Friday, March 4, 2011

Royal engagement: Prince Antonius zu Fürstenberg to marry Matilde Borromeo

Copyright Seeger Press

Less than a year since the marriage of Hereditary Prince Christian zu Fürstenberg, his younger brother, Prince Antonius has become engaged to an Italian countess, Matilde Borromeo.  The couple will be married in June in Italy.

Prince Antonius, 25, is studying visual graphics in Milan.

http://www.suedkurier.de/region/schwarzwald-baar-heuberg/donaueschingen/Die-naechste-Hochzeit-bei-Fuerstenbergs;art372512,4758004


Matilde, who was born in Milan, on August 8, 1983, is the youngest of three daughters of Carlo Ferdinando Borromeo and Marion Sibylle Gabriele Zota.   Her eldest sister, Isabella, is married to Ugo dei Conte Brachetti-Perretti, whose brother, Ferdinando, is married to Princess Mafalda of Hesse.   The middle sister, Lavinia, is the wife of Fiat heir, John Elkann.   Mathilde also has two half-siblings, Carlo and Beatrice, who are the children of her father's mistress, Countess Paola Marzotto. 

Beatrice Borromeo has been linked to Pierre Casiraghi, the younger son of Princess Caroline of Monaco.

Prince Antonius and Matilde have been dating for several years.  She accompanied him to his brother's wedding last year.

In an interview last year with the Italian magazine Grazia,  Matilde describes herself as the "countess who raises cows." 

She studied agricultural science and plays an active role in the family's farm at Lomellina. 
 
"I have a passion for horses, but not as a competitive sport.  I focus on the breeding of stallions."

The countess helps her father on the farm, which produces, among other things, organic milk.  She is very much involved in the administration.  "I'm so in front of the computer."   Growing up, she knew she "always had clear ideas" on what she wanted to do.  She studied in Milan "in farming and animal welfare and veterinary science."   She lives in Milan.  Her father remains on the farm.
She was asked if her father lives alone.  She laughed: "This question is too private."
Matilde said she was "very proud of my surname, but I do not like the publicity that surrounds my family.  At school and college, I had some problems.  There are always people telling me: 'You're lucky, your name is Borromeo and you're always in the front row at fashion shows.'"
http://www.graziamagazine.it/people/matilde-borromeo-sono-una-contessa-che-alleva-mucche


In 2008, William Norwich described Matilde as "so chicly comported that you just assumed their first baby steps had to have been taken on the deck of some great yacht.... Someone asked if she might linger in New York; surely a fashion house or magazine would be happy to employ her."

Thanks to Seeger Press for kindly allowing me to use their photo of the engaged couple.

No comments: