Sunday, September 30, 2012

A profile of Princess Ragnhild

An excellent accounting of the life of Princess Ragnhild. Yes, it is in Norwegian, so use the translate button!

http://www.aftenposten.no/meninger/kronikker/Prinsessen-vi-ikke-kjente-7003388.html

Friday, September 28, 2012

Another one falls for the faux Lord Rob

Why?  Why?  Why .. do these "royal" experts write about royalty, when, in fact, they don't know what they are talking about.  

Such is the case of this latest article "Secret Princes Star Lord Robert Walters talks Bromance with William and Harry and his Six Pack video."

Walters insisted that the writer, Kelly Lynch, call him Rob ... and not Lord Rob.  Of course, she should call him Rob.  Let me repeat for the very dense and uniformed.  Robert Walters is not royal, nor he is Lord Robert.  He is NOT the younger son of a duke or a marquess. 

Lynch said she didn't curtsy.  Smart.   You don't curtsy to commoners, unless your mother makes you curtsy to your elderly German relatives (and you are only eight years old).   Yes, that was me!

Walters allegedly inherited a Lordship of the Manor.  This does not make him a peer or give him the right to call himself Lord Rob.   I sincerely doubt the manor actually exists these days as Rob himself said as his father lived in Spain.

Unless there is a DNA test to prove that Catherine Carey was Henry VIII's daughter,  Henry has no descendants.

Henry was the father of four surviving children:  Mary I (Catherine of Aragon), Elizabeth I (Anne Boleyn), Edward VI (Jane Seymour) and Henry Fitzroy, whose mother was Bessie Blount.

Thus, as far as anyone knows, Henry VIII does not have any living descendants.  

Moreover,  Henry was not Lord of the Manor before he became King.   He was Duke of York, and after the death of his elder brother, Arthur,  he succeeded as Duke of Cornwall and was named as Prince of Wales.  

I also do not think that Rob is best buds with William or Harry.  He does not move in their lofty circles.

Check your Debrett's Peerage.  Dust off the Burke's Peerage. Pull out your copy of Debrett's Correct Form.   Give the facts, not made up froth.  It's getting embarrassing. 

Grrrrr! 

http://royalmusingsblogspotcom.blogspot.com/2012/09/another-one-falls-for-faux-lord-rob.htm

A marriage for Maud of Wales?

September 29, 1888

A newspaper in Linz, Austria, reports that on "the occasion of an excursion from Gmunden to Weidmansruh,"   Grand Duke Nicholas Alexandrovich, the tsarevitch, became "betrothed" to Princess Maud of Wales.

The Princess is the youngest daughter of the Prince and Princess of Wales.  She and Nicholas are first cousins, as their mothers are sisters.   Their maternal aunt, Princess Thyra, Duchess of Cumberland, lives at Gmunden, with her family. 

Queen of Denmark dead

September 29, 1898


Queen Louise of Denmark, consort of King Christian IX,
died at 5:30 this morning, according to a dispatch from Copenhagen.  She was "unconscious and her pulse and respiration were almost imperceptible for many hours before," reports the Chicago Daily Tribune.

Her family was at her bedside when she died.

Queen Louise was the daughter of Wilhelm, Landgrave of Hesse-Cassel, was born on September 7, 1817.  She married the future King Christian IX in May 1842.

Her appearance was remarkably youthful, in spite of her advanced age.   She also had a "youthful vigor," which was noted when she attended the wedding of her grandson, the Duke of York, to Princess May of Teck in 1893.

Louise was known as the 'mother-in-law' of Europe as she was able to secure, and she concentrated all her efforts for the "highest possible positions" for her three daughters, Alexandra, Dagmar and Thyra.

Alexandra is the Princess of Wales, the wife of the heir apparent to the British throne. Dagmar, now known as Marie, is the widow of Alexander III of Russia, and mother of the current Emperor, Nicholas II.  The youngest daughter, Thyra, is the wife of the Duke of Cumberland, the head of the Hanover Royal Family.  

The Queen's second youngest son, Prince Vilhelm, is now King George  of the Hellenes.

Constantine may go to Denmark

Marlene A Eilers Koenig collection



September 29, 1922

Former King Constantine of the Hellenes may go to Denmark to live, according to a statement made to the Associated Press earlier tonight. The statement was made by the Marshal of the Greek court and the King's younger brother, Prince Christopher.

The marshal told the AP that the king is also a prince of Denmark, as his father, King George I, was a Prince of Denmark.  He added that "unless Denmark raises objections,  Constantine will probably move there.  He will return to Lucerne "only as a last resort."

The marshal also spoke on behalf of Prince Christopher, who is married to Nancy Leeds, the widow of William  B. Leeds, the American "tin-plate king."

"So far as Prince and Princess Christopher are concerned, there is no question of their ascending the Greek throne.  They are both quite happy in Paris, and they do not believe their happiness would be increased by assuming the throne, especially under existing circumstances.

