The Countess Mountbatten of Burma's funeral was held today at St. Paul's Knightsbridge, London. The guests included the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh (first cousin), the Prince of Wales (godson), the Duke of York, the Princess Royal and Sir Timothy Laurence, the Countess of Wessex, the Duchess of Gloucester, the Duke of Kent, with two of his children, Lord St. Andrews (with his son Lord Doownpatrick), Lady Helen Taylor (with her husband, Timothy Taylor), Prince Michael of Kent, Princess Alexandra, Lady Sarah Chatto Lady Pamela Hicks (sister) and India Hicks (niece), Lord Ivar Mountbatten, whose father David, the 3rd Marquess of Milford Haven, was the late Countess' first cousin, and the Duchess of Abercorn, whose mother was Georgina Wernher, daughter of Lady Zia Werhner, whose sister, Nada was married to George, 2nd Marquess of Milford Haven. Gina was a childhood friend of Lady Mountbatten and the Queen. She was a first cousin to David, 3rd Marquess of Milford Haven.
Lady Mountbatten's six surviving children and grandchildren, including the Hon. Nicholas Knatchbull, only son of Lord and Lady Brabourne, He remained in the background.
The Queen, Princess Alexandra and Lady Pamela Hicks were bridesmaids at the Countess' wedding on October 26, 1946 to Lord Brabourne, The other bridesmaid was the late Princess Margaret.
The Countess died at her home in Mersham on June 13th at the age of 93.
The coffin was carried by soldiers from the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry. The late Countess was their second colonel-in-chief.
Following the burial, the late Countess' son, Lord Brabourne, will be styled as the 3rd Earl Mountbatten of Burma. His wife will be the Countess Mountbatten of Burma. The new earl is also Baron Brabourne, but the Mountbatten earldom is a higher rank. It is has not been announced if new heir, Nicholas, will be styled as Lord Brabourne or Lord Romsey.
A reception at the Berkelely Hotel.
Lady Mountbatten was buried at Mersham in the Brabourne family plot.
https://ppcli.com/
https://ppcli.com/the-regiment/colonel-in-chief/past-colonel-chief/countess-mountbatten-burma/
The Queen was one of the Countess' childhood playmates.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/06/27/queen-leads-mourners-funeralof-countess-mountbatten/?WT.mc_id=tmg_share_tw
Tuesday, June 27, 2017
A sale on photographs
Looking to purchase professional and lovely photographs, well look no further.
HRH Princess Sophie of Romania is having a sale on her website until July 15th. All photographs in the sale are 40% off, signed, and shipping is free. Some photographs have never been seen before and are on special.
http://www.yafosphotography.com/boutique.ws?wsajx=1&idb=23637465&idpnl=cp&viewc=1&viewp=1&pgc=0&pgp=0
Monday, June 26, 2017
Hohenlohe Princes marry well
June 26, 1917
The Marquise de Fontenoy reports on several of the more prominent members of the mediatized house of Hohenlohe, which is in the news due to the engagement of Princess Franziska of Hohenlohe-Waldenburg-Schillingsfürst who is engaged to marry Archduke Maximilian of Austria, the younger brother of Emperor Karl.
Princess Franziska is a younger sister of Prince Alfred of Hohenlohe-Waldenburg-Schillingsfürst, who was interned at the beginning of the war in Montreal, where he was attached to the Austrian consulate there. He was released through the "personal intervention" of the Duke of Connaught, and then joined the staff of the Austro-Hungarian embassy in Washington, D.C.
It was in Washington where Prince Alfred met and married Miss Catherine Britton. He was transferred to San Francisco, but after the final break between the United States and Austria, Prince Alfred and all the other Austro-Hungarian consular and embassy staff returned to Europe.
There will be no difficulties in marriage between Princess Franziska and Archduke Maximilian as there was when Prince Alfred married Miss Britton.
The head of the House of Hohenlohe-Langenburg, which is the senior of all the Hohenlohe branches, Prince Ernst, is married to Princess Alexandra of Edinburgh, a granddaughter of Queen Victoria.
Johannes, Prince of Hohenlohe-Bartenstein is married to Archduchess Anna of Austria. daughter of the late Archduke Ferdinando, Grand Duke of Tuscany.
Prince Gottfried of Hohenlohe-Waldenburg-Schillingsfürst, who serves as the Austro-Hungarian ambassador to Berlin, also has a Habsburg wife, Archduchess Marie Henriette, daughter of Archduke Friedrich. He is Prince Alfred's uncle.
