A thank you from HRH Princess Eléonore of Belgium
Monday, April 30, 2018
A boy for Maria Zurita
The premature birth was caused by a detachment of the placenta, according to Hola.
This is the first child for the 42-year-old first cousin of King Felipe VI.
Maria was staying with friends in Pozuelo de Alarcón, a suburb of Madrid, when she went into labor on Saturday. Although the baby is now in an incubator, he and mom are doing fine.
Maria has not been involved in a romantic relationship since breaking up with designer Javier Larraínzar several years ago. She had expressed a desire to be a mother and with her biological clock ticking, Maria opted for in-vitro fertilization. The process took two years.
Her family, including King Juan Carlos, has been very supportive. It is understood that Juan Carlos will be named as one of the yet-unnamed baby's godparents.
Doña Maria has a degree in translations and interpreting from the European University. She is fluent in English, French Portuguese, Italian and German, and of course, her native Spanish. In 2002, she founded her own business Zesauro Traducciones.
http://www.abc.es/estilo/gente/abci-maria-zurita-primer-hijo-siete-meses-y-medio-embarazo-201804301140_noticia.html
Friday, April 27, 2018
HRH Prince Louis Arthur Charles of Cambridge
In 1862, Princess Alice, the third child of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, married the future Grand Duke Ludwig VI of Hesse and by Rhine. Their eldest child, Princess Victoria, was born at Windsor Castle on April 5, 1863. She married in 1884 to her father's first cousin, Prince Ludwig Alexander of Battenberg ... he was better known as Prince Louis of Battenberg, a naturalized British subject who served in the Royal Navy and became the First Sea Lord.
Anti-German sentiment led to Prince Louis resigning his position. He was created Marquess of Milford Haven, Earl of Medina & Viscount Alderney, relinquishing his German titles at the request of his wife's first cousin, King George V. He adopted the surname Mountbatten, the anglicized version of Battenberg
Louis and Victoria had four children: Alice (1885-1969), who married Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark; Louise (1889-1965), the second wife of King Gustav VI Adolf of Sweden; George (1892-1938), who married Countess Nada Torby, and Louis (1900-1979).
Alice was married and the mother of four girls when her father's titles were changed. She never used the Mountbatten name. Her sister and brothers ceased to be HSH and Princes and Princesses. As their father was now a Marquess, the three younger children were styled as Lady Louise Mountbatten, the Earl of Medina, and Lord Louis Mountbatten. The first Marquess died in 1921 and was succeeded by his elder son. In 1946, Lord Louis was created Viscount Mountbatten of Burma, a year later, he was created Earl Mountbatten of Burma and Baron Romsey. The latter title was given a special creation to allow for the succession of his daughters and their male heirs.
In June 1921, Alice gave birth to a son Prince Philip. In 1947, he became a naturalized citizen (although he was already one due to the Sophia Naturalization Act, a nearly forgotten law) and took the surname Mountbatten.
The second Marquess of Milford Haven was Prince Philip's guardian until he died in 1938. However, Philip spent many school holidays with Harald and Lady Zia Wernher, whose son, Alexander, was Philip's mentor and big brother. The late Lord Mountbatten had far less contact with his nephew until Philip joined the Royal Navy. But he had little to do with Philip's marriage to Elizabeth as Lord Louis was away at sea, arranging Japan's surrender and the independence and partitioning of India and Pakistan.
Victoria and Albert chose the name Arthur (1850-1942) for their fourth son and seventh child in honor of the 1st Duke of Wellington, the hero of the Battle of Wellington. The new prince shared his birthday with the Iron Duke. Victoria created her son, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn and Earl of Sussex. He served in the military and was named Governor General of Canada in 1911. His elder daughter, Margaret (1882-1920), married the future King Gustav VI Adolf Sweden. Three years after the death of his first wife, Gustav Adolf married Lady Louise Mountbatten,
Don and Cecilie, their two young sons, Ludwig and Alexander, his recently widowed mother, the Dowager Grand Duchess, and several other people, were killed in a plane crash en route to London, where they were to attend Prince Ludwig's wedding to the Hon. Margaret Geddes, whose father once served as the UK ambassador to the United States.
