Saturday, November 9, 2024

Marquis de Brissac to marry Countess Gloria Czernin

 


Laszlo François Timoléon Marie de Cossé-Brissac, Marquis of Brissac, was born  on July 5, 1994 in Angers, France.  He is the only son of Charles-André Raymond Timoléon Aymard Hubert Marie, Cossé-Brissac, Duke of Brissac, and Countess Larissa Elisabeth Marie Anastasia Véronique Széchényi de Sárvár-Felsövidek.  Laszlo is the heir apparent to the Dukedom of Brissac in the Peerage of France.  

The dukedom was created in 1611 for Charles II de Cossé, Count of Brissac.  Charles-André succeeded to the dukedom in April 2021, following the death of his father, Francois de Cossé, 13th Duke of Brissac.

 Chateau de Brissac is located in Brissac-Loire-Aubance and has been the family seat since May 26, 1502, when Rene de Cossé purchased the domain of Brissac.

https://brissac.net/en/

The future Marquise is Countess Maria da Gloria Gordiana Felicia Lucia Michaela Paula Clara Rose Gabrielle Czernin von Chudenitz.  She is the daughter of Count Karl Eugen Maria Josef Czernin von Chudenitz and Countess Fiona Pia Franziska Maria Lory von Rechberg und Rothenlöwen-Hohenrechberg.  Gloria was born on January 25, 1997, the seventh of eight children.  Her older sister, Countess Maria-Fatima is married to Prince Johannes von Auersperg.    

@Aespy


In July 2023, Gloria earned a bachelor of science degree in health science from the Technical University of Munich.   She is a Lead Account & Community Management with Zurich-based Aepsy, a mental health organization that matches patients with psychologists.


The Marquis de Brissac has three younger sisters. Irina, Délia and Annabel.  Délia is married to Prince Marc of Croy, the second son of the Duke of Croy.

https://royalmusingsblogspotcom.blogspot.com/2020/10/another-engagement-in-house-of-croy.html

For genealogy connections between Laszlo and Gloria, please see here.

https://gothanjou.blog/2024/11/09/fiancailles-du-marquis-de-brissac/

Friday, November 8, 2024

The Duchess of Gloucester at Field of Remembrance

@Ken Stone

@Ken Stone

all three photos @Ken Stone

 

HRH The Duchess of Gloucester at the Field of Remembrance at Westminster Abbey on November 7th.  She represented Queen Camilla who has a chest infection. 


Many thanks to Ken Stone for allowing me to use these photos.  


HRH Prince Antonio de Orleans-Braganza (1950- -2024)

 




The Brazilian monarchist group has announced the death of HI&RH P Prince Antonio of Orleans-Braganza.  He died on November 8, 2024 in Rio de Janeir.  Dom Antonio was 74 years old.

Prince Antônio João Maria José Rasso Miguel Gabriel Rafael Gonzaga was the seventh of 12 children of HRH PrincePedro Henrique Afonso Felipe Maria Miguel Gabriel Rafael Gonzaga (1909- 1981) and HRH Princess Maria Elisabeth of Bavaria (1914-2011).  He was born in Rio on June 24, 1950. 




At the time of his death, Prince Antonio was first in line to the former Brazilian throne,  His older brother, HRH Prince Bertrand (1941) is the head of the house.

 His civil marriage to  HH Princess Christine de Ligne occured on September 25, 1981, at Beloeil.  The couple's religious ceremony was held the following day at Schloss Beloil, the residence of Christine's parents, HH Antonio, Prince of Ligne, and his wife, Princess Alix of Luxembourg.

Prince Antonio and Princess Christine's 40th wedding anniversary  



The prince is survived by his wife, Princess Christine and three of their four children,  Princess Amelia Maria de Fátima Josefa Antonia Micaela Gabriela Rafaela Gonzaga (1984),  Prince Rafael Antonio Maria José Francisco Miguel Gabriel Gonzaga (1986), and  Princess Maria Gabriela Josefa Fernanda Yolanda Micaela Rafaela Gonzaga(1989) and two grandchildren, Joaquim and Nicholas Spearman, the children of Princess Amelia and her husband, James Spearman.

Prince Antonio and his family in 1998:  Courtesy of HH & RH Princess Christine


He is also survived by his siblings, Prince Bertrand, head of the House,  Prince Pedro, Prince Fernando, Princess Leonor (Eleonore),  Prince Francisco, Prince Alberto, Princess Maria Teresa and Princess Maria Gabriela.   Antonio became second in line to the succession following the death of Prince Luiz in 2022.  The other sons of the late Prince Pedro renounced their succession rights following their marriages to commoners.

Prince Rafael is now the heir presumptive to Prince Bertrand.

Princess Eleonore is the wife of Michel, Prince of Ligne, the brother of Princess Christine.

His eldest son, Prince Pedro Luíz Maria José Miguel Rafael Gabriel Gonzaga (1983) was killed in a plane accident on June 1, 2009. 

Embed from Getty Images


https://royalmusingsblogspotcom.blogspot.com/2009/06/prince-pedro-luiz-of-orleans-braganza.html


 

Wednesday, November 6, 2024

The newest QVD: Louisa Adelaide Marie Johnson

 

@Kira Johnson


Congratulations to Philip Louis Johnson and his wife, Danielle Marie Papermaster on the birth of their first child,  Louisa Adelaide Marie.  Louisa was born on October 25, 2024, at the St David’s North Austin Medical Center in Austin, Texas.  

This is the first child for Philip and Danielle who married in November 2022.

Philip Louis Johnson is the only child of Kira Alexandrine Brigid Cecilie Harris and her former husband,  Mitchell Johnson. 

Baby Louisa   @Kira Harris


Kira is the daughter of the late HRH Princess Cecilie of Prussia, the younger daughter of HRH Crown Prince Wilhelm of Prussia, and Duchess Cecilie of Mecklenburg-Schwerin.  

Victoria - Victoria - Wilhelm II  - Wilhelm - Cecilie - Kira - Philip - Louisa

Philip's middle name honors his godfather, the late Prince Louis Ferdinand of Prussia, who was Kira's maternal uncle.

Kira's great-great-grandmother, Princess Victoria's full name was Victoria Adelaide Mary Louisa.  The three middle names were for two godmothers: Dowager Queen Adelaide (Consort of William IV),  Princess Mary, Duchess of Gloucester (Princess Victoria's great aunt) and Prince Albert's mother, Princess Luise.

A double Prussian christening in 1986: Prince Christian Ludwig, son of Prince Christian Sigismund and Princess Nina and Philip Johnson, son of Kira Harris and Mitchell Johnson
From L-R, Princess Nina holds Christian Ludwig, Prince Christian Sigismund, Countess Nina von Reventlow, Prince Louis Ferdinand of Prussia, and Kira with Philip and Mitchell Johnson. The baptisms took place in a chapel at Burg Hohenzollern.  (Kira Harris)

       Embed from Getty Images

Clyde Harris and Princess Cecilie of Prussia with their newborn daughter, Kira, in August 1954 (Marlene Eilers Koenig Collection)



Countess Cia Bernadotte af Wisborg (1944-2024)

 


Countess Karin Cecilia Bernadotte af Wisborg was the fourth and youngest child of Count Lennart Bernadotte af Wisborg (1909-2004) and his first wife,  Karin Emma Louise Nissvandt (1911-1991). 

She married Hansjög Baenkler in 1967.  The marriage, which produced no children, ended in divorce in 1874



Ted Rosvall Collection


HRH Prince Gustaf Lennart Nicolaus Paul of Sweden (1884-1965) was the only child of HRH Prince Carl Wilhelm Ludwig of Sweden (1884-1965) and HIH Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna of Russia (1890-1958).  Their marriage occurred in St. Petersburg, Russia in 1908, having been arranged by Maria's aunt, Grand Duchess Ella.






The marriage was not happy, as Maria preferred living in Russia instead of Sweden.

Sunday, November 3, 2024

Marc Abouleisman files for divorce from Princess Mafalda of Bulgaria


 Embed from Getty Images

Princess Mafalda of Bulgaria and her husband, Marc Abouleisman are ending their marriage, according to an exclusive report in El Mundo, a Spanish newspaper.   The princess is the eldest of three children of Prince Kyril of Bulgaria and his long-estranged wife, Rosario Nadal.

