Perhaps another royal wedding!

I am currently working on a new book on the descendants of Grand Duke Adolphe of Luxembourg. This project has been on the back burner for some years for a variety of reasons, but I decided that it was time to restart my engines. A publication date has not been set, but the publisher will most likely be Rosvall Royal Books. Don't ask Ted or me about when the book will be ready. I expect to be working on it for the rest of this year.

I have heard from several sources about a possible announcement from the Grand Ducal Palace, perhaps as early as this week. I was not told what the announcement will be, but I can certainly make a guess ... and here are several of my guesses:

the announcement of the engagement of the Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume. In 2001, he was apparently dating Pia Haraldsen, a great niece of Queen Sonja of Norway. (Pia was adopted by Sonja's nephew and his wife.) That relationship apparently lasted for about a year or so. He's not been linked with anyone since that time, but that does not mean he's not been seeing someone. The Luxembourg royals can keep their romances under wrap.
Guillaume, who is apparently a fan of American football (and the New York Giants), celebrated his 27th birthday last November.

Grand Duke Henri is to abdicate in favor of his eldest son. This is not a realistic guess, but a guess, nonetheless.

The Grand Duke and Grand Duchess are to divorce - and he wants to marry someone else. These are guesses, nothing more. Don't read anything into my second and third guesses, nor the first because the only information that I have been told is that there might be an announcement.

I think the announcement will be that Luxembourg has decided to leave the European Union!

In conclusion, let me stress that there may not be an announcement at all, only the possibility of an announcement.

Princess Salm-Salm to visit the USA

March 31, 1899

The Princess Agnes of Salm-Salm will arrive tomorrow in New York aboard the Wilhelm der Grosse, reports the Chicago Daily Tribune. The princess will spend three months in the country, first visiting her sister in Vineland, New Jersey. She will then travel to Chicago, where she will stay with Mrs. Louise Woodbridge Percy, who lives at 451 South Oakley Avenue.

The princess is the former Agnes LeClerq, who married Prince Felix of Salm-Salm in 1862. The German prince served as a general in the U.S. Army and also served in the Mexican Army. He was killed in action at Gravelotte in 1870.


http://royalbooknews.blogspot.com/2011/04/read-more-about-it-agness-princess-zu.html

A spoon for Margriet

March 31, 1943

A silver birthday spoon, which was made in the Netherlands, has been smuggled out of the country, and has reached London. The spoon is now en route to Ottawa, as a gift for Princess Margriet of the Netherlands, the youngest daughter of Crown Princess Juliana.
The spoon's bowl has been made from a 1941 Dutch Guilder, a year after the Netherlands was occupied by Germany. The handle of the spoon is "topped" by a 1941 Kmartje coin and a crown.

No Cardinal for French royal nuptials

March 31, 1931

Cardinal Lavitrano will not be able to officiate at the upcoming marriage of Prince Henri, Count of Paris, heir to the pretender to the French throne, and Princess Isabelle of Orleans-Braganca. This is due to the inclusion of two names, Leon Daudet and Charles Maurras, on the guest list. The two men are the leaders of the Action Francaise, the French Royalist society. This group is "under the ban of the Roman Catholic Church," and the presence of the two leaders "is construed as giving an undesirable touch to the ceremony." The guest list officially names the men as journalists.
It is expected that a "lesser churchman" will be asked to officiate at the wedding, which will take place in Palermo on April 8.

Carol asks to be crowned without Helen

March 31, 1931

The Associated Press reports today that King Carol II of Rumania has "expressed the wish to be crowned ruler of Rumania shortly without Princess Helen, who has persistently refused a reconciliation."
Carol return to Rumania on June 6, after five years in exile. He was proclaimed king a month later. He has "proclaimed Helen to be his queen," she continues to refuse his consent for an annulment of their divorce."

Two royal houses may be united in marriage

March 31, 1925

The Chicago Daily Tribune reports today that Princess Mafalda of Italy may be about to announce her engagement. It is said that she once took a vow "that she would die an old maid if some reigning prince did not propose marriage to her." It seems her wish is about to come true. "Reports of Bordighera today indicate that Princess Mafalda probably will sit on Belgium's throne and it looks like a real love affair."
The reporter, George Seldes, writes that the Duke of Brabant, who is the heir to the Belgian throne, has been visiting Princess Mafalda and her mother, Queen Elena, at Bordighera, and "has been anxious to marry the girl for a year, but youthfulness and family considerations interferred."
The Duke of Brabant has again been visiting the Princess, and "an engagement announcement is expected soon."
Princess Mafalda is "truly regal." Everyone in Italy knows that "she opposed the marriage of her sister, Princess Yolanda, to a commoner." She would only marry a prince "as a husband," but "she would not take just anybody the family chose, but she wanted somebody she could love just as the girls do in all the American movies she has seen."
It seems her wish is about to come true. The Duke of Brabant will be accompanied by his sister, Princess Marie-José, "giving rise to the belief that a blonde beauty may some day sit on Italy's throne" as the wife of Crown Prince Umberto.

Dispossed royalty

The Telegraph could have done better with this article:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/5067622/Europes-dispossessed-royalty-how-once-great-families-are-coping-without-their-thrones.html

Will Emanuele Filiberto dance his way into politics

Prince Emanuele Filiberto of Savoy, who has become a media star on Italy's version of Dancing with Stars, apparently now wants to cha-cha his way into politics: as a member of the European parliament.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/italy/5067531/Prince-Emmanuel-Filiberto-quick-steps-from-Strictly-Come-Dancing-victory-to-politics.html

Juggling those royal schedules

You are British and you want to go to the Trooping the Colour in 2010. But you think it might clash with Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden's wedding on June 19, and you might want to go to the wedding as well. You need not fear as the Trooping is normally held on the second Saturday in June. The Trooping the Colour is one part of the Queen's official birthday celebration. Queen Elizabeth II was born on April 21, 1926, but the weather is better in June.
But the Swedish wedding might clash with Royal Ascot ... and that would be a catastrophe!

Wilhelmina and family to visit Coburg

March 30, 1929

It was announced today that Queen Wilhelmina, who will be accompanied by her husband, the Prince Consort, and their 19-year-old daughter, Princess Juliana, will be visiting Coburg as the guests of the former reigning Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. The Dutch royal family will be staying at the Veste Coburg. Juliana is expected to meet the Duke's eldest son, Prince Johann Leopold, 23, who is "mentioned as a possible Prince Consort for Holland's future queen."
The Dutch royal family will also be visiting the United Kingdom and Norway, but Prince Johann Leopold "is said to have the best chance" of marrying Juliana. The Prince is studying at the forestry academy in Münden, near Hanover.
Crown Princess Juliana and Prince Johann Leopold are second cousins, as Wilhelmina and the Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha are first cousins. Their mothers, Queen Emma, and the Duchess of Albany were sisters.

Queen Elena plans Yolanda's wedding

March 30, 1923

Queen Elena "is personally supervising" Princess Yolanda's wedding plans, the New York Times reports today. The king and queen will host a reception for members of the diplomatic corps on April 7, two days before the wedding, where the diplomats will present greetings "in the names of their respective governments."
Although Princess Yolanda and her fiance, Count Calvi di Bergolo, have asked for no presents, it is understood that the diplomatic corp "are making plans for a present."
Another large reception is planned for the evening of April 8, where members of the Italian aristocracy will be invited, along with guests from the government and military. The civil wedding will take place the next morning at 10 a.m., at the Palace, and the religious wedding will follow a half hour later in the Pauline chapel in the Quirinal.

Archduke arrested after disguise fails

March 30, 1919

Archduke Joseph Francis and Julius Ommeich, a millionaire, were arrested today when they tried to cross the Hungarian border into Germany. The two men were dressed as peasants but their disguise was thrown into question because of their hands. The Chicago Daily Tribune reports today that the two men were "betrayed by their hands, which were out of keeping with the costumes they wore. Their fingernails were manicured and the hands generally clean and showing no signs of hard work."
The two men were sent back to Budapest, where the Hungarian foreign minister, Bela Kun, ordered them to be imprisoned.

Grand Duchess Marie Pavlovna arrested

March 30, 1917

A Reuters dispatch from Kislovodsk, Russia, and reported in the New York Times state that Grand Duchess Marie Pavlovna of Russia, a first cousin to the deposed Nicholas II, has been arrested and is confined to her home. She was arrested after the "seizure of a compromising letter to another cousin of Nicholas, Grand Duke Boris."
The Russian Provisional Government has also declared that all the Imperial appanages are now national property "and that the revenues from them shall be turned into the national treasury." The income from the Grand Ducal appanages is estimated to be about 25 million rubles yearly.

Dutch regency named

March 30, 1909

Both houses of the States General have approved a bill that would institute a regency if Queen Wilhelmina dies in childbirth - and the child survives. The queen is expected to give birth to her first child in the next two weeks.
Wilhelmina's mother, Queen Emma, the consort of the late King Willem III, will be named as Regent for the child, "and in default of the Queen Mother to the Prince Consort," the New York Times reported today.

