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| @Ken Stone |
King Charles III and Queen Camilla attended the RHS Sandringham Flower Show earlier today - June 22nd. The flower show is an annual tradition.
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| @Ken Stone |
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| @Ken Stone |
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| @Ken Stone |
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| @Ken Stone |
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| @Ken Stone |
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| @Ken Stone |
The photos were taken by a friend, Ken Stone. He is the copyright holder. As always, thank you so much for allowing me to use your photos. So envious!
July 22, 1896
Princess Maud of Wales and Prince Carl of Denmark were united in marriage today in the Chapel Royal, Buckingham Palace. The Princess is the youngest daughter of the Prince and Princess of Wales, and a granddaughter of Queen Victoria. Prince Carl is the second son of the Crown Prince and Crown Princess of Denmark, and a grandson of King Christian IX of Denmark. The Princess of Wales and the Danish Crown Prince are siblings.
A carriage procession from Marlborough House to Buckingham Palace included the Prince and Princess of Wales and all of the Queen's children, with the exception of her youngest daughter, Princess Beatrice, and her four children who are in mourning for Prince Henry of Battenberg, who died in January.
A "calvade of heralds and equerries escorted" Prince Carl, accompanied by his parents, the Crown Prince and Princess of Denmark, and his brothers, Christian and Harald. Queen Victoria slipped quietly into the chapel. The weather was described as "sunny and pleasant."
Prince Carl was supported by his brothers, and the bridesmaids were the bride's sister, Princess Victoria of Wales, Princesses Ingeborg nd Thyra, the groom's sisters, Princess Helena Victoria of Schleswig-Holstein, Princesses Margaret and Patricia of Connaught, Princess Alice of Albany, and Lady Alexandra Duff, the bride's niece and daughter of Princess Louise and the Duke of Fife.
The bridesmaids "in their white and silver embroidered dresses formed a charming group." Five-year-old Lady Alexandra "carried a basket of flowers," and was "escorted by her tall, slender cousin, Princess Alice of Albany." The bouquets featured the red and white, the Danish colors. They also wore a red flower in their hair.
This was the first royal wedding to take place at the Chapel Royal in Buckingham Palace since July 27, 1889, when Princess Maud's sister, Princess Louise, married the Duke of Fife. The chapel is much smaller than the Chapel Royal at St. James's Palace.
The wedding was officiated by Edward White Henson, Archbishop of Canterbury, and assisted by the Bishops of London and Winchester.
The guests included the Prince and Princess of Wales, Princess Louise and Marquess of Lorne, the Duke and Duchess of Connaught, the Duchess of Albany, Prince and Princess of Schleswg-Holstein, Prince Christian Victor of Schleswig Holstein, Prince and Princess Friedrich of Schaumburg-Lippe, the Duke and Duchess of Teck, the Duchess of York, Prince Nicholas of Greece and Denmark, Prince Adolphus of Teck, the Duke and Duchess of Fife (Princess Louise), the Duchess of Albany, with her young son, Prince Charles Edward, Duke of Albany, Duke of Cambridge, Princess Elisabeth of Waldeck und Pyrmont, Prince and Princess Philipp of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, Countess Gleichen, Count Gleichen, Baron von Pawel-Rammingen. The Princess of Wales walked with her brother, the Crown Prince of Denmark.
The Princess, born Princess Alexandra of Denmark, wore "a beautiful dress of grey silk, with diamond ornaments, and several orders, including the Danish Family Order."
After the procession of the Royal Family, Prince Carl, in the "dark grey uniform of colonel of the Danish infantry," walked to the altar accompanied by his two brothers. He walked to the right of the altar, with a "firm and martial step," and saluting the Queen.
The organist began playing Lady Arthur. Hill's "beautiful setting" of O Perfect Love, as the "most important procession" moved down the aisle. Princess Maud looked "quite charming in a dress of pure white silk, with a long train." The gown suited her to perfection.
Her veil, made from old lace, was a gift from her grandmother, the Queen. Her bouquet included the myrtle from a bush planted from several sprigs from Princess Victoria's bouquet when she married the future Emperor Friedrich in 1858.
The bride was escorted by her father, the Prince of Wales, and on her other side was her older brother, the Duke of York. Maud looked "very collected and self-possessed", appearing "unmistakenly dignified and royal" as she approached the altar.
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| @Royal Collection |
| Seated: Lady Alexandra Duff, Maud, Princess Charles of Denmark, Princess Alice of Albany, Princess Patricia of Connaught. |
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| Princess Victoria of Wales, Princess Carl of Denmark, the Princess of Wales, Princess Louise, Duchess of Fife and Lady Alexandra Duff @Marlene A Eilers Koenig Collection |
As Mendelssohn's Wedding March was played, Prince and Princess Carl of Denmark stopped to greet the Queen, "who kissed them both," the Prince and Princess of Wales, who was "evidently affected" by her daughter's wedding, and the Crown Prince and Crown Princess of Denmark.
The registry was signed by the bride and groom, the Queen, the Prince and Princess of Wales, in the Bow Library. The Queen retired to her apartments, and the rest of the party headed to the state dining room. Other guests were served in the palace's ballroom.
A wedding breakfast at Buckingham Palace was held after the wedding, which was followed by the bride and groom and the bridal party getting into carriages for the short ride to Marlborough House. The route was via Piccadilly and St. James's Street. The streets and houses were "beautifully decorated" with flags and bunting.
The Prince and Princess of Wales left the luncheon early as they were hosting a reception at Marlborough House. The guests included a number of their friends who had not received an invitation to the wedding. Many guests took time to look at the display of wedding gifts before everyone headed out to the garden to cheer the newlyweds. Princess Maud had changed into a "light pink silk" dress, with a matching toque. She and her new husband left by carriage for St. Pancras Station to catch the train to Wolferton. Their honeymoon would be spent at Appleton House on the Sandringham estate.
Prince Carl's grandparents, King Christian IX and Queen Louise, were unable to attend the wedding. The King hosted a state banquet in honor of his grandson's marriage. He raised a toast to Queen Victoria's health, and also thanked her for the "cordial reception accorded to his grandson."
He also wished the bride and groom "every happiness from the bottom of his heart," adding "I hope the bride may be as greatly loved in the land of her adoption as is her mother in England."
https://royalmusingsblogspotcom.blogspot.com/2009/12/appleton-house-sandringham.html
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| Both photos: Bucharest, Romania, 2001 @Marlene A Eilers Koenig |
Prince Wilhelm of Schaumburg-Lippe, a German prince who made Denmark his home, died on July 9, 2026. He was 86 years old. The death was first reported by his niece, Princess Eleonore, on her Facebook page.
The place of death is not known, as no death announcement has been published,
Prince Wilhelm Friedrich Harald Christian Ernst-Augusts Carl Gustav was the eldest of four children of HSH Prince Christian Nikolaus Wilhelm Friedrich of Schaumburg-Lippe and HH Princess Feodora Louise Caroline Mathilde Viktoria Alexandra Frederikke Johanne of Denmark. This was a first-cousin marriage as Christian's father, Prince Friedrich, had married Feodora's paternal aunt, Princess Louise of Denmark.
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| The wedding of Prince Christian and Princess Feodora |
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| Prince Christian and Princess Feodora |
He was born on August 19, 1939, at Jagdschloss Klein Glienecke, near Potsdam, Germany. After the Second World War, the young prince and his younger brother, Prince Waldemar, were sent to Denmark to live with their grandfather, Prince Harald of Denmark. After some time with Prince Harald, Prince Wilhelm lived with Prince Viggo and Prince Knud, whose wife, Princess Caroline Mathilde, was Princess Feodora's younger sister.
