According to this Australian news report (and based on a report in a Danish magazine,) Queen Margrethe II of Denmark has a secret plan for later this year. She plans to abdicate in favor of her son, Crown Prince Frederik.
I take such stories with grains of salt because abdication is not a tradition in the Danish monarchy. It is a job for life, similar to marriage: death us until part. Frederik will succeed to the throne when his mother dies, and not before.
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/national/princess-mary-may-soon-be-queen-of-denmark/story-e6frf7l6-1225818382288
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Monday, January 11, 2010
Greek royal wedding this year
Richard Kay's column in Tuesday's Daily Mail states that Prince Nikolaos of Greece and Denmark and his American-born fiancee, Tatiana Blatnik, will marry later this year in the Greek Orthodox church in Bayswater. The couple live together in Chelsea.
Tatiana's father is believed to be Ladislav Blatnik, a Venezuelan shoe magnate, who was once engaged to American actress Natalie Wood.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1242439/Young-love-Aitkens-cousin-65.html
Tatiana's father is believed to be Ladislav Blatnik, a Venezuelan shoe magnate, who was once engaged to American actress Natalie Wood.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1242439/Young-love-Aitkens-cousin-65.html
Boris meets with Pope
January 11, 1930
King Boris III today had a private audience with Pope Pius XI at the Vatican, re-igniting rumors of marriage with Princess Giovanna of Italy, reports the AP.
The main stumbling block to marriage is religion. Princess Giovanna is Roman Catholic, and King Boris is a member of the Orthodox church. So far, the Pope has been reluctant to issue the "necessary dispensation" for the marriage because the king, according to the Bulgarian constitution, must be Orthodox. The Pope has not been able to obtain a written promise that Giovanna will remain Roman Catholic and that their children "would be brought up in the Catholic faith."
King Boris was originally baptized in the Roman Catholic faith. His mother, Princess Marie Louise of Bourbon-Parma "was most devoted to the Holy See."
She had been born in Rome and was baptized by Pius IX. But King Ferdinand wished to have "a greater hold on the Bulgarian people," decided that his elder son would leave the Catholic church and become an Orthodox. Boris was only two years old at the time. Ferdinand wrote the aging Leo XIII for consent, but the pope refused, and Ferdinand was excommunicated. Boris was baptized into the Orthodox church.
The Duchess of Aosta introduced Boris to Giovanna. She had several "vain attempts" to bring the two together, but finally, in the summer of 1926, both accepted invitations to stay with her at her villa on the southern shore of Lake Lugano. The Duchess introduced them as the Contessa di Bergamo and Count Rilsky, and "their identity was not revealed to each other until several days later."
After the visit was over, the duchess told King Victor Emanuel that she believed a match could be made between Giovanna and the king. Ferdinand's mother, Clementine of Orleans, was the duchess' great aunt.
An "intimate friend" of the King of Italy and the Pope was the late Cardinal Tosi, who interceded with the Pope, "asking him simply to have the Church ignore the point of discipline regarding the faith of the first-born son," to conform to Bulgarian's constitution. The Pontiff turned over the matter to the Supreme Tribunal della Segnature to deal with the matter, while Boris appealed to Bulgaria's synod of Bishops to see if a "potential heir" could be raised in another faith. In April 1929, the Papal Supreme court decided that "as the first male offspring of the contemplated marriage would be the King of a nation, the matter of church discipline involved could not be waived.
The Bulgarian synod responded that the article in the constitution that required the heir to Orthodox "could not be relinquished."
Duke Ernst Gunther attacks Wilson
January 11, 1918
Duke Ernst Gunther of Schleswig-Holstein has written a scathing attack on America, according to the New York Times. The article, "American morality," was published in the journal, Nord und Sud.
The duke writes that he "cannot understand why the most recent utterances of President Wilson" have not been "severely castigated" in the German press and "why they have not been covered with the discredit they merit."
"This President dates to express his moral indignation about German conditions and speaks of the influence which the German monarchy has exercised on other people. The most superficial knowledge of American conditions tells one that Russia is the only country on a par with the corruption in America.
