Tuesday, May 31, 2011

William & Catherine: first public engagement

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will make their first public engagement as a couple in June.  They will be the guests of honor at a £10,000 a head dinner on "behalf of the Foundation of Prince William and Prince Harry."  The dinner will celebrate the 10th anniversary of ARK, Absolute Return for Kids.

The duke and duchess will attend a reception for 900 at Perks Field, Kensington Palace, before "sitting down to a private dinner," according to the Daily Telegraph.

The Duke of Cambridge is expected to give a speech to the guests.  The Duchess of Cambridge is expected to smile, look pretty, and not give a speech to the guests, although one assumes she will make small talk with many of the guests.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/theroyalfamily/8548703/Royal-couple-announce-first-public-engagement-together-since-wedding.html

Archduchess Stephanie unwell

May 31, 1881

The entry of Crown Prince Rudolph and Crown Princess Stephanie into Prague will be "entirely unofficial, owing to the condition of the latter's health," reports the Chicago Tribune.

The Weighty King Carlos

May 31, 1891

The Los Angeles Times reports that King Carlos of Portugal, who has not yet reached his 30th birthday, "has grown so heavy that he can hardly move about."  He has "no weight with the people of Portugal, who look for his abdication at any time."

Not enough hotels for royal guests

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 May 31, 1905

Don't bother trying to get a hotel room in Berlin as hotels are finding "their capacity for overtaxed for the accommodation of guests" at the forthcoming wedding of Crown Prince Wilhelm of Germany and Duchess Cecilie of Mecklenburg-Schwerin.  Several princes have been turned away for the lack of rooms.  This is due to the "large retinues accompanying them," according to an Associated Press dispatch.

Duchess Cecilie will leave Schwerin on Saturday morning by special train. She will be accompanied by her mother, Grand Duchess Anastasia, and her brother, the Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin and Prince and Princess Christian of Denmark.  Princess Christian is the duchess' sister, Alexandrine.

Olga has tyhoid fever

May 31, 1901

Grand Duchess Olga Nicolaievna, the eldest daughter of Nicholas II, is suffering from a "mild form of typhoid fever.  The New York Times reports that there is "no uneasiness regarding her condition."  Grand Duchess Olga, the eldest of Nicholas and Alexandra's three daughters, was born in November 1895.

Monday, May 30, 2011

King Carl XVI Gustaf denies allegations

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/sweden/8546836/Swedish-king-denies-improprieties-as-scandal-grows.html

Princess Marie Gabriele & Princess Marie Charlotte celebrate the big 80!

The engagement of Prince Albrect and Countess Marita


Princess Marie Gabriele Antonia José and Princess Marie Charlotte Juliana of Bavaria celebrate their 80th birthdays today.   The two princesses were born on May 30, 1931 at Munich, the first two children of  Prince Albrecht of Bavaria and his first wife, Countess Maria Draskovich von Trakostjan.   Albrecht was the eldest son of Crown Prince Rupprecht of Bavaria and his first wife, Duchess Marie Gabriele in Bavaria.



Both princessess made grand dynastic marriages.  On October 23, 1957,  Princess Marie Gabriele married Georg, Prince of Waldburg zu Zeil und Trauchberg.  Two years earlier, Marie Charlotte became the wife of Paul, Prince von Quadt zu Wykradt und Isny.


http://www.schwaebische.de/region/allgaeu/isny/stadtnachrichten-isny_artikel,-Adel-Fuerstinnen-wunschlos-gluecklich-_arid,5082324.html

Saturday, May 28, 2011

Princess Irene's first official engagement


Princess Irene of the Netherlands carried out her first official engagement at the age of ten.   She accompanied her father, Prince Bernhard, to London in July 1950, where she laid the foundation storne for a new Dutch church at Austin Friars in the City of London.  The ceremony took place on July 23, 1950.  The new church replaced one destroyed during the second World War.

This postcard shows Princess Irene walking with Sir Frederick Rowland, Lord Mayor of London,  and Prince Bernhard was accompanied Princess Alice, Countess of Athlone, a first cousin of Queen Wilhelmina.

Happy Birthday, Buddy!

Buddy Rich Koenig, absolutely adorable
Buddy on the ride home after being rescued, and sucking up to dad
My little man is 15 years old.   In cat years,  Buddy is a senior citizen.  He still runs and plays, and jumps on the counter, on the couch, and, of course, on the bed.  This morning, he crawled on my shoulder, purred into my ear, hoping that I would wake up just a little earlier.  (It never works).

Buddy was a rescue kitty.  He was tossed into a field by a mean man in a car  -- happened in front of us -- and my husband and scooped up the little kitten.  He was scared and shaking and hungry.  We fell in love with this little puff of fluff.

I am not sure if Buddy realizes he is an elder statescat.  He sleeps a lot, but that's the life of a cat.

Happy Birthday, my little Buddy, my little man.



Buddy loves to play in bags

Love Mom, and your siblings, Ella, Edison and Sienna.

Friday, May 27, 2011

Princess Luise leaves estate to nephew

May 27, 1901


Princess Luise of Prussia, who died recently at the age of 73,  has left her fortune and her "beautiful Chateau of Monfort on the shores of Lake Constance," to her nephew, Prince Friedrich Karl of Hesse, whose wife, Princess Margarete of Prussia, recently gave birth to a second set of twin sons.

Princess Luise was the eldest daughter of Prince Karl of Prussia, younger brother of Emperor Wilhelm I.  She was married to Landgrave Alexis of Hesse-Philippsthal-Barchfeld but the marriage ended in divorce in 1861.  An extremely religious woman,  Luise was not seen as the wronged woman in the divorce.  It was her former husband who received all the sympathy for having to live with such an "intolerable" woman,  and was described as having "all the patience of a saint."

In reality, Princess Luise suffered from mental illness, which made the divorce possible.

The marriage between Prince Alexis and Princess Luise took place at Charlottenburg on June 27, 1854.  There were no children.  Neither remarried.

Princess Luise bought Schloss Monfort from the Württemberg royal family in 1873. She used the castle as a summer residence until she died in 1901.  A year later, Prince Friedrich Karl sold the property to Wilhelm Oliver von Leube, a professor of Medicine at the University of Würzburg.  In 1940, the German Railway bought the property to use as a rest home for their employees.  But due to the war, the property remained unused.  The Schloss was sold several more times, and is now owned by the local town, Langenargen, and is now open as a restaurant and nightclub.

http://www.vemax-gastro.de/

Royal renunciations

May 27, 1901

The Marquise de Fontenoy's latest column is about Prince Bernhard of Saxe-Weimar's "renunciation of his titles and prerogatives as a member of a reigning house and as a Prince of the Blood" to become an ordinary noble with the title of Count von Crayenberg.  The Marquise points out that this is not a rare case among the families in Part I and Part II in the Almanach de Gotha.  

One of German Empress Auguste Viktoria's uncles, Prince Friedrich of Schleswig-Holstein "surrendered his status as a Prince of the Blood" and became Prince Noer "in order to be able to wed, on a footing of equality" and not as a morganatic marriage, to wed Miss Mary Lee, the daughter of a New York grocer.   After Friedrich's death,  Princess Noer married Count Waldersee, the German Field Marshall, who is now "commanding the allied forces in China."