In February 1976, Wilhelm spoke to Berlingske Tidende : “I fell deeply in love with Denmark when the Red Cross brought my brother Waldemar and me here from war-ravaged Germany in the summer of 1946. We were six and seven years old, thin and half-starved. We had never experienced a safe and peaceful childhood until we moved in with my late grandfather, Prince Harald, at Svanemøllevej. He enrolled us at Busse's Private School in Hellerup. We learnt Danish within three weeks and were never allowed to forget the language again. When we returned to Germany in 1949, Mother always spoke Danish to us, and I continued to feel Danish and longed for Copenhagen.”
Neither brother enjoyed their time with their grandfather, and preferred being with their cousins, Ingolf, Christian and Elisabeth, the children of Prince Knud and Princess Caroline Mathilde.
Wilhelm was 10-years-old when he and his brother returned to Germany to live with their parents at Schloss Hagenberg, in northern Germany, a Schaumburg-Lippe family property.
Due to a health issue, Prince Wilhelm was exempted from Germany's military service, which allowed him to study banking and finance in England, Germany, and Switzerland. After marrying Ilona Hentschel von Gilgenheim in 1971, the couple settled in Denmark, where he worked for the Landmandsbanken for many years. In 1976, the prince and princess were granted Danish citizenship.
The couple were close friends and bridge partners with Queen Margrethe II and Prince Henrik. They were often present at Danish and European royal events.
After many years of living in Copenhagen, Prince Wilhelm and Princess Ilona moved to Glesborg to be nearer to their daughter, Desiree, who lives with her husband, Michael Frederik Iuel, a member of the Danish nobility, and their children at Schloss Meilgaard in Glesborg.
Princess Ilona died in 2024.
https://royalmusingsblogspotcom.blogspot.com/2024/01/hsh-princess-ilona-of-schaumburg-lippe.html
“The title of prince is a burden. I never use it. I simply try to be myself. I avoid using the title because I want to avoid unpleasantness. I have to do my job just like everyone else, and there is no point in putting on airs. I am simply an employee at the bank, trying to do my work as well as I can. Some people think that having the title of prince opens every door. It does not. I never push myself forward. I have never used my title to seek favours, whether from old school friends or anyone else. My title has never brought me any special privileges. If people want to help me, it should be because they genuinely wish to do so; otherwise, it is of no interest to me, " Wilhelm told the B.T. newspaper in 1983.
Prince Wilhelm is survived by his two children, HSH Prince Christian Hubertus Clemens-August Friedrich Sigismund Louis-Ferdinand Harald and HSH Princess Desiree Alexandra Felicitas Rosmarie Feodora, Mrs. Iuel, and grandchildren, HSH Prince Julian and HSH Princess Emilia of Schaumburg-Lippe, Alexandra, Tatiana, & Philippa Iuel.
https://royalmusingsblogspotcom.blogspot.com/2016/04/double-tragedy-for-schaumburg-lippe.html
https://royalmusingsblogspotcom.blogspot.com/2012/04/schaumburg-lippe-royals-die-within.html
https://royalmusingsblogspotcom.blogspot.com/2009/05/king-christian-approves-nieces-marriag.html
My thanks to Stig Nielsen who allowed me to use his research for this article.
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In 2010, Spain's national soccer team won its first World Cup. The Prince and Princess of Asturias, with their two young daughters, Infanta Leonor and Infanta Sofia, welcomed the team to Zarzuela Palace for a reception.
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Fast forward to 2026. The Prince and Princess of Asturias are now King Felipe VI and Queen. They and their now-adult daughters, Leonor, the Princess of Asturias, 20, and Infanta Sofia, 19, were present at Met Life Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, when Spain defeated Argentina to win a second World Cup.
Belgrade, 16 July 2026 – Tomorrow, on 17 July 2026, HRH Crown Prince Alexander will celebrate his 81st birthday, but also another significant anniversary – 25 years since the decades-long injustice was corrected and the Royal family of Serbia finally returned to its Homeland, where Karadjordjevics only belong.
His Royal Highness extends his gratitude to everyone who will share the joy of this day with him and sends his birthday message, while also remembering another sad anniversary: the tragedy that occurred on his first birthday. “For me, birthdays were never that important; some other holidays such as Patron Saint Day were always much more significant. It really became important in 2001, the year when we got back home. These days were always more of a reminder of the duty entrusted to me by the tradition of the Karadjordjevic family and the legacy of my ancestors - to serve the people, preserve our heritage, try to strengthen national unity, and work as much as possible for the benefit of the Homeland.
Whether a country is a monarchy or a republic, the role of the Crown as an institution is measured not by power but by service. Guided by a sense of duty and inspired by our history, I was always trying to fulfill my lifelong mission with dignity and commitment. So, birthdays were always a good chance to look back and assess what I have accomplished, and what could be improved. What will never change is the idea that has led me: to serve Serbia and our people, and to work for a future built on unity. This is the duty of the Royal Family and the path that I will continue to follow in the service of the people and the Homeland.”
A review of the activities of Crown Prince Alexander and the Royal Family of Serbia in the previous year is traditionally documented by a short film, titled “25 Years in Homeland – A Life Dedicated to Serbia”. His Royal Highness invites everyone to watch the premiere on the Royal Family's YouTube channel and on social media on Thursday, 17 July at 11 AM (Serbian time).
“In the year behind me, one of the most joyous events was the wedding of my youngest son, Prince Alexander, with Princes Vesna. With a civil marriage in Belgrade, and a church wedding in Seville, Spain, surrounded by family and friends, this celebration was not only a personal family milestone but also a symbol of continuity, hope, and the future of the Royal House of Serbia. Events like this give me strength to continue, to look for the future”, said the Crown Prince.
Although this year we mark a quarter of a century since the return of the Royal Family to Serbia, the Royal Palace decided that a film with activities from past year is created, since a short biographical film, titled “On the Trail of Kings’ Heritage” was already prepared last year, for the Crown Prince’s 80th birthday, and is of course available on the Royal family’s YouTube channel.
“There is one more very important reason why on 17 July I cannot think only about my birthday. Exactly 80 years ago, in 1946, on the day when I turned one year old, in Yugoslavia run by a non-democratic, totalitarian communistic regime, followers of this ideology blinded by their hate, after a false, Stalinist court process, murdered one of the most faithful soldiers loyal to the oath given to King and Homeland, the first guerrilla fighter of an occupied Europe, Serbian and Yugoslav officer, army General and Chief of Staff of the Supreme Command of the Yugoslav Army in the Homeland, Minister of the Army, Navy and Air Force of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia in World War II - Dragoljub Draža Mihailović.
Without wishing to reopen old wounds and divisions from World War Two, we are obliged to honour the truth and respect all the victims of all extreme ideologies. And Draža Mihailović and his soldiers were victims of one of those ideologies that brought great pain and destruction to our people and the country. I said I do not wish to reopen healed injuries, but this is one of those still open wounds of the past that we must heal. The people of Serbia can only move forward by respecting each other and praying for all those who lost their lives.
Although severely slandered by the totalitarian communist regime after World War II in Yugoslavia, General Mihailović received many decorations for his contribution to the Allied victory in the war, including the United States Legion of Merit, which was awarded to him posthumously by President Truman in 1948, and the French Croix de Guerre from General Charles de Gaulle in 1943. His grave site is even today unknown, but the memory lives and will live as long as our people exist. May there be eternal remembrance and thanks to our „Čiča“! (Serbian for “Uncle” – General Mihailović’s nickname given to him by the people) With his fight against the occupiers, he ranked himself among the greatest knights and fighters for the freedom of our people“, concluded HRH Crown Prince Alexander.
