At 11:45 a.m., in Monaco, Andrea Casiraghi, eldest son of Princess Caroline, and the New York-born Tatiana Santo Domingo were married in a private civil ceremony by the marina in Monaco.
According to the press reports, between 300 and 450 guests attended the ceremony, which was followed by a reception in the Princely palace gardens.
The civil ceremony legitimizes the couple's son, Sacha, who was born last March in a London hospital.
The couple have been dating for some years, and became engaged last year.
Although Andrea is second in line to the Monaco throne, he is not a member of the princely family, and his comings and goings are not announced by the Prince of Monaco's office. Andrea is a nephew of Prince Albert II, but he is not a Grimaldi.
Princess Caroline's office sent out press releases regarding the engagement and the birth of Sacha. The latter announcement was made jointly with Tatiana's Brazilian mother, Vera Rechulski.
Tatiana is also the daughter of the late Julio Santo Domingo, a member of one of Colombia's wealthiest families.
So far no details about the actual ceremony have been released to the media, apart from a confirmation that the wedding took place. Observers could hear applause, however, at the time the couple said I do (in French), and were pronounced husband and wife.
It is understood that the family may release several photos to the media later today. Earlier this week, Tatiana's aunt, Lauren Santo Domingo tweeted a photo taken at Tatiana's bridal party, which took place on a private yacht.
Sacha Casiraghi is now third in line.
Saturday, August 31, 2013
Thursday, August 29, 2013
King Michael visits American prisoners
Embed from Getty Images
August 29, 1943
King Michael of Romania, accompanied by his mother, Queen Helen, paid a visit yesterday to 70 United States flyers, who are being held at Sinaia, after the a raid on the Ploesti oil field on August 1.
The report was made by semi-diplomatic sources and released today, by the Associated Press.
The King, who speaks fluent English, offered to write to the prisoners' families "personally." One of the POWs, in a back row, shouted "Couldn't you cable?'
The Americans are being held at one of the "many fine hotels" in Sinaia, which is the summer resort of the royal family. The main palace was built by Carol I. According to the report, they are receiving "special medical care." The dead were buried with military honors" at a special "heroes" cemetery at Ploesti.
Twenty of "the huge fleet of United States Liberators" which attacked the Ploesti oilfields on August 1 failed to return to base. The men who are being held at Sinaia, "were among those parachuted or landed crippled craft on enemy soil."
Several Americans told Romanian intelligence officers that they "were manhandled by peasants and oil field worker" before being taken into custody by the army.
The interrogators told the Americans that every effort "would be made to catch the offenders," and they would be shot if found guilty.
Princess Eudoxia may play a role
Embed from Getty Images
August 29, 1943
Princess Eudoxia, the "pro-Fascist spinster sister" of the late King Boris of Bulgaria, "probably will play an increasingly important part in Bulgarian politics," according to United Press.
King Boris died yesterday. His death is described as "unexpected and mysterious."
Boris' 6-year-old son, Simeon, is now king, but Balkan observers acknowledge that Eudoxia, known for her "antidemocratic leanings" will have "greater scope to exercise her influence over the government."
The Associated Press is reporting that Adolf Hitler has sent telegrams of sympathy to King Boris' widow, Queen Givoanna, and the Bulgarian premier.
The telegrams were read on Berlin radio. "I would like to convey to your excellency on the occasion of the death of His Majesty King Boris mine and the German people's most cordial sympathy. I feel with you deeply the heavy loss which Bulgaria has suffered."
The telegram to Queen Giovanna said: "The moving news of the death of His Majesty King Boris has given me great sorrow. Bulgaria loses in King Boris a sovereign who led the history of his people with admirable courage and circumspect wisdom.
"I myself lose in him a faithful friend and ally."
Princess Anastasia dead
Embed from Getty Images
August 29, 1923
The Associated Press is reporting the death of Princess Anastasia, wife of Prince Christopher of Greece. The Princess, the widow of American tin plate magnate, William B. Leeds, died "peacefully" at Spencer House, her London residence at 11:55 this morning.
She died "without regaining consciousness."
Prince Christopher, Queen Dowager Olga, William B. Leeds, Jr., and his wife Princess Xenia of Russia and other members of the family were present at the princess' bedside when she died.
The cause of death is cancer "complicated by cirrhosis of the liver." It is understood that the princess' body will be sent to the United States for internment. She will be placed in a family mausoleum at the Woodlawn Cemetery in New York, where her parents are interred.
She received the last sacrament from an English-speaking Russian Orthodox priest. The princess became a member of the Greek Orthodox church when she married Prince Christopher. It was "impossible" to find a Greek priest in London, so a Russian priest came in to provide assistance.
Prince Christopher is said to "prostrate" with grief.
Queen Dowager Olga and Princess Anastasia's secretary, Emma Parmentier, "denied themselves food and rest in order to comfort their parent."
Queen Mother Alexandra called Prince Christopher, who is her nephew, to offer the "sympathy of the British Royal Family.
Prince Regent refuses to receive the Rupprechts
August 29, 1903
Prince and Princess Rupprecht of Bavaria have been home for two weeks since returning from their Far East travels, but, according to a special cable to the New York Times, the Prince Regent has refused to receive them.
The Prince Regent, according to reliable sources, "bitterly opposed" the marriage between Prince Rupprecht and Duchess Marie Gabrielle in Bavaria, and is refusing to meet them.
Prince and Princess Rupprecht of Bavaria have been home for two weeks since returning from their Far East travels, but, according to a special cable to the New York Times, the Prince Regent has refused to receive them.
The Prince Regent, according to reliable sources, "bitterly opposed" the marriage between Prince Rupprecht and Duchess Marie Gabrielle in Bavaria, and is refusing to meet them.
Wednesday, August 28, 2013
King Boris dead, 6-year-old son on throne
August 28, 1943
King Boris of Bulgaria is dead, according to the New York Times and other sources. He died shortly after 4 p.m. in Sofia after "four days of suffering following a reported shooting outside a small railway station," outside Sofia.
Boris had been returning to Sofia from a visit to Adolf Hitler's field headquarters. Hungarian sources state he was "shot in the abdomen" by one of his protection officers.
His wife, Queen Giovanna, was with him when he died. His 6-year-old son, Simeon, ascends to the throne as King Simeon II. Simeon has an older sister, 10-year-old Princess Maria Luisa.
Premier Bogdan Philoff has released the following proclamation:
"His Majesty, King, and Czar Boris III, the uniter of Bulgaria, surrounded by his family, died at 4:22 this afternoon after a brief but grave illness. The sorrow of the nation and the Bulgarian people is immeasurable. We now all have the sacred duty of carrying out his last wishes and continuing united on the path he traced for us."
A second proclamation was released shortly afterward.
"Bulgarians: this twentieth-eighth day of August 1943, His Royal Highness Crown Prince Simeon of Tarnovo, beloved child and hope of Bulgaria, ascended to the throne under the name of Simeon II in accordance with Article 34 of the Constitution. Under the terms of Article 151 of the same Constitution, the Council on Ministers will assume the direction of the country until such time as the question of the regency will have been settled.
"We call upon all Bulgarians to tighten their ranks behind the King in the conviction of a happy future for Bulgaria and united to continue on the path already entered as we confine ourselves to God. Long Live the King! Long live Bulgaria!"
According to reliable Bulgarian sources, the King had not died, he had "until midnight to answer Hitler on three main demands," which would have meant the end of Bulgaria as an 'independent' Axis ally.
Princess Anastasia near death
Princess Anastasia of Greece is "lying near death in her London home," reports the Associated Press. At times, she is "in a semi-comatose condition, alternating with a lucid state."
The Princess is not in pain, but due to her "greatly weakened condition," she has been unable to take nourishment apart from the "very smallest quantities of liquid nourishment."
Several British and American cancer specialists have been treating the Ohio-born princess, who married Prince Christopher of Greece in 1920. The offer "scan hope" for her recovery.
Princess Anastasia's family hopes that she may survive until the arrival of her sister, Mrs. Green, who sailed aboard the Mauritania from New York earlier today.
Prince Christopher remains at his wife's bedside, "ministering to and comforting" her. The Princess is unaware of the severity of her illness.
Her son, William B. Leeds, who married Princess Xenia of Russia, in 1921, is also with his mother. He is her only child. Anastasia, the former Nancy Stewart, is the widow of William B Leeds, the American tin plate magnate.
Queen Olga has also been paying visits to her daughter-in-law.
Princess Anastasia first became ill in June, when she "suffered an attack of jaundice. This developed into an intestinal infection, and she was operated at Athens in June. Since then she has undergone "no less than for operations," all of which "seemingly had only a palliative effect."
Her doctors are trying to make her as comfortable as possible.
The Princess has been receiving interest from a trust fund set up by her late husband. After her death, the income will pass to her son, William. According to the late Mr. Leeds' will, the entire trust fund, now worth about $25 million, will be inherited by the younger William's children. If he has no offspring, the inheritance will revert to the New York Lying-in Hospital.
It is not known what provisions if any, Princess Anastasia has made for her husband, although it is assumed that he will have a "fair share of her fortune."
The couple is "genuinely devoted" to each other, and their "domestic life has been characterized by exception happiness."
Princess Anastasia and Prince Christopher have been renting Spencer House in London.
King Constantine is not selling his home
The Sunday Times' real estate section recently included a listing for Stanyards, a rather impressive estate in Chobham, Surrey. A number of "royal watchers" have assumed, albeit incorrectly, that this estate is being sold by the King Constantine II of the Hellenes.
Silly, silly people. There is nothing in the Savill's listing that says the King is the owner. He is not.
http://search.savills.com/property-detail/gbsurssns130090
"This beautiful home retains character features and has royal connections with the family of the King of Greece who resided there."
Resided there, not resides there. King Constantine II bought the property in 1974 after the Greeks voted for a republic. He paid about £100,000 for the estate.
The King sold the house two years later, report in The Times, and bought the home in Hampstead.
Among the silliest of commentaries: One person noted said he was disappointed after looking at the photos and he expected better of Queen Anne Marie. The photos in the catalog have no connection to the Greek and Danish royal families.
Well, that's because King Constantine and Queen Anne Marie have not lived in the house SINCE 1976!!!!!!