Count Maximilian von Pappenheim surrendered his titles and privileges as a member of a mediatized family to marry Miss Wheeler of Philadelphia.     Princess Pauline of Württemberg renounced her royal rank and was created Baronne von Kirbach in "order to be able to marry on a footing of equality," Dr. Willim,  a physician she had met and fell in love when he treating her father. 

Archduke Johann of Austria became Johann Orth to marry a Viennese actress, Marguerite Stubbel.   Prince Edward of Saxe-Weimar, the British Field Marshall, contracted a morganatic marriage with the sister of the present Duke of Richmond.  But the parents of Miss Laura Seymour "would not hear of a morganatic union" between their daughter and the late Prince Victor zu Hohenlohe-Langenburg.  Laura was created as Countess Gleichen, and, Prince Victor, a nephew of Queen Victoria, chose to be styled as Count Gleichen to be of the same rank as his wife.  Some years after the marriage,  the count and countess reverted to the titles Prince and Princess Victor of Hohenlohe-Langenburg, although their four children remained as Count and Countesses Gleichen.

Prince Alexander of Sayn-Wittgenstein "sacrificed both his name and title" and became known as Count Hachenburg to marry his children's governess.   Prince Rudolf of Thurn und Taxis has become Baron von Troskow in "order to legalize the status of the children born to him by his actress wife."

Thus, Prince Bernhard of Saxe-Weimar's decision to renounce his royal titles is not seen as "exceptional."     The prince was the third child of Prince Wilhelm of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach and Princess Gerda zu Isenburg-Büdingen.   He renounced his rights on May 24, 1901, and was created Count von Crayenberg.  He married Marie Luise Brockmüller on October 10, 1900 at London. 

A nice article by the Prince of Wales

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/art/architecture/8539342/Conserving-Scotlands-save-of-the-century.html

a round of applause to the Prince of Wales!
STATEMENT OF HRH CROWN PRINCE ALEXANDER’S OFFICE REGARDING RULING OF SLOVENIAN COURT AND CONFUSION OF WHO IS WHO IN THE ROYAL FAMILY


Belgrade, 27 May 2011 –The Office of HRH Crown Prince Alexander II would like to inform the public that the recent decision of Slovenian Court regarding properties in Slovenia is not related to HRH Crown Prince Alexander II, as media have published, but rather to HRH Prince Alexander Karadjordjevic, the son of late Prince Paul.

Brdo kod Kranja was confiscated from Prince Paul in by a decree in 1947, whereas Crown Prince Alexander II is the direct successor of late King Alexander I and Queen Maria whose family property of the senior branch of the Royal Family in Slovenia is a villa on the Bohinj and a villa on the Bled Lake, they were also confiscated by the same act in 1947.

To clarify the property Brdo kod Kranja is part of the properties of HRH Prince Alexander Karadjordjevic, the son of late Prince Paul and his family.

Thursday, May 26, 2011

It will be a girl for the Schaumburg-Lippes

During a tour of Schloss Bückeburg, the Prince of Schaumburg-Lippe let it slip that his wife is expecting a daughter, in the summer.   He did not give out any further information except to say that the baby will be baptised in the palace chapel.

The Prince and Princess have a one and a half year old daughter, Princess Felipa.   The Prince also has a teenage son, Hereditary Prince Heinrich, by his first wife, Princess Marie Louise of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg.

http://www.landes-zeitung.de/portal/startseite_Nachwuchs-im-Fuerstenhaus-Es-wird-eine-kleine-Prinzessin-_arid,337110.html

Baby will be a Duke's daughter

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 May 26, 1891

Queen Victoria has decided that the Duke and Duchess of Fife's newborn daughter "is to have only the rank and title to which she is entitled as the daughter of a Duke," reports the New York Times.  The new baby is the first child of Princess Louise, Duchess of Fife, and the Duke of Fife, and the first grandchild for the Prince and Princess of Wales. 

The Queen "came to this decision" even though the Crown's legal advisers "concurred in the opinion that the Prince of Wales's granddaughter should rank as a Princess of the blood royal."

Victoria's decisions are final. 

Her Royal Highness Princess Louise of Wales, Duchess of Fife, was "safely confined of a daughter" at East Sheen Lodge, Richmond, on May 17.

Princess Louise, Duchess of Fife, and the Duke of Fife's infant daughter was baptized at the Chapel Royal. St. James's Palace, on June 29.   The Prince and Princess of Wales, accompanied by their daughters, the Princesses Victoria and Maud, were present for the ceremony.  The Prince and Princess of Wales were also the sponsors for their granddaughter.  Queen Victoria came up to London from Windsor to act as a sponsor for the infant. 

Other members of the Royal family who attended the baptism included the Duchess of Edinburgh and her three daughters, Princesses Marie, Victoria Melita, and Alexandra,  the Duke of Cambridge, Princess Louise, Marchioness of Lorne and the Marquess of Lorne,  the Duchess of Albany, the Duke and Duchess of Teck, Princess Victoria of Teck, Prince and Princess Henry of Battenberg,  Prince and Princess Edward of Saxe-Weimar, Prince and Princess Victor of Hohenlohe-Langenburg and the Countesses Gleichen.

The Princess of Wales placed the infant in the arms of Queen Victoria, "who gave the names Alexandra Victoria Alberta Edwina Louise."  The Queen passed the child back to the Princess of Wales, "from whom the Archbishop of Canterbury received her  in order to perform the act of baptism."  Water from the River Jordan was sprinkled on the baby.

After the ceremony, the guests "lunched with the Prince and Princess of Wales at Marlborough House.  Queen Victoria "returned immediately to Windsor."

Prince Johann Georg leaves bride in Sweden

May 26, 1961

Prince Johann Georg of Hohenzollern, who married Princess Birgitta of Sweden yesterday in a civil ceremony, flew home today to Germany without his bride.

The Associated Press reports that Prince Johann Georg "almost forgot to kiss his 24-year-old bride good-bye."  He was half way up the stairs to the plane's door, when he "turned around, dashed back and gave Princess Birgitta a hug and a kiss."

The couple will marry in a Roman Catholic wedding in Sigmaringen on May 30.  Last night, the prince and princess slept in separate suites in the royal palace.

Mary turns 80 today



Embed from Getty Images 

May 26, 1947


Londoners cheered and waved today as Queen Mary was driven to and from Buckingham Palace, where she joined thirty-one members of the Royal Family for a luncheon to celebrate her 80th birthday.

One of the guests at the luncheon was Lt. Philip Mountbatten.  It now seems only a matter of time before his engagement to Princess Elizabeth is announced.

The Duke of Windsor was not present, nor "were the recently bereaved Princess Royal and her son the new Earl of Harewood."  The Duke of Windsor did telephone his mother this morning at Marlborough House, her London home. 

Queen Mary received telegrams and messages of congratulations throughout the day.   As she drove Buckingham Palace,  she acknowledged the cheering crowds, and "smiled her acknowledgment."  She wore a turquoise dress and a "familiar toque of the same color."