His Royal Highness’ birthday wish is for our people to have a better understanding of one another and more peace and unity. That we all together have wisdom and strength to overcome all difficulties. He wishes prosperity and well-being for our country, with a reminder that we, as a people, have suffered so much and that we all deserve peace and stability.
The birthday film will be premiered on the following links:
Serbian version – https://youtu.be/k3uoGF5qZO4
English version – https://youtu.be/JKfn2a17as4
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| Countess Marie with her father Count Peter von Eltz genannt Faust von Stromberg |
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| The bride's mother, Countess Gina |
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| Thakur Aridaman Singh of Kerote. |
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| Count Alexander von Stauffenberg and family. The count is married to Countess Maria-Anna von Quadt zu Wykradt und Isny, who is Countess Gina's older sister. |
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| Countess Anna Theresa of Arco-Zinneberg with her husband, Colin McKenzie, and her mother, Archduchess Marie-Beatrice |
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| Prince Johannes zu Fürstenberg |
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| The Princess of Waldburg zu Zeil and her daughter Charlotte |
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| Count Jakob on Eltz genannt Faust von Stromberg |
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| Hereditary Count Ludwig von Waldburg zu Wolfegg und Waldsee |
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| Count Christoph von Stauffenberg and family |
The groom is the son of Colonel Bhawani Singh and his wife Shivina Kumari, who is a cousin of Maharaja Sawai Padmanabh Singh Bahadur of Jaipur.
The witnesses for the couple were Countess Marie Gabrielle von und zu Arco-Zinneberg, Hereditary Count Ludwig von Waldburg zu Wolfegg und Waldsee, Moritz Jansen, Marie Anne Oudejans, Maharaja Sawai Padmanabh Singh Bahadur of Jaipur, The Duke of Noto, and Samir Andrea Kaswili.
The guests included Prince Dom Rafael de Orleans e Braganca with his fiancee, Margherita Delle Piane, Countess Marie Beatrice von Arco Zinneberg with her daughter Anna Theresa and her husband, Colin McKenzie, The Princess of Waldburg zu Zeil and her daughters, Countess Charlotte, the Prince and Princness von Quadt, The Prince of Waldburg zu Wolfegg und Waldsee with his son, the Hereditary Count and his fiancee, Countess Marie von Seilern und Aspang, Prince and Princess Erich von Lobkowicz and their daughter, Princess Anna, Prince Johannes von Fuerstenberg, Prince Alfred von Windisch Graetz, Prince Maximilian von Windisch Graetz, Count and Countess Alexander von Stauffenberg with their family, Count and Countess Christoph von Stauffenberg with their children, Count and Countess Max Emanuel von Rechberg, Count Moritz von Drechsel, Countess Tatjana von Waldburg Zeil Hohenems with husband, Philip Eisl, and Count Jacob von Eltz genannt Faust von Stromberg.
More than 400 guests were shuttled by bus to the reception, which was held under a transparent marquee near the Ramsau ski lift.
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| Gladys Moore Vanderbilt (1886-1965), youngest daughter of Cornelius Vanderbilt II, president and chairman of the New York Central Railroad, and Alice Gwynne Claypoole. In 1908, Gladys married Hungarian Count László Széchenyi. This portrait is by John Singer Sargent. |
Countess Marie is the great-granddaughter of Gladys Moore Vanderbilt, whose fifth daughter, Countess Fernandine (1923-2016) married in Washington, D.C., in 1946 to Count Alexander von Eltz genannt Faust von Stromberg, the parents of Count Peter.
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| Countess Fernandine Széchényi by de Laszlo |
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| Countess Fernandine - painted by de Laszlo |
One of Gladys's brothers was Reginald Vanderbilt, whose younger daughter was Gloria Vanderbilt, mother of CNN anchor Anderson Cooper. Anderson and Count Peter are second cousins. They share another second cousin, Daniel Finch-Hatton, 17th Earl of Winchilsea, 12th Earl of Nottingham, whose grandmother, Countess Gladys Széchenyi, was Fernandine's sister.
