In defense of her husband, Don Augusto Ruffo di Calabria

In a letter to the Duke of Castro, Princess Tana of Windisch-Graetz, the wife of Prince Augusto Ruffo di Calabria, offered with "great regret" her resignation from the Constantinian Order of Saint George  She has made it clear that she no agreed with ‘most of the ideals of your Order", having witnessed her husband’s  "sincerity  and the dedication he put in to the job that you have  entrusted to him as Grand Prefect.”  

Princess Tana noted that her husband devoted “a great deal of his time to deal with a lot of problems, neglecting his work and family by driving to talk to you.”  Prince Augusto, as the Order’s Grand Prefect, also served as the Order's primary problem solver.

  Prince Augusto paid all the expenses of\ his office and staff, and according to his wife, “convinced many of his friends and family to support the Order."  The prince, a devout Roman Catholic, wanted the Order to have an active role to “organize Pilgrimages not only with the Knights, but also with people in need.”

  According to his wife, Prince Augusto, was “abruptly” and “ungratefully” removed from his post.  Princess Tana told the Duke of Castro “deserved a better friend, especially as he only wanted for  the good of the Order and your respect as Grand Master? “

The Prince and Princess are both appalled by the Duke of Castro’s behavior, toward the Prince and other officials with the order.   Princess Tana was furious that the Duke of Castro, whose daughter is one of Prince Augusto’s godchildren, did not have the courtesy to telephone the Prince before dismissing him as Grand Prefect.

Princess Tana told the duke that she could not longer be a part of a Sacred Order with these  principles and do not believe in it anymore, I am sorry. But if one  day the Order's mission of dedicating itself to the poor and sick is  restored then call me and I shall be there always.”

Don Augusto Ruffo di Calabria, Prince of Scilla, is the second son of the late Don Fabrizio, Prince Ruffo di Calabria-Santapau, Prince di Palazzo, Prince of Scilla, Marchese di Licodia, Duca di Guardia Lombarda.  His older brother, Don Fulco, is the present Prince Ruffo di Calabria.  He has been married twice, but has no children.  Prince Augusto, 60, is the heir presumptive to his brother’s title.  His paternal aunt, Paola, is the wife of King Albert II of the Belgians.

He married HSH Princess Irma (Tana) of Windisch-Graetz in 1980.  They have three children: Donna Fabrizia (1981) and the twins, Don Francesco and Donna Maria Scilla (1984.)   She was born in 1951, the eldest child of Maximilian, Prince of Windisch-Graetz, and Maria Luisa Serra di Gerra.  She has a younger sister, Maximliane, who is married to the Prince of Fürstenberg, and two younger brothers, Mariano-Hugo, Prince of Windisch-Graetz, and Prince Manfred.

The Prince and Princess are active in numerous Roman Catholic charities.  Both are devastated and saddened by the recent controversial actions  made by the Duke of Castro.  They are not the only former members of the Order who have expressed their views, privately and publicly.  Don Augusto has also made his views known in a letter made public.

I am grateful that I have been allowed to quote from the Princess Tana's letter in  order to highlight the increasing calls for concern in  the Italian Order of the Constantinian.  The concerns go  beyond the Duke's decision to name his elder daughter, Princess Maria Carolina, as his heir.  Several high officials, including Prince Augusto, have pointed out alleged financial irregularities with the Order.