"The American money magnate is without shame. Each one of them has two Senators and several Members of Congress in his pocket. Nothing is thought of this, it is so usual. Wilson knows all about it and yet he has the face to castigate us!
"Every official in Germany is able to show the white waist coast of a blameless life."
President Wilson never accused the Germans of corruption, according to the report, but the Duke implies that he did.
Duke Ernst wrote that President Wilson was a professor "and must know about Germany. He must know that its imperial suffrage is more democratic than that of America, and the Reichstag is not hampered by a Senate or a House of Lords.
"I do not believe that one in a thousand American citizens has the slightest knowledge of the German Constitution. How dare the President pose before Germany as a moral preacher? Were he not the leader of so huge a country, we must regard him as a political mountebank.
"We Germans do not hate like the Latin race. Hate is so foreign to our nature. But I am sure that were a referendum of the German people to be taken today as to whom they most detest, there would a unanimous vote for President Wilson, not because by his supply of munitions to our enemies he has occasioned the loss of the lives of many of our soldiers, but because of his pharisaism, because of his unctuous indignation, which is so contrary to his real acts.
"He might have kept the peace of the world, but instead of this he allowed himself to become the creature of the Morgan trust, he succumbed to the plutocratic influences in their most frightful form. History will pronounce the verdict that the name Wilson is the most baneful in its annals."
Ernst Gunther was only an infant when Prussian troops took possession of the Schleswig-Holstein land in Denmark in 1864, leaving the future duke without a duchy.
For some years, Ernst Gunther railed against the "Hohenzollern usurpers," even though his sister, Auguste Viktoria, five years his senior, married Kaiser Wilhelm II. In the 1890s, Ernst Gunter raged "vociferously" against the Prussians in Nice and in Paris, but after his brother-in-law, the Kaiser "sent him on some personnel foreign mission," which apparently "transformed his point of view."
In 1897, the duke married Princess Dorothea of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, the only daughter of Prince Philipp of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, and Princess Louise of Belgium. The couple has no children.
Prince Albrecht of Prussia buys a winery
January 11, 1900
Prince Albrecht of Prussia has bought the "celebrated" Wilhelm Vineyard at Markobrunn, according to the New York Times. The prince paid $5600 per acre.
The Prince, who is married to Princess Marie of Saxe-Altenburg, has been the regent for the Duchy of Brunswick since 1885. He also serves as the Grand Master of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem.
The vineyard produces "one of the most celebrated brands of Rhine wine."
Prince Albrecht of Prussia has bought the "celebrated" Wilhelm Vineyard at Markobrunn, according to the New York Times. The prince paid $5600 per acre.
The Prince, who is married to Princess Marie of Saxe-Altenburg, has been the regent for the Duchy of Brunswick since 1885. He also serves as the Grand Master of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem.
The vineyard produces "one of the most celebrated brands of Rhine wine."
Lia has a baby at 60
Lia Lambrino, the wife of Paul Lambino, who pretends to the title of Prince of Romania, gave birth to a son today at a Bucharest hospital. Carol Ferdinand Lambrino weighed 4.9 lbs.
Although Romanian news sources state that Lia is 56, she is actually 60 years old and will celebrate her 61st birthday on February 23.
Paul is the son of the late Carol Mircea Lambrino, the firstborn son of the late King Carol. Carol Mircea was born after Carol's marriage to Zizi Lambrino was annulled.
In the late 1950s, Carol Mircea Lambrino was named in French and Portuguese rulings regarding King Carol II's property in those two countries. He was able to be named as a legitimate heir to these properties, along with his half-brother, King Michael. (The property in France was apparently a ramshackle house.)
The court rulings established or defined Carol Mircea as a prince of the Royal House of Romania. The court rulings were solely for the late king's personal property in two countries.
Paul does not have dynastic rights in Romania.
It is unlikely that this baby was conceived naturally, considering Lia's true age. It appears that a little medical tinkering was done to achieve the goal of giving birth at the age of 60.