Cornelius Vanderbilt -- William Henry - Cornelius II -Gladys - Fernandine - Peter - Marie .
The bride is also a descendant of King Ludwig III of Bavaria.
Ludwig - Rupprecht - Albrecht - Marie-Charlotte - Gina - Marie
Thank you to a photographer friend who shared these photos with me. The photographer is the copyright holder. No one can use these photos without the photographer's permission.
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| @Arthur Vickery |
Samuel David Benedict Chatto and Eleanor Armine M. Ekserdjian are getting married. The couple announced their engagement on their Instagram pages.
The couple began dating in 2021. Sam is the elder son of Lady Sarah Chatto, daughter of the late Princess Margaret, and Daniel Chatto. Eleanor, known as Ellie, is the daughter of art historian David Patrick Martin Ekserdjian and Susan Pauline Moore.
Sam and Eleanor met at the University of Edinburgh. They are both artists. Sam specializes in ceramics, which explains the ring. According to the Times, "Ceramic rings have risen in popularity in recent years as a more unusual and affordable alternative to traditional gold and diamond engagement rings."
The rings are "usually crafted from titanium carbide or tungsten carbide ceramic; they are lightweight, comfortable and hard-wearing."
Chatto maintains a studio in West Sussex. In a post on his Instagram page, he talked about his work. “There are so many stages in the creation of each piece I make. Most of the stages are spent alone, just me and the clay working each other into the desired form. It can be very insular, reflective and meditative (as well as frustrating, challenging and emotional).”
King Charles, who is Sam's first cousin once removed, was informed of the engagement and is said to be "very happy" for the couple.
Sam was born on July 28, 1996, at the Portland Hospital in London. Just three weeks later, on August 22nd, Eleanor was born, also at the Portland Hospital.
The couple has attended numerous royal events, including Christmas Day at Sandringham in December 2024, the Mey Highland Games in Caithness with Lady Sarah Chatto and King Charles III in 2025, and Peter and Harriet Phillips' wedding in June.
Eleanor told the Daily Mail's gossip columnist, Richard Eden, that she considered Sam her "artistic muse." Her sketch of SAM appeared in an exhibition of her works at London's Gallery at Green and Stone. Her works have been exhibited at several galleries, including the Redfern Gallery.
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Her father, David, is a respected art historian, and her mother, Susan, has served as the Financial Times' art critic for 40 years.
The wedding is scheduled to take place in the spring of 2027.
https://royalmusingsblogspotcom.blogspot.com/2024/12/another-view-of-christmas-at-sandringham.html
https://royalmusingsblogspotcom.blogspot.com/2025/05/sam-chatto-ceramic-exhibition-in-norway.html
https://www.mutualart.com/Artist/Eleanor-Ekserdjian/33618733ADBD479C
https://eleanorekserdjian.pb.studio/about2
https://royaldrawingschool.org/artists/sam-chatto
https://peeragenews.blogspot.com/2026/07/samuel-chatto-engaged-to-eleanor.html
HRH Prince Dom Bertrand Maria José Pio Januário Miguel Gabriel Rafael Gonzaga de Orleans e Bragança is the 85-year-old head of the Vassouras branch of the Brazilian Imperial Family. He is a devout and traditional Roman Catholic who has never married. In 2022, he succeeded his older brother, Prince Dom Luiz, also a traditional and celibate Roman Catholic, who died at the age of 84.
In 1889, Emperor Pedro II was deposed in a military coup. A republic was established, and the royal family went into exile. Pedro's heir, Isabel, the Princess Imperial, settled in France, as she was married to Prince Gaston, Count of Eu, a member of the French royal house. The couple had three sons: Pedro de Alcântara of Orléans-Braganza, Prince of Grão Pará (1875-1940), Prince Luís of Orléans-Braganza (1878–1920), and Prince Antônio Gastão of Orléans-Braganza (1881-1918).
