Friday, March 30, 2012

The Gleichens: the Unknown Royal Cousins

Lord Edward Gleichen "Glick"
It has taken some time but I finally completed work on an article on the Gleichens.  It is a bit long, too long for Majesty and similar magazines.  Plenty of research has gone into this article.  It is also too long for this blog.

I have decided to offer the article for sale for people to purchase and read.  It will be available in a PDF form to be sent to buyers by email.  Please be assured I will not be harvesting emails or saving them.  The emails will be deleted after the article is sent.


The Gleichens: the Unknown Royal Cousins  (Kindle)

So who were the Gleichens?  Prince Victor of Hohenlohe-Langenburg, third son of Queen Victoria's older half-sister, Princess Feodore, fell in love with and married Miss Laura Seymour.  The marriage was morganatic, and Laura was created Countess Gleichen.  They had four children, Feodora, Edward, Victoria, and Helena.

One was a sculptress, one a lesbian (and a painter), one a singer, and one made major contributions to the development of Britain's military intelligence network.

The Gleichens were always the first in the royal processions, due to their status as the bottom of the royal rungs. 




When you purchase this article, you agree to the copyright provisions.  You cannot share the article with others, you cannot email or mail it to others, you cannot post it on any boards, blogs or any other online forms of publication.  You also cannot publish the article or quote from it without permission of the author ... that's me.  You are allowed to print one copy of the article for yourself, according to Fair Use provisions.

When you purchase the article, you have the right to read it and enjoy it.  You can recommend the purchase to other people.  Hey, I am up front: I am trying to earn extra money for my trip to London.  I am honest. I am an academic librarian who has not had a raise in five years!

The price of the article is $10.00.  The article is more than 40 pages long.  Very few illustrations due to the high cost of securing rights to photos of the Gleichens.


It's (another) girl for Peter and Autumn

Autumn Phillips gave birth to a second daughter, Isla Elizabeth, on Thursday March 29, at the Gloucestershire Royal Hospital.  Mother and daughter are doing well.   Isla weighed 7lbs 4ozs. 

Autumn is the wife of Peter Phillips, eldest child of the Princess Royal and her first husband, Mark Phillips.   This is the second great-grandchildren for the Queen who is said to be "delighted."

Isla joins 15-month old Savannah in the nursery.  They are 12th and 13th in line to the British throne, respectively.

Isla is the second descendant of Queen Victoria born this week.

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Helen says no to return

March 28, 1936

Princess Helen of Romania is not returning to her former husband, King Carol II, according to the Associated Press.  A spokesman for the former queen in Florence, Italy, has denied the rumors of a reconciliation.  The rumors have "spread wildly through diplomatic quarters in Vienna," seen as the "center of eastern European gossip.

King Carol's advisers are said to be anxious about his popularity "with his people," according to "informed sources," and they are trying "to persuade him to exile his mistress," Elena Lupescu, described as the woman "who came between him and Helen."

Duchess of Vendome ends rumor about son's marriage

March 28, 1928

The Duchess of Vendome, mother of Prince Charles Philippe, Duke de Nemours is denying "categorically" a rumor that her son has "secret wed" Miss Margaret "Peggy" Watson of Washington, D.C., according to an Associated Press dispatch.

The New York Times is reporting that Miss Watson is the daughter of Mrs. Garrett Fish Watson of 1821 Q Street, NW, in Washington, D.C.    Mrs. Watson has been "prominent in Washington society" for many years.

Friends of Miss Watson "expressed doubt today" that she married abroad.  Miss Watson has been in Europe for "sometime," and "at least three times within the past five years has been reported engaged," only to have her family deny the reports.

No getting off the boat for Marie and Ileana

March 28, 1928

Queen Marie of Romania and her daughter, Princess Ileana arrived off the Greek port of Piraeus, near Athens, reports the New York Times.  

But the Queen and her daughter have refused to leave their boat and go ashore because the Queen has "never forgiven the Greeks" for expelling" King George II and Queen Elisabeth, her daughter," when the "Monarch was overthrown in 1923."

Royal Baptism: Giovanna of Savoy

March 28, 1908


The infant daughter of King Vittorio Emanuele and Queen Elena was  baptised this morning in the Quirinal, reports the Los Angeles Times.

Princess Giovanna Elisabetta Antonia Romana Maria was born on November 13.  She is the fourth child of the Italian sovereigns.   The Princess's great-grandmother, the Duchess of Genoa, "stood as godmother," while Prince Franz Josef of Battenberg is the godfather.  He was represented by the Count of Turin, as he was unable to attend the ceremony.     Prince Franz Josef is married to Queen Elena's sister, Princess Anna of Montenegro.

The presence "of representatives of four generations" of the Italian royal family added to the "special interest to the ceremony."

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Count Georg Konstantin Fugger von Babenhausen



Princess Viktoria Luise of Prussia may have been pining for the young Hereditary Count Fugger von Babenhausen, but the count, knowing that there would not be a marriage with the Kaiser's daughter, quickly moved on.

Several weeks before reports of the unhappy princess were published,  the Marquise de Fontenoy noted in her column on March 8, 1912, that there were rumors of a marriage between Georg and Nancy Leishman, the daughter of the American ambassador to Germany. 

But there was a hitch in the romance.  The count was not good enough for Princess Viktoria Luise, and Miss Leishman apparently did not "possess the genealogical qualifications" to become Georg's wife.  If Georg married Miss Leishman, he would have to "renounce his rights as a scion of a mediatized dynasty and descend to the rank of an ordinary noble.  He also had the option of a morganatic marriage, which would deprive his wife and children of his title and name.

Alas, for Count Georg,  the very pretty Miss Leishman was more interested in his good friend, the Duke of Croy.

His Illustrious Highness Count Georg Konstantin Heinrich Karl was the second child and eldest son of H Ill H Karl Georg Ferdinand Jakob Maria Prince Fugger von Babenhausen and HSH Princess Eleonore of Hohenlohe-Bartenstein.  He was born at Odenburg on July 24, 1889.

Georg married Countess Elisabeth von Plessen on February 10, 1914.   He succeeded his father as Prince on July 5, 1925.   He died at the family's home, Schloss Wellenburg on August 1, 1935, and was succeeded by his eldest son, Friedrich Carl (1914-1979.)



Friedrich Carl was succeeded his second son, Hubertus (1946) who is married to Princess Alexandra of Oetttingen-Oettingen und Oettingen-Spielberg.   The eldest son, Prince Carl-Anton renounced his rights in 1970.)


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Duchess of Chartres dead or not?

Princess Francoise Marie Amélie of Orléans, daughter-in-law of the King Louis Philippe of France died today, reports the New York Times.

The Princess was born at Neuilly on August 14, 1844.  She was the daughter of Prince Francois of Orléans, Prince de Joinville, and Princess Francisca of Brazil.   She married Prince Robert, Duke of Chartres in 1863.

Oops
[The Duchess of Chartres did not die on March 27, 1898.  She died on October 28, 1925.  So who died on this day:  the duchess' mother,  Princess Francisca, the Princess de Joinville, who died at Paris on March 27, 1898.]

No room at the Inn for Belgian queen

March 27, 1920

Queen Elisabeth of Belgium arrived tonight in Fontainebleau, France, "to arrange the opening of her villa," on the outskirts of the city.  She decided that it "would be more practical" to spend the night in a hotel, and head to her villa tomorrow morning.

The New York Times reports that the wife of King Albert rented a cottage in Fontainebleau for several weeks.

Unfortunately, all available hotel rooms were already booked, and Queen Elisabeth "was forced to drive to her villa." She will spend the night on a camp bed, as the staff had not yet readied a bedroom her her.

Fontainebleau hoteliers are "desolate with the thought that they denied hospitality to the Queen."   The good-natured Elisabeth told one of her ladies-in-waiting: "It reminds me of the Autumn of 1914, when we were really homeless."

Unhappy Princess Viktoria Luise: Oh Fugger!

Marlene A Eilers Koenig Collection



March 28, 1912

The Chicago Daily Tribune has learned on "indisputable authority" that Princess Viktoria Luise of Prussia, only daughter of Kaiser Wilhelm II, is the "unhappy heroine" in a story of a true love romance.