Stanyards was sold most recently in 2000. It is now on the market for over 5 million pounds sterling.
The royal family's main residence is now in Greece.
Silly, silly people. There is nothing in the Savill's listing that says the King is the owner. He is not.
http://search.savills.com/property-detail/gbsurssns130090
"This beautiful home retains character features and has royal connections with the family of the King of Greece who resided there."
Resided there, not resides there. King Constantine II bought the property in 1974 after the Greeks voted for a republic. He paid about £100,000 for the estate.
The King sold the house two years later, report in The Times, and bought the home in Hampstead.
Among the silliest of commentaries: One person noted said he was disappointed after looking at the photos and he expected better of Queen Anne Marie. The photos in the catalog have no connection to the Greek and Danish royal families.
Well, that's because King Constantine and Queen Anne Marie have not lived in the house SINCE 1976!!!!!!
Stanyards was sold most recently in 2000. It is now on the market for over 5 million pounds sterling.
The royal family's main residence is now in Greece.
Sophie de Roumanie Photography
I think it is time to tout the work of HRH Princess Sophie of Romania, who is an amazingly gifted photographer. Seriously, she knows how to use a camera, tell a story, and present us with the beauty of Breton ... and elsewhere.
It is easy to order a photograph from Princess Sophie's catalog and website ....
http://www.yafosphotography.com/galerie_-_gallery.ws
It is easy to order a photograph from Princess Sophie's catalog and website ....
http://www.yafosphotography.com/galerie_-_gallery.ws
Monday, August 26, 2013
Thank you from Madeleine & Christopher
A rather nice thank you card from Princess Madeleine of Sweden and Christopher O'Neill
Saturday, August 24, 2013
The Duke of York back with Sarah?
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| Marlene A Eilers Koenig collection |
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| Marlene A. Eilers Koenig collection |
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| photo by Marlene A. Eilers Koenig. Sarah has cost Andrew a lot more than peanuts |
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| photo by Marlene A. Eilers Koenig |
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| photo by Marlene A. Eilers Koenig |
Hmmm! I consider the Duke of York to be the great enabler for Sarah, who has never been able to stand on her own two feet following the divorce.
She said in 1999: "There was no reason for Andrew and me to get divorced; there wasn't another person in our lives to go to. We got divorced because I had to out to work, and Andrew and I believed it wasn't right for me to be commercial while I was still in the Royal family."
Really? The reason for the divorce was because Sarah had to find work outside the Royal family. I thought they got divorced because she committed adultery with Steve Wyatt, and was seen in the company of several men.
If Sarah had chosen to remain faithful to her husband, while he was away, and threw herself into her royal duties, she and Andrew may not have divorced. They could have had a long and happy marriage, perhaps, a third child, a son, to inherit the York dukedom.
But instead, Sarah has had a series of very public mishaps, usually involving money or the need for money, and Andrew has been right there, to pick her up, wipe away the tears, and pay her debts.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/theroyalfamily/10264693/Duke-of-York-finds-love-again...with-old-flame-the-Duchess-of-York.html
Wednesday, August 21, 2013
Princess of Wales attends Americanist conference
August 21, 1883
The Princess of Wales and members of the Danish royal family were among the attendees at the "fifth congress of Americanists," which opened today in Copenhagen. Americanists, according to the New York Times, are "students of early American history."
Addresses were given by delegates from Denmark, Spain, Belgium and France.
The Princess of Wales and members of the Danish royal family were among the attendees at the "fifth congress of Americanists," which opened today in Copenhagen. Americanists, according to the New York Times, are "students of early American history."
Addresses were given by delegates from Denmark, Spain, Belgium and France.
A quiet birthday for Margaret
August 21, 1953
Princess Margaret celebrated her twenty-third birthday today "with a quiet dinner" with her older sister, Queen Elizabeth II and other members of the royal family at Balmoral Castle, according to an Associated Press report.
Although the court would not release an official guest list, it is understood that Group Captain Peter Townsend was not present. But after British newspapers began reporting that Margaret wanted to marry "the divorced British war hero," Townsend was shipped off to a "diplomatic post in Brussels."
He previously served as an equerry to Margaret's father, the late King George VI.
Court officials "invoked the tradition that the annual Balmoral get-together" is a time of "easy informality for the royal family."
Local residents consider Lord Carnegie, 23, a likely candidate for an invitation, as he is a "near neighbor" and a childhood playmate of Prince Margaret.
Lord Carnegie, known as Jamie to his friends, has escorted the princess "frequently to nightclubs."
He has all the right qualifications for a royal suitor: "wealth, looks and an ancestral castle in the Scottish wilds."
He is the only son of the Earl of Southesk and the late Princess Maud, younger daughter of Princess Louise, eldest daughter of King Edward VII, and the Duke of Fife. He is also the heir to the Fife dukedom, currently held by his maternal aunt, Princess Arthur of Connaught.
But Margaret "still favors" 38-year-old Townsend, whose friendship with the princess "set tongues wagging in every British household."
a new bike for birthday girl
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| Marlene A Eilers Koenig collection |
Princess Margaret Rose got the "bonnie bike" she wanted for her birthday, reports the Associated Press.
The princess, younger daughter of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, celebrated her seventh birthday today with a "special birthday cake" cut in Balmoral Castle at teatime.
Turning seven has not given the little princess more privileges. She still has to go to bed earlier than her 11-year-old sister, Princess Elizabeth -- "a source of much gratification" to Elizabeth, but a "particular peeve to Margaret Rose."
The two princesses are in seclusion at Balmoral as Queen Elizabeth has decided "the Princesses have been too much in the public eye."
They are staying at Garden Cottage, one of the "small mansions" on the royal estate. A "Victorian tradition" rules against having children stay in "majestic Balmoral Castle itself."
Princess Margaret is three today
August 21, 1933
Princess Margaret Rose, the younger daughter of the Duke and Duchess of York, celebrated her third birthday today, reports Canadian Press. She is spending her birthday at Glamis Castle, "where she is spending a holiday with her family" with her parents and older sister, 7-year-old Princess Elizabeth.
The Princess was born at Glamis Castle, the seat of her maternal grandparents of the Earl and Countess of Strathmore.
Princess Margaret's first cousin, the Hon. Gerald Lascelles, younger son of the Princess Royal and the Earl of Harewood is also celebrating his birthday today. He is nine years old.
Princess Margaret Rose, the younger daughter of the Duke and Duchess of York, celebrated her third birthday today, reports Canadian Press. She is spending her birthday at Glamis Castle, "where she is spending a holiday with her family" with her parents and older sister, 7-year-old Princess Elizabeth.
The Princess was born at Glamis Castle, the seat of her maternal grandparents of the Earl and Countess of Strathmore.
Princess Margaret's first cousin, the Hon. Gerald Lascelles, younger son of the Princess Royal and the Earl of Harewood is also celebrating his birthday today. He is nine years old.
Sunday, August 18, 2013
The death of Carl Ludwig Prince Fugger von Babenhausen
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| Marlene A. Eilers Koenig collection |
This postcard commemorated the death of Carl Ludwig Maria Prince Fugger von Babenhausen (February 4, 1929-May 12, 1906)
.In 1855, Carl Ludwig married Countess Friederike Christallnigg. They had three children: Pauline (1857-1886), Maria (1858-1927) and Karl (1861-1925, who succeeded his father as Prince. He married Princess Eleonore of Hohenlohe-Bartenstein in 1887.
The Princess of Fürstenberg & family
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| Marlene A. Eilers Koenig Collection |
Irma married Maximilian Egon II Prince of Furstenberg in 1889. Their first child, Karl Egon IV (1891-1973) was married twice and died without issue. Princess Leontine (1892-1979) was the wife of Hugo, Prince of Windisch-Graetz. Princess Anna (1894-1928) married Franz, Prince of Khvenhüller-Metsch. The second youngest son, Prince Maximilian (1896-1969) married Countess Wilhelmine of Schönburg-Glauchau. Their eldest son, Joachim Egon, (1923-2002) succeed Karl Egon, as Prince of Furstenberg.
In Memory of Prince Johan Friso of Orange Nassau
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| all photos and postcards are from my personal collection |
As I left early for the beach on Friday, I did not have time to load these photos to celebrate the life of Prince Friso of Orange Nassau, who was laid to rest on Friday.
Statement from King Michael of Romania
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| Bucharest October 2011 Prince Nicholas, Princess Marie, John Walker, Princess Irina, Prince Radu & Crown Princess Margarita (Copyright: Marlene A. Eilers Koenig) |
His
Majesty King Michael I notes with deep sorrow, the events surrounding his
daughter, Princess Irina of Romania. His Majesty and the Royal Family are
confident that the American Justice System, and the Oregon State courts will
bring this matter to a just and speedy conclusion.
His
Majesty trusts that the legal and moral presumption that an accused remains
innocent until otherwise proven will be respected.
This will be the only post about Princess Irina of Romania's legal situation I will not answer questions about this for many reasons, especially friendship.
One is innocent until proven guilty.
Thursday, August 15, 2013
A girl for Lord and Lady Frederick
Prince and Princess Michael of Kent have released the following statement:
"Lady Frederick Windsor was yesterday safely delivered of a baby girl at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Centre in Los Angeles. The weight of the baby was 7lb. Lord Frederick Windsor was present at the birth.
"Lady Frederick Windsor was yesterday safely delivered of a baby girl at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Centre in Los Angeles. The weight of the baby was 7lb. Lord Frederick Windsor was present at the birth.
"Prince and Princess Michael of Kent's family and Sophie's family have been
informed and are delighted with the news. The baby's name will be confirmed in a
few days."
[Update: the baby has been named Maud Elizabeth Daphne Marina. She will be known Miss Maud Windsor.]
Sophie Winkleman, an actress, and Lord Frederick Windsor were married at Hampton Court in September 2009.
They now live in southern California, where Sophie pursues her acting career, and Lord Frederick is a vice president with J.Morgan.
[Update: the baby has been named Maud Elizabeth Daphne Marina. She will be known Miss Maud Windsor.]
Sophie Winkleman, an actress, and Lord Frederick Windsor were married at Hampton Court in September 2009.
They now live in southern California, where Sophie pursues her acting career, and Lord Frederick is a vice president with J.Morgan.
Tuesday, August 13, 2013
Prince Friso's funeral
From the RVD:
The funeral of His Royal Highness Prince Friso will take place on the afternoon of Friday 16 August in Lage Vuursche, in the municipality of Baarn. It will be a private ceremony.
After a service in the Stulpkerk in Lage Vuursche the Prince will be laid to rest in the adjacent cemetery.
The service will be officiated by Reverend C.A. ter Linden.
A memorial service for Prince Friso will be held later in the year.
King Harald V of Norway, the late Prince's godfather, will be attending the funeral, according to the Norwegian court.
The funeral of His Royal Highness Prince Friso will take place on the afternoon of Friday 16 August in Lage Vuursche, in the municipality of Baarn. It will be a private ceremony.
After a service in the Stulpkerk in Lage Vuursche the Prince will be laid to rest in the adjacent cemetery.
The service will be officiated by Reverend C.A. ter Linden.
A memorial service for Prince Friso will be held later in the year.
King Harald V of Norway, the late Prince's godfather, will be attending the funeral, according to the Norwegian court.
Former Crown Prince Wilhelm sees civil war coming
August 13, 1923
Former Crown Prince Wilhelm, visiting his father at Doorn, gave an interview earlier today to a reporter from the American news service, United Press.
He foresees a communist uprising in Germany, followed by "a counteraction through the Fascisti, which will mean civil war and anarchy."
The prince gave his views, stating he has "no illusions as to the purpose of the fascisti." He believes the fascists will follow the "communist uprisings."
The former Crown Prince gave the interview before he left for his "exile retreat at Weiringen." He stood next to his "little red automobile," which was parked on a street in Doorn. Wearing a "golf costume," the bareheaded prince "was the picture of youth and vigor."
After lighting a cigarette, Wilhelm offered his views of the German political situation.
"I am most pessimistic of Germany's future," he said. He acknowledged that he would like to return to Germany to "devote his energies to his family and administration of his estates." But he does not see a return of the monarchy.
"If a situation would arise as a result of which a plebiscite might call you to the throne, what would you do?" Shrugging his shoulders, he added: "There is absolutely no signs of such a movement."
He asked the reporter: "How long will America view the anarchy in Europe without intervention? America has the French at her mercy because France is so heavily indebted to the United States. America could compel France to alter her course through pressure as a creditor."
He expressed interest in the views of President Calvin Coolidge, but his real concern remained with Germany.
"I view the present situation with extreme anxiety. The terrible slump of the mark and the threatened coal shortage present possibilities of serious riots. I have talked with many bankers, but none see a way out.
"I expect the communists to seize the opportunity presented in the deplorable situation to attempt a coup soon. This will lead to a counter-action by the Fascisti, which will mean utter civil war and anarchy.
"But I am perfectly aware that the nationalistic renaissance, which is apparently growing stronger throughout Germany, does not contain any elements of a monarchist movement."
Wilhelm made it clear that he would have no role in these movements.
"I am interested only as an onlooker, but as an onlooker who loves his country with all the passion of his heart whose hands are tied."
He had been joined at Doorn by his sister, Viktoria Luise, Duchess of Brunswick-Lüneburg. This was the first visit to Doorn by the Kaiser's only daughter since the Kaiser's second marriage.
There are reports that the Duchess is now reconciled with her father and his wife, Hermine.
Duke of Aosta may visit the USA
August 13. 1919
The Duke of Aosta, a cousin of King Vittorio Emanuele, is planning a visit to the United States, the New York Times is reporting.
The Duke served as commander of the Italian Third Army during the war.
He will also travel to China and Japan.
The 50-year-old Duke is the eldest brother of the Duke of the Abruzzi who is "well known in the United States.
The Duke of Aosta, a cousin of King Vittorio Emanuele, is planning a visit to the United States, the New York Times is reporting.
The Duke served as commander of the Italian Third Army during the war.
He will also travel to China and Japan.
The 50-year-old Duke is the eldest brother of the Duke of the Abruzzi who is "well known in the United States.
Monday, August 12, 2013
Royal wedding: Bourbon-Parma-Cservenyak
Prince Jaime of Bourbon-Parma, second son of the late Prince Carlos Hugo, Duke of Parma, and Princess Irene of the Netherlands, announced his engagement earlier today ... before the announcement of the death of his first cousin, Prince Friso of Orange-Nassau.
Prince Jaime will marry Budapest-born Viktoria Cservenyak on October 5 at the van Onze Lieve Vrouwe ten Hemelopneming in Apeldoorn. The reception will be held at the Het Loo Palace. They have been a couple for about a year,
According to the information released by the couple, Viktoria was born at Budapest on May 25, 1982. She spent her early years in Hungary and in Switzerland. At the age of eight, Viktoria and her parents moved to Apeldorn in the Netherlands.
She studied at the University of Amsterdam, and has a MBA from Nyenrode University, and she studied law at Utrecht.
Miss Cservenyak practiced law as a member of Allen & Overy, an international law firm, and is now a corporate lawyer with the Rabobank Group.
She has been created Countess Montizon.
http://pordoncarlos.blogspot.com.es/2013/08/comunicado-de-la-secretaria-de-don.html
Prince Jaime will marry Budapest-born Viktoria Cservenyak on October 5 at the van Onze Lieve Vrouwe ten Hemelopneming in Apeldoorn. The reception will be held at the Het Loo Palace. They have been a couple for about a year,
According to the information released by the couple, Viktoria was born at Budapest on May 25, 1982. She spent her early years in Hungary and in Switzerland. At the age of eight, Viktoria and her parents moved to Apeldorn in the Netherlands.
She studied at the University of Amsterdam, and has a MBA from Nyenrode University, and she studied law at Utrecht.
Miss Cservenyak practiced law as a member of Allen & Overy, an international law firm, and is now a corporate lawyer with the Rabobank Group.
She has been created Countess Montizon.
http://pordoncarlos.blogspot.com.es/2013/08/comunicado-de-la-secretaria-de-don.html
Prince Friso of Orange-Nassau: 1968-2013
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| Prince Friso & Princess Mabel @RVD |
"His Majesty the King announces with deep regret that His Royal Highness Prince Johan Friso Bernhard Christiaan David, Prins van Oranje-Nassau, Jonkheer van Amsberg passed away this morning at Palace Huis ten Bosch in the Hague at age 44.
Prince Friso has died of complications related to the hypoxic brain injury, which he suffered as the result of his skiing accident in Lech, Austria on 17 February 2012.
Following initial treatment at the Intensive Care Unit of the Innsbruck University Hospital, Prince Friso was transferred in early March 2012 to the Wellington hospital in London, his place of residence. In November 2012, Prince Friso begun showing signs of limited awareness ('minimal consciousness') and remained in that state since then. In early July 2013, he was transferred to Palace Huis ten Bosch in The Hague, the Netherlands.
The Royal family wholeheartedly thanks all persons who have looked after Prince Friso for their excellent and devoted care."
Prince Friso is survived by his wife, Princess Mabel, and their two daughters, Countess Luana, 8, and Countess Zaria, 7, as well as his mother, Princess Beatrix, and his two brothers, King Willem-Alexander and Prince Constantijn of the Netherlands.
Saturday, August 10, 2013
Is Dave Clark Jewish?
Princess Beatrice of York and Dave Clark have been dating for about six years. According to several reports, they were introduced by Beatrice's first cousin, Prince William. Clark's parents moved to London when he was five years old. He attended the American School in London. He spent a year abroad at Edinburgh University.
David Arnold Campbell Clark, who works in Astronaut Relations for Virgin Galactic, is a dual citizen of the United States and United Kingdom. He was born in the United States in 1982, the son of Michael Archibald Campbell Clark and Carol Mary Bernstein. In 2004, he received a BA in Psychology from Bowdoin College, a private liberal arts school founded in 1794 in Brunswick, Maine.
This is a very cursory shake of Dave's family tree. I don't have access to Ancestry.com or other online genealogical databases. The New York Times provided details for weddings and deaths with obituaries and paid death notices. There are also family history sites that offered historical and biographical details about the Wynkoop Kiersted line.
David Arnold Campbell Clark's ancestry is very similar to millions of other Americans. He has British (English and Scottish) ancestry. His paternal grandfather, Donald, came to the United States as a young child. The ancestry lines on Dave's mother's side will lead more likely to Germany and Central Europe, perhaps even Russia, due to the Jewish heritage. Both parents have ties to Scarsdale, New York.
Michael was born on August 15, 1947 at Scarsdale, New York. He is the son of the late Donald Graham Clark, a "long-time attending surgeon at Sloan-Kettering Hospital" in New York, and Ann Beveridge Kiersted.
The Clark-Kiersted wedding took place at the Greenville Community Church in Scarsdale, New York, where Ann and her family lived. Ann was the daughter of Wynkoop Kiersted and his wife, Janet Beveridge Cook.
Clark, a surgeon in the British Merchant Navy, was the son of Archibald Campbell Clark and his wife Alice Smillee, who were living in Glasgow, Scotland, at the time of Donald's marriage.
The couple were married on December 9, 1944. The bride graduated from Smith College earlier that year, and was a student at the Yale School of Nursing. Her husband attended Yale University, and, according to the New York Times article on their wedding, expected to "return to sea duty early in the New Year."
Michael was the second of four children. He has a sister, Alison and two brothers, Graham and Peter. He was a senior at Bowdoin College in Maine when his engagement to Carol Mary Bernstein was announced in January 1969.
Carol was the daughter of Arnold and Jeanne Bernstein (nee Postley) of Scarsdale, New York. The bride-to-be was a senior at Sarah Lawrence at the time of the engagement.
Ann Kiersted Clark is still alive and living in Saint Paul, Minnesota.
Arnold Bernstein (1910-2003) was a New York lawyer, the son of David Bernstein and Ruth Helborn. Jeanne Bernstein grew up in Scarsdale, the daughter of Gilbert John Postley (1890-1975) and his wife Bernice Stonehill (1895-1975).
Gilbert John Postley was born in Maryland, perhaps Baltimore. His family lived in Baltimore, according to the 1900 Federal Census. It is possible that he descended from the Postley family of Virginia. Members of this family served in the American Revolution and War of 1812. At least one Postley married into the Fairfax family. Fairfax County is named for Baron Fairfax of Cameron.
Bernice Stonehill, daughter of Moses Stonehill married Gilbert Postley on June 4, 1917 at the St. Regis Hotel in New York City. In 1932, Gilbert J. Postley donated $300 to the Federation for the Support of Jewish Philanthropic Societies. A year later, Postley was mentioned in a New York Times article regarding the start of raising funds for the 1933 campaign for the Federation of Jewish Philanthropic Societies. Several financial organizations were involved in the fundraising. Postley was the chair of a division of Unlisted Securities and Foreign Exchange of one firm that took part in the annual campaign. One list, published in the New York Times in 1934, included Postley's name as one of the leaders in business and finance to lead the 1934-1945 drive for the Federation of Jewish Philanthropic Societies.
In 1935, Postley was the head of Gilbert J. Postley & Co., 29 Broadway, in New York City. His firm had applied for registration with the Securities & Exchange Commission.
Gilbert John Postley was the younger son of John M. Postley and Jeanette Appel, who died in November 1929. He had a brother, Harold A. Postley.
Gilbert and Bernice's daughter, Jeanne Mary, married Arnold J. Bernstein on July 1, 1940 at the bride's home in Scarsdale. Jeanne's sister, Margaret Ann, was the bridesmaid, and Arnold's brother, Robert, served as the best man. Several years later, Margaret, known as Peggy, married Ira Mendell.
Jeanne attended Wellesley College. Her husband was a graduate of Harvard and the Columbia Law School. At the time of his marriage, Arnold was a practicing attorney in New York City.
Arnold's father, David, died at the age of 63 of a heart attack while in his sleep at his home, 730 Park Avenue, on November 10. Bernstein was born in Utica, New York, the son of Jacob Bernstein and Rebecca Lipstein.
He left school at age 13 to work work in a Utica dry goods store. In 1905, at the age of 23, he answered an advert for a job as bookkeeper with the Marcus Loews People's Vaudeville, Company. This position was the foot in the door where Bernstein rose to "one of the top posts in the motion picture industry," reported the New York Times.
It was his "sound conservative policies were largely responsible for the stability and growth of Loew's Inc." At the time of his death, Bernstein was director of 25 corporations, most of which were Loew's subsidiaries. He was also president of the Popsicle Corporation and the Leo Feist, Inc., music publishers. This was noted in an obituary published in the New York Times.
In 1943, David Bernstein was one of the highest paid executive in the US, earning $333,434.
He served for many years as a leader in the Federation of Jewish charities, as well as "many other humanitarian organizations." He was also a member of the Quaker Ridge Country Club, which was one of leading Jewish country clubs in the United States. Ruth died in 1963.
The marriage of Gilbert Postley and Bernice Mary Stonehill, the daughter of Moses and Rachel Stonehill, took place at the St. Regis Hotel in New York City. Only the "immediate family" were present at the wedding. The newly weds moved into an apartment at 302 Central Park West several weeks after their wedding.
The roots of Dave Clark's paternal great-grandfather, Wynkoop Kiersted, ran deep in Sullivan County, New York. His father, also named Wynkoop, studied at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. After graduation, he headed west helping to survey and develop waterworks systems in Missouri and Kansas City. The family lived in Liberty, Missouri, for many years.
Their son, Wynkoop, eventually settled in Scarsdale, with his wife, Janet Beveridge Cook, a native of Troy, New York, where he was an executive with Texaco. He died in 1988.
Dave's father, Michael, served as a corporate lawyer, most notably with Cadbury-Schweppes. He received his law degree from Columbia University and was admitted to the New York bar in 1973. Although he and his family moved to London in late 1980s for his career, Clark remains a member of the New York Bar, and is licensed to practice in New York State.
http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/private/person.asp?personId=601012&privcapId=13426824&previousCapId=13426824&previousTitle=Camelot%20Group%20plc
Michael's parents were Protestants, and their families had ties to England and Scotland, as well as the Netherlands. His wife, Carol, is also a native of New York, but her heritage has strong Jewish ties on both sides of her family. Judaism is passed through the mother. The Stonehills and the Bernsteins were certainly Jewish with German and Central European ancestry. David Bernstein's son-in-law Gilbert Postley was also a member of the Quaker Ridge Country Club, according to the death notice published in the New York Times.
David's parents and grandparents were educated privately, attending Ivy League universities. Most likely, David was named for his maternal great-grandfather, David Bernstein, a self-made millionaire.
One can assume that experienced genealogists will delve further into Dave Clark's family tree, and find connections to colonial roots and, perhaps, even a descent from Edward III.
Wednesday, August 7, 2013
British titles, etc: the rules ARE Hard and Fast
I remain amazed by the kerfuffle over the question of whether the Duchess of Cambridge is a princess or not. This question not only flummoxed several British journalists but also a few people who work for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. One staffer said there were no "hard and fast rules" for titles.
I think those who work at Clarence House and Kensington Palace need to invest in a few good reference books, including Debrett's Peerage and Baronetage and Burke's Peerage and Baronetage. Some jobs require college degrees. Other jobs require examinations or writing tests. Applicants who want to work as a press officer in the offices at Buckingham Palace, Clarence House, and Kensington Palace, should be required to take a test in British history, peerages, titles, and precedence, as well as have good writing and communication skills.
Yes, the rules are "hard and fast." The rules are simple, although many may see them as complicated.
In the United Kingdom, a wife takes her husband's rank, unless her own rank is higher. As with I comes before E except after C, there are a few exceptions. Daughters of higher-ranked peers move down if they marry a peer of a lower rank. The daughter of a duke marries an earl: she takes his rank and precedence, but if she marries a commoner, she keeps her rank and precedence. Women cannot pass their ranks and titles to their children unless they are peeresses in their own right .. or have succeeded to the throne as Queen.
Princess Elizabeth could not pass her rank and title to her children when she married the Duke of Edinburgh. Shortly before the birth of Prince Charles, George VI issued a Letters Patent that gave the HRH and the title of Prince or Princess to Elizabeth's children. Thus, Charles and Anne were styled as HRH Prince Charles and HRH Princess Anne of Edinburgh until Mummy became Queen when their titles changed due to her ascension to the throne.
If this Letters Patent had not been issued, Charles would have been styled as The Earl of Merioneth and Anne as the Lady Anne Mountbatten until their mother became Queen.
When a British prince marries, his wife becomes a princess, even if he has been given a dukedom. The ducal title does not change the prince's rank as Prince of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Thus, the wife of a prince is a princess. The status of a Princess and royal highness is based on marriage, not birth to a spouse. This is why Catherine is not Princess Catherine. She is not a British princess in her own right. She is a princess by marriage.
Only two marriages made by British princes were in contravention of the Royal Marriages Act. Neither prince sought or received permission to marry, and their wives and issue were not entitled to their rank and titles. The marriages were also considered invalid in the United Kingdom.
Prince Augustus, Duke of Sussex (1773-1843), sixth son of George III, was in Italy when he met Lady Augusta Murray, daughter of the 4th Earl of Dunmore. They fell in love and were married in secret in Rome on April 4, 1793. After returning to London, the couple went through a second marriage at St. George's Church, Hanover, Square on December 5, 1793. This marriage was also conducted in secret.
Prince Augustus's marriage was annulled by the Prerogative Court in August of 1794. He and Lady Amelia remained together until 1801. He left her after Parliament granted him an allowance of £12,000 a year.
Lady Augusta was given custody of their two young children, Augustus Frederick, and Ellen Augusta Emma, who was given the surname D'Este Five years later, by Royal License, Lady Augusta was able to change her surname from D'Ameland to Murray and was known as Lady Augusta Murray.
Their two children were considered illegitimate. Augustus (1794-1848) was originally registered with the surname Hanover. As a side note, Augustus d'Este was the first documented case of Multiple Sclerosis, based on the entries in his personal diary. He did not marry.
Augusta D'Este was the second wife of the 1st Baron Truro. They were married in 1840 after the death of his first wife. Neither of Prince Augustus' children had descendants.
It was only after his marriage was annulled that Augustus was created Duke of Sussex, Earl of Inverness, and Baron Arklow. He married for a second time in 1831, again in contravention of the Royal Marriages Act, to Lady Cecilia Buggin, daughter of the 2nd Earl of Arran, and the widow of Sir George Buggin.
This marriage, too, was invalid in the United Kingdom. By Royal License, Cecilia was allowed to use the surname Underwood, which was her mother's maiden name. Queen Victoria had a soft spot for Lady Cecilia, and, in 1840, she created Cecilia as Duchess of Inverness in her own right.
The only other member of the Royal Family to marry without permission was Prince George, 2nd Duke of Cambridge (1819-1904), whose youngest sister, Princess Mary Adelaide, was the mother of Queen Mary, consort of George V.
The Duke of Cambridge held the view that "arranged marriages were doomed to failure" so he purposely avoided his parents' choices for a bride. He was one of the early front runners for marriage with his first cousin, Queen Victoria, but she preferred another first cousin, Prince Albert.
Although his relationship with Sarah Fairbrother was considered rocky, they were married at St. John's Church in Clerkenwell, London on January 8, 1847.
This marriage was also in contravention of the Royal Marriages Act, as George did not ask for permission to marry. Sarah eventually adopted the surname FitzGeorge. At the time of the marriage, Sarah was pregnant with Prince George's third child. Their first two sons, George and Adolphus, were born in 1843 and 1846, respectively. The third son, Augustus, was born six months after the wedding. Prince George's sons were surnamed FitzGeorge.
Sarah died in 1890. The Duke of Cambridge had numerous liaisons, most notably with Louisa Beauclerk, who was considered his great love. He and Sarah were buried near Louisa's grave at the Kensal Green Cemetery.
The British monarchy is not the first to use the male name as a part of the title. This was most noticeable in German royal, princely, and ducal families. When Princess Alexandra of Schleswig-Holstein married Prince August Wilhelm of Prussia, she became Princess August Wilhelm of Prussia. She did not lose her maiden title, but as a member of the Prussian royal family, she was styled by her husband's name. This was the pattern for styling wives of German royals, and the style remains the norm in the United Kingdom.
The future George VI became the first male member of the British royal family to marry a British girl since 1771, when Prince Henry, Duke of Cumberland and Strathearn, a younger brother of George III, married Anne Luttrell, daughter of Simon Luttrell, created Earl of Carhampton, some years after his daughter's marriage. By the time her father, who served many years in the House of Commons, was elevated to the earldom, Anne was a royal highness. She was also Lady Anne Luttrell, due to her father's peerage.
It was this marriage that led to the creation of the Royal Marriages Act. The marriage was legal because it took place before the promulgation of the Royal Marriages Act. Thus, Anne became HRH the Duchess of Cumberland and Strathearn.
[After the passage of the Royal Marriage Act, Henry's older brother, Prince William, Duke of Gloucester and Edinburgh, announced that he had married Maria Walpole, widow of the Earl of Waldegrave, in 1766. This marriage, too, was legal because it took place before the Royal Marriages Act. Maria was officially styled as HRH The Duchess of Gloucester and Edinburgh. They had three children: Sophia, Caroline, and William. They were Princesses and Prince of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland but styled as "of Gloucester".
At that time, the HRH was not extended to the collateral branches, the three children were born with the HH. It was not until 1816 when Prince William, by then the Duke of Gloucester, was given the HRH on his wedding day. He married his first cousin, Princess Mary, daughter of George III. The Prince Regent bestowed the HRH on his first cousin and brother-in-law. The following day, the Prince Regent gave the HRH to William's sister, Princess Sophia. Caroline died in infancy.)
Queen Victoria extended the HRH to the grandchildren in the male line of the sovereign in 1864 after the marriage of her eldest son, the Prince of Wales. This change allowed for the children of her sons to be HRH Prince or Princess. In 1898, the HRH was extended to the children of the Duke and Duchess of York (George VI). The future Edward VIII and two of his siblings were born with the rank and style of HH Prince or Princess.
In 1905, King Edward VII bestowed the title Princess Royal on his eldest daughter, Princess Louise, Duchess of Fife. He also issued a Letters Patent extending the HH to her two daughters, Lady Alexandra, and Lady Maud Duff. In 1912, HH Princess Alexandra succeeded her father as Duchess of Fife and was styled as HH The Duchess of Fife. A year later, she married her mother's first cousin, HRH Prince Arthur of Connaught. Although Alexandra was a peeress in her own right, after her marriage, she became HRH Princess Arthur of Connaught.
Prince and Princess Arthur had one son, Alastair Arthur, who was styled as HH Prince Alastair of Connaught from his birth until 1917 when George V issued the new Letters Patent. This Letters Patent defined and limited the use of the HRH and the title Prince or Princess to the children of the sovereign, the grandchildren of the sovereign in the male line, and the eldest son of the eldest son of the Heir apparent. Prince Alistair lost his royal titles and became known as the Earl of Macduff, the secondary title for the Fife peerage, as he was heir apparent to his mother's dukedom.
(Alistair, who had many learning disabilities, among other issues, died in 1943, in Ottawa. The new heir to the Fife dukedom was Princess Arthur's sister, Princess Maud, who married in 1923 to Lord Carnegie, heir apparent to the Earl of Southesk. He succeeded to the earldom in 1941.)
Maud never officially renounced her titles, although she preferred to be styled, first as Lady Carnegie, and the Countess of Southesk. At times, she was styled as Princess Maud, Countess of Southesk. She also served as a Counselor of State several times before her death in 1945. It was her son, James, Lord Carnegie, who succeeded Princess Arthur as 3rd Duke of Fife, in 1959. His son, Charles was styled as Earl of Macduff, until 1992, when his grandfather, the Earl of Southesk, died. The Duke of Fife, who was born in 1929, succeeded to his father's earldom, but as he was already a duke in his own right, a higher grade in the peerage, it was announced that his son would bear the title Earl of Southesk (but not as a peer of the realm), and his eldest son is now styled as Lord Carnegie. Lord Southesk is also the Earl of Macduff but is no longer styled by this title.
[I expect a similar thing will happen with the Mountbatten and Brabourne titles. Lord Brabourne is also heir to the Mountbatten earldom. Following the precedence of Fife and Southesk titles, the Brabourne title will be used by the heir apparent, rather than Lord Romsey, which is the secondary title for the Mountbatten earldom.)
If the Fife heirs die out, although Lord Southesk has three sons, the dukedom will become extinct, although there are plenty of heirs to the Southesk earldom. The same can be said for the Mountbatten earldom, which is limited to the male line descendants of Lord Mountbatten's two daughters. There are other heirs to the Brabourne barony, which come after the sons and grandsons of the present Countess Mountbatten of Burma and Lady Pamela Hicks.
It was during the First World War, that King George V and Queen Mary decided that it would be acceptable for their children to marry members of British noble families.
On July 17, 1917, the king wrote in his diary: "I've also informed the [Privy] Council that May and I decided some time ago that our children would be allowed to marry into British families. It was quite a historic occasion."
The King's aunt, Princess Louise, married the Duke of Argyll, and his sister, Princess Louise, was the wife of the Duke of Fife. His first cousin, Princess Patricia of Connaught, a very shy and retiring woman, married the Hon. Alexander Ramsay of Mar. She chose to relinquish her royal titles and style of HRH and was styled as The Lady Patricia Ramsay after her marriage. She did not cease to be a Princess of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. She chose, with the King's permission, to be styled as Lady Patricia with the precedence before the Marchionesses of England. She did not carry out official engagements nor was she included in the Civil List.
After the wedding of the Duke of York to Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon in April 1923, Buckingham Palace released this statement:
"In accordance with the settled general rule that a wife takes the status of her husband Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon on her marriage has become Her Royal Highness the Duchess of York with the status of a Princess."
This meant that the three sisters-in-law, the Duchess of York, the Duchess of Gloucester, and the Duchess of Kent, were of equal rank, as British princesses by marriage.
The Duchess of Kent was a Greek and Danish princess by birth, but the foreign title gave her no special privileges as a member of the British royal family. If Prince George had not been given his ducal title before the wedding, Marina's British title would have been HRH The Princess George. NOT HRH The Princess Marina. Why? Princess Marina was a Greek title, not a British title. She had a Greek HRH, but in Britain, she was also HRH, derived from her husband's position.
Marina did look down on her two sisters-in-law, alleging referring to them as "those Scottish girls," Lady Elizabeth and Lady Alice came from noble families far older than Greece's monarchy.
In 1961, following the marriage of her elder son, the Duke of Kent, the Dowager Duchess of Kent announced in the Court Circular that she would be styled as HRH Princess Marina, Duchess of Kent. She didn't want to be called Dowager (who would), but she could not use Princess Marina without the permission of the sovereign.
Queen Elizabeth II did not create her aunt as a British princess in her own right. She allowed Marina to be STYLED as HRH Princess Marina, Duchess of Kent, rather than HRH The Dowager Duchess of Kent or HRH The Princess George, Duchess of Kent. This same courtesy was extended to the Duchess of Gloucester in 1974, following the death of her husband, Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester. Alice was briefly styled as the Dowager Duchess of Gloucester in the Court Circular, but this changed after the Queen granted her request to be styled as HRH Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester. She had not been created a Princess in her own right. All of this was confirmed in several letters to me from the Queen's private secretary in the mid-1990s.
Yes, the rules are stringent as Alexander II of Russia learned when he butted heads with Queen Victoria concerning the titles of his daughter, Grand Duchess Marie Alexandrovna. The battles began even before the wedding took place.
Queen Victoria wanted Grand Duchess Marie to come to England to meet her before the wedding. The emperor refused her request, and Victoria, equally obstinate, would not travel to the Continent for a meeting.
Victoria wrote to Lord Granville: "The Russian Court & family are known to disregard the feelings of everyone but their own. They always are accustomed to having everything their own way." In another letter, as tensions increased between the two families, Victoria dismissed the request to meet Marie at Cologne as "simply impertinent but it is just what is to be expected from people who have Asiatic ideas of their Rank."
The marriage finally took place on January 23, 1874. Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh, was the only of Victoria's nine children to marry outside of his country. The marriage to the Tsar's daughter took place in St. Petersburg, in two ceremonies, according to the rites of the Russian Orthodox and Anglican churches.
It was not long after the wedding that a question about Marie's precedence and title in the United Kingdom. As the daughter of the Emperor of all the Russias, Marie wanted precedence over the Princess of Wales, a mere Princess of Denmark by birth. Alexander II paid a state visit to Britain in May 1874, and he agreed with Victoria on this issue. Alexandra was the wife of the heir to the throne. Marie was not entitled to precedence over the Princess of Wales. This battle lost, Marie then demanded precedence over her sisters-in-law, the daughters of Victoria. This battle was also lost, as was the battle on how Marie wished to be styled in the United Kingdom.
Although she was an Imperial Highness and her husband a royal highness, Marie (and her father) demanded that she be styled in Britain as Her Imperial Highness and Royal Highness the Duchess of Edinburgh.
Queen Victoria put her foot down and said no. In Britain, royal highness would come first. Marie's style was Her Royal and Imperial Highness the Duchess of Edinburgh. This was how she was styled officially, including in the Court Circular. Although Alfred succeeded his paternal uncle, Ernst II, as Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, he did not lose his British peerages. He and his family remained members of the British royal family.
His wife was styled in the United Kingdom as Duchess of Edinburgh until her death. She received an annual allowance from the Civil List after the death of her husband, due to her marriage treaty.
Unlike the Dowager Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg-Strelitz -- Princess Augusta of Cambridge -- the Duchess of Edinburgh did not lose her appanage after the start of the first world war, even though she had not lived in England since the early 1890s. For many years, Grand Duchess Augusta, who preferred London to Strelitz, maintained a residence, Mecklenburg House, in London. Unlike Grand Duchess Marie, who loathed England and the English, Augusta, whose niece was Queen Mary, never forgot she was a British princess by birth.
In 1932, King George V "took the view" that the use of "foreign titles of nobility" by citizens should be discontinued. On April 27, 1932, the king "revoked the Royal Warrants" that had allowed "the use of foreign dignitaries and titles" held by British citizens. Several exceptions were allowed for living persons and their heirs, such as the Duke of Wellington's Conde di Vimiera, a Portuguese title. The 6th Duke of Wellington, who died in 1943, was the last member of the family entitled to be recognized in the United Kingdom with a Portuguese countly title.
