The religious wedding of Nicholas and Alina de Roumanie

Nicholas and Alina-Maria de Roumanie were married earlier today at Biserica Sfantul Ilie at Sinaia according to the rites of the Romanian Orthodox ceremony.  The officiant was Archbishop Calinic of Arges and Muscel.   The couple's civil ceremony took place last October in Henley-on-Thames.

The only member of the Nicholas' family to attend the wedding was his younger sister, Karina.

Although the Duke of Vendome was expected to attend the wedding, he was not in the cathedral.  It is understood that his wife, Philomena, is expecting a child in the not-too-distant future.

Princess Eleonore of Schaumburg-Lippe, the daughter of Prince Waldemar of Schaumburg-Lippe and his first wife, Anne-Lise Johansen,  was the only royal guest.

The reception was held at the Casino Sinaia.

This was the first royal wedding in Sinaia since 1931 when Nicholas' great-great-aunt Princess Ileana of Romania married Archduke Anton of Austria.

The first two photos were taken by a friend of a friend of mine who was at the wedding.

It must be noted that the area around the cathedral and the Casino Sinaia were lined with people offering good wishes and a lot of cheers for the couple.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jpON2b1sXIc

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Countess Anna Theresa of Arco-Zinneberg marries Colin McKenzie

Countess Anna Theresa of Arco-Zinneberg married Colin McKenzie in a Roman Catholic ceremony on Saturday at Niederaltaich Abbey, near Deggendorf in Bavaria.

The 36-year-old bride is the eldest of six daughters of Count Riprand of Arco-Zinneberg and Archduchess Maria Beatrice of Austria, daughter of the late Archduke Robert of Austria and Princess Margherita of Savoy-Aosta.

The bride was raised in the United States where her father has worked in investing and managing real estate.  He founded the American Asset Corporation (AAC), "a real estate investment and development company" headquartered in New York City.   Count Riprand also is a majority interest holder in "farming, forest products, brewery, and real estate companies" in Germany, Austria,  and the Czech Republic.

http://royalmusingsblogspotcom.blogspot.com/2018/10/photos-wedding-of-countess-anna-theresa.html

She received an MBA from the London School of Economics in 2015.

The reception was held at Schloss Moos, the bride's family home.   The castle belonged to the von Preysing family for nearly 400 years.  The last von Preysing to own the castle was Count Kaspar von Preysing-Lichtenberg-Moos, a grandson of King Ludwig III of Bavaria.   He died in 1940 at the age of 21.  The estate passed to his sister, Countess Theresia von Preysing-Lichtenegg-Moos, who married in 1941 to Count Ludwig of Arco-Zinneberg.  Count Riprand is their son.

https://www.pnp.de/lokales/landkreis_deggendorf/osterhofen/3088201_Graefin-von-und-zu-Arco-Zinneberg-heiratet-in-Basilika-Niederalteich.html


https://www.idowa.de/gallery.moos-graefliches-haus-feiert-die-hochzeit-des-jahres.af11c559-1880-4170-980b-f2e98500eb5b.html/id/b101cb7f-d475-47a1-ad62-31b7520c358e



The family owns Arcobräu at Moos.   Count Riprand stated in an earlier interview that Countess Anna Theresa will inherit Schloss Moos. She already works for the brewery and for GAM, a real estate firm.

New York-born Colin McKenzie was born in 1976.   He grew up in Spain, Brazil and in England and is the head of research for  CROCI - Systematic Equity Investments,  Deutsche Asset Management.    He received an MA in Mathematics with Philosophy from the University of Oxford in 1998.

The guests include the bride's Uncle Archduke Lorenz of Austria and his wife, Princess Astrid of Belgium,  Count and Countess Rodolphe of Limburg-Stirum (Archduchess Marie Christine of Austria),  Grand Duchess Maria Teresa of Luxembourg and the Hereditary Grand Duke and Grand Duchess of Luxembourg.  Prince Nikolaus and Princess Margaretha of Liechtenstein with their son, Prince Josef,  the Hereditary Prince and Princess of Leiningen.