"Furthermore, Prince Christopher is the last in a long line of successors to the throne.  If Prince George later abdicates, then Prince Paul, the youngest son of Constantine, would succeed. After him comes Prince George, Constantine's brother, who lives in St. Cloud, France, and is married to Princess Marie Bonaparte.

"Two other brothers of the King, Prince Nicholas and Prince Andrew and their respective sons, then are in line, and only after these six possible successors does Christopher figure as being eligible for the throne.

"Princess Christopher has made no plans for Constantine's exile.  Reports that she intends to give him a house in New York are without foundation.  Constantine has not even notified Prince and Princess Christopher of his abdication."

Prince Christopher and his wife, who is also known as Princess Anastasia, are "living quietly at the Ritz Hotel in Paris.   Although they are interested in Greece's situation, they "intend to remain entirely aloof from any political activity there."

[It appears that Constantine's spokesman was a little shaky on the succession. Prince George and Princess Marie were the parents of a son, Prince Peter.  Prince Nicholas was the father of three daughters, but no sons.  Prince Andrew's only son, Philip, was born in June 1921.]

Leopold's quarrel with his daughter Stephanie

September 29, 1902

By cablegram to the New York Times.

The Neues Wiener Tageblatt has published an alleged "authentic account" by "a lady belonging to the suite" of Princess Stéphanie, Countess Lonyay, on the incident between King Leopold II and his daughter on September 21.

The New York Times' Vienna corresponded translated the article:  "It was 4 o;clock when the King arrived from Bagnieres-de-Luchon. Princess Stéphanie was kneeling before her mother's coffin, wrapped in fervent devolution.  Princess Clémentine, with ladies of the palace, informed her that the King would not see her and would not allow her to be present at the funeral.
"Princess Stéphanie, still kneeling before her mother's coffin, uttered a short prayer, and then left the house. The assembled crowed witnesses this act of utter cruelty."

Katie & Imre: volunteering in India


The newly married Archduke Imre and Archduchess Kathleen of Austria are spending a part of their honeymoon as volunteers at the Mother Teresa home in Kolkata, India.   According to a Roman Catholic Life Site news,  the new archduchess, "reminding her friends and fans that she is still 'Katie,'" and she will be spending time with  her husband "caring for the poorest of the poor."

The reporter notes that although Katie has joined "the herd of young royals  in Europe, her vocation of service to the poor and her penchant for activism still remain."

http://www.lifesitenews.com/news/pro-life-princess-visits-mother-theresas-home-in-india/

Remains of Serbian royals being removed from Lausanne

Early this morning in Lausanne, Switzerlands, the coffins with the remains of Prince and Princess Paul of Yugoslavia and their son, Prince Nicholas, were exhumed from the Bois-de-Vaud cemetery. The remains will be brought to Belgrade for a funeral and a final reburial at the family's chapel at  Topola in Oplenac.  This will take place on October 6.

"This is an important day for my family and for Serbia," Princess Elizabeth of Serbia told Swiss reporters.   "Until last year, my father was treated as a traitor.  But he was a hero who suffered for no reason."    She recalled that Switzerland was the first country to welcome her family after the war.  She attended school in Clarens.

Princess Elizabeth is the youngest child of the late Prince Paul and his wife, Princess Olga of Greece and Denmark.

Prince Paul died in Paris in 1976.  He was buried in the Bois-de-Vaud cemetery.  Princess Olga died in 1997.

Prince Nicholas was killed in a car accident in 1954 at Datchet, in Buckinghamshire, and was buried in a local cemtery for some years before his remains were brought to Lausanne.

Princess Elizabeth was accompanied by her son, Nicholas Balfour, and her elder daughter, actress Catherine Oxenberg.

http://www.20min.ch/schweiz/romandie/story/15672783

Prince Paul was the first cousin of King Alexander I, who was assassinated in Marseilles in 1934.  Alexander's eldest son, Peter, then a minor child, succeeded him as King, but Prince Paul was named as one of three Regents for the young king.  

Prince Paul did not have dynastic rights, as the 1930 House Law states that the succession was limited to Alexander's male heirs. 

Princess Elizabeth's eldest brother, Prince Alexander, born in 1924, lives in Paris.

King Peter II, who died in Denver Colorado, in 1970, is buried the United States, as his youngest brother, Prince Andrej.   King Alexander's widow, Marie, died in 1960, and was interred at Frogmore.

Peter's only son, Crown Prince Alexander, is the head of the family, and de jureKing of Serbia.  Since the late 1990s, he and his family have lived in the royal palace at Dedinje.

The Serbian Monarchy was abolished by Marshall Tito in 1945.



Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Grand Duke Boris on America

Embed from Getty Images 


 September 26, 1902

Grand Duke Boris of Russia, who arrived at Le Havre earlier today, gave "several amusing interviews," according to the Los Angeles Times.   The Grand duke recently some time in America.  He considers American newspapers as "irrepressibly entertaining," and brings a great curiosity to the United States.  He declares American society to be "delightful," and American progress is "so stupendous that it should be considered the ever-present problem  for every European nation."

