Royal Musings: December 2020

Wednesday, December 30, 2020

Lady Pamela Hicks received the Covid vaccine

India Hicks

Lady Pamela Hicks, 91, received her first Covid vaccination early today near her home in Oxfordshire. Her daughter, India Hicks, share the photo on her Instagram page.

Lady Pamela is the younger daughter of the late Earl and Countess Mountbatten of Burma. She is a descendant of Queen Victoria and a first cousin of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.

Victoria - Alice - Victoria - Louis

Lia acknowledges Paul has fled Romania

Embed from Getty Images

In an interview with Antena 3, Lia al Romanei acknowledges that her husband Paul has fled, following his conviction, but she does not know where he is at present.

Paul al Romanei,72, a grandson of King Carol II of Romania, was recently sentenced to three years and four months for complicity and buying influence in the Băneasa Farm case.

The American-born Lia Triff told the reporter: "Prince Paul of Romania considers himself the victim of a political trial. Paul is and has not pleaded guilty. We will use all legal means at our disposal to prove this. Prince Paul of Romania considers himself the victim of a political process. It is inadmissible that his rights should be recognized even now. He did not flee the country following the conviction, but was in Portugal where he opened a succession process."

He fled Portugal following his conviction and was said to be in Italy. An international warrant for his arrest has been issued.

Lia and the couple's 10-year-old son, Carol Ferdinand, could leave their home in Bucharest's Sector 2 as they may be unable to pay the mortgage on their "impressive villa."

https://adevarul.ro/news/eveniment/autointitulatul-print-paul-negasit-In-tara-vrea-ceara-azil-politic-1_5feae3a85163ec427160b9cb/index.html

Paul al Romaniei (aka Paul Lambrino) is not recognized as a member of the Romanian Royal family.

Tuesday, December 29, 2020

The Ones that Got away

The late Duke of Windsor called them "tea-cup betrothals," a description that referred to the art of royal matchmaking during the early part of the 20^th century. It was a natural process for Europe’s sovereigns to spend time together to discuss their children’s marriages. King Albert I and Queen Elisabeth of the Belgians and King Vittorio Emanuele III and Queen Elena of Italy had met several times -- and tea was invariably served -- to consider marital opportunities for their sons and daughters. Crown Prince Umberto was expected to propose marriage, and a dutiful Princess Marie-José would say yes. Theirs was one of the last truly dynastic marriages of the 20^th century.

View image | gettyimages.com

Until the advent of the second world war, royal marriages were largely arranged for political or diplomatic reasons. This attitude toward marriage began to change after World War I, when the imperial thrones of Russia, Austria-Hungary, and Germany collapsed in the fire of revolution. Princes and princesses were still marrying each other, but "mates were often commoners."

Princess Marie-José and Crown Prince Umberto’s marriage in 1930 was one of the rare occasions when the papers got it right. Most of the time, the news accounts of a royal romance would prove to be fiction, and the papers would move onto another royal subject.

One of the world=s most respected and influential newspapers, The New York Times, often published original reports from British and European newspapers. There were a few occasions when the story was true, and engagement announcements would follow. Several engagements were annulled before the wedding day. Some engagements were "impending" or "forthcoming." Most of the time, the courts would "officially deny" such reports, especially if there was little merit to the story. It’s safe to say that little has changed in the media’s coverage of European royalty.

Princess Elisabeth (Marlene A. Eilers Koenig Collection)

Elisabeth and Ileana (Marlene A Eilers Koenig Collection)

A British princess by birth, Queen Marie of Roumania was described by The New York Times as a "veteran matchmaker," who actively sought grand marriages for her children. It was reported in September 1913 that Marie"s two eldest children, Crown Prince Carol and Princess Elisabeth would marry Grand Duchess Olga and Crown Prince George of Greece at "an early date."

But Olga did not want to leave Russia for a foreign marriage. Her parents, Nicholas and Alexandra, both of whom were Marie’s first cousins, did not force the issue, and the Roumanian royal family returned to Bucharest without a bride for Carol.

After a brief marriage to a Roumanian commoner, which was annulled, Carol married Princess Helen of Greece. They were married in March 1921, just one month after Elisabeth had wed Helen’s older brother, the future King George II of the Hellenes. Both marriages had been arranged by Queen Marie, eager to strengthen relations among the Balkan countries. Helen and George were children of Marie’s first cousin, the former Princess Sophie of Prussia. Apart from their impeccable genealogical ties, neither couple had much in common. Both marriages ended in divorce.