Prince Jean-Christophe Napoleon was also a guest, presumably still the partner of Anna Theresa's sister, Countess Olympia.

The witnesses for the bride were Hereditary Grand Duke of Luxembourg, Princess Adelheid of Liechtenstein and the Hereditary Prince of Leiningen. Mr. McKenzie's witnesses were the Hon. Maxwell Aitken, the Hon. Hugh Chisholm and Prince Kahlid bin Bandar al Saud.

https://www.nettyroyalblog.nl/engagements-weddings/a-sunny-wedding-in-bavaria-with-an-impressive-guestlist/


https://www.arcobraeu.de/en

https://www.linkedin.com/in/colin-mckenzie-2a06903/

Well, well, well ... Martina ends relationship with Ashley

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That was quick.   New York Post's gossip columnist Richard Johnson is reporting that Martina Mondadori Sartogo has ended her relationship with British interior designer Ashley Hicks.

Johnson writes:  "She was in love with Ashley until she realized everyone was going to hate her. So she has bailed."

Sartogo, who founded the "luxury design magazine Cabana, apparently received nasty comments on her Instagram page.   She broke up with Hicks to "save her reputation."

Ashley admitted the affair to his wife, Kata Sharkey de Solis, in late August, only weeks after she announced that she was pregnant with their second son.   The couple's first son, Caspian, was born in January.   Martina is one of Caspian's godparents.

Ashley has a new book coming out in October titled Buckingham Palace: the Interiors," with the forward written by his godfather, the Prince of Wales.

A launch party was scheduled for October 2 at the Ralph Lauren store in London.   The event has apparently been canceled.







https://pagesix.com/2018/09/26/karma-catches-up-with-prince-charles-cousin-who-left-pregnant-wife-for-her-friend/


http://royalmusingsblogspotcom.blogspot.com/2018/09/ashley-hicks-new-love-is-wifes-friend.html

Alexandra of Hanover loses place in British succession

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The newest issue of Point de Vue includes an interview with Colonel  Luc Fringant, who is retiring after thirty years of service with the Princely Family of Monaco.  He recounted the moving departure ceremony and noted that "Princesses Caroline and Stephanie had tears in their eyes, which was worth every speech in the world."

Colonel Fringant added:  "My regret is that Alexandra of Hanover, who chose me as her godfather when she was baptized in the Catholic faith, could not be there."

HRH Princess Alexandra Charlotte Ulrike Maryam Virginia of Hanover is the only child of HRH Prince Ernst August of Hanover and HSH Princess Caroline of Monaco.  She was born on July 20, 1999, at Vöcklabruck, Upper Austria.

The Hanover royal family is Lutheran.  Alexandra was baptized on September 19, 1999, by Horst Hirschler, Bishop of the Evangelical-Lutheran Church of Hanover.  The ceremony was private in contrast to the baptisms of the princess' older half-brothers.  Hereditary Prince Ernst August, whose godparents included the future King Felipe VI of Spain, was baptized at the chapel at Schoss Marienburg, as was his younger brother, Prince Christian.    Pastor Gerhard Menzel officiated at both ceremonies.

Alexandra's baptism was private and took place at her father's home in Auerbach, near Grünau im Almtal, Upper Austria. Her godparents are her paternal aunt the  Princess (Alexandra)  of Leiningen, her maternal half-sister Charlotte Casiraghi, Ulrike Ulmschneider, Maryam Sachs, Virginia Gallico, George Condo, and Eric Maier. 

Virginia Gallico, the widow of the American writer Paul Gallico, was one of the late Princess Grace's close friends.  The Iranian-born writer, Maryam Sachs, was married to Swiss writer, Rolf Sachs, who is now the partner of Princess Mafalda of Hesse.

The Prince of Leiningen and Rolf Sachs are among the Hereditary Prince's godfathers.

No photos of the baptism were released, but the event was covered by the French, German and Austrian press.   

The princess is the third member of the family to bear the name Alexandra.  The  Alexandra (1882-1963) was the third child of  Prince Ernst August of Hanover, Duke of Cumberland and Teviotdale, and Princess Thyra of Denmark.   She was named for Thyra's eldest sister, Alexandra, who was married to the Princess of Wales.  The second Princess Alexandra (1959) is married to the Prince of Leiningen


Princess Alexandra made her public debut on November 19, 1999, when she was carried onto the Princely palace balcony and held by her father during the celebrations for Prince Rainier.