Prince Friedrich Wilhelm of Prussia, son of the late Prince Albrecht, regent of Brunswick, choose to marry a Catholic Princess, Princess Agathe of Hohenlohe-Schillingsfürst. Empress Auguste Viktoria's mother was a princess of Hohenlohe-Langenburg by birth. The Empress's maternal grandmother was Queen Victoria's older half-sister, Princess Feodora.
The many members of the Hohenlohe family are "simple and unaffected people in ordinary life," but are conscious of their rank and the luster of their ancestry."
Archduke Maximilian's future father-in-law, Prince Konrad, is the former governor of Trieste, and former premier of Austria, well known for "his liberal views," and often called the "red prince." Konrad's father, the late Prince Constantin, was a childhood friend of the late Emperor Franz Josef.
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| Marlene A Eilers Koenig collection |
The Marquise de Fontenoy reports on several of the more prominent members of the mediatized house of Hohenlohe, which is in the news due to the engagement of Princess Franziska of Hohenlohe-Waldenburg-Schillingsfürst who is engaged to marry Archduke Maximilian of Austria, the younger brother of Emperor Karl.
Princess Franziska is a younger sister of Prince Alfred of Hohenlohe-Waldenburg-Schillingsfürst, who was interned at the beginning of the war in Montreal, where he was attached to the Austrian consulate there. He was released through the "personal intervention" of the Duke of Connaught, and then joined the staff of the Austro-Hungarian embassy in Washington, D.C.
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| Prince and Princess Alfred |
It was in Washington where Prince Alfred met and married Miss Catherine Britton. He was transferred to San Francisco, but after the final break between the United States and Austria, Prince Alfred and all the other Austro-Hungarian consular and embassy staff returned to Europe.
There will be no difficulties in marriage between Princess Franziska and Archduke Maximilian as there was when Prince Alfred married Miss Britton.
The head of the House of Hohenlohe-Langenburg, which is the senior of all the Hohenlohe branches, Prince Ernst, is married to Princess Alexandra of Edinburgh, a granddaughter of Queen Victoria.
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| Prince Johannes and Archduchess Anna |
Johannes, Prince of Hohenlohe-Bartenstein is married to Archduchess Anna of Austria. daughter of the late Archduke Ferdinando, Grand Duke of Tuscany.
Prince Gottfried of Hohenlohe-Waldenburg-Schillingsfürst, who serves as the Austro-Hungarian ambassador to Berlin, also has a Habsburg wife, Archduchess Marie Henriette, daughter of Archduke Friedrich. He is Prince Alfred's uncle.
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| Gottfried |
Prince Friedrich Wilhelm of Prussia, son of the late Prince Albrecht, regent of Brunswick, choose to marry a Catholic Princess, Princess Agathe of Hohenlohe-Schillingsfürst. Empress Auguste Viktoria's mother was a princess of Hohenlohe-Langenburg by birth. The Empress's maternal grandmother was Queen Victoria's older half-sister, Princess Feodora.
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| Friedrich Wilhelm and Agathe |
The many members of the Hohenlohe family are "simple and unaffected people in ordinary life," but are conscious of their rank and the luster of their ancestry."
Archduke Maximilian's future father-in-law, Prince Konrad, is the former governor of Trieste, and former premier of Austria, well known for "his liberal views," and often called the "red prince." Konrad's father, the late Prince Constantin, was a childhood friend of the late Emperor Franz Josef.
75th ANNIVERSARY OF THE VISIT OF KING PETER II TO THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND CANADA” EXHIBITION OPENS AT THE WHITE PALACE
“75th ANNIVERSARY OF THE VISIT OF KING PETER II TO THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND CANADA” EXHIBITION OPENS AT THE WHITE PALACE
Belgrade, June 26, 2017 – The exhibition “75th anniversary of the visit of King Peter II to the United States of America and Canada” was officially opened at the White Palace in Dedinje.
The exhibition was opened by His Royal Highness Crown Prince Alexander, and the event was attended by HRH Crown Princess Katherine, the author of the exhibition Mr. Dusan Babac, famous Serbian painter Mr Cile Marinkovic with wife, members of the Advisory Bodies of the Crown, Ambassadors of the United States of America, Australia, Chile, Bulgaria, Mexico, Croatia, other representatives of the diplomatic corps and many other prominent figures from the world of culture and art. The guests had a chance to enjoy refreshments from “Bean and Leaf” company.