Prince Philip's mother, Princess Alice, was a first cousin to Hereditary Grand Duke Georg Donatus and Prince Ludwig. Her mother, Princess Victoria, was the elder sister of Grand Duke Ernst Ludwig. She was with him when he died in October 1937, just weeks before the crash. Prince Philip, then 16 years old had spent late summer at Wolfsgarten with his grandmother and great uncle before returning to Gordonstoun. He was scheduled to attend Prince Ludwig's wedding, but due to the crash, the wedding was held the next day, privately, with few guests. The bride wore black. After the wedding, the newly married Prince and Princess Ludwig of Hesse and by Rhine, left for Belgium to bring back the bodies of the Dowager Grand Duchess, the Hereditary Grand Duke and Grand Duchess, two young princes, and a stillborn infant. Waiting back in Darmstadt was Don and Cecilie's 14 month-old-daughter, Johanna Marina, who had remained behind with her nanny. The little girl was adopted by her uncle and aunt. Tragically, she died from meningitis less than 2 years later.
Monday, April 23, 2018
Lady Ella Windsor
Princess Michael of Kent, the wife of the Queen's first cousin, gave birth to her second child, Lady Gabriella Marina Alexandra Ophelia Windsor, on April 23, 1981 at the Lindo Wing. Ella's fourth name honored William Shakespeare, who was born on April 23.
Lady Ella, a freelance writer, has a degree in comparative literature from Brown University in Rhode Island. In 2011, she began a Ph.D program at Oxford University.
http://metro.co.uk/2018/04/23/lady-gabriella-windsor-royal-shares-birthday-new-prince-7490886/
It's a boy!!!!
"Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge was safely delivered of a son at 1101hrs.
The baby weighs 8lbs 7oz.
The Duke of Cambridge was present for the birth.
Her Royal Highness and her child are both doing well.
The Queen, The Duke of Edinburgh, The Prince of Wales, The Duchess of Cornwall, Prince Harry and members of both families have been informed and are delighted with the news."
The new baby is fifth in line to the throne following his older brother, George, and older sister, Charlotte. Princess Charlotte is the first British princess to not move down the succession for a younger brother, due to the Succession to the Crown Act (2013), which provided for succession of the eldest child, regardless of sex.
Prince Harry is now in 6th place. The Duke of York has moved to seventh. Only the first six in line to the throne need the Sovereign's permission to marry. This means the Duke of York can marry without asking the Queen's permission.
Friday, April 20, 2018
A Thank you from Charles and Camilla
Anniversary Thank You from the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall
Wednesday, April 18, 2018
Royal Death: Infanta Luisa
April 18, 1958
Princess Luisa of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, Infanta of Spain, died today in Seville, Spain, following an operation for an abdominal cyst, reports the Associated Press. She was 76 years old.
The Infanta was the mother of Princess Maria de las Mercedes, the Countess of Barcelona, the wife of Infante Don Juan of Spain, Count of Barcelona, the pretender to the Spanish throne.
Luisa was born Princess Louise of Orléans, on February 24, 1882, at Cannes, France, daughter of Philippe, Count of Paris, and Princess Marie Isabelle of Orléans, daughter of Antoine, Duke of Montpensier, and Infanta Luisa, Fernanda of Spain.
She married Infante Carlos, Prince of Bourbon-Two-Sicilies, at Wood Norton, Evesham, Worcestershire, on November 16, 1907. Carlos was the widower of Mercedes, Princess of Asturias, Alfonso XIII's eldest sister.
The newly married couple settled in Madrid, where they had four children: Carlos (1908-1936), who was killed in the Spanish civil war, fighting for the Nationalists; Princess Maria de los Dolores (1909), the wife of Carlos Chia Ossorio (her first husband, Prince August Czartoryski died in 1946); Princess Maria de las Mercedes (1910), who is married to the Count of Barcelona; and Princess Maria de la Esperanza, the wife of Prince Pedro Gastao of Orleans-Braganza. She is also survived by two stepchildren: Prince Alfonso (1901) and Princess Isabel Alfonso (1904), Countess Jan Zamoyski.
The Countess of Barcelona and Princess Esperanza were at their mother's bedside when she died.
