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Saturday, July 31, 2021

Fourth time is the charm for Nicholas Knatchbull

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 Nicholas Knatchbull has married his longtime fiance, Ambre Pouzet, reports the Daily Mail.   He does not use the courtesy title Baron Brabourne.

The civil wedding took place on May 22 at Broadlands,  the family estate is in Romsey, Hampshire.

Nicholas, 40, is the eldest child of the 3rd Earl Mountbatten of Burma and his wife, Penelope.  He has a younger sister, Lady Alexandra Hooper.   Lord and Lady Mountbatten's youngest child, Leonora, died from kidney cancer in  October 1991.

He is a godson of the Prince of Wales, whose late father, the Duke of Edinburgh, was Lord Mountbatten's godfather.   Lady Mountbatten is a close friend of the Queen and the late Prince Philip, with whom she shared a love of carriage driving.  She attended his funeral in April.

Nicholas is entitled to use the courtesy title, Baron Brabourne, even though Brabourne is a peerage in its own right.   Lord Mountbatten inherited the Mountbatten earldom from his mother, Patricia, the elder daughter of  Louis, the 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma, and the Hon Edwina Ashley.  Lord Mountbatten, an uncle of the late Prince Philip, was the youngest of four children of Princess Victoria of Hesse and by Rhine and Prince Louis of Battenberg.  He was born HSH Prince Louis of Battenberg, but in 1917, his father relinquished his German titles and was created Marquess of Milford Haven, Earl of Medina, and Viscount Alderney.  As a younger son of Marquess, Prince Louis' new style was Lord Louis Mountbatten.   

The family's surname was the anglicized version of Battenberg.    In 1946, Lord Louis was created Viscount Mountbatten of Burma.  A year later, King George VI bestowed the earldom on Louis with inheritance through his daughters and their male heirs.   His elder daughter, Patricia, who married John, 7th Baron Brabourne, succeeded her father following his assassination in August 1979.   Until Patricia became the 2nd Countess, her children were styled as Honourables as children of a Baron.  When she became second countess, her eldest son, the Hon. Norton Knatchbull was styled as Lord Romsey, the earldom's secondary title.  His children were styled as Hon. first name Knatchbull until 2005, when Lord  Romsey succeeded his father as the 8th Baron Brabourne.

 The Countess Mountbatten died in 2017.  Although Norton had inherited two peerages, he is styled by the senior peerage, the earldom.  Although no announcement was made after Patricia's death, it was assumed that Nicholas would be styled as Lord Brabourne rather than Lord Romsey although the courtesy title has been eschewed at this time.

There is a precedent for this.  Princess Maud, the younger daughter of Princess Louise, Princess Royal, and the 1st Duke of Fife, married Charles Carnegie, 11th Earl of Southesk (1893-1992).  Their only son, James, was styled as Lord Carnegie until February 26, 1959, when he succeeded his maternal aunt, HRH Princess Arthur of Connaught, Duchess of Fife, as the 3rd Duke of Fife.  This peerage's succession was vested in the two daughters of the first Duke of Fife and their male heirs.  Maud, who was Princess Arthur's younger sister, died in 1945.  Princess Arthur's only son, Alistair, 2nd Duke of Connaught, died in 1943.  He was unmarried.  His father died in 1992.  The Duke of Fife succeeded to his father's earldom, but it was decided that his son, Charles, the Earl of Macduff, would now use the style Earl of Southesk and his eldest son would have the courtesy title, Lord Carnegie.  

The Broadlands estate is not entailed, which means it is not automatically inherited by the new peer.  The house and estate may be inherited by Nicholas' younger sister, Lady Alexandra Hooper, the mother of two sons, or other descendants of the late 2nd Countess Mountbatten of Burma.

Lord and Lady Mountbatten have been separated since 2010 when the then Lord Romsey left his wife and marital home to live in the Bahamas with his new love, Jeannie,  Lady Nuttall.  This relationship ended in 2011, and Lord Brabourne returned to England.  

Lady Brabourne had taken over the running of the Broadlands estate and did not allow her husband to live in the house.  He moved into a converted barn on the estate. 

Nicholas abused drugs from an early age.  He was 18 years old when he was caught with possession of cannabis and ecstasy  In May 2001, newspapers reported that Nicholas had been sent abroad to a rehab center.   His family was "very supportive at a very difficult time," reported the Daily Mail.