Thus, a person with a foreign title who seeks and receives British nationality can no longer have their foreign titles acknowledged. According to the Home Office, "the Secretary of State thinks it is right to point out that if you become a British citizen, your foreign title will not receive official recognition in this country and that in accordance with the established practice, it will be omitted from the certificate. I am to request that you specifically acknowledge your acceptance of this position."
http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitecontent/documents/policyandlaw/nationalityinstructions/nisec1prosec/titles(foreign)?view=Binary
Princess Marina received a British passport after her marriage to the Duke of Kent. Her passport reflected her British status. In 1947, Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark went through the naturalization process before his marriage to Princess Elizabeth. He renounced his Greek and Danish titles, and his place in the Greek succession, and adopted the surname Mountbatten. This naturalization was not necessary because Philip was born with British nationality as a descendant of the Electress Sophia of Hanover. This was due to the Sophia Naturalization Act (1705), which gave British nationality in perpetuity to Sophia's descendants. The act was superseded in 1949 by the passage of the British Nationality Act, but there are descendants of Sophia who are eligible for nationality under the SNA.
Prince Philip began the process of renouncing his Greek and Danish titles in 1941, three years after joining the Royal Navy. This was done in a private letter to King George II, then in exile, in December 1941. The king accepted the renouncement "reluctantly," due to Philip's desire to serve in the Royal Navy. There was never any action taken by the Greek government after George II returned, but the decision was accepted by the Greek king. It became moot by 1947, due to the Nationalization process when Philip was required to renounce his foreign titles. George VI created Philip as HRH Duke of Edinburgh, Earl of Merioneth, & Baron Greenwich on the day of his marriage to Princess Elizabeth. Although the media and others continued to refer to Philip as Prince Philip, he had lost his princely title at the time of his naturalization (or in 1941, when he wrote to King George II.) He became a Prince of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in 1957.
The information about the action in 1941 was confirmed to me by the Duke of Edinburgh's office, again, in the mid-1990s.
Philip's cousin, Princess Katherine of Greece and Denmark, married a Briton, Richard Brandram, in 1947, as well. When she came to live in the United Kingdom, she was styled as The Lady Katherine Brandram, with the status of a duke's daughter. She acquired British nationality, and, was required to renounce her Greek and Danish titles.
There is an exception to this: in 1964, King Gustav VI asked the British Foreign Office to allow his granddaughter, Princess Margaretha, who recently married a Briton, John Ambler, to be allowed to use her title in the United Kingdom. Permission was granted, and the Princess was listed in the Court Circular as Princess Margaretha, Mrs. Ambler.
http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitecontent/documents/policyandlaw/nationalityinstructions/nisec2gensec/hanover(electresssophiaof)?view=Binary
(This article states that the Prince of Hanover was the first to use the law to prove he was a British national. This is incorrect as the first prince to use the law was Prince Friedrich Georg, a son of Crown Prince Wilhelm, who was acknowledged as a British national in the late 1940s. His daughter, Antonia, is married to the Marquess of Douro, heir apparent to the Duke of Wellington.)
In Britain today, the Princesses of the Blood Royal are Anne (styled as HRH The Princess Royal), HRH Princess Beatrice of York, HRH Princess Eugenie of York, Princess Alexandra, the Hon Lady Ogilvy, and HRH Princess Louise of Wessex, who is STYLED as the Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor and has the status of the daughter of an earl.
Princesses by marriage:
* Camilla: the wife of the heir apparent, Prince Charles, whose primary title is the Prince of Wales. He is also the Duke of Cornwall, Earl of Chester, Duke of Rothesay (in Scotland), and a few other titles. Camilla is STYLED as HRH The Duchess of Cornwall. She is also the Princess of Wales, the Duchess of Rothesay (in Scotland), and a few other titles, too, as well as Princess Charles.
* Catherine: The wife of the Duke of Cambridge achieved the rank of Princess when she married Prince William, the second in line to the throne. William was created Duke of Cambridge on his wedding day, which means he is OFFICIALLY STYLED as HRH The Duke of Cambridge. His wife is OFFICIALLY STYLED as HRH The Duchess of Cambridge.
* Sophie: the wife of Prince Edward, the Queen's youngest son. On his wedding day, he was created Earl of Wessex, but he didn't stop being a prince. Sophie is styled HRH The Countess of Wessex
* Brigitte: The Danish-born Brigitte van Deurs is the wife of Prince Richard, who is styled HRH The Duke of Gloucester. Until the death of the late Duke of Gloucester, Brigitte was styled as HRH Princess Richard of Gloucester and had expected to remain Princess Richard as her husband was the younger son. Prince Richard became the heir apparent after his older brother, Prince William was killed in a plane crash in August 1972.
* Katharine: The daughter of a Yorkshire baronet, Katharine Worsley became a British princess in 1961, when she married Prince Edward, styled as HRH The Duke of Kent. She is now HRH The Duchess of Kent, although she eschews the use of the title for non-royal events, such as when she taught music to underprivileged children.
* Marie Christine. The Czech-born Baroness von Reinbitz (although Karlovy Vary was known as Carlsbad, Germany at the time of her birth) is married to HRH Prince Michael of Kent. Although he is in remainder to the Dukedom of Kent, Michael has no other title, which means that his wife is styled as HRH Princess Michael of Kent.
In closing: in Britain, if you are married to a prince, you are a princess, even if your Prince Charming has another title, such as a duke or earl. This has been clarified by different Letters Patent, common law, and that statement from Buckingham Palace in 1923.
The late Diana, Princess of Wales, and Sarah, Duchess of York, were also princesses of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland by marriage before their divorces.
OMG! This post has been linked to New York Magazine's website.
http://nymag.com/thecut/2013/08/kate-middleton-is-both-princess-duchess.html
I think those who work at Clarence House and Kensington Palace need to invest in a few good reference books, including Debrett's Peerage and Baronetage and Burke's Peerage and Baronetage. Some jobs require college degrees. Other jobs require examinations or writing tests. Applicants who want to work as a press officer in the offices at Buckingham Palace, Clarence House, and Kensington Palace, should be required to take a test in British history, peerages, titles, and precedence, as well as have good writing and communication skills.
Yes, the rules are "hard and fast." The rules are simple, although many may see them as complicated.
In the United Kingdom, a wife takes her husband's rank, unless her own rank is higher. As with I comes before E except after C, there are a few exceptions. Daughters of higher-ranked peers move down if they marry a peer of a lower rank. The daughter of a duke marries an earl: she takes his rank and precedence, but if she marries a commoner, she keeps her rank and precedence. Women cannot pass their ranks and titles to their children unless they are peeresses in their own right .. or have succeeded to the throne as Queen.
Princess Elizabeth could not pass her rank and title to her children when she married the Duke of Edinburgh. Shortly before the birth of Prince Charles, George VI issued a Letters Patent that gave the HRH and the title of Prince or Princess to Elizabeth's children. Thus, Charles and Anne were styled as HRH Prince Charles and HRH Princess Anne of Edinburgh until Mummy became Queen when their titles changed due to her ascension to the throne.
If this Letters Patent had not been issued, Charles would have been styled as The Earl of Merioneth and Anne as the Lady Anne Mountbatten until their mother became Queen.
When a British prince marries, his wife becomes a princess, even if he has been given a dukedom. The ducal title does not change the prince's rank as Prince of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Thus, the wife of a prince is a princess. The status of a Princess and royal highness is based on marriage, not birth to a spouse. This is why Catherine is not Princess Catherine. She is not a British princess in her own right. She is a princess by marriage.
Only two marriages made by British princes were in contravention of the Royal Marriages Act. Neither prince sought or received permission to marry, and their wives and issue were not entitled to their rank and titles. The marriages were also considered invalid in the United Kingdom.
Prince Augustus, Duke of Sussex (1773-1843), sixth son of George III, was in Italy when he met Lady Augusta Murray, daughter of the 4th Earl of Dunmore. They fell in love and were married in secret in Rome on April 4, 1793. After returning to London, the couple went through a second marriage at St. George's Church, Hanover, Square on December 5, 1793. This marriage was also conducted in secret.
Prince Augustus's marriage was annulled by the Prerogative Court in August of 1794. He and Lady Amelia remained together until 1801. He left her after Parliament granted him an allowance of £12,000 a year.
Lady Augusta was given custody of their two young children, Augustus Frederick, and Ellen Augusta Emma, who was given the surname D'Este Five years later, by Royal License, Lady Augusta was able to change her surname from D'Ameland to Murray and was known as Lady Augusta Murray.
Their two children were considered illegitimate. Augustus (1794-1848) was originally registered with the surname Hanover. As a side note, Augustus d'Este was the first documented case of Multiple Sclerosis, based on the entries in his personal diary. He did not marry.
Augusta D'Este was the second wife of the 1st Baron Truro. They were married in 1840 after the death of his first wife. Neither of Prince Augustus' children had descendants.
It was only after his marriage was annulled that Augustus was created Duke of Sussex, Earl of Inverness, and Baron Arklow. He married for a second time in 1831, again in contravention of the Royal Marriages Act, to Lady Cecilia Buggin, daughter of the 2nd Earl of Arran, and the widow of Sir George Buggin.
This marriage, too, was invalid in the United Kingdom. By Royal License, Cecilia was allowed to use the surname Underwood, which was her mother's maiden name. Queen Victoria had a soft spot for Lady Cecilia, and, in 1840, she created Cecilia as Duchess of Inverness in her own right.
The only other member of the Royal Family to marry without permission was Prince George, 2nd Duke of Cambridge (1819-1904), whose youngest sister, Princess Mary Adelaide, was the mother of Queen Mary, consort of George V.
The Duke of Cambridge held the view that "arranged marriages were doomed to failure" so he purposely avoided his parents' choices for a bride. He was one of the early front runners for marriage with his first cousin, Queen Victoria, but she preferred another first cousin, Prince Albert.
Although his relationship with Sarah Fairbrother was considered rocky, they were married at St. John's Church in Clerkenwell, London on January 8, 1847.
This marriage was also in contravention of the Royal Marriages Act, as George did not ask for permission to marry. Sarah eventually adopted the surname FitzGeorge. At the time of the marriage, Sarah was pregnant with Prince George's third child. Their first two sons, George and Adolphus, were born in 1843 and 1846, respectively. The third son, Augustus, was born six months after the wedding. Prince George's sons were surnamed FitzGeorge.