Pecking order - Philip in third place in precedence
April 18, 1948
King George VI has issued an order of Precedence at court. His new son-in-law, Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh is the "third man of importance" below the King at court functions, unless "Philip is escorting Princess Elizabeth," reports the Chicago Tribune.
The Duke of Edinburgh's position at court ranks below the King's two brothers, the Duke of Gloucester and the Duke of Windsor, But for the "joint precedence" list, Princess Elizabeth, Duchess of Edinburgh, and the Duke of Edinburgh are directly after King George and Queen Elizabeth.
Queen Elizabeth and Queen Mary are at the top of the precedence for women, followed by Princess Elizabeth, Duchess of Edinburgh, Princess Margaret, the Princess Royal (Mary), the Duchess of Gloucester, and the Duchess of Kent.
Tuesday, April 17, 2018
Barbara Bush - and the Queen and Prince Philip
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| HRH The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh and Mrs. Bush |
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| President and Mrs. Bush welcome the Queen and Prince Philip to the White House. |
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| all five photos @Marlene A. Eilers Koenig |
I took these photos of Barbara Bush in May 1991 during the State visit of HM Queen Elizabeth II
a lovely thank you
A thank you from the Hereditary Prince and Princess of Hannover on the occasion of the birth of their first child, Princess Elisabeth.
Wednesday, April 11, 2018
Countess Marie-Thérèse von Waldburg zu Zeil und Hohenems (1965-2018)
It is with great sadness that I write about the death of Countess Marie-Thérèse Margit Viola Hanna Daisy Antonia von Waldburg zu Zeil und Hohenems who died at Kempfenhausen after a long illness, believed to be multiple sclerosis. She was 52 years old.
She was born at Vienna on July 23, 1965, the daughter of Count Franz Nemes de Hidvég et Oltszem and Countess Maria Antonia Thun von Hohenstein.
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| Count Vitus von Waldburg zu Zeil und Hohenems |
Countess Marie-Thérèse married H Ill H Count Vitus Franziskus Rupert Benedict Josef Wunibald Maria von Waldburg zu Zeil und Hohenems at the Maria Treu church in Vienna on April 28, 1990. The civil marriage had taken place a month earlier on March 9 at Kitzbühel.
The family lived in Stuttgart for several years before moving to Bad Wurzach, a small town in southern Germany.
Marie-Thérèse and her husband were the parents of four children: Countess Marie-Valerie Thérèse Benedikta Antonia Josefa Walburga (1991), Count Benedikt Vitus Franz Josef Nikolaus Maria Wunibald (1992), Count Antonius Vitus Sebastian Georg Leo Willibald Maria (1995) and Countess Maria-Leopoldina Thérèse Aloisa Gertrud Viola Walburga (1998).
Countess Marie-Valerie married Baron Hubertus Riesdel zu Eisenbach in 2017.
The family are devout Catholics and their faith has been the source of great comfort through Marie-Thérèse's illness. She was a member of the Order of the Starry Cross.
Count Vitus, a member of the Order of Malta, was ordained as a deacon in the Catholic church in 2010. The ceremony took place in Wurzach in the present of the Count's family and friends. Georg, Prince of Waldburg zu Zeil was among those were present for the ordination.
He has served in several positions. In 2016, Count Vitus joined the pastoral care staff at a hospital in Wangen.
https://www.katholische-kirche-wangen.de/startseite/seelsorgeteam/
Countess Marie-Thérèse is survived by her husband, their four children, her mother, Countess Maria Antonia, and her three siblings, Countess Helene, Countess Marie-Gabriella and Count Albert and their families.
The funeral will take place on April 14 at the Wallfahrtskirche Mariä Himmelfahrt in Maria-Thann.
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| Point de Vue |
Tuesday, April 10, 2018
Archduke Imre to speak at Christendom College in Virginia
From Christendom College's website:
"His Imperial and Royal Highness Imre of Habsburg-Lorraine will deliver an exclusive talk to the Christendom community on Thursday, April 12, titled: “100 Years Later: Quo Vadis Europa?” The talk will begin at 7:00 p.m. in the college’s St. Lawrence Commons.
Archduke Imre will be on campus with his wife, Her Imperial and Royal Highness Kathleen of Habsburg-Lorraine, for the event. Archduke Imre is the eldest son of Archduke Carl Christian of Austria, and the great-grandson of Blessed Emperor Karl of Austria, who was beatified by Pope Saint John Paul II.
Archduke Imre is noted for his lectures on his great-grandfather, who was the only political leader to support Benedict XV’s peace efforts during World War I."
Christendom College, a liberal arts Catholic school, is located in Front Royal, Virginia.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/140470577@N06/albums/72157692473311712/page2/
A romance for Princess Luisa Maria of Belgium
Both are students at Montreal's McGill University, where both are expected to graduate later this spring.
Princess Luisa Maria Anna Martine Pilar, 22, is the fourth of five children of Princess Astrid of Belgium and her husband, Prince Lorenz (Archduke Lorenz of Austria). Prince Karl-Ilias Nikolaus Gobertus Maria of Auersperg-Bruenner, 22, is the eldest of three children of HSH Prince Karl Georg Adolf Maria Gobertus of Auersperg-Breunner and his Greek wife, Demetra Lalouinis.
Karl-Ilias and his younger siblings were born in London, where their father has worked in finance.
The elder Prince Karl is currently an executive director with Lombard Odier, a private Swiss bank, based in their London office. Previous to this position he served in executive positions with J.P. Morgan and Credit Suisse. He is the third of five children of HSH Prince Karl Marie Gobertus of Auersperg-Breunner and Countess Friederike von Starhemberg. His eldest paternal aunt, Princess Eleonore of Auersperg-Breunner is the wife of Duke Georg of Hohenberg, a grandson of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria and Countess Sophie Chotek, while his youngest paternal aunt, Princess Marianne of Auersperg-Bruenner is married to Prince Ludwig of Baden, the youngest of three children of Princess Theodora of Greece and Denmark and Berthold, Margrave of Baden.
One of Karl's uncles, Prince Heinrich, was married to Archduchess Elisabeth of Austria, who died in 1998.
Princess Karl is better known by her maiden name, Demetra Lalounis. Her father Ilias founded Lalouinis jewelry firm, a favorite of Jackie Onassis.
http://www.theflairindex.com/women/flair-woman-demetra-lalaounis/
Karl-Ilias attended St. Philip's School in South Kensington in London and Wellington College boarding school.
Princess Luisa Maria is 9th in line to the Belgium throne. She is not expected to have an official role as a member of the Belgium royal family. The princess will have her own career. She attended the Sevenoaks school in Kent and is now a student at McGill University where she is studying economics and political science.
In March, the princess was invited to an event in Montreal during the state visit of King Philippe and Queen Mathilde. Luisa Maria was also present when her aunt paid a visit to the school the following day.
http://www.parismatch.com/Royal-Blog/famille-royale-belge/Mathilde-a-retrouve-sa-niece-Luisa-Maria-a-Montreal-1482320
Wednesday, April 4, 2018
The marriage of Leo Graf Czernin von Chudenitz and Marie Trotzky
The marriage of Count Leo Czernin von Chudenitz and Marie Trotzky, which took place last September.
Count Leo is the son of Count Karl Eugen Czernin v. Chudenitz and Countess Fiona von Rechberg und Rothenlöwen zu Hohenrechberg, Marie Trotzky is the daughter of Sergei Sergeievitch Trotzky and Princess Felicitas of Sachsen-Coburg-Gotha.
The Reign in Spain ...
Easter Sunday is the celebration of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is the most important day in the Christian calendar.
Easter is also a day when families spend time together, first at church, then perhaps a lovely lunch. Unfortunately, a video of what many have described as a tense situation between Queen Sofia and her daughter-in-law, Queen Letizia, has gone viral.
Shortly before the family would leave the church, they stopped to greet other people. Queen Sofia pulled her two granddaughters, Leonor, the Princess of Asturias, and Infanta Sofia toward her for a photograph. Queen Letizia walked in front of them to shake the hand of someone she knew. She turned around, said something, and pulled Leonor away. Queen Sofia tried to pull her two granddaughters toward her, but Leonor pushed her away as well.
King Juan Carlos, his gait unsteady even with the aid of a cane, was perplexed by the scene. King Felipe VI spoke to his wife and to his mother, perhaps trying to diffuse the situation.