Dom Pedro headed the Petropolis branch of the former Imperial Family. It was his marriage to Countess Elisabeth Maria Adelheid Dobrženský von Dobrženitz, a Bohemian aristocrat, that led to the renunciation of his succession rights (and those of his descendants). His parents, Princess Isabel and the Count of Eu, would not give permission for his marriage until after his younger brother, Luiz, married Princess Maria di Grazia (Maria Pia) of Bourbon-Two Sicilies in 1908.
Elisabeth was not of royal blood, which was the reason for Isabel's disapproval. She and Dom Pedro were married soon after Luiz's marriage to Princess Maria Pia. With Dom Pedro's renouncement, Dom Luiz became his mother's heir.
There is a bit of irony with Dom Pedro's renunciation. Three of his five children married into European royal Houses. Their eldest daughter, Princess Isabelle, married Prince Henri, Count of Paris. Their grandson, Prince Jean, is the current head of the French royal house.
Dom Pedro's son, Pedro Gastão of Orléans-Braganza (1913-2007), never accepted his father's renouncement and made Pedro Henrique, Prince of Brazil, his own claim to the defunct throne. In 1944, he married Princess Maria de la Esperanza of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, whose sister, Maria de las Mercedes, was the mother of King Juan Carlos of Spain. One of Dom Pedro's six children, Princess Maria of Orléans-Braganza, was the first wife of Crown Prince Alexander of Yugoslavia.
Their second daughter, Princess Maria Francisca, married Dom Duarte Nino, Duke of Braganza, then head of the Portuguese Royal Family. Their eldest son, Dom Duarte Pio, is the current Duke of Braganza, the de jure king of Portugal. He is married to a Portuguese noblewoman, Isabel Inês de Castro Curvello de Herédia.
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| Dom Luiz and Princess Maria Pia |
The Vassouras branch is technically the junior branch, but the one with the succession rights. Unfortunately, the majority of Dom Luiz's descendants have married commoners or aristocrats.
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| Pedro Henrique and Maria Elisabeth |
His son, Dom Pedro Henrique (1909-1981), chose a royal bride, Princess Maria Elisabeth of Bavaria. They were the parents of twelve children. Only two of the 12 children married equally: the sixth son, Antonio (1950-2024), and Leonor (1953), who married siblings: Michel, Prince of Ligne, and Princess Christine of Ligne.
https://royalmusingsblogspotcom.blogspot.com/2024/11/hrh-prince-antonio-de-orleans-braganza.html
Prince Antonio and Princess Christine were the parents of four children: Pedro-Luiz, Amelia, Rafael, and Maria Gabriella. On May 31, 2009, Pedro-Luiz was a passenger on Air France Flight 447, bound from Rio to Paris, that crashed into the Atlantic.
Princess Amelia renounced her rights when she married Alexander Spearman in 2014.
The burden of equal marriage fell upon Dom Rafael. In May, he became engaged to Italian aristocrat Margherita delle Piane, whose brother Guy is married to Princess Xenia of Croy.
Members of Rafael's family believed that Uncle Bertrand would approve this marriage, as it is a love match, but on July 11th, while attending the 36th National Monarchist Meeting in São Paulo, he read aloud the letter he sent to his nephew, Rafael, concerning the latter's forthcoming marriage. Bertrand stated emphatically that the marriage, even if Rafael does not renounce before the ceremony, "will ipso facto and for all intents and purposes constitute an effective and valid, albeit tacit renunciation of his dynastic rights, which will immediately pass to his sister Dona Maria Gabriela and, after her, to the next in line of succession."
Bertrand also urged his nephew to “proclaim Dona Maria Gabriela as Imperial Princess of Brazil."