Sarah died in 1890. The Duke of Cambridge had numerous liaisons, most notably with Louisa Beauclerk, who was considered his great love. He and Sarah were buried near Louisa's grave at the Kensal Green Cemetery.
The British monarchy is not the first to use the male name as a part of the title. This was most noticeable in German royal, princely, and ducal families. When Princess Alexandra of Schleswig-Holstein married Prince August Wilhelm of Prussia, she became Princess August Wilhelm of Prussia. She did not lose her maiden title, but as a member of the Prussian royal family, she was styled by her husband's name. This was the pattern for styling wives of German royals, and the style remains the norm in the United Kingdom.
The future George VI became the first male member of the British royal family to marry a British girl since 1771, when Prince Henry, Duke of Cumberland and Strathearn, a younger brother of George III, married Anne Luttrell, daughter of Simon Luttrell, created Earl of Carhampton, some years after his daughter's marriage. By the time her father, who served many years in the House of Commons, was elevated to the earldom, Anne was a royal highness. She was also Lady Anne Luttrell, due to her father's peerage.
It was this marriage that led to the creation of the Royal Marriages Act. The marriage was legal because it took place before the promulgation of the Royal Marriages Act. Thus, Anne became HRH the Duchess of Cumberland and Strathearn.
[After the passage of the Royal Marriage Act, Henry's older brother, Prince William, Duke of Gloucester and Edinburgh, announced that he had married Maria Walpole, widow of the Earl of Waldegrave, in 1766. This marriage, too, was legal because it took place before the Royal Marriages Act. Maria was officially styled as HRH The Duchess of Gloucester and Edinburgh. They had three children: Sophia, Caroline, and William. They were Princesses and Prince of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland but styled as "of Gloucester".
At that time, the HRH was not extended to the collateral branches, the three children were born with the HH. It was not until 1816 when Prince William, by then the Duke of Gloucester, was given the HRH on his wedding day. He married his first cousin, Princess Mary, daughter of George III. The Prince Regent bestowed the HRH on his first cousin and brother-in-law. The following day, the Prince Regent gave the HRH to William's sister, Princess Sophia. Caroline died in infancy.)
Queen Victoria extended the HRH to the grandchildren in the male line of the sovereign in 1864 after the marriage of her eldest son, the Prince of Wales. This change allowed for the children of her sons to be HRH Prince or Princess. In 1898, the HRH was extended to the children of the Duke and Duchess of York (George VI). The future Edward VIII and two of his siblings were born with the rank and style of HH Prince or Princess.
In 1905, King Edward VII bestowed the title Princess Royal on his eldest daughter, Princess Louise, Duchess of Fife. He also issued a Letters Patent extending the HH to her two daughters, Lady Alexandra, and Lady Maud Duff. In 1912, HH Princess Alexandra succeeded her father as Duchess of Fife and was styled as HH The Duchess of Fife. A year later, she married her mother's first cousin, HRH Prince Arthur of Connaught. Although Alexandra was a peeress in her own right, after her marriage, she became HRH Princess Arthur of Connaught.
Prince and Princess Arthur had one son, Alastair Arthur, who was styled as HH Prince Alastair of Connaught from his birth until 1917 when George V issued the new Letters Patent. This Letters Patent defined and limited the use of the HRH and the title Prince or Princess to the children of the sovereign, the grandchildren of the sovereign in the male line, and the eldest son of the eldest son of the Heir apparent. Prince Alistair lost his royal titles and became known as the Earl of Macduff, the secondary title for the Fife peerage, as he was heir apparent to his mother's dukedom.
(Alistair, who had many learning disabilities, among other issues, died in 1943, in Ottawa. The new heir to the Fife dukedom was Princess Arthur's sister, Princess Maud, who married in 1923 to Lord Carnegie, heir apparent to the Earl of Southesk. He succeeded to the earldom in 1941.)
Maud never officially renounced her titles, although she preferred to be styled, first as Lady Carnegie, and the Countess of Southesk. At times, she was styled as Princess Maud, Countess of Southesk. She also served as a Counselor of State several times before her death in 1945. It was her son, James, Lord Carnegie, who succeeded Princess Arthur as 3rd Duke of Fife, in 1959. His son, Charles was styled as Earl of Macduff, until 1992, when his grandfather, the Earl of Southesk, died. The Duke of Fife, who was born in 1929, succeeded to his father's earldom, but as he was already a duke in his own right, a higher grade in the peerage, it was announced that his son would bear the title Earl of Southesk (but not as a peer of the realm), and his eldest son is now styled as Lord Carnegie. Lord Southesk is also the Earl of Macduff but is no longer styled by this title.
[I expect a similar thing will happen with the Mountbatten and Brabourne titles. Lord Brabourne is also heir to the Mountbatten earldom. Following the precedence of Fife and Southesk titles, the Brabourne title will be used by the heir apparent, rather than Lord Romsey, which is the secondary title for the Mountbatten earldom.)
If the Fife heirs die out, although Lord Southesk has three sons, the dukedom will become extinct, although there are plenty of heirs to the Southesk earldom. The same can be said for the Mountbatten earldom, which is limited to the male line descendants of Lord Mountbatten's two daughters. There are other heirs to the Brabourne barony, which come after the sons and grandsons of the present Countess Mountbatten of Burma and Lady Pamela Hicks.
It was during the First World War, that King George V and Queen Mary decided that it would be acceptable for their children to marry members of British noble families.
On July 17, 1917, the king wrote in his diary: "I've also informed the [Privy] Council that May and I decided some time ago that our children would be allowed to marry into British families. It was quite a historic occasion."
The King's aunt, Princess Louise, married the Duke of Argyll, and his sister, Princess Louise, was the wife of the Duke of Fife. His first cousin, Princess Patricia of Connaught, a very shy and retiring woman, married the Hon. Alexander Ramsay of Mar. She chose to relinquish her royal titles and style of HRH and was styled as The Lady Patricia Ramsay after her marriage. She did not cease to be a Princess of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. She chose, with the King's permission, to be styled as Lady Patricia with the precedence before the Marchionesses of England. She did not carry out official engagements nor was she included in the Civil List.
After the wedding of the Duke of York to Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon in April 1923, Buckingham Palace released this statement:
"In accordance with the settled general rule that a wife takes the status of her husband Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon on her marriage has become Her Royal Highness the Duchess of York with the status of a Princess."
This meant that the three sisters-in-law, the Duchess of York, the Duchess of Gloucester, and the Duchess of Kent, were of equal rank, as British princesses by marriage.
The Duchess of Kent was a Greek and Danish princess by birth, but the foreign title gave her no special privileges as a member of the British royal family. If Prince George had not been given his ducal title before the wedding, Marina's British title would have been HRH The Princess George. NOT HRH The Princess Marina. Why? Princess Marina was a Greek title, not a British title. She had a Greek HRH, but in Britain, she was also HRH, derived from her husband's position.
Marina did look down on her two sisters-in-law, alleging referring to them as "those Scottish girls," Lady Elizabeth and Lady Alice came from noble families far older than Greece's monarchy.
In 1961, following the marriage of her elder son, the Duke of Kent, the Dowager Duchess of Kent announced in the Court Circular that she would be styled as HRH Princess Marina, Duchess of Kent. She didn't want to be called Dowager (who would), but she could not use Princess Marina without the permission of the sovereign.
Queen Elizabeth II did not create her aunt as a British princess in her own right. She allowed Marina to be STYLED as HRH Princess Marina, Duchess of Kent, rather than HRH The Dowager Duchess of Kent or HRH The Princess George, Duchess of Kent. This same courtesy was extended to the Duchess of Gloucester in 1974, following the death of her husband, Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester. Alice was briefly styled as the Dowager Duchess of Gloucester in the Court Circular, but this changed after the Queen granted her request to be styled as HRH Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester. She had not been created a Princess in her own right. All of this was confirmed in several letters to me from the Queen's private secretary in the mid-1990s.
Yes, the rules are stringent as Alexander II of Russia learned when he butted heads with Queen Victoria concerning the titles of his daughter, Grand Duchess Marie Alexandrovna. The battles began even before the wedding took place.
Queen Victoria wanted Grand Duchess Marie to come to England to meet her before the wedding. The emperor refused her request, and Victoria, equally obstinate, would not travel to the Continent for a meeting.
Victoria wrote to Lord Granville: "The Russian Court & family are known to disregard the feelings of everyone but their own. They always are accustomed to having everything their own way." In another letter, as tensions increased between the two families, Victoria dismissed the request to meet Marie at Cologne as "simply impertinent but it is just what is to be expected from people who have Asiatic ideas of their Rank."
The marriage finally took place on January 23, 1874. Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh, was the only of Victoria's nine children to marry outside of his country. The marriage to the Tsar's daughter took place in St. Petersburg, in two ceremonies, according to the rites of the Russian Orthodox and Anglican churches.
It was not long after the wedding that a question about Marie's precedence and title in the United Kingdom. As the daughter of the Emperor of all the Russias, Marie wanted precedence over the Princess of Wales, a mere Princess of Denmark by birth. Alexander II paid a state visit to Britain in May 1874, and he agreed with Victoria on this issue. Alexandra was the wife of the heir to the throne. Marie was not entitled to precedence over the Princess of Wales. This battle lost, Marie then demanded precedence over her sisters-in-law, the daughters of Victoria. This battle was also lost, as was the battle on how Marie wished to be styled in the United Kingdom.
Although she was an Imperial Highness and her husband a royal highness, Marie (and her father) demanded that she be styled in Britain as Her Imperial Highness and Royal Highness the Duchess of Edinburgh.
Queen Victoria put her foot down and said no. In Britain, royal highness would come first. Marie's style was Her Royal and Imperial Highness the Duchess of Edinburgh. This was how she was styled officially, including in the Court Circular. Although Alfred succeeded his paternal uncle, Ernst II, as Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, he did not lose his British peerages. He and his family remained members of the British royal family.
His wife was styled in the United Kingdom as Duchess of Edinburgh until her death. She received an annual allowance from the Civil List after the death of her husband, due to her marriage treaty.