Princess Viktoria Luise, 19, "feel deeply in love" with the hereditary Count Georg Fugger von Babenhausen, a lieutenant in the elite gardes du corps in Potsdam. 
The Fugger von Babenhausen family originated in Bavaria and was once one of the wealthiest princely families in Europe.

The affection was said to be mutual, but the princess soon learned that a marriage would be impossible due to the difference in rank, and because the "Fuggers are devout Roman Catholics."

As a result of her family's determination to end the relationship, the Princess has "succumbed to a distressing attack of nervous prostration," and has removed herself from the rest of the court season.

As soon as the season ended, Viktoria Luise's parents decided to send her to St. Moritz with her brother, the Crown Princes, and his wife, in the hope that she would forget about her count, and enjoy the Swiss winter sports.  But the "cure"  was not a "complete success." 

It has now been decided that the princess will not remain in Germany with her mother, but instead, she will accompany her father on his Mediterranean and Corfu sojourn.

As the Kaiser's only daughter, Princess Viktoria Luise has been the subject of numerous matrimonial rumors, but her own "personal preference" for the Hereditary Count Fugger has been oft-reported in the German press.

It has been stated "with positiveness" that she was going to marry the hereditary Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, but this report was officially denied.  The Princess has also been linked with the heir to the British throne, the Prince of Wales.

Princess Viktoria Luise is said to have a "charming personality," and there is much sympathy for her dilemma.

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A conundrum for a Princess

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/features/9167378/How-do-you-solve-a-problem-like-Princess-Beatrice.html

Monday, March 26, 2012

The look of love

Credit: Gerry Images.



The look of love: the Prince of Wales and his "darling wife" Camilla during an official engagement today in Copenhagen.  They do make a great team ... and oh, that purple suit is to die for ..

the funeral of Princess Maria Anna of Saxony

The funeral of Princess Maria Anna of Saxony, who died on March 13 at the age of 82, was held on Saturday at the Sankt Maria Thalkirchen in Munich.

A requiem funeral mass was celebrated by six priests.  The princess was laid to rest in the Ostfriedhof cemetery in Munich.

The mourners included the late Princess' three sons, Prince Alexander, the heir to the headship of the royal house of Saxony,  Prince Friedrich Wilhelm and Prince Karl August and their families."

Prince Alexander of Saxon-Gessaphe said: "A wonderful wife, dear mother and grandmother of six grandchildren, is now with God."

HRH Princess Maria Anna of Saxony, a granddaughter of the last King of Saxony, died from heart disease.

http://www.bild.de/regional/dresden/bestattung/beerdigung-der-prinzessin-von-sachsen-23333678.bild.html

Oh dear, more trouble for Iñaki

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/soninlaw-of-spanish-king-stole-millions-of-euros-of-public-money-7578183.html

Princess Beatrice gets a royal duty

Princess Beatrice of York, elder daughter of the Duke of York and Sarah, Duchess of York, will accompany the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh to York for Maundy Thursday service.

http://www.thediamondjubilee.org/royal-maundy-service-york-minster-and-visit-york-5-april-2012

what a sweet little princess






Sunday, March 25, 2012

Lord Brabourne walks with his son, Nicholas

A new story on Lord Brabourne and the Hon. Nicholas Knatchbull, whose appearance shows the years of drug use.   Lord Brabourne is also Lord Romsey, the secondary title for the Mountbatten earldom.  However, as he is a peer in his own right, the Romsey courtesy title is not used.  His children are styled as children of barons, thus Nicholas and Alexandra are Honourables.

So what happens to the Romsey and Brabourne titles when Lord Brabourne inherits his mother's earldom.  He will cease to be styled as Lord Brabourne.  He also can decide to style his son as Lord Brabourne, and not as Lord Romsey.  This will not make Nicholas a peer in his own right, as his father would remain the actual Baron Brabourne.  There is a precedent for this.

The present Duke of Fife is also the Earl of Southesk.  He inherited the dukedom from his maternal aunt, Princess Arthur of Connaught.  He succeeded his father as Earl of Southesk.  The courtesy title for the Fife dukedom is Earl of Macduff, which was how the Duke of Fife's son was styled until the death of the Earl of Southesk.  Not long afterward, the Duke of Fife announced that his son would be styled as the Earl of Southesk, which meant that the Earl's eldest son became Lord Carnegie, the second title for the Southesk earldom.   The Duke remains the actual earl.  Should the Fife title become extinct, the Southesk earldom would be revived as there are collateral line descendants to this title.

This is a similar situation to the Mountbatten earldom and Brabourne barony.  Lord Brabourne will inherit both titles, but the earldom will take precedence.  The earldom's succession is limited to the daughters of the first earl and their male issue.  This means that if the Hon. Nicholas Knatchbull does not marry and have sons, the title will eventually pass to the Hon. Philip Knatchbull's line, as he has two sons by his second wife.  The second son, Michael-John, is the father of a daughter.  

This is the same path for the Brabourne barony as it is a male line only barony, but it has other lines of eligible male heirs.  The Mountbatten earldom's succession is limited to the two daughters of Lord Mountbatten and their male heirs.  Ashley Hicks is the last in the line of succession to this earldom.  He is the father of two daughters. 

Should the 3rd Earl Mountbatten of Burma follow the precedent of the Duke of Fife,  the Romsey title will probably not be used.   The heir apparent will be Baron Brabourne.  The heir apparent's eldest son cannot also be styled as a Baron.


Broadlands opens to the public this summer after several years of major restoration.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2119406/Strolling-father-tattooed-ex-drug-addict-heir-100m-Mountbatten-fortune.html

Friday, March 23, 2012

Archduke Josef Ferdinand charged with slurring Nazis

March 23, 1938

Archduke Josef Ferdinand of Austria was arrested earlier today at Mondsee, near Salzburg, and charged with "insulting the Nazi regime of greater Germany."

According to an United Press report, based on Nazi sources, the archduke  "had made insulting remarks to villagers of Mondsee."   But when he was arrested he tried to deny the remarks.

The archduke, 65, lives at Mondsee.  He is a son of the late Grand Duke Ferdinando IV of Tuscany and Princess Alice of Bourbon-Parma. 

During the World war,  Archduke Josef Ferdinand served as a colonel general in the Austro-Hungarian war.   

It is not known how long the archduke will be held by the Nazis.

The archduke succeeded his father as head of the house on January 17, 1908.  Although he was the second son, Josef Ferdinand became the heir after his brother, Archduke Leopold, renounced his rights in 1902, when he took the name Leopold Wölfing. 

Archduke Josef Ferdinand gave up his position as the de jure Grand Duke of Tuscany, when he married in 1921 Rosa Kaltenbrunner, a commoner.  He was succeeded by his youngest brother, Archduke Peter Ferdinand who was married to Princess Maria Cristina of Bourbon-Two Sicilies.

Judges go to the palace in the Elena Sanz affair

March 23, 1908

The judges in the Elena Sanz affair called at the palace in Madrid today to hear "take the evidence" of Queen Mother Maria Cristina, according to an Associated Press. 

Sanz was a Spanish actress who was involved in a relationship with King Alfonso XII.  The late king fathered her two sons.   These two children are now suing the late king's heirs "for an annuity which they claim was left to their mother by the King and which was to revert after death to them."

Queen Maria Cristina told the judges that two days after the death of her husband, that the chief of the Royal Household was told that Elena Sanz "had in her possession certain letters from the late King."    The publication of these letters would "cause a scandal."

Elena Sanz was willing to give up the letters for $15,000.  The Queen trusted Sanz' representative, who received $1000 for his services in the matter.   The letters were said to be destroyed. 

The present suit of Elena Sanz's children is "based entirely upon the letters identical with those which the Queen paid to have burned."

The case will go before Spanish Supreme Court.

Thursday, March 22, 2012

Royal marriage: Schleswig-Holstein-Saxe-Coburg

Embed from Getty Images 

 March 22, 1898

Kaiser Wilhelm II has finally given his consent to the marriage to his brother-in-law, Ernst Gunther, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein, to Princess Dorothea of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.  The consent was given only after the personal intervention by Austrian Emperor Franz Joseph, reports the Marquise de Fontenoy.

The consent also requires that the Princess, 17, will have to move in with her future mother-in-law, the Dowager Duchess Adelheid of Schleswig-Holstein, "who lives in the strictest kind of retirement."

