Duchess Dorothée of Württemberg and Philipp Polack marry in Altshausen

 

 

Duchess Dorothéee of Württemberg and Philipp Polack were married on September 12 at the Pfarr- und Schlosskirche St. Michael, Altshausen.   The civil ceremony took place in late June in Altshausen.

The bride, 29, is the youngest daughter of the late Duke Friedrich of Württemberg and Princess Marie of Wied.  Duke Friedrich was the eldest son of Carl, Duke of Württemberg, and Princess Diane of Orléans.  He was killed in a traffic accident in May 2018.   Duke Carl died in 2022, and Friedrich's only son, Wilhelm, succeeded as Duke of Württemberg.

In honor of her parents,   Dorothée and Philipp requested John Rutter's "This is the Day and the Hallelujah Chorus from Handel's Messiah, both of which were played at her parents' wedding in the same church in 1993.

The wedding program also included a touching memorial: "That Duke Friedrich was able to meet the groom means a great deal to the bridal couple and is a special gift for them both."

The bride's gown was designed by Philippa Lepley, and Queen Charlotte of Württemberg's tiara held her veil in place.

The wedding brought family and friends together.  The guests included Prince and Princess Waldburg-Zeil with their grandson and their daughters,  Prince and Princess Philipp of Oettingen-Wallerstein,   Afonso, Prince of Beira, Infanta Maria Francisca of Portugal and her husband, Duarte de Sousa Araújo Martins, Prince Guillaume and Princess Sibilla of Luxembourg and their son, Prince Paul Louis of Nassau, the Margrave and Margravine of Baden, Valerie, Dowager Margravine of Baden,  the Prince and Princess of Quadt, the Prince and Princess of Reuss, Count and Countess of Königsegg-Aulendorff and their two sons, Philipp and Nikolaus, Countess Antoinette of Schaesberg, Count Maximilian and Countess Veronika of Waldburg-Zeil, Count Johannes Schaesberg, Archduke Joseph and Archduchess Sophie of Austria, Duchess Elisabeth in Bavaria, Prince Albert-Henri and Princess Marie-Christine de Merode. Count Stephan and Countess Sigweis of Neipperg, Count Vincent and Countess Hemma von Matuschka, Count Konrad and Countess von Marie Matuschka. Duchess Marie of Württemberg with Count Nikolaus von Matuschka,  Duchess Amelie of Württemberg with her husband,  Baron Franz Ferdinand von Feilitzsch, and their son,  Diane, Dowager Duchess of Württemberg, Duke Michael and Duchess Julia of Württemberg, Duchess Marie Caroline in Bavaria (former wife of Duke Philipp of Württemberg her children, Duchess Sophie with her husband,  Maximilien d’Andigné, Duchess Pauline, Duke Carl-Theodor,  with his date, Clara von Mayr-Melnhof, Duchess Fleur of Württemberg with her husband, Count Moritz von Goess with Countesses Livia and  Flaminia and Count Zeno von Goess, Prince Boris of Bulgaria and his girlfriend,  Anastasia de Taurine Gailly. Prince Michael and Princess Christina of Baden,  Prince Tassilo of Bavaria and Isabel von Pachta Reyhofen,  Prince Philipp and Prince Richard of Bavaria, Archduke Friedrich of Austria, Count Antonius and Countess Nicola von Keglevich, Count Constantin zu Königsegg-Aulendorf, Prince Philipp and Princess Hermine of Salm-Salm, Christoph and Felicitas (nee Salm-Salm) von Grolman and their daughter, Helena, Count Johannes and Countess Adriana von Schaesberg, Count and Countess Alexander Schenk von Stauffenberg, Count Alexander von und Trautmansdorff-Weinsburg, Countess Felicitas von Kuenburg, Prince Carl Philipp of Urach, and others.

The witnesses for the bride and groom were Duchess Amelie, Countess Marie Dorothée of Schaesburg, Helena von Grolman, Konstantin Rau, Johannes von Gemmingen-Hornberg and William Kingsley.  

The bride's flower girls and pages were Baron August von Feilitzsch, Archduchess Juno of Austria, Princess Emma of Prussia, Rosalie, Florentin and Konstantin Schlüter.   Juno is the daughter of Archduke Josef and Archduchess Sophie of Austria.   Princess Emma is the daughter of Prince Georg Friedrich and Princess Sophie of Prussia.  

