The Debutante Ball

 

 Le Bal / Borde / Moreau / Bestimage

 Le Bal / Borde / Moreau / Bestimage

 Le Bal / Borde / Moreau / Bestimage

 Eulalia wore the Bourbon-Parma Fleur de Lys Tiara, which belonged to Archduchess Maria Anna Epiphanie Eugenie Gabriele of Austria (1882-1940), who married Prince Elias of Bourbon-Parma, the youngest son of Roberto 1, Duke of Parma, and his first wife, Princess Maria Pia of Bourbon-Two Sicilies. 

This tiara, made by Austrian jeweller Hübner in 1912, was one of 100 lots of Sotheby's Royal Jewels From The Bourbon Parma Family auction in November 2018.  Chinese jeweler VMuse was the successful bidder for this tiara and other jewels at the auction.   

The firm is the official jewelry partner of Les Bal des Debutantes.

Princess Eugenia of Hohenzollern wore the Couteulx Floral Diamond Tiara.

http://en.vmusejewelry.com/Legacy

Both images from the Marlene A Eilers Koenig Collection

The marriage of Grand Duchess Maria Kirillovna of Russia and Hereditary Prince Karl of Leiningen

 

Both photos, Marlene A. Eilers-Koenig Collection

Grand Duchess Maria Kirillovna (1907-1951) was the elder daughter of Grand Duke Kirill of Russia and Princess Victoria Melita of Edinburgh, Princess of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.  Her engagement to the Hereditary Prince of Leiningen (1898-1946) took place at Coburg on October 14, 1925.

The newly engaged couple first met at a house party at Schloss Langenburg hosted by the bride's maternal aunt, Alexandra, the Princess of Hohenlohe-Langenburg.

HSH Hereditary Prince Friedrich Karl Eduard Erwin of Leiningen was the second son of HSH Emich, Prince of Leiningen, and HSH Princess Feodore of Hohenlohe-Langenburg. In 1939, he succeeded his father as the Prince of Leiningen.

The couple was married five weeks after their engagement was announced.  As Masha was the daughter of the heir to the defunct Russian throne, her wedding would be celebrated in accordance with "Russian court tradition." Her gown had a "long train of cloth of silver, heavily embroidered," and her tulle veil was held in place by a "shower diadem," which was worn by her paternal grandmother, HIH Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna, when she married Queen Victoria's second son, HRH Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh.  

In 1893, Alfred succeeded his uncle, Ernst II, as Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.

A civil ceremony preceded the two religious services.  The Russian Orthodox service took place in the private chapel at Edinburgh Palace.  This was followed by a Lutheran service at the Morizkirche.

The guest list included  Czar Ferdinand of Bulgaria, Infante Alfonso and Infanta Beatriz of Spain, the Princess of Hohenlohen-Langenburg, the Grand Duke and Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg, Princess Nicholas of Greece with her two younger daughters, Princess Elisabeth and Princess Maria, Grand Duke Dimitri of Russia, and the Duke and Duchess of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. 

Grand Duchess Maria's attendants were her younger sister, Grand Duchess Kira; Princess Sibylla of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha; Princess Alexandra; and Princess Irma of Hohenlohe-Langenburg.  

The bride's younger brother, Grand Duke Wladimir, 8, and 6-year-old Prince Friedrich Josias of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha carried her train.

A reception was held at Grand Duke Kirill and Grand Duchess Victoria Feodorovna's home.   The bride's parents put on a brave face, wanting everyone to believe "they were very pleased with the match."

The reality was their disappointment in Masha's "humble choice and the poor future that awaited her."

The couple spent their honeymoon in Italy.

Karl and Marie were descendants of  Princess Victoire of Saxe-Coburg and Saalfeld.     Karl descended from Victoire's first marriage to Emich Karl, Prince of Leiningen.  Marie's descent was from Victoire's second marriage to Prince Edward, Duke of Kent and Strathearn.

Victoire - Karl - Ernst - Emich - Karl

Victoire - Feodora - Hermann - Feodora - Karl

Victoire - Victoria - Alfred - Victoria Melta - Maria

The present Prince of Leiningen,  Prince Andreas, is Marie and Karl's grandson.