"My wife and I a long time we wanted a child," says Prince Paul in a statement released to the media. "It is also a time of accomplishment and because our son was born in Romania, as we wanted. Birth of our son is one more reason to reaffirm my duty to honor our ancestors and to the generation to come, for him to know better and understand the history of the Romanian people, which they love so much."
This is the first child for Paul Lambrino. Lia Lambrino has a 37-year-old daughter, Melia, from her first marriage to lawyer Melvin Belli.
The Bucharest Herald's report has changed Lia's age to 58, which is still incorrect.
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Royal Wedding to help revive Sweden's economy
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article6982406.ece
It's a boy ... and a girl for the Morningtons
The Countess of Mornington has given birth to twins, a boy and a girl. The births took place last week at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital in London, according to Richard Kay's column in Monday's Daily Mail.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1242166/Naked-truth-feuding-Calendar-Girls.html
The twins have been named Mae Madeleine and Arthur Darcy. The children will be officially styled Lady Mae Wellesley and (presumably) Viscount Wellesley. Lord Mornington is the son of the Marquess and Marchioness Douro. Lord Douro is the heir apparent to the Duke of Wellington. There is now three direct male heirs to the Duke, who will celebrate his 95th birthday in July.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1242166/Naked-truth-feuding-Calendar-Girls.html
The twins have been named Mae Madeleine and Arthur Darcy. The children will be officially styled Lady Mae Wellesley and (presumably) Viscount Wellesley. Lord Mornington is the son of the Marquess and Marchioness Douro. Lord Douro is the heir apparent to the Duke of Wellington. There is now three direct male heirs to the Duke, who will celebrate his 95th birthday in July.
Friday, January 8, 2010
Umberto & Marie José are married
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| all three Marlene A Eilers Koenig Collection |
January 8, 1930
The Crown Prince of Italy and Princess Marie-José were united in marriage today in a brilliant ceremony in the Pauline Chapel of the Quirinal Palace. It was, according to the New York Times, "probably the most brilliant assemblage of kings, queens, princes, princesses, diplomats, government officials and other notables since the World War."
The Roman Catholic ceremony was officiated by the Archbishop of Pisa, Cardinal Maffi. After the ceremony, the bride and groom called upon the Pope and "received the first pontifical blessing accorded in connection with royal Italian nuptials since the fall of papal temporal power in 1870.
The men - princes, diplomats, and court officials -- were all dressed in "uniforms of their offices and ranks. The ladies "all wore court dresses of pale, pastel colors, with long cloaks falling from their shoulders to form trains trailing on the ground and veils of exquisite lace on their heads."
On "magnificent gilded thrones ranged along the left side of the altar," sat the members of the Belgian and Italian royal families. King Albert of the Belgians "wore the khaki uniform of a general of the Belgian army." King Victor Emanuel "wore a similar uniform of Italian gray-green."
Queen Elisabeth of the Belgians "was dressed in all white, with a veil of precious Brussels lace," which was held in place by a "magnificent diadem of diamonds." Her long cloak was supported two liveried attendants. Queen Elena of Italy's dress was of "very pale mauve. She also wore a "veil and a diadem of diamonds," and around her neck, she wore her "very famous triple string of matched pearls." Her golden cloak and train were carried by "four men in livery."
Crown Prince Umberto and Princess Marie-José stood in front of the altar, in front of a prie-dieu, "upholstered in red brocade and fringed with gold lace." Umberto wore a "gray-green uniform of a Colonel of Italian infantry."
More than 1500 guests attended the service, which included King Boris of Bulgaria, despite rumors that he would attend due to the rumors of a romance with Umberto's sister, Princess Giovanna. Other royal guests include the Duke of York, the Crown Prince of Belgium, former King Manoel of Portugal, the former king of Afghanistan, who now lives in Italy, the Prince of Monaco, the Grand Duchess of Luxembourg, Prince Danilo of Montenegro, Prince and Princess Paul of Yugoslavia, Don Fernando of Bavaria, Queen Sophie of the Hellenes, and "former princes, princesses, kings and queens from all over Europe," according to the Chicago Tribune's correspondent, who was the only American journalist invited to attend the wedding.