Alexandra was a British dynast, according to the Act of Settlement and the more recent Succession to the Crown Act.   The moment she was received into the Roman Catholic Church, she ceased to have succession rights to the British throne, and is considered dead to the succession.  Her father lost his rights when he married Princess Caroline seven months before Alexandra's birth but regained his remote place in the succession with the passage of the Succession to the Crown Act (2013).  Roman Catholics remain barred from the throne, but those persons who married Catholics have regained their succession rights.

Alexandra's decision to join the Catholic  Church is not a surprise.  She has grown up in Monaco.  She has spent far more time with her mother and the Monegasque Princely family, which is Roman Catholic, than with her father,  Prince Ernst August.

The date of the reception into the Roman Catholic Church is not known.

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Adding to my royal postcard collection

Princess Marie Gabrielle and Count Knud of Holstein Ledreborg and their eldest daughter, Monica

Princess Marie Gabrielle, Countess Knud of Holstein-Ledreborg and her first two daughters, Monica & Lydia

Princess Alix de Ligne

The Prince and Princess de Ligne and their first daughter, Anne (1954)

Princess Margaretha of Luxembourg - first Communion

Princess Anne and Prince Wauthier de Ligne

Princess Elisabeth,  Princess Marie Adelaide and Hereditary Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg

The Princess de Ligne with Princesses Anne and Sophie de Ligne

New additions to my royal postcard collection 

Mail Call

Recently arrived here -- yesterday and today

The first card commemorates the 7th wedding anniversary of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, which was on April 29th.   I think we can assume that Clarence House has been rather busy in responding to cards for anniversaries, births, baptisms, birthdays and weddings.

The second response is from the King and Queen of the Belgians for their son, Prince Gabriel's birthday.

Meghan glows during first "solo" engagement

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The Duchess of Sussex's first solo engagement went off without a hitch although her husband, the Duke of Sussex, may have tried to sneak a Samosa without anyone looking.

Earlier today on the grounds of Kensington Palace, the Duchess hosted a luncheon to celebrate the publication of Together: Our Community Cookbook, which features the recipes from the women of the Hubb Community Kitchen.  The women were among the survivors of the Grenfell Fire in June 2017.

Hubb means love in Arabic -- and a lot of love was in the dishes served at the luncheon.

The Duchess of Sussex was accompanied by her husband and her mom, Doria Ragland, who flew from Los Angeles to see her daughter's project come to fruition.

In the last few hours, I have read a plethora of criticism directed toward Meghan and her mother from message boards hags and nags and racist bitches on Twitter.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=4&v=tgJQ-kTEU2w

Oh dear, Doria was in a tax-payer-funded car with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.  'Cuse me, but the seat she sat in would have been empty if she were not in the car.  No extra gas (petrol) was used.  The car came from Nottingham Cottage.   I doubt people would have gotten their knickers in a twist if Doria had been a foreign royal or the Duchess of Ragland.

I think Doria's presence had the ERII seal of approval.

  

 So many are also offended or upset because most of the guests were (GASP!) Muslims and black people ...  Oh dear ... so many must have suffered the vapors and headed for their fainting couches to recover.

The majority of the residents of the Grenfell Towers, including those who were killed in the fire, are not white.  So what?  Britain is a multicultural society, which is a good thing.  Celebrate it.

The Queen is the sovereign of 16 countries, where not all the residents are white or Christian.   If the Queen can be queen of countries where the majority of residents are black and accept it ... so can you.

The Duchess of Sussex hit a home run with this project, which has been in the works since before the wedding.  She made numerous private visits to the kitchen to meet with the women, and learn about their struggles - and how she could help.

The cookbook is already a bestseller. 

Well done, darling Duchess,  Well done.

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Nicholas and Alina de Roumanie's wedding schedule

Here is the official wedding schedule for the religious wedding of Nicholas and Alina-Maria de Roumanie, which will take place on September 30.

