Saturday, November 12, 2016

Prince Eberwyn gives up rights for love

November 12, 1906

Prince Eberwyn of Bentheim und Steinfurt  has "preferred to follow Cupid's dictates" and is engaged to Fraulein Fanny Koch,  daughter of a "provincial Mayor, who is also a shopkeeper," reports the Los Angeles Times.

Prince Eberwyn is the eldest son of Alexis, Prince of Bentheim und Steinfurt and Princess Pauline of Waldeck und Pyrmont.   Prince Alexis has "tried in vain to prevent the marriage" and has threatened his eldest son with "forfeiture of birthright and titles if he married the shopkeeper's daughter."

Prince Eberwyn responded:  "I'm willing to make the sacrifice."

At a family council, the Prince took an oath, renouncing his rights in favor of his brother, Viktor Adolf, who becomes the hereditary prince.  He will also resign his position as captain of the guard, and his "financial losses will be great as the loss of rank and titles." He is sacrificing an annual income of $1,000,000.

Prince Eberwyn is 24 years old.  His bride is 23.

He is a nephew of the Duchess of Albany and Queen Emma of the Netherlands.  Queen Wilhelmina is one of his many first cousins.

[Note:  Prince Eberwyn did renounce his rights when he married a commoner, but the actual wedding took place in London on October 26, 1906, and the bride's name was Pauline Langenfeld.   This marriage was dissolved by divorce in 1914.  He remarried two more times, both to marriages were to commoners.]


No comments: