Marc Abouleisman files for divorce from Princess Mafalda of Bulgaria

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Princess Mafalda of Bulgaria and her husband, Marc Abouleisman are ending their marriage, according to an exclusive report in El Mundo, a Spanish newspaper.   The princess is the eldest of three children of Prince Kyril of Bulgaria and his long-estranged wife, Rosario Nadal.

Mafalda, 30, and  Marc were married in a civil ceremony in Boston in May 2022.  They lived together in Boston when she was a student at the Berklee College of Music and he studied Computer Science and Economics at Harvard.   They have known each other since childhood.

The couple had a second wedding, a blessing ceremony, on May 28, 2022, at Rosario Nadal's family home, Son Pons Carraix, in Mallorca. A priest, one of Rosario's friends, officiated at the service, followed by a large reception.

Mafalda moved to Madrid to further pursue her musical career.  At the time of the marriage,  she said Marc would soon join her.   He has remained in New York City and is a Vice President of Future Global, a Park Avenue investment firm.

Marc Abouleisman filed for divorce on May 15 in New York County's Supreme Court.  The divorce petition is not contested.   He is represented by Chemtob Moss Forman & Beyda, "a premier law firm in New York focused on high net worth divorce, family and matrimonial law."   

The princess's legal name is Mafalda Sajonia Coburgo. She is represented by Rower LLC, another New York matrimonial law firm. 

The initial submission for the uncontested divorce was made on September 18.   In New York State, obtaining an uncontested divorce can take six weeks to three months.

https://trellis.law/case/36061/320997-2024/abousleiman-marc-v-coburgo-mafalda-sajonia

https://royalmusingsblogspotcom.blogspot.com/2022/05/princess-mafalda-weds.html

George VI: The Witness Tree slated for removal

 

all photos are the copyright of Robbie Morris

In June 1939, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth made a State Visit to the United States. This was the first visit by a reigning British sovereign to the USA. On June 9, the King and Queen visited George Washington's home, Mount Vernon, on the banks of the Potomac, south of Alexandria.

After visiting Mount Vernon, the King and Queen were driven to Fort Hunt Park, a few minutes drive on the George Washington Memorial Parkway.  In 1939, Fort Hunt was used as a Civilian Conservation Corps camp.   Fort Hunt is now a National Park.

In October, the NPS offered a free movie every Friday night. The theme was World War II, and the first movie was The King's Speech, starring Colin Firth as King George VI. My friend Robbie and I went to see the movie.  The movie was shown on a screen in one of the park's pavilions.   There were plenty of snacks and drinks.   Yes, I have seen the movie several times.  It was a lovely warm night and a good conversation.

After the movie, the Park Ranger (his name was not Rick).  The Ranger discussed several topics including the Witness Tree, planted to commemorate the King's visit to Fort Hunt.  

Before the King left for the United States, he invited Richard St. Barbe Baker to Buckingham Palace to discuss the visit to Fort Hunt.  St. Barbe Baker (1889-1982) was an environmentalist.  He studied forestry and botany and was an early observer of the dangers of deforestation.  He was an early advocate "of understanding the need for international cooperation when it came to tree planting and desert reclamation."

In 1931, St. Barbe Baker met with President Franklin D. Roosevelt.  Their conversation focused on the importance of trees and conversations.  Two years, the president created the Civilian Conservation Corps, for  "single men between the ages of 18 and 25 to enlist in work programs to improve America’s public lands, forests, and parks."  

 https://www.nps.gov/articles/the-civilian-conservation-corps.htm

St. Barbe Barker established the Men of the Trees organization, now the International Tree Foundation in 1922.

https://www.internationaltreefoundation.org/

https://royalmusingsblogspotcom.blogspot.com/2020/10/the-witness-tree-planted-by-king-george.html

@Robbie Morris

The King and Queen spent about 30 minutes before they departed for Arlington National Cemetery.  Soon after their departure, Richard St. Barbe Baker planted two trees at Fort Hunt to commemorate the "success of the CCC and the royal visit." 

One of the trees died some time ago.  The other tree, an Oak Pin, is now slated for removal as it is dying. I hope the National Park Service will plant two new trees to commemorate the 1939 visit and the establishment of the Civilian Conservation Corps.

The orange dot at the bottom right of the tree indicates the tree will be removed

a better view of the orange dot indicates the tree is slated to be chopped down

All the photos are the copyright of Robbie Morris

More about Witness Trees.

https://www.battlefields.org/learn/head-tilting-history/witness-trees

Princess Margaretha celebrates her 90th birthday

 

HRH Princess Margaretha Désirée Victoria of Sweden was born on October 31, 1934, the first of five children of  HRH Hereditary Prince Gustaf Adolf of Sweden and HH Princess Sibylla of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. Margaretha's parents were great-grandchildren of Queen Victoria.  She was born in the Haga Palace in Haga Park in Stockholm.