Lady Gabriella Windsor to marry Tom Kingston

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Lady Gabriella Windsor is to marry Tom Kingston in the spring of 2019, according to an announcement released by Buckingham Palace:

"Prince and Princess Michael of Kent are delighted to announce the engagement of their daughter Lady Gabriella Windsor to Mr Thomas Kingston.

"The engagement took place in August; Mr Kingston proposed on the Isle of Sark."

Lady Ella, 37, is "senior director at Branding Latin America. a brand-positioning platform that specializes in the region."

A director of Devonport Capital,  headquartered in Plymouth,  Tom specializes in frontier market investment. 

Thomas Henry Robin Kingston was born on June 22, 1978, at Evesham.  He is the son of William. Martin Kingston and Jill Mary Bache.  They were married on September  13, 1972, at Himbleton, Droitwich.   Jill Kingston runs the Nadezhda Charitable Trust, which supports "a wide range of projects but with a particular emphasis on Zimbabwe, a country where there are significant needs appropriate to the Trusts objectives."  Martin Kingston is also a trustee of the charity.

Tom's father is a QC and one of the UK's top lawyers in Planning and the Environment.

https://www.no5.com/barristers/barrister-cvs/martin-kingston-qc--planning-environment/

Mr. and Mrs. Kingston live at Kemble House in Kemble, near Cirencester.  The house was built in the 17th century.


Lady Gabriella was born at St. Mary's, Lindo Wing, on April 23, 1981.  At the time of her birth, she was 17th in line to the throne after her brother, Lord Frederick, who was born on April 6, 1979.

Her baptism took place at the Chapel Royal, St. James's Palace, on June 8, 1981.  She was given the names Gabriella Marina Alexandra Ophelia and her godparents were the King of the Hellenes,  Prince Mariano Hugo of Windisch-Graetz, Miss Marina Ogilvy, the Marchioness of Douro, and Lady Elizabeth Shakerley.

Her fourth Christian name acknowledged her date of birth, which was William Shakespeare's birthday.

King Constantine II of the Hellenes is a second cousin of Prince Michael, as his late father King Paul, and Michael's mother, Marina, were first cousins.   The Prince of Windisch-Graetz is married to Archduchess Sophie of Austria, whose mother, Countess Helen of Toerring-Jettenach, is a first cousin of Prince Michael.  Her mother, Princess Elisabeth of Greece and Denmark, was the middle of the three daughters of Prince Nicholas of Greece and Denmark and Grand Duchess Helen Wladimirovna of Russia.   Prince Mariano-Hugo also acted as a witness at the marriage of Lady Ella's first cousin, Lord Nicholas  Windsor, when he married Paola Frankopan in 2006. 

Marina Ogilvy, now 52, is the younger daughter of Princess Alexandra of Kent and the late Hon. Sir. Angus Ogilvy.  She is a first cousin of Lady Ella. 

The Marchioness of Douro (HRH Princess Antonia of Prussia) is a descendant of Queen Victoria.  She married Lord Douro, the eldest son of the 8th Duke of Wellington.  He succeeded his father in 2014 as the 9th Duke of Wellington.  Princess Antonia is now styled as Her Grace The Duchess of Wellington.

Lady Elizabeth Shakerley is the daughter of the late Thomas, Viscount Anson, and Anne Bowes-Lyon, a niece of the late Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother.   She is the sister of the late the 5th Earl of Lichfield (the photographer Patrick Lichfield) and was the second wife of the late Sir Geoffrey Shakerley, BT, also a noted society photographer.  Lady Elizabeth runs a very successful party planning business.

Lady Ella is a member of the board of Playing for Change and Toucan Ventures

https://playingforchange.org/ella-windsor/

https://www.brandinglatinamerica.com/meet-the-team/

https://playingforchange.org/ella-windsor/

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/09/19/royal-wedding-number-3-lady-gabriellawindsor-announces-engagement/

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Ashley Hicks' new love is wife's friend

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Interior designer Ashley Hicks left his pregnant wife, Kata, for a friend of hers, Martina Mondadori Sartogo, publisher of Cabana magazine, according to a Page Six report in the New York Post.