Princess Dorothea, strictly speaking, finds herself without a home.  The situation she is now in at age 17 "is sufficient to excite the pity of even the most worldly and hard-hearted."

She accompanied her mother to Nice, and remained with her "until the scandal caused by Princess Louise with her chamberlain necessitated a duel between the latter and her father, Prince Philipp of Coburg."




Princess Louise's behavior meant that her daughter could no longer live with her, even if she wished to stay with her.  But Princess Dorothea did not "relish the ostracism and the slights" to which her mother was "naturally subjected" by royal personages and even "ordinary society" in the South of France.

Princess Dorothea was ordered back to Vienna.  She could not stay with her father, Prince Philipp, "the most dissolute and disreputable of all the royal princes in Europe."   He is seen as the man most responsible not only for his wife's ruin but also for "that of his brother-in-law, Crown Prince Rudolf of Austria," playing the role of Mephistopheles to the Faust of the Archduke."

Nor could the young princess be sent to live with her maternal grandparents, the King and Queen of the Belgians.  King Leopold II and Queen Marie Henriette are estranged, and the King himself is as "great a reprobate as his son-in-law."   Marie Henriette is known to be a dipsomaniac.   

Dorothea's maternal grandmother, Princess Clementine, is said to be near death, as is her maternal aunt, Crown Princess Stephanie.

Kaiser Wilhelm II is said to have taken "a fancy" to Princess Dorothea, and will rely upon to her get Ernst Gunther "to settle down into a respectable citizen." It was his idea that she should live with Duchess Adelheid until after the wedding.

This offer was "cheerfully accepted" by the  Princess as well as by her father's family, as it offers a "very satisfactory solution to a singularly embarrassing situation."

Kaiser Wilhelm and his wife, Auguste Viktoria, hope that the influence of Duchess Adelheid and her unmarried daughter, Princess Feodora, will provide an antidote to "the shocking example of moral degradation," that Princess Dorothea has witnessed since her childhood.   Her future mother-in-law and sister-in-law will also help effect her conversion from Roman Catholicism to the Lutheran church, the faith professed by her husband and his family.

Princess Dorothea has been accustomed to great wealth, as both her parents have private fortunes in their own right.   Life in Dresden will be very different.  The widowed Dowager Duchess and her daughter live in a small villa on the outskirts of the city.  They have limited means, and most of their time is spent doing charitable work.  From time to time, they are invited to dinners or dances given by the King and Queen of Saxony, by Prince and Princess Georg, or their married children.

Duchess Adelheid is the daughter of Queen Victoria's older half-sister, Princess Feodora.  She lived with the Queen and the Prince Consort until she reached her majority. as a young Princess, she fell in love with Napoleon III and planned to marry him, but the Prince Consort persuades his wife to veto the marriage.  Instead, she was married to the "intensely dull and stupid Duke of Schleswig-Holstein.

if you liked this article, perhaps you can buy me a coffee  





For about the lives of Princess Feodora, Victoria's half-sister, and her family, please read Harald Albert's Queen Victoria's Sister.    This book was published in 1967 in the United Kingdom.

Princess Anita de Braganca to remarry

March 22, 1946

Princess Anita de Braganca and Lewis Gouverneur Morris today obtained a marriage license in New Rochelle, New York, reports the Associated Press.  They will be married at St. Ann's Church in New York City on April 10.

Mr. Morris is a former Wall Street banker.  His future wife is the widow of Prince Miguel de Braganca, son of Dom Miguel, pretender to the Portuguese throne, and grandson of King Miguel, who ruled Portugal from 1923-1934.

The former Anita Rhinelander Stewart and Prince Miguel were married at Tulloch, Scotland, in 1909.  Prince Miguel died in 1923.

Princess Anita divides her time between New York City and Newport, Rhode Island.  Mr. Morris is a descendant of Lewis Morris, one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence.  His first wife, Nathalie Lorillard Bailey, died several years ago.


Prince Louis of Monaco rebukes son-in-law

March 22, 1936

Prince Louis of Monaco has revoke the guardianship "conferred upon Prince Pierre upon his divorce" from Prince Louis's daughter, Princess Charlotte.

Prince Pierre has lost custody of his daughter, Princess Antoinette, due a "reported dispute" between them. 

The custody agreement, drawn up by the late Raymond Poincaré, at the time of the divorce of Princess Charlotte and Prince Pierre,  arranged for Princess Antoinette and her younger brother, Prince Rainier, to spend six months of each year with their father, and six months with Prince Louis.

Two weeks ago,  the six months time with Prince Louis was over, and Princess Antoinette returned to her father's home in Paris.  But only one week later, the Princess was back on Monaco.  All sorts of rumors began to fly about the principality.

There were reports that the Princess was kidnapped by her grandfather or that she had runaway from her father "because he objected to her manner of life."

It turns out that the second story was true.  The Monaco court issued a statement tonight saying that Princess Antoinette "had appealed for her grandfather's protection."

Mourners set for Queen Louise's funeral

March 22, 1926

King Haakon VII, King Gustav V and "probably the Prince of Wales" will attend the funeral of the Dowager Queen Louise, who died two days ago from heart disease, "super induced by pneumonia," according to the Associated Press.

King Christian X is "deeply affected" by his mother's death.   Earlier today, while walking from his palace to "to that of the Dowager Queen," he met several press photographers.  He shook their hands and said: "This is the home of my childhood, which now disappears."

Countess Bug

Marlene A Eilers Koenig Collection


March 23, 1908

King Friedrich August III of Saxony has conferred the title Countess Bug on the morganatic wife of his "particular friend and crony" Prince Friedrich of Schönburg-Waldenburg, who is the former son-in-law of Don Carlos, pretender to the Spanish throne.

Prince Friedrich is a member of a mediatized princely house, and, according to the Marquise de Fontenoy, "cannot wed on a footing of equality, save with royalty, or with members of other mediatized houses."

Several weeks ago, he married Franziska Maison von Lobenstein, a member of the "petty nobility" of Austria.    The couple was married on November 19, 1907, at Bamberg in a ceremony performed by that city's archbishop.  Pope Pius X also sent the newlyweds a special blessing.

But because the bride is not equal to her husband, the marriage is morganatic, and she cannot share his title or his rank.  But now she is the Countess Bug in her own right, bestowed on her by the King of Saxony.

The decree creating this title also "provides that the children born on this union shall be little Bugs," but "they will have to content themselves with mere baronial rank."  The mother's title is for her life only, and will not be inherited by her children.

The name Bug comes from an "extremely picturesque village" near Bamburg, where Prince Friedrich owns a "handsome chateau," which will become his primary residence.

Prince Friedrich's first wife was Princess Alice of Bourbon.  Pope Pius X, as the Archbishop of Venice, had officiated at the wedding in 1897.  The marriage was unhappy. Princess Alice was described as extravagant, and her behavior was seen as scandalous.  She and her husband had settled in Dresden, and her behavior was a source of scandal at the court.  Even the Crown Princess of Saxony was said to be shocked.  This was before the Crown Princess ran off with her children's tutor and then married the pianist Enrico Toselli.

Princess Alice ran off with an Italian cavalry officer, Lieut. Lino de Prete.  She left a note for her husband telling him that he was not the father of her six-month-old son.   For this reason, the marriage was dissolved by the Supreme Court of Saxony and then annulled on the "canonical grounds that she had been forced against her will into the marriage" with Prince Friedrich by her father, Don Carlos.

Princess Alice then married her cavalry officer in civil and ecclesiastical services.  She and her husband now live in Naples.

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Sophie's dowry approved


Embed from Getty Images
March 20, 1962

The Greek parliament today approved a $300,000 tax-free dowry for Princess Sophie of Greece, reports the New York Times.

Princess Sophie will be married in Athens on May 14 to Don Juan Carlos, the son of the Count of Barcelona, the pretender to the Spanish throne.

The bill was passed by a show of hands.  Two parties, the Union of the Center and the Pro-Communist United Democratic Left, abstained from the voting.

Opposition leaders "denounced the practice of granting dowries and anachronistic and barbarous."  The debate over the dowry gave the "Opposition an occasion to voice strong criticism of the royal family and court officials."