Queen Sofia is a much loved Queen Consort. She has carried out her duties professionally and with elan. But, privately, she has suffered much heartache.
Her marriage in 1961 to Juan Carlos was carefully encouraged and arranged.
Sofia was the first queen consort since 1931 when King Alfonso XIII and Queen Victoria Eugenia went into exile. Francisco Franco would bring back the monarchy on his own terms and he toyed, sometimes rather cruelly, with Juan Carlos and his father, Juan, the Count of Barcelona. In 1975, the Generalissimo died and Juan Carlos became king.
Sofia, the eldest child of King Paul I of the Hellenes and his wife, Frederica of Hannover, was perfectly suited to be a queen. She gave birth to three children, Elena (1963), Cristina (1965) and Felipe (1968), who was named as Prince of Asturias after his father became king.
For years the foreign press, notably the Germans and French, reported on rumors about Juan Carlos' infidelities. It took decades before the Spanish press summoned the courage to write about the king's mistresses.
One can only imagine and sympathize with Sofia's private and public humiliation. There have been unsubstantiated reports that Sofia had every intention of leaving her husband.
She stayed, as a wife, mother, grandmother. Her children, especially her son, were at the forefront of her life. Nothing -- not even Juan Carlos' behavior -- would detract her from her focus: preparing the Prince of the Asturias for the throne.
Felipe succeeded to the throne following the abdication of King Juan Carlos in June 2014.
Queen Sofia is devoted to her three children and her eight grandchildren. But she has been saddened by events in her children's lives. Infanta Elena's marriage ended in divorce and Infanta Cristina and her husband, Iñaki Urdangarin, were charged with tax fraud and corruption in the Noos Institute case. In early 2017, Cristina was acquitted of corruption charges but her husband was found guilty on several counts including fraud and tax evasion. He was sentenced to six years and three months in jail although arrangements are still being made for Urdangarin to be sent to prison.
The Queen has been supportive of Infanta Cristina and there have been reports in the Spanish media that she has been pushing Felipe to allow Cristina and her four children back into the family. She may have been acquitted of charges, but few people see Cristina as innocent in not knowing what her husband was doing. There is no doubt in my mind that Letizia (and Felipe) want to keep Cristina away from royal life. Neither she nor her older sister, Infanta Elena, have carried out official engagements since Felipe's succession. They remain members of the King's family, but are no longer members of the Royal Family.
This also happened when Juan Carlos came to the throne. His two sisters, Infanta Pilar and Infanta Margarita, were not included as members of the Royal Family, but were members of the King's family. Unlike the present king's sisters, Pilar and Margarita lost their succession rights when they married as they married under the old rules. Their children do not have dynastic rights.
Elena and Cristina and their children remain in line to the throne.
Sofia has lived in Spain for nearly 57 years, but none of her close friends are Spanish. She has never gotten close to members of Spain's aristocracy. Her two closest friends are her sister, Princess Irene, who lives in Madrid, and her cousin, Princess Tatiana Radziwill and her husband, Dr. Jean Henri Fruchaud. Tatiana is the daughter of the late Princess Eugenie of Greece and Denmark and Prince Dominik Radziwill.
Her family, especially her children, are everything to her.
The Queen certainly hoped that her son would make a grand royal marriage. Princess Tatiana of Liechtenstein moved to Madrid, ostensibly to study, but the real goal, according to the late Infanta Maria Cristina of Spain, was to get to know Felipe. Maria Cristina, the younger daughter of King Alfonso XIII, confirmed this in a letter to me.
Other noblewomen, including Countess Caroline of Waldburg zu Wolfbegg und Waldsee, were also "pushed" toward Felipe, but he was having none of it. It is said that he wanted to marry Isabel Sartorius, the daughter of Vicente Sartorius y Cabeza de Vaca, 4th Marquis de Mariño, and Isabel Zorraquín y de Corral. Isabel's parents were divorced and her mother married Peruvian politician Manuel de Ulloa.
Isabel joined her mother in Lima, but it was not a satisfying experience for mother or daughter. Ulloa, according to Isabel's autobiography, mistreated her mother and turned her into a cocaine addict. It was Isabel who sneaked out of the house to meet with her mother's dealers and purchase the cocaine.