When asked about American reporters, the Grand Duke said: "If you talk to him one minute about the weather, the next day he prints a whole column about your love affairs.  If you simply shake hands, remaining perfectly dumb, meanwhile, he will print two columns.  If you refuse to see him at all, you must expect a fill page of mixed dialogue and life sketches. Since ordinary champagne drinking was not picturesque enough for them, they represented me gulping it from dainty chorus girl's slippers."

The Grand Duke thinks all this was "amusing."

After Grand Duke Boris arrived in Paris, he went to the Hotel Ritz to visit Grand Duke Paul Alexandrovich, who is at the hotel with Mme Pistoikors, "the companion of his fourth elopement.  

Apparently a "lively scene" ensued, but the conversation between the two Grand Dukes "is not known.

New Photos of Guillaume and Stephanie

The Grand Ducal court has released new photos of Hereditary Grand Duke Guillauime and Countess Stéphanie de Lannoy.

http://www.wort.lu/en/view/royal-household-releases-new-photos-of-bridal-couple-5062931be4b02dee62dea20b

Tuesday, September 25, 2012

Prince Nicholas to move to Romania

Credit:  Romanian royal family
Prince Nicholas, third in line to the Romanian throne, is planning to make Bucharest his home, according to Adevartul, a major Bucharest newspaper. 

The 27-year-old prince is the son of Princess Helen and her late former husband, Robin Medforth Mills.  He was given the style and title of HRH Prince in 2010. 

He will soon  undertake more of the Royal Family's public activities. 

In December 2007, King Michael established a new succession law that allows for female succession.   The 90-year-old King's eldest daughter, Margarita, is now styled as Crown Princess.

Prince Nicholas is a graduate of Shiplake College and Royal Holloway University.  He is passionate about traveling and sports.  He has visited Namibia, Botswana and Zimbabwe.  He has worked for World Challenge, a company that introduces children to extreme sports.


http://business-review.ro/featured/successor-of-king-michael-i-to-settle-in-romania/

http://www.adevarul.ro/actualitate/eveniment/Urmasul_Regelui_se_stabileste_in_Romania_0_779922379.html#


Royal Marriage: Greece-Prussia

September 25, 1888

The marriage of Princess Sophie of Prussia to Crown Prince Constantine of Greece is expected to take place "at the end of next June," according to the Chicago Daily Tribune.

The Princess "is not expected to enter the Greek Church," but any children will be brought up in the Orthodox faith. 

King George has "privately intimated" to Kaiser Wilhelm II and Emperor Alexander III that he planned to abdicate before the marriage of his son.  He has purchased a chateau in Denmark near Schloss Fredensborg, and plans to reside there for a "portion of the year."  He also plans to reside in Germany and in Russia.

Princess Hermine nurses pilots



September 25, 1922


Princess Hermine Reuss, the fiancee of former Kaiser Wilhelm II,  came to the rescue of three pilots and an American correspondent "whose airplane turned upside down" while circling her estate in Saabor, Silesia, the Associated Press reports.  Two of the three men suffered serious injuries.

The four men were taking to a hunting lodge on the estate.  Princess Hermine,  who had just returned from a visit to the Grand Duchess of Baden, "hastened with her children" to attend to the injured men's needs. 

The four men "were highly enthusiastic in their comments" about Princess Hermine's attractiveness.  They said she had a "charming, sympathetic personality," and all praised Kaiser Wilhelm's taste."

The trip was taken to "secure an aerial photograph" of Schloss Saabor.

The Funeral of Princess Elisabeth of Urach

The funeral of Princess Elisabeth of Urach was held today at 11:00 at St. Maria Himmelfahrt in Aufkirche near Starnberg.



All three photos @Gabi Piesiur
 
 
The Princess's brothers and sisters and their families were among the mourners which also including The Princess of Thurn und Taxis,  Prince and Princess Christoph of Bavaria, Prince Wolfgang of Bavaria, Archduke Josef Karl of Austria, and his wife, Margarete,  Christoph Lockett de Baviera and the Count and Countess Michael von Buquoy de Longueval.  The Countess is the former Serena Brunetti, daughter of Princess Editha of Bavaria.

Katie and Imre: Indian Love Song

The newly married Archduke Imre and Archduchess Kathleen of Austria's secret honeymoon is no longer a secret.  After spending some time in Greece, the young couple are now in India.

"Both of us have heard a lot about this country.  And this land of Maharajahs and royalty is a paradise for tourists, " said Archduke Imre to The Times of India.   "Udaipur is a very romantic  place  and since it's our honeymoon we wanted to see it."

The couple visited Fatehpur Skiri, Agra and Delhi, and are currently in Jaipur, as the guests of the former princely family, at the City Palace. 

Kathleen's grandfather, Charles Kelly, was stationed in Kolkata during the second world war.  Katie said that her grandfather used to "talk a lot about India and its culture.  I grew up listening to those stories and wanted to visit this country at least once in my life."