Yugoslav wedding date is set

March 20, 1922

The marriage of King Alexander of Yugoslavia and Princess Marie of Romania will take place in the middle of July, according to the Associated Press, which received its information from government sources.

The wedding was originally scheduled for May, but May is "popularly regarded in Serbia as an unlucky month."  The King is not superstitious, but "was obliged to defer to the general idea.

The date was then moved to June 4, but the Patriarch pointed out that this "was a period of fasting for the church.  Another family meeting was held and King Alexander and Princess Marie's family agreed to move the wedding to mid-July.

The Yugoslav people are said to be delighted with the match, and see the marriage as a "step in the right direction of peace in the Balkans."

Workers are rushing to get the Royal Palace in Belgrade ready in time to accommodate the royal guests. 

The King and his new bride will probably honeymoon on the Dalmatian coast.

A daughter for the Victor Napoleons

March 20, 1912

Princess Victor Napoleon, daughter of the late King Leopold II of the Belgians, gave birth to a daughter this evening, according to the New York Times.

Bags of soil was brought from France to the Brussels home of the exiled Prince Victor Napoleon  so "that the child might be born on French soil."

A son would have obtained the "political inheritance."  It had also been asserted that if the Princess had given birth to a prince, Empress Eugenie would have settled a "large fortune" on the child to "help him support the imperialist cause."

Princess Victor Napoleon, although a Belgian, shares her husband's dream of a "Napoleonic restoration."

Princess Clementine of Belgium and Prince Victor Napoleon were married on November 24, 1910.  They had been in love for years, but the late King Leopold II would not agree to a marriage.  He died on December 23, 1909.   The marriage took place "as soon after that event as was considered fitting."

Princess Estelle's baptism

HRH Princess Estelle Silvia Ewa Mary of Sweden will be baptized on May 22 at the Slottskyrkan.  The names of the godparents have not been announced, but it is a good guess that the infant princess will have four godparents.  Crown Princess Victoria and her siblings all have four godparents each.

My predictions:   The Prince of Orange, Crown Princess Mary of Denmark,  Anna Westling and Prince Carl Philip.

The Prince of Orange is the most obvious choice. One of King Carl XVI Gustaf's godmothers was the late Queen Juliana (they shared a birthdate).   Queen Beatrix is Victoria's godmother.  Victoria is one of Princess Amalia's  godmother.  (King Carl XVI Gustaf is not one of of Willem-Alexander's godparents.)

One of Princess Amalia's names is Victoria in honor of her godmother.  Thus, Mary is likely to honor Crown Princess Mary of Denmark.

Two days before the Swedish baptism,  the infant daughter of Prince Joachim and Princess Marie will be baptised at the Mogeltonder church.  No predictions on the names, although it is likely the princess will have four names.  One will be Francoise (for her maternal grandmother) as the princess's brother, Henrik, has the name Alain for his maternal grandfather.)

I am not sure what the first name will be, but Thyra would be nice.  However, I expect the other three names to be Margrethe Francoise Odile.

Peter Phillips has left his job at RSB

Peter Phillips, son of the Princess Royal, has left his job at the Royal Bank of Scotland.  He chose to leave before the next round of job cuts, knowing that his position was on line.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2116388/Exit-Royal-Banker-Scotland-Peter-Phillips-quits-RBS.html

Peter's wife, Autumn, is expecting their second child.  They have a 15-month old daughter Savannah.

Monday, March 19, 2012

Prince Eugen engaged to a Duchess of Württemberg

March 19, 1898

A report from Rome to the Chicago Daily Tribune notes that Prince Eugen, the youngest son of King Oscar V of Sweden, is engaged to Duchess Olga of Württemberg.

Prince Eugen, known as the " 'Red Prince' for his predilection for red colors,"  is an artist of "no mean ability."  He is "extremely democratic in his ways," mixes easily with brother artists, and lives a very bohemian life.

He has a "large fortune of his own, " and Duchess Olga is one of the "wealthiest princesses in Europe."  Her mother is the former Grand Duchess Vera of Russia.   Her father,  Duke Wilhelm, died in January 1877, less than eleven months after Olga's birth.  She has an older sister, Duchess Elsa, who married in Prince Albrecht of Schaumburg-Lippe in 1897.

Prince Eugen is in Rome.  The princess and her mother are also there, and King Oscar "is expected shortly."

Members of the Swedish royal family have been "fortunate in their matrimonial experiences."  Prince Oscar Bernadotte, "the reputed evangelist," is married to his mother's maid of honor, but all the other princes of the royal house have followed the "old Quaker advice: It is just as easy to love a girl with money as without any," as all of the princes have married princesses with fortunes, but none are beauties.

Helen's brother pleads her case

March 19, 1932

Princess Helen, the former wife of King Carol II, has received the support of her older brother, the exiled King George II of the Hellenes. He left Florence, Italy, earlier tonight, and is traveling to Bucharest to "try to induce King Carol to induce a more liberal financial allowance" on the former Queen.

According to the Associated Press,  "persons close to the former Grecian royal family" said King George "planned a thorough discussion of the matter."  There are also reports that a "reconciliation between Carol and Helen" might take place.

No engagement for King Manoel

March 19, 1912

The family of Princess Elisabeth of Braganza are denying reports that she is engaged to marry exiled King Manoel II of Portugal.

The 18-year-old princess is finishing her education in a convent.  She is the daughter of Dom Miguel, who, according to a Marconi transatlantic wireless telegraph to the New York Times, is currently traveling with other members of his family.

Bulletin: Tosellis may separate

March 19, 1908

There are reports in Berlin of "trouble between the Countess Montignoso, formerly the Crown Princess of Saxony, and her pianist husband," according to the New York Times.

These reports are confirmed in a letter from the Countess to a friend of hers in London.   This friend states authoritatively that "while a divorce is not imminent there is every likelihood of a separation."

The marital problems began when the former Austrian archduchess "refused an offer tour America with her husband."

Mr. Toselli is now "filling various professional engagements on the Continent."  His wife rarely travels with him.

Royal death: Prince Alexander of Liechtenstein

Prince Alexander of Liechtenstein on March 16 in Rosegg, Austria.  He was 82 years old.   

Prince Alexander was a well respected member of the Rosegg community.  Mayor  Franz Richau recalled that " Several decades ago, Prince Alexander of Liechtenstein moved the family's timber operations from the Karawanken to Rosegg.  Afterward, he and his family moved into Schloss Rosegg, and were not only highly respected but also very popular citizens.  They proved to be an essential economic factor to the community."

Schloss Rosegg has been owned by Prince Alexander's family since 1831.  The castle and estate is seen as thriving estate, which includes a wax museum,animal park and a labyrinth.  The castle attracts between 70,000-80,000 people annually.

"Prince Alexander of Liechtenstein has laid the foundation for a thriving business in our community, creating many jobs for the community," the mayor said.

"The family name now lives on with his sons.  One is a doctor in Villach, another is in the diplomatic service.  Prince Emanuel will continue to successfully run the estate in Rosegg," the mayor said.

Prince Alexander Friedrich Manfred Maria of Liechtenstein was born at Vienna on May 12, 1929.  He was the eldest child of Prince Alfred of Liechtenstein and Countess Polixena von Collato und San Salvatore. 

On January 7, 1961,  Prince Alexander married  Princess Josephine of Löwenstein-Wertheim Rosenberg.  He is survived by his widow and three sons, Prince Christian (1961), Prince Stefan(1961) and Prince Emanuel (1964), and eleven grandchildren.

Prince Stefan serves as Liechtenstein's Ambassador to Germany.   His twin brother, Prince Christian is the doctor, who has a practice in Villach. 

http://www.regierung.li/index.php?id=170

All three sons have made dynastic marriages.  Christian and his twin brother, Stefan, are married to Countess Marie-Christine of Waldenburg-Zeil-Hohenhems and Countess Florentine von Thun und Hohenstein, respectively.  Prince Emanuel is married to Countess Alexandra Kalnoky de Köröpatakm whose sister, Ilona, is married to Prince Ferdinand of Hohenzollern, youngest brother of the present head of the House, Prince Karl Friedrich.

