third wife and queen consort of Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor Elizabeth Jane Weston (1612), English-Czech poet
Denmark Dagmar of Bohemia (1212), queen consort of King Valdemar II of Denmark. Eleanor of Portugal, Queen of Denmark (1231) Elisabeth Helene von Vieregg (1704), spouse of the king Louise of Great Britain (1751), Queen of Denmark and Norway as first wife of Frederick V. She was the youngest surviving daughter of George II of Great Britain and Caroline of Ansbach. Princess Louise of Denmark (1756) Birgitte Sofie Gabel (1769) Mariane Bournonville (1797), ballerina and first wife of Antoine Bournonville Catharine Simonsen (1849), soprano, mother of Niels Juel Simonsen and grandmother of Erik Schmedes, Hakon Schmedes and Gerda Christophersen
Egypt Henhenet (2015 BC), a lower ranking wife of Pharaoh Mentuhotep II of the 11th dynasty. Meketaten (1340 BC) Mutnedjmet (13th century BC), wife of Pharaoh Horemheb Cleopatra V (mid first century BC) Jamal Nur Qadin (1876)
Ethiopia Princess Tsehai (1942)
Finland Elsa Holmsten (1735), poet
France Hildegard (783), Queen of the Franks Judith of Flanders (870), wife of Baldwin I, Margrave of Flanders and eldest child of Charles the Bald and Ermentrude of Orléans Matilda of Frisia (1044), first Queen of Henry I, King of the Franks the mother of Saint Drogo (1105) Sibylla of Burgundy (1150) Constance of Castile (1160), second wife of Louis VII of France Isabella of Hainault (1190), first wife of King Philip II of France died the day after giving birth to twins. Both twins lived for just four days. Constance of Brittany (1201), mother of Alix, Duchess of Brittany, who also died in childbirth Agnes of Merania (1201), queen of France Alix, Duchess of Brittany (1221), Duchess of Brittany, and daughter of Constance of Brittany, who also died in childbirth Yolande of Dreux (1248), first wife of Hugh IV of Burgundy Alice de Lusignan, Countess of Surrey (1256) Margaret of France, Duchess of Brabant (1271), daughter of Louis IX of France and his wife Margaret of Provence Joan I of Navarre (1305), Queen of Navarre, Countess of Champagne, and Queen of France Beatrice of Luxembourg, Queen of Hungary (1319), wife of Charles I of Hungary Marie of Luxembourg (1324), Queen consort of France and Navarre, second wife of King Charles IV of France Isabella, Countess of Vertus (1372), wife of Gian Galeazzo Visconti, Lord of Milan Joanna of Bourbon (1378), Queen of France Beatrice of Navarre, Countess of La Marche (1407), first wife of James II, Count of La Marche Isabella of Valois (1409), Queen consort of England as the second spouse of King Richard II. Her parents were King Charles VI of France and Isabeau of Bavaria. Catherine of Valois (1437), Queen consort of England from 1420 to 1422. Marie de Bourbon, Duchess of Calabria (1448) Agnès Sorel (1450), first Chief Mistress Of Charles VII of France Anne of Savoy (1480), first wife of Frederick of Naples Madeleine de La Tour d'Auvergne (1519) Claude of France (1524), Queen of France as the first wife of Francis I Eleonore of Fürstenberg (1544), wife of Philipp IV, Count of Hanau-Lichtenberg Elisabeth of Valois (1568), Queen of Spain Marie of Cleves, Princess of Condé (1574) Claude of Valois (1575), Duchess of Lorraine Charlotte de La Marck (1594), Princess of Sedan and Duchess of Bouillon Gabrielle d'Estrées (1599), mistress of Henry IV of France, died following eclampsia Marie, Duchess of Montpensier (1627), Duchess of Orléans Elisabeth of France (1644), first wife and Queen consort of Philip IV of Spain Claude-Françoise of Lorraine (1648), wife of Nicholas II, Duke of Lorraine, died while giving birth to twin daughters Marie Angélique de Scorailles (1681), noblewoman