He underwent treatment twice for drug addiction at the Cottonwood center in Tucson, Arizona, and was also an inpatient Farm Place Clinic in Surrey and the Stepping Stones Addiction Centre in South Africa.  When he was 22, Nicholas was "sectioned under the Mental Health Act for his own safety after he "disappeared" from the Priory clinic where he was being treated for addictions to LSD, cocaine, and ketamine.

In 2002, there were several reports that then Lord Romsey (Nicholas father) had set up a trust to protect Broadlands, just as the late Duke of Marlborough had done in 1994 when his son and heir, George, the Marquess of Blandford, was battling drug addiction.  The Duke died in 2014.  It was reported at the time that "the Palace will remain under the control of trustees" but the new Duke could become one of the trustees.  

The decision to protect the Broadlands estate was made in 2001 when Norton obtained his son's power of attorney.  He made it clear that Nicholas could inherit the estate only if he made "his own way on the world and comes self-supporting."

In 2006 Nicholas was determined to win his battle with drugs and decided to enter the Stepping Stones clinic which was opened by Lord Spencer's first wife, Victoria.

Nicholas told friends "I have to get my life back."   But he found it difficult to give up his drug addiction, 

At the time of his 21st birthday, he was living in a one-room apartment, a crack den, in Southampton, where he binged on heroin and cocaine.  The Daily Mail broke this story, and shortly after publication,  Nicholas entered another rehab center, the Osea Island clinic,  for treatment.  A year later in November  2010, he was caught on video smoking crack cocaine.   This was three months after his father abandoned Broadlands for the Bahamas  Only days after Norton's departure,  Lady Brabourne took over the running of the Broadlands estate.

Nicholas's new wife, French-born Ambre Pouzet, 37,  was his fourth fiancee.  His three previous engagements,  Zeaphena Bradley, a single mother, Rahel " Raz" Tedros, a nurse, and musician Emma Chaing, all ended before the wedding ceremony.

Bradley and Nicholas broke up after 18 months in July 2012.  Three years later he proposed to  Raz Tedros and planned to marry in a "simple" wedding in August 2015.  Although Raz made "Nick very happy, " their wedding never took place. 

In the meantime, Lord Brabourne's relationship with Lady Nutall had ended, and was back at Broadlands, but his wife would not allow him to live in the main house.  He moved into a converted barn on the Broadlands estate.

In June 2016,  Lady Alexandra married Thomas Hooper.  She was given away by the Prince of Wales, as her father, was by then too ill to take part in the ceremony although he attended the wedding as did Nicholas.   

Two years earlier she succeeded her father as patron of the Mountbatten School in Romsey.

Nicholas's engagement to Emma Chaing was made public in August 2016 when Emma announced it on her Facebook page.    The engagement did not last long.  

It was in June 2018 that the British tabloids reported that Nicholas was now involved in a relationship with Ambre Pouzet (who used the name Ambre Saint-Clare), a performing mermaid in what is described as "mer-lesque" shows.

Nicholas, who has been drug-free for nearly 10 years, lives with his new wife in a cottage on the  Broadlands estate since their relationship was made public.   He works as a musician and a gardener.  Ambre no longer works as a mermaid and is now a behavioral therapist. 

I won't provide a link to the article because it has so many errors.  In one of the article's bullet headlines, Nicholas is described as 37.  The first paragraph describes him as 40, which is correct.  The fourth paragraph states "Nicolas' (sic) sister Alison's nuptials.  His sister's name is Alexandra.  It is Nicholas with an H. 

The article includes a photo of Lady Alexandra and Prince Charles as he walks her down the aisle.  She called Alison in the caption.

Harriet Johnstone is listed as the writer of the article, but she is not very good.  She writes Charles "has had a close relationship with the Knatchbull family since family childhood."  Well, duh.  Family, Harriet, family.  Charles' godmother was Patricia, the 2nd Countess of Mountbatten, who was Prince Philip's first cousin.  Lady Mountbatten was one of Queen Elizabeth II's childhood playmates.

The background information about the royals and the Knatchbulls is included in a sidebar for this article.  I think Johnston cut and paste information from Lady Alexandra's wedding because the next paragraph states:  "He was famously devoted to the 1st Earl Mountbatten - Alexandra's great-grandfather -Louis who had hoped the Prince would marry his granddaughter Amanda."    This same sentence is used as a caption for a photo of Charles and Lord Mountbatten.