Jan Schlüter and his wife, Maria Anna (nee Dichgans) are the parents of Rosalie, Florentin, and Konstantin.  Maria Anna's mother, Countess Maria Eleonore of Waldburg-Zeil, was Princess Eleonore of Bavaria's granddaughter.

The reception was held at Schloss Altshausen.  After their honeymoon, they will return to London, where they live and work.

The photos are copyrighted by a dear friend.   These photos cannot be used without the copyright holder's permission.

https://royalmusingsblogspotcom.blogspot.com/2022/06/hrh-carl-duke-of-wurttemberg-1936-2022.html

https://royalmusingsblogspotcom.blogspot.com/2023/09/duchess-amelie-of-wurttemberg-marries.html

https://royalmusingsblogspotcom.blogspot.com/2025/07/duchess-dorothee-of-wurttemberg-is.html

Prince Boris of Bulgaria and Victor Wachs

On the left, Prince Clemens of Sachsen-Gessaphe.  The lady in red is his girlfriend, Ladislaja. The others are unidentified

Princess Marie-Therese and Prince Philipp of Oettingen-Wallerstein

The Prince of Beira

Archduchess Maria and Archduke Simeon of Austria

Unidentified 

Infanta Maria Francisca of Portugal, Duchess of Coimbra, with her husband, Duarte de Sousa Araújo Martins

Prince Georg Friedrich and Princess Sophie of Prussia

Prince Paul Louis of Nassau with his parents, Princess Sibilla and Prince Guillaume of Luxembourg

Dr. Axel and Sybille Polack

Count Vincent and Countess Hemma Matuschka

The Prince and Princess of Waldburg-Zeil with their grandson in the pram

Duchess Fleur (Württemberg) with her husband Count Moritz von Goess

Princess Sibilla and Prince Guillaume of Luxembourg

Prince Boris of Bulgaria

Countess Veronika and Count Maximilian of Waldburg Zeil

Duchess Marie of Württemberg and Count Nikolaus Matuschka

Countess Antoinette zu Schaesberg

Princess Marie Therese and Prince Philipp of Oettingen-Wallerstein

In the back row: Count and Countess Pallavincini with Helena and Florentine

Duchess Marie Caroline in Bavaria with her daughter, Duchess Anna of Württemberg, and Princess Marie Therese and Prince Philipp of Oettingen-Wallerstein

The Prince of Beira

Princess Sibilla of Luxembourg, Prince Boris of Bulgaria, Princes Guillaume of Luxembourg and Prince Paul Louis of Nassau

The procession to the church.  Philip Polack walks with his mother, followed by his father and the bride's mother, Duchess Marie of Württemberg.  The woman in pink is the bride's sister, Marie Amelie, with her husband, Baron Franz-Ferdinand von Feilitzsch

Dr. Alex Polack and Duchess Marie of Württemberg

Duchess Marie of Württemberg with the groom's father, Dr. Axel Polack - the procession to the church. Behind Duchess Marie is her elder daughter, Duchess Marie Amelie, with her husband, Baron Franz-Ferdinand von Feilitzsch, and their child.

The bride was given away by her brother, Duke Wilhelm of Württemberg

Duchess Marie of Württemberg and Count Nikolaus Matuschka

Princess Sophie of Prussia

Duchess Diane of Württemberg

Duchess Diane of Württemberg

Duchess Elisabeth in Bavaria

Prince Georg Friedrich of Prussia

One more Württemberg wedding this year. On October 17, Duchess Pauline of Württemberg will marry Count Constantin zu Koenigsegg-Aulendorf. The Roman Catholic service will take place at the Klosterkirche St. Quirinus in Tegernsee. Their civil marriage, the legal ceremony, was celebrated in July at Schloss Halbturn, Burgenland, Austria. 

 Pauline is the second of four children of Duke Philipp of Württemberg and his former wife, Duchess Marie Caroline in Bavaria.   

Count Constantin's older sister, Nathalie, is married to Prince Georg von der Leyen and zu Hohengeroldseck, the second son of Prince Philipp Erwein von der Leyen and zu Hohengeroldseck.  Georg's youngest sister, Princess Maria Nives, is engaged to Prince Georg of Liechtenstein, who is Pauline's first cousin.

