On the eve of Princess Maria Theresia of Thurn und Taxis's marriage to Briton Hugo Wilson, her mother, Princess Gloria, consents to an exclusive interview with TZ, a German television program.
(This is a rough translation of the reporter's questions, and Princess Gloria's responses.)
Gloria, the widow of Johannes, Prince of Thurn und Taxis, took time out from the wedding preparations to chat with the reporter.
The Princess was asked if she were excited about the wedding. "Yes, of course, I am excited.
Why did Maria Theresia choose to marry at Garatshausen, and not at Regensburg.
"Maria Theresia loves the Starnberger See, and has wonderful childhood memories at Garatshausen."
Princess Gloria said she is involved in the wedding preparations. "We are doing everything ourselves with a proven team from Regensburg. "
Princess Gloria said her daughter took care of the wedding dress, and has no idea of what she will wear, except to say that the gown was designed by Vivienne Westwood.
"So, super cool," she said.
Gloria was asked what she will be wearing to the wedding. A hat or a Gerhard Meir hairstyle? "No. I am so over hats. Most likely I wear one of my elegant Dirndls."
Princess Gloria will attend the wedding shower at P1 club in Munich, but will not be taking the stage as a rock singer. "I will definitely be there, but no chance to be a rock singer. I will remain in the background. The couple are in charge."
She was asked if Maria Theresia is more relaxed than she was when she wed Prince Johannes in 1980. Gloria was only 20 years old when she married.
"I don't know because Maria Theresia keeps her feelings to herself." She is reminded of her own wedding. "My wedding day was very beautiful and every exciting. It's all gone by so quickly, just madness, but it was very beautiful."
Helping prepare for her elder daughter's wedding is reminder of her own marriage, she said.
"When I think about my own wedding, I always think about the priest who performed the ceremony, My husband is still very close to me."
Did Hugo Wilson actually ask for your daughter's hand in marriage?
Gloria answered "Yes, of course, because he knows how to behave."
She said she first met Hugo a "long time ago because they have known each other for awhile.'
Was there ever a thought that Hugo was not acceptable (because he is a commoner.). "Oh, no, those days are gone."
She likes Hugo's art. "Yes, he makes great sculptures."
Contrary to earlier reports, Hugo Wilson has not yet converted to Roman Catholicism. "He said he wants to convert, but the priest advised that it should not be done during the marriage preparation, and should take place after the wedding."
The wedding will not be performed by Cardinal Mueller as the couple "have a very good priest, who took them through the marriage preparations."
She said she would only give advice to her adult children when it is "explicitly requested."
The best thing she can wish for her daughter's new life is "a happy marriage, of course!"
The reporter said there will be many people and journalists who will travel to Garatshausen to catch a glimpse of the newlyweds and the "illustrious guests."
Princess Gloria responded: "There will be no illustrious guests" at the wedding. She said she does not know where they will be going on their honeymoon, but said they will be living in London.
Does she want to be a grandmother? "Yes, of course, I would be very happy about that."
Does she think Maria Theresia's marriage will provide inspiration for her younger daughter, Elsiabeth and her son, Albert, the present head of the house.
"I am sure both kids want to marry, but when, I do not know."
http://www.tz.de/stars/fuerstin-gloria-tz-interview-grossen-hochzeit-ihrer-tochter-3849671.html
Friday, September 12, 2014
No comment from Prince zu Waldburg von Wolfegg und Waldsee
The Prince of Waldburg-Wolfegg und Waldsee will not comment on recent reports that his son, Hereditary Count Ludwig married to Indonesian celebrity Jessica Iskandar and is the father of a newborn son. (German newspaper, SZ, repeats the mistake made by Bunte: the baby is a boy, not a girl).
http://www.schwaebische.de/region_artikel,-Babyglueck-im-Wolfegger-Schloss-_arid,10082470_toid,544.html
http://www.schwaebische.de/region_artikel,-Babyglueck-im-Wolfegger-Schloss-_arid,10082470_toid,544.html
Thursday, September 11, 2014
What will happen to Prince Albert of Schleswig-Holstein
September 11, 1914
What will be the fate of Prince Albert of Schleswig-Holstein, if he is taken prisoner by the Germans, wonders the Marquise de Fontenoy. He could be shot, she states. Few officers in the English army now fighting in France have made "such heavy sacrifices or are risking more" than Prince Albert, only surviving son of Prince Christian of Schleswig-Holstein and his wife, Princess Helena, sister of the late King Edward VII.
Prince Christian married Princess Helena, Queen Victoria's third daughter and fifth child in 1866. He became a naturalized British subject, and now, in his 80s, he is the "senior general officer of the English army."
