Thursday, May 5, 2016

Ileana engaged to Austrian archduke

May 5, 1931


The engagement of Princess Ileana of Romania and Archduke Anton of Austria was announced today, reports the Associated Press.

A "mutual love of flying" brought the couple together at Easter at Schloss Umkirch, the home of the Prince and Princess of Hohenzollern.  The Prince is a cousin of Princess Ileana, whose father, the late King Ferdinand, was born a Prince of Hohenzollern.

Archduke Anton is said to be an "enthusiastic flyer."  He does all the maintenance and work on his plane, and never permits anyone else to "touch it."

Princess Ileana is also very fond of flying.  Since their first meeting, the young couple have spent a "much time" together, "making daily flights" to Vienna and Paris.

Shortly before Easter, Princess Ileana and her mother, the Dowager Queen Marie, arrived at Schloss Umkirch.  Archduke Anton was also a guest.    It seems that Princess Ileana and Archduke Anton's new friendship quickly "ripened" into "real love."

The marriage is expected to take place in June.  Ileana is said to be a "very happy girl who has found the man of her heart's desires,"  and there are "no lingering memories of the unfortunate end" of an earlier engagement to Count Alexander von Hochberg.

Archduke Anton has no inherited wealth.  He referred to his "sporting plane" as the "only thing left of my Spanish fortune."

After the fall of the Austro-Hungarian empire, Anton moved to Spain and became an engineer.

In the next few days,  he will return to Spain to attend "some personal business."  Princess Ileana and her mother are traveling to Venice to spend a few weeks there, most certainly discussing and planning the wedding.

Archduke Anton is the seventh of ten children of Archduke Leopold Salvator and his wife, Infanta Blanca of Spain.    His parents reside in Barcelona


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