Queen Alexandra: Coronation Portrait (1902)

 

I mean to post this portrait of Queen Alexandra on the 100th anniversary of her death.

https://royalmusingsblogspotcom.blogspot.com/2012/11/queen-alexandra-1844-1925.html

https://royalmusingsblogspotcom.blogspot.com/2009/11/alexandra-has-died.html

34 million & Counting

 

Earlier today, Royal Musings celebrated its 34 millionth visitor, perhaps someone new or a frequent visitor ... or Fleur or Harper!!!!

Thank you.  I started this blog in July 2008 to write historical articles, breaking news, engagements, weddings, deaths, and reports of royal trips (including mine).

PREMIERE OF THE DOCUMENTARY FILM “FROM EXILE TO RETURN” ABOUT CROWN PRINCE ALEXANDER’S LIFE

 

Belgrade, 27 November 2025 - 

The premiere of the documentary film “From Exile to Return”, which covers the exciting life story of HRH Crown Prince Alexander, Head of the Royal House of Karađorđević, was held last night at the Yugoslav Film Archive. The screening was attended by HRH Crown Prince Alexander, HRH Crown Princess Katherine, HRH Hereditary Prince Philip, and HRH Princess Danica.

The first shots of this documentary were taken in London at Claridge’s Hotel, a primarily symbolic location for this project, in Suite 212, where the Crown Prince was born in 1945. After that, filming continued at various locations in Serbia and in other countries, with the participation of numerous famous personalities who, through their testimonies, tell the story not only of the Karađorđevićs but also of the history of Serbia and our people. The film crew continues to work on an accompanying TV series, working title "The Crown, the State, and the People", which will cover all those details and interlocutors that, although very interesting, did not find their place in the film.

Directed by Lazar Vuković and his production company “Wolf Entertainment”, “From Exile to Return” reveals numerous secrets of the Royal Family, and a special detail is that, among other participants, HRH Crown Prince Alexander is publicly telling his life story for the first time. This film sheds light on a complex history. It follows the exciting, true story of how the Royal Family of Serbia, at the crossroads of Eastern and Western influences, sought to preserve the Crown while serving the people and the homeland.

HRH Crown Prince Alexander addressed the audience and said: “It is ungrateful to talk about oneself, about one's life... There is certainly a lot said in this film. I will not complain about the complex, sad parts of my life, because there were certainly a handful of beautiful moments that outweighed the ugly ones.

I want this story to be a reminder that some things, like an ideology that sees an enemy in a two-year-old child, should never happen again. That no one should ever be forced to grow up far from their homeland. That they can only dream about it... What is most important is the second part of the title – Return. My family and I have returned to Serbia. The Karađorđevićs are in their homeland, where we live, get married, and are born with our people, where we belong, and where we can only be. The Crown serves Serbia and our people. That is the most important thing, and for me, that's the main message of this film."

From his birth in exile in London to his baptism, at which the late Queen Elizabeth II was his godmother, to his being declared an enemy of the state at the age of two, much of it reads like the introduction to a Hollywood film, but it is a true-life story. The documentary also follows intriguing cases, such as the “looted gold”, which has been speculated for many years, family heirlooms that have been locked in a safe deposit box for several decades, and the confiscation of the entire private property of the Royal family.

In addition to the Crown Prince, the film features numerous public figures from Serbia and abroad, ministers and other representatives of political life, academics, journalists, actors, writers, and many others. We are not providing a list, as it will be finalized only after the series airs. The film was also selected for the Serbian Film Festival in Chicago, where it will be screened in December of this year.

The Director, Mr. Lazar Vuković, also addressed at the premiere: “From the moment this project began, my goal was not simply to document a timeline, but to reveal the human being behind the legacy, the son, the father, the grandfather, the husband, the man who has navigated extraordinary circumstances with dignity, patience and unwavering commitment to his people. I hope this film offers audiences a clearer understanding of his commitment to unity, service, and heritage and the remarkable personal story behind the title.”

In addition to the members of the Royal Family, the premiere was also attended by His Grace Bishop Ilarion of Novo Brdo, Vicar of His Holiness the Patriarch of Serbia Porfirije, Their Excellencies Ambassadors of the Kingdom of Spain Mr. Juan Jose Sanz Aparicio, Argentina Mr. Osvaldo Narciso Marsico, and other representatives of the diplomatic corps, Mrs Betty Roumeliotis, the Crown Princess’s sister, members of the Advisory Bodies of the Crown, representatives of state and cultural institutions, as well as many other distinguished guests from the spheres of business, art, culture, and the public life of Serbia.