Prince Christian and Princess Helena divided their time between their two homes: Cumberland Lodge at Windsor, and Schomburg House in London.
Their eldest son, Prince Christian Victor, died of enteric fever during the Boer War fourteen years ago, serving as an officer of the King's Royal Rifle corps. After his older brother's death, Prince Albert joined the Prussian army as he became second in line, after his father, to the "extensive estates and property," of Duke Ernst Gunther of Schleswig-Holstein, brother to Empress Auguste Viktoria.
Albert also is the heir to the a "perpetual annuity" of $80,000 a year granted by Prussia's government to the reigning Duke of Schleswig-Holstein for ever as a "quid pro quo for their renunciation of the sovereignty of the two duchies of Schleswig and Holstein," now provinces in the kingdom of Prussia.
Prince Albert was educated at Wellington College, and then received a commission in the Prussian Cuirassier guards, eventually achieving the rank of colonel. He was a favorite of Wilhelm II and Auguste Viktoria, and is a cousin to both. Princess Helena is the younger sister of Wilhelm's mother, Victoria, and Prince Christian is Auguste Viktoria's maternal uncle.
When the world war broke out in August, Prince Albert resigned his German commission. He realized that he was a native of England, educated in England, his mother is a British princess and his father a naturalized citizen. After he tendered his resignation, he "sought out and obtained a commission under the British flag."
His decision has meant that he will sacrifice his right of succession and the $80,000 annuity, as well as his cousin's large estates in Germany. The Duke and Duchess of Schleswig-Holstein do not have any children.
Wilhelm II is said to be "extremely embittered" by Albert's decision, which he considers as "treachery." Prince Albert had served for nearly 20 years as an officer in the Prussian army.
If Albert is captured, it is likely that he will be treated harshly as Wilhelm II now harbors a deep resentment of his cousin. Prince Albert has been able "to exercise over both the Kaiser and kaiserin, enjoying a freedom of speech with them" that few others possessed. Only the Kaiser's only daughter, Princess Viktoria Luise, Duchess of Brunswick, and his younger brother, Prince Henry, were accorded the same power.
Prince Albert has two younger sisters. Princess Helena Victoria is unmarried and Princess Marie Luise, is divorced from Prince Aribert of Anhalt. The divorce followed a "scandal" that has kept him away from Berlin ever since.
[Note: Prince Albert was certainly concerned about his position in Germany, and he received permission from the Kaiser to not fight the British and remained in Berlin for the duration of the war, serving in an office job. On August 9, 1914, The Times reported that Prince Albert had been named as an aide-de-camp to General von Lowenfeld, the commander of the Corps of Guards in Berlin. ]
What will be the fate of Prince Albert of Schleswig-Holstein, if he is taken prisoner by the Germans, wonders the Marquise de Fontenoy. He could be shot, she states. Few officers in the English army now fighting in France have made "such heavy sacrifices or are risking more" than Prince Albert, only surviving son of Prince Christian of Schleswig-Holstein and his wife, Princess Helena, sister of the late King Edward VII.
Prince Christian married Princess Helena, Queen Victoria's third daughter and fifth child in 1866. He became a naturalized British subject, and now, in his 80s, he is the "senior general officer of the English army."
Prince Christian and Princess Helena divided their time between their two homes: Cumberland Lodge at Windsor, and Schomburg House in London.
Their eldest son, Prince Christian Victor, died of enteric fever during the Boer War fourteen years ago, serving as an officer of the King's Royal Rifle corps. After his older brother's death, Prince Albert joined the Prussian army as he became second in line, after his father, to the "extensive estates and property," of Duke Ernst Gunther of Schleswig-Holstein, brother to Empress Auguste Viktoria.
Albert also is the heir to the a "perpetual annuity" of $80,000 a year granted by Prussia's government to the reigning Duke of Schleswig-Holstein for ever as a "quid pro quo for their renunciation of the sovereignty of the two duchies of Schleswig and Holstein," now provinces in the kingdom of Prussia.
Prince Albert was educated at Wellington College, and then received a commission in the Prussian Cuirassier guards, eventually achieving the rank of colonel. He was a favorite of Wilhelm II and Auguste Viktoria, and is a cousin to both. Princess Helena is the younger sister of Wilhelm's mother, Victoria, and Prince Christian is Auguste Viktoria's maternal uncle.
When the world war broke out in August, Prince Albert resigned his German commission. He realized that he was a native of England, educated in England, his mother is a British princess and his father a naturalized citizen. After he tendered his resignation, he "sought out and obtained a commission under the British flag."
His decision has meant that he will sacrifice his right of succession and the $80,000 annuity, as well as his cousin's large estates in Germany. The Duke and Duchess of Schleswig-Holstein do not have any children.