Isabel's mother spent years in clinics, eventually being cured of her drug addiction. She divorced de Ulloa, who then married Princess Elizabeth of Yugoslavia. Isabel's father also remarried. His second wife was Princess Nora of Liechtenstein, who is Princess Tatiana's aunt.
Despite her noble birth, Isabel Sartorius was not considered suitable for Felipe. She would admit years later that she suffered from co-dependency issues that evolved from her concern for her mother and she underwent treatment for it, She has never married but in 1997, she gave birth to a daughter, Mencia, the result of her relationship with Javier de Soto y Fitzjames-Stuart, Count of Montalvo.
Felipe had several long-term relationships, before meeting Letizia Ortiz Rocasolano, a journalist, whose first marriage (a civil ceremony only) had ended in divorce.
Other girlfriends had not been accepted by his parents, and Letizia, well-educated, but a commoner, was no different. This time, however, Felipe put his foot down and made it clear to his parents that he loved Letizia and would marry her.
Juan Carlos was especially not pleased with Felipe's choice, but Sofia was determined to accept Letizia into the family. She would later acknowledge that she has little in common with Letizia. She also regrets that she does not get to see her granddaughters as often as she would like.
This was the first time in four years that King Juan Carlos attended the Easter mass with his family.
Leonor, 12, having a pre-teen mood, not only pushed her grandmother away. She also pushed her mother's hand, perhaps not wanting to smile for anyone.
Perhaps Queen Letizia thought it inappropriate to snap a photo inside the church before everyone gathered outside for a group photo.
Isabel joined her mother in Lima, but it was not a satisfying experience for mother or daughter. Ulloa, according to Isabel's autobiography, mistreated her mother and turned her into a cocaine addict. It was Isabel who sneaked out of the house to meet with her mother's dealers and purchase the cocaine.
Isabel's mother spent years in clinics, eventually being cured of her drug addiction. She divorced de Ulloa, who then married Princess Elizabeth of Yugoslavia. Isabel's father also remarried. His second wife was Princess Nora of Liechtenstein, who is Princess Tatiana's aunt.
Despite her noble birth, Isabel Sartorius was not considered suitable for Felipe. She would admit years later that she suffered from co-dependency issues that evolved from her concern for her mother and she underwent treatment for it, She has never married but in 1997, she gave birth to a daughter, Mencia, the result of her relationship with Javier de Soto y Fitzjames-Stuart, Count of Montalvo.
Other girlfriends had not been accepted by his parents, and Letizia, well-educated, but a commoner, was no different. This time, however, Felipe put his foot down and made it clear to his parents that he loved Letizia and would marry her.
Juan Carlos was especially not pleased with Felipe's choice, but Sofia was determined to accept Letizia into the family. She would later acknowledge that she has little in common with Letizia. She also regrets that she does not get to see her granddaughters as often as she would like.
This was the first time in four years that King Juan Carlos attended the Easter mass with his family.
Leonor, 12, having a pre-teen mood, not only pushed her grandmother away. She also pushed her mother's hand, perhaps not wanting to smile for anyone.
Perhaps Queen Letizia thought it inappropriate to snap a photo inside the church before everyone gathered outside for a group photo.
https://look.okdiario.com/videos/2018/04/03/letizia-reina-sofia-enfrentamiento-393318
http://www.abc.es/espana/abci-reinas-letizia-y-dona-sofia-protagonistas-misa-resurreccion-palma-201804032215_video.html
http://videos.elmundo.es/v/0_uhcw4wiq-el-rifirrafe-entre-la-reina-letizia-y-dona-sofia-que-obliga-al-rey-a-intervenir?uetv_pl=actualidad&count=1
http://www.abc.es/espana/abci-reinas-letizia-y-dona-sofia-protagonistas-misa-resurreccion-palma-201804032215_video.html
http://videos.elmundo.es/v/0_uhcw4wiq-el-rifirrafe-entre-la-reina-letizia-y-dona-sofia-que-obliga-al-rey-a-intervenir?uetv_pl=actualidad&count=1
Crown Princess Marie Chantal of Greece, the wife of Crown Prince Pavlos, who is Felipe's first cousin, got into a heated discussion on Twitter. In response to a comment made by a Spanish journalist, Marie Chantal said "No grandmother deserves that type of treatment! Wow, she’s shown her true colours."