Royal Romanian blog

I think readers of Royal Musings will enjoy this blog on the Roumanian royal family

http://royalromania.wordpress.com/

Princess fears "red grip"

Embed from Getty Images

March 27, 1919

Princess Catherine Radziwill, who is the author of books on European and Russian royalty, "regards the establishment of a soviet government in Hungary as only one step in a formidable well-planned movement to create a combination of nations and peoples, compared to which the thwarted Teutonic Mitteleuropa ambitions would be child's play," reports the Los Angeles Times.

The princess, who is traveling incognito with just one maid, consented to an interview during her visit to Philadelphia. She said she is "haunted and filled with dread by a vision between Bolshevist Russia, Bolshevist Germany, Bolshevist Austria, Bolshevist Hungary, and China." In her opinion, the princess does not think that the Allies "would never be able to withstand or overcome."

Her solution: "Intervention, intervention, intervention." she declared "in a voice trembling with passion, and her little foot tapped the floor." She added that if the "Allies had intervened in Russia from the start. if they had set Trotzky and Lenin up against the wall and shot them like the dogs they are, Europe would not now be suffering from the leprosy of Bolshevism."

Princess Catherine feels that "civilization will be blasted" if there is no Allied intervention.

"You notice how the Bolsheviki are killing off systematically all persons of intelligence and education in Russia. There are hardly any left today unless in the jails and mines of Siberia."

The Princess said she feels that is wrong to demobilize because "the war is not over by any means." She added that she believes that the "European situation is now far more serious than in 1914 or at any other time during the hostilities. The Peace Conference does not rush its work. Germany and its secret allies will recuperate. Then what will happen? Imagine how difficult it will be to re-mobilize. Think of America having to send its men overseas again."

Princess Catherine has had the first-hand experience of the situation. "What I possessed in Russia has been destroyed, wiped out by the Bolsheviki, but let me tell you that it was the Germans who invented Bolshevism. They saw that they were losing the war in the west, and they were determined to win it in the east. They did not. But they will yet unless the Allies wake up and intervene."
She would not give an opinion of the League of Nations. But she did say that "the American government is so vitally interested in this problem that it would hardly be in good taste for me, who enjoy the hospitality of this country, to comment on the matter. I am glad to say, though, that I am a great admirer of President Wilson."

Alfonso XIII has found his bride

March 27, 1905

The only obstacle in an announcement of the engagement between King Alfonso XIII and Princess Patricia of Connaught is religion, reports the Chicago Daily Tribune. The announcement is dependent on the "princess becoming a Catholic." It is understood that Princess Patricia's uncle King Edward VII will agree to her conversion.

Crown Prince will not wed a Catholic

March 27, 1901

The New York Times reports a Cologne Gazette story that refutes rumors about a marriage between Crown Prince Wilhelm of Germany and an Austrian archduchess. The "well-informed" paper says the Crown Prince will"under no circumstances marry a Roman Catholic, but either a German or an English princess."

It's a boy!

Nils and Jedida Prinz und Prinzessin von Sachsen are the parents of a son, Moritz Viktor Ferdinand Anton. The newest little Sachsen was born in Dresden on March 21. He is the first grandchild for Rüdiger Prinz von Sachsen, only son of the late Prince Timo of Saxony.

http://www.sz-online.de/nachrichten/artikel.asp?id=2110266

Happy Birthday, Crown Princess Margarita

Today is the 60th birthday of Crown Princess Margarita of Romania, who lives in Bucharest with her husband, Prince Radu. The princess is the eldest of five daughters of King Michael and Queen Anne of Romania. She will be the guest of honor at a party tonight in Bucharest.

Happy Birthday!
http://www.familiaregala.ro/?id2=02020200A2&lng=

Princess Luise's confirmation

Princess Luise of Prussia and her younger brother, Prince Friedrich Karl, were confirmed together.

Princess Luise of Prussia has died

Princess Luise of Prussia died on March 23, 2009 at Schloss Bückeburg. She was 91years old. The Princess was born at Haus Glienicke in Berlin as the only daughter of Prince Friedrich Sigismund of Prussia and his wife, Princess Marie Louise of Schaumburg-Lippe. She was named for her grandmother, Princess Louise of Denmark, who was the daughter of Frederik VIII.
In 1942, she married Hans Reinhold. A year later, she gave birth to a son, Manfred. The marriage ended in divorce in 1949, and the princess never remarried.

As the Soviet Army approached Potsdam, where the princess and her son lived, they were forced to flee their home. For a time, they were the guests of the Duke and Duchess of Arenberg at their home, Schloss Nordkirchen. In the early 1950s, the Princess was given an apartment in the west wing of Schloss Bückeburg, where she lived for the rest of her life. She remained close to members of Schaumburg-Lippe and Danish royal families.
Princess Luise was the last member of the Hohenzollern family who was born before the end of the monarchy. She will be interred in the family crypt in Berlin's Schlosspark Glienicke.
Princess Luise is survived by her son, Manfred, and daughter-in-law, the former Susan Macovsky. (The couple were married on August 25, 1991 in a Jewish ceremony at the United Nations Plaza Hotel in New York City.)
The top photo is a postcard of the Princess from my collection. The second is also a postcard from my collection, and shows the Princess with her younger brother, Prince Friedrich Karl. The third photo shows Manfred Reinhold reading a book about the Prussians. The photo was taken by Princess Luise. The fourth photo is of Prince Friedrich Sigismund and Princess Marie Louise's wedding in 1916. The final photo is also of Princess Louise. The last three photos were given to me by Princess Luise.

http://www.preussen.de/de/heute/aktuell/trauer_um_prinzessin_luise_von_pressen_(1917-2009).html

Mrs. Tooth dead at 81 -- in 2000!

The Daily Telegraph today reports the death of Mrs. Geoffrey Tooth. She was 81-years-old. One major problem ... the Princess died on October 22, 2000 - and the Daily Telegraph published the same obituary on November 13, 2000! Enjoy it.

Mrs. Tooth was born Princess Xenia Romanoff, the daughter of Prince Andrei of Russia, who was the son of Grand Duke Alexander and Grand Duchess Xenia, who was Nicholas II's sister. Prince Andrei had married morganatically in 1918 to Donna Elisabetta Ruffo, a member of an Italian noble family. But she was not a member of a reigning or royal family, which was required for dynastic marriages.
Prince Andrei (known in England as Prince Andrew) and his family moved to Provender, near Faversham in Kent. (The house is now the home of Xenia's half-sister, Princess Olga.)

Here is a link to the Daily Telegraph obit:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/1374182/Princess-Xenia-of-Russia.html

The princess was married twice. Her first husband was an American, Calhoun Ancrum, Jr., who was born in the Philippines, where his father, a U.S. Marine officer was based. The couple's engagement was announced on May 30, 1945 in London.
[Ancrum was a Lieutenant in the U.S. Army, which was his cover as he was an officer in the Office of Strategic Services. From 1943 to 1945, Ancrum flew once a week from England "over Germany to convey instructions by radio to anti-Nazi Germans", according to his obitary in the Boston Globe. Ancrum was fluent in German, French, Italian, Norwegian, Danish, Swedish and Russian. After the second world war, he worked for the U.S. Allied Secretariat in Berlin and for the U.S. High Commissioner in Germany. In 1970, Ancrum entered the Episcopal Theological School in Cambridge, Massachussetts. He was ordained as an Episcopal priest, and served as the assistant rector at the Old North Church in Boston. He died on February 21, 1990 at the Massachusetts General Hospital.}
The Princess and her brother, Michael, became British subjects in 1938, according to the New York Times article about the engagement.
Princess Xenia and Ancrum were married in a Russian Orthodox service in London on June 17, 1945. The couple were divorced nine years later, and in 1958, Xenia married a Briton, Geoffrey Tooth, whose first wife was Princess Olga Galitzine. Tooth died in 1998
Xenia Tooth did not have children by either marriage. She is survived by her brother, Andrew, who lives in San Francisco, and her half-sister, Olga.

Renunciation in Serbia

Embed from Getty Images

March 25, 1909

 Crown Prince George of Serbia has sent his renunciation to the throne to the premier, according to a report in today's Chicago Tribune. The renunciation has come after a "campaign of comment which has been carried on in the press against the excesses which the young prince has carried out." 

The climax came after the prince was "practically accused of having slain one of the palace servants." The Serbian premier has sent the letter to King Peter, upon "the advice of Parliament," as he does not have the legal right in accepting any message of such grave import from the hands of the prince." 

There are further complications because Peter's second son, Prince Alexander, has declined the succession and has declared "that neither his father nor the parliament has the right or power to force him into the place." Public opinion, however, favors Prince Alexander over his older brother, as he is "intelligent, and would be a much more acceptable heir to the throne." 

Prince George's wild career and contempt of law have scandalized the country." Prince George sent his letter to the Premier, without consulting his father, King Peter. The Prince's letter states: "Drive-by unjustified insinuations, based on an unfortunate occurrence, I beg in defense of my honor, as well as my conscience, to declare that I renounce all claims to the throne as well as any other privileges to which I am entitled. I beg you to take the necessary steps that this action may receive a sanction. I place at my services as a soldier and a citizen at the disposal of the king and fatherland. I am ready to give my life for them." 