Princess Josephine is a sister of the present Prince of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg.
The funeral will take place on March 24 at the Pfarrkirche in Rosegg, followed by a private burial in the town's cemetery.
http://www.rosegg.at/index.html


http://www.kleinezeitung.at/kaernten/villachland/rosegg/2974502/rosegg-herrscht-trauer-um-prinz-liechtenstein.story

Sunday, March 18, 2012

Update: The King of Tonga has died

It has been confirmed by the Tonga government that the King of Tonga died earlier today in a Hong Kong Hospital.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/royalty-obituaries/9151791/His-Majesty-King-George-Tupou-V-of-Tonga.html

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10793035

Uncomfirmed reports: King of Tonga has died

This is UNCONFIRMED but reliable sources in Tonga have reported that the King George Tupou V of Tonga died earlier today in a Hong Kong hospital.  

This report has not been confirmed by Tongan government sources.  The heir to the throne is the king's brother, Crown Prince Tupouto'a Lavaka, who was at his brother's side when he died, according to the report.

 The King was unmarried.

http://matangitonga.to/2012/03/18/death-king-george-tupou-v-reported

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jYXx7DXfIG-_8So_58AyAFJ5LByw?docId=CNG.05c3b6ca0ada9e66b7fb77d3fff34bd6.841

Saturday, March 17, 2012

Princess Thyra vs the mistress

credit: Desiree Nick
A Berlin regional court has ruled that Princess Thyra of Hanover cannot state that entertainer Desiree Nick, 55, was not her husband's mistress.  At a book launch in April 2011,  Desiree Nick presented herself as Prince Heinrich of Hannover's mistress.  

Prince Heinrich was in Potsdam for the launch of his firm's book, Kaiser Kinder.

Princess Thyra, who has been married to Prince Heinrich, the younger brother of Prince Ernst August since 1999, disagreed with Nick's comments, saying that the comments were staged, and she sued Desiree for libel.   She lost the case.  Prince Heinrich also failed in an attempt to see an injunction against Desiree's comments about their former relationship.

The new court ruling forbids Princess Thyra from contradicting Desiree Nick's statements about her relationship with Prince Heinrich.  

The court ruling acknowledged that "it is undisputed that the plaintiff had a relationship with the Prince, which no longer exists." 

Desiree Nick was jubilant after the ruling was announced.   This case was about "the restoration of my credibility.  The statements of the princess are an attack on my livelihood.  I am the one feeding our son."

Prince Heinrich is the father of Desiree's 15-year-old son, Oskar, although he does not maintain a relationship with his son.  He did not accept paternity until several years after Oskar's birth, and Desiree forced the issue.

Princess Thyra will face a fine of 250,000 Euros if she chooses to publicly contradict Desiree Nick's statements about her relationship with Prince Heinrich.

http://www.bz-berlin.de/tatorte/gericht/justiz-fall-desir-e-nick-und-der-prinz-article1413188.html

http://www.bild.de/regional/hannover/desiree-nick/peinliche-buch-premiere-von-prinz-heinrich-17305848.bild.html

Princess Paola Sapieha marries her prince

Princess Paola Sapieha-Rozanski and Prince Constantin "Tinko" Czetwertynski were married earlier this week in a civil ceremony in Brussels, Belgium.

Paola, a model, and Tinko, a photographer, want to divide their time between Brazil, where London-born Paola was raised, and Paris, where Tinko has been based.  He was born and raised in Brussels.

Only 12 guests were at the wedding  Princess Paola wore a traditional white dress designed by Lanvin.

The bride's mother, Princess Maria Cristina of Orleans-Braganca was unable to attend the wedding.  Princess Paola and Prince Constantin plan to have a large party next year in Petropolis and Paraty.

Princess Paola is the daughter of Princess Maria Cristina of Orleans-Braganca, and her former husband, Prince Jan Pawel Sapieha-Rozanski.

Prince Constantin is the younger son of Prince Michael Swiatolpolk-Czetwertynski and his first wife, Kristina Sigurdsson.

http://colunas.revistaepoca.globo.com/brunoastuto/2012/03/14/o-casamento-secreto-dos-principes/

Friday, March 16, 2012

The Duke of Connaught to attend funeral

March 16, 1892

The Duke of Connaught left Paris at 8:00 this morning by train to attend the funeral of the late Duke of Hesse and by Rhine, according to the Court Circular.

The funeral will take place at Darmstadt.  The Duke of Connaught, who is representing his mother, Queen Victoria, will return to Paris on Friday.  He will not be accompanied by the Duchess of Connaught, who will remain at the Hotel Liverpool in Paris.

The Duke of Cumberland

March 16, 1832

The Duke of Cumberland is "indisposed with a cold, accompanied by a fever," reports the Court Circular.  He is recuperating at his "residence at Kew."

An official medical bulletin was released: "His Royal Highness the Duke of Cumberland has passed a good night and is almost free from fever."

Duchess of Edinburgh brings the kids to Grandmamma

March 16, 1886

The Duchess of Edinburgh and her children have spent the past few days visiting the Queen at Windsor Castle.  They left the castle earlier today and returned to London by Great Western Train, reports the Court Circular.

the Duke d'Abruzzi not engaged to American

March 16, 1906

The Italian court today issued an official denial of an engagement between the Duke of the Abruzzi, a cousin of King Victor Emanuele, and Miss Katherine Elkins, daughter of Senator Elkins of West Virginia.

The New York Times reports that the Duke plans to be in Rome on March 28 to attend a lecture by the Prince of Monaco on oceanography.  He is now the commander of the Regina Elena, a battleship, and is expected to be promoted to Rear Admiral.

A million visitors for Royal Musings!!!!

Earlier today, one visitor -- don't know who or where -- became the one millionth visitor to Royal Musings since I began the blog in July 2008.  Thank you, whoever you are!  You could be one of my daily or weekly readers or even a newbie who stumbled across the blog through a search engine or a link.

I am glad you came!  Come back!  Browse through the older posts (and the photos are back, at least most of them -- that was a painstakingly painful process!)

I know there are blogs that get millions of hits each day or each week.  But there are also bloggers who will never hit one million visitors.  I am not bragging, but I am chuffed to bits! 

I am going to London in late May for a week -- yes, for the Diamond Jubilee -- so please, please use the Amazon links to shop (especially the US Amazon.)  You can get almost anything, even porn, through Amazon.  It doesn't cost you anything extra, but for every purchase made through one of my links or through my Amazon search boxes, I earn a percentage of the sale.  The money comes from Amazon!  More sales each month, a higher percent for me. 

My goal, perhaps too lofty, is to earn $1000 through Amazon between now and June.  That will cover a good chunk of my hotel.  In order for that to happen, you must go through my links.  Help share Amazon's profits with me!

Thanks so much!   Thanks for reading Royal Musings!

Thursday, March 15, 2012

The Prince of Starhemberg, dead at 56

March 15, 1956

Ernst Rüdiger, Prince of Starhemberg, a "solder-politician who played an active part in turning the clerical Fascist Government of Chancellor Engelbert Dollfuss into a dictatorship in 1932," died from a heart attack today. He was stricken while walking at the Hotel Montafon at Schruns in Vorarlberg, Austria.   He was 56 years old, according to the New York Times.

Although the 7th Prince of Starhemberg was "too young to see action in World War I, he retained the Starhemberg estates, and "his illustrious name" allowed him to "indulge his taste for political adventure."

He was an early supporter of National Socialism in Germany and took part with Adolf Hitler in the "abortive beer-hall putsch in Munich in 1922.  He preferred his own vision of Austro-Fascism.

"We have much in common with the Nazis, and "we are equally enemies of democracy and have many of the same ideas about economic reconstruction.  But we in the Heimwehr stand for Austrian independence and support of the Catholic Church and object to the exaggerated racial theories of the Nazis and to their scheme for a semi-pagan German national religion."

The Heimwehr grew out of the Prince's army of "800 retainers on his estate." When his own personal funds dwindled due to the purchase of weapons and other materiel, he received funding from Benito Mussolini.

After Hitler came to power, Dolfuss' Christian Socialist Government and the Social Democrats "were anxious to preserve Austrian independence."

Mussolini was anxious to maintain a weak Austria "to a strong Germany on his northern border."  He said he would back Dollfuss if he "destroy the Social Democratic movement."