King George VI and Queen Elizabeth and their two daughters, Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret, arrived earlier this morning from Windsor.  The Duchess of Kent arrived with her three young children, Edward, Alexandra, and Michael, and they were followed by Viscount and Viscountess Mountbatten and the Duke of Gloucester.

Crowds continued to grow outside the palace long after Queen Mary had gone in.  They sang "Happy Birthday," and some began to chant "We want Queen Mary. 

Eventually, the doors to the palace's balcony opened, and Queen Mary stepped out, and "waved to the cheering, clapping and singing Londoners."
The King and Queen, the two princesses, the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, Prince William of Gloucester and Princess Alexandra of Kent, joined the queen on the balcony.

Some in the crowd shouted, "God Bless you, God Bless you!."

70th birthday for Queen Mary


May 26, 1937


Queen Mary, the mother of King George VI, celebrated her 70th birthday today, reports the New York Times.  "Telegrams of congratulations from the whole word poured into Marlborough House."   Presents from all the members of the royal family, except the two little princesses, "awaited Queen Mary on her breakfast table.  Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret brought their own presents later in the day.

The Queen was the guest of honor at a family luncheon attended by King George VI, Queen Elizabeth, the Princess Royal, the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, the Duke and Duchess of Kent, and Queen Maud of Norway.  The four royal children, Princess Elizabeth, Princess Margaret Rose, Prince Edward of Kent and his infant sister, Princess Alexandra, "were brought in later.

The City of London, through the Lord Mayor, sent "loyal greetings."  Queen Mary responded by telegraph: "I am deeply moved by the citizens' thought for me again this year and greatly appreciate the feeling of real affection they have always shown me."

In the evening, Queen Mary was the "central figure" at a court ball at Buckingham Palace.  Thirty-one members of the Royal family were present, as well as eighteen "visiting members of royalty."


Earlier in the day, Queen Mary received a phone call from her eldest son, the Duke of Windsor, who is in France, preparing for his wedding to the American Wallis Simpson.

Crown Prince Frederik brings his bride home

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 May 26, 1935


More than one hundred thousand Danes and Swedes, waving flags, were on hand in Copenhagen to welcome home Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark and his new wife, Crown Princess Ingrid.  They steamed into the harbor aboard the royal yacht Dannebrog this afternoon, reports the New York Times.

There were four salutes of twenty-one guns as the "couple rowed ashore to drive through cheering crowds to the Amalienborg Castle in an open carriage."

The newlyweds came out on the balcony, as a response to "the immense crowd in the square within the castle walls."

"This reception far exceeds anything I expected," Frederik told the crowd.  "I am ever so grateful to everyone.  Let my first act, after having carried my bride home, be to toast our country."

The crowd sang the Danish and Swedish national anthems.  Frederik's parents, King Christian X and Queen Alexandrine also came out on the balcony, and the King spoke to the crowd.

Tonight there were fireworks and music throughout the city.  Copenhagen's youth "organized a torchlight procession to the castle."   Members of the foreign diplomatic corps were the guests at a dinner given by the King and Queen in honor of the Crown Prince and Crown Princess.

Princess Anastasia operated on in paris

Embed from Getty Images

 May 26, 1921

Princess Anastasia of Greece underwent a "slight operation" today, and, in several days, "will be operated on again, according to the latest Associated Press dispatch.  The American-born princess who is married to Prince Christopher of Greece underwent surgery some time ago in Greece, but came to Paris "recently for further treatment for the intestinal disorder from which she suffers."

A bulletin regarding the Princess' health was released to the media:  "The state of Princess Anastasia is as satisfactory as possible.  A first operation has been performed successfully, and a second operation will take place in a few days."

A girl for the Tecks

Embed from Getty Images 

 May 26, 1867

Her Royal Highness the Princess Mary Adelaide "was safely delivered of a Princess at one minute before midnight."

Her Royal Highness and "the infant Princess are doing perfectly well."


The infant daughter of Princess Mary Adelaide and the Prince of Teck was baptised on July 28, 1867 at Chapel Royal at Kensington Palace, in "the presence of the Prince of Wales, the Duchess of Cambridge, the Duke of Cambridge, the Grand Duke and Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, the Duchess of Inverness," among others.  The baptismal rite was performed by the Archbishop of Canterbury.  The godparents were Her Majesty the Queen (represented by Princess Mary Adelaide) and the Duchess of Cambridge and the Prince of Wales.   The infant princess was baptised Victoria Mary Augusta Louise Olga Pauline Claudine Agnes.

In the evening, the Prince and Princess of Teck "received a select party at dinner at the Palace."

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Oh dear - Grania at it again

It is called a scam!   The woman is absolutely crazy.  Her own family, her siblings (the children of Hamilton O'Malley and his second wife, Sadie) acknowledge that she is their sister.   She's delusional, has mental issues, and is in need of money.   The order of Mountbatten of Carisbrooke ... no such animal!

http://www.kiva.org/team/friends_of_the_order_of_mountbatten_of_carisbrooke

Grania has no income, and has been trying for years to gain money from Lady Iris Mountbatten's estate.  She claims she is Lady Iris's daughter.  Even though lawyers have tried to set her straight, she continues with her rants and tirades.  The Home Office has been informed that she has lied about the date of birth on her passport - and the true details provided to them.

Hussein marries English girl

Embed from Getty Images 

 May 25, 1961

King Hussein of Jordan today married Antoinette Avril Gardiner, the 20-year-old daughter of a British Army officer.  They were married in a five-minute ceremony, which took place at the Zahran Palace, the home of Hussein's mother, in Amman.

Miss Gardiner has taken the name Muna and will be known as Muna-al-Hussein.  The King announced yesterday that his wife "will have no title and no royal position," but would be known by a term "roughly translated as 'Her Gracious Ladyship.'"

She will not be known as Queen.   The green-eyed 5 foot 2-inch young woman is a former typist who has "won the heart of the Amman crowds."    The Jordanian people appear to support the 25-year-old King's decision to "overrule traditionalists who have opposed the marriage of the head of the Hashemite family to an English girl."

This is the King's second marriage.  His first marriage ended in divorce.

Muna was dressed in a "cream-colored silk gown spangled with diamonds and pearls, topped with a crescent headdress of orange blossoms."

The bride and groom were seated at a coffee table where they signed five copies of the marriage contract, and then "leaned over and gave each other a perfunctory kiss."

Embed from Getty Images 

 King Hussein took two plain gold rings from his pocket. He put one on the bride's third finger of her left hand, and she put the other ring on his finger.


The bride's father, Lieut. Col. Walter Gardiner is an adviser to the Jordanian Army.

King Hussein and his new wife met at a party earlier this year given by her father.  She has only a "secondary school education, much of it devoted to ballet dancing, and her academic accomplishments do not overshadow the king's."   Formerly known as "Toni," Muna shares her husband's love of "fast cars, airplanes, and parties where the music and dancing last until dawn."

Western diplomats in Jordan are concerned about the marriage, "in which love overrode political consideration."  They are worried that a half-British heir "might be unable to maintain the Hashemite dynasty," which can be traced back to Mohammed.