The "unfortunate occurrence" is the death of a man named Kolakovits, who was one of George's servants.

Auguste Viktoria in Germany

March 25, 1905

German Empress Auguste Viktoria arrived in Civia Vecchia, Italy, today, where she was met by King Victor Emanuel and Queen Elena, who brought along her six-month-old son, Crown Prince Umberto, as she is still nursing, reports the New York Times.
Despite a heavy rain storm, more than 10,000 people gathered at the harbor to see the Empress' arrival. The meeting between the sovereigns was "most cordial." The Queen and the Empress embraced, and then Elena presented Auguste Viktoria with a "handsome bouquet."
The Empress told the king that "she was very happy to be in Italy."

Count throws money away

March 25, 1905

The New York Times reports today that the Count von Nidda, said to be a relative of the Grand Duke of Hesse, started throwing money away in Berlin.
The Count, who lives in Cassel, and is a "millionaire and as well-known sportsman," caused some excitement when he began "throwing money at people" in front of the Hotel König von Preussen. Very shortly streets were blocked, and police were called in to assist with the growing crowd. It is not known how much the Count gave away, but "it must have been a very large sum."

Hello Reykjavik!

Just noticed that someone from Reykjavik, Iceland, is reading Royal Musings ... just to let you know, Iceland is one of my favorite places in the world. Wish I could be having dinner at the Pearl tonight ... or having a luxurious massage at the Blue Lagoon.
Iceland is a place to visit .. a truly wonderful country, great people, and just about everyone speaks English!

Lots of names for a little princess

On December 1, 2008, HSH The Princess of Schaumburg-Lippe gave birth to a daughter in Munich. The little princess is the second child for the Prince of Schaumburg-Lippe, but the first child for the Princess, who is the Prince's second wife. The Prince of Schaumburg-Lippe has a son, Hereditary Prince Heinrich, by his first wife, HSH Princess Marie-Louise of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg.

The new little princess is known as Felipa, but she has been given a mouthful of royal names: Friederike Marie-Christine Elisabeth Thaddaea Benita Eleonore Felipa.

Interview with Crown Princess Mary

From an Australian magazine:

http://news.theage.com.au/breaking-news-national/princess-mary-reveals-ordinary-side-20090324-98wm.html

Windsor or Mountbatten-Windsor

There appears to be some confusion over who is a Windsor or who is a Mountbatten-Windsor. That's understandable. In 1917, when George V changed the name of the house from Saxe-Coburg and Goth to Windsor, and limited the HRH and the title Prince or Princess to the children of the sovereign and the grandchildren of the sovereign in the male line, the family name Windsor would be used for those male line descendants who are not titled. Thus, HH Prince Alistair of Connaught lost his princely title. As his mother was a peeress in her own right (Duchess of Fife), little Alistair was styled by the dukedom's secondary title, Earl of Macduff. He was also the heir to the Connaught dukedom, which he inherited in 1942, following the death of his grandfather, HRH The Duke of Connaught.
Alistair became the first non-royal duke of Connaught. He died in 1943, unmarried, in Ottawa, Canada. The Windsor surname would have been used by his children, particularly daughters and younger sons.
When Princess Elizabeth married Prince Philip, the wedding registration shows her name: Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor. When she became queen, she announced that the House and the Family name would remain Windsor. But in 1960, she issued a new Letters Patent that stated the House name would remain Windsor, but the family name -- for those who would need a surname --would be Mountbatten-Windsor. This applied to her descendants only. Thus, the male line descendants of George V would continue to have the surname Windsor. When the Duchess of Kent gave birth to a son, George, in 1962, the little boy was styled with the courtesy title Earl of St. Andrews, so the first instance to see Windsor as a surname was in 1964 when the Duchess of Kent gave birth to a daughter, Lady Helen Windsor. The Windsor name will continue through the male line descendants of the Dukes of Gloucester and Kent.
The Mountbatten-Windsor surname made its first official appearance in November 1973 when Princess Anne married Mark Phillips. The wedding registration shows her name as Anne Elizabeth Alice Louise Mountbatten-Windsor. The surname also appears on Andrew's and Edward's wedding registrations. The name was not used on the Prince of Wales' wedding registration.
When Prince Edward married Sophie Rhys-Jones in 1999, Buckingham Palace announced that their children would not be styled by the HRH or the title of Prince or Princess (in spite of the 1917 Letters Patent.) Edward was created Earl of Wessex and Viscount Severn. In November 2003, the Countess of Wessex gave birth to a daughter. Buckingham Palace announced that the baby would be named Louise Alice Elizabeth Mary Mountbatten-Windsor, but would be styled as The Lady Louise Windsor. The couple's son, James, who was born in December 2007, bears the courtesy title Viscount Severn. Buckingham Palace announced that his surname is Mountbatten-Windsor. His male line descendants will also use this surname.

Bavarian-Auersperg wedding

Princess Alice of Bavaria and Prince Lukas of Auersperg will marry on August 29, 2009 at Kloster Andechs. The civil marriage has not taken place. The bride-to-be chose to use her future surname for her submitted scientific paper for 2008.

Royal wedding - June 19, 2010

The Royal Palace today provided the first details about the forthcoming marriage between Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden and Daniel Westling.
Their wedding will take place on June 19, 2010 at the Storkyran in Stockholm. If the date sounds familiar, it is because June 19 (1976) is the day when King Carl XVI Gustaf married Silvia Sommerlath.
June 19 appears to be a popular day for Swedish royal weddings:
Oscar I and Josephine Leuchtenberg (1823)
Carl XV and Louise of the Netherlands (1850)

http://www.iht.com/articles/reuters/2009/03/23/europe/OUKWD-UK-SWEDEN-PRINCESS.php

Mary and Frederik to visit Nebraska on Tuesday

Here is a link to a local article about the upcoming visit to Nebraska by the Crown Prince and Princess of Denmark.

http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_page=1208&u_sid=10592866

Archduke Friedrich to sue Poland for lost estates

March 23, 1927

The Associated Press reports today that the former Archduke Friedrich of Austria, who once served as as Commander in Chief of the Austria Army, has filed suit against Poland for restitution of his estates in the the area of Silesia, which was once under Austrian control. The estates, which are valued at more than $25,000,000, were confiscated according to the terms of the Treaty of St. Germain. Archduke Friedrich states that the terms of the treaty does not apply to he and his family, which he describes as "merely a collateral branch of the Habsburgs." He is also willing to accept a partial settlement, where he would receive one-third of the estates."

New rumors for Wales marriage

March 23, 1927

This is an exclusive to the Los Angeles Times. Britain's heir to the throne, the Prince of Wales, will be visiting Spain next month, and the "possibility of an Infanta becoming the next Queen of England is again being discussed in Madrid." The Prince of Wales will visit the Spanish royal family on April 10, and stay through Easter week.
Although the prince will travel incognito, "elaborate plans are being made by the King, the aristocracy and the government to entertain the British heir." He will spend most of his time at Seville, as the guest of the Marqués Yanduri, whose home is described as a "magnificent princely abode in Southern Spain." Spanish grandees are expected to host hunts for the prince on their estates. There will also be a series of balls, where the prince will the guest of honor, and the younger members of the Spanish royal family, including the Prince of the Asturias, Don Jaime and the Infantas Beatriz and Cristina, will attend.
However, due to King Alfonso's "puzzling malady", there will be little entertaining in Madrid.

The New York Times reports, however, that the Prince of Wales will "witness the religious ceremonies of Holy Week."

Queen Alexandra in Copenhagen

March 23, 1901

Queen Alexandra arrived in Copenhagen today from Roskilde. She was accompanied by her father, King Christian IX of Denmark, and her younger sister, the Dowager Empress of Russia. The queen, who is the consort of Britain's Edward VII, is currently visiting family in her native Denmark.

Bayern-Auersperg nuptials

HRH Princess Alice of Bavaria will marry HSH Prince Lukas of Auersperg on August 29, 2009. There been no public announcement of the engagement, but Dutch royal enthusiast Netty Leistra found the forthcoming marriage while searching through bridal registry lists. She found a listing for Alice Bayern and Lukas Auersperg, who are getting married on August 29, 2009.
It is possible that the couple are already married. Alice's older sister, Dr. Auguste von Bayern, who is a member of the Behavioral Ecology Research group at Oxford University. She refers to a collaboration with Alice Auersperg at the University of Vienna.
In most European countries, the religious wedding is not the legal marriage. Civil marriages are the legal marriages with the exception of the United Kingdom and Ireland and Scandinavia, where religious and civil weddings are recognized as equal.
The princess, who has a degree in zoology from Edinburgh university, and who is now working on her doctorate at the University of Vienna, is the second of five children of Prince Luitpold of Bavaria and his wife, the former Beatrix Wiegand. Prince Luitpold, who manages the family brewery at Kaltenberg, is second in line to the Bavarian succession, and will one day be the head of the Royal House of Bavaria.
Prince Lukas is the eldest child and only son of Prince and Princess Andreas of Auersperg, who will celebrate their 30th anniversary on April 21.
Alice and Lukas, both of whom were born in 1981, met at Edinburgh University in Scotland. Lukas studied engineering.