The Prince's Heimwehr played a major role in destroying the Social Democratic Party.  After four days of crushing battles, the Social Democratic Party was banned, and Austrian turned more authoritarian.

The Heimwehr also help defeat the "Nazi putsch" where Dollfuss was assassinated in 1934.  

Prince Starhemberg should have emerged stronger from this political event, but Mussolini chose to become one of Hitler's allies.  This may have had something to do with Prince's private life.  In 1928, he had married Countess Marie Elisabeth of Salm-Reifferscheid-Reitz, but the marriage was childless.   He fell in love with Nora Gregor, a leading actress at Vienna's Burgtheater, who gave birth to his son, Heinrich Rüdiger Gregor on October 4, 1934.

In 1935, the prince sought to have his marriage annulled because his wife could not give him a child.  The suit was rejected.   He resigned from the Austrian cabinet in 1936 and again applied for the annulment, this time with the support of his wife.  The annulment was granted in November 1937.  On December 4, 1937, the Prince of Starhemberg and Nora Gregor were married.  Their son became the Prince's legitimate heir.

Hitler's march in Austria in March 1938 changed the Prince of Starhemberg's life forever. He no longer could depend on the Heimwehr, or his own political astuteness to survive.  His new wife was "of Jewish descent."

In May 1938, the Nazis advocated the confiscation of the Prince's thirteen castles and 20,000 acres of forestry.  One official Nazi newspaper wrote:  "His property should be taken from him because he is unworthy to hold such huge properties in Germany.  Nobody in his family is capable of handling them for him as his mother is a fervent Clerical and his brothers are no better than the prince."
The family fled to France.  In November 1938, the Prince and Princess were in Paris, looking for work, and, according to the New York Times, "were considering emigrating to the United States."  They were living in a "modest hotel" with their son.  The princess had "the prospect of a movie engagement."

After the second world war broke out, the Prince "offered to form an Austrian regiment to fight Hitler."  He received a commission as a lieutenant in the Free French forces.

"I have hopes that the French government will give me permission to recruit a regiment among the Austrians in these camps who are ready to fight for France," he told reporters at the time of the commission.  

Not long afterward, in October 1939, the German Reich announced that the prince was one of eleven "German emigrants" whose citizenship was stripped, and property confiscated.


This decision did not sit well with the British House of Commons, and as the criticism grew more intense, Prince Starhemberg was sent in early 1941 to the Belgian Congo.    Colonel Josiah Wedgewood, a Labor member of the House of Commons was indignant when he heard about the commission.  "You allow a scoundrel like that to fight for democracy? Is it not rather indecent that this man who assassinated democracy in Austria should now be allowed to fight on our side and should be paid by us in a war for democracy and against all that Prince von Starhemberg stood for?"

Princess Starhemberg and their young son were already in Buenos Aires, Argentina, when the Prince arrived in June 1942. 

After the end of the war,  the Prince of Starhemberg sought to return to Austria, but the Social Democratic Party sought charges of high treason again him.  In July 1949, he told a reporter from United Press that he was willing to return to Austria to face the charges of high treason if he could be guaranteed a fair trial.  He denied that he was guilty of the charges.

"Whatever my mistakes, I can proudly claim that I saved Austrian independence for five years, from 1933 to 1938, in my long fight against Hitler."

This was based on "any person in a leading or influential position who has undertaken with the material support of foreign powers anything which has contributed to the destruction of democracy in Austria, or the heirs of such a person."

Although the prince was not specifically named in the new legislation, it was inferred by the Socialists that the Prince, "at the instigation of Mussolini, helped to overthrow democracy in Austria and pave the way for the Nazis."

Two months later, the Austrian Parliament reached a compromise with the Prince.  The new decision allowed the Government to appoint a "public administrator to take charge of the property of any person who is under suspicion of having acted treasonably," which would deny the person of the "benefit of the restitution law until his case has been cleared up."

Thus, no real action was taken on the prince's case. His primary residence remained in Buenos Aires, and his Austrian properties remained in "public hands."

A Vienna court in October 1953 ruled that the Prince would not be tried for treason.  On July 8, 1954,  Austria's highest court, the Constitutional Court ruled that the confiscated estates were to be returned to the Prince.   The court ruled that the two laws passed in 1952 that barred the prince from regaining his estates because he was suspected of high treason were unconstitutional. 
The ruling stated: "The annulment is a victory for the constitutional state, in which all citizens are equal before the law."

The Prince of Starhemberg returned to live in Austria in December 1955.
The Princess of Starhemberg died of a heart attack on January 24, 1949, in Santiago, Chile.    The Prince of Starhemberg is survived by his son, who succeeds him as the Prince of Starhemberg.

[Heinrich never married.  He died on January 30, 1997, in Buenos Aires.  He was succeeded by his first cousin once removed, Prince Georg Adam, who was born in 1961.  Georg Adam is the son of Prince Franz of Starhemberg (1933-1995), the third child of Prince Georg Adam of Starhemberg (1904-1978), younger brother of Prince Ernst Rüdiger.  He married Princess Anna of Isenburg.  The heir is Georg Adam's third child and elder son, Prince Constantin (1992) ]

The Prince of Starhemberg's autobiography:

Between Hitler and Mussolini: Memoirs

A new royal baby

March 15, 1932


The Associated Press reports today that Queen Marie of Romania has been buying baby clothes for a new grandchild. It appears that her youngest daughter, Princess Ileana, who married Archduke Anton of Austria on July 26, 1931, is expecting her first child.

Alexander Zoubkhoff ordered to leave Germany

March 15, 1928

Alexander Zoubkhoff, the "youthful adventurous husband" of Princess Victoria of Schaumburg-Lippe, has been ordered to leave Germany, according to the New York Times.

Zoubkhoff was fined 500 marks for failing to obey passport regulations for foreigners, and the Governor of the Rhineland has ordered his departure from Germany.

Princess Victoria, who lose her German citizenship when she married Zoubkhoff, is not included in the decree as "the police have no charges against her."

The Cologne Tageblatt is reporting that the order cannot be enforced as "the Russian exile" has already left the country, and is said to be en route to the Congo "with a view of recovering from troubles arising from nerve exhaustion.

This decree is seen as a "triumph" for the ruling house of Hohenzollern "since by this means they get rid of an apparently undesirable relative.  Princess Victoria is a younger sister of former Kaiser Wilhelm II.  She is the widow of Prince Adolf of Schaumburg-Lippe.

Princess Victoria is said to be "living quietly" at her villa in Bonn, but "regretting the absence" of her husband.  They were married four months ago.

According to an Associated Press dispatch, Subkhoff left the Schaumburg palace in Bonn yesterday, for Belgium.  It is understood that it was his "intention to arrange passage to the Belgian Congo State," where his uncle, a citizen of Sweden, has a large estate on the Congo river.

Neither he nor his wife were officially informed by the police of the expulsion decree.  He could return to Germany and remain for two weeks, when the "expulsion degree would become effective."

Princess Victoria refused to accept that her husband has been ordered out of the country.  She declared it was "an infamous life," and denied that her husband had "fled secretly."

She also denied that she was seeking a divorce.  "We are perfectly happy together.  Our only desire is to be left alone."

The death of Princess Maria Anna of Saxony


credit: Art Beeche/Eurohistory
HRH Princess Maria Anna Josepha of Saxony died at Munich on March 13.   She was 82 years old.

Princess Maria Anna was the third of five children of Prince Friedrich Christian of Saxony (1893-1968) and Princess Elisabeth Helene of Thurn und Taxis.  She was born December 13, 1929 at Bad Wörishofen.  On May 1, 1953 at Paris, she married Roberto de Afif, a member of prominent Lebanese family.  They had four sons,  Alexander (1954), Friedrich Wilhelm (1955) and Karl August  (1958).  All three sons were born in Mexico where Roberto de Afif, a Maronite Catholic,  grew up.