Wilhelm II is said to be "extremely embittered" by Albert's decision, which he considers as "treachery." Prince Albert had served for nearly 20 years as an officer in the Prussian army.
If Albert is captured, it is likely that he will be treated harshly as Wilhelm II now harbors a deep resentment of his cousin. Prince Albert has been able "to exercise over both the Kaiser and kaiserin, enjoying a freedom of speech with them" that few others possessed. Only the Kaiser's only daughter, Princess Viktoria Luise, Duchess of Brunswick, and his younger brother, Prince Henry, were accorded the same power.
Prince Albert has two younger sisters. Princess Helena Victoria is unmarried and Princess Marie Luise, is divorced from Prince Aribert of Anhalt. The divorce followed a "scandal" that has kept him away from Berlin ever since.
[Note: Prince Albert was certainly concerned about his position in Germany, and he received permission from the Kaiser to not fight the British and remained in Berlin for the duration of the war, serving in an office job. On August 9, 1914, The Times reported that Prince Albert had been named as an aide-de-camp to General von Lowenfeld, the commander of the Corps of Guards in Berlin. ]
Kaiser very happy wth son's fiancee
September 11, 1904
German Emperor Wilhelm II and his wife, Empress Auguste Viktoria arrived in Schwerin this evening, reports the New York Times. They were accompanied by their eldest son, Crown Prince Wilhelm and his fiancée, Duchess Cecilie of Mecklenburg-Schwerin.
The city was "lavishly decorated" and the royal family were enthusiastically received by the local population, as many had gathered on the streets to await the arrival of Duchess Cecilie, sister of the Grand Duke Friedrich Franz IV.
At the state dinner this evening, Wilhelm II "expressed great joy" at the engagement of the Crown Prince and Duchess Cecilie. He said her character would "insure the happiness of his son, and with it the happiness of his house and the fatherland."
German Emperor Wilhelm II and his wife, Empress Auguste Viktoria arrived in Schwerin this evening, reports the New York Times. They were accompanied by their eldest son, Crown Prince Wilhelm and his fiancée, Duchess Cecilie of Mecklenburg-Schwerin.
The city was "lavishly decorated" and the royal family were enthusiastically received by the local population, as many had gathered on the streets to await the arrival of Duchess Cecilie, sister of the Grand Duke Friedrich Franz IV.
At the state dinner this evening, Wilhelm II "expressed great joy" at the engagement of the Crown Prince and Duchess Cecilie. He said her character would "insure the happiness of his son, and with it the happiness of his house and the fatherland."
Upcoming princely wedding: Thurn und Taxis - Wilson
Princess Maria Theresia of Thurn und Taxis will marry British painter Hugo Wilson on Saturday at St. Joseph, a Roman Catholic church in Tutzing, Upper Bavaria.
The 33-year-old Princess and her fiancé, two years her junior, first met in London at art school. Maria Theresia studied in Paris and Madrid before moving to London to further her art studies. She now works in London as a freelance journalist and artist.
The reception will take place at Schloss Garatshausen in Feldafing. The schloss is one of a number of properties owned by the princess' younger brother, Albert II, Prince of Thurn und Taxis.
One Munich newspaper, the Merkur, is reporting that most of the guests, friends of the bride and groom, will be flying in from London to attend the wedding. Although the Thurn und Taxis' secretariat has not released many details about the wedding, it is stated that there will be few noble guests in attendance.
The bride-to-be is the eldest of three children of the late Johannes, Prince of Thurn und Taxis and his wife, Gloria, a Countess of Schönburg-Glauchau.
http://www.augsburger-allgemeine.de/panorama/Tochter-von-Gloria-von-Thurn-und-Taxis-heiratet-id31286017.html
Tuesday, September 9, 2014
Praying for the Nats
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| Wearing the classic red cap |
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| in Pink |
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| in church |
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| the original photo |
The Nationals are in first place in the National League East! Cruising toward the post season.
Monday, September 8, 2014
New inteview with Grand Duchess Maria of Russia
Grand Duchess Maria talks about monarchy and Russia
http://rbth.com/arts/2013/02/21/could_the_russian_monarchy_return_23103.html
http://rbth.com/arts/2013/02/21/could_the_russian_monarchy_return_23103.html
Maria is an accomplished princess
September 8, 1934
Princess Maria of Italy, who is reported engaged to Archduke Otto, heir to the former Austrian throne, is said to be an "accomplished young woman," reports the New York Times.
The 20-year-old princess is said to be "fond of music and plays the piano well." She is a "singer of some attainments." She enjoys tennis, and one of her favorite hobbies is to assist her father, King Vittorio Emanuele III, in "handling his immense collection of rare coins."