Harriet, sweetie, the article is about Nicholas with an H ... not his sister, Lady Alexandra.

Lord Mountbatten was Charles' great-uncle and mentor.    

Several paragraphs later:  Lord Mountbatten's grandson is Norton Knatchbull, the bride Alexandra's father.  Oh, Harriet, Harriet, Harriet ... Alexandra got married in 2016.  This article is about her brother.  

Nicholas's father, Norton, is now the 3rd Earl Mountbatten of Burma.  

The final four paragraphs are awful.  "Meanwhile, Nicholas, a great-grandson of Earl Mountbatten of Burma and a godson of Prince Charles, is next in line to the prestigious Mountbatten title after his father.

[Nicholas' father is the Earl Mountbatten of Burma.  He is also Baron Brabourne but is not styled by this title because the earldom is higher in the peerage.  Nicholas should be styled as Lord Brabourne but has chosen not to use a courtesy title.]

"His father Lord Brabourne is the godson of the Duke of Edinburgh and Prince Charles was his best man.

[This should read His father Lord Mountbatten is the godson of the Duke of Edinburgh.]

"Lord Brabourne is also Prince William's godfather, while Prince Charles was Lord Mountbatten's godson."

[Lord Mountbatten is also Prince William's godfather, but the late Earl was not one of Charles' godparents, although his daughter,  Lady Patricia (2nd Countess Mountbatten of Burma), then styled as Lady Brabourne, was one of the godparents, along with Prince George of Greece, King George VI,  Princess Margaret, King Haakon VII of Norway and the Hon. David Bowes-Lyon.]

Harriet, it does not take a lot of time to check facts.  Stop being sloppy.


https://royalmusingsblogspotcom.blogspot.com/2017/07/lord-brabourne-engaged-to-emma-chaing.html


https://royalmusingsblogspotcom.blogspot.com/2014/11/nick-knatchbull-still-engaged-to-raz.html


https://royalmusingsblogspotcom.blogspot.com/2012/10/nicholas-knatchbull-no-drugs-for-yead.html


https://royalmusingsblogspotcom.blogspot.com/2012/03/lord-brabourne-walks-with-his-son.html


https://royalmusingsblogspotcom.blogspot.com/2010/08/broadlands-and-brabournes.html


https://royalmusingsblogspotcom.blogspot.com/2010/08/i-so-very-tired-of-innuendo.html


https://royalmusingsblogspotcom.blogspot.com/2010/08/tax-exile-or-another-woman.html


https://royalmusingsblogspotcom.blogspot.com/2010/08/ditch-socks-lord-brabourne.html


https://royalmusingsblogspotcom.blogspot.com/2011/01/is-brabourne-heading-back-to-broadlands.html

Monday, July 26, 2021

Mail call

 Queen Elizabeth II's thank you card arrived today It was mailed from Windsor Castle on July 13.





Saturday, July 24, 2021

Prince August of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg is engaged

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HSH Prince August-Frederik Wendelin Otto Henrik of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg and Austrian podcaster-model Mia Rohla are engaged to be married.

Prince August is known professionally as August Wittgenstein as he is an actor and screenwriter.  

He was born on January 22,1981 in Siegen, Germany,  the third of four children of HSH Prince Ludwig-Ferdinand of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg and Swedish Countess Yvonne Wachmeister af Johannishus.  After completing his secondary education in Sweden, Prince August attended Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service, where he received a bachelor's degree in history.  He studied acting at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City. 

August has appeared in several English-language films including Ron Howard's Angels and Demons.  He was based in Los Angeles for several years before returning to Germany in 2011 where he appeared in German and international film and TV productions.  One of his roles was Hereditary Grand Duke Georg Donatus of Hesse and by Rhine in the Netflix series, The Crown.  

https://www.augustwittgenstein.com/

Prince August is the last of his siblings to marry.   His elder brother, Carl is married to Countess Camilla von Stauffenberg and his two sisters, Princesses Anna and Theodora are married to Prince Manuel of Bavaria and  Count Miklós Bálint Béla Bethelen de Bethlen respectively. 

His father owns Schloss Wittgenstein in Bad Laasphe.

Austrian native Mia Rohla, who was born in 1995, now lives in Berlin where she is a Podcaster and Public Relations manager for Podimo.    She has a bachelor's degree in psychology from Siegmund Freud University in Vienna and an MS in the Psychology of Individual differences from the University of Edinburgh.   She also works part-time as a model.

Mia is one of three children of Martin Maximilian Franziskus Maria  Rohla an organic farmer who owns Gut Bergmühle in Grunberg, near Vienna, and Madeleine Strauss, a great-granddaughter of the composer Richard Strauss. 

Martin Rohla is the great-grandson of Bohemian inventor Ferdinand Ritter von Mannlicher.

https://stadtfluchtbergmuehle.at/

https://www.dnadasneuearbeiten.com/rockstars/mia-rohla/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/mia-rohla-a4b915184/

https://www.bild.de/news/inland/jaeger/wird-veganer-44069996.bild.html

http://www.richardstrauss.at/contact.html

Wednesday, July 21, 2021

A Royal Separation: Laurent & Claire?

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For the second year in a row,  Princess Claire of Belgium did not attend the National Day celebrations, leading to new rumors about the status of the couple's marriage.

The couple has not appeared together since February 2020.  

Several royal journalists are stating that the Princess and the couple's three children are now living with her parents in Chaumont-Gistoux and Prince Laurent, the youngest child of former King Albert II and Queen Paola, remains at the marital some in Tervuren.

Prince Laurent is denying the rumors:  "I can not say anything about it, because there is nothing to say. We do not live separately, it is not true. I do not know d 'where does it all comes from, and that doesn't interest me either. "

The Palace declared that it  "never comments on the private life of members of the royal family."

Prince Laurent married Claire Coombs on April 12, 2003.  They have three children,  Princess Louise, 17, and 15-year-old twins Prince Nicolas and Prince Aymeric.


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Belgium's National Day

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Princess Delphine of Belgium, the natural daughter of former King Albert II, and her husband, Jim O'Hara, joined other members of the Belgian Royal family for the annual National Day Celebrations.  King Philippe, Queen Mathilde, Prince Gabriel, Prince Emmanuel, Princess Eleonore, Princess Astrid, and Prince Laurent and Princess Delphine and Jim O'Hara were all on the dais as they watched the military parade, which included Princess Elisabeth, Duchess of Brabant,  march with the Royal Military School.  Prince Laurent was not accompanied by his wife, Princess Claire, fueling rumors about the status of their marriage.



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Tuesday, July 20, 2021

Princes Josef Emanuel of Liechtenstein engaged to Colombian Maria Claudia Echavarria Suarez

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Prince Josef-Emanuel Leopold Marie of Liechtenstein, the only surviving son of HSH Prince Nikolaus of Liechtenstein, and HRH Princess Margaretha of Luxembourg is engaged to marry Colombian-born Maria Claudia Echavarria Suarez.

He was born May 7, 1989, in Brussels and is the youngest of Nikolaus and Margaretha's four children.  Their firstborn son, Leopold, died shortly after birth.  His two older sisters, Princess Anunciata and Princess Astrid, are marrying their long-time boyfriends in September.   Princess Anunciata's wedding to British-born Emanuele Musini will take place on September 11 in Vienna.  A week later,  Princess Astrid's wedding to American Rafe Worthington will be celebrated in Rome.

The couple announced their engagement on Saturday, July 17 at the reception following the wedding of HSH Princess Therese of Liechtenstein and H Ill H Count Catejan of Toerring-Jettenbach, who married in Waldstein, Austria.

They also attended the wedding of Josef's first cousin, H I & RH Archduchess Gabriela of Austria, and HRH Prince Henri of Bourbon-Parma.

Maria Claudia, who is known as Cloclo, is one of two children of the late Felipe Echavarria Rocha and Evelia Suarez.   She has one brother, Felipe, who is married to Danielle Corona.

Cloclo's father died of a heart attack on September 9, 2002, in Bogota, Colombia 

The future princess and her mother, who is known as Chiqui, are well-known socialites in Cartagena, Colombia.   Chiqui is the owner of the fashionable boutique, Casa Chiqui.