A very special "cordial greeting was given the Duchess of Aosta, who was dressed in white and wore a diamond diadem." She responded to the greetings with a "smiling hauteur."
As expected, Princess Marie-José "looked lovely," in a white gown. She wore on her head a veil, which was held in place by a "diadem of diamonds and other precious stones set in platinum." The diadem was a gift from Queen Elena. The princess' "magnificent twenty-foot train of white satin velour, fringed with ermine," was Umberto's gift to his bride.
After the mass, which included the singing of a choir and the "blare of bugles and the rolling of drums during the elevation of the host," the "function was reached with the marriage ceremony proper.
Four male members of the House of Savoy stepped forth and "placed themselves two on each side" of the bride and groom, and "held stretched over their heads the fine veil traditionally used by the House of Savoy at the wedding of a first-born son."
The marriage vows were exchanged. Princess Marie-José cried when she answered Yes and then forgot to turn to her parents to ask for their consent until after she had responded to the Cardinal's question.
Cardinal Maffi blessed the ring and sprinkled it with holy water. "Bless, Oh Lord! this ring, which we bless in Thy name so that she who wears it, keeping entire faith with her husband, may remain firm in peace and in Thy will and live always with him in mutual love. Through Jesus Christ, Our Lord, Amen."
The wedding ceremony was concluded when the Cardinal read "the articles of Italian civil code in relation to matrimony." The civil law requires "that the wife must follow the husband wherever he goes and that she must support him if he incapable of earning his own living."
The official witnesses for the groom were his cousins, the Count of Turin, and the Duke of Aosta. The bride's brothers, the Crown Prince and the Count of Flanders were her witnesses.
After the wedding, the newlyweds made an appearance on the palace's balcony, "where they were greeted with great enthusiasm," which meant they had to appear on the balcony "again and again." The "popular demonstration" meant that the couple was late for their meeting with the Pope. The princess apologized for her lateness and for not being able to change out of her wedding dress. The Pope said he was very happy to see her in her wedding dress.
The private audience with the Pope lasted for a half-hour. The Crown Prince and Crown Princess then went to St. Peter's Basilica where they prayed at the Tomb of the Apostle.
They returned to the Quirinal Palace by car for the wedding breakfast and then, they were driven to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, where they laid a wreath.
The official wedding celebrations will continue for another three days, and only then will Umberto and Marie José be able to go to Racconigi for their honeymoon.
The royal couple will participate in official receptions and military reviews, accept flowers from school children and receive "homage of delegations of provincial governments." They will also attend a performance at the Royal Opera house. During this time, the Princess will stay with her parents at the Quirinal Palace, and Prince Umberto will remain with his family at the Villa Savoia. The Princess had been staying at the Belgian embassy prior to the wedding. Tonight, she will sleep in an apartment in the Quirinal Palace, which was prepared for her by Queen Elena, who supervised the rose-colored decorations. The chamber includes a "rose-colored canopy."
Duke of Aosta has the flu
January 8, 1926
The Duke of Aosta, who is the eldest cousin of King Victor Emanuel of Italy, is "suffering from an attack of influenza," the AP is reporting. The Duke's condition is said "not to be dangerous,'0t his wife, the Duchess of Aosta, has been summoned.
The Duke celebrates his 57th birthday on January 13. He married Princess Helene of Orléans in 1895, and they have two sons, Prince Amedeo, Duke of Apuila, and Prince Aimone, Duke of Spoleto.
The Duke of Aosta, who is the eldest cousin of King Victor Emanuel of Italy, is "suffering from an attack of influenza," the AP is reporting. The Duke's condition is said "not to be dangerous,'0t his wife, the Duchess of Aosta, has been summoned.
The Duke celebrates his 57th birthday on January 13. He married Princess Helene of Orléans in 1895, and they have two sons, Prince Amedeo, Duke of Apuila, and Prince Aimone, Duke of Spoleto.