Margaretha and her three younger sisters, Princesses Birgitta (1937), Princess Désirée (1938), and Princess Christina (1943) do not have succession rights to the Swedish throne.  They were born when the succession was limited to males.  This is called Salic law.

In 1980, Parliament promulgated a new succession law based on absolute primogeniture.  This means the succession of the eldest child, not the eldest son.  The new law applied to King Carl XVI Gustaf and his descendants.  The law was not retroactive.  The King's four older sisters and their descendants are not in line to the Swedish throne.

The Princess had a relationship with Robin Douglas-Home (1932-1968), a jazz pianist, and a member of the British aristocracy.  He was the son of the Hon. Henry Douglas-Home, younger son of Charles Douglas-Home 13th Earl of Home, and Lady Margaret Spencer.  Robin's uncle, Alec Douglas Home, became Britain's Prime Minister in 1963.   He was a first cousin of John, 8th Earl of Spencer, father of the present Earl

Their relationship and possible marriage were front-page news in Sweden and in England.  According to Margaretha's nanny,  Ingrid Björnberg's memoirs, the princess was reluctant to pursue a relationship that could lead to marriage.

Margaretha with her parents, Sibylla and Gustaf Adolf

Margaretha and Birgitta

Margaretha, Birgitta and Desiree

Princess Margaretha with her grandmother, the Duchess of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha

the Hereditary Princess with Princess Margaretha and Princess Birgitta

Sibylla with her four daughters: Margaretha, Birgitta, Desiree and Christina

Margaretha and Cark Gustav in 1946

Four sisters

Margaretha and John Amber's engagement photo

The couple met at a dinner in London in 1963.  Amber was a businessman. He was the managing director of Atlas Air Express.

The couple were married on June 3, 1964, at the Gärdslösa Church on Öland, near the Royal Family's summer home, Solliden.  She eschewed family tiaras in favor of the church's bridal crown.   As she married a commoner,  Margaretha lost her HRH and was styled as Princess Margaretha, Mrs. Ambler.  

Of the four sisters, only Princess Birgitta retained her HRH as she married HSH Prince Johan Georg of Hohenzollern.

new parents:  Margaretha and John Ambler with their daughter, Sybilla and Princess Desiree, and Baron Niclas Silfverschiöld with their son, Carl.  1965  Swedish Information Service

January 1972:  Margaretha with her two older children, Sibylla and Edward Ambler with her grandfather, King Gustav VI Adolf (Photo given to me by the Swedish Information Service)

@Desmond O'Neill.   Photo given to me by John Ambler

Princess Margaretha and John Ambler arriving for King Gustav VI Adolf's 90th birthday celebration at the Opera House in Stockholm (11-11-1972  Photo given to me by the Swedish Information Service

June 1976: Margaretha attends the Special Gala performance for King Carl XVI Gustaf and his fiancee Silvia Sommerlath.  Photo given to me by the Swedish Information Service

Princess Margaretha and John Ambler with their three children, Sibylla (1965),  Edward (1966), and James (1969) lived in Chippinghurst Manor in Oxfordshire for many years, until financial issues forced then to move into a small home.  The couple separated in 1994 but never divorced.  John Ambler died in 2008.

She has six grandchildren, Baroness Madeleine von Dincklage Baron Sebastian von Dincklage (from Sibylla's marriage to Baron Cornelius von Dincklage,  Sienna and India Ambler (Edward and Helen) and Lily and Oscar Ambler (James and Ursula.)

The Princess has lived in Chipping Norton for more than 30 years.  She often visits Sweden and remains close to her younger brother. 

Edward Ambler is a landscape designer and owns Ed Ambler Gardens.  https://edamblergardens.com/

James and his wife, Ursula co-founded Moor Consulting, based in Cornwall. 

 https://moorconsulting.com/

Prince Ludwig and Princess Sophie of Bavaria introduce their son

 

Teresa Marenzi / Iconoclash Photography

Earlier today, Haus Bayern issued this statement:

"Prince Ludwig and Princess Sophie have been humbled and delighted by the many warm wishes and kind congratulations received for the birth of their first child.

They would like to express their heartfelt gratitude and sincere appreciation for the many generous gifts they received from all over the world for the birth of their son Prince Rupprecht: from baby clothes and toys to books and plush animals - some lovingly handmade - they deeply appreciate each thoughtful gesture.

The young family is doing well and looks forward to supporting their son as he grows up."

HRH Prince Rupprecht Theodor Maria was born in Munich on August 6, 2024.

https://royalmusingsblogspotcom.blogspot.com/2024/08/a-son-for-ludwig-and-sophie-alexandra.html

A girl for the Hereditary Prince and Princess of Sweden

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 October 30, 1934

Hereditary Princess Sibylla of Sweden gave birth to a daughter this morning in Stockholm, reports the New York Times.  Mother and daughter are said to be "doing well.