They plan to visit the Mother Teresa Home in Kolkata.


http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/people/Royals-in-the-Pink-City/articleshow/16528125.cms

Monday, September 24, 2012

More details on the Habsburg-Walker nuptials

I was able to get the latest issue of Point de Vue, which includes a feature on the wedding of Archduke Imre of Austria and Kathleen Walker.  The photos were provided by Luxpress.  Along with the already seen photos from the wedding and the reception at the Ritz-Carlton, the article also includes photos from the wedding ball.  I am not sure if the ball was held before the wedding or after the reception.

The bride wore a royal-cum-sapphire-blue gown as she danced with her husband.  The article also showed the groom's parents, Archduke Christian and Archduchess Marie Astrid dancing, and a third photo of Prince Guillaume and Princess Sibilla of Luxembourg in formal attire at the ball.

The article is not online.

Want to meet Guillaume & Stephanie? There's a catch

Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume of Luxembourg and Countess Stéphanie de Lannoy will be holding a reception on October 19.  The reception, which will be held in the foyer of the Grand Theatre in Luxembourg.

The reception will take place from 11:00 a.m., until 12:30 p.m., before the couple are married in a civil ceremony.

There are three catches.  The reception is open to residents of Luxembourg who were born on November 11, 1981 (Guillaume's birthday) or February 18, 1984 (Stéphanie's birthday). 

To reserve your place, please send an email to ministere.etat@me.etat.lu.  Remember, applicants must meet the criteria. 

http://www.wort.lu/en/view/meet-the-bridal-couple-at-a-special-reception-50606bc0e4b0b3e2cd5709d8?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

Sunday, September 23, 2012

Princess Ragnhild: an obituary

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/royalty-obituaries/9561327/Princess-Ragnhild-of-Norway.html

Prince Dominik marries Countess Olga

credit: Gabi Piesiur
Prince Dominik zu Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg and Countess Olga zu Castell-Rüdenhausen were married yesterday at the City Hall in Rüdenhausen. The religious wedding will take place at Olga's mother's estate, Quinta da Bela Vista,  in Sintra, Portugal, on October 6.
credit: Gabi Piesiur

Guests at the civil wedding including the bride and groom's parents, Count and Countess Castell-Rüdenhausen and the Prince and Princess of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg.

The groom's witness was Prince Ferdinand zu Leiningen.
Credit: Ulrike Barth

Credit: Ulrike Barth

Credit: Ulrike Barth

The couple were introduced at a New Year's Eve party in 2009 in Michelstadt, the town where the Prince and Princess of Erbau-Fürstenau reside with their family. 
http://www.mainpost.de/regional/franken/Hauch-von-Adel-bei-Hochzeit-in-Ruedenhausen;art1727,7038411

Thank you to Gabi and Ulrike who allowed me to use several of their photos.  They are the copyright holders of the photographs.

Friday, September 21, 2012

Princely wedding: Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg-Castell-Rüdenhausen

Tomorrow -September 22 -- Prince Dominik zu Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg and Countess Olga zu Castell-Rüdenhausen will be married in a civil ceremony at Rüdenhausen.   The marriage will be conducted by Rüdenhausen's mayor Gerhard Ackermann.

Prince Dominik is the youngest child of the Prince and Princess of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg and Olga is the daughter of the Count and Countess of Castell-Rüdenhausen.

The Castell-Rüdenhausens are a Lutheran family although the bride's mother, Countess Maria of Schönborn-Wiesentheid is Roman Catholic.   The Löwensteins are Roman Catholic.  The groom's mother, Princess Anastasia of Prussia, who was raised Lutheran, converted at the time of her marriage to Prince Aloys in 1965.

Only close family will attend the reception after the civil ceremony.

Countess Olga was born at Würzburg in 1987.  She received a BA in Global Communications in 2009, where she majored in Marketing at the American University in Paris.  She minored in Business Administration.   Three weeks ago, she received her Master's degree in Corporate Social Responsibility.

Prince Dominik, 29, has a Bachelor of Art's degree in Communication Studies and Business Administration.  He works in Hamburg for a company that invests in new energy sources and agriculture and forestry.

After their honeymoon, the newlyweds will live in Hamburg.

The religious wedding will take place on Olga's mother's family property in Sintra on October 6.  

The couple first met at a New Year's Party on December 31, 2009.

http://www.mainpost.de/regional/franken/Zwei-Adelige-sagen-Ja-ich-will;art1727,7035098

A wedding for the Hereditary Prince of Hohenlohe-Bartenstein

Bunte is reporting that the Hereditary Prince of Hohenlohe-Bartenstein is getting married in 2013.  The magazine did not name the prince's bride-to-be.

HSH Hereditary Prince Maximilian Leopold Carl Alois of Hohenlohe-Bartenstein was born at Munich on March 29, 1972.  He is the eldest of five children of HSH Ferdinand, Prince of Hohenlohe-Bartenstein and the late Princess Franziska zu Oettingen-Oettingen und Oettingen-Spielberg, who died in October 2011.