No marriage for Wales & Astrid
January 8, 1926
The Chicago Daily Tribune is reporting, "on the authority of a member of the Prince of Wales' suite, that there is absolutely no truth to the story" that the Prince is about to become engaged to Princess Astrid of Sweden. This engagement is "impossible for "medical and dynastic reasons."
The Tribune was told that when Prince John, the youngest son of King George V and Queen Mary, died of epilepsy in January 1919, his parents "were informed that John's condition, as well as the constitutional weakness of other members of the family, was due to inbreeding." The king and queen were told that the "only remedy was the introduction of fresh blood."
On the king's order, "medical experts prepared a table of European princesses within the prohibited degree," which included Princess Astrid, who is the Prince of Wales's second cousin.
But "all of the eligible princesses had disappeared on account of the
European revolutions," and the king and queen made a decision "that if the prince of Wales married at all, which was doubtful," his wife "would be some healthy English girl with no trace of consanguinity." According to the report, "this decision still holds."
The paper's article also notes that the bride must be Protestant, but the only Protestant princesses are in Scandinavia, "all of whom are within the prohibited degrees of consanguinity. This means the Italian princesses are out because they are Roman Catholic. The Roumanian princesses are Orthodox, but are "unpopular on account of the standing of their mother, Queen Marie, in England."
The wife of the Duke of York, second in line to the throne, is expecting her first child in the spring. The duchess is the English-born Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, youngest daughter of the Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne.
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Here are the photos!
All I have to say is oh dear! What goes around, comes around!
The German tabloid, Bild, has the photos of a canoodling Prince of Hanover with a brunette who is not his wife. As the photos are copyrighted, and Bild has apparently purchased the rights, I will provide a link to the photos. All have Bild's watermark.
http://www.bild.de/BILD/unterhaltung/royals/2010/01/08/prinz-ernst-august-von-hannover/caroline-von-monaco-mann-turtelt-in-thailand-fremd.html
The woman has not yet been identified.
The German tabloid, Bild, has the photos of a canoodling Prince of Hanover with a brunette who is not his wife. As the photos are copyrighted, and Bild has apparently purchased the rights, I will provide a link to the photos. All have Bild's watermark.
http://www.bild.de/BILD/unterhaltung/royals/2010/01/08/prinz-ernst-august-von-hannover/caroline-von-monaco-mann-turtelt-in-thailand-fremd.html
The woman has not yet been identified.
Two of Kaiser's sons seek divorces
January 7, 1920
According to a report in the Paris Matin -- and picked up by the New York Times -- Prince August Wilhelm and Prince Joachim of Prussia "have brought suits for divorce" in Berlin.
Prince August married Princess Alexandra Viktoria of Schleswig-Holstein on October 22, 1908. Prince Joachim's marriage to Princess Marie Auguste of Anhalt took place on March 11, 1916. This was the first report of marital problems for the princes and their spouses.
Prince and Princess August Wilhelm have one son, Prince Alexander Ferdinand, was born December 26, 1912. Prince and Princess Joachim are also the parents of one son, Karl Franz Joseph, born December 15, 1916.
Since the end of the war, Prince August Wilhelm has been working as a car salesman and a bank clerk. His father, Kaiser Wilhelm II, is living in exile in the Netherlands.
When there is a new other woman
Ernst August was a serial adulterer, but Chantal put up with the infidelities as long as Ernst August was discreet.
Ernst August's family connections were strong. The Queen of Spain and King Constantine II of the Hellenes are first cousins, and these family ties are evident at the baptisms of his two sons. The sponsors for Ernst August's elder sons were the Prince of the Asturias, King Constantine, Prince Andreas zu Leiningen (married to Ernst August's sister, Alexandra), Prince Ludwig Rudolf of Hanover, Stephan von Watzdorf, the Margrave of Baden (whose grandmother was a princess of Hanover), Rolf Sachs, Princess Andreas of Leiningen (Alexandra of Hanover), and the Prince of Schaumburg-Lippe (Philipp-Ernst).