Mafalda, 30, and  Marc were married in a civil ceremony in Boston in May 2022.  They lived together in Boston when she was a student at the Berklee College of Music and he studied Computer Science and Economics at Harvard.   They have known each other since childhood.

The couple had a second wedding, a blessing ceremony, on May 28, 2022, at Rosario Nadal's family home, Son Pons Carraix, in Mallorca. A priest, one of Rosario's friends, officiated at the service, followed by a large reception.

Mafalda moved to Madrid to further pursue her musical career.  At the time of the marriage,  she said Marc would soon join her.   He has remained in New York City and is a Vice President of Further Global, a Park Avenue investment firm.

Marc Abouleisman filed for divorce on May 15 in New York County's Supreme Court.  The divorce petition is not contested.   He is represented by Chemtob Moss Forman & Beyda, "a premier law firm in New York focused on high net worth divorce, family and matrimonial law."   

The princess's legal name is Mafalda Sajonia Coburgo. She is represented by Rower LLC, another New York matrimonial law firm. 

The initial submission for the uncontested divorce was made on September 18.   In New York State, obtaining an uncontested divorce can take six weeks to three months.

https://trellis.law/case/36061/320997-2024/abousleiman-marc-v-coburgo-mafalda-sajonia

https://royalmusingsblogspotcom.blogspot.com/2022/05/princess-mafalda-weds.html

Saturday, November 2, 2024

George VI: The Witness Tree slated for removal

 

all photos are the copyright of Robbie Morris


In June 1939, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth made a State Visit to the United States. This was the first visit by a reigning British sovereign to the USA. On June 9, the King and Queen visited George Washington's home, Mount Vernon, on the banks of the Potomac, south of Alexandria.



After visiting Mount Vernon, the King and Queen were driven to Fort Hunt Park, a few minutes drive on the George Washington Memorial Parkway.  In 1939, Fort Hunt was used as a Civilian Conservation Corps camp.   Fort Hunt is now a National Park.

In October, the NPS offered a free movie every Friday night. The theme was World War II, and the first movie was The King's Speech, starring Colin Firth as King George VI. My friend Robbie and I went to see the movie.  The movie was shown on a screen in one of the park's pavilions.   There were plenty of snacks and drinks.   Yes, I have seen the movie several times.  It was a lovely warm night and a good conversation.

After the movie, the Park Ranger (his name was not Rick).  The Ranger discussed several topics including the Witness Tree, planted to commemorate the King's visit to Fort Hunt.  

Before the King left for the United States, he invited Richard St. Barbe Baker to Buckingham Palace to discuss the visit to Fort Hunt.  St. Barbe Baker (1889-1982) was an environmentalist.  He studied forestry and botany and was an early observer of the dangers of deforestation.  He was an early advocate "of understanding the need for international cooperation when it came to tree planting and desert reclamation."

In 1931, St. Barbe Baker met with President Franklin D. Roosevelt.  Their conversation focused on the importance of trees and conversations.  Two years, the president created the Civilian Conservation Corps, for  "single men between the ages of 18 and 25 to enlist in work programs to improve America’s public lands, forests, and parks."  

 https://www.nps.gov/articles/the-civilian-conservation-corps.htm


St. Barbe Barker established the Men of the Trees organization, now the International Tree Foundation in 1922.

https://www.internationaltreefoundation.org/


https://royalmusingsblogspotcom.blogspot.com/2020/10/the-witness-tree-planted-by-king-george.html

@Robbie Morris

The King and Queen spent about 30 minutes before they departed for Arlington National Cemetery.  Soon after their departure, Richard St. Barbe Baker planted two trees at Fort Hunt to commemorate the "success of the CCC and the royal visit." 

One of the trees died some time ago.  The other tree, an Oak Pin, is now slated for removal as it is dying. I hope the National Park Service will plant two new trees to commemorate the 1939 visit and the establishment of the Civilian Conservation Corps.

The orange dot at the bottom right of the tree indicates the tree will be removed


a better view of the orange dot indicates the tree is slated to be chopped down


All the photos are the copyright of Robbie Morris

More about Witness Trees.