He has one brother, Prince Felix, and three younger sisters,  Princess Alice, Princess Margherita and Princess Georgina.    Prince Felix was married in June 2012 to Doña Cristina Gutiérrez-Maturana-Larios y Kalachnikof. Princess Alice's marriage to Prince Christian of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg took place in August 2011,  six weeks after the marriage of Princess Georgina to Count Clemens Douglas.

Princess Margherita is unmarried.

A second baby for Prince and Princess Antonius zu Fürstenberg

The German magazine Bunte is reporting that Prince Antonius and Princess Mathilde zu Fürstenberg are expecting a second child.  Prince Antonius said that their son would be born around December 4.  He and his wife are leaning toward Albert. 

Their first son, Prince Karl, was born on September 22, 2011,  The Prince and the Countess Mathilde Borromeo were married in June 2011.

Prince Antonius is the younger son of the Prince and Princess of Fürstenberg.  His elder brother, Prince Christian, and his wife, Princess Jeanette, remain childless.  They were married in September 2010.

Earl & Countess of St. Andrews in Canada

The Earl and Countess of St. Andrews are visiting the Countess' birthplace, Placentia, Newfoundland, which is celebrating its 350th birthday.

The former Sylvana Tomaselli was born in Placentia in May 1958.  Her father, a civil engineer, worked on the America base in Argentia.  

This is the Countess' first visit to her birthplace since leaving when she was a toddler.

The reporter gets it wrong when he writes that the Queen will decide if George will succeed as Duke of Kent.   The Earl of St. Andrews will succeed his father as the Duke of Kent, but with his succession, the title ceases to be a royal dukedom, as the new duke will be addressed as Your Grace, and not as Your Royal Highness.

http://www.thetelegram.com/News/Local/2012-09-20/article-3079129/Cod-tongues,-Union-Jacks-and-a-full-narrative/1
http://www.thetelegram.com/News/Local/2012-09-15/article-3075833/Placentia%26rsquos-royal-visitors-get-a-serendipitous-surprise/1



Thursday, September 20, 2012

Gotta say it!!!





Ryan Zimmerman 

Wilson Ramos

Zim


Davey Johnson, manager


Jayson Werth


Stephen Strasburg





Tyler Moore

THE WASHINGTON NATIONALS ARE GOING TO THE PLAYOFFS!!!!!!!!!!!

Max-Emanuel Margrave of Meissen


Prince Carl-Albrecht & Princess Camilla of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg



The newly married Prince and Princess Carl-Albrecht of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg.  Amerdingen, April 28, 2012.

Royal Cousins




Prince Christian of Schaumburg-Lippe (1898-1974) was the son of Prince Friedrich of Schaumburg-Lippe and Princess Louise of Denmark.  He was engaged to Princess Irene, but the engagement was broken before the marriage took place.  In 1937, he married Princess Feodora of Denmark.


Princess Elisabeth of Schaumburg-Lippe (1908-1933) was the youngest child of Georg II, Prince of Schaumburg-Lippe and his wife, Princess Marie Anna of Saxe-Altenburg.

Elisabeth married twice.  In 1928, she married and divorced Benevenuto Hauptmann. Two years later, she wed Baron  Johann Herring von Frankensdorf.


I am assuming that the postcard is of Prince Christian and not his Elisabeth's brother, Prince Friedrich Christian, two years her senior.  The photographs were taken by the same photographer in Hanover.    If I am wrong, someone will let me know.

Michael en route to Mom

September 20, 1932


Crown Prince Michael of Romania has arrived in Paris from Bucharest, and is en route to London, where he will join his mother, Princess Helen,  according to a special cable to the New York Times.

The ten year old former boy king is accompanied by his father, King Carol's aide-de-camp.  

Prince Michael will spend tomorrow visiting Paris, and will travel to London on Thursday.

A secret marriage for Dom Miguel

September 20, 19908


Has Prince Miguel of Braganza, eldest son of Dom Miguel, pretender to the Portuguese throne, married a rich American widow, Mrs Samuel Sloan Chauncey?    The report in the New York Times is based on a dispatch from Paris, stating that the Prince recently married Mrs. Chauncey.

Samuel Chauncey died in 1899, leaving "the most beautiful widow in the world."   The former Alice Louise Carr was the daughter of George Montgomery Carr, a local politician from Leavenworth, Indiana.   The family had moved to Louisville, Kentucky, where Carr died, leaving his estate "amounting to $8,000 in life insurance."   The family returned to Leavenworth, where Alice caught the attention of Dr. George Griffith, a local doctor, who invited her to meet his daughters, and "introduced her to society."

After the death of her brother, Dr. Griffith and his family took Alice to Florida, where she met Samuel Chauncey.  They were married in 1894. 

After the wedding, the newlyweds settled in Brooklyn.   Several years later, Chauncey became seriously ill, and Alice "forsook society completely that she might be with him all the time."   She inherited $1,500,000 after his death.

Alice's friends say she has "retained much of her youthful beauty."

Prince Miguel was born in 1878.  He is a son of Dom Miguel and his first wife, Princess Elisabeth of Thurn und Taxis.

Princess Elisabeth of Urach (1952-2012)

Princess Elisabeth of Urach died today in Munich.  She was 59 years old.