Mondari Sartogo lives in London with her husband and three children.

The affair began in June when, Ashley, a grandson of the late Earl Mountbatten of Burma, and Martina traveled together to Genoa, Italy, for a business trip.

A month later, Kata learned that she was pregnant with a second child.   The couple's first child, Caspian William Donald Sebastian, was born on January 21, 2018 in Oxford.   Martina is one of Caspian's godparents.

Ashley "confessed" to Kata about the affair in mid-August.  On August 28, he sent an email to a friend:   "You’ll think me a perfect monster, I’m sure, but I’ve actually left my poor pregnant wife in order to be with my lovely friend Martina . . . Oh, dear.”

https://pagesix.com/2018/09/17/prince-charles-cousin-dumps-pregnant-wife-for-her-close-friend/

Wedding preparations for Nicholas & Alina

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Just two weeks to go before Nicholas and Alina Maria de Roumanie will marry in a religious ceremony in Sinaia on September 30.

Nicholas, the grandson of the late King Michael, is in Sinaia making the final preparations.  The reception will be held at the Sinaia Casino.

More than 200 invitations have been sent out.   Nicholas' sister, Karina Medforth-Mills will be attending the wedding.  However, their mother, Princess Helen will not be attending, nor will Nicholas' aunt, Margarita, who is the head of the house.

According to the Romania news organization,  Mediafax,  Helen informed her son in a phone call that she would not be attending the wedding.  However, the information that HM Margarita returned the invitation unopened is incorrect.   The Royal House has not responded to the invitation.


Nicholas said the wedding will be a traditional one and reception in the evening "more formal."

https://www.mediafax.ro/social/casa-regala-nu-va-participa-la-nunta-fostului-principe-nicolae-ce-s-a-intamplat-cu-invitatia-trimisa-17521348

Princess Helene of Yugoslavia and Stanislas Fougeron: religious wedding

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Princess Helene of Yugoslavia and Stanislas Fougeron exchanged vows earlier today at the Saint Etienne de Janville church in Janville, France.   The couple was married in a civil ceremony in Paris on March 12, which was the Princess' 55th birthday.

This is the second marriage for Princess Helene.  Her first marriage to Thierry Gaubert, a civil ceremony only, ended in divorce.  She has three children from this marriage:  Milena, Nastasia, and Leopold.   Since 2017, Milena has been married to Jonathan Namios.

Her twin brother, Prince Serge of Yugoslavia escorted the bride to the church.   Other members of Princess Helene's family who attended the wedding including her son, Leopold Gaubert,  her half-brother, Prince Michel of Yugoslavia and her half-sister, Amelie de Bourbon-Parme,  her sister-in-law, Princess Eleonora of Yugoslavia, her mother, Princess Maria Pia of Bourbon-Parma (nee Savoy) and Emanuele Fililberto, Prince of Piedmont, her first cousin.

Helene and Stanislas will live at his home, Chateau de Villeprévost, in Tillay-le-Péneux, where the reception was held.

Crown Princess Mary in Finland

Crown Princess Mary of Denmark visited Finland yesterday to honor the centenary of diplomatic relations between Denmark and Finland.

The Crown Princess replaced her husband, Crown Prince Frederik, as he is recovering from surgery and was unable to make the trip.


Thank you to  @timanttisalonki for allowing me the use of this superb photo.

Mail Call ... again

In the mailbox today ... so the only one that has not arrived in the wedding thank you card.  I mailed my card after I returned home on May 21st.

Ashley and Kata Hicks: separated

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It was on August 24 that Kata Hicks, the wife of  interior designer Ashley Hicks, a godson of Prince Philip, announced, naturally, on Instagram that she was expecting a second baby, only seven months after the birth of the couple's first son, Caspian.   Now two weeks later comes the news that couple have separated.

The Daily Mail's gossip columnist, Sebastian Shakespeare, broke the news of the separation yesterday.

Ashley Hicks, 55,  and  American Kata Sharkey de Solis, 36  were introduced on Instagram more than three years ago by illustrator Donald Robertson. They became engaged only a month after they were introduced.