Cloclo grew up in Miami and Geneva and is now based in London.  She and Isabella Behrens co-founded the Si Collective, which celebrates Latin American fashion and design.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/monicamendal/2021/01/13/how-s-collective-founders-are-putting-latin-american-fashion-on-the-global-map/?sh=6843f9f62447


https://www.linkedin.com/in/m-claudia-echavarria-a6330514/?originalSubdomain=uk


https://www.heremagazine.com/articles/cartagena-colombia-cloclo-echavarria-shopping-fashion

https://www.wmagazine.com/gallery/chiqui-and-cloclo-echavarria-are-the-queens-of-cartagena-colombia


https://www.tatler.com/article/cartagena-travel-guide

https://vogue.globo.com/moda/noticia/2018/06/echavarria-conheca-nova-geracao-fashionista-do-cla-colombiano.html

https://ph.news.yahoo.com/festive-vacation-home-30-years-165900565.html

Monday, July 19, 2021

Princess Therese of Liechtenstein and Count Catejan of Toerring-Jettenbach marry in Austria


Princess Therese of Liechtenstein and Count Cajetan von Toerring Jettenbach were married at Schloss Waldstein, Austria on July 17.

The couple got engaged in September 2019.  

https://royalmusingsblogspotcom.blogspot.com/2019/10/a-noble-engagement-liechtenstein.html

The Princess is the daughter of Prince Michael of Liechtenstein and Hildegarde Peters   Her paternal grandmother,  Archduchess Elisabeth of Austria, was the youngest child of Emperor Karl of Austria and Princess Zita of Bourbon-Parma.  She was born posthumously, nearly 2 months after Karl's death in 1922.   Elisabeth married Prince Heinrich of Liechtenstein in 1949.   Prince Michael is the second of Elisabeth and Heinrich's five children.

Count Catejan is the fourth  of five children  -- and the eldest son -- of Count Hans-Caspar of Toerring-Jettenbach and Countess Elisabeth of Waldburg zu Zeil umd Trauchberg.  Count Hans-Caspar is a first cousin of Count Hans-Veit of Toerring-Jettenbach, who is the head of the countly family.

 Princess Therese is an Investment Associate at the Healthcare Fund of M Ventures, the corporate venture fund, and a subsidiary of Merck. 

HSH Hans Adam, the Prince of Liechtenstein headed the guest list which included family members and friends,  HSH Princess Annuciata of Liechtenstein and Emanuele Musini, HSH Princess Astrid of Liechtenstein and Rafe Worthington, HSH Prince Josef Emanuel of Liechtenstein, TRH Prince Amedeo and Princess Elisabetta of Belgium,  HIH Princess Olympia Napoleon,  TRH Prince and Princess Konstantin of Bavaria, TRH Prince and Princess Heinrich of Bavaria,  TIllH the Hereditary Count and Countess of Toerring-Jettenbach, the Hereditary Counts of Fugger von Babenhausen, Waldburg-Wolfegg, and Königsegg-Aulendorf, Prince Philipp of Prussia and his twin brother, Prince Christian.

Count Catejan works in corporate administration for the family business, Graf von Toerring-Jettenbach, at Schloss Seefeld in Bavaria.

One of the wedding guests, HSH Prince Josef-Emanuel of Liechtenstein, son of Prince Nikolaus of Liechtenstein, and HRH Princess Margaretha of Luxembourg, announced his engagement to his Colombian girlfriend, Maria Claudia Echavarría Suárez. 

Several photographers who were standing on a public street were prevented from taking photographs and threatened with legal action even though police confirmed they were on public property.

Helen is England

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July 19, 1931

Princess Helen of Romania arrived in London last night.  She plans to stay in the country until October.

There were no representatives from the Romanian or Greek allegations on the train platform when Helen arrived with her brother, George, the former King of the Hellenes.  According to the New York Times,  the princess "hardly waited for the train to halt" before she jumped off and embraced her mother, Dowager Queen Sophie who was waiting on the platform with other members of the family.

Helen then stooped down to kiss her niece 11-year-old Princess Alexandra, the daughter of the late King Alexander, and Princess Aspasia.   She and her mother walked arm-in-arm toward the car.

The princess is staying at a hotel in Mayfair where she spoke to the press.

"I have come abroad for a holiday to visit my family and to take a cure.  This journey has been undertaken in mutual understanding with the King and I will be returning to Romania at the end of October to be back for my son's birthday.