Thursday, October 31, 2024

Princess Margaretha celebrates her 90th birthday

 



HRH Princess Margaretha Désirée Victoria of Sweden was born on October 31, 1934, the first of five children of  HRH Hereditary Prince Gustaf Adolf of Sweden and HH Princess Sibylla of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. Margaretha's parents were great-grandchildren of Queen Victoria.  She was born in the Haga Palace in Haga Park in Stockholm.

Margaretha and her three younger sisters, Princesses Birgitta (1937), Princess Désirée (1938), and Princess Christina (1943) do not have succession rights to the Swedish throne.  They were born when the succession was limited to males.  This is called Salic law.

In 1980, Parliament promulgated a new succession law based on absolute primogeniture.  This means the succession of the eldest child, not the eldest son.  The new law applied to King Carl XVI Gustaf and his descendants.  The law was not retroactive.  The King's four older sisters and their descendants are not in line to the Swedish throne.

The Princess had a relationship with Robin Douglas-Home (1932-1968), a jazz pianist, and a member of the British aristocracy.  He was the son of the Hon. Henry Douglas-Home, younger son of Charles Douglas-Home 13th Earl of Home, and Lady Margaret Spencer.  Robin's uncle, Alec Douglas Home, became Britain's Prime Minister in 1963.   He was a first cousin of John, 8th Earl of Spencer, father of the present Earl

Their relationship and possible marriage were front-page news in Sweden and in England.  According to Margaretha's nanny,  Ingrid Björnberg's memoirs, the princess was reluctant to pursue a relationship that could lead to marriage.





Margaretha with her parents, Sibylla and Gustaf Adolf











Margaretha and Birgitta

Margaretha, Birgitta and Desiree


Princess Margaretha with her grandmother, the Duchess of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha









the Hereditary Princess with Princess Margaretha and Princess Birgitta




Sibylla with her four daughters: Margaretha, Birgitta, Desiree and Christina

Margaretha and Cark Gustav in 1946

Four sisters









Margaretha and John Amber's engagement photo

The couple met at a dinner in London in 1963.  Amber was a businessman. He was the managing director of Atlas Air Express.







The couple were married on June 3, 1964, at the Gärdslösa Church on Öland, near the Royal Family's summer home, Solliden.  She eschewed family tiaras in favor of the church's bridal crown.   As she married a commoner,  Margaretha lost her HRH and was styled as Princess Margaretha, Mrs. Ambler.  

Of the four sisters, only Princess Birgitta retained her HRH as she married HSH Prince Johan Georg of Hohenzollern.

new parents:  Margaretha and John Ambler with their daughter, Sybilla and Princess Desiree, and Baron Niclas Silfverschiöld with their son, Carl.  1965  Swedish Information Service



January 1972:  Margaretha with her two older children, Sibylla and Edward Ambler with her grandfather, King Gustav VI Adolf (Photo given to me by the Swedish Information Service)
@Desmond O'Neill.   Photo given to me by John Ambler

Princess Margaretha and John Ambler arriving for King Gustav VI Adolf's 90th birthday celebration at the Opera House in Stockholm (11-11-1972  Photo given to me by the Swedish Information Service

June 1976: Margaretha attends the Special Gala performance for King Carl XVI Gustaf and his fiancee Silvia Sommerlath.  Photo given to me by the Swedish Information Service


Princess Margaretha and John Ambler with their three children, Sibylla (1965),  Edward (1966), and James (1969) lived in Chippinghurst Manor in Oxfordshire for many years, until financial issues forced then to move into a small home.  The couple separated in 1994 but never divorced.  John Ambler died in 2008.

She has six grandchildren, Baroness Madeleine von Dincklage Baron Sebastian von Dincklage (from Sibylla's marriage to Baron Cornelius von Dincklage,  Sienna and India Ambler (Edward and Helen) and Lily and Oscar Ambler (James and Ursula.)

The Princess has lived in Chipping Norton for more than 30 years.  She often visits Sweden and remains close to her younger brother. 

Edward Ambler is a landscape designer and owns Ed Ambler Gardens.  https://edamblergardens.com/

James and his wife, Ursula co-founded Moor Consulting, based in Cornwall.