Kata has moved out of the Ashley's Oxfordshire home, The Grove,  and, according to friends, she is "extremely stress at being deserted."

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One friend told Shakespeare:  "He's left her but he is hoping they will be able to have a good relationship."

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Ashley is the second of three children of the late designer David Hicks and the Lady Pamela Mountbatten, younger daughter of the late Earl Mountbatten of Burma.  He has two sisters, Edwina Brudenell, and India Hicks.

Kata is expecting a second boy later this year.

Ashley's first marriage to Italian Allegra Tondato ended in divorce in 2009.  They have two grown daughters, Angelica and Ambrosia.

http://royalmusingsblogspotcom.blogspot.com/2018/01/caspian-donald-hicks-newest-qvd.html

http://royalmusingsblogspotcom.blogspot.com/2015/06/ashley-hicks-popped-question-kata-said.html

http://royalmusingsblogspotcom.blogspot.com/2015/09/ashley-hicks-marries-kata-de-solis.html

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6165823/Prince-Philips-godson-Ashley-Hicks-55-splits-pregnant-wife.html

http://www.ashleyhicks.com/


https://www.vogue.com/article/kata-de-solis-ashley-hicks-wedding-english-countryside

More details on Princess Eugenie's wedding

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"Her Royal Highness Princess Eugenie and Mr. Jack Brooksbank have been touched by the many good wishes they have received in the run up to their Wedding on 12th October 2018. They are looking forward to celebrating with their family, friends, and members of the public within the Castle grounds and in Windsor. As the Wedding approaches the couple wish to share the following details of the day:

The Wedding Service will take place at St George’s Chapel at 1100hrs, with The Dean of Windsor, The Rt Revd. David Conner officiating. The Archbishop of York, The Most Revd. and Rt. Hon. John Sentamu, will lead the prayers.
The couple are delighted Her Majesty The Queen has agreed for the grounds of Windsor Castle to be opened to those wishing to join the celebrations. After receiving over 100,000 applications, invitations have now gone out to the 1,200 members of the public who will join them on the day.

Other guests in the Castle grounds will include representatives of charities and organisations supported by the couple, including the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital, the Teenage Cancer Trust, the Salvation Army and the UN Trust Fund to End Violence Against Women. Children from two local schools, St George’s School and Coworth Flexlands School, both of which Princess Eugenie attended, will be present, alongside members of the Windsor community, residents of Windsor Castle and a number of Royal Household staff.

After the service, the newly married couple will undertake a short ride in a carriage from the Royal Mews, out of Windsor Castle and on to part of the High Street. Opportunities for members of the public wishing to view the couple are on Castle Hill, the High Street and Park Street, echoing the route taken by The Earl and Countess of Wessex following their wedding. The carriage will not travel along the Long Walk.

Following the carriage procession, The Queen will give a Reception at Windsor Castle for the couple and their wedding guests."


(This is the press release that was sent to the media for use ... which is the point of a press release.)

The marriage of Princess Bianca of Savoy and Count Giberto Arrivabene

Marlene A Eilers Koenig Collection

The engagement between HRH Princess Bianca of Savoy-Aosta and Count Giberto Arrivabene-Valenti-Gonzaga was announced in February 1988.  The wedding date was set for September 12, 1988, at Il Borro.

The bride, then 21 years old, was the eldest of three children of HRH Prince Amedeo, Duke of Aosta, and his first wife. HRH Princess Claude of France.   She is a descendant of Queen Victoria through her paternal grandmother, HRH Princess Irene of Greece and Denmark, second daughter of King Constantine I of the Hellenes and Princess Sophie of Prussia.

Princess Bianca and Count Giberto share a common ancestry to King Louis XIV of France through King Ferdinando IV of the Two Sicilies and his wife, Archduchess Maria Carolina of Austria.   Bianca is a descendant from their daughter, Marie-Amelie, who married Louis-Philippe, King of the French.  Giberto descends from Marie-Amelie's older brother, King Francisco I of the Two-Sicilies and Archduchess Klementine of Austria.