Count Constantin is the heir to Schloss Halbturn. 

https://schlosshalbturn.com/en/

 https://royalmusingsblogspotcom.blogspot.com/2025/11/a-royal-engagement-duchess-pauline-of.html

Princess Astrid's beloved dog, Wilma, has died.

  Embed from Getty Images 

 After Princess Astrid's death, Norwegian broadcaster NRK asked the palace about the princess's beloved chihuahua, Wilma. On September 24,  the palace's communication adviser, Simen Sund, emailed a response to the network: "Recently, Wilma lived with one of Princess Astrid's children. Days after Princess Astrid's passing, Wilma also fell asleep quietly, lying where she felt most comfortable - on a good lap."

The much-loved pup had been ill for some time.  She was 12 years old.

According to Sund,  "Wilma came to Princess Astrid as a rehoming dog from the Solplassen rehoming and rest home for ownerless dogs, and lived with the princess for several years. She was often with her when Princess Astrid was out on official missions for the royal family – often safely placed on her lap."

In 2025, the Princess told NRK: It's because she's lovely to have on my lap, and she gets to experience nice things with me.

"Wilma means everything to me. It became a whole new world after she came home. I had lost my old dog, and then there was a big void. It was great to have Wilma – instead of a broken world, I got a whole world when she came to me."

The dog was adopted from the Solpasssen rehoming center. 

  Embed from Getty ImagesEmbed from Getty ImagesEmbed from Getty ImagesEmbed from Getty ImagesEmbed from Getty Images 

 On Sunday, the Solplassen center released a statement about Wilma: "Solplassen has received information from both Princess Astrid's family and the Palace that Wilma is doing well, she is being well taken care of, and that she is now living a good life with one of Princess Astrid's children."

Princess Astrid loved animals, especially dogs, as Pastor Paul Erik Wirgenes noted at her funeral.  He said: “Princess Astrid loved her animals. The children remember packing for the summer holidays with dogs, budgies, parrots, rabbits and goldfish that would all be at the cottage. She got her first dog when she was two years old, and has had many since. There are pictures of the aging princess without her dog – but there aren't that many."

Wilma was one of several four-legged friends who often accompanied Princess Astrid in her official duties and private life.

Princess Astrid's funeral

 Embed from Getty Images Embed from Getty Images

Princess Astrid's funeral took place on September 23rd at the Ris Church in Oslo.  King Haakon VIII and the late Princess's five children served as pallbearers.

The princess died on September 11th, two days after the funeral of her younger brother, King Harald V. 

The 94-year-old princess was the second of three children of King Olav V and  Crown Princess Martha.

King Haakon VIII and Queen Mette-Marit were joined by Crown Princess Ingrid Alexandra and Queen Sonja,  Princess Märtha Louise with her husband Durek Verrett and her three children, Maud, Leah and Emma Behn, Cathrine Ferner Benedikte Ferner, Alexander Ferner, Elisabeth Ferner and Carl-Christian Ferner with their children and grandchildren,  Haakon and Martha Lorentzen, Ingeborg Lorentzen Ribeiro and Paulo Ribeiro, and Ragnhild Lorentzen Long, and Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden, Princess Margaretha of Liechtenstein, Prince Jean of Luxembourg,  Princess Astrid and Prince Lorenz of Belgium, and  Count Axel of Rosenborg and Countess Désirée of Rosenborg.

Axel and Désirée are the youngest children of the late Count Flemming of Rosenborg (ne Prince Flemming of Denmark), the youngest child of Prince Axel of Denmark and Princess Margaretha of Sweden, the elder sister of Crown Princess Martha.

Haakon, Ingeborg and Ragnhild Lorentzen are the children of the late Princess Ragnhild Alexandra, the eldest of King Haakon's three children.

Count Flemming and Princess Astrid were first cousins.  Princess Astrid of Belgium, Princess Margaretha of Liechtenstein and her twin brother, Prince Jean of Luxembourg, are the grandchildren of Princess Astrid of Sweden, Margaretha and Martha's sister,  who married King Leopold III of the Belgians in 1926.