The Princess was the daughter of the late Prince Eberhard of Urach and Priness Iniga of Thurn und Taxis.  She was born December 10, 1952.


The princess never married.  She is survived by her sister, Princess Amelie, and three brothers, Prince Karl Anselm, Duke Wilhelm, and Prince Inigo, and numerous nieces and nephews.

Wednesday, September 19, 2012

Dear Blogger

Dear Blogger


Your update stinks.  What happened to Dashboard.  I know I have a few comments waiting to be posted ... where are they now?   I do not like this update.   I do not like this update at all. 

Greece to sell Tatoi and other properties

It has come to this. Greece,  a very debt-laden nation, is planning to sell property in London, Belgrade and Athem
One of the Greek properties that will be offered for sale is the "partially-ruined" Tatoi, one of country home of the Greek royl family. Some years ago, the Greek government compensated King Constantine II for the loss of Tatoi and other properties.


The Tatoi estate includes "40 outbuildings, stables and the graves of several members of the royal family dating back to 1880," according to the Daily Telegraph.

Perhaps Crown Princess Pavlos' very, very rich father can write a very, very large check and return Tatoi to its rightful owners!

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/financialcrisis/9552923/Greece-sells-off-London-consulate-and-royal-cemetery.html

"Secret Princes" - Spare me ...

Please ...   American cable network TLC has a new series, Secret Princes, which premieres on September 21.  I doubt I will be tuning in because it looks like ... pure crap.

Seriously, the two authors of this equally fatuous article have fallen prey to utter stupidity.  A little research would have changed the entire premise of this article.  Nightline might even have dropped the story after realizing that the program is not based on facts.


Check the opening line:  "It's every girl's dream to find her prince, and the reality is, there are quite a few of them out there."

True and false. It's not every girl's dream.  Some girls want to be lawyers or doctors or soccer players.   Yes, there are a lot of princes "out there,"  but none of them are appearing in this program.

"Lord" Robert Walters is best known as an underwear model,  but he is not entitled to call himself Lord Robert.  Lord Robert would mean one of two things:  younger son of a duke or younger son of a marquess.  He is neither.  He has inherited a Lordship of a Manor.  Lords of the Manor are feudal titles, but are not peerages.   A Lord of the Manor cannot call himself Lord Robert, example.  He is pretending to be someone he is not: the younger son of a duke or a marquess.

It is also difficult to trace one's bloodline back to Henry VIII.  He does not have any known descendants.  It is not known for sure if Henry was the father of Catherine Carey, the elder child of Mary Boleyn.


In England, a Lordship of a Manor is recognized as a form of propriety.   A good percentage of Lordships remain within the families, but others have been sold.  Lord Spencer sold several of his Lordships of the Manor several years ago.

http://ukinusa.fco.gov.uk/en/about-us/faqs/knighthood-honours/buy-british-title

From the FAQ on what can be used in a British passport: 



Manorial titles 

A Manorial title (i.e. Lord of the Manor) is not a title of nobility and may be bought and sold by the owner of the property to which the title refers. The Lord Lyon King of Arms has also confirmed that for Scottish Lairds it is not necessary for the words "Laird of" to appear on any part of a passport. Requests from applicants and passport holders for Manorial titles and Scottish Lairds to be included in their passports may be accepted providing documentary evidence is submitted, and recorded in the passport with the observation e.g.:
 THE HOLDER IS THE LORD OF THE MANOR OF.......................


But it should be noted that the person cannot call himself as Lord Christian name surname.

In other words,  Robert Walters is not a prince.  He is also not a noble.  A commoner. Period.
http://www.chichester.co.uk/lifestyle/entertainment/entertainment_his_lordship_puts_on_a_cheeky_show_for_the_ladies_as_the_boys_come_to_town_1_1512324

Salauddinkhan Babi is the eldest son of Nawab Babi Shri Muhammed Salabat Skhaji, whose family once ruled the princely state of Babi, now Balasinor.

The family's palace is now a hotel, the Garden Palace Hotel.  Apparently, the place burned down some years, and the family built the new home in the 1940s.  

http://heritagehotels.com/heritage-hotels-india/gujarat/balasinore/Garden-Palace-Hotel-Balasinore.htm


The Hon, Ludovic Watson is the younger son of the 4th Baron Manton.   His elder brother is heir to the peerage.  Children of peers of the realm are commoners.   The only people in the UK who are not commoners are the Sovereign and Peers of the Realm.   The Duke of Cambridge is a peer of the realm. Prince Harry is legally a commoner.

Ludo's father is the 4th Baron Manton.   He is the great-grandson of Joseph Watson (1873-1922), who turned his family's soap business into a major company, a rival to Lever.  Watson sold the business to Lever Brothers.   In 1922, Watson was elevated to Baron Manton of Compton Verney for his work in munitions during the first world war.  The new Lord Manton had recently purchased Compton Verney in Warwickshire, a Robert Adams stately home, but he never lived there, having died a year after purchasing the house. His son, Miles, lived at Compton Verney for several years before selling it. 