Margaret is pregnant

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 May 25, 1961

Princess Margaret is expecting a baby in the fall, according to a statement today from Kensington Palace, where the Princess and her husband, Antony Armstrong-Jones live.  The baby will be fifth in line to the throne after Prince Charles, Prince Andrew, Princess Anne, and Princess Margaret.

The announcement included the statement that the Princess, Queen Elizabeth's younger sister, "would undertake no further official engagements."  It is understood, however, that the Princess will attend the wedding next month of her cousin, the Duke of Kent, to Miss Katharine Worsley at York Minster.

The baby is expected in late October or early November.  Mr. Armstrong-Jones has no title, and his wife's official title is HRH Princess Margaret, Mrs. Armstrong-Jones.  Her child could "acquire a title" if Princess Margaret was given a peerage in her own right "or if her husband or the baby were similarly honored by royal edict."

The princess' condition had been a well-kept secret in Britain.   She had "recently appeared at more public functions and ceremonies than at any time since her marriage."  But there were no "hints or speculation" in the British press.

Birgitta and Johann Georg marry in civil rites



both photos Marlene A Eilers Koenig collection

May 25, 1961


Princess Birgitta, 24,  the granddaughter of King Gustav VI Adolf of Sweden, was married today in Stockholm to Prince Johann Georg of Hohenzollern.

The marriage between the Lutheran princess and the Roman Catholic prince was a "glittering affair, although the ceremony was a civil one," according to the New York Times.  The civil marriage was performed at the Royal Palace by Stockholm Mayor Yngve Kristensson.

A 21-gun salute was fired after Princess Birgitta and 28-year-old Prince Johann Georg exchanged vows.    The princess wore a "wedding gown with a thirteen-foot train, a floor-length tulle veil, and a cameo-and-gold diadem."

The Prince and Princess entered the palace hall together, and were preceded by three courtiers, and "followed by two young bridesmaids and two boys known as marshals."

Princess Christina, the bride's youngest sister, and Princess Benedikte of Denmark were the bride's attendants.  Prince Johann Georg's attendants were Crown prince Carl Gustaf, the bride's younger brother, and Count Carl Johann, Count Michael, Count Alexander, and Count Bertil Bernadotte of Wisborg.

The actual service lasted for three minutes.    Just before noon, Princess Birgitta and Prince Johann Georg "walked up the aisle again and emerged into the brilliant spring sunshine."  They got into an open carriage to "ride in-state" through Stockholm.

The civil ceremony was required as the religious wedding will take place in West Germany in Sigmaringen on May 30.    Religious weddings are not legal marriages in West Germany.

Prince Johann Georg is studying for his doctorate in art history at the University of Munich.  The newlyweds will live in a four-room house until Johann Georg's studies are complete.  He plans "to devote his life to museum work."

Helen's portraits barred

May 25, 1931

By Special Cable to the New York Times.  

It is being reported in Rumania that a "confidential order" has been issued by the commandant of the Rumanian gendarmie, that portraits of Queen Helen shall be discreetly removed from all official premises." 

General Dimitrescu, the commandent, is the son of King Carol's personal secretary.   Queen Helen, who is still at her palace in Bucharest, has received "thousands of telegrams" from Rumanians "expressing profound devotion" to Crown Prince Michael's mother.

Lady Carisbrooke loses jewels in theatre



May 25, 1921

The Marchioness of Carisbrooke, who is married to Queen Victoria Eugenie's brother, Alexander,  was attended a theatrical performance with King Alfonso and the Queen in Madrid on May 8, when she "lost an extremely  valuable pendant of brilliants and sapphires, mounted in turquoise, with strings of diamonds and agates."  The New York Times notes that the official report of the missing gems was made public today.

There has been a "thorough search of pawnshops and the haunts of receivers have proved fruitless."  After discovering the loss, the royal party left the theatre before the end of the performance.  All the royal servants "have been cross-examined but without avail."

Lady Carisbrooke is the former Lady Irene Denison.  She married Alexander, the Marquess of Carisbrooke, in 1917.

Leeds and Princess Xenia to live in the USA

Embed from Getty Images 

 May 25, 1921


William B. Leeds, Jr., spoke today to the Chicago Tribune about his forthcoming marriage to Princess Xenia of Russia.   "Why, there is nothing sudden about my marriage to Princess Xenia.  I have known Xenia, since we were children, and met her first in England in 1916."

Leeds, the son of the late William B. Leeds, the tin magnate, "appears older than he is. He was raised in Europe and attended Eton.  He is handsome enough to be "a movie actor."

He was asked if he was "very much in love?"   Obviously, or I would not have proposed," was 19-year-old Leeds' response.

"Xenia is very keen on visiting the United States and is enthusiastically anticipating her first visit to New York, Chicago, and San Francisco.  We will probably live in New York, and, I undoubtedly, will go into business there."

He added that his wife will "become just Mrs. Leeds after marriage.  There will be no more title, and so no reason to have an elaborate ceremony."

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

The Duchess of Cambridge and babies

Standing in line at the checkout counter at my local supermarket a few days, I noticed one of the trashy and salacious rags with a cover story about the Duchess of Cambridge being infertile.  Balderdash.   So the question arises: can an adopted child succeed to the throne. 

The answer is an unequivocal NO! 

The Act of Settlement (1701), promulgated by Parliament, states that the succession to the throne is limited to the Protestant descendants of the Electress Sophia of Hannover.   An adopted child would not be a descendant of the Electress Sophia.  There are instances where British aristocratic families have adopted issue, but these children do not have succession rights to the titles, and do not bear courtesy titles.

If the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge do not have children,  Prince Harry will be heir presumptive to the throne.

Belated wedding gift for the Cambridges

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge received laptop computers from President Obama and his wife Michelle as wedding gifts.  The computers have gone to the Northern Ireland branch of PeacePlayers International - which uses basketball to bring children from opposing communities together, according to the Daily Telegraph.

Royal wedding in Berlin


May 24, 1888

Prince Henry of Prussia and Princess Irene of Hesse and by Rhine were married today at Schloss Charlottenburg in Berlin.

Prince Henry is the second son of Emperor Friedrich III, and his bride is the third daughter of the Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine.  The young couple are first cousins as their mothers, Victoria and Alice, are sisters.  They also share a common ancestor in Friedrich Wilhelm I of Prussia.

The guests included the Prince of Wales and the Crown Prince of Greece, "who, according to the Times, failed not to provoke wonders to the truth of the rumour that as one wedding generally begets another, so the Duke of Sparta has fixed his eye as a wooer on a Prussian Princess, who may meanwhile be nameless."

The "loudest and longest" cheering, which, "spontaneously greeted the appearance of the four little laughing, prattling, blonde-haired boys of the Crown Prince."  The eldest, Prince Wilhelm, aged 6, has "already learnt to return public compliments of this kind with a gravity and a dignity that might become a hoary General."

The civil ceremony was performed by the Count of Stolberg-Wernigerode.   Afterward, the bride and groom and their party made their way to the Schloss Chapel.