"When in 1942 my father, King Peter II, at the invitation from president Roosevelt, visited the United States of America and Canada, the world was on the peak of the Second World War. The Kingdom of Yugoslavia had been occupied for more than one year. Terror, mass crimes, persecutions and suffering engulfed a great part of the planet, and the United States of America were in the initial stage of the war operations against Japan. All allied countries – Great Britain, United States of America and the Soviet Union, fully supported the Royal Yugoslav government in exile. My father spoke at the American Congress as the youngest head of state in history. He tried to secure support and aid for the Yugoslav army in fatherland under General Mihailovic’s command. The American media wrote at length and favourably about this visit. King Peter II was presented as an ally, a representative of a country that fought against the axis forces“, said Crown Prince Alexander in his address.
An interesting setting is a historic “walk” through the cities that King Peter II visited during his 1942 stay in the United States of America, then exchanged messages with the then United States President Franklin Roosevelt, acts signed, photos and numerous other important events.
“The historic visit of King Peter II to the United States of America in 1942 at the height of the Second World War has long been left to oblivion. That is why its 75th anniversary is a great opportunity for the public to recall its significance in a historical context, as an important milestone in the historical relations between our two countries. For the United States and Canada, the visit of King Peter II was very significant, and King Peter II was the youngest head of state who spoke in the United States Congress, the first foreign head of state in the Canadian Parliament, and during his visit he also met with many significant figures of political and public life of the United States of America and Canada”, said Dusan Babac, the author of the exhibition.
The exhibition will be open to the public from 27 June to 7 July, on working days, at 11:00 am or 2:00 pm.
Friday, June 23, 2017
Who are those people in the Ascot carriages
During the five days of Royal Ascot. The Queen and her guests board carriages on the Long Walk at Windsor. The carriages wend their way down the Long Walk/Dukes Lane to Ascot. A friend and I had tickets for one day of Duke Lane last year -- it rained so the carriages were closed. Bummer.
http://royalmusingsblogspotcom.blogspot.com/2016/07/ascot-procession-dukes-lane.html
Other members of the Royal Family and friends are asked to join the Queen in the carriage procession. Many times, some of the guests are largely unknown to the general public (or even the press), but royal historians are more in the know!
On the first day of Royal Ascot, in the first carriage. the Queen was accompanied by HRH Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, the Duke of York and Lord Vestey.
Lord Vestey, 76, is the Master of the Horse. He was 13-years-old when he succeeded his grandfather as the 3rd Baron Vestey. The family estate is Stowell Park in Gloucestershire. He is a great-grandson of Dame Nellie Melba (Helen Porter Mitchell.) the Australian opera singer. Peach Melba and Melba toast are named for her.
Second carriage: TRH The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall, TRH the Princess Beatrice and Eugenie of York
Third carriage: TRH The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and TRH The Earl and Countess of Wessex
Fourth carriage: Mr. and Mrs Peter Phillips and Lord Fellowes and Lady Jane Fellowes.
Peter Phillips is the only son of HRH The Princess Royal. Lord Fellowes, a life peer, is the former Private Secretary to HM The Queen. His wife, Lady Jane is the second of three daughters of the late 8th Earl Spencer and the Hon. Frances Roche Burke. Her younger sister, Lady Diana, married the Prince of Wales. Thus, she is a maternal aunt of the Duke of Cambridge.
Day Two:
First carriage: HM The Queen. TRH The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall and Lord Fellowes. The Duke of Edinburgh, suffering from an infection, had been taken to the hospital after the first day of Royal Ascot.
Second carriage: TRH the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester. TRH Prince and Princess Michael of Kent. The Duke and Prince Michael are the queen's first cousins.
Third carriage: HRH Princess Alexandra, the Hon. Lady Ogilvy, James Swartz, and the Hon. Mr. and Mrs. James Tollemache. Princess Alexandra is the Queen's first cousin, sister of Prince Michael of Kent.
Mr. Swartz is a consumer advocate for toys, and a yachtsman.
James Tollemache attended Eton with the Duke of Cambridge and is the younger son of the 4th Baron Tollemache. He is married to Princess Florence von Preussen, daughter of HRH Prince Nicholas of Prussia and his former wife, Hon. Victoria Mancroft.