Nice piece on the Prince of Wales

Andrew Alderson is a good and competent royal writer. Here is his latest article:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/theroyalfamily/5028498/Prince-of-Wales-If-people-now-realise-I-wasnt-talking-complete-nonsense-then-Im-delighted.html

Kate Middleton: heiress

Claudia Joseph wrote this article on Kate Middleton's family for the Mail on Sunday. She is the author of an eponymous book, Kate Middleton: Princess in Waiting, which will be published in the UK in April by Mainstream Publishing.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1163716/Revealed-Secrets-Middletons-money-Kates-ancestors-fortune.html

Plane delay for Danish royals due to a bomb threat

Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary are en route to the US for official visits to Chicago, Nebraska, Colorado and New York City.

Their SAS flight to Chicago was delayed due to a bomb threat that lead to the plane being evacuated.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/canadianpress/article/ALeqM5gVuU5tUxKFOSelpxNT1bI-GGnGRQ

More on Prince Jean

Here is a link to an article (in German) from the Luxembourger Wort.

http://www.wort.lu/wort/web/letzebuerg/artikel/11627/prinz-jean-heiratet-niederlaendische-adlige.php

It is assumed that Jean's wife will be styled as HRH and a Princess of Luxembourg, or HRH and a Princess of Nassau. This will be decided by Jean's brother, Grand Duke Henri. Prince Jean retains his title, but renounced his rights to the throne in 1986.

Greedy Countess

You would think that Countess Marie Douglas would consider how insensitive her demand is for $100 million from her husband as they enter the final phase of their divorce. Marie, who is a member of the Swedish countly family, has been married to George David, former head of United Technologies. He is worth in the range of $329 million, and has offered $43 million as a settlement for their six year marriage.
Marie has filed all of her expenses with the court, and she has at least three homes, two in Sweden, and one in New York City.
Marie is the niece of Rosita, Duchess of Marlborough (who was divorced last year from the Duke of Marlborough) and The Duchess in Bavaria.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/article5945856.ece

An interesting letter in the Daily Telegraph

The letter refers to the Titles Deprivation act, where two British princes (the Duke of Albany and the Duke of Cumberland), were stripped of their British peerages in 1917.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/letters/5018396/How-we-stripped-British-princes-of-their-peerages.html

Prince Jean of Luxembourg remarries

Prince Jean of Luxembourg, who is the younger brother of Grand Duke Henri, was married yesterday in Roermund, the Netherlands, to Diane de Guerre. The couple were married in a civil ceremony. Prince Jean renounced his right of succession to the Luxembourg throne in September 1986 shortly after the birth of his first child, Marie-Gabrielle. The following May, he married Marie-Gabrielle's mother, French lawyer, Helene Vestsur. The couple went on to have three more children, Constantin, Wencelas and Carl-Johan before getting divorced. In 2004, Prince Jean's children were raised from the the rank of Count or Countess of Nassau to HRH and the title Prince or Princess of Nassau, but without dynastic rights.

Diane de Guerre, who was born in 1962, is the daughter of Claude Gaston de Guerre(1910-1997)and second wife, Countess Eugenie Wolff-Metternich (1923). Diane has one brother, Thibaud, and a sister, Valerie.

Here is a link to Roermond's official site with information (in Dutch) about the wedding - and two photographs from the civil ceremony.

http://www.roermond.nl/index55181.htm

Margrethe designs costumes

Queen Margrethe II of Denmark has designed costumes for a new film.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5haE5q3OY87xeTC9L6I37WzMG-K6Q

Alexander to Mom: don't come home

March 20, 1889

King Alexander has written to his mother, former Queen Nathalie, "to remain absent" from Serbia, as her "presence in the country would render his position as a difficult one," according to the New York Times.

Beatriz to wed cousin

March 20, 1931

"Well-informed circles" told the Associated Press today that the engagement between Infanta Beatriz of Spain and Prince Alvaro of Orleans-Borbon will soon be announced. Beatriz, 21, and Alvaro, 20, are double second cousins. Beatriz's mother, Queen Ena, and Alvaro's mother, Princess Beatrice, are first cousins, as are King Alfonso XIII and Prince Alfonso, who is also an Infant of Spain.
Prince Alvaro is an aviation enthusiast, and "flies his own plane." The AP also reports that King Alfonso will bestow the title Infante on Prince Alvaro after the engagement is announced.

Prince and Princess Andrew of Greece leave for France

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March 20, 1923

Prince and Princess Andrew of Greece left New York today for France. The New York Times reports that the prince and princess had been staying with Andrew's brother, Prince Christopher, and his wife, Princess Anastasia. They are traveling on board the Aquitania, and have no plans to return to Greece, as Prince Andrew did not want to risk the chance of being executed." He was recently tried in Greece by a court-martial and exiled from his country "following the Greek military disaster in Asia Minor."
Prince and Princess Andrew said they hoped to return to New York later in the year.
Prince Christopher accompanied them to the pier. He and his wife were also scheduled to travel on the Aquitania, but due to Princess Anastasia's health, their plans have changed, and they will leave New York when she is better.
Prince Andrew said he and his family will stay in Paris "indefinitely."

Embed from Getty Images

Constantine in Athens

March 20, 1913

King Constantine of the Hellenes is now in Athens, according to the New York Times, and will be proclaimed king tomorrow and take the oath in the Chamber of Deputies. The body of the late king George will be placed on warship in Salonika on March 26, and will be brought to Athens on the following day. The funeral will probably take place on March 30. It was announced today that a special mausoleum will be constructed for the late king.

Pope to be Spanish baby's godfather

March 20, 1907

The Pope announced today that he will be the godparent to the expected child of the King and Queen of Spain. It was also announced that the Pope will send a Golden Rose to Queen Victoria Eugenie "on the occasion of the birth of her expected child," according to the New York Times.

A very sweet interview with Prince William

All I can say is AHHH!

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/theroyalfamily/5011509/Prince-William-has-Harry-Potter-scar-from-golf-accident.html

the duke of Vendome marries

HRH Prince Jean of Orleans, Duke of Vendome, was married today to Philomena Tornos y Steinhart. Their civil marriage took place in Paris, and was attended by family and friends. The guests included the groom's parents, and stepmother, his sister, Princess Marie of Liechtenstein, and several of her children, his brother, the Duke of Angouleme and his wife, Marie-Liesse. The groom's aunt, Princess Chantal also attended with her husband, and her daughter, Kildine, and Kildine's two young children.

King of Greece murdered at Salonika

Embed from Getty Images

March 18. 1913

King George, I of the Hellenes was assassinated today at Salonika through Salonika. He was shot by a Greek, who was "said to be a socialist while taking a walk down the main street. The attack took place at 5:15 p.m. The king died 30 minutes later. "Since his triumphal entry into Salonika, the King had been accustomed to taking an afternoon walk, either to the famous White Tower or to the cavalry barracks," reports the New York Times. Despite repeated warnings for his safety, "the King's confidence in the people was so great that he went about freely attended by a single equerry."

He was in an upbeat, happy mood as he walked toward the White Tower. He talked about the war, the Greek armies, and the capture of Yanina and Salonika, which was seen as a "fitting climax to his fifty years' reign."

He said to his aide: "Tomorrow when I pay my formal visit to the dreadnought Goeben, it is the fact that a German battleship is to honor a Greek King here in Salonika that will fill me with happiness and contentment."

These were the king's last words. At only two paces away, Aleko Schinas, "a Greek of feeble intellect" fired a gun into the king's back. The bullet entered "below the shoulder blade and made its exit from the stomach." The king slumped to the ground. The jeweled cross that he always wore was "smothered with blood."

The King, as Prince Vilhelm of Denmark, was only 17-years-old when he was elected king of the Hellenes. His older sister, Queen Alexandra, was said to be stricken when she was told of her brother's death. The news had been broken to her by her daughter, Princess Victoria.

King George is survived by his wife, Queen Olga, and six of their eight children, Constantine, who has succeeded as king, George, Nicholas, Marie, Andrew, and Christopher. One daughter, Alexandra, died in childbirth, and another daughter, Olga, died as an infant.

He is also survived by three sisters, Queen Alexandra of Great Britain, the Dowager Empress Marie of Russia, and the Duchess of Cumberland.
The new King Constantine is married to Princess Sophie of Prussia. Their eldest son, George, becomes the Diadoch, or Crown Prince of Greece.

Cecilie's mom to not attend wedding

March 18, 1905

It was reported today by the New York Times that the Grand Duchess of Meckleburg-Schwerin will not attend the wedding of her daughter, Duchess Cecilie to the Crown Prince of Prussia. The former Grand Duchess Anastasia of Russia "alleges that ill-health will compel her to spend the Summer in the south of France."

Felipe & Letizia are in NYC

The Prince and Princess of Asturias are in New York City on an official visit. But don't expect to find much coverage by the New York City media. The three New York city dailies (Times, News and Post) have not had any coverage. But here is a link from one source about the visit.

http://www.laht.com/article.asp?ArticleId=329738&CategoryId=12395.