The frequent rumours about a marriage between George and Elisabeth proved to be true. The New York Times printed a report from a German newspaper that Kaiser Wilhelm II had "arranged the match" and would act "as a witness" at the marriage. At the time, George was involved in a "flirtation" with his cousin, Countess Zia de Torby. After reading about the engagement in a magazine, she wrote to George for confirmation. "There is not a word of truth in it," he responded. He thought Elisabeth "was awfully nice," and "we got on quite well together, but only as a guest would with his host."

Queen Marie certainly used her "tea-cup" diplomacy to arrange the marriage of her second daughter, Marie, to King Alexander of Yugoslavia. Rumors of this proposed marriage first appeared in 1920, but, at the time, were not considered to be authoritative. King Alexander was described as a man who "has frequently been reported engaged," but was unable to find a bride to share his throne. In 1921, according to a Belgrade dispatch, Alexander had become engaged to Princess Sophie of Orleans, the daughter of the Duke of Vendome. Although "enamored" with Sophie, Alexander, having signed a treaty of alliance with Roumania in the summer of 1921, gave serious consideration to marriage with the young Princess Marie of Roumania. The marriage, which took place in June 1922, was certainly a dazzling achievement for Queen Marie.
[Sophie was mentally handicapped.]

The Queen, having helped put crowns on the heads of her two eldest daughters, now turned her attention to her youngest daughter, Princess Ileana.

Although denied by Queen Marie, Crown Prince Umberto of Italy was reported engaged to Ileana in December 1926. The marriage would take place "within six months if King Ferdinand [Ileana"s father who died in July 1927] lives" or after a decent mourning period. The marriage was allegedly arranged in September 1926 during the Italo-Rumanian convention, where Roumanian received a financial loan from Italy. The Roumanian prime minister is reported to have told friends: "I didn=t get much from Italy, except a throne for a Princess of Roumania."

Lexel

A "reliable court authority" told a reporter that marriage was expected between Ileana and King Boris of Bulgaria. He could not have been that reliable because an official denial was quickly issued in Sofia. "This eventuality is out of discussion," said a Bulgarian courtier.

There was not a shred of truth to the story, but Ileana was said to have eloped with a young naval lieutenant, an aide-de-camp to the late King Ferdinand. The rumor arose from the fact that the "two young people are old friends and were recently seen together at a Black Sea resort." In the late 1920s, there were discussions for marriage with Archduke Albrecht of Austria. Several reports suggested that if Archduke Albrecht was elected as King of Hungary, Ileana would become his queen. "Rumors concerning the marriage of the Hungarian Archduke Albrecht with Princess Ileana are daily growing stronger," reported the Hungarian Foreign Minister who met several times with his Roumanian counterpart.

"Winsome and still very youthful," Ileana was "frequently put down as a likely consort for the Prince of Wales." At the age of twenty, she was described as "pretty" and of "her accomplishments it goes without saying are all wonderful," which meant she was eminently suitable. Queen Marie told her American biographer, Mabel Potter Daggett, that she would "not marry Ileana even to a King, unless she loved him, but that princes without thrones for Ileana to sit on, need not apply."

Ileana did not get her crown. In 1930 she was briefly engaged to Count Alexander of Hochberg, son of Marie’s good friend, Princess Daisy of Pless. But Marie ordered the marriage to be called off she learned that Alexander had been involved in a homosexual scandal. A year later, Ileana married Archduke Anton of Austria. According to "court gossip, the engagement was dictated by affection rather than reasons of State." The marriage was actually arranged by Ileana’s brother, King Carol II, who was angry with Ileana for siding with his former wife, Helen. Carol stripped his youngest sister of all her patronages and eagerly searched for a husband for her. After the wedding, she was allowed to visit Roumania for only one month per year, and only with Carol’s permission.

On her wedding day, Ileana "upheld the romantic glamour of royalty, and has been observed by more than one journalist as a pawn in the political game of Central Europe."

Ileana summed up her feelings about marriage in an interview in 1929: "It is not easy for a girl to get married today, even if she is a princess."

It took a great deal of careful diplomacy to achieve his goal, and once the religious obstacles [Boris was Orthodox and Giovanna was Roman Catholic] were largely overcome, the marriage took place in October 1930. The exiled Empress Zita of Austria was reported to be behind the engagement rumors about her son, Otto, and Princess Maria of Italy. In 1930, Zita invited various officials to her home near Parma, to discuss the marriage, which would hinge on Otto. The engagement was believed "certain [to happen] in well-informed court circles," but Otto’s lack of a throne placed a damper on the negotiations, and the plan fell apart. In 1939, Princess Maria married Zita’s younger brother, Prince Luigi of Bourbon-Parma.