Florence, who is known as Flossie, is a descendant of Queen Victoria through her eldest child, Princess Victoria, who married the future Friedrich III. Flossie is a great-granddaughter of Vicky and Fritz's eldest Kaiser Wilhelm II. Her father, Prince Friedrich, was the fourth son of Crown Prince Wilhelm, the Kaiser's eldest son. Friedrich married Lady Brigid Guinness, daughter of the Earl of Iveagh. (Her sister, Lady Honor, married Chips Channon.)
Flossie was due to give birth to a second child in June.
http://royalmusingsblogspotcom.blogspot.com/2014/05/the-marriage-of-princess-florence-von.html
Fourth carriage: Lord and Lady Vestey and Mr. and Mrs. Jake Warren. Jake is the son of the Queen's racing manager, John Warren, who is married to Lady Caroline Herbert, daughter of the late 7th Earl of Carnarvon, who was one of the Queen's closest friends and her racing manager before Mr. Warren.
John Warren is a bloodstock agent, and runs the Highclere Stud, at Highclere Castle (aka Downtown Abbey), with his son, Jake, described as one of Prince Harry's best friends. Jake is married to Zoe Stewart.
http://highclerestud.co.uk/the-stud/the-team/
Day Three:
First carriage: HM The Queen, HRH The Duke of York. Mr. John Warren and Mr. Edward Young. Mr. Young is the Queen's Deputy Private Secretary
Second carriage: HRH The Princess Royal and Vice Admiral Tim Laurence and TRH Princess Beatrice and Eugenie of York.
Third carriage: The Earl and Countess of Snowdon and Captain and Mrs. David Bowes-Lyon. Lord Snowdon is the son of the late HRH The Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon and the 1st Earl of Snowdon. He is the nephew of the Queen.
Fourth carriage: Mr and Mrs. Charles Butter and the Hon Peter and Hon. Mrs Stanley.
Charles Butter is a lifelong friend of Prince Andrew, but the family ties go back for several generations. Charles' mother, Myra Wernher, is the youngest child of the late Countess Zia Torby and Sir Harold Wernher, BT. Zia was one of three children of Grand Duke Michael Mikhailovich of Russia and his morganatic wife, Countess Sophie von Merenberg, who was the eldest daughter of Prince Nikolaus of Nassau and Natalya Alexandrovna Pushkina, daughter of the Russian poet Alexander Pushkin.
Countess Sophie of Merenberg married Grand Duke Michael Mikhailovich of Russia, son of Grand Duke Michael Nicolaivich of Russia, son of Emperor Nicholas I, and Princess Cacilie of Baden. Grand Duke Michael Mikhailovich's siblings included Grand Duchess Anastasia, wife of Grand Duke Franz Friedrich III of Mecklenburg (their children included Duchess Cecilie, wife of Crown Prince Wilhelm of Prussia, and Queen Alexandrine of Denmark, consort of King Christian X, grandparents of Queen Margrethe II).
Shortly after her marriage, Sophie's paternal uncle, Grand Duke Adolphe of Luxembourg created her and children as Countesses and Count Torby.
They had three children: Anastasia, known as Zia, Nadejeda (Nada) and Michael. Several months after her marriage to Major-General Sir Harold Wernher, 3rd Bt, George V granted Zia the style and precedence of a daughter of an earl by Royal Warrant. This followed the precedence established in 1906 when Countess Valda Gleichen married Percy Machell. Countess Valda was a daughter of Prince Victor zu Hohenlohe-Langenburg and Lady Laura Seymour. Prince Victor was a son of Queen Victoria's older half sister, Feodore.
Zia's sister, Nada, married the former Prince George of Battenberg, who was styled as Earl of Medina in July 1917 after his father, Prince Louis of Battenberg, was created Marquess of Milford Haven. George's older sister, Alice, married Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark. Alice had four daughters and a son, Prince Philip.
George succeeded as the 2nd Marquess of Milford Haven in 1921.
Lady Zia had her husband had three children: Alex, Georgina, known as Gina and Myra. These three children were a part of a social circle that included Nada's two children, Tatiana and David, Patricia and Pamela Mountbatten (children of George's younger brother, Lord Louis and his wife, the Hon. Edwina Ashley), Prince Philip and two young British princesses, Elizabeth and Margaret Rose.
Although Lord Milford Haven was Philip's guardian, the young prince spent more with Lady Zia and Sir Harold and their family. Their son, Alex, who was killed in the second world war, was very much a mentor and older brother to Philip.