It is not a snub. Dignataries visit NYC every day, and the local papers cannot chase every one. In New York, the prince and princess are just one of many.

Zoubkoff asks France for a passport

Embed from Getty Images

March 17, 1929

Alexander Zoubkoff, the 29-year-old brother-in-law of the Kaiser Wilhelm II, arrived in Paris today from Luxembourg, according to a United Press report published in the Chicago Daily Tribune. He promptly went into hiding as friends sought out a visa for his passport.

He would like for his wife, 63-year-old Princess Victoria of Schaumburg-Lippe to join him in Paris. Zoubkoff told reporters that he has signed a contract to work as a circus performer "in order to leave Luxembourg." As soon as he gets a French visa, he will return to Luxembourg, and "then make formal reentry into France."

Zoubkoff has denied that Princess Victoria is bankrupt, despite the official proceedings that have been brought against her by members of her family. The Schaumburg-Lippes want to "get control of her jewels and other properties, most of which are family inheritances."

The Princess is the widow of Prince Adolf of Schaumburg-Lippe.

He told reporters: "They'll never get her jewels. Only Victoria and I know where they are. Her family tries to paint me as living on her money, but for the last eight months I have sent money to her.

"German royalists were greatly angered by my marriage. On the wedding day I received eight thousand letters and telegrams, many of them threatening me with death. But the Hohenzollerns, except the Kaiser, really weren't angry.

"I met Prince Adalbert, brother of Victoria and the Kaiser, who asked me: 'I am only curious to know why you want to marry my sister.'

[Victoria does not have a brother, Adalbert. She has two brothers, Wilhelm II, the former Kaiser, and Henry, who lived at Hemmelmark, with his wife, Irene. Prince Adalbert is the Kaiser's son. It is unlikely that Zoubkoff talked with Prince Henry, who is gravely ill, at his home. The AP reported on February 13 that Prince Henry, is suffering from cancer of the larynx, the same cancer that killed his father, Friedrich III. Prince Henry was not well enough to attend the Kaiser's 70th birthday celebrations at Doorn in January.]

"He laughed when I told him. I still get letters from Victoria, constantly while I was in Luxembourg. She still loves me. Victoria has an income of only ten thousand dollars a year, so I must help make a living. I can sing, dance, ride and look pretty, so I don't expect much trouble finding a job in a theater or a circus."

Nicholas II abdicates for himself and for his son

Embed from Getty Images 

 This is the text of Nicholas II's abdication manifesto:

We, Nicholas II, by the Grace of God Emperor of all the Russias, Czar of Poland, Grand Duke of Finland, and etc., make known to all our faithful subjects:

In the days of the great struggle against the foreign enemies, who for nearly three years have tried to enslave our fatherland, the Lord God has been pleased to send down on Russia a new heavy trial. Internal popular disturbances threaten to have a disastrous effect on the future conduct of this persistent war. The destiny of Russia, the honor of our heroic army, the welfare of the people and the whole future of our dear fatherland demand that the war should be brought to a victorious conclusion whatever the cost. The cruel enemy is making his last efforts, and already the hour approaches when our glorious army together with our gallant allies will crush him. In these decisive days in the life of Russia, We thought it Our duty of conscience to facilitate for Our people the closest union possible and a consolidation of all national forces for the speedy attainment of victory. In agreement with the Imperial Duma We have thought it well to renounce the Throne of the Russian Empire and to lay down the supreme power. As We do not wish to part from Our beloved son, We transmit the succession to Our brother, the Grand Duke Michael Alexandrovich, and give Him Our blessing to mount the Throne of the Russian Empire. We direct Our brother to conduct the affairs of state in full and inviolable union with the representatives of the people in the legislative bodies on those principles which will be established by them, and on which He will take an inviolable oath.

In the name of Our dearly beloved homeland, We call on Our faithful sons of the fatherland to fulfill their sacred duty to the fatherland, to obey the tsar in the heavy moment of national trials, and to help Him, together with the representatives of the people, to guide the Russian Empire on the road to victory, welfare, and glory. May the Lord God help Russia!

The document was "largely prepared in advance" by a Duma committee, according to the New York Times. The abdication took place on March 15.

Grand Duke Michael, as Nicholas' heir, has also issued a manifesto, which was released by the Russian semi-official news agency.
A heavy burden has been laid on me by my brother's will in transferring to me the imperial throne of All Russia at a time of unprecedented war and unrest among the people.

Inspired by the thought common to the whole nation, that the well-being of our homeland comes above all, I have taken the hard decision to accept supreme power only in the event that it shall be the will of our great people, who in nationwide voting must elect their representatives to a Constituent Assembly, establish a new form of government and new fundamental laws for the Russian State.

Therefore, calling on God's blessing, I ask all citizens of the Russian State to obey the provisional government which has been formed and been invested with complete power on the initiative of the State Duma, until a Constituent Assembly, to be convened in the shortest possible time on the basis of general, direct, equal, secret ballot, expresses the will of the people in its decision on a form of government.

Both manifestos were republished in the New York Times.

Prince of Wales off to Germany

March 17, 1913

The Prince of Wales today left for Germany, where he will remain for several weeks, according to the New York Times. The Prince will first visit Stuttgart, where he will be the guest of the King and Queen of Württemberg. The reason for his "sojourn to Germany is to study the language."

King of Saxony tries to get the public on his side

March 17, 1903

The Associated Press today published a letter from the King of Saxony to his subjects regarding the situation with Crown Princess Louise. The King's letter is an effort to thank his subjects for their support for the "recent sad misfortune" that has affected the Saxon royal family.
The King hopes that the "perturbation and excitement which seized on the people in consequence of the distressing events of last winter will now give place to quietude, and the old feeling of confidence."
He also begs his people to not believe Louise. "...that behind all the miserable business lies a tissue of falsehood and deception, but to believe the word of your king that this infinitely painful affair arose solely from the ungovernable passion of a young woman."

FInancial reasons for Boris' trip

March 16, 1929

The real reason for King Boris of Bulgaria's European sojourn was not to seek medical attention, according to a Prague newspaper, but to seek a solution to "the financial difficulties that stand in his way of his marriage to Princess Giovanna of Italy, and that of his brother, Prince Cyril, to a 'member of the New York gold aristocracy.'" Thus, was the statement in the Prager Tagblatt, and reported by the New York Times.
Prince Cyril is involved in "long drawn out legal battle" against Prince Josias of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha and Dorothea, Duchess of Schleswig-Holstein over the estate of the late Prince Philipp of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. The estate is worth $30,000,000. The "protracted legal quarrel" also now includes the Czechoslovakian government, creditors and the "prospective inheritors." All of this wrangling has taken its toll, and the legal costs "may absorb the greater part of the estate if the case persists much longer."
Prince Cyril is currently in the United States and "it is believed that he cherishes matrimonial intentions." It has been assumed that King Boris has visited his cousin, Dorothea, at her home in Primkenau, and has urged her "to make a compromise with the other two claimants."

Queen Marie carries offer of crown to Carol

The Chicago Daily Tribune's European correspondent William Shirer reports today that Queen Marie of Roumania is en route to Paris to see her son, Prince Carol. According to "reliable information," the Queen's plan is to bring Carol back "to the throne he renounced for the love of a red-headed girl."
The Queen, who is accompanied by her daughter, Princess Ileana, boarded a train to Belgrade, where they were met by another daughter, Queen Marie of Yugoslavia, and her young son, Crown Prince Peter. The Yugoslavian queen and her son will accompany the party until they reach the Italian border.
Queen Marie of Roumania's palatial, private cars are attached to the Orient Express. Prince Carol is said to be meeting the train tomorrow in Paris.
The Queen's announcement that she would go to Paris has meet with "quick repercussions" from Roumanian politicians. Former prime minister Bratiano, who is considered the person "largely responsible for forcing Carol to renounce his rights, bitterly denounced the regency in a parliamentary debate."
Marie has told her friends that she wants to spend time with her sister, Grand Duchess Victoria, who lives in Dinard, France, which is not far from Prince Carol's home, where he has lived with Elena Lupescu.
Many assume that Carol will join his mother in Dinard, "where final plans will be worked out for a peaceful return to Bucharest and probably the throne."

Hermine has surgery

March 16, 1925

The Empress Hermine, the second wife of Kaiser Wilhelm II, underwent surgery today in Berlin, according to international reports. The operation, considered minor, was performed by a well-known German gynecologist. Hermine is expected to remain in the hospital for two weeks.

Prince Eitel Friedrich of Prussia seeks divorce

March 16, 1919

The Kleine Journal, a Berlin newspaper, reports on the forthcoming divorce between Prince and Princess Eitel Friedrich of Prussia. The Prince is the second son of the former Kaiser.
The Prince has begun proceedings against his wife, the former Duchess Sophie Charlotte of Oldenburg, and has charged that she committed adultery before the war. The prince wanted to file the action before the war began, but his father "vetoed the plan," according to the New York Times, which picked up the story from the Berlin paper.
The Prince and Princess were married in 1906, and have no children. In November 1913, the Kleine Journal reported that the couple had separated and were planning a divorce. At this time, this story was denied by the prince and princess.

