The Prince and Princess of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg are expecting a baby early this summer, perhaps in May or early June.
A spokesman for the prince and princess confirms that: "the couple is being assisted by a surrogate mother. Princess Carina and Prince Gustav are very happy and grateful for this opportunity and thank everyone involved who has helped to find a legally legal path to follow. For the sake of the child, please refrain from further questions. Further information will be published in due course."
Gustav, the 7th Prince of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg, is the eldest child and only son of Richard, the 6th Prince of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg, and Princess Benedikte of Denmark. The 54-year-old prince married his long companion, American-born Carina Axelsson, also 54, were married in a civil ceremony on June 3, 2022, at Schloss Berleburg. Their religious ceremony took place the next day in the castle's chapel with only 80 guests.
The couple dated for 19 years but were prevented from marrying due to a clause in the will of Gustav's grandfather, Gustav Albrecht, the 5th Prince of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg who was serving as an officer in the German army in June 1944 when he was declared missing. He was officially declared dead on November 29, 1969.
This clause prevented the late Prince's son and grandson from marrying someone who was not noble, Aryan or Protestant. But Gustav was not going to give up Carina, who was raised Roman Catholic by her Swedish-born father and Mexican-born mother.
Had he married Carina before the death of his father in 2017, Gustav, then the Hereditary Prince, would have faced lawsuits from other male members of the family.
Carina and Gustav began living together at Schloss Berleburg as she was treated as a member of the family. It was after Prince Richard's death that his first cousin Prince Ludwig Ferdinand of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg claimed he was the rightful heir to the Berleburg estate. He cited Gustav's relationship with Carina as his reason. In May 2019, a local court on Bad Berleburg ruled in Gustav's favor. Prince Ludwig appealed the decision, but the final decision was made in the summer of 2020 when the court ruled again in Gustav's favor. He was declared the heir to Schloss Berleburg and the estates.
Gustav Albrecht's clause in the will was overturned, allowing Gustav to finally pop the question.
4 comments:
Do you know if it is a daughter will she inherit estate?
That would be up to Gustav
Forgive me, I’m not as up on the German houses. Does your comment mean that because the Sayn W. Berleberg house is not a ruling monarchy, one has a choice in who inherits rather than just the eldest child or eldest male as it were?
The "headship" of the family will pass to another male, but the estate can pass to Gustav's child. if that is what he wants
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