"This, I hope, will definitely end the annoying and harmful press campaign of these last two months, as it is most unpleasant to me.  I always have disapproved, and always ill. of being used as a subject of sensational press comment."

She plans to visit King George V and Queen Mary at Buckingham Palace,  where her brother "is a frequent and well-liked visitor."

King George and Queen Sophie are first cousins, grandchildren of Queen Victoria.

One of Helen's friends, who was on the platform to greet, her told reporters that Helen intends to make England her home and is "entirely happy to be out of Romania," and be able to spend time with her family.

Monday, July 12, 2021

Mail Call

The three British cards arrived today in one envelope.



















Tuesday, July 6, 2021

Queen and the Royal Horse Show

 A truly special thank you to Ken Stone for allowing me to use some of his photos which he took at the Royal Windsor Horse Show at Windsor Castle this past weekend: Friday-Sunday.

The copyright of these photos belongs to Ken Stone.



The Countess Mountbatten of Burma   all photos @Ken Stone


HRH The Countess of Wessex





HRH The Earl of Wessex

The Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor












Lia and son forced to leave Bucharest home

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Lia Lambrino and her son Carol Ferdinand are now living in a Bucharest hotel after being forced to leave their Bucharest home, according to several reports in the Romanian media.  

Lia's husband, Paul Lambrino, 72 (aka Paul al Romaniei) the subject of an arrest warrant issued on December 18, 2020, after he was sentenced to 3 years and 4 months for "buying influence and complicity in the crime of abuse of office against public interests," in the Băneasa Farm case. 

Paul, whose father, Mircea, was the elder son of the late King Carol II, fled Romania before the sentence was handed down.  Despite the international warrant, he has not been found although it was reported earlier this year that he was seeking political asylum in Portugal.  This has not been confirmed.

Lia told Antena 3, a TV station: "Paul is and has pleaded not 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 are not recognized even now. He did not flee the country following the conviction, but went to Portugal, where he opened a succession process."

The family's financial troubles began soon after the arrest warrant was issued.  Paul and Lia were no longer able to pay the mortgage on their home, which allowed the bank to requisition the property and sell it.  The house now has a new owner and Lia and Carol Ferdinand are now living in a hotel north of Bucharest.

Paul married the American-born Lia Triff in 1995.  Their son, Carol Ferdinand was born in January 2010, a few weeks before Lia celebrated her 61st birthday.

Lia would like to leave Romania for a month with her son, but she needs Paul's consent to take Carol Ferdinand out of the country.  As he is AWOL, and she allegedly does not know where Paul is in hiding,  Lia and Carol Ferdinand will have to remain in Romania.

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

https://evz.ro/printesa-lia-a-fost-evacuata-din-casa-banca-a-executat-o-pentru-datorii.html

https://royalmusingsblogspotcom.blogspot.com/2020/12/lia-acknowledges-paul-has-fled-romania.html

https://royalmusingsblogspotcom.blogspot.com/2020/12/paul-lambrino-wanted-man.html


https://royalmusingsblogspotcom.blogspot.com/2020/12/paul-lambrino-has-been-sentenced-to.html

 

Monday, July 5, 2021

Queen Maria Pia of Portugal has died

July 5, 1911


The Dowager Queen Maria Pia of Italy died today at the Royal Chateau at Stupinigi at 3:15 p.m. She had "suffered from uremia," reports the New York Times.

Maria Pia was considered to be "one of the most tragic royal figures in recent history next to the widow of the unfortunate Maximilian, Emperor of Mexico." She also had the distinction of being the "daughter, sister, wife, mother and grandmother of Kings."

The Queen was the daughter of King Vittorio Emanuele, the first king of a United Italy. Her brothers were King Umberto of Italy, and Amadeo, who was briefly King of Spain. She was not quite 15, when,in 1862, she married King Luis of Portugal. She was the mother of King Carlos and the grandmother of the recently deposed King Manoel.

The Duke of the Abruzzis, whose romance with the American Katherine Elkins, caused an international scandal," the Duke of Aosta, the Count of Turin, and the present King of Italy, are her nephews.

Maria Pia suffered many misfortunes throughout her life. Her brother, King Umberto, her son, King Carlos, and his eldest son, the Crown Prince, were all assassinated. She was forced to flee Portugal after her grandson, King Manoel, was overthrown in a revolution.