Queen Wilhelmina to visit England

March 16, 1907

The Chicago Daily Tribune reports today that unless the plans are abandoned, Queen Wilhelmina will pay a state visit to the United Kingdom. The visit has been long-postponed due to the Boer War, but Queen Wilhelmina and her consort can expect a "genuine welcome" if they do make the visit this coming summer.

The newspaper also notes that "everyone in London is delighted with the manner in which Queen Alexandra is going about town with her sister, the dowager empress of Russia." The two sisters are seen together at the theatre, nearly every night. "They come so quietly that often the audiences are not aware of the presence of royalty till the performance is well over."
The two women also enjoy "daily rounds of shopping," which is "without any of that restraint which must be observed at home." They drive along Piccadilly or Regent street with little fanfare "without any escort" and are usually unnoticed unless one "is vigilant to note the royal arms on the carriage doors."
Queen Alexandra is said to looking "younger and brighter than ever."

The cost of Victoria's funeral

March 16, 1901

The Civil Service Supplementary Estimates issued today the cost of Queen Victoria's funeral, according to a report in the New York Times. The cost of the funeral was £35,000, of which £11,400 was used to feed and house the foreign guests.

Christiane Bernadotte-Grandmontagne

Christiane Grandmontagne nearly became a princess. 

 She was the girlfriend of Prince Christian-Sigismund of Prussia, the fourth son of Prince Louis Ferdinand, the head of the former ruling house. The couple talked of marriage, but Christiane was not of equal rank, Prince Louis Ferdinand did not approve. The situation was complicated by the fact that Christiane was pregnant with Christian's child. Despite, Christiane's pregnancy, Prince Louis Ferdinand would not agree to the marriage. If Christian-Sigismund married Christiane, he would lose his succession rights. He was second in line, after his brother, Louis Ferdinand. (The two eldest brothers, Friedrich Wilhelm and Michael, had already lost their rights due to their unequal marriages.) 

 In September 1969, Christiane gave birth to a daughter, Isabelle-Alexandra. The following is from my newsletter, Royal Book News (November-December 2008) "Christiane Grandmontagne is the wife of Count Jan Bernadotte af Wisborg, the eldest son of the late Count Lennart Bernadotte af Wisborg. Jan and Christiane met in the 1960s but did not marry until a few years ago. She met Prince Christian Sigismund of Prussia, apparently, at a ball hosted by Count Lennart. Thus began a romance between Miss Cinema 1965 and the Prussian prince. Prince Christian Sigismund wanted to marry Christiane, but his father would not approve of the marriage. Christian Sigismund’s two oldest brothers, Friedrich Wilhelm and Michael, had married commoners and renounced their rights of succession. 

 Louis Ferdinand was not going to allow another son to marry outside the royal circle. Matters were further complicated by Christiane’s pregnancy. Christian Sigismund ended the relationship. In 1969, Christiane gave birth to Christian Sigismund’s daughter, who was named Isabelle-Alexandra, but in this book, Isabelle is called Marie Christine. (Lovely photos of the new mother and her infant daughter.) 

You might think that Christiane might throw a few daggers at Christian-Sigismund’s family, but she really doesn’t. She gets on with her life, even though her little girl does not know her father. She gets married to a nice guy named Michael. Unfortunately, the abuse of booze would lead to his death. Not long afterward, Christiane called her friend Cia Bernadotte in Sweden, to offer birthday congratulations. 

 Jan has been asking about her. In 2004, Christiane and Jan become engaged. She makes a comment about getting engaged to Christian Sigismund’s cousin, noting that Lennart’s grandmother, Grand Duchess Marie Pavlovna is the older sister of Grand Duchess Kira of Russia, who is Isabelle’s grandmother. Jan responds by saying that he is now Isabelle’s Onkel. Both certainly need a lesson in family history. Count Jan’s grandmother, Marie Pavlovna, was not Kira’s older sister. Marie Pavlovna was the daughter of Grand Duke Paul Alexandrovich. Kira was the daughter of Grand Duke Kirill Wladimirovich, who was the son of Grand Duke Wladimir Alexandrovich, Paul’s brother. 

Marie Pavlona and Kirill were first cousins. Lennart and Kira were second cousins. Jan and Christian Sigismund were fourth cousins, which made Jan and Isabelle fourth cousins once removed. Christiane also refers to her husband as Count Jan Bernadotte as Wisborg, Prince of Sweden. Oops. Jan’s father lost his princely titles when he married Jan’s mother. 

 The book includes photos from the couple’s religious wedding. The bride wore white and a tiara. 

The title of Christiane’s memoirs is Von Kaiserin, Prinzen und Grafen, Leid und Kamp einer Prinzessin. The book is published to order by Digitalverlag Grossrosseln but is available through Amazon.de (19.90 Euros.). The publisher’s website is http://www.grossrosseln.net/. Christiane’s book was a mild surprise. Interesting photographs, good information about how she met Christian Sigismund and their relationship. I wish she had included more information about Isabelle (and more recent photos), but one cannot have everything.

Yes, the book is in Germany, but it is a book to add to one’s library, especially for information about modern royals, ie the Prussians and Jan Bernadotte. I think Christiane is the count’s 7th wife."

Several photos from my collection

Here are four photos from my collection: Princess Christian of Schleswig-Holstein (Princess Helena); Princess Patricia of Connaught; Princess Victoria Mary of Teck; and a lovely group of Queen Victoria surrounded by family (late 1890s).

William remembers his mum

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hjaJbROSiOLBMDeLRGgGGnTVkLGwD96SMRSO1

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/theroyalfamily/4981166/Prince-William-talks-of-emptiness-on-Mothers-Day.html

The mudslinging begins

Prince Vittorio Emanuele of Savoy has come out swinging in response to his cousin, Prince Amedeo's announcement that Amedeo's grandson, Umberto, will be bear the title of Prince of Piedmont. This title is usually borne by the heir to the Italian throne. Amedeo has taken the position that he is the heir to the throne, and not King Umberto's son, because of Vittorio Emanuele's marriage and correspondence between Umberto and his son concerning his marriage to Marina Doria, an Italian commoner. Today, Vittorio Emanuele issued a statement, claiming that Amedeo and his family are not entitled to the style of Royal Highness, but are merely Serene Highnesses.
On January 1, 1890, King Umberto I issued a decree that established the HRH and the title of Prince and Princess of Savoy for the children of the king, and the children of the Hereditary Prince. Other members of the family would have the title of Prince or Princess of Savoy with the style of Serene Highness. On May 12, 1946, King Umberto II issued a royal decree that gave the HRH to all the members of the Italian royal family.

Kaiser's sister bankrupt

March 12, 1929

Bankruptcy proceedings opened today in a Bonn courtroom against Frau Victoria Zoubkov, reports the New York Times. Mrs. Zoubkov is also known as Princess Adolf of Schaumburg-Lippe, as she is the widow of the late Prince Adolf.
Victoria, who is also the sister of the former Kaiser, is unable to "pay her debts."

The court action was initiated by the Prince of Schaumburg-Lippe, the head of the house, "because some time ago, the Princess, in exchange for a life pension, ceded all her property, not only real estate but even certain jewelry, to the House of Schaumburg-Lippe."

This may be a pretext, however, as the more pressing issue is that the Schaumburg-Lippe family objects "to her conduct and the manner in which she spent the sums she had been paid."

The princess's husband, Alexander Zoubkov, described as a "Russian adventurer," has been expelled from Germany, the Princess allegedly gave her power of attorney to a Russian friend of her much-younger husband, and "intrusted her interests to him." On the friend's advice, she bought a racing stable. She also bet heavily at a Berlin race track, hoping "to regain her fortune." But she lost a lot of money. But what offended her family the most was "the fact that she would visit night clubs and dancing halls in Berlin with her Russian entourage."

The AP reports that the bankruptcy proceedings are a "ruse to rid the Princess of her young Russian emigré husband."

When Princess Victoria, who was born a Princess of Prussia, married Alexander Zoubkov in Bonn in November 1929, she "renounced her rights to the title of Princess and to German citizenship." No member of the House of Hohenzollern attended her civil wedding. More criticism arose when at the religious wedding, the princess wore her mother's famous lace bridal veil. Victoria is more than 40 years her husband's senior.

Zoubkov was expelled from Germany after he had assaulted a page boy in a Berlin bar. He was arrested and deported. Zoubkov first went to Belgium, but was soon asked: "to take up residence outside that country's frontiers." Victoria went to see him in Brussels, and the two were seen arguing over Zoubkov's interest in a cabaret dancer. He returned to Germany, only to be deported once again, and then went to Luxembourg, where he was expelled. He has been reported to be in "various places from Quebec to the Belgian Congo."

The princess's income from her late husband's estate was $150,000 per year. Her jewels are worth in the range of 3,000,000. 