The succession to the royal house of Saxony is vested in Maria Anna's eldest son, Alexander, who is married to Princess Gisela of Bavaria.   Maria Anna's elder brother, Prince Max Emanuel, Margrave of Meissen, named Alexander as heir after the tragic death of another nephew,   Princess Johannes of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha in August 1987.     (Prince Johannes was the only son of Maria Anna's youngest sister, Mathilde, who was the second wife of Prince Johannes Heinrich of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.  They were divorced in 1993.  Prince Johannes was designated as the Margrave of Meissen's heir after it became apparent that he and his wife, Princess Anastasia of Anhalt, would not be able to have children.  The main Saxon line allows for semi-salic succession, where a princess can pass rights through sons if the marriage was equal. In this case, the de Afif marriage was eventually deemed as equal, and Maria Anna's three sons and grandchildren are styled as Prince or Princess of Sachsen-Gessaphe.

In 1997, the Margrave of Meissen made it official that Alexander would be his heir.  This was done with the approval of the other male dynasts (Prince Albert, Prince Dedo and Prince Gero.)  He officially adopted Alexander on June 1, 1999. It was at this time that the three sons became known as Princes of Sachsen-Gessaphe.

Princess Maria Anna is survived by her three sons and eight grandchildren.  She is also survived by her brothers, Maria Emanuel, Margrave of Meissen and Prince Albert, and two sisters, Princesses Maria Josefa and Mathilde.

Wednesday, March 14, 2012

All she does is eat and sleep

Crown Princess Victoria was recently interviewed by the Swedish newspaper, Aftonbladet, when she was out for a walk with her newborn daughter, Estelle.

Having a baby was a "massive life change," Crown Princess Victoria said.  "I want to have this time for myself, to be with Estelle.  I think it's important to make the most of it and take advantage of this chance to stay home while I can."

She was also thrilled that her baby was born in late winter.  "I'm happy to have a spring baby.  We don't have to put her in winter clothes."

Crown Princess Victoria described motherhood as a "fantastic, wonderful feeling."

Victoria, 34, gave birth to Estelle on February 23.  Sweden provides for a generous maternity leave, which allows for the Crown Princess and every other new mother to stay at home for some time.

The question of the day: should Germany restore the monarchy

discussed in the media, but unlikely to happen ... a good idea though.

Prince Georg Friedrich and Princess Sophie would rock as the head state and consort!

http://www.thelocal.de/society/20120314-41329.html

Pastor Philip Kirill Prinz von Preussen calls for restoration of monarchy

Philip Kirill Prinz von Preussen, a Lutheran pastor, has called for the restoration of the German monarchy.   He told Die Zeit newspaper that the sovereign would be "financially independent" and would not need to accept gifts from friends.  This latter action left to German President Christian Wulff's recent resignation.

"A king is invulnerable to such cases,"  Pastor Prinz von Preussen said.  "Either he would have old family property or an appanage, and it would be beneath his dignity to accept presents from friends."

He added: "And there are no reporters on the level of sniffing around European royal families."

He did consider Roman Herzog and Richard von Weizsäcker to be good examples as German heads of state.  But he added: "This level of words is necessary, but they do not move people inside.  When our hearts are touched, we change.  During the past football World Championships there emerged so much uncomplicated national consequences that nose-wrinkling intellectuals no longer understood their country.

"Emotions are the field on which a royal family can play.  They do not have to think up some program, it goes to the hearts that they are simply there."

Philip Prinz von Preussen acknowledged that the "personal and private lives" of German politicians are seen as private, but the lives of royals are were "legitimately public."

"Of course a king should have a happy marriage.  Of course the heir to the throne should marry."    He also pointed out the joy of royal births.  "When, as now in Sweden, a member of the royal family is born, what a joy goes through the country!  Even the prime minister spoke of a happy day.  The heart has a much more intensive influence than the appeal of the family minister for better framework conditions to combine family and career."


He also said that failed marriages within a royal house can be good because the media "scandalizes bad behavior conducted by royals."  

A royal family, he argued, also provides a country with stability, as they cannot be "thrown out by a vote of confidence or swept from office by their immunity from prosecution being lifted.  That does a country good."

Unfortunately, for Pastor Philip Prinz von Preussen,  he would not be the one put on the throne if German politicians were to vote to restore the monarchy.  He is the eldest son of Prince Friedrich Wilhelm of Prussia and his first wife, the late Waltraud Freytag.  Friedrich Wilhelm is the eldest son of late Prince
Louis Ferdinand of Prussia, who succeeded his father, Crown Prince Wilhelm, as head of the German Imperial family.  
Philip Prinz von Preussen is a pastor in Zehdenick, which is north of Berlin.  He is a great-grandson of Wilhelm II.
Friedrich Wilhelm renounced his rights when he married Philip's mother, a commoner.  The head of the family is Philip's first cousin, Prince Georg Friedrich of Prussia, the only son of the late Prince Louis Ferdinand, Jr., and Countess Donata zu Castell-Rüdenhausen.   Friedrich Wilhelm's second brother,  Prince Michael, also lost his rights when he married a commoner, leaving the succession to the third son, Prince Louis Ferdinand, who died as the result of injuries suffered in a military accident in 1977.
http://www.thelocal.de/national/20120314-41325.html

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

The Grand Duke of Hesse has died



March 13, 1892

Grand Duke Ludwig IV of Hesse and By Rhine died at 1: 15 this morning.  The family knew at five p.m., last night that the end was near, reports the New York Times,

The Grand Duke's family and government ministers were at his bedside when he died.  His only surviving son, Ernst Ludwig, succeeds to the Grand Dukedom.

His death was "peaceful and painless."  The Court in Berlin has announced three weeks of mourning.  Wilhelm II is unlikely to attend the funeral, due to his health.  Empress Friedrich, the late Grand Duke's sister-in-law, will probably attend the funeral.

The death has also caused "great grief at Windsor, where the deceased was a great favorite."   Queen Victoria will send her second son, the Duke of Edinburgh, to represent her at the funeral.  She will also delay her departure to the Continent "as a mark of respect" for her son-in-law.

Ludwig IV was born on September 12, 1837.  He succeeded to the throne when his uncle,  Grand Duke Ludwig III died on June 13, 1877.  On July 1, 1862, he married Princess Alice, the second daughter of Queen Victoria.  She died on December 14, 1878.

He is survived by his son, Ernst Ludwig, now the Grand Duke, and four daughters:  Victoria married to Prince Louis of Battenberg; Elisabeth, the wife of Grand Duke Serge of Russia; Irene who is married to Prince Henry of Prussia, and Princess Alix, who is still at home.




Prince and Princess Eitel Friedrich ask for justice

Embed from Getty Images 

 March 13, 1922


Prince and Princess Eitel Friedrich of Prussia have asked the German government's Special Ministry to "bring to justice those circulating lies about them."

This request, according to the Chicago Daily Tribune, follows reports that Princess Eitel Friedrich, the wife of the second son of the former Kaiser, was named as a "co-respondent in the Baron von Plettenberg divorce suit.   The reports claim that the Princess admitted to "being intimate with the baron."

The German ministry, which handles affairs for the former ruling family, was authorized to make a statement on behalf of the Prince and Princess.

"Prince Eitel Friedrich has heard reports of his wife's testimony in the Plettenburg divorce suit which were published in London and America.  He says these reports are coarse lies and that Princess Sophie testified in the exact negative to what these reports allege."

Prince Eitel Friedrich's secretary in Potsdam also released a statement.  "I am empowered in the name of the House of Hohenzollern to brand the reports published  in London and America as common swindles."

Baroness von Plettenberg stated "Princess Eitel Friedrich was one of many witnesses named in my suit against my husband, but the Princess was not named as co-respondent.  Furthermore, I cannot say."
\\

These comments contrast to what is now being reported in the Berlin press, which had ignored the trial until today.  The New York Times reports that the "Princess Eitel scandal burst like a bomb with a delayed fuse in Berlin this morning."  

This is due to a report in a tabloid newspaper, the New Berlin Twelve O'clock Gazette, which featured "the alleged confession of Princess Eitel Friedrich's misconduct in the Plettenberg divorce case."

The article is based on reports in the London and American newspapers.  The Gazette's editor added:  "Regardless of whether the Plettenburgs will be divorced or not,  the public disclosure of these marital intimacies of Prince and Princess of Prince and Princess Eitel should, according to close circles to the Prince, lead to the divorce of the Prine and Princess Eitel. For years he has tried to keep the Princess's marital infidelities as a secret as possible.  The former Kaiser did his best to see that no blemish rested on the Hohenzollern family name, gave orders at the time that Baron von Plettenberg should consider himself as having resigned from the army.  But now that the Princess's marital infidelities  have been dragged before the forum of a court, the circles who see in Prince Eitel Friedrich the center of a monarchial movement can see no other possibility than divorce because otherwise, the monarchial idea would receive too strong a blow."