Dom Bertrand's statement reeks of hypocrisy. Several days ago, he met with his kinsman, Prince Jean, Count of Paris, who is married to Philomena de Tornos y Steinhart, whose mother was an Austrian aristocrat. Has he not noticed that the Queen consorts of Denmark, Norway, Sweden, the Netherlands and Spain are commoners, and their counterparts in Belgium and Luxembourg are nobles, who would not have been good enough for the Brazilians. This is 2026.
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| November 2024. Dom Bertrand kisses Queen Silvia of Sweden's hand. The German-born wife of King Carl XVI Gustaf is half-Brazilian ... and born a commoner. The King and Queen were visiting Brazil, and Dom Bertrand was a guest at a luncheon in their honor @Casa do Imperial Brasil |
Bertrand's overzealous and traditional Catholic views have clouded his judgment. Why didn't he (or his older brother, Luiz) look for an acceptable bride? He often traveled to Europe, where one of his many cousins could have introduced him to a nice Catholic princess. Where was his due diligence? Where was his duty to the family?
There are only three dynasts left: Rafael, Maria Gabriela, and their first cousin, Prince Henri de Ligne, whose older sister, Princess Alix, renounced her rights when she married Count Guillaume de Dampierre.
Earlier this month, Princess Maria Gabriela received the Grand Cross of the Royal Order of Queen Saint Isabel from the Duchess of Braganza, perhaps a signal that the succession change is forthcoming. Maria Gabriela and Prince Henri are 37 years old, and neither is married.
The princess has been described as a "pillar of strength" for her brother. Is it possible for the princess and Prince Henri to renounce their rights in solidarity with Rafael? This action could provide a wake-up call for Bertrand, as there would be no one left in the family with succession rights.
Margherita delle Piane shares "the same Catholic principles and values" as her fiancé. Bertrand should approve of that. But no, she is not blue-blooded enough to marry the heir to a throne that has not existed since 1889. Members of the de Orleans e Bragança family are active, socially and politically, in Brazil.
There is the elephant in the room -- or the ubiquitous can of worms that would be unleashed if Bertrand accepted the marriage. The Petropolis branch would be able to claim that they now have dynastic rights.
The de jure Duke of Braganza and Dom Bertrand are second cousins. If Dom Duarte Pio could marry a Portuguese noblewoman without surrendering his rights to his younger brother, then Dom Rafael should have the same courtesy and be allowed to marry the woman he loves without the drama of being forced to renounce his rights.
Uncle Bertrand is a bitter old man who does not live in the real world. He's never experienced the love between a man and a woman, and is unwilling to accept that royal families, reigning and non-reigning, have changed to love and equal partnership. Other royal families, including Portugal, have accepted non-royal spouses and remained in line. Why can't Bertrand understand or accept these changes?
God will tell Dom Bertrand that it is okay to accept Dom Rafael's marriage to Margherita delle Piane.
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| @Flora Vesterberg/Instagram |
Meet the newest descendant of Queen Victoria - Isabel Marina Vesterberg, the first child of Flora and Timothy Vesterberg.
Isabel was born on July 8th. "Our daughter Isabel Marina Vesterberg arrived safely on the morning of 8 July. Timothy and I are overjoyed and full of love for her. She’s named for the blessing that she is and my great-grandmother - as well as meaning ‘of the sea’ where we’re always at peace. Thank you for your thoughtful messages xx"
She is the first grandchild for Flora's parents, James and Julia Ogilvy, and the first great-grandchild for HRH Princess Alexandra, the Hon. Lady Ogilvy.
Victoria - Edward VII - George - George - Alexandra - James - Flora - Isabel.
Buckingham Palace has confirmed that King Charles III has had a playdate with two of his grandchildren, Prince Archie,7, and five-year-old Princess Lilibet of Sussex. The king and queen hosted the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and their children at Highgrove House in Gloucestershire this afternoon.
This was a private family event. It is understood that no photographs will be released. I bet a few family snaps were taken, however.
The King last met his grandchildren in June 2022 during Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee celebrations.