 If you this article, perhaps you could buy me a coffee

Grand Duke Alexander rebuffed in Paris

March 12, 1919


Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovitch, who recently arrived in Paris from the Crimea, told the Associated Press today that unless the Allies soon intervene in Russia, "the situation there would become so hopelessly desperate that it would take years, perhaps decades, to restore a semblance of order and bring about peace in Eastern Europe."
Alexander, who is married to Nicholas II's sister, Xenia, said: "I do not ask the Allies to fight for us. I merely ask them to keep order in the territories wrested from Bolshevism by the Governments already fighting the Soviet.
"I came here in January in an attempt to help my country as a private citizen acquainted with conditions in Russia. I thought I would find justice and sympathy at the Peace Conference, but I have been disappointed as I found only personal intrigues, party politics and national egotism visible."
He said that he asked if President Wilson would receive him, but the American president "replied through his secretary that he was too busy with Peace Conference matters. What matter can be more momentous than the Russian problem? I asked to be allowed to go to England, but was refused a passport, yet they received Kerensky. I dare out request to visit American, not wishing to invite a rebuff."

Princess Stephanie gravely ill

March 12, 1911

Princess Stephanie, the Countess Lonyay, is "seriously ill" in Zurich, according to a New York Times report. The princess's condition is "the cause of great anxiety."
The princess is the widow of Crown Prince Rudolf of Austria. She is now the wife of the Hungarian count Lonyay.

Grand Duke Wladimir is ill

March 12, 1905

A party at Grand Duke Wladimir of Russia's palace has been canceled due to the Grand Duke's illness. In the few days, the Grand Duke has "taken a turn for the worse," according to the New York Herald.

Oh, please ...

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1161275/Prince-William-marry-Kate-Middleton-summer.html

Will someone please tell the Daily Mail that Point de Vue has not specialized in Royal stories in some years now? Also, please tell the Daily Mail that Point de Vue is not "Upmarket." The magazine is not the leading social magazine, although the editor adores Carla Bruni, France's first lady. Point de Vue has been heading down the drain for some years now.

I also do not think much of their "scoop," especially the comment about other royals told to leave their diaries clear! It is now the middle of March. If the engagement is announced within the next month, it is unlikely that a summer wedding will be possible.
Prince William's marriage will not be a state occasion. He is not the heir to the throne. I also think that if William and Kate do get engaged and marry, they will push for a much smaller event, perhaps at St. George's Cathedral. In view of the current economic situation, it will be foolhardy to want to have a truly grand occasion.
The Prince also has his RAF obligations to fulfil at this time.

Boris arrives in Vienna, incognito

March 11, 1929

King Boris of Bulgaria and his sister, Princess Eudoxia, have arrived this evening in Vienna. According to the New York Times, the king and his sister are "the first royal personages to visit this city since Austria was proclaimed a republic."
Their arrival was "as unostentatious as the most extreme member of the Socialist administration which now controls the Austrian capital could have desired."
The king is expected to see an ear specialist in Vienna before departing for France, and perhaps, Italy, where he is expected to ask for Princess Giovanna's hand in marriage.
The king is traveling as Count Stanislau Rilski. He was "pale and nervous and apparently in poor health," when he stepped off the train. Nor did he deny his identity when the New York Times reporter offered the king a light for his cigarette, "which he was holding in his nervous fingers," and addressed Boris as "your Majesty." The king accepted the offer with a "pale smile."
The king's entourage are refusing to provide information about Count Rilski's travel plans, but the king's "heavier baggage was marked Palermo, which confirms reports of his coming visit to Rome."
Balkan newspapers are already reporting that the king's engagement to Princess Giovanna will be announced shortly.
A marriage between Boris and Princess Giovanna "will be generally regarded as part of Premier Mussolini's plan to isolate Yugoslavia by forming a close relationship with her enemies."

Bulgarian prince in Los Angeles; praises Americans

March 11, 1929

Prince Cyril of Bulgaria, brother of King Boris, is in Southern California for a four day visit. He is accompanied by Gen. Baron Wilhelm von Einem, an Austrian military leader in the World War and his wife, "renowned as a big game hunter," and the portrait painter, Max Rabes. The party is staying at the Biltmore in Los Angeles.
The prince has been in the United States since early January. He has spent a lot of his time in Detroit and Toledo, visiting automobile factories. The Prince, who was interviewed by the Los Angeles Times, was asked about his impression of the United States.
"A splendid country, where miracles are performed everywhere. A people. generous in their hospitality and friendliness, and, a climate to fit in everyone's requirements," he said.
Prince Cyril and his friends will spend four days visiting Pasadena, San Diego and other cities in the Southland, before heading east to visit Philadelphia and Boston.
The Prince has already visited New York, Toledo, Detroit,, Miami, Palm Beach, Havana, the Grand Canyon and Yosemite.

Queen Marie may soon visit America

March 11, 1919

Queen Marie of Roumania may soon visit the United States. The Associated Press reports that the trip may take place before or after the peace conference, although no decision has been made. It is not a secret that the Roumanian queen, a British princess by birth, admires America and Americans. The Queen sat down today with an AP reporter and said that visiting America was one of her fondest wishes.
"I feel that I shall be almost as much at home in America as in my own country, for I have come to know Americans as intimately as my own people. I desire first to have the privilege of thanking in person the people of the United States for the great help they have given Roumania through the American Red Cross and the food administration."
She added: "It's a splendid thing to see so many of your fine soldiers in France. Whenever, I pass one of them on the street, I feel instinctively that there is one of my friends and my impulse is to shake every one of them by the hand."
The Queen, who is in Paris, also spoke of the "wonderful part played by the women of America and England and declared that it was their dauntless spirit which had carried the troops on to victory."
"Woman's Day has come," Queen Marie concluded, "and I believe she will have an increasingly important part in the future life of the world."

Crown Princess Marie loves Americans

Embed from Getty Images 

 March 11, 1911 

 Crown Princess Marie of Roumania has taken up the "cudgels for Americans," reports the Los Angeles Times. According to the newspaper, Bucharest society women are showing signs of hostility to what they perceive to be "the American invasion." They have chosen not to invite Americans to "their smartest functions." 

The British-born Crown Princess, who is a granddaughter of Queen Victoria, is "fond of everything American and is a personal friend of many Americans, including the Astor family." Marie became "highly indignant" when she learned about the exclusion of Americans invited to social functions, but she waited for a "favorable opportunity to give her opinion." 

The Crown Princess received an invitation to a charity ball in Bucharest, which was "given by some of the great ladies of this country." Before she gave her response, the Crown Princess asked to see the guest list. "Why are there no American ladies here," she asked Countess Fulchiano. The countess explained that the event was to be a "very select and highly national function." 

Marie's reply: "Nonsense! There are several American women in town, the wives of diplomats, engineers, and prominent American businessmen, All these ladies are my friends. If they are not immediately put on the list of guests, I shall not go to the ball -- nor to any similar entertainment." Marie's "declaration had a tremendous effect," as all of the American ladies living in Bucharest received an invitation to the ball. The "American boycott" by Bucharest society is, according to the report, "a thing of the past."

Ena again pregnant

March 11, 1909

"All Spain is rejoicing," reports the Los Angeles Times today. Queen Victoria Eugenia is expecting her third child. King Alfonso XIII and his British-born wife have "demonstrated twice before in their three years of connubial bliss that the stork is not an unwelcomed visitor in the Madrid palace."
The new infante or infanta is expected in May.

Prince Hendrik refuses gift

March 11, 1907

The New York Times reports today that Prince Hendrik of the Netherlands, the consort of Queen Wilhelmina, "has announced his decision to decline to accept the proposed national testimonial" for his assistance in saving the lives of the survivors of the British steamer, Berlin, which sunk during a storm in the Hook of Holland. The prince said he was merely doing his duty as a Dutchman, and did not need to seek special recognition.

Kaiser to visit Copenhagen; the Cumberlands depart Copenhagen

March 11, 1903

The Times' correspondent in Copenhagen reports, according to the New York Times, that the "news of the approaching departure of the Duke and Duchess of Cumberland coming so soon after the announcement of Emperor William's intended visit" to Copenhagen has caused "some sensation."
The Duke of Cumberland is the son of the late King Georg V of Hannover, whose throne was lost in 1866 when Prussia annexed Hannover. It said that the Duke and Duchess are returning to their home in Austria earlier than expected because of their son's illness.
The Times' correspondent also notes that William "has taken no effective steps to conciliate the Duke," and continues to reject the Duke's claim as head of the house of Hannover. The reporter also suggests that William "is assured of a good reception in Copenhagen," despite questions regarding North Schleswig.

What is Fergie Smoking now?

Goodness gracious! Sarah, Duchess of York, the former wife of the Duke of York, has again put her foot into her mouth. In an interview with the CBC, she claims that there were plans to send Andrew to Canada as Governor General after their marriage. If this had happened, Sarah told the reporter, her marriage would have survived.
http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2009/03/09/sarah-ferguson.html?ref=rss

What? Memo to Fergie: Canada has not had a royal governor general since 1952. The standard has been to name a Canadian, and the position alternates between English and French-speaking Canadians.
Queen Elizabeth II selects the Governor General on the advice of the Canadian Prime Minister. In 1952, Vincent Massey became the first Canadian resident to be named as Governor General. The last royal to serve as Governor general was the Earl of Athlone (ne Prince Alexander of Teck) who served from 1940-1946. Lord Athlone was married to Princess Alice of Albany.