Radiša Cvetković, Assistant Director of the Yugoslav Film Archive, concluded the official part with his address "This film is a topic that belongs to history and our collective memory. As the leading institution of film culture, the Yugoslav Film Archive has a special responsibility to support precisely these kinds of testimonies and authorial views on the past, which also speak of our time.”

The Royal Palace of Serbia sincerely thanks Mr. Lazar Vuković and the entire team of "Wolf Entertainment" Company, who, with their dedicated work, made it possible for this story to be told, as well as all the participants who enriched this film with their testimonies. We are also very grateful to the Yugoslav Film Archive for their tremendous support in organizing the promotion.

 

Three QVDs at the Bal des Débutantes

Eulalia de Orléans-Borbon @Le Bal

Three descendants of Queen Victoria will be at the Bal des Débutantes, which will take place on November 29 at the Shangri-La Paris hotel.  This five-star hotel was once the residence of Prince Roland Bonaparte, whose daughter, Princess Marie, married Prince Georg of Denmark.

Two of the QVDS will be making their debut:  HSH Princess Eugenia of Hohenzollern and Princess Eulalia de Orléans-Borbon, whose cavalier is the third QVD:  Albert Windsor.

HSH Princess Eugenia of Hohenzollern.

Princess Eugenia Bernadette Maria Theresia Esperanza is the younger daughter of HSH Prince Albrecht Johannes Hermann Meinrad Stephan of Hohenzollern and his former wife, Nathalie Rocabado de Viets.  She was born at Sigmaringen on June 8. 2005.   

The princess is studying fashion design in Paris at the Instituto Marangoni.  She is the niece of HSH Karl Friedrich, Prince of Hohenzollern.   

  Embed from Getty Images

Princess Eulalia  Sveva de Orléans-Borbón was born September 7, 2006, in Rome.  She is the only child of Prince Alvaro-Jaime de Orléans-Borbón and his second wife, Antonella Rendina.  The couple married 15 months after the birth of Eulalia, who was named for her great-great-grandmother,  HRH Infanta Maria Eulalia Francisca de Asis Margarita Roberta Isabel Francisca de Paula Cristina Maria de la Piedad of Spain, 8th child of Queen Isabel II of Spain and HRH Infant Francisco of Spain.

Eulalia, whose family has homes in Monaco, Spain, and Rome, is a student at the University of St. Andrews, where she is studying financial economics. 

  Embed from Getty Images

Her cavalier (escort) is Albert Louis Philip Edward Windsor, the eldest of three children of Lord Nicholas Windsor and his estranged wife, Paola Frankopan. Albert was born on September 22, 2007, in London.  He and his brothers live in Rome.

In June, Albert was one of the guests at a party hosted by Eulalia's parents at their home, Villa Parodi Delfino, in Rome.   He sat at Eulalia's table along with Andreas Oetker and Marieli Ruffo di Calabria.

Albert is fourth in line for the dukedom of Kent, after his uncle, the Earl of St. Andrews, his first cousin, Lord Downpatrick, and his father, Lord Nicholas Windsor.

Lord Downpatrick, 36, is unmarried.

Eulalia's godfather is King Juan Carlos of Spain.

Both are descendants of Prince Antoine, Duke of Montpensier, and Infanta Luisa Fernanda of Spain.

Antoine - Marie Isabelle - Louise - Mercedes - Juan Carlos

Antoine - Antonio - Alfonso - Álvaro - Álvaro-Jaime - Eulalia

Both photos were sent to me by a family member shortly after the baptism in February 2008 at Sanlucar de Barrameda.  The copyright belongs to the photographer.

Victoria - Alfred - Victoria Melita - Marie - Margarita - Albrecht - Eugenia

Victoria - Alfred - Beatrice - Álvaro - Álvaro-Jaime - Eulalia

Victoria - Edward - George - George - Edward -Nicholas - Albert

Eugenia and Albert are fifth cousins, and Eulalia and Eugenia are third cousins once removed, as Eulalia and Albrecht are third cousins.

Princess Eugenia's cavalier, Count Ascanio di Carpegna Brivo, is a veteran of the Bal des Débuntantes.  Last year, he escorted actor Peter Finch's daughter, Oona.