Lady Zia was a successful breeder and racehorse owner, and became a close friend of Princess Elizabeth. Her husband owned several estates, including Luton Hoo in Bedfordshire, which Sir Harold's father, Sir Julius, purchased in 1903. Sir Julius had made his fortune in the South African diamond mines.
(In 1891, the Duke of Clarence, son of Prince of Wales, and grandson of Queen Victoria, proposed to Princess Mary of Teck at Luton Hoo.)
Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip often spent their wedding anniversary at Luton Hoo. The estate was inherited by Lady Zia's grandson, Nicholas Phillips in 1977. After his untimely death in 1991, the estate was sold. It is now the Luton Hotel, Golf and Spa.
Lady Zia had hoped that her daughters would make grand marriages. Gina married Harold "Bunny Phillips," who had been the lover of Lady Louis Mountbatten. Myra married Sir David Butter, a Scots landowner. Charles is their youngest child. He has four older sisters.
The grand marriages were made by several of Lady Zia's grandchildren. Charles' sisters including the Countess of Dalhousie and Princess Alexander Galitzine. His maternal first cousins include the Duchess of Abercorn and the Dowager Duchess of Westminster. Charles is married to Agnieszksa Szeluk and they have two children, Julia and Henry.
Charles' Aunt Gina was one of the Queen's closest friends, and godmother of Prince Andrew.
The Hon. Peter Stanley is the younger brother of the Earl of Derby. He manages the Hatchfield stud farm. He is married to the Hon. Frances Caroline Burke Roche, a first cousin of the late Diana, Princess of Wales.
Day 4:
First carriage: HM The Queen. Captain David Bowes-Lyon, Mr, Erik Penser. and Mr. Thomas van Straubenzee.
Captain David Bowes-Lyon is a second cousin once removed of the Queen. Their common ancester is Claude, the 13th Earl of Strathmore. The Queen is the granddaughter of the 14th Earl, and David is the great grandson of the 14th Earl's younger brother, the Hon. Francis Bowes-Lyon. In 1976, David married Harriet Colville, daughter of Sir John Colville, private secretary to Princess Elizabeth (1947-1949.) Harriet is a goddaughter of the Queen. Since 1990, she has been a lady-in-waiting.
Erik Penser is a Swedish financier and racehorse owner who lives at Compton Beauchamp. Thomas van Straubenzee is a life long friend of the Duke of Cambridge, and one of Princess Charlotte of Cambridge's godparents. He was briefly married to Lady Melissa Percy, daughter of the 12th Duke of Northumberland.
Second carriage. The Hon. Peter and Mrs. Stanley. Mr. John and Lady Carolyn Warren
Third carriage Mr. John Gosden, Rachel Hood, and Mr. and Mrs. Nicholas Wingfield Digby. John Gosden is a racehorse trainer, with more than 2000 winners. He is married to Rachel Hood, who is licensed to practice law in the USA and in the UK. She is a thoroughbred racehorse owner.
Nicholas Wingfield Digby is the High Sheriff for Suffolk. He is a veterinarian who works with racing stables, including Highclere. He also served as Veterinary Surgeon to the Royal Studs. He is married to Delia Mary Dewey, daughter of Sir Anthony Dewey, 3rd Baronet.
Fourth Carriage. Wing Commander Sam Fletcher, Mrs. David Bowes Lyon and Mr. and Mrs. Charles Butter. Wing Commander Sam Fletcher is one of the Queen's equerry.
Thursday, June 22, 2017
Prince Casimir of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Sayn to marry American model
The Prince and Princess of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Sayn have announced the engagement of their son, Prince Casimir, to American model Alana Camille Bunte.
Miss Bunte was born on October 2, 1990 at Laguna Beach, California, the daughter of Brady Bunte and Angela Lopez.
She studied art and design at the University of the Arts and Central Saint Martin, both in London.
The couple met in London two years ago. The wedding is expected to take place at Schloss Sayn in the coming year.
Prince Casimir, 41, is the second son and third child of the Prince and Princess. He was named Johann Casimir Ludwig Karl Andreas Maria Rudolf, and was born at Koblenz on May 4, 1976. His first marriage in London on October 26, 2000 to Corinna Larsen, was dissolved by divorce in 2005. Casimir has a son, Prince Alexander, by Corinna Larsen.
He received a degree in management and marking from Middlesex University in England, and has served as a visiting professor for International Tax and Services program at the Thomas Jefferson School of Law in San Diego, California.