Before the Russian Revolution, rumours were rife about marriages for several members of the Imperial Family. A year before the putative engagement between Grand Duchess Olga and Crown Prince Carol, the New York Times reported a "rumor in circulation" that Olga was to marry the third son of Kaiser Wilhelm II, Prince Adalbert of Prussia. The engagement was expected to be announced "during or after the coming meeting between the German and Russian Emperors at Baltishport."

A cousin of Nicholas II, Grand Duke Dimitri was "supposed to have been destined" to marry his second daughter, Tatiana. But in March 1914, Dimitri had apparently "made an offer to renounce his imperial rights" because of his intention to "marry a handsome American girl, Miss Durham, who recently came to St. Petersburg with a party of American friends." This relationship "was aggravated by the fact that the Grand Duke is the prospective husband " of Grand Duchess Tatiana, the Tsar’s second daughter. Dimitri met Alice Durham, a "bewitching beauty of slender figure and delicate manners," at a skating rink. It was "love at first sight," and ever since, Dimitri had been "availing himself of every opportunity to meet her." (In 1926, in exile, Dimitri married an American heiress, Audrey Emery.)

Princess Philipp of Thurn und Taxis

Several actual engagements were broken before the marriages could take place. In 1902, the engagement of Archduchess Maria Annuciata of Austria and Siegfried Duke in Bavaria was "broken by mutual consent." Princess Ila von Thurn und Taxis, 20, left her fiancé, Prince Raphael of Thurn und Taxis, at the altar when she declared she was in love with his brother, Philipp Ernst. The Bishop of Regensburg was ready to perform the service when Ila, in tears, went to see the head of the family, Prince Albert - the father of the groom - to say that she "found it incompatible with the dictates of her conscience to marry Prince Raphael. The princess was credited with "sincere motives springing from a deep religious conviction that it would be wrong to marry Prince Raphael when she really loved Prince Philipp.

They were married later in the year. Prince Raphael wed another Thurn und Taxis cousin in 1932.

Princess Irene of Greece’s two-year engagement to her cousin, Prince Christian of Schaumburg-Lippe was broken in May 1929 "because she found that she would be obliged to live almost permanently in the atmosphere of German monarchist and military society at Potsdam where Prince Christian usually resides." Neither would rush into marriage. In 1937, Christian married his first cousin, Prince Feodora of Denmark. Two years later, the "tall, beautiful, blue-eyed" Princess married Prince Aimone, the Duke of Aosta, a cousin of the Italian king.

When Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark and Princess Olga of Greece was announced in the spring of 1922, it was hailed as an achievement for their mothers, Queen Alexandrine and Princess Nicholas. The two women conspired for some time to bring their eldest children together. Although nineteen-year-old Olga was delighted by Frederik's attention towards her, she knew very little about him. According to Olga's uncle, Prince Christopher of Greece, "a misunderstanding arose" that led first to a postponement and then to the marriage being called off.

Crown Prince Frederik had a serious drinking problem. At one event, Frederik was so drunk that he had taken the hand of Olga’s sister, Elisabeth, instead of Olga’s, to acknowledge a cheering crowd. That September, Olga gave back his ring, and Frederik said he was glad they parted without bad words." Olga did not mourn for long. A year later, she wed Prince Paul of Yugoslavia.

Although Crown Prince Frederik was "unlucky in his engagement with Princess Olga, his name was linked with Princess Ingrid of Sweden. Rumours of their marriage surfaced in 1928, but all of the stories were said to be "without official confirmation." In January 1935, just weeks before the official announcement was made, Danish court officials "professed to know nothing of the reports." Two months later, "despite denials of rumors of the engagement," the story "reappeared" on front pages of Scandinavian newspapers, There also appeared to be a "corroboration of the story," as Frederik was en route to Stockholm. On April 8, a New York Times headline stated: "Royal Betrothal Now Open Secret.

Marlene A. Eilers Koenig Collection

"Despite official denials, it was learned today from persons closely associated with Scandinavian royalty that the announcement" of Frederik and Ingrid’s engagement was expected after King Gustav V returned from France.