Princess Irene's train was born by "noble ladies."  The bridal party was followed by the Household officers,  "first of the bridal pair, and then of their Majesties," followed by about 23 couples of wedding guests, including the Grand Duke of Hesse with Empress Victoria, the Prince of Wales with the Crown Princess, the Crown Prince with Grand Duchess Serge of Russia (sister of the bride), the Crown Prince of Greece with the Hereditary Princess of Saxe-Meiningen, Grand Duke Serge with Princess Louis of Battenberg (eldest sister of the bride),  Prince Albert of Prussia with Prince Friedrick Karl of Prussia,  Prince Wilhelm of Hesse with Princess Victoria of Prussia, Duke Ernst Gunther of Schleswig-Holstein (brother of the Crown Princess,) with Princess Sophie of Prussia, and "other princely scions of Prussia, Hesse, the Mecklenburg, Oldenburg, Anhalt, Reuss and Hohenzollern."

The chapel is very small and can seat only 40 or so people. Most of the seats were taken out, and the floor space was converted to standing room for the couples named above, and several government ministers.  The rest of the guests had to remain in the adjoining apartment and view the ceremony as "best they might."

Mourning was put aside for the day, as Empress Augusta, sat in a bath chair, "arrayed in her sable widow's weeds, relieved for the occasion by a little white trimming."

The wedding service began with the "organ and choral preludes from Handle and Mendelssohn.  It was a very simple service.   The newly married Prince and Princess Heinrich of Prussia emerged from the chapel to the strains of Handel's Hallelujah.  

A reception immediately followed the wedding service.   Unfortunately, Emperor Frederich was unable to attend, and he deputized his elder son, the Crown Prince, "to drink for him to the health of wedding couple."

The wedding began at noon.  By 2 p.m., the reception was over, and the "bridal garters were distributed, among the coveters of such nuptial relics," and by 3 p.m., the newly wedding pair were on their way to spend their honeymoon at Schloss Ermandsdorf in Silesia.

The New York Times reported that the bride "wore a low-necked dress, trimmed with large diamonds and a large necklace set with diamonds."  She carried a fan "set with diamonds," and her "breast ornaments, which were diamonds, and her bracelets were all ancient royal jewels."  
 
Empress Victoria was "dressed in pale green silk, with a plastron of silver brocade and a pale blue silk train. "  She wore a "splendid diadem of diamonds, white feathers, Riviere diamonds on her neck, and carried a bouquet of orchids."

Emperor Friedrich III "felt somewhat fatigued after the wedding," and spent most of the afternoon inside. He did go out for a carriage ride in the late afternoon and retired to bed at 8 p.m.  "The discharge of pus" from his throat "is visibly decreasing."

The royal visitors from Hesse returned to Darmstadt this evening. 


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A daughter for the Kents

Embed from Getty Images
May 24, 1819

The Duchess of Kent gave birth to a daughter today at Kensington Palace.  The infant princess is the first child of the Duke and Duchess of Kent.


The first announcement of the birth was made on May 25:
"The Duchess of Kent we are happy to say continues as well as can be expected in every respect," reported the Times.   An official bulletin was issued on May 25:  "Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Kent has an excellent night, and the Royal infant continues to do well."

The Times further reports that "Her Royal Highness intends sucking the infant Princess."

On May 26, the following bulletin was released: "Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Kent has had a slight attack of fever yesterday evening; but has, however, a tolerably good night, and is this morning as well as can be expected.  The Royal infant continues to do well."   A second bulletin was issued in the afternoon: "Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Kent's fever has greatly subsided since morning, and the Duchess is now advancing satisfactorily in her convalescence.  The Royal infant continues to do well."

The "Prince Regent, and other branches of the Royal Family, sent to make inquiries."


On May 27, it was reported "Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Kent has had a very good night, and is now free from fever.  The Royal infant continues to do well."    The Duchess of Kent also received a visitor that day from the Duchess of Glocester (which is how Gloucester was spelled in the Times in 1819.)

"Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Kent and the Royal infant continue to do well," was the report on May 29.  This was reiterated by the bulletin on the 30th:  "Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Lent and the Infant Princess continue in the same state as in yesterday's report."

On June 2, the Duchess' doctors reported "Her Royal is advancing rapidly in recovering.  The Royal Infant continues to do well."

The Infant princess was christened in a private ceremony on June 24, 1819, according to the Times.  The "royal gold font was removed from the Tower of London, and was fitted up in the grand saloon with crimson velvet coverings, from the Chapel Royal, St. James's Palace." The ceremony took place at Kensington Palace. 

Members of the Royal Family, and other guests, arrived at the palace shortly after three p.m.  The Prince Regent, attended by Sir Benjamin Bloomfield, was "received by the Duke of Kent, who conducted him into the grand saloon."  The ceremony began shortly after the arrival of the Prince Regent.  The ceremony was performed by the Archbishop of Canterbury and assisted by the Bishop of  London.

The "Infant Princess was named Alexandrina Victoria."  The princess' sponsors were HRH The Prince Regent, His Imperial Majesty the Emperor Alexander of all the Russias (the Duke of York stood as proxy), the Queen Dowager of Württemberg (represented by HRH Princess Augusta); and HSH the Duchess Dowager of Coburg, who was represented by proxy, by the Duchess of Glocester. 

The proceedings were registered by the Bishop of London in the Register book of the Chapel Royal, St. James's Palace.   The witnesses to the ceremony included the Prince Regent, the Duke of York,  the Duke and Duchess of Kent, the Princess Augusta, the Duchess of York, the Duchess of Glocester, the Princess Sophia Mathilde of Glocester,  HRH the Prince Leopold, HSH Princess Feodore of Leiningen, and others.

After the ceremony, "the company partook of some refreshments in the north vestibule."

In the evening, the "Duke and Duchess had a numerous and splendid party to dinner, to celebrate the joyful event."   The company included the Princess Augusta, the Duke of York, the Duke of Sussex and the Prince Leopold.

Rumania to bar Helen as member of the Royal Family


Embed from Getty Images
May 24, 1931

This is the latest bulletin from the Associated Press.   The official National Peasant party newspaper, Patria, has published the news that Queen Helen, the mother of Crown Prince Michael,  "was to be excluded from membership in royal family."

The War Minister has issued a "special order to certain regiments forbidding them to observe the annual celebration of the Queen's name day next Thursday."

A new law is in preparation by the new Parliament, where the estranged wife of King Carol will learn "that she has been excluded from the Rumanian Hohenzollern dynasty, and thus is not entitled to honors which are accorded only to the royal family."

A rumored reconciliation between Carol and Helen has "failed to materialize."

It is expected that a soon as the new law is promulgated,  Queen Helen "will leave the country permanently."

Present for Cecilie

May 24, 1905

French President Loubet has arranged for his wedding gifts to Duchess Cecilie of Mecklenburg-Schwerin and Crown Prince Wilhelm of Germany to be presented by the French ambassador.  The couple received two Sevres vases and "some tapestry woven at Beauvais," reports the Los Angeles Times.

A new descendant of Queen Victoria

HRH Princess Olga of Savoy-Aosta gave birth to a second son, HRH Prince Amedeo, in Paris today.  Princess Olga is the wife of HRH Prince Aimone of Savoy-Aosta, only son of the HRH Duke of Aosta and HRH Princess Claude of France. 