Prince Casimir is a managing partner in a firm that "invests, upgrades and manages farmland in emerging markets."
FIFTY SIXTH MEMORIAL ANNIVERSARY OF HM QUEEN MARIA AT ST. GEORGE CHURCH IN OPLENAC
Belgrade, 22 June 2017 – A Holy Liturgy and Memorial Service were held at the Church of St. George in Oplenac today, on the occasion of the fifty sixth anniversary of death of Her Majesty Queen Maria. The Clergy of St. George Church officiated the services. On behalf of His Royal Highness Crown Prince Alexander, Mr Predrag Markovic member of the Crown Council and Mr Dragan Reljic, the director of HM King Peter I Foundation laid flowers.
HM Queen Maria was the daughter of HM King Ferdinand of Romania and HM Queen Marie of Romania (a daughter of HRH Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh, a son of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom). The Queen was born in Gotha, Thuringia, in Germany 6 January 1900 and died in London 22 June 1961. Her Majesty married HM King Alexander I of Yugoslavia in Belgrade 8 June 1922 and they had three sons Crown Prince Peter (later HM King Peter II, father of HRH Crown Prince Alexander), Prince Tomislav and Prince Andrej.
She was loved very much by the Serbian people. She was a role model of a devoted and caring wife and mother. She was very much engaged in humanitarian work. After the assassination of HM King Alexander I in Marseilles 9 October 1934 she continued to care for her sons and became the Queen Mother. She was very active with the Red Cross during World War II, and sent a lot of humanitarian help to Yugoslavia, but always signed herself with alias Maria K. Djordjevic.
She lived modestly on her estate in Kent, England after the World War II. General Charles de Gaulle decorated her with the Great Cross of the Legion of Honour in 1959. She passed away on 22 June 1961, and was buried at the Royal Cemetery in Frogmore in Windsor. Her remains were transferred to Serbia on 29 April 2013, and she was buried at the Royal Mausoleum in Oplenac during the State funeral 26 May 2013.
Wednesday, June 21, 2017
Princess of Wales visits Dundee in September 1983
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| . @Marlene A. Eilers Koenig (with a 110 camera) |
The Princess of Wales visits the Keiller Candy factory in Dundee, Scotland, September 7, 1983.
An interview with Prince Georg Friedrich
Prince Georg Friedrich of Prussia, head of the Imperial House of Prussia, and the great-grandchild of the last German Emperor, recently sat down with a reporter from the Stuttgarter Nachrichten.
http://www.stuttgarter-nachrichten.de/inhalt.georg-friedrich-prinz-von-preussen-preussen-ist-nicht-boese.e1d06d9e-2206-4ac5-8c97-62e718ed6ffc.html
"Prussia is not as evil as many think," said Prince Georg Friedrich.
But unlike his ancestors, he has no political ambitions. The interview took place at Hechingen, at Burg Hohenzollern, which Georg Friedrich owns jointly with the Prince of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen.
If the monarchy still existed in Germany, Georg Friedrich would be the Kaiser. He sees himself as the representative of the House of Hohenzollern, and is a devoted father to his four children, including a set of twin sons.
Prince Georg Friedrich was asked: "When did you last change diapers?"
"Two and a half hours ago." "My wife and I share this duty. I like to take care of the little ones when I am at home, and go shopping."
Prince Georg Friedrich and his wife, Princess Sophie of Isenburg, are able to live with their children out of the public eye.
"We live in Fischerhude, a village near Bremen, where I grew up. This is extremely rural area with a view of the Wümmewiesen. I spend a lot of my time working in Berlin, where I also take care of the administrative matters of my house."
Georg Friedrich visits Burg Hohenzollern every two weeks.
"The castle business has grown considerably over the past ten years. Sometimes I come with the whole family - like this time. We celebrated the baptism of our youngest son Heinrich. However, the castle is not as comfortable and luxurious as many people think. The residential tract has more of a hostel character."
The interview takes place on a small terrace at the castle. It is a lovely day, Kaiserwetter, and coffee is being served. In the background, the black and white flag of Prussia is flying, a sign that the owner is home. But the prince goes unrecognized in tourist center.
"Do you remember your childhood days at Hohenzollern?"
Yes, I have many memories, We had sword fights in the weapons chamber and threw snowballs on the shuttle bus in the winter. My mother has often come with us. I unfortunately lost my father early. He was a lieutenant of the reserve, was seriously wounded in a maneuver with an armor, and died shortly thereafter. I was a year old. I often miss him. All the more I am now looking forward to being there for my children as a father."