More than 1400 guests attended the wedding celebrations, which were held on the Duke of Aosta's estate, Il Borro, in Tuscany.

350 attended the church ceremony.

 It was the first marriage of a member of the Italian royal family since before 1946 when King Umberto II and his family went into exile after a failed referendum on the monarchy that led to the establishment of the Italian Republic.    King Umberto and his male-line descendants were barred from setting foot in Italy until 2002.  His consort,  Queen Marie-José was also barred from returning to Italy.

The law that exiled Umberto and his male descendants did not apply to collateral branches of the Italian royal family.  This included the Aosta branch.

Princess Bianca wore an Enrico Coveri designed gown that included an "exquisite hand-embroidered  white gown trailed by a 12-metre-long tulled veil."   The family Savoy-Aosta tiara remained in a bank in Switzerland so Giberto's mother,  Graziella (Brandolini d'Adda) lent the bride a small family tiara.  Bianca's hairdresser was the well-known Alexandre de Paris.
Queen Marie-José was granted permission by the Italian government to attend the wedding.  She was representing her son, Crown Prince Vittorio Emanuele, who was banned by the Italian constitution from setting foot on Italian soil.   Vittorio Emanuele's wife, Marina, also attended the wedding.

The guest list included members of European royal families and Italian noble houses:  Princess Caroline of Monaco and her husband, Stefano Casiraghi, King Michael and Queen Anne and Princess Margarita of Romania, Prince Michael of Greece  Princess Maria Beatrice and Princess Maria Pia of Italy, the latter with her children and her partner, Prince Michel of Bourbon-Parma, Archduke Robert and Archduchess Margherita (nee Savoy-Aosta, a first cousin of the Duke of Aosta), of Austria, an their sons, Archdukes Lorenz and Martin,  Ferdinando, Duke of Castro, and his son, Carlo, the Duke of Calabria,  the Duke of Cadiz,  and Fiammetta Frescobaldi, who had recently announced her engagement to Prince and Duke Charles-Louis of Arenberg.   The bride's maternal grandmother, the Countess of Paris, was also present.

The wedding culminated after several days of celebrations including a lavish party at the Duke's home at Mansi, followed by two more receptions, one hosted in Florence by Princess Claude.

The post-wedding reception took place at Il Borro and featured a two-metered cake that was designed by Princess Bianca.  The "gigantic creation" included  55 pounds of blackberries.

Princess Bianca and Count Giberto settled in his family home, Palazzo Papadopoli, in Venice, where they raised their five children, Viola, Vera, Mafalda, Maddalena, and Leonardo.

The upkeep of a crumbling Palazzo that has been in Giberto's family was proving difficult and costly.  In 2006, the Count made arrangements for the Aman hotel chain to open a luxury hotel. The Count maintains the freehold and the family live on the top floor.

https://www.townandcountrymag.com/society/money-and-power/g2690/arrivabene-palazzo-papadopoli-venice/?slide=17

https://www.ft.com/content/4d19b638-ed33-11e2-8d7c-00144feabdc0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_mGXFu8Ic08

In 1993,  the Duke of Aosta sold the Il Borro estate to Ferrucio Ferragamo.

Gente Mese, a 122 page magazine, commemorating Bianca and Giberto's wedding.

Today,  Princess Bianca heads Christie's Venice office, while Count Giberto is on the board of directors of Aon, an Italian insurance company and is a noted glass designer.   The two eldest daughters, Viola and Vera, run their own company, ViBi Venezia, specializing in handmade Furlane shoes.

http://vibivenezia.it/


http://www.giberto.it/

Look what the mailman brought

The first two cards arrived today -- thank you for Prince Louis' birth and the Duchess of Cornwall's birthday.

The other two cards are from Princess Astrid of Belgium and the Duke of Bavaria.

Lovely photos of Nicholas and Alina

 Nicholas and Alina Maria Medforth-Mills pose for a series of photos that were in early August at Bucharest and Sinaia.

The couple, who were married in a civil ceremony last year, will be wed in a Romanian Orthodox church in Sinaid on September 30.