Their marriage took place in Stockholm on May 24, 1935. Although she was among the least attractive of Europe’s eligible royals, Crown Princess Juliana of the Netherlands was considered a major catch. When Princess Alice, Countess of Athlone, and her husband, the Earl of Athlone, made a "prominent appearance" at Queen Wilhelmina’s official New Year’s reception in 1922, the New York Times reported "Queen Mary’s Nephew as Next Dutch consort. Visit of Earl of Athlone starts rumors of a marriage of his son to Princess." The couple’s two children, Lady May and Lord Trematon had accompanied their parents to the Netherlands where they stayed with Queen Wilhelmina. The "young children are brought together frequently," but it is possible that the Dutch princess, an only child, was delighted to play with her English cousins.

Juliana was only 11-years-old at the time, and Rupert, 15. Perhaps Alice was given a prominent place at court because she was a British princess who happened to be Queen Wilhelmina. In 1926, after spending five days with the Dutch Royal Family, Prince Nicholas of Roumania made a favorable impression, although, according to Wilhelmina, the "plump, amiable looking" princess was still too young for marriage.

Sweden’s Crown Prince Gustaf Adolf in July 1930 "officially denied an Amsterdam report" of his son, Prince Sigvard’s engagement to Juliana. Yet, two months later, "there are persistent rumors in Holland" that Queen Wilhelmina would, in her address opening Parliament, " will announce Juliana’s engagement" to Prince Sigvard. It did not happen.

Marlene A Eilers-Koenig collection

Prince Charles of Belgium was briefly considered as Juliana’s spouse only because her father, Prince Hendrik, had paid a visit to Brussels. "It was authoritatively denied" that the Prince’s visit was to arrange his daughter’s marriage. When the new Dutch ambassador to Sweden told a reporter in June 1934, "Holland would greet with joy a Swedish prince in the royal family at The Hague," the newspapers jumped on the possibility of a new royal romance between Prince Bertil and Princess Juliana, both of whom were in England at the time. A few months later, "there was a direct official denial" of an engagement between Bertil’s younger brother, Prince Carl Johan of Sweden and Princess Juliana. Within a space of four years, the Dutch Crown Princess was "engaged" to three of the four sons of Crown Prince Gustav Adolf.

An authoritative source" stated in December 1934 that Juliana’s engagement to Grand Duke Friedrich Franz of Mecklenburg-Schwerin would be announced after the New Year. When Prince Karl Viktor of Wied arrived in Holland with his father in April 1936, everyone assumed a "prospective engagement" was forthcoming. On September 8, 1936, "the entire country was elated" when Queen Wilhelmina officially announced Juliana’s engagement to another German, Prince Bernhard of Lippe-Biesterfeld.

Marlene A Eilers Koenig collectio

Was King Leopold III searching for a new wife two years after the death of Queen Astrid in a car accident in 1935? The New York Times reported that a "romance is expected" between the King and 21-year-old Lady Anne Cavendish-Bentinck, a granddaughter of the Duke and Duchess of Portland, who were said to be old friends of the King. In December 1937, Leopold and his mother, Queen Elisabeth, traveled to England to stay with the Portlands at their home, Welbeck Abbey, Lady Anne said to be "tall, attractive and a keen huntswoman." According to Belgian sources, the King wished to remarry "for the sake of Queen Astrid’s three children, " but Lady Anne, who never married, was not destined to be Leopold’s second consort.

A year later, more rumors of a proposed marriage for the King appeared in the paper. King George II of Greece’s visit to Brussels "gave rise to the rumor of a possible marriage" between George’s sister, Irene, and Leopold. A trained nurse, the princess, who had already broken off an engagement with Prince Christian of Schaumburg-Lippe, was, according to a wireless sent to the paper, "of a shy and retiring disposition."

Although reporting has become more sophisticated and intrusive, newspapers and magazines continue to thrive on nuggets of royal romance. The Prince of the Asturias, the heir to the Spanish throne, has been the subject of marital rumors for the past decade. Several Spanish newspapers and magazines were so convinced that he was going to marry Princess Maria Carolina of Bourbon-Parma that they even named the date and place of the wedding. In Denmark, the news of Crown Prince Frederik's romance with Australian Mary Donaldson has thrown the entire country into a frenzy. A report on an "impending announcement" by a TV station in late September led to Danish journalists setting up camp outside the palace in Copenhagen. The reports were dismissed by Crown Prince Frederik’s private secretary, Per Thornit, who said in a statement. "There will be no announcement today or in the near future." He added that the report was "speculation invented by the media.

A shorter version of this article was published in Majesty magazine some years ago.

If you like this article and this blog, please feel free to make a donation ... thanks for reading.

Monday, December 28, 2020

Paul remains AWOL

Paul al Romaniei (Paul Lambrino) has been found in Italy, according to Stiri Diaspora, a Romanian newspaper. This has not been confirmed by other sources.

