"I didn't know I was still married"

I feel a little like Saturday Night Live's Seth and Amy when I read on another blog