Unlike the Dowager Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg-Strelitz -- Princess Augusta of Cambridge -- the Duchess of Edinburgh did not lose her appanage after the start of the first world war, even though she had not lived in England since the early 1890s. For many years, Grand Duchess Augusta, who preferred London to Strelitz, maintained a residence, Mecklenburg House, in London. Unlike Grand Duchess Marie, who loathed England and the English, Augusta, whose niece was Queen Mary, never forgot she was a British princess by birth.
In 1932, King George V "took the view" that the use of "foreign titles of nobility" by citizens should be discontinued. On April 27, 1932, the king "revoked the Royal Warrants" that had allowed "the use of foreign dignitaries and titles" held by British citizens. Several exceptions were allowed for living persons and their heirs, such as the Duke of Wellington's Conde di Vimiera, a Portuguese title. The 6th Duke of Wellington, who died in 1943, was the last member of the family entitled to be recognized in the United Kingdom with a Portuguese countly title.
Thus, a person with a foreign title who seeks and receives British nationality can no longer have their foreign titles acknowledged. According to the Home Office, "the Secretary of State thinks it is right to point out that if you become a British citizen, your foreign title will not receive official recognition in this country and that in accordance with the established practice, it will be omitted from the certificate. I am to request that you specifically acknowledge your acceptance of this position."
http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitecontent/documents/policyandlaw/nationalityinstructions/nisec1prosec/titles(foreign)?view=Binary
Princess Marina received a British passport after her marriage to the Duke of Kent. Her passport reflected her British status. In 1947, Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark went through the naturalization process before his marriage to Princess Elizabeth. He renounced his Greek and Danish titles, and his place in the Greek succession, and adopted the surname Mountbatten. This naturalization was not necessary because Philip was born with British nationality as a descendant of the Electress Sophia of Hanover. This was due to the Sophia Naturalization Act (1705), which gave British nationality in perpetuity to Sophia's descendants. The act was superseded in 1949 by the passage of the British Nationality Act, but there are descendants of Sophia who are eligible for nationality under the SNA.
Prince Philip began the process of renouncing his Greek and Danish titles in 1941, three years after joining the Royal Navy. This was done in a private letter to King George II, then in exile, in December 1941. The king accepted the renouncement "reluctantly," due to Philip's desire to serve in the Royal Navy. There was never any action taken by the Greek government after George II returned, but the decision was accepted by the Greek king. It became moot by 1947, due to the Nationalization process when Philip was required to renounce his foreign titles. George VI created Philip as HRH Duke of Edinburgh, Earl of Merioneth, & Baron Greenwich on the day of his marriage to Princess Elizabeth. Although the media and others continued to refer to Philip as Prince Philip, he had lost his princely title at the time of his naturalization (or in 1941, when he wrote to King George II.) He became a Prince of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in 1957.
The information about the action in 1941 was confirmed to me by the Duke of Edinburgh's office, again, in the mid-1990s.
Philip's cousin, Princess Katherine of Greece and Denmark, married a Briton, Richard Brandram, in 1947, as well. When she came to live in the United Kingdom, she was styled as The Lady Katherine Brandram, with the status of a duke's daughter. She acquired British nationality, and, was required to renounce her Greek and Danish titles.
There is an exception to this: in 1964, King Gustav VI asked the British Foreign Office to allow his granddaughter, Princess Margaretha, who recently married a Briton, John Ambler, to be allowed to use her title in the United Kingdom. Permission was granted, and the Princess was listed in the Court Circular as Princess Margaretha, Mrs. Ambler.
http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitecontent/documents/policyandlaw/nationalityinstructions/nisec2gensec/hanover(electresssophiaof)?view=Binary
(This article states that the Prince of Hanover was the first to use the law to prove he was a British national. This is incorrect as the first prince to use the law was Prince Friedrich Georg, a son of Crown Prince Wilhelm, who was acknowledged as a British national in the late 1940s. His daughter, Antonia, is married to the Marquess of Douro, heir apparent to the Duke of Wellington.)
In Britain today, the Princesses of the Blood Royal are Anne (styled as HRH The Princess Royal), HRH Princess Beatrice of York, HRH Princess Eugenie of York, Princess Alexandra, the Hon Lady Ogilvy, and HRH Princess Louise of Wessex, who is STYLED as the Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor and has the status of the daughter of an earl.
Princesses by marriage:
* Camilla: the wife of the heir apparent, Prince Charles, whose primary title is the Prince of Wales. He is also the Duke of Cornwall, Earl of Chester, Duke of Rothesay (in Scotland), and a few other titles. Camilla is STYLED as HRH The Duchess of Cornwall. She is also the Princess of Wales, the Duchess of Rothesay (in Scotland), and a few other titles, too, as well as Princess Charles.
* Catherine: The wife of the Duke of Cambridge achieved the rank of Princess when she married Prince William, the second in line to the throne. William was created Duke of Cambridge on his wedding day, which means he is OFFICIALLY STYLED as HRH The Duke of Cambridge. His wife is OFFICIALLY STYLED as HRH The Duchess of Cambridge.
* Sophie: the wife of Prince Edward, the Queen's youngest son. On his wedding day, he was created Earl of Wessex, but he didn't stop being a prince. Sophie is styled HRH The Countess of Wessex
* Brigitte: The Danish-born Brigitte van Deurs is the wife of Prince Richard, who is styled HRH The Duke of Gloucester. Until the death of the late Duke of Gloucester, Brigitte was styled as HRH Princess Richard of Gloucester and had expected to remain Princess Richard as her husband was the younger son. Prince Richard became the heir apparent after his older brother, Prince William was killed in a plane crash in August 1972.
* Katharine: The daughter of a Yorkshire baronet, Katharine Worsley became a British princess in 1961, when she married Prince Edward, styled as HRH The Duke of Kent. She is now HRH The Duchess of Kent, although she eschews the use of the title for non-royal events, such as when she taught music to underprivileged children.
* Marie Christine. The Czech-born Baroness von Reinbitz (although Karlovy Vary was known as Carlsbad, Germany at the time of her birth) is married to HRH Prince Michael of Kent. Although he is in remainder to the Dukedom of Kent, Michael has no other title, which means that his wife is styled as HRH Princess Michael of Kent.
In closing: in Britain, if you are married to a prince, you are a princess, even if your Prince Charming has another title, such as a duke or earl. This has been clarified by different Letters Patent, common law, and that statement from Buckingham Palace in 1923.
The late Diana, Princess of Wales, and Sarah, Duchess of York, were also princesses of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland by marriage before their divorces.
If you liked this article, you could buy me a cup of coffee
OMG! This post has been linked to New York Magazine's website.
http://nymag.com/thecut/2013/08/kate-middleton-is-both-princess-duchess.html
Tuesday, August 6, 2013
The baptism of Grand Duchess Tatiana
A painting commemorating the baptism of Nicholas and Alexandra's second daughter, Grand Duchess Tatiana. A modern postcard. From my collection.
Monday, August 5, 2013
Ferdinand won't renounce his faith
August 5, 1895
The Duchess of Braganza, the grandmother of Princess Marie Louise of Bourbon Parma, wife of Prince Ferdinand of Bulgaria, has written a letter denying that the Prince nor his wife, "nor their son Boris will renounce the Catholic faith.
The letter was published in the Mayence Journal, according to the Berlin correspondent of the New York Times. The Journal also stated that the Prince "telegraphed a Hungarian official" at Budapest that he
will never abdicate."
The Duchess of Braganza, the grandmother of Princess Marie Louise of Bourbon Parma, wife of Prince Ferdinand of Bulgaria, has written a letter denying that the Prince nor his wife, "nor their son Boris will renounce the Catholic faith.
The letter was published in the Mayence Journal, according to the Berlin correspondent of the New York Times. The Journal also stated that the Prince "telegraphed a Hungarian official" at Budapest that he
will never abdicate."
Wilhelm in England
August 5, 1895
Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany arrived in Cowes this afternoon aboard the imperial yacht Hohenzollern, reports the Los Angeles Times.
After a salute by the "British fleet, German ironclads and British guardship Australia," the Kaiser was met by the Prince of Wales and the Duke of Connaught on behalf of Queen Victoria.
He was driven to Osborn to visit the Queen, who is his grandmother, where he was "cheered with enthusiasm."
This evening, the Kaiser, said to be in "excellent health and spirits," dined with the Queen at Osborne House.
Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany arrived in Cowes this afternoon aboard the imperial yacht Hohenzollern, reports the Los Angeles Times.
After a salute by the "British fleet, German ironclads and British guardship Australia," the Kaiser was met by the Prince of Wales and the Duke of Connaught on behalf of Queen Victoria.
He was driven to Osborn to visit the Queen, who is his grandmother, where he was "cheered with enthusiasm."
This evening, the Kaiser, said to be in "excellent health and spirits," dined with the Queen at Osborne House.
Reconciliation on Royal House of Prussia
August 5, 1923
The Duke and Duchess of Brunswick-Luneburg arrived at Doorn earlier today and received a warm welcome from former Kaiser Wilhelm II and his new wife, Hermine.
The Duchess, who is Wilhelm's only daughter, Viktoria Luise, had "refused to recognize her stepmother," according to a special cable to the New York Times.
In the views of the "aspirations of the Monarchist party," the reconciliation was deemed "highly advisable" to show a united family.
Wilhelm is "greatly devoted" to his daughter.
Other arrivals at Doorn included the Prince of Hesse and the Duke of Cumberland, the father of the Duke of Brunswick. The Duke, who is married to Princess Thyra of Denmark, came by "automobile direct from Vienna."
The Duke and Duchess of Brunswick-Luneburg arrived at Doorn earlier today and received a warm welcome from former Kaiser Wilhelm II and his new wife, Hermine.
The Duchess, who is Wilhelm's only daughter, Viktoria Luise, had "refused to recognize her stepmother," according to a special cable to the New York Times.
In the views of the "aspirations of the Monarchist party," the reconciliation was deemed "highly advisable" to show a united family.
Wilhelm is "greatly devoted" to his daughter.
Other arrivals at Doorn included the Prince of Hesse and the Duke of Cumberland, the father of the Duke of Brunswick. The Duke, who is married to Princess Thyra of Denmark, came by "automobile direct from Vienna."