She was at the palace, unaware of the tragedy, when the bleeding bodies of her son and grandson were brought back to the palace. She refused to believe that they were dead. She "caressed them, calling them by name and asking them to speak to her." These two assassinations came only eight years after the assassination of her brother, King Umberto on July 29, 1900.

The Dowager Queen's "final grief" came when she had to flee Portugal after her grandson was deposed. It was revealed after she had arrived in Italy that she had given away her large fortune to charity, and returned to Italy, "penniless, a pension on her nephew, the present King."

The Dowager Queen Maria Pia was born on October 16, 1847.

Thursday, July 1, 2021

the Burial of the Duke of Aosta

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HRH the late Prince Amedeo, Duke of Aosta, was buried today in the Royal Crypt of the Basilica of Superga in Turin.  His parents, HRH Prince Aimone, Duke of Aosta, and HRH Princess Irene, Duchess of Aosta (nee Princess Irene of Greece and Denmark) are also interred in the crypt.


The Duke died on June 1 after suffering a heart attack. He was 77 years old.


https://royalmusingsblogspotcom.blogspot.com/2021/06/hrh-prince-amedeo-duke-of-aosta-1943.html

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The marriage of Princess Flaminia of Hohenzollern and Baron Károly Stipsicz de Ternova

 



HSH Princess Flaminia Pia Eilika Stephanie of Hohenzollern and Baron Károly Stipsicz de Ternova  were married on June 26 at the Church of St. Johann in Sigmaringen.

The Princess is the third of four children of HSH Karl Friedrich Prince of Hohenzollern and his first wife, Countess Alexandra Schenk von Stauffenberg.  

The couple was scheduled to marry at St. Johann's last summer, but due to Covid-19, the wedding was postponed until last week.   Their civil marriage took place in St. Anton am Arlberg, Austria, on July 4, 2020, which was the original date for their Roman Catholic wedding.



The 29-year-old bride wore a tailored gown with a deep neckline designed by her good friend, Catarina von Lerchenfeld, who was also her maid of honor.  She was escorted down the aisle by her father.   Her wedding gown was enhanced by a family heirloom, the clover tiara.

Only 140 guests were invited to the wedding, which was followed by a reception at Schloss Sigmaringen.  That evening the bride's mother, Princess Alexandra hosted a soiree at her home, Krauchenwies, in honor of Flaminia and Karoly's marriage.



The guest list included HI & HI Prince Georg Friedrich and Princess Sophie of Prussia and their daughter, Princess Emma, who was one of the flower girls,  Graf Clemens and Countess Stephanie von Waldburg Zeil Hohenems, Hereditary Count Ludwig Waldburg zu Wolfegg und Waldsee,  Marie Valerie Countess zu Königsegg-Aulendorf and her son, Hereditary Count Philipp, Count Alexander and Countess Maria Anna Schenk von Stauffenberg and their son, Count Franz, and Prince and Princess Anton zu Windisch-Graetz.

Countess Marie-Gabrielle von Arco-Zinneberg, a mezzo-soprano, sang one piece of music during the service.  She sings professionally as Marie-Gabrielle Arco.

The other flower girls and pages were the two children of Count Charles Alexander and Countess Melissa von Faber-Castell,Count Leonhard and Countess Carla von Faber-Castell, and  Albert Quistorp, Otto and Isabella Zhuber.   The witnesses for the bride and groom were Baron Benedikt von Freyberg,  Princess Antonia von Hohenzollern (the bride's sister), Baroness Franziska Stipsicz de Ternova, Baroness Caterina von Lerchenfeld, Count Zeno Piatti and Friedrich Steinhart.

Will Flaminia's older sister, Princess Philippa be the next to marry.  It has been reported that Philippa's plus one is Charles Hall Janeway, 32,  an Investment Professional at Aquiline Capital Partners, based in London.   The American-born Janeway is the son of venture capitalist and economist William Hall Janeway and Weslie Resnick, a geneticist, and the grandson of economist William Janeway and his wife, the author Elizabeth Janeway.  

Flaminia is a descendant of Queen Victoria.

Victoria - Alfred -Victoria Melita - Maria - Margarita - Karl Friedrich - Flaminia











Special thanks to a dear friend who happened to be in Sigmaringen and took these photos.   The copyright belongs to the photographer.


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