In other words,  the Mantons are nouveau nobility.

This brings us to Don Francisco de Borbon y von Hardenberg, who is the son and heir of Don Francisco de Paul de Borbon y Ecasany, Duke of Seville, Grandee of Spain.   The Duke of Seville is a fourth cousin of King Juan Carlos of Spain.  No princely titles.  

Don Francisco's father works as a banker.  No palace.  No grand home.

This kinship does not make the Duke of Seville a member of the Spanish Royal family. He has been married three times. His first wife was Countess Beatrice von Hardenberg, the daughter of Count Gunther von Hardenburg and Princess Maria Josefa zu Fürstenberg.   The Cisco kid is not even the heir to the Seville dukedom.  Since 2009, Spanish titles of nobility are inherited by the eldest child, not the eldest son.  Thus, Cisco's eldest sister, Olivia. is the heiress apparent to the Seville dukedom.  

TLC is trying to pull the wool over American eyes, and I am telling TLC, I have opened the barn door, and I am leaving it open.  I will admit that there are some Americans who are soooooo naive (Honey Boo Boo's mother, for example), who will lap this froth up.  But let me say right here, right now, from someone who knows a lot about royalty:  TLC is making it all up, and allow people to be someone they are not!  


I cannot believe Nightline is actually covering this story - and two!!! distaff "journalists" who wrote this article should have actually done some real research.  ABC News has fallen into the gutter ... what a shame.  

This reminds of a HBO series, Born Rich (2003) where one of the alleged Richie Rich kids was "Carlo von Zeitschel," who claimed he was the great-grandson of Kaiser Wilhelm II ... and an Italian count and a German baron! 
Let's just say, none of the above is more accurate.


 http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/secret-princes-undercover-find-love-us/story?id=17264838#.UFlB641lTJU

A review that has a link to Royal Musings ... woo hoo!

http://www.channelguidemagblog.com/index.php/2012/09/21/who-are-secret-princes/


Tuesday, September 18, 2012

Princess Viggo's childhood home up for sale

This past weekend I flew home to New Jersey to attend my 40th High School reunion.  I grew up in Ringwood in the Ramapo Mountains near the New York State border.  Ringwood, established in 1740 (and hasn't changed much since then), has a population of about 12,000 people .. lots of space though.  No one can feel cramped in Ringwood.

Ringwood, which begins at the top of Skyline Drive (a real treat to drive down to Oakland in the dead of winter,) is a very historic town.  Think the American Revolution and George Washington.    The iron mines played a major role in helping to defeat the British. 

George Washington even slept at Ringwood Manor.

Washington was at Ringwood Manor on April 19, 1783, when the war between the United States and United Kingdom ended.    Ringwood Manor was owned by Robert Erskine, a Scottish-born inventor, who was appointed as Geographer and Surveyor General of the Continental Army by Washington.

I often visited Ringwood Manor and would bring my lunch and eat, sitting on Erskine's grave.

The estate was acquired by Martin Ryerson, who began construction of the present Manor House.  He made the shot for the War of 1812.

The estate was purchased at a sheriff's sale by Peter Cooper (Cooper Union) and his son-in-law, Abram S. Hewitt, who was elected as mayor of New York City in 1886.  He also served for several terms in the House of Representatives. 

Peter Cooper and Abram S. Hewitt enlarged Ringwood Manor.  Hewitt married Peter's daughter, Sarah Amelia Cooper. They had six children, including a daughter, Amelia, known as Amy.

The Cooper-Hewitt's primary residence was 9 Lexington Avenue in New York City.  Ringwood Manor was their summer residence.   In 1886,  Amy married Dr. James O Norvin.  Their wedding took place at Ringwood Manor.

In 1878,  Abram Hewitt bought the estate across Sloatsburg Road from Ringwood Manor.  He gave the estate to his daughter, Amy, as a wedding president.  Her husband was the president of Western Telegraph, which became Western Union. 

Amy and James had two children, Norvin (1893-1955) and Eleanor Margaret (1895-1966).  Their primary residence was the Lexington Avenue home, but every summer was spent in Ringwood.

Amy died in 1922.  Her husband died two years later.   Norton inherited the family property in Ringwood.  He sold his parents' estate to the Capuchin sisters for $1.00 in 1930.  Ringwood Manor  was bequested to the State of New Jersey by Erskine Hewitt, Amy's brother, who died in 1936.


Amy's unmarried sister, Sarah Cooper died in 1933, leaving an estate worth $5,843,122.  She left her niece, Princess Viggo, $75,000 in "cash, jewelery and certain wearing apparel."  The Princes's brother, Norton, received $100,000, and they both inherited a share in Sarah's property in Bar Harbor, Maine.

Eleanor Margaret Green, known as Peggy, married Prince Viggo of Denmark  on June 10, 1924 in New York City.  The newlyweds spent the first part of their honeymoon in Ringwood ... my home town!