Prince Amedeo was born on the 192nd anniversary of the birth of his great-great-great-great grandmother,  Queen Victoria.    Queen Victoria-PrincessVictoria-Princess Sophie-Princess Irene-Prince Amedeo-Prince Aimone-Prince Amedeo



The couple have a son, Prince Umberto, who was born in March 2009.   This is the fourth grandchild for Princess Olga's parents, Prince and Princess Michael of Greece, and the tenth grandchild for the Duke of Aosta and Princess Claude.

Monday, May 23, 2011

Princess Katherine to see the Grand Canyon

May 23, 1935

Princess Katherine of Greece departed today for the Grand Canyon, after spending four days in Los Angeles.  The princess, the youngest daughter of the late King Constantine I of the Hellenes, and two traveling companions, are visiting the United States,   The princess, who his traveling as Miss Constantine,  was the guest of Mr. and Mrs. Stanley S. Anderson in Beverly Hills. 

Princess Katherine toured several motion picture studios and "displayed interest in all features of the film industry," according to the Los Angeles Times.

Greek Royalists excited by news of reconciliation

Embed from Getty Images 

 May 23, 1935

Greek royalist hopes for a restoration of the monarchy "were sent skyrocketing today" by the news from Bucharest that former Queen Elizabeth has agreed to go to London to meet with her estranged husband, King George II, reports the Associated Press.


Republicans are dismayed at this news, which is see as "doubling former King George's drawinng power" in the forthcoming plebiscite on the monarchy, which is expected to take place after the June 9 elections.

Ileana's engagement "recalls gossip"




Princess Ileana, "she of the lilting name and venturesome disposition," is getting married, reports the Associated Press.

Ever since the Princess was 15 years old,  "the question of a husband for her has been one of the stock subjects for Rumanian and European gossips."  The list of possible candidates have constituted  "an almost complete directory of the remaining crown princes of the Old World, with a few dukes and plain princes thrown in for good measure."  

There were rumors that Ileana's mother, the Dowager Queen Marie "was disappointed at the failure" to arrange a match between Ileana and King Boris of Bulgaria.  Her two elder daughters, Elizabeth and Marie, were married to King George II of the Hellenes and King Alexander of Yugoslavia.

Ileana, it is said, has "never had any ambition for a throne."   She once complained, "It is so hard to find a husband."    The man "of her choice, the second to whom she has promised her hand," is Archduke Anton of Austria.   He's a "working aviator, " as he has no private income.  He earns his living as a "test pilot and airplane factory consultant in Spain."

The princess's friends "hope there will be no such unfortunate denouement to this engagement."  Last year, she had accepted the proposal of Count Alexander of Hochberg, but the engagement was broken several weeks later.  Queen Marie took her daughter to Egypt to get over the romance, but Ileana  did not "acknowledge that romance was ended until some months later."

Besides King Boris,  Ileana was linked with the Prince of Wales,  the Crown Prince of Italy, the Prince of Asturias, and Archduke Albrecht of Austria.

Victor Napoleon not to marry Belgian princess

May 22, 1905

Prince Victor Napoleon today received Bonapartist leaders at the Castle Montcalieri in Turin, and informed them "that his projected marriage with the Princess Clementine of Belgium had been abandoned," reports the New York Times.

Saturday, May 21, 2011

Sayn-Wittgenstein-Spannochi nuptials

Prince Ludwig of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Sayn and Countess Philippa Spannochi were married in a civil ceremony on May 20 in the Gobelinsaal at Schoss Sayn.   

The bride wore a knee-length cream-colored dress with a narrow belt and a touch of chiffon.  The groom was dressed in a classic blue suit with a red patterned tie.

Prince Ludwig is the third son of the Prince and Princess of Sayn Wittgenstein-Sayn.  Countess Philippa is one of five children of Count Jerome and Countess Verena Spannochi.

The couple, both 28 years old, met three years ago at a hunting party at Count Jerome's home.  Instead of chasing the deer, Prince Ludwig found himself smitten with his host's young daughter.

"There was an immediate spark," said the beaming bride after the wedding ceremony.  

The couple live in Austria, where the religious wedding will take place on August 20.   Prince Ludwig works as a banker, and Countess Philippa is the sales manager at a Vienna hotel.

http://www.rhein-zeitung.de/regionales_artikel,-Bendorf-Sayn-Hochzeit-im-Hause-Sayn-Wittgenstein-Sayn-Prinz-und-Graefin-sagen-Ja-_arid,251665.html

Friday, May 20, 2011

Grace Kelly denies Aumont Romance

May 20, 1955


Actress Grace Kelly, who is visiting her family in Philadelphia, tells Hedda Hopper that French actor Jean Pierre Aumont is a "charming companion," but "I don't rush into anything that fast and I don't fall in love easily."

Hedda asked the Oscar-winning star if Aumont planned to follow her to America.  Grace replied "He has a picture to make in Paris this summer, and then comes to New York for a play."  

Grace Kelly recently attended the Film Festival in Cannes.  She said she found it "strenuous and exciting."  She added: "I wouldn't have missed it but I doubt if I'll attend another."    She is heading to California to begin work on "The Swan," which Metro bought for her.   The script won't be ready for another ten weeks, however, but Miss Kelly plans to arrive soon in California and rent a small house.

Cecilie to leave husband?

May 20, 1915

A dispatch to the London Daily Telegraph, and sent by cable to the New York Times reports that a Parisian newspaper, Journal de Débate, states that it has information "from an absolutely reliable source" about the marriage of the Crown Prince and Crown Princess of Germany.  The paper reports that Crown Princess Cecilie "is about to break with her husband and leave Berlin for Russia."

Cecilie is said to have the "approval and support" of her mother, Grand Duchess Anastasia, sister of Grand Duke Nicholas.

An English marriage for Viktoria Luise?

May 20, 1911


Finding the appropriate husband for his only daughter, Viktoria Luise, is a tremendous task for Kaiser Wilhelm II.  He paid a lot of attention to the Prince of Wales during his recent visit to London, and now comes word that the Prince of Wales, eldest son of King George V and Queen Mary, will visit Potsdam in the summer.   This news has "given zest to the gossip" about a marriage between the heir to the British throne and Princess Viktoria Luise.

The princess is reported to have told an "intimate friend, saying: "I don't want to be a Bavarian, a Württemberger, or a Viennese. I want to be English."

Prussian-Mecklenburg-Schwerin celebrations to last for four days!




May 20, 1905

The celebrations in connection with the wedding of Crown Prince Wilhelm of Prussia and Duchess Cecilie of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, will last four four days, beginning on June 4, reports the Associated Press.  On that day, the bride and her family will arrive from Schwerin and and move into Schloss Bellevue in Berlin.   The Duchess will be received at the Brandenburg Gate by the Chief Burgomeister and the "city fathers and by 100 young women of well-known families."  The young women were "drawn by lot from several hundred candidates," and will present flowers to "their future Empress."

The chapel at the palace where the wedding will take place holds about three hundred people.  But there will be a service at the cathedral on Monday and a dinner, which will be attended by the Prussian and Mecklenburg-Schwerin families.  Fifty or sixty Princes will also be attending, and "each of whom must be treated ceremoniously."  The Imperial Court Marshal's office is "perplexed over questions of princely precedence."

