Thursday, May 5, 2016

Searching for a royal bride for Charles



May 5, 1956


Today in the Washington Post is an article. "All ready the search is on for a Royal Bride for Prince Charles."    The heir apparent is only seven years old and is not yet aware that his interest will one day focus on a future bride -- "one who must be royal, or at least of the purest blue blood," if she is to become his Queen.

Some Britons are "beginning to show concern" over the "restricted romantic prospects" of the future Prince of Wales.  There was an "overtone of pathos" in one London newspaper discussing the limitations Prince Charles will face when he reaches marital age.

Europe has only nine monarchies,  Three of them -- "diminutive Luxembourg, dwarf-sized Liechtenstein, and Monaco -  will have to be discounted. So will Catholic Belgium."

When Prince Charles is ready to marry, he will discover that neither Norway nor Sweden will have a princess of marriageable age.   The daughters of King Paul of Greece are nearing adulthood.  This leaves Denmark and the Netherlands with seven princesses between them but only two are close in age to Charles.




Princess Christina of the Netherlands, known as Marijke, is the youngest of Queen Juliana's four daughters.  She is nine.  This "pretty and decidedly democratic little girl was born blind," but now, after many operations, she has partial vision in her right now.   She receives no pampering or special privileges for her handicap.

There seems to be a "basis of fact to current rumors" that Queen Juliana and the Duchess of Kent are trying to "make a match" between Princess Beatrix, 18, the heir to the Dutch throne, and the Duke of Kent.  Young Marijke may gain a "preferred position as a potential bride for Prince Charles."

 

Marijke's "most important rival" is Princess Anne-Marie of Denmark, the third daughter of King Frederik IX and Queen Ingrid.  At her birth, he was reported to have said "Now I have a chance of being the father-in-law of Europe."

There is also a "baker's dozen: of "little patricians," daughters of Dukes, Marquesses, and earls, who "might be permitted "to share the throne should the grown-up Prince Charles find that she was his heart's desire."

If you liked this article, perhaps you can buy me a latte


2 comments:

The Blessed Virgin said...

Princess Grace of Monaco wanted to pair up her daughter, Princess Caroline with Prince Charles. Though religion would have been the main concern.

Marlene Eilers Koenig said...

Total bunk. Totally false. Grace never considered her daughter as a possible bride for Charles or for Ernst August of Hanover. Grace was a devout Roman Catholic. Charles could not marry a Roman Catholic without losing right to throne. Moreover, consider the social situation - no real opportunity to meet. Charles moved in a very countryside, aristocratic circle. Caroline did not