Queen Sofia and Pavlos' father, King Constantine II, are siblings. The Queen remains close to her Greek family. Although Felipe and Pavlos were roommates at Georgetown University in the mid-1990s, they don't see each other as often as before. Felipe did attend Pavlos' 50th birthday party last July but came without Letizia.
Marie Chantal, whose family is worth billions, and Letizia don't have a lot in common, apart from their marriages to first cousins. They do not move in the same social circles.
The exchange of comments is telling about how Marie Chantal thinks about her husband's cousin's wife.
The video has evoked a torrent of criticism, especially toward Letizia. Watch the video carefully. Queen Sofia is not happy that she missed out on a photo opp with her granddaughters, but Letizia is their mother, and she has every right to decide when it is appropriate or not to have a photo taken.
Queen Letizia has spoken of her respect and admiration for her mother-in-law and they have carried out engagements together. She is happily married. She has a husband who loves her and who is a devoted father to their two daughters.
Look also at Leonor, who may have been having a mini-meltdown in church. Grandma wants a photo but Mom has something else on her mind.
In the second link, the royal family gathers for another family snap. Queen Sofia gives Leonor a kiss. Letizia appears to be wiping the kiss away. She does the same thing to Infanta Sofia. More likely, she was wiping away the lipstick so it would not appear in the photos.
There are probably several different versions of what actually happened on Easter Sunday.
The tension was certainly heady and palpable. Letizia was being a mom, trying to make sure her daughters were behaving. Queen Sofia's face showed the pain and sadness of being rebuffed, but within minutes, everyone was once again smiling before the cameras,
We don't know the aftermath after everyone returned to the Marivent Palace. We do not know if the two queens talked about the incident or not.
We also do not need to know what actually happened.
Tuesday, April 3, 2018
A lovely thank you
Getting this card is such a joy. The marriage last September of the Hereditary Prince (Ferdinand) of Leiningen and Princess Viktoria Luise of Prussia was the first marriage between two descendants since 1981 when Ferdinand's parents, Prince Andreas of Leiningen and Princess Alexandra of Hanover were married.
A lovely photograph --- and that historic tiara!!!!!!
A lovely photograph --- and that historic tiara!!!!!!
BULLETIN: Duke of Edinburgh admitted to hospital
The 96-year-old husband of Queen Elizabeth II has been sidelined for several weeks with a hip injury. He was unable to accompany the Queen to the Maundy Thursday and Easter Services at St. George's Chapel.
http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-43633549
Sunday, April 1, 2018
Romanian Royal family sues Ministry of Enviromment
Four months after the death of the late King Michael, his five daughters led by Her Majesty Margareta, Custodian of the Crown has filed suit against the Ministry of the Environment, demanding more than one million lei in compensation for not being permitted to develop a part of the King's forest land.
Romania had returned 140,000 hectares of forest land near Săvârșin, the King's country home.
In 2015, the late king filed four lawsuits against the Ministry of the Environment, but two of his complaints were rejected. Michael was not pleased that he could not use or develop 1,255 hectares of forest in the Săvârşin area, land that was given to the Royal House by law.
The forest is located in a protected area.
The Ministry of the Environment acknowledged that the king was entitled to financial compensation but without a ruling from the European Commission, the King could not receive the compensation.
Margareta and her four younger sisters, Princess Helen, Irina Walker, Princess Sophie and Princess Marie will continue the legal battle that their father began three years ago in another attempt to be able to use their own property.
Easter at Windsor
Queen Elizabeth II attended Easter Service earlier today at St. George's Chapel, Windsor. She was joined by the Duke of York, Princess Beatrice of York, Princess Eugenie of York and her fiance, Jack Brooksbank, the Earl and Countess of Wessex and their two children, Lady Louise Windsor and Lord Severn, the Princess Royal, Peter and Autumn Phillips and Zara Tindall. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge arrived after the Queen due to traffic issues.
These photos were taken by a good friend, Katrina Warne. She is the copyright holder.
These photos were taken by a good friend, Katrina Warne. She is the copyright holder.