The wedding gifts will be presented on Monday morning, June 5, "when deputations with congratulations will be received.  On that day, there will also be a breakfast and a state dinner, which will be followed by a gala performance at the opera in the evening.

The civil ceremony will take place on the morning of June 6, and will be performed by House Minister von Wedel.   Pastor Dryander will be the officiant at the religious wedding, which will take place in the court chapel.

Wedding gown made in Paris

May 20, 1905

According to the latest dispatch from the Marquise de Fontenoy, "patriotism takes strange and somewhat extravagant forms, and it is impossible to refrain from smiling at the outcry raised in German press" due to the Russian-born Grand Duchess Anastasia of Mecklenburg-Schwerin's decision to purchase her daughter Cecilie's trousseau from Paris couturiers.   Even the wedding gown is a "Parisian creation."

Duchess Cecilie of Mecklenburg-Schwerin is to marry Crown Prince Wilhelm of Prussia in June.    Her mother, "though exceedingly worldly and frivolous, is,  above everything else, chic and the quintessence of feminine elegance."  She has determined that her youngest daughter "should enjoy all the advantages that could be derived from exquisitely fitting and artistically fashioned frocks," and she has turned a "deaf ear" to the criticism that Cecilie's trousseau should be made in Germany.

The Prince of Wales meets with his cousin, Margarita, at the Elisabeta Palace



all three photos: courtesy HRH Prince Radu of Romania



The Prince of Wales, who is on a private visit to Romania,  was at the Elisabeta Palace today in Bucharest, where he met with Crown Princess Margarita and her husband, Prince Radu.  The Prince and Crown Princess planted a maple tree in the palace's grounds.

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Fürstenberg-Borremeo wedding to be held at Isola Bella

The marriage between Prince Antonius zu Fürstenberg, younger son of the Prince and Princess zu Fürstenberg and Countess Matilde Borromeo will take place at Isola Bella on Lake Maggiore. The wedding will be a private affair.   Matilde is expecting the couple's first child.

The wedding will take place on June 11, three days before Prince Antonius's birthday.

One of the Borremeos' palazzo's is located on Isola Bella.


http://www.verbanianews.it/notizie/fatti/cronaca/7967-nozze-principesche-allisola-bella

A betrothal for Wilhelmina



May 18, 1899

By special cable to the New York World and Chicago Tribune:

The Frankfurter Zeiting "announces in certain court circles" the engagement of Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands to Prince Alexander of Teck is "believed imminent."

HSH Prince Alexander Augustus Frederick William Alfred George of Teck is the fourth child and third son of Prince Franz, Duke of Teck, and Princess Mary Adelaide of Cambridge.   He was born at Kensington Palace on April 14, 1874.  His mother is a first cousin to Queen Victoria.

The Prince, who is known as Alge, has three older siblings,  Mary, who is married to Prince George, Duke of York, second in line to the British throne,  Prince Adolphus, whose wife is the former Lady Margaret Grosvenor, daughter of the Duke of Westminster, and Prince Francis, who is unmarried.

A new king for Croatia




May 18, 1941

Prince Aimone, Duke of Spoleto, a member of the Italian Royal Family, was designated as King of Croatia today, according to the New York Times and other news sources.  The Duke will "rule a race of Slavs whose obstinate pugnacious will to independence and whose determined nationalism is even more ancient than Savoy's."

The new kingdom of Croatia is "fully dependent on Italy and presumably Germany, for protection, self-defense and indeed, for its very existence."

The official designations of the new King were made in the "throne room of the palace," and it "was a scene of great dignity and color."  King Vittorio Emanuele was the first to enter the room.  He was followed by the Prince of Piedmont and other princes of the Royal House, including the Duke of Spoleto, who wore his admiral's uniform.

They were joined by Premier Mussolini and Foreign Minister Ciano, who took up positions at "the right of the throne." The Croatian delegation was headed by Ante Pavelich, who is the Croatian equivalent of El Duce.   Dr. Pavelitch asked King Vittorio Emanuele to designate the Duke of Spoleto as the new king of Croatia.   The Italian sovereign's address "was notable for its strong fascist terminology."

The King said: "The presence of a Prince of Savoy on the throne of the independent State of Croatia testifies to the will of your people to collaborate with Italy in the spirit of closest friendship.  We consider the rebirth o the Croat nation as a happy omen for the new order that is being affirmed in Europe.
"We designate our beloved nephew, His Royal Highness Aimone of Savoy-Aosta, Duke of Spoleto, to assume the crown of the kingdom of Croatia."

As the room began to empty out, the Prince of Piedmont "ostentatiously stepped back to allow the new King of Croatia to precede him, for his cousin was now of a higher rank."

The new King is expected to go to Zagreb "within the week for the coronation." He is what Americans would call " a good sport, figuratively and literally, for he is a pilot, polo player, automobile racer and explorer."    In 1939, he married Princess Irene of Greece and Denmark, who now becomes Queen of Croatia.

The Duke of Spoleto is the younger son of the late Duke of Aosta and his wife, Princess Helene of France.  His older brother is the present Duke of Aosta.   Princess Irene is the daughter of the late King Constantine and the late Queen Sophie of the Hellenes.  She has lived in Italy since 1922, following her father's abdication.  Her older sister, Princess Helen, is the former wife of King Carol of Roumania.

Elizabeth does not rule out return to Greece as Queen



May 18, 1935

In Bucharest tonight former Queen Elizabeth of Greece was asked if she planned to return to Greece and be reunited with her former husband, King George.  According to the Associated Press,  Elizabeth dramatically exclaimed: "The day is past when a woman may be sacrificed for a throne or a country."

But a return to Greece may be difficult for the 40-year-old daughter of the Dowager Queen Marie.  She nearly died in childbirth, was exiled and eventually, her married was dissolved by divorce.    But Elizabeth did not rule out a return to Greece "if the people there wanted her as queen."

"So many things may happen between now and the monarchy is restored in Greece," Elizabeth said.  "It would be rash and premature for me to commit myself on the suggestion that I annul my divorce from George and return with him to the throne."

Royal Wedding week begins

May 18, 1935

Royal Wedding week  was "inaugurated in a drizzling rain today with the arrival of King Leopold III and Queen Astrid of the Belgians," reports the Associated Press.  The Belgian sovereigns will be honored guests at the upcoming wedding of Princess Ingrid of Sweden and Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark.

The royal couple were "received with acclaim" as they were driven toward the palace.  Leopold and the Swedish-born Astrid, a cousin of Princess Ingrid, "braved the rain to ride in open six horse carriages."   Tonight the king and queen will be the guests of honor at a dinner at the royal palace.   Crown Prince Frederik will arrive tomorrow "in time to attend a luncheon" given in his honor by King Leopold and Queen Astrid.  The luncheon will be held at the Belgian legation.

Draga accused of deception

Embed from Getty Images 


 May 18, 1901

"Private telegrams" from Belgrade stated that the Serbian Ministers are resolved to offer their resignations and to advise King Alexander "to obtain a divorce from Queen Draga on account of the scandal in connection with her baby."  The Ministers also will "recommend that the Queen be placed in confinement in a Russian convent," reports the Chicago Daily Tribune.