Another newspaper, run by one of the Socialist parties, noted that Prince Eitel Friedrich "forms the centre, the focal point, of monarchial conspiracies after his elder brother, the Crown Prince, has publicly moved away from them.  If now it is true Eitel Friedrich, this noble scion, has for years known of his wife's friendly relations with Plettenburg without divorcing hr for that reason, that, to be sure throws a special light on the moral ideal of those circles which even today people still dare to hold up as a moral pattern to the German people."

A Royal Wedding in Bavaria

Princess Felipa of Bavaria, 31, and Christian Dienst, 34, a German film producer, will be married on May 12 at the Wiestkirche in Steingaden.  The ceremony will be performed by Johannes Eckert, the Abbot of St. Bonifaz, a Benedictine Abbey at Andechs.

Felipa's father, Prince Leopold, known as Poldi," told Das Bild: "It was always my wish that one of my children married at the Wiestkirche."

He is very fond of his future son-in-law.  "We are very lucky.  Christian is a very loving, very concerned about Felipa, and has a straight character.  We wish for a lot of grandchildren."

Prince Leopold also hopes that Felipa and Christian have a long and happy marriage.  He and his wife, Ursula, have been married for 43 years.  "We are never bored.  We always say what we mean, and we enjoy life together.

He was also one of the first members of the Bavarian royal family to marry marry a commoner.   Such marriages were considered non-dynastic until the present head of the family, Duke Franz, lifted the stigma on marriages with commoners. 

"Today, they love everyone in my family.  It is not so important that a prince marry a princess.  We no longer think so old-fashioned.  The important thing is that you love each other."

The wedding reception will be held at Schloss Hohenschwangau, once the summer residence of King Ludwig II.  A dinner party will be held the night before the wedding at the Schlosshotel Lisl. 

http://www.bild.de/regional/muenchen/hochzeit/prinz-leopolds-tochter-heiratet-23112726.bild.html

Monday, March 12, 2012

So what is a princess supposed to do?


Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie of York are two women in a royal quandary.  They are princesses of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland because they are grandchildren of the sovereign in the male line.   But they are offered few opportunities to be a Princess of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

In other words, the two young women are members of the Royal Family on paper.  They get invited to major royal events such as their grandmother's birthday or their first cousin's wedding, but not much else.

Princess Beatrice, who graduated from Goldsmith College last September, has talked about wanting to get a job. She did well at school, and now she has the degree.   Working in the private sector might bring too much attention to her employer.

According to one news report (not verified), Princess Beatrice was recently offered a job as a junior fashion assistant at JoSoBlu Accessories.  The offer came from designer Joelle Seksum.

"We understand that like many recent graduates you have been unable to find a job since leaving university last year.  “I’m delighted to tell you that we have an opening for a junior fashion assistant at our accessory label JoSoblu and we would like to offer you the position. We have been impressed with your personal fashion style, particularly the beautiful Philip Treacy hat you wore at your cousin Prince William’s wedding last year, and we believe you would be a real asset to our young team.


The job is entry-level, pays about $23,000 a year.  The position would require "assisting the designer, sourcing materials, and attending product launches."  Other tasks would include filing, typing, and making the tea.

The benefits would include five weeks of paid vacation.  (The US is the only Western nation that does not have legislated vacation time.)

It is unlikely that Beatrice will accept this position.  It is rather tacky for the company to make the offer public.  The designer would also be capitalizing on Beatrice's royal title.  A feather in their cap!  A princess whose career is not being a princess will be subjected to press scrutiny, and it will be difficult for a princess to submerge herself in a job, where everyone else will be looking at her .. and perhaps a few dishing bits of gossip to the tabloid media.

But this is not the sort of job that Beatrice needs.   More recently, the Daily Mail, a tabloid newspaper not known for getting their facts right, reported that Beatrice "is keen to get involved with the Queen's Diamond Jubilee celebrations" and wants to accompany her father, the Duke of York, to India.

The Duke of York will be in India as a part of the official celebration of Queen Elizabeth's Diamond Jubilee.

One "source," told the Mail: "Beatrice would like to play her part in marking her grandmother's milestone.  She has a lot to offer the Royal Family, but there is a feeling the attention is being focused on William, Harry, and Kate as far as the young Royals are concerned."

Well, yes, the focus should be on William and Catherine, and Harry.   The Duke of Cambridge and Prince Harry are second and third in line to the throne.  Their father is the Prince of Wales.     Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie are the daughters of the Duke of York, fourth in line to the throne.


The 23-year-old Princess had a prominent role in a recent BBC documentary, Diamond Queen, but she has not been given an official role in the Jubilee celebrations.

It has been reported since the late 1990s  that the York princesses will not be added to the royal duties’ list, despite the fact that several active members of the royal family, the Duke of Kent and his younger sister, Princess Alexandra, are now in their seventies.  The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester are in their late sixties.  They will not be replaced by their children, who are not royal.  The Kents and the Gloucesters have their assignments for the Jubilee duties.

Princess Anne is 60.  The Duke of York is a decade younger.  The Earl of Wessex will celebrate his 50th birthday in 2014.

With so many older members of the Royal family, it seems unthinkable to me that the royal duties will be largely confined to King Charles III and his family.  There are a lot of charities and associations that will continue to need royal patronage, and a smaller number will not be able to carry the heavy burden.

What is the point of being a princess, if there are no responsibilities to go with the title?  In the first years of their marriage,  Prince and Princess Michael of Kent were asked to represent the Queen, at several engagements but the majority of their duties come from their own charities and organizations. They also appear at State functions, including State dinners.

It is unlikely that Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie will ever be asked to take part in a State dinner.

It was already known by the late 1990s that the two princesses would not be working royals. This was one of the approved proposals from the Way Ahead group (which included senior royals, advisors, and government officials). Another proposal that got vetoed would have downgraded the two princesses to the style of daughters of a duke: Lady Beatrice and Lady Eugenie Mountbatten-Windsor.  

 (A change of titles would make looking for jobs a bit easier, and it would more difficult for a firm to capitalize on the royal titles.) 

The two princesses are seen as 'damaged goods' through no fault of their own.  They bear the scars of their mother's behavior.  Sarah, Duchess of York's financial problems, insecurity issues, and the basic inability to live as a former member of the royal family, has hurt the princesses' status within the family.  
his is not their fault.  The two princesses do need to love and support their mother, but they have to understand that their life with their mother is outside the spectrum of the royal family.

More important, Sarah, Duchess of York, has to understand that she is not a member of the royal family.  She ceased to be a member when her divorce became absolute.

The Duke of York wants his daughters to take on royal duties. It might be a good idea for Beatrice to accompany her father to India.  She could do a few things with him and also add a few things, such as visiting a charity or other organizations that work with the disadvantaged in India.

Last week, the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh went to the theater and were accompanied by Peter and Autumn Phillips.  The Duchess of Cambridge accompanied the Queen on a trip to Fortnam & Mason (with the Duchess of Cornwall), and to Leicester for the Jubilee kickoff.   Have the York princesses ever accompanied their grandmother to the theater, a movie, or even on a semi-official engagement?  (Walking to church at Christmas does not count.)

Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie will continue to be invited to official events such as the Trooping of the Colour.  But it is unlikely that the two princesses will have an opportunity to show their royal mettle with official Jubilee engagements?    There are many places in the UK where they can be sent to represent the Queen.  It is difficult to sit on the sidelines when your grandmother's first cousins are carrying out official engagements, and you are not, even though you are a princess.

It suffices to say that if the Duke and Duchess of York were still married, there would be no question that the two princesses would be included in carrying out engagements.

It was announced earlier today that Princess Beatrice will take part in the National Lottery Olympic Park Run.  The Princess will officially start the race on March 31 and will present the awards to the winners.

"The Olympic Park Run is a fantastic way of celebrating the role of the many National Lottery players who have contributed to London 2012 and its lasting legacy.”

"I am going to be joined by a group of friends, some of whom took part alongside me in the London marathon."


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