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Bulletin: Italian king flees Rome

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September 10, 1943

The Associated Press is reporting that German troops have "shelled and seized Rome, its vital railway system and airfield belt."  The troops have also "assumed protection of Vatican City, according to a Berlin radio announcement.

The Italian government and members of the Royal Family have fled the capital.  German broadcasters have stated that King Vittorio Emanuele has abdicated in favor of his son, Crown Prince Umberto, but Italian sources state that the king has not abdicated.

German sources state that the Italian armed forces exist no longer," having surrendered to the Germans.

The whereabouts of the King and royal family are not known at this time.

Luxembourg angered by Antonia's engagement

September 10, 1918

A dispatch from Amsterdam to the Daily Express states that the announcement of Princess Antonia of Luxembourg's engagement to the Crown Prince of Bavaria "has caused the deepest ill-feeling throughout the country, where the Germans are cordially hated," reports the New York Times.

Antonia is a younger sister of Grand Duchess Marie Adelaide of Luxembourg.   Parliament may asked the Grand Duchess to prevent the marriage of her sister to a man who is known as "Luxembourg's Hangman."  Luxembourgers believe that this engagement  amounts to "selling the country to Germany at the moment when it is helpless under military occupation."

It is hoped that the Luxembourg Parliament will appeal to Grand Duchess Marie Adelaide to use her power to "render the marriage impossible.

Wilhelmina doing well after miscarriage

September 10, 1908

Queen Wilhelmina is doing well after suffering a miscarriage.  She is staying at Het Loo and her "hope of an heir has been disappointed," reports the Washington Post.

The queen is not confined to her bed, but is resting on a couch. 

The "question of a possible heir" is of the "highest importance" to the the Netherlands as the Queen, who is 28 years old, is the last of the House of Orange.  She does not have a direct heir to the throne.

Wilhelmina has been married since February 1901 to Duke Heinrich of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, now Prince Henrik of the Netherlands.   It is understood that this is the second time that the queen has suffered a miscarriage.  She was in a similar situation two year ago.

If  there is no direct heir to the throne, a new heir will be chosen by "the sovereign and a special joint convention of the two houses of parliament.

A different Habsburg wedding in Geneva on Saturday?

Archduchess Gabriella of Austria and Prince Henri of Bourbon-Parma did not get married on Saturday.   The French-language Luxembourg newspaper, L'Essentiel has removed from their website their report on this wedding.

The newspaper reported the wrong Habsburg wedding as Archduke Franz Ludwig who married Mathilde Vignon in Geneva on Saturday.

Franz Ludwig is a first cousin of Archduchess Gabriella.  He is the fourth son of   Archduke Rudolf,  eldest son of the late Archduke Carl Ludwig.   His uncle. Archduke Carl Christian is the third child and second son of Archduke Carl Ludwig.  Carl Christian is married to Princess Marie Astrid of Luxembourg. the parents of Archduchess Gabriella.

The marriage of Prince Konstantin of Bavaria

Prince Konstantin of Bavaria and Deniz Kaya were married on September 1 at the Eglise au Bois church in St. Moritz, Switzerland.   The reception followed in Engadine, Switzerland.

The day before the wedding a private family party was held in honor of the bridal couple. Many of the guests, including the bride's parents, Metin and Guelseren Kaya, wore the traditional Bavarian dress.

A guest list was not made public. The office of Duke Franz of Bavaria, head of the royal house, issued a statement before the wedding."A guest list cannot be issued for security reasons."

This was probably due to the presence of Prince Carl Philip and Princess Sofia of Sweden.  The groom's father, Prince Leopold, a noted racing car driver, is Carl Philip's godfather.

HRH Prince Konstantin Eugen Alexander Max-Emanuel Maria Ludwig Ferdinand Leopold is the youngest of four children of HRH Prince Leopold Rupprecht Ludwig Ferdinand Adalbert Friedrich Maria of Bavaria and Ursula Möhlenkamp.  He was born at Munich on November 8, 1986.

Konstantin is the UK Representative at Neuschwansteiner Holding Gmbh & Co.KG.  He has a Bachelor's degree in media and communication from Regent's University in London

Deniz is the daughter of Metin and Guelseren Kaya.

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