The king has a "world-wide reputation as a numismatist," and Princess Maria has obtained a "real knowledge of the subject."
The young princess has led a "quiet and retiring life," largely at the royal family's summer home at San Rossore, near Viareggio. She resembles her mother, Queen Elena, "whose dark beauty dazzled Rome," when she came a as young bride from Montenegro. Maria is has "black eyes and almost black hair," which many see as the "perfect type of well-bred Montenegrin mountain girl."
She has been educated by governesses and tutors with occasional visits to Florence where she has attended lectures.
Princess Maria is the 5th and youngest child of King Vittorio Emanuele. All four of her older siblings are married. The eldest child, Princess Jolanda, "refused to be trammeled by considerations of royal tradition" when she married Count Calvi di Bergolo. Crown Prince Umberto is married to Princess Marie Jose of Belgium. Maria's two other sisters, Mafalda and Giovanna, are married, respectively, to Prince Philipp of Hesse and King Boris III of Bulgaria.
Princess Maria of Italy, who is reported engaged to Archduke Otto, heir to the former Austrian throne, is said to be an "accomplished young woman," reports the New York Times.
The 20-year-old princess is said to be "fond of music and plays the piano well." She is a "singer of some attainments." She enjoys tennis, and one of her favorite hobbies is to assist her father, King Vittorio Emanuele III, in "handling his immense collection of rare coins."
The king has a "world-wide reputation as a numismatist," and Princess Maria has obtained a "real knowledge of the subject."
The young princess has led a "quiet and retiring life," largely at the royal family's summer home at San Rossore, near Viareggio. She resembles her mother, Queen Elena, "whose dark beauty dazzled Rome," when she came a as young bride from Montenegro. Maria is has "black eyes and almost black hair," which many see as the "perfect type of well-bred Montenegrin mountain girl."
She has been educated by governesses and tutors with occasional visits to Florence where she has attended lectures.
Princess Maria is the 5th and youngest child of King Vittorio Emanuele. All four of her older siblings are married. The eldest child, Princess Jolanda, "refused to be trammeled by considerations of royal tradition" when she married Count Calvi di Bergolo. Crown Prince Umberto is married to Princess Marie Jose of Belgium. Maria's two other sisters, Mafalda and Giovanna, are married, respectively, to Prince Philipp of Hesse and King Boris III of Bulgaria.
Spurned, Hungarian countess kills herself
After a "violent altercation" with Archduke Eugen of Austria, Countess Gabrielle Szechenyi "shot herself," and was taken to the a local hospital in Basel, Switzerland, with a "wound in her head." She died a short time later.
Archduke Eugen has been a resident of Basel for several years. His close relationship with Countess Gabrielle, a member of a Hungarian noble family, was not known to his family or friends.
Recently, the 61 year old Archduke had "formed a project to marry a rich widow belonging to a patrician family in Basel." When the countess learned of the archduke's plans to marry another woman, she had a row with the archduke and made a "violent scene." When she was unable to persuade Archduke Eugen to "renounce his marriage plans," Countess Gabrielle "shot herself in despair."
Franz Josef dead ... or not
September 8, 1914
The Excelsior, a Paris newspaper, has published a report from Petrograd that Emperor Franz Josef has had a "paralytic stroke and his condition is dangerous." Another report, according to the New York states that the elderly emperor has died.
Neither report has been confirmed.
The Excelsior, a Paris newspaper, has published a report from Petrograd that Emperor Franz Josef has had a "paralytic stroke and his condition is dangerous." Another report, according to the New York states that the elderly emperor has died.
Neither report has been confirmed.
Another baby!
Alarm goes off at 6:55 a.m., this morning. Turn on TV for Today Show - which opens the following breaking news!
Their Royal Highnesses The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are very pleased to announce that The Duchess of Cambridge is expecting their second child.
The Queen and members of both families are delighted with the news.
As with her first pregnancy, The Duchess is suffering from Hyperemesis Gravidarum. Her Royal Highness will no longer accompany The Duke of Cambridge on their planned engagement in Oxford today. The Duchess of Cambridge is being treated by doctors at Kensington Palace.
The Duchess is in the early stages of her second pregnancy. The Palace will not announce the month that the baby is due until she is at least 12 weeks pregnant.
This photograph was taken today in Oxford -- proud Papa-to-be for the second time
This photograph was taken today in Oxford -- proud Papa-to-be for the second time
Sunday, September 7, 2014
Sinaia
A selection of photos I took in October 2011 during a visit to Sinaia (Peles & Pelisor). I was in Romania as a guest at King Michael's 90th birthday.
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