Rebecca (Victoria Romanovna) Bettarini kindly shared these photos with me as she and Grand Duke George of Russia celebrated their first Easter together as an engaged couple
The Preparations
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| @Marlene A. Eilers Koenig
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April 30, 1946
Hereditary Princess Sibylla of Sweden gave birth to a son today at Haga Palace, in Solna, Sweden, reports the Associated Press.
King Gustav V "rejoiced" at the news of the birth of his great-grandson, the first direct male heir to be born in 40 years.
An 84 naval guns salute announced the birth of a prince, who is third in line to the throne after his grandfather, Crown Prince Gustav Adolf, and his father, Hereditary Prince Gustav Adolf.
King Gustav. recently recovered from influenza, made his first appearance since Easter as he was driven in the rain to Haga Palace to see his new great-grandson.
The new prince's names and ducal title were announced in a brief session of the King's Cabinet Council: Carl Gustaf Folke Hubertus, Duke of Jämtland.
The New York Times reports "the whole of Sweden received the news with extreme joy" as the new prince assures the Bernadotte succession. The Swedish succession is males only, which means the Hereditary Prince and his wife have four daughters, Princess Margaretha, Princess Birgitta, Princess Desiree, and Princess Christina cannot succeed to the throne.
All but one of the Hereditary Prince's brothers lost their rights to the throne when they married commoners. Prince Bertil remains unmarried.
The current line of succession in Sweden is as follows: Crown Prince Gustav Adolf, 63, Hereditary Gustav Adolf, Duke of Västerbotten, 40, Prince Carl Gustav, Prince Bertil, Duke of Halland 34, Prince Wilhelm, Duke of Södermanland, 61 (younger son of the King), Prince Carl, Duke of Västergötland, 85 (younger brother of the King), and Prince Eugen, Duke of Närke, 80, (the youngest brother of the King.
Prince Eugen, a gifted artist, is unmarried. Lennart and Carl, the only sons of Prince Wilhelm and Prince Carl ceased to have dynastic rights when they married commoners.
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| All images Marlene A. Eilers Koenig collection |
April 29, 1941
Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret's letter to the young people of the United States thanking them for their "aid to British children" was made public by Mrs. Kermit Roosevelt, reports the New York Times.
Mrs. Roosevelt is the national chairman of the "Young America Wants to Help" organization. She is the former Belle Wyatt Willard who married Kermit Roosevelt, the second son of the late President Theodore Roosevelt, in 1914.
Here is the text of the Princesses' letter
The newest QVD is Frederick William Paul Hicks, the second child of Alexia and Will Hicks. Alexia is the daughter of the late Paul Brandram, the only child of HRH Princess Katherine of Greece and Denmark.Freddie was born in the Portland Hospital in London.
Freddie has an older sister, Theodora Katherine Anne, who was born at the Portland Hospital on March 6, 2019.
Victoria - Victoria - Sophie -Katherine - Paul - Alexia - Freddie
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| Margravine Helene and her husband Markgrave Federico in 2010 @Stefan Sohn |
HRH Duchess Helene Christina Rosa Margareta Albertine Philippine Amélie Therese Josephine Antonia Alix Patrine Paula Pia of Württemberg died on April 22, 2021 at Altshausen. She was 91 years old.
The Duchess was the eldest of six children of the late HRH Philipp Duke of Württemberg (1893-1975) and his second wife, Archduchess Rosa of Austria (1906-1985). Her first name honored her father's first wife and her mother's sister, Archduchess Helene (1903-1924), who died a week after giving birth to a daughter, Duchess Marie Christine.
Helene married Markgraf Federico Palavicini on August 23, 1961, at Friedrichshafen, The civil wedding took place a day earlier in Altshausen.
She is survived by her four children: Maria Cristina Pallavicini (1963), Antonietta Pallavicini (1964), Gabriella Pallavicini Walter (1965), and Gian Carlo Markgraf Pallavicini (1967), three grandsons, Tassilo and Casimir Bartram, Lucca Walter, Helena and Florentine Pallavicini and her estranged husband.
Maria Cristina is divorced from Jens Bartram. Gian-Carlo married Pauline Haniel in 2016. They are the parents of Helena (2018) and Florentine (2020.) Due to Covid-19. Duchess Helene was unable to meet her youngest granddaughter in person.
She is also survived by her siblings HRH Princess Marie Christine of Liechtenstein, HRH Princess Elisabeth of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, HRH Princess Marie Therese, Duchess of Montpensier and HRH Carl, Duke of Württemberg.