The Princess is the wife of Hereditary Prince Gustaf Adolf, son of Crown Prince Gustaf Adolf, and the late Princess Margaret of Connaught.  

This is the first child for the Hereditary Prince and Princess who married two years ago in Coburg, Germany.  The princess was born Princess Sibylla of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.

The infant princess's birth was "announced to the public" by a forty-two gun salute.  The birth of a prince would have been "marked by  a salute of eighty-four guns."

A Thanksgiving Service will be held later today in the palace's chapel in honor of the new princess, whose birth makes King Gustaf V the only "great-grandfather among the reigning Kings of Europe."

Princess Sibylla's mother, Duchess Viktoria Adelheid arrived from Coburg several days ago and was one of the first people to visit "her after the birth of the baby girl."

Succession to the Swedish throne is based on Salic law, which means the infant princess does not have dynastic rights.

Michael Graf von Buquoy (1941-2024)

 Michael Carl Maria de Longueval, Count von Buquoy, was the eldest son of Ferdinand de Longueval, Count von Buquoy(1915-1986) and Countess Charlotte von Ledebur-Wicheln (1913-1994).   He died in Starnberg, Bavaria at the age of 84. 

Michael Count von Buquoy

He married Carlotta Hilda Maria Anna Assunta Giulia Brunetti on April 29, 1972 at the Klosterkirche in Andechs, Bavaria.  Carlotta was the second of three daughters of HRH Princess Editha Maria Gabriela Anna Kunigunde of Bavaria (1924-2013) and  Tito Tommaso Maria Brunetti(1905-1054).   They had two children: Nicolo Ferdinand Carl Maria de Longueval, Count of Buquoy (1976), and  Flora-Serena Editha Maria Assunta de Longueval, Countess of Buquoy (1979).

Michael and Carlotta were sixth cousins, descendants of  Leopold II, Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, and his wife, Infanta Maria Luisa of Spain.   Michael is a descendant of Leopold's eldest son, Emperor Franz, and Carlotta descends from two younger sons, Ferdinando, Grand Duke of Tuscany, and Archduke Joseph, Palatine of Hungary.

Michael and Carlotta (1989)   (All four photos courtesy of Carlotta Brunetti.)

Michael was the head of the Buquoy family, a French noble family from Picardy that "served the Habsburgs in many places."  They settled in Bohemia in 1620.  The Palais Buquoy has housed the French Embassy in Prague since 1919.

In 2003, he retired after a long and distinguished career with Commerzbank. One of his co-workers said: "We will keep a loyal and grateful memory of the aforementioned colleague."

In 2017, Count Michael visited the Bucher church in Austria (@Bucher church)

Michael Count von Buqouy was 83 years old.

The wedding of Princess Xenia of Croy and Guy delle Piane

 

HSH Princess Xenia of Croy and Guy delle Piane were married in a Roman Catholic ceremony at St. Jakobuskirche in Dülmen-Karthaus on September 28, 2024.  

The couple are the parents of a 4-year-old son, Laszlo delle Piane. 

https://royalmusingsblogspotcom.blogspot.com/2020/08/its-boy-for-xenia-and-guy.html

The princess is the 2nd of six children of HSH Rudolf Carl Rupprecht, Duke of Croy, and his late wife, Alexandra Miloradovich.   

The reception, held at Wildpferdebahn, followed the wedding. The Duke of Croy owns the Wild Horse Park. In the evening, the Duke hosted a formal dinner at his home, Haus Merfeld in Dülmen. 

 

Hereditary Count of Waldburg zu Wolfegg-Waldsee

Princess Alice of Auersperg (nee Princess of Bavaria)

Princess Auguste and Prince Ferdinand zur Lippe-Weissenfeld & their son, Prince Luitpold