Armande de La Tour d'Auvergne (1717), noblewoman Marie Louise Élisabeth d'Orléans (1719), Duchess of Berry a.k.a. "Joufflotte", married at 14, widowed at 18, died at 23 soon after her sixth delivery, pregnant again at autopsy. Auguste of Baden-Baden, duchesse d'Orléans, (1726) and paternal great-grandmother of Louis-Philippe I, King of the French Louise Diane d'Orléans (1736), princesse de Conti, youngest daughter of Philippe d'Orléans, Regent of France Anne Marie Louise de La Tour d'Auvergne (1739), noblewoman Pauline Félicité de Mailly-Nesle (1741), marquise de Vintimille and second of the five famous de Nesle sisters Princess Anna Theresa of Savoy (1745), daughter of the Prince and Princess of Carignan, wife of Charles de Rohan; Maria Teresa Rafaela of Spain, Dauphine of France (1746), first wife of Louis, Dauphin of France (1729–1765) and daughter-in-law of Louis XV Émilie du Châtelet (1749), mathematician, physicist, and author Charlotte Rosalie de Choiseul-Beaupré (1753), lady-in-waiting Princess Maria Teresa Felicitas of Modena, duchesse de Penthièvre (1754) and maternal grandmother of Louis Philippe I Catherine Éléonore Bénard (1769), mistress of Louis XV Antoinette Gabrielle Charpentier (1793), first wife of George Danton Marie-Clementine Bagration (1829) Juliette Dubufe (1855), sculptor Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (1857), last Duchess of Nemours Marie-Félix Blanc (1882) Eva Gonzalès (1883), Impressionist painter
Georgia Balendukht Tamar of Mukhrani (1683) Ketevan Andronikashvili (1782) Princess Helen of Georgia (1786) Darya Gruzinskaya (1796)
Germany Gertrude of Süpplingenburg (1143), margravine Elisabeth of Swabia (1235), Queen consort of Castile Anna von Schweidnitz (1362), third wife of Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor Magdalene of Saxony (1534), margravine Agnes of Hesse (1555), princess Magdalena of Lippe (1587), landgravine Dorothea of Saxony (1587), princess Sophie of Württemberg, Duchess of Saxe-Weimar (1590), noblewoman Elisabeth of Mansfeld-Hinterort (1596) Agnes of Solms-Laubach (1602), landgravine Princess Sibylle Elisabeth of Württemberg (1606) Eleanor of Prussia (1607) Princess Dorothea Hedwig of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel (1609) Duchess Sophie of Prussia (1610), wife of Wilhelm Kettler Princess Johanna Elisabeth of Nassau-Hadamar (1647) Sophie Eleonore of Hesse-Darmstadt (1663), landgravine Maria Elisabeth of Holstein-Gottorp (1665), landgravine Sibylle Ursula von Braunschweig-Lüneburg (1671), translator and writer Dorothea Maria of Saxe-Weimar, Duchess of Saxe-Zeitz (1675) Marie Luise von Degenfeld (1677) Elizabeth of Palatinate-Zweibrücken (1677) Christiane of Saxe-Merseburg (1679) Marie Hedwig of Hesse-Darmstadt (1680) Sophie Hedwig of Saxe-Merseburg (1686) Eleonore Sophie of Saxe-Weimar (1687) Sophie Amalie of Nassau-Siegen (1688) Charlotte of Nassau-Schaumburg (1700) Countess Sophie Henriette of Waldeck (1702) Princess Luise Dorothea of Prussia (1705), Hereditary Princess of Hesse-Kassel Princess Elisabeth Albertine of Anhalt-Dessau (1706), noblewoman Christine Juliane of Baden-Durlach (1707), noblewoman Maria Clara Eimmart (1707) Elisabeth Juliana Francisca of Hesse-Homburg (1707) Countess Palatine Elisabeth Auguste Sofie of Neuburg (1728), Hereditary Princess of Sulzbach Louise of Anhalt-Dessau (1732), first wife of Victor Frederick, Prince of Anhalt-Bernburg Catharina Sperling-Heckel (1741), German artist Christiane Sophie Charlotte of Brandenburg-Bayreuth (1757), Duchess of Saxe-Hildburghausen Meta Klopstock (1758) Louise Albertine of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Plön (1769), (also died of measles) Josepha von Heydeck (1771)