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Monday, December 30, 2013

Prussian engagement: Florrie to marry Hon. James Tollemache



all three photos: Marlene A. Eilers-Koenig collection
Princess Florence "Florrie" von Preussen is engaged to marry the Hon. James Henry Timothy Tollemache, younger son of Timothy John Edward Tollemache, 5th Baron Tollemache, and his wife, Alexandra Dorothy Jean (nee Meynell).

The official announcement will appear in the Daily Telegraph on January 1.  The announcement was placed by Victoria von Preussen.

"The Hon J.H.T. Tollemache and Princess Florence von Preussen

The engagement is announced between James, younger son of Lord and Lady Tollemache, of Helmingham, Suffolk, and Florence, second daughter of Prince Nicholas von Preussen, of Kensington, London, and Victoria, Princess von Preussen, of East Coker, Somerset."

Florrie is the second of four children of Prince Nicholas of Prussia and his former wife, the Hon. Victoria Mancroft.

Prince Nicholas is the eldest of five children of the late Prince Friedrich of Prussia, fourth son of Crown Prince Wilhelm of Prussia (eldest son of Kaiser Wilhelm II) and the late Lady Brigid Guinness, youngest daughter of the 2nd Earl of Iveagh, a member of the very wealthy Guinness family.  (Prince Friedrich's marriage to Lady Brigid is equal according to the house rules, but Nicholas's marriage to the daughter of a Baron is considered unequal, thus Florrie and her siblings are not royal highnesses.  They are British nationals, and have the surname von Preussen.)

The 30-year-old  works as  a window stylist at "OKA, the smart furniture store owned by Viscountess Astor, mother of Samantha Cameron."

The couple were first reported to be dating last September when they appeared together at a party in Leicestershire. "Everyone was shocked when they learned Florrie and James were going out as they are such old friends, but they really are very sweet together,"  one friend told the Daily Mail.
James works in finance.  The wedding may take place in May in Somerset.

Flossie's paternal aunt, Princess Antonia, is the wife of the Marquess of Douro, heir apparent, to the Duke of Wellington.

She has one older sister, Princess Beatrice, and two younger siblings, Princess Augusta and Prince Friedrich.

Previous relationship for Princess Florence include investment banker and tax exile Nat Rothschild,  the Hon. Jake Astor (half brother of Samantha Cameron).  She dated Rothschild for four years, but the relationship was fraught with difficulties from the start as Nat, son of Lord Rothschild,  lived in Geneva.  Flossie gave up a nursery teacher job at the pre-prep Garden House in Chelsea to travel with Rothschild. After they broke up, many believed former boyfriend, Jake Astor, would fill the breach.  One of Jake's chums told the Daily Mail in 2011: "We've put all money on them getting back together."

Family and friends also believed that Flossie and Nat, 12 years her senior, would settled down and marry.  In July 2010, the princess and her mother, Victoria, flew to Corfu and stayed at  Lord Rothschild's villa, Kanonas, to discuss "dowries and trousseaus." 

According to a friend, "Nat adores Florrie and wants to marry her, although they are not officially engaged. But a marriage of such magnitude takes a certain amount of unromantic negotiation."

Florrie dated Jake Astor, and remained faithful to him during his two years in America, where he studied at the Wharton School of Business.  On the day he returned home to London, Jake "dumped" Florence.  Shortly afterward, in the late spring of 2009, she was introduced to Nat Rothschild.

Tatler profiled the three von Preussen sisters in the July 2006 issue. , Florrie, 22,  was described as "the party girl with a dirty laugh and a heartbreak smile who gets cross that everyone thinks she's the youngest."

A year earlier,  Florrie was the "Babe of the month" in the August 2005 issue of Tatler.   She said her most embarrassing moment was when she attended a ball in Germany where "everyone kept curtsying to me."   Only 21, she said her ambition was "to live the Ralph Lauren life style.  I love it."

James was born on August 28, 1980 at St. Thomas' Hospital in London. He is attended Eton with Prince William, and his older brother, Edward, is a godson of the Prince of Wales.




http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2530973/James-Blunt-marry-Duke-Wellingtons-girl-Couple-got-engaged-Christmas.html

http://www.tatler.com/bystander/events/2013/september/princesses-in-london#/11690/image/1


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