Prince and Princess of Castell-Rüdenhausen

The guest list included:   Prince Luitpold and Princess Beatrix of Bavaria, Prince Ludwig and  Princess Sophie-Alexandra of Bavaria, Prince Karl and Princess Zugey of Bavaria, Prince Heinrich and Princess Henriette of Bavaria,, the Prince of Beira, Infanta Maria Francisca of Braganza and her husband,  Duarte de Sousa Araújo Martin, the Duke of Urach with one of his daughters, Prince Nikolaus and Princess Margaretha of Liechtenstein, Archduke Carl-Christian and Archduchess Marie-Astrid of Austria, Prince Henri of Bourbon-Parma and his wife, Archduchess Gabriella, Princess Marie-Astrid of Liechtenstein and her husband, Rafe Worthington and their daughter, Althaea, Hereditary Prince Carl-Philipp of Croy, Prince Marc-Emanuel and Princess Delia of Croy and their son, Prince  Amedeo, Prince Heinrich and Princess Joana of Croy, Princess Anastasia of Croy, Prince Alexander of Croy, Princess Marie-Gabrielle and Maximiliana of Arco-Zinneberg,  Prince Lukas and Princess Alice of Auersperg, The Prince and Princess of Castell-Rüdenhausen,  Count and Countess Stephan von Neipperg with their daughter, Countess Philippa and her husband, Philipp von Brockdorff, the Prince and Princess of Ligne, Prince Henri  of Ligne, Prince Antoine and Princess Minthia of Ligne, Prince Rafael of Orleans-Braganca, Count Francois of Limburg-Stirum, Count Philippe and Countess Caroline of Limburg-Stirum, Prince Ferdinand and Princess Marie of Schwarenzberg, Duke Alexander of Oldenburg, Count Hans-Caspar and Countess  Elisabeth of Toerring-Jettenbach with their son, Count Cajetan,  Count Andreas & Countess Johanna Henckel von Donnersmarck, Count Moritz von Drechsel,  Princess Natasha of Arenberg, Princess Fiametta of Arenberg, with her son, Prince Evrard, Prince Henri and Princess Daine of Arenberg, the Prince and Princess of Salm-Salm, Prince Ferdinand and Princess Auguste zur Lippe-Weissenfeld and their son Prince Lutipold, Princess Marie of Liechtenstein (Princess of Orléans) and her two daughters, Princess Marie Immaculata and Princess Leopoldine,  as well as members of the late Duchess of Croy's family.

Prince Ludwig and Princess Sophie-Alexandra of Bavaria

Countess Elisabeth of Toerring-Jettenbach and Princess Alice of Auersperg

Princess Margaretha of Liechtenstein

Count Philipp of  Königsegg-Aulendorf 

Prince Luitpold and Princess Beatrix of Bavaria with their son, Prince Karl, and his wife Princess Zugey behind them

Count Lorenz von Merveldt and his wife, Countess Benedicta of Schönborn-Wiesentheid  & their new baby

Prince Marc-Emanuel of Croy, Princess Joana of Croy, Princess Anastasia of Croy & Prince Heinrich of Croy

Duarte de Sousa Araújo Martin, Infanta Maria Francisca and the Prince of Beira

the Father of the Bride: the Duke of Croy

The Duke of Croy and his youngest daughter, Princess Anastasia

Archduke Christian and Archduchess Marie Astrid of Luxembourg

Prince Luitpold and Princess Beatrix of Bavaria

Prince Karl and Princess Zugey of Bavaria

Prince Lukas of Auersperg, who is married to Princess Alice of Bavaria

Princess Marie Astrid of Liechtenstein, her daughter Althaea, and her mother, Princess Margaretha of Liechtenstein

The Duke of Urach and one of his daughters

Prince Nikolaus and Princess Margaretha of Liechtenstein

Many of the guests were descendants of Grand Duke Wilhelm IV of Luxembourg, the father of six daughters, including Princess Antonia, the second wife of Crown Prince Rupprecht of Bavaria.  

She and Rupprect had six children, one son, and five daughters.  Heinrich died without issue.  Antonia's third daughter, Gabriele, married the Duke of Croy.  They are the parents of the present Duke of Croy, and Princess Xenia's grandparents.  The other four daughters,  Princess Irmingard, Princess Editha, Princess Hilda, and Princess Sophie married  Prince Ludwig of Bavaria, Tito Brunetti and Gustav Schimert,  Juan Bradstock Lockett de Loayza, and the 12th Duke of Arenberg, respectively. 

Princess Edith was married twice.  The guests included Irmingard, Editha, and Sophie's children and grandchildren.   Archduchess Marie Astrid of Austria and Princess Margaretha of Liechtenstein are granddaughters of Grand Duke Wilhelm's second daughter,  Grand Duchess Charlotte of Luxembourg. Irmingard's son Luitpold is the future head of the Bavarian royal house.  Her husband, Prince Ludwig of Bavaria, was the son of Prince Franz of Bavaria and Princess Isabella of Croy, whose brother, Karl, 14th Duke of Croy, married Amerian-born Nancy Leishman, daughter of John George Alexander Leishman, a diplomat,  and his wife, Julia Crawford. Leishman served as Ambassador to Germany from 1911 until 1913.

https://royalmusingsblogspotcom.blogspot.com/2011/06/croy-leishman-nuptials.html

https://royalmusingsblogspotcom.blogspot.com/2011/06/hsh-carl-14th-duke-of-croy.html

The photographs were taken by a friend, who is the copyright holder.   Thank you for sharing your photos with my readers.