Georg Friedrich admits that running Burg Hohenzollern is a challenge. "The facility is neither a dusty museum nor a Prussian Disneyland. We have 300 000 visitors a year, some guests from America, Asia and many parts of Europe. We are one of the few private museums on this scale that manages to get out of itself."
"You are the administrator of a permanent construction site. There's always somewhere crumbling?"
"That's true. We will continue to rebuild over the next ten years. This is going to happen this year. Since many hundred tons of material have to be moved, all in consultation with the memorial office. We first work on the foundation walls, then the driveway is to follow. If possible, we will rehabilitate the same stone as the castle was built in the second half of the 19th century: yellow Angulatensandstein. But that is rare. We have found it in the princely forest near Grosselfingen. Whether there is enough, we do not know."
The castle has been used in several movies and television programs, including the thriller, Cure for Wellness," and The Worst Witch, which was shown on German TV earlier this year.
According to Prince Georg Friedrich, the castle became a Hogwarts-type residence for young witches. He said he got to watch the shooting
of "Cure for Wellness," which he found "exciting."
Prince Georg Friedrich was also asked about the Prussian royal house's strict marriage laws. Marriages must be of equal rank. The two older brothers of Georg Friedrich's father married commoners and lost their dynastic rights.
Georg Friedrich said he never felt exposed to the pressure of an equal marriage, as he had known his wife, Sophie for 35 years.
"Our paths crossed often. At home we have a picture our ourselves as ages two and three years, playing in the swimming pool. I am happy that we found ourselves seven years ago in Berlin."
His great-grandfather, Kaiser Wilhelm II, believed that a marriage between a prince and a commoner is as impossible as the connection between a swan and a goose."
"Are such house laws not antiquated?"
"We've recently had a family dinner, where we talked about how to update the family laws, as other families have done. The main goal is to keep the family together."
"How are you connected with the European nobility? "
"The kinship to the British royal house is very limited Queen Victoria is my fourfold great-grandmother. She died in the arms of her favorite grandson, Emperor Wilhelm II. Since the two world wars the British royal house has stepped back with regard to its roots and family connections to Germany. This is understandable. I am delighted to meet the Prince of Wales at different festivities."
Georg Friedrich was asked his position as head of the house was a burden or a privilege."
"At the age of eighteen, after the death of my grandfather, I became chief of the House of Hohenzollern. At first it was not easy. I had to work on many things and often justify them. I was confronted with people thinking that I was waiting for the return of the monarchy. At the same time, I always had the inner impulse to prove to myself and to others that I can build something of my own. I have studied business management and worked as an employee for many years. But the tasks within the family have grown, especially the administration calls on me."
"Do not you sometimes dream of being an emperor, honestly?
"No, I definitely do not. My family has no political responsibility in the country and I do not want to take over any. We have remained a cultural responsibility. We receive Hohenzollern Castle as a national cultural monument. In Berlin and Brandenburg, as a family, we are the largest private lender for the great Prussian foundations."
"How does it feel to know your great grandfather was one of the instigators of the first World War?"
;I am reluctant about the war debt. There are still new findings. What makes me more stressful is the theme of the Third Reich. "They've prostituted us as a family," my grandfather always said. The National Socialists have claimed that they were in the immediate succession of the Hohenzollerns and continued Prussianism. This was an integral part of their propaganda, which, unfortunately, continues to be felt to this day.
Some members in their family supported the National Socialists.
There were both, we have an open approach to the subject. My great-great uncle, Prince August Wilhelm, called Auwi, had been involved in the Nazi regime and gave speeches for the NSDAP. My grandfather, Louis Ferdinand, and his father, the Crown Prince William, maintained a close connection with the political resistance from the outset, with the clear goal of restoring the monarchy in Germany."
Georg Friedrich Ferdinand Prince of Prussia was born in 1976 in Bremen. He went to the Gymnasium in Bremen and Oldenburg. He passed his exams at Glenalmond College in Aberdeen, Scotland.
In September 1994, his grandfather, Prince Louis Ferdinand, died, and he succeeded as head of the house of Prussia. In Freiberg, he studied business administration. The Prince has been married to Princess Sophie of Isenburg since 2011. They have four children: four-year-old twins Carl and Louis, two-year-old Emma and Heinrich, who was born last November.