I lived on Skyline Lake.  Loved it.  I'd move back in a heartbeat if I did not have to commute to New York City.  Most housing prices are not bad, and lower than Northern Virginia.  The house two doors down from my old home is for sale at $280,000.  Lakefront property.  My condo costs more than that ... but there is the little issue of New Jersey having the highest property taxes in the country. 

http://www.coldwellbankermoves.com/property/details/2784168/MLS-2901194/474-Sloatsburg-Rd-Ringwood-NJ-07456.aspx


http://www.ringwoodmanor.com/history/hist.htm

http://www.northjersey.com/recreation/117293333_Boro_hopes_to_purchase_Saint_Francis_site_for_cultural_center__.html

Monday, September 17, 2012

The Duke and Duchess of Orléans agree on a separation





September 17, 1898

The Duke and Duchess of Orléans have agreed to a separation, according to the New York Times.  This announcement comes in spite of efforts made by Emperor Franz Josef of Austria and the leaders of the Royalist Party in France to avert a separation. 

Prince Philippe and Archduchess Maria Dorothea of Austria were married on November 5, 1896, shortly after published reports that the duke would marry Princess Marie Laetitia Napoleon, the widow of Prince Amedeo, Duke of Aosta, "thus uniting the Royalist and Bonapartist claims to the throne."

The Duke of Orléans had also been engaged to his cousin, Princess Marguerite, the daughter of the Duke of Chartres.  He had "jilted her in a most shameful way" for two opera singers.

Former Empress Eugenie used "all of her influence" to prevent a marriage with the dowager Duchess of Aosta. By marrying Archduchess Maria Dorothea, the Duke of Orléans "hoped to gain entree to certain European courts," where, as the pretender to the French throne, he was persona non grata.

But his joy soon turned to disappointment.  The "royal circles that had been open" to Maria Dorothea "shut their doors the moment" the moment she became the Duchess of Orléans.

Nicholas II, who has received Prince Napoleon, Don Carlos, and "even the disreputable" Prince Victor Napoleon and Dom Miguel of Portugal have all ignored the couple.

During their first year of marriage, the Duke and Duchess stayed at their home at Wood Norton in Twickenham.  The British royals paid no attention and they were "pointedly ignored" at the marriage of Princess Maud of Wales to Prince Carl of Denmark.  They were also "the only royal personages in England" who were not invited to the wedding.

At the "urgent request of Emperor Franz Joseph, the Prince of Wales invited the couple to Sandringham to "meet some aristocratic remnants" of the old Royalist Party in France. 

The visit was not a success.  The "brutal conduct" of the duke toward his wife was "sufficient to arouse Court gossip to the highest pitch."  It became apparent that the duke, who has a violent temper and refuses to control it, and the Duchess were going to live apart.   The duke is said to be disappointed because the couple does not have any children. 

The Duchess, 31, is a "plain, tall woman of an exceedingly haughty disposition."  She has received the sympathy of "all the European courts" and in royalist circles in France.  It has been "universally admitted" that the Duchess is "much too good" for her husband.

The couple will remain separated as the Roman Catholic church does not recognize civil divorce.

New details for Coburg-Sweden wedding

September 17, 1932


Hereditary Prince Gustaf Adolf of Sweden and Princess Sibylla of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha will be married on October 20 at St. Moritz Church in Coburg, according to the Associated Press.  The couple will "speak their nuptial vows in the dim light" of the 15th century church.  More than 1000 guests will attend the wedding, including members of of reigning and non-reigning European royal families.

The groom's father, Crown Prince Gustaf Adolf, and King Gustav V and other members of the Swedish royal family are expected to travel to Coburg for the wedding.

The newlyweds will be moving into Haga castle, which is now being "rebuilt and modernized in Haga Park," on the outskirts of Stockholm.

The Swedes are said to have an "intense interest" in the marriage.  Princess Sibylla, daughter of the Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, is "undeniably pretty, of a blonde, smiling type which appeals to the Swedish public.

Unlike his younger brothers, who prefer a "gay social life," Prince Gustaf Adolf has a "retiring disposition," which has made his engagement "all the more interesting to serious minded Sweden."

Sunday, September 16, 2012

More photos from Imre & Kathleen's wedding






 
 
These photos were taken by the official wedding photographer, Craig Spiering (Craig Spiering Photography).
 
My sincere thanks to Craig and to Julius Jackson for allowing me to use these photos!
 

Princess Ragnhild Alexandra of Norway (1930-2012)

Princess Ragnhild, Mrs. Lorentzen, the eldest of the three children of King Olav V of Norway, died today at her home in Rio de Janeiro.  She was 82 years old.

In 1953, Princess Ragnild married Erling Lorentzen.  They had three children, Haakon. Ingeborg and Ragnhild.  She is survived by her husband, her three children, and six grandchildren, Olav, Christian and Sophia Lorentzen,  Victoria Ribeiro,  Alexandra and Elizabeth Long.























The photos are all from my personal collection.

http://www.newsinenglish.no/2012/09/16/norway-mourns-princess-death/

http://trondni.blogspot.com/2012/09/at-roads-end-princess-ragnhild-of.html