Other QVDS who made their society debuts at the Bal des Débutantes include Leah Isadora Behn, a granddaughter of King Harald V of Norway,  Princess Eugenia de Bourbon, Ella Mountbatten, Lady Tatiana Mountbatten, daughter of the Marquess of Milford Haven, Princess Charlotte of Nassau, escorted by her brother Prince Léopold of Nassau, Angelica Hicks, Victoria da Silva (daughter of Princess Katarina of Serbia), Princess Beatrice of Prusia, Princess Victoria Luise of Prussia, escorted by her brother, Prince Friedrich Wilhelm, Lady Amelia Windsor, who is Albert Windsor's first cousin.

QVD cavaliers include: Prince Paul-Louis of Nassau (twice), Grand Duke George of Russia, and Louis Bourbon y Franco.

Queen Elisabeth of Belgium (1876-1965)

Embed from Getty Images

 

 November 23, 1965

 Queen Elisabeth of Belgium died today in Brussels.  She was 89 years old. The cause of death is a heart attack.

The queen was the widow of King Albert, who was killed in a mountain climbing accident near Namur, in the Ardennes, on February 17, 1934.  After Albert's death, Elisabeth withdrew from public life because she wanted the focus to be on her daughter-in-law, Astrid, the wife of Elisabeth's eldest son, now King Leopold III.   Queen Astrid was killed in an automobile accident in Switzerland in 1935.   Elisabeth returned to a public role, as well as providing support to her eldest son, King Leopold, and his three children

She was born HRH Duchess Elisabeth Gabriele Valérie Marie in Bavaria on July 25, 1876, at Schloss Possenhofen, the daughter of HRH Duke Karl Theodor in Bavaria and his second wife, HRH Infanta Maria Josefa of Portugal.   

Duke Karl Theodor was a noted eye specialist.  He was the favorite brother of Empress Elisabeth "Sisi" of Austria.  Duchess Elisabeth was named for her aunt, who was assassinated in 1898.

Elisabet met her husband, Prince Albert of Belgium, second in line to the throne after his father, Prince Philippe, Count of Flanders, at the funeral of her aunt, Duchess Sophie Charlotte in Bavaria, who was married to the Duke of Alencon.  The Duchess was killed in the  Bazar de la Charité fire in May 1897.  Sophie Charlotte was the mother-in-law of  Albert's sister, Princess Henriette.

Their marriage took place in Munich on October 2, 1900.  According to a biography of Elisabeth by S. Cunliffe-Owen,  the bride wore a white satin gown which "gleamed the star and ribbon of the Order of St. Elisabeth."  

In 1905, Albert became the heir presumptive to his uncle King Leopold II following the death of his father, the Count of Flanders.  Four years later, Leopold died, and Albert succeeded to the Belgian throne.

From 1937, she was the patron for the Queen Elisabeth Competition, one of the most prestigious musical competitions for instrumentalists.    She was also one of the Righteous according to Yad Vashem.

In July 1951, Leopold abdicated in favor of his elder son, King Baudouin.  Since the fall of the Italian monarchy in a referendum in May 1946, Marie-José and her husband, King Umberto, have lived separate lives in exile.

Queen Elisabeth is survived by her three children:  former King Leopold III of the Belgians (1901), Prince Charles, Count of Flanders (1903), and  Queen Marie-José of Italy (1906), eleven grandchildren: King Baudouin, Grand Duchess Josephine-Charlotte of Luxembourg, Prince Albert, Prince of Liege, Prince Alexander, Princess Marie-Christine and Princess Marie-Esmeralda of Belgium,  Princess Maria Pia of Savoy (Princess Alexander of Yugoslavia), Prince Vittorio Emanuele, Prince of Naples, Princess Maria Gabriella and Princess Maria Beatrice of Savoy, and Isabelle Wybo, the natural daughter of Prince Charles and twelve great-grandchildren:  Prince Philippe, Princess Astrid and Prince Laurent of Belgium, Princess Marie-Astrid, Crown Prince Henri, Prince Jean, Princess Margaretha and Prince Guillaume of Luxembourg, and Prince Dimitri, Prince Michel, Princess Helene and Prince Serge of Yugoslavia.

[Isabelle was not publicly known until 2003.

  https://royalmusingsblogspotcom.blogspot.com/2012/10/a-natural-daughter-goes-public.html ]

Queen Elisabeth with her granddaughter, Princess Josephine-Charlotte 

Apart from the Getty photo, all images are from the Marlene A. Eilers Koenig collection.

https://amzn.to/49xmItR   (US)

https://amzn.to/4oc4PEs

https://amzn.to/4ii9bbJ  (US)

https://amzn.to/4oc4PEs (UK)