Thursday, October 28, 2010

A final interview with Princess Irmingard

Last spring, Princess Irmingard of Bavaria gave an interview to SZ, the German newspaper, to talk about her life. She was engaging, and, according to the interviewer, she was also "astonishingly frank." She spoke about her family, especially her father's role in speaking out against Hitler.
Irmingard, a tall slender lady, "with a remarkable pace," showed the interviewer her father's office at Schloss Leustetten. Crown Prince Rupprecht was determined that Hitler would never enter his home.
The Princess' gait was upright, and she maintained "an athletic lifestyle" even in old age.
The princess, the eldest of six children of Crown Prince Rupprecht and his second wife, Princess Antonia of Luxembourg, was born at her father's home in Berchtesgaden. The Bavarian alps and the the family's pets were among the princess and her siblings' fondest memories.
After the war, Princess Irmingard and two of her siblings bought the Kaltenberg brewery, which her husband, Prince Ludwig, helped to run. Their only son, Prince Luitpold, expanded the business, and now runs the company.
This past summer, the Princess and her granddaughter, Princess Auguste, traveled to Rome to visit the grave of her mother, Princess Antonia, at the church of La Navicella. "It was unbelievable," Princess Auguste told SD. "We even went another 14 kilometers through the city."
Princess Auguste, who is married to Prince Ferdinand zur Lippe, said that her grandmother died peacefully surrounded by members of her family.
http://www.sueddeutsche.de/j56386/3680713/Eine-aufrechte-Wittelsbacherin.htm

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