Despite Sarah's protestations to the contrary, Queen Elizabeth II was not going to name her second son as Governor General of Canada. The real selection is made by Canada's Prime Minister.

Former Tahitian queen Joanna dead at 80

March 10, 1929

It was reported today that former Queen Joanna of Tahiti died on March 1 in Papeete, She was 80-years-old. The queen, "once famous for her life of stormy romance and political intrigue," was buried with royal honors, even though she no longer had a throne. Nearly the entire population of the island nation attended the funeral.
Queen Joanna, who was born Marau Toroa, was the wife of Pomare V, the last king of Tahiti. In her old age, Joanna had "settled down to intellectual pursuits on the coral-girded Pacific island of 10,000, where she once ruled and lived as she liked," according to the Associated Press' report.
Joanna was the daughter of an English sailor "who began like on the island as a shipwrecked sailor," who married a native princess. Joanna married King Pomare in 1875, and soon became "a vital factor in the political development of Tahiti."
The new queen was at first "favorable to the English," which bothered France, which sought more control of Tahiti. But soon, the queen was subject to criticism over her private conduct by Christian missionaries on the island.
The local marriage customs, "shocking to Western eyes, and the easy-going morality of the languorous tropical isle raised their strong protests." Queen Joanna provided no support to eliminate the island's "ancient traditions."
Eventually, even King Pomare "was annoyed." When Joanna gave birth to a daughter, the king was asked to draw up a "civil affidavit of parentage." He refused. He claimed: "The child is not mine. I forbid it to succeed me in my goods, my estates and my titles. I have spoken."
The French wanted very much to draw Joanna away from her "English allegiance." They achieved a modicum of success in 1880, when they persuaded Pomare to abdicate in favor of France. Queen Joanna, who could have raised an opposition to France's plan, said nothing, and allowed France to end the monarchy.
King Pomare divorced Joanna in 1887. He died from alcoholism in 1891. The island passed to French control following Pomare's death.
Her children were included on the French pension list, and received about $600 per year each. In 1924, "the gratitude of France was still warm enough" to award Joanna, then 73, an appointment as chevalier of the Legion of Honor.
Queen Joanna, "tranquil and unworried by politics" in her old age, was "engaged in a serious study of Tahitian legends." She lived quietly in a palace, which was actually "an elaborate hut," and grew coconuts and oranges on her property. She was attended "by a faithful retainer, a venerable graybeard, who once was chief eunuch at the court."
Joanna had two daughters, Princesses Teri and Takau Pomare, both of whom live on Tahiti, and one son, Ernest Salmon (which was the princess's father's surname), who is a deputy Judge at Balmako, French East Africa.

King Boris is on the love train!

March 10, 1929 

 Traveling incognito as Count Rilsky, Bulgaria's "lonely and unmarried king, the handsome Boris" left Sofia by train today for a trip to Western Europe. 

It is believed he will be stopping in Rome to discuss plans for marriage with Princess Giovanna of Italy. The king's unmarried sister, Eudoxia, is accompanying him.

 The king is also attended by his "military and civilian household." 

The official reason for the king's visit is to see an ear specialist. However, Boris may have competition for the princess' hand as Albania's King Zogu and Archduke Albrecht of Austria are also apparently interesting in wooing Giovanna.

Princess flouts Kaiser!

Winterhalter

March 10, 1925

The Berlin newspaper Tagblatt has published a letter that showed the "drastic methods" used by the former Kaiser Wilhelm II when attempting to discipline members of his family. According to the letter, Wilhelm "gave a piece of his mind" to Princess Anna of Hesse, the widow of Landgraf Friedrich of Hesse, who informed the Kaiser that she was converting to the Roman Catholic church. This decision infuriated the Kaiser, who "refused to regard her any longer as a Hohenzollern and ordered her to cease all intercourse with that family."

In the final paragraph of the letter, the Kaiser wrote: "The House of Hohenzollern expels you and has forgotten your existence."

The letter was written in 1901. The Princess was not intimidated by the Kaiser's threats and joined the Roman Catholic church.

Princess Anna was born in 1836. In 1853, she married Friedrich, the Landgraf of Hesse as his second wife. (His first wife, Grand Duchess Alexandra died in childbirth in 1844.)

Anna and her husband had six children: Friedrich Wilhelm (died at sea in 1888); Elisabeth (married Prince Leopold of Anhalt-Dessau); Alexander Ferdinand (renounced his rights as head of the House in 1925, when he married morganatically); Friedrich Karl (who succeeded Alexander as head of the house in 1925); Marie (who died at age 10 in 1882), and Sybille (who is divorced from Baron von Vincke.)

Princess Anna was the daughter of Prince Karl of Prussia and Princess Marie of Saxe-Weimar. She died in 1918 at the age of 82.

Prince Friedrich Karl is married to the Kaiser's sister, Margarete. 

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Princess Yourievsky sues agent

March 10, 1913

Representatives of Princess Catherine Yourievsky, the widow of Alexander II, have sued her American agent, Victor E. Gartz for $2,900. They claim that Gartz should have turned the money over to her after he was hired to obtain payment on a $5,000 note from Krucien Luiggi, "a European promoter, by attaching his property in America." Gartz did obtain $22,000 on another note of $25,000 from Luiggi for the Princess.
In the past decade, the Princess entrusted Luiggi with 600,000 French francs to invest in South America. Most of the funds were "covered by promissory notes." Gartz was retained by the princess in order to obtain payment on a $5,000 note "by attaching Luiggi's property in this country."
Gartz's lawyer responded to the action by claiming that his client had great difficulty in locating Luiggi, but was able to obtain for the princess $22, 500 on the option. He believed that his fee of $3,900 was fair, as he did not have a contract with the princess.
The princess's lawyer's disagree. They say that the princess is "perfectly willing" that Gartz should retain $1000 as his fee, and not $3,900.
Princess Yourievsky was born Princess Catherine Dolgorouki. Although she is a member of an important Russian princely family, her marriage to Alexander II, following the death of his wife, Empress Marie, was morganatic. The princess gave birth to three children before Alexander was killed by an assassin's bomb in 1888.

Edward and Alexandra's 40th anniversary

March 10, 1903

Today is the 40th wedding anniversary of King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra. The anniversary was celebrated with "the customary firing of salutes and the ringing of bells." Their Majesties received "many telegrams of congratulations."
A family dinner was held at Buckingham Palace, and was attended by the Prince and Princess of Wales and other members of the royal family. Four hundred more guests were invited to a private dance this evening.
The palace's state rooms "were beautifully decorated with flowers from Frogmore, and presented a charming scene," according to the New York Times. Supper was served at "small tables instead of the customary long buffets." This was the first occasion "for many years" that the king and queen have celebrated their anniversary "by an entertainment." The king remarked that he "derived great pleasure from having so many children and grandchildren under his roof."

Letters back on Ebay

The six letters are back on Ebay! $30,000!

http://cgi.ebay.com/Prince-Charles-6-love-letters_W0QQitemZ320348344130QQihZ011QQcategoryZ39632QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

The postage is now $55.00. One would think that the postage and insurance would be free considering the starting bid!

Did the Charles letters sell? or did Alicia Carroll pull the Ebay auction

I was watching the Ebay auction of six letters that the Prince of Wales wrote to a former girlfriend, Welsh-born Janet Jenkins. As of this morning, the auction had three days left to go, but the seller, Alicia Carroll of Everything Royal, has apparently removed the items from Ebay. The auction was still going this morning, but by noon, the listing was gone. Did someone make her an offer she could not refuse? Has Jenkins obtained a court order to prevent the sale of the letters? (She claims she did not sell the letters to Carroll, but gave the letters to her because Carroll said she was going to display them in a museum.) Or did Carroll realize that there is an economic crisis here in the USA, and far less people have $30,000 to spare for the Prince of Wales' correspondence.


It should be noted that although the letters were written to Jenkins, and are now in the possession of an American dealer, the copyright for the letters belongs to the Prince of Wales. As these letters were written after 1977, the copyright remains in effect for the Prince of Wales' lifetime, plus 70 years. No one can publish the text of the letters without the expressed permission of HRH The Prince of Wales.

Here is a link to a Globe and Mail article, which quotes Jenkins.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20090307.LETTERS07/TPStory/National

Carroll's website has not been updated to show if the letters have been sold. She has them listed individually on her website, Everything Royal. http://everythingroyal.com/

She still has a myriad of items with Diana's signature as Sarah Jane Gaselee, one of Diana's bridesmaids, sold personal items that Diana had given to her or written to her to Carroll. Lord Linley also appears to have sold Christmas cards from his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, to Carroll. (The cards are still for sale.)

Even marked down, Carroll's prices are a bit too high, in my not-so-humble opinion.