The New York Times is reporting a "story current" in Vienna that Queen Draga "took poison when the King discovered the situation caused by the conflicting statements regarding her health."  The reports say that the Queen is "dangerously ill from the effects of the poison."

[Editor's note: in hindsight,  Alexander should have listed to his father, and married Princess Alexandra of Schaumburg-Lippe, if that report is to be believed.]

The Prince and Princess of Hohenzollern welcome Bild into their home

The Prince and Princess of Hohenzollern are at working preparing for the 950th anniversary of the House of Hohenzollern.

Prince Karl, who succeeded his father as the Fürst von Hohenzollern, last September and his second wife, Katharina, live at Schloss Sigmaringen, which has more than 462 rooms.  The castle is "perched on a huge rock" overlooking the small town of Sigmaringen and the Danube river.

The couple met eighteen months during a skiing vacation.  Karl, 59, divorced and the father of four children, fell in love with the very beautiful Katharina de Zomer, a photographer, who ran her own agency in Hamburg.

The transition to living in a schloss was not easy for the 52-year-old Princess, who is known as Nina.  She said: "This step was not easy. But now I know that I traded a false glittering world for a life of happiness."

Karl Friedrich, who is also head of the family business, plays the saxophone and guitar in a jazz band, Charley and the Jivemates.   He showed the reporter his "secret guitar chamber."   His collection of rare rock and roll guitars are kept in a tiny room.  He picks up a Fender guitar and begins to play the blues.  He is asked if he can play hard rock.  "Sure thing," and he starts playing "Smoke on the water."

Schloss Sigmaringen receives more than 80,000 visitors per year.   The Prince of Hohenzollern said: "Here lie is always in the booth."

http://www.bild.de/regional/stuttgart/carl-alexander-von-hohenzollern/die-familie-privat-17929842.bild.html


http://www.telegraph.co.uk/expat/expatlife/8502838/Highnesses-and-high-notes-at-a-German-jazz-concert-with-a-difference.html

http://www.jivemates.de/


http://www.hohenzollern.com/

Grand Duke Nicholas weds divorced princess

May 12, 1907


Grand Duke Nicholas Nicholaievitch of Russia was married today to Princess Anastasia of Montenegro, reports the New York Times.

The marriage took place in the chapel at the Djulber Palace at Yalta in the Crimea.   The bride, who did not have any attendants, was "gowned in satin and wore a costly diamond tiara."   As Princess Anastasia was recently divorced, the ceremony was private, but a guard of honor by the Yalta Garrison attended the wedding, and "presented arms.

The guests included Prince Dolgorouky, who represented Nicholas II and General Mushkovitch "on behalf of Montenegro.  There were also representatives from Italy and from the regiments in Germany and Austria, where Grand Duke Nicholas is the "honorary chief."   The groom's brother, Grand Duke Peter, and the bride's sister, Princess Militza, also attended the wedding.

The newlyweds will leave tomorrow on a two months' cruise of the Adriatic, and there are plans to vsiit Cetinje, Italy  and the Riviera.

Grand Duke Nicholas, a second cousin of Nicholas II, was born at St. Petersburg on November 6, 1856.  He is the President of the Council of National Defense and Inspector General of the Cavalry.  At one time, he was "mentioned as likely to be appointed Dictator in the case of the Emperor's retirement."

Last August 10, an attempt was made on the life of the Grand Duke.   In February, another attempt was made on his life when "a bomb was found on the railroad track between Tsarkoe-Selo and St. Petersburg over which he was to have traveled.  On April 11, he was shot while traveling on the same road.

The new Grand Duchess was born at Cetinje, Montenegro, and was married at Peterhof on August 16, 1889 to Prince George Romanowski, Duke of Leuchtenberg.  This was marriage was recently dissolved by divorce.  Anastasia was the Duke's second wife.  His first wife, Duchess Theresa of Oldenburg died in 1883.

In November of last year there were reports that Nicholas and Princess Anastasia were already married, but this report was denied by the Court.  It was also rumored that Grand Duke Nicholas was going to marry Grand Duchess Elizabeth, the widow of Grand Duke Serge, who was assassinated in February 1905.

[This post was written on May 12, and lost for some days due to the Blogger maintenance issues.]

A princess all dressed up




Marlene A Eilers Koenig collection


Princess Alexandra  Karoline Marie Ida Henriette Juliane was the youngest of eight children of Prince Wilhelm of Schaumburg-Lippe and Princess Bathildis of Anhalt.  She was born at Ratboritz on January 9, 1879.  She died unmarried at Linz am Rhein on January 5, 1949.

Her older sisters made advantageous marriages.  Charlotte was the wife of King Wilhelm II of Wurttemberg.  Bathildis was married to Friedrich Prince of Waldeck und Pyrmont, and Adelheid married Ernst II, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen.

In September 1900, the Marquise de Fontenoy reported that the reason for King Alexander of Serbia's "hurried marriage to Queen Draga was due to the discovery that his father, without any knowledge on his part," had completed the arrangements for Alexander's marriage to Princess Alexandra.

The German and Austrian governments had promised a dowry of $1 million in "consideration of the fact that on marrying this German princess King Alexander and his father sign a military convention" that would bring Serbia into the triple alliance."

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Three generations

Marlene A Eilers Koenig collection




In May 1909, Prince Friedrich of Schaumburg-Lippe married Princess Antoinette of Anhalt.  She was his second wife.  His first wife, Princess Louise of Denmark, died in 1906.

Here Princess Friedrich is seen holding her infant son, Prince Leopold Friedrich  Alexander Wilhelm Eduard (February 21, 1910-January 25, 2006.)  She gave birth to as second son, Wilhelm Friedrich Karl Adol Leopold Hilderich on August 24, 1912.  He died on March 4, 1938.  Both sons died unmarried.

Princess Antoinette (1885-1963) was the only  child of Prince Leopold of Anhalt and Princess Elisabeth of Hesse

A princess reclining

Marlene A Eilers Koenig Collection

In April 1907,the Prince and Princess of Schaumburg-Lippe celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary.  They received a gift from Kaiser Wilhelm II, who presented the couple with the family's ancestral seat, Schloss Schaumburg, in Ritelen, Prussia, near the Schaumburg border.

The gift, according to the New York Times, "is doubtless in recognition of Prince Georg's services in supporting the Kaiser's candidate in the recent dispute over the succession to the throne of Lippe-Detmold."
The castle was acquired by the Kaiser's grandfather, Wilhelm I, when Schaumburg-Lippe "threw in its lot with Austria," against Prussia in 1866.

Georg, Prince of Schaumburg-Lippe (1846-1911) married Princess Marie of Saxe-Altenberg (1864-1918) at Altenberg on April 16, 1882.  They had nine children.  Their eldest son, Adolf II, renounced the throne in November 1916.  He and his wife, Ellen Bischoff-Korthaus, were killed in an air crash in Mexico in March 1936.  He was succeed by his brother, Wolrad, who was married to a cousin, Princess Bertha of Schaumburg-Lippe.  Another son, Prince Stephan, married Duchess Ingeborg of Oldenburg.