Death of the Dowager Princess of Schaumburg-Lippe

The Dowager Princess of Schaumburg-Lippe and her son © Rainer Dröse

HSH Princess Benita Princess of Schaumburg-Lippe has died  after a long illness. She was 85 years old.  Her death was announced her son, Alexander, the Prince of Schaumburg-Lippe.  (The exact date is not confirmed - either late last night or early this morning.)

The Princess was in a serious car accident in 2007.  She never fully recovered from her injuries. 

Since the accident, she was rarely seen in public. Flags at Schloss Bückeburg, the home of the Prince of Schaumburg-Lippe, have been lowered to half-staff.

The princess was born Baroness Eva-Benita Viktoria Maria von Tiele-Winckler at Vollrathsruh in Mecklenburg on November 18, 1927.   She married Philipp-Ernst  Prince of Schaumburg-Lippe on October 3, 1955 at Bückeburg.  Prince Philipp-Ernst died in August 2003.

They had two children,  Hereditary Prince Georg-Wilhelm (1956-1983), who was killed in a traffic accident at Sternbergen and Alexander (1958), who succeeded his father as the Prince of Schaumburg-Lippe.

The Dowager Princess is survived by her younger son and three grandchildren,  Hereditary Prince Heinrich Donatus and Princesses Felipa and Philomena of Schaumburg-Lippe.

http://www.landes-zeitung.de/portal/lokales/lz-heute_Fuerstin-Benita-ist-tot-_arid,525827.html