Prince Sverre Magnus did not attend the funeral as he is at Forward University is Lisbon, Portugal.

The Princess Royal sent a wreath.

Ola Vatn, Det kongelige hoff

Embed from Getty ImagesEmbed from Getty ImagesEmbed from Getty ImagesEmbed from Getty ImagesEmbed from Getty ImagesEmbed from Getty ImagesEmbed from Getty ImagesEmbed from Getty ImagesEmbed from Getty ImagesEmbed from Getty ImagesEmbed from Getty ImagesEmbed from Getty ImagesEmbed from Getty Images  Embed from Getty Images

Their Majesties King Haakon and Queen Mette-Marit, Her Royal Highness Crown Princess Ingrid Alexandra and Queen Sonja, the King Mother, were present at Ris Church together with Princess Astrid's immediate family. Representatives of the state authorities, other princely houses and the Princess's patronage were also present.

The funeral service began with Pie Jesu, performed by Sølvguttene and Sissel Kyrkjebø, who later accompanied the service. Parish priest Paul Erik Wirgenes officiated together with Oslo's bishop, Sunniva Gylver.

Finance Minister Jens Stoltenberg represented the government and gave a memorial speech for Princess Astrid. He highlighted the Princess's long service to Norway - and how his father, Thorvald Stoltenberg, as president of the Russ celebration at Princess Astrid's birth, had helped to arrange a "royal Russian celebration".

When she had found the man she wanted to share her life with, Princess Astrid stood up for love. Her chosen one, Johan Martin Ferner, was divorced, and this aroused opposition. Thus, the Princess took the lead on royals' choice of life partners.

- King Harald was Princess Astrid's little brother. And you are a little brother all your life, said Jens Stoltenberg.

And she did that until the end. Two days after his funeral, she herself passed away.

In his condolences on the Princess's death, King Haakon said, among other things:

"In her work, Princess Astrid was always particularly concerned with care and inclusion for the most vulnerable in society. She was very loyal and always carried out her duties with commitment, presence and an infectious spirit. Aunt Astrid was an important support for King Harald and the rest of us in the family. We learned a lot from her, and she was not afraid to speak up. Her passing is a great loss for us. We will miss her."

At the end of the ceremony, King Haakon and representatives of Princess Astrid's immediate family carried the bier out. In front of the bier walked Bishop Gylver and a young guard - the palace orderly who had been Princess Astrid's chauffeur in recent months.

Grandchildren and great-grandchildren each placed a red rose on Princess Astrid's bier. Photo: Stian Lysberg Solum / NTB

In 2002, Princess Astrid received an honorary pension from the government for her contributions to Norway. Today, she was given a final honor with a funeral at state expense.

https://royalmusingsblogspotcom.blogspot.com/2026/09/princess-astrid-mrs-ferner-1932-2026.html

https://royalmusingsblogspotcom.blogspot.com/2026/09/princess-astrid-honors-her-brother.html 

https://royalmusingsblogspotcom.blogspot.com/2026/06/the-longest-living-descendant-of-queen.html

The Most Noble Order of the Garter - June 15, 2026

Up early on June 15th to go to Windsor for Garter Day.  I had a few issues on the train line, but I managed to catch a train going in my direction, as trains were being canceled.  It all worked out well, and I managed to sit down on the bench nearest to the Victoria Memorial before my friends arrived.  

En route to the ticket office, I passed by my favorite bear!

We were in the queue for nearly four hours.  I was walked down to the M&S to buy lunch and use the loos! Because of the train issue, I didn't have time to buy food at Paddington Station.   An ice cream truck is set up at Windsor Castle solely for Garter Day.  The shops are also open.

I was in the section closest to the arch that leads to the front of St. George's Chapel.  This gave me the opportunity to see the procession walking toward the turn, then past it before heading toward the arch.

ITV reporter Chris Ship

Alistair Bruce

TRH The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester

HRH The Duke of Kent

Lord and Lady Andrew Lloyd Webber

It takes time for the crowd to disperse and go through the Henry VIII Gate. My friends were already at the bench -- and then we walked to The King and Castle, where I ordered the Chicken and Maple-cured bacon salad with a Pimm's!

I am very grateful to a friend who secured a ticket for me.   Thank you!