Prince Christian's godparents were equally impressive: Prince Heinrich of Hannover, Prince Clemenz of Croy, Paul Schlenker, Frank Hochuli, Count Peter Seilern, Prince Welf-Heinrich of Hanover, Baron Wilhelm Ernst von Cramm and Hereditary Grand Duke Friedrich-Franz of Meckenburg (whose mother Princess Alexandra of Hanover.)
In December 1995, Prince Ernst August and Princess Caroline stayed at the £3000 a night penthouse suite at the Oriental Hotel in Bangkok, Thailand. The news was first reported by the German magazine, Bunte, in February 1996. A Monegasque spokesman for Princess Caroline said at the time "They were in Thailand together on a cultural trip but there is nothing between Princess Caroline and the Prince of Hanover."
It was not until a year later when Ernst August and Caroline were caught kissing in the South of France. Chantal decided she finally had enough and filed for divorce. In an interview some months earlier, Chantal said: "My husband and I have been married for 15 years and we are a united and happy family. Don't pay attention to these totally unfounded rumors."
Ernst August and Chantal were divorced in London in September 1997.
Princess Caroline and Prince Ernst August were married in a civil ceremony in Monaco on January 23, 1999. Caroline was two months pregnant at the time.
This marriage is not recognized by the Roman Catholic church because Ernst August is divorced. Princess Caroline is free to marry in the Roman Catholic church as her first marriage was annulled. (Her second marriage was a civil ceremony only because at the time she was not free to marry in the Roman Catholic church.)
Caroline and Ernst August could have married in the Lutheran church as Ernst August is Lutheran. Divorced persons can remarry in the Lutheran church. But this would not have helped Caroline as such marriage would not have been sanctioned by her church, due to Ernst August's status as a divorced person.
The couple's daughter, Alexandra, was born in July 1999 and was baptized in the Lutheran church.
There have been rumors about this marriage for several months. Princess Caroline spent Christmas at Crans-Montana, a Swiss ski resort, while her husband was allegedly photographed kissing a younger woman in Phuket, Thailand.
(Hmm, Ernst August was in Thailand in December with a woman who is not his wife. He was in Thailand where he was first seen with Caroline.)
According to the report in Bunte, "Tourists from all over the world could witness him with his pretty companion, kissing her with his arms around and swimming in the sea, and how she let him rub sun cream into her body."
Princess Caroline, who was once the other woman, is now in the same position that Chantal was in when she saw photographs of her husband with Caroline.
I can only imagine Princess Caroline's comment after learning about the photographs, which have been published in the magazines, Bunte and Paris Match. "Phuket!"
(The magazines have not put the photos on their websites. )
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
A life shattered: Prince Wolfgang of Anhalt
On July 12, 1912, Princess Eduard of Anhalt gave birth to her sixth child, a son, who was named Wolfgang Albrecht Moritz Friedrich Wilhelm Ernst. The first five children were born between 1896 and 1903, which meant that there was a nine-year gap between the two youngest children. Little Wolfgang was three and half years old when his sister, Marie Auguste, was married to Prince Joachim of Prussia. He was six when his father divorced his mother shortly after succeeding his brother as Duke of Anhalt.
Wolfgang never married. He merited a two-line obituary in the Times: "Prince Wolfgang of Anhalt, youngest son of the late Duke Edward of Anhalt, has died at the age of 24 after a long illness." The young prince died at Dessau.
One can only speculate about Wolfgang's life. His father died when he was six, and his mother, divorced only a few months earlier, had left Dessau and returned to Altenberg. Was she able to take her young son with her? She doesn't appear to have played much of a maternal role in Marie Auguste's post-marital life.
As Wolfgang died in Dessau, it seems likely that he was left behind to be raised by his father - this was customary in royal circles - but Eduard died in September 1918.
Eduard's youngest brother, Aribert, was named as regent for the new duke Joachim Ernst. It is entirely possible that he was also the legal guardian of Prince Eugen and Prince Wolfgang.
Prince Wolfgang of Anhalt's life was perhaps a life shattered, a life unfulfilled.
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