The elder son of the late Carol Lambrino, eldest son of the late King Carol II and his first wife, Zizi Lambrino, was sentenced to three years and four months in prison nearly two weeks ago. Although an international warrant has been issued for his arrest, had not turned himself in or has been located. However, it was learned this afternoon that Paul was in Italy.

He was convicted of illegal business deals with the sale of formerly royal properties including a farm in Băneasa and the Snagov forest. He was not the legal owner of either property.

According to a family friend, Florin Ghiulbengian, Paul "had gone to Portugal where he had opened a succession process. Lia [Paul's wife] spoke to him on the day of the decision but has not spoken since."

He was also asked if Paul will come back and surrender. The response was to the point: "No way."

Paul's wife, Lia, and their young son, Carol Ferdinand, are currently living in an "impressive villa" in Bucharest's Sector 2, but they may be forced to move because of Paul's conviction as they no longer have the money to pay the mortgage.

If Paul is found and extradited to Romania, he will not serve his entire sentence due to his age. He is 72 years old and will serve only a third of his sentence. He claims he was unjustly convicted and plans to sue Romania in the European Court of Human Rights.

Lia says she does not know where her husband is. However, family members say that he may seek political asylum in a European country, perhaps Luxembourg or Liechtenstein, where family members say Paul has been recognized as a member of the Romanian Royal family.

https://www.stiridiaspora.ro/dat-in-urmarire-internationala-printul-paul-al-romaniei-ar-fi-fost-depistat-in-italia_459299.html

https://stirileprotv.ro/stiri/actualitate/printul-paul-al-romaniei-este-de-negasit-apropiatii-spun-ca-ar-fi-gata-sa-ceara-azil-politic-intr-o-tara-europeana.html

Friday, December 25, 2020

A Christmas message from HM Margareta

Sunday, December 20, 2020

another QVD

Congratulations to Juliet and Simon on the birth of their second son, Edo. I knew that the baby was due in mid-December.

Victoria - Arthur - Patricia -Alexander - Katharine - Juliet - Edo

https://royalmusingsblogspotcom.blogspot.com/2014/11/engagement-rood-nicolson.html

https://royalmusingsblogspotcom.blogspot.com/2015/02/queen-approves-marriage-of-cousin-at.html

Hereditary Prince Alexander of Mecklenburg is engaged

Both photos: Prince Alexander of Mecklenburg

The engagement of Hereditary Prince Alexander, the oldest son of the Duke Borwin and Duchess Alice of Mecklenburg and Miss Hande Macit, was announced today.

The Turkish-born Macit is the daughter of Suphi and Cemile (nee Ucar) Macit. She and Prince Alexander live in Rotterdam.

Hande was born on September 16,1992 inTarsus. She and her older brother, Kerem, move to the Netherlands for their education. One of the things they missed most from home was fresh yogurt. After completing her BS in International Business Administration from RSM Erasmus University in 2014, Hande and her brother began plans to start their own business, Luwia Yogurt. They began producing "slowly fermented probiotic yogurt" in 2018, focusing on companies and chefs. Earlier this year, Luwia Yogurt moved into the consumer market.

The milk comes from Rotterdam cows.

The recipe is made from traditional methods, without the use of machines. The siblings adopted the 11,000-year-old technique established by the Luwians, who lived in Anatolia, during the Bronze and Iron ages.

https://www.ambachtenrotterdam.nl/ambachten/yoghurtmakerij-luwia/

Prince Georg Alexander Michael Heinrich Ernst Franz Ferdinand Johannes Marie of Mecklenburg is the second of three children of Duke Georg Borwin Friedrich Franz Karl Stephan Konrad Hubertus Maria of Mecklenburg and Alice Wagner. He was born in Freiburg, Germany, on July 17, 1991.

http://mecklenburg-strelitz.org/2020/12/20/engagement-of-the-hereditary-prince-and-miss-hande-macit/

Saturday, December 19, 2020

The newest QVD

From Maddison May and Olaoluwa Modupe-Ojo:

"Our Prince is Here! He was born 10.33am on Friday 18th December 2020, weighing 7.7"

This is the third child for the couple. They have two adorable daughters, Daphne and Phebe.

Queen Victoria - Alice - Victoria - Louis - Pamela - Edwina - Maddison May - baby boy.

https://www.adoptedthreads.co.uk/accessories/reality-hints-necklaces

Friday, December 18, 2020

Paul Lambrino: A Wanted man

Bucharest Police

Paul Lambrino, who is also known as Paul-Philippe Hohenzollern and Paul al Romanei, remains a wanted man. Al Romaniei is the name used on his Romanian identification card.

Bucharest police have posted the warrant for his arrest on their website.

On Thursday, the grandson of King Carol II was found guilty of numerous charges in the case of the illegal restitution of Băneasa Farm. He was sentenced to three years and four months. This was the final ruling by the Court and cannot be appealed.

Last evening, the police went to Lambrino's Bucharest home to escort him to the Rahova Penitentiary. After a search of the house, the police did not find Lambrino. His wife, Lia, was at home but she refused to provide details of her husband's whereabouts.

Lambrino is believed to be in Portugal. An international arrest warrant has been issued for Paul Lambrino.

https://stirileprotv.ro/stiri/actualitate/paul-al-romaniei-a-disparut-dupa-ce-a-fost-condamnat-sotia-lui-lia-refuza-sa-dea-detalii.html

Thursday, December 17, 2020

Paul Lambrino has been sentenced to prison.

Embed from Getty Images

The Brasov Court of Appeal today sentenced six men, including Paul Lambrino (aka Paul al Romaniei), to prison for their roles in the Băneasa Farm case.

The 73-year-old Lambrino was sentenced to three years and four months for his role in the "illegal restitution" of former royal property including the Băneasa Farm and the Snagov Forest." He was charged, along with businessman Remus Truica and several other businessmen, with influence peddling, money laundering, and bribery. The crimes took place between 2006 and 2013.

Lambrino must also pay back 4 million Euros that he received for the sale of the property that he never owned.

Prosecutors announced in a press release that the property was "claimed without right" by Paul Lambrino.

Earlier this evening, police went to Lambrino's home in Bucharest, but, according to his wife, Lia, he is in Portugal. The police arrived at his house at 8:30 p.m. The American-born Lia Lambrino did not speak to the press.

Bucharest Police are in the process of obtaining a European arrest warrant for Lambrino.

Bucharest police have released a statement regarding Mr. Lambrino. "Regarding the person sentenced to imprisonment, given that he was not found at home, the prosecution procedure begins. The activity of obtaining the European arrest warrant and implicitly of the international pursuit is starting."

Embed from Getty Images

Paul-Philippe Lambrino, who calls himself HRH Prince Paul of Romania, was born on August 13, 1948, in Paris. He is the only child of the late Carol Lambrino (1920-2006) and Hélène Henriette Nagavitzine. Carol was the son of King Carol II of Romania and Zizi Lambrino, a Romanian commoner. He was born after Carol and Zizi's marriage was annulled by the Romanian Supreme Court. Thus marriage was never approved and Carol and his descendants were not entitled to royal styles.

Lambrino married Lia Georgia Triff in 1996. They have one son, Carol Ferdinand Lambrino, who was born in 2010.

On Tuesday, Lambrino released a statement that he was starting the process in Lisbon for succession rights, Here is the translation rights (Google) from that release.

On October 6, 2020, His Royal Highness Crown Prince Paul of Romania, accompanied by his distinguished lawyer, Dr. Luis Rolo, was appointed under oath sole bailiff of the entire estate of his grandfather (His Majesty King Carol II of Romania, who died in Estoril in 1953); the rights of succession will be reopened on 21 December 2020 at the Lisbon Tribunal.

"Prince Carol Mircea of Romania (father of His Royal Highness Crown Prince Paul of Romania), won the right to be officially named the firstborn son, head of the Royal Family of Romania and head of the Royal House of Romania with 37.5% of his father's fortune His Majesty King Carol II of Romania; his younger brother, the former king Mihai, was entitled to 37.5% and Princess Elena (born Lupescu) was entitled to 25%. Former King Michael of Romania also acknowledged that his older brother was born out of a legal marriage of Crown Prince Carol, later King Charles II of Romania, to Crown Princess Ioana Valentina of Romania. The Portuguese decision of 1955, after the death of His Majesty King Carol II of Romania in 1953.

His Royal Highness Crown Prince Paul of Romania has accepted this honor of being the sole bailiff of his grandfather's estate and will perform his duties with full respect for the forthcoming decision of the High Court of Portugal. Prince Paul also said he will ensure that all five daughters of former King Michael of Romania, who died in 2017, will be notified and treated equally with 1/5% of the 37.5%, their father's right."

It should be noted that Lambrino is not the Crown Prince of Romania and has no succession rights to the throne. Her Majesty Margareta, Custodian of the Throne, who is the eldest of five daughters of the late King Michael, is the head of the Romanian royal family. Her position is recognized by the Romanian Government.

The same cannot be said for Paul Lambrino, who will soon be behind bars for corruption.

https://www.g4media.ro/breaking-paul-al-romaniei-ar-fi-in-portugalia-si-va-fi-dat-in-urmarire-surse-remus-truica-a-fost-luat-de-politisti-de-acasa-si-urmeaza-procedurile-dinaintea-incarcerarii-verdict-final-in-dosarul-f.html

https://royalmusingsblogspotcom.blogspot.com/2015/12/an-update-on-paul-lambrino.html

https://royalmusingsblogspotcom.blogspot.com/2012/02/romanian-op-ed-why-paul-lambrino-will.html

https://royalmusingsblogspotcom.blogspot.com/2015/12/prince-paul-of-romania-arrested-for.html

https://royalmusingsblogspotcom.blogspot.com/2010/01/lia-has-baby-at-60.html

Mail call

It has been a while since the last mail call. Responses were piling up on my desk -- and now I can put the cards into the respective albums.

From Count Hans Caspar of Toerring-Jettenbach on the death of his mother, Maria Immaculata, who died September 8, 2020

Tuesday, December 15, 2020

Sophie of Greece weds Prince Christoph of Hesse

December 15, 1930

Princess Sophie of Greece and Prince Christoph of Hesse were married today in Greek Orthodox and Lutheran services at Schloss Kronberg near Frankfurt.

Prince Christoph Ernst August of Hesse was born on May 14, 1901, the 6th son of Prince Friedrich Karl of Hesse and Princess Margarete of Prussia, the youngest daughter of Emperor Friedrich III and his wife, Princess Victoria, eldest child of the late Queen Victoria. Christoph has a twin brother, Prince Richard.

Margarete's eldest brother is the former Kaiser Wilhelm II, who has lived in exile in the Netherlands since November 1918.

The new Princess Christoph is only 16 years old. She is the fourth daughter of Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark and Princess Alice of Battenberg. She is a granddaughter of King George of the Hellenes and Grand Duchess Olga of Russia.

Sophie was born in Corfu, Greece on June 26, 1914. She has three older sisters, Princess Margarita, Princess Theodora, and Princess Cecile, and a younger brother, Prince Philip.

Both photos: Marlene A. Eilers Koenig collection.

The bride and groom are both descendants of Queen Victoria. Christoph is a great-grandson of Victoria and Sophie is a great-great-granddaughter. Sophie's grandmother, Victoria, Marchioness of Milford Haven, was the eldest daughter of Princess Alice, Queen Victoria's second daughter and third child, and Grand Duke Ludwig of Hesse and by Rhine.

Sophie was named for her paternal aunt, Queen Sophie of Greece, the consort of King Constantine of the Hellenes, who abdicated twice, first in 1917, and again in 1922, nearly two years after he was restored to the throne. He died in 1922.

Neither Queen Sophie, who was Margarete's sister, nor Sophie's mother, Princess Alice, were able to attend the wedding.

Prince Christoph and Princess Sophie became engaged in June. A joint celebration with Sophie's sister, Cecile, and her fiancé, Hereditary Grand Duke Georg Donatus of Hesse and By Rhine, took place at Wolfsgarten.

Sophie's trousseau was made in France. Her sister Cecile, described Sophie's wedding dress as "too beautiful for words." The satin gown was "quite simple," according to Cecile.

Sophie's siblings, Theodora, Cecile, and Philip, helped her get dressed for the wedding. Prince Friedrich Karl loaned his future daughter-in-law Empress Friedrich's diamond tiara.

The couple was married in two religious services. A Greek Orthodox service took place in the drawing room at Kronberg. Prince Philip carried his sister's train. This was followed by the Lutheran service at the Schloss' chapel. Sophie was accompanied to the church by her father, her brother, and her grandmother, Victoria.

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Monday, December 14, 2020

Prince Philippos of Greece marries Nina Flohr

@Marvin Zilm

Prince Philippos of Greece and Denmark and Miss Nina Flohr were married in a civil ceremony in St. Moritz, Switzerland on Saturday, December 12.

The official announcement stated: "The private ceremony of the political wedding of Prince Philip with Nina Nastassja Flohr took place on Saturday, December 12, 2020, at 11:00 a.m. in St. Moritz .

Witnesses at the ceremony were King Constantine and Mr. Thomas Flohr, observing all the health instructions of the Swiss state. The immediate family congratulated the newlyweds immediately after the ceremony "

"More details about the upcoming religious wedding will be given in due course. "

Their engagement was announced in September.

The Greek edition of Hello magazine was the first to report the wedding.

https://royalmusingsblogspotcom.blogspot.com/2020/09/prince-philippos-of-greece-to-marry.html

(I am waiting to get permission to use the photos).

Sunday, December 13, 2020

A new position for Archduke Georg

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Archduke Georg of Austria, the younger son of the late Archduke Otto, is reported to be Hungary's next Ambassador to France, according to Hungarian newspapers. he will be succeeding Count György Karolyi, a dual Hungarian-French citizen who has lived in Paris since age one.

The archduke has lived in Hungary since his marriage to Duchess Eilika of Oldenburg, daughter of Duke Johann of Oldenburg and Countess Ilka of Ortenburg. The couple's religious wedding took place at St. Stephen's Basilica in Budapest on October 18, 1997. It was an ecumenical service as Georg is Roman Catholic and Eilika is Lutheran.

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The couple's three children, Archduchess Zsófia Mária Tatjána Mónika Erzsébet Katalin (2001), Archduchess Ildikó Mária Walburga (2002) and Archduke Károly-Konstantin Mihály István Mária (2004) were all born in Budapest and are all being raised in the Roman Catholic faith.

Bucharest 2011 King Michael's 90th birthday Photo by Marlene A Eilers Koenig

In Hungary, the archduke is known as György Habsburg. According to the Hungarian newspaper, Index, he is expected to be confirmed on Monday by the Foreign Affairs Committee. This committee has no concerns about the archduke as he has represented Hungary on several occasions, including the Hungarian Olympic Committee. He has also served as president of the Hungarian Red Cross. He has also worked as a journalist and a documentary filmmaker.

Currently, he is "a Special Envoy for UN issues, Olympic affairs, and some other areas." He worked "intensively on Hungarian integration into the EU."

Archduke Georg, who is fluent in French, is already at the Foreign Ministry undergoing preparations so he can take up his diplomatic position as soon as possible. It is assumed that Hungary's right-wing president, Viktor Orban, sees a benefit in naming Archduke Georg as Ambassador to France and strengthen Hungary's negotiating position with Emmanuel Macron's government. Georg's name and family history -- his grandfather, Karl, was the last emperor of the Austro-Hungarian empire.

Georg has good relations with Gergely Gulyás, the head of the Prime Minister's office, and with Prime Minister Orban.

Archduke Georg, who will celebrate his 56th birthday on December 16, told the press: "I will not be a member of any party. I want to continue my work in the media and I will not receive any salary."

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In a recent interview with a Slovenian news organization, Georg said that "many of the criticisms [of Hungary] are in fact unjustified so I also see it as my task to correct the image of Hungary abroad and present the true images."

Archduchess Eilika's younger sister, Duchess Tatjana lives in Chambourcy, a suburb of Paris, with her husband, Count Axel de Chavagnac, and their two daughters, Alexandrine and Astrid.

https://hungarytoday.hu/gyorgy-habsburg-on-hungary-personal-experience-often-contradicts-what-foreign-media-writes/

https://index.hu/kulfold/2020/12/13/habsburg_parizs_diplomacia_kkm/

Friday, December 11, 2020

Viktoria Luise, Princess of Prussia, Duchess of Brunswick-Lüneburg (1892-1980)

Princess Viktoria Luise of Prussia, youngest child of Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany, died at Hannover on December 11, 1980.

She married HRH Prince Ernst August of Hannover in Berlin on May 24, 1913. Their marriage was the last royal occasion that King George V, Emperor Nicholas II, and Kaiser Wilhelm II were together. King George V was the first cousin to Nicholas II and Wilhelm. He was also the groom's first cousin as their mothers were sisters.

The Duke and Duchess of Brunswick-Lüneburg were the parents of five children: Ernst August (1914-1987), Prince Georg Wilhelm (1915-2006), Princess Friederike (1917-1981), Prince Christian (191-1981), and Prince Welf-Heinrich (1912-1997).

In January 1938, Friederike married the future King Paul I of the Hellenes.

Viktoria Luise had 15 grandchildren. This number includes Christian von Humboldt, the eldest child of her eldest son, Prince Ernst August.

http://royalmusingsblogspotcom.blogspot.com/2010/12/if-circumstances-had-been-different.html

These images are from my collection

The Prussian and Hanover royal families

1. Queen Sophie of Greece, 2. Prince Paul of Greece, 3 Princess Irene of Greece, 4. Princess Katherine of Greece & 5 Landgravine Margarete of Hesse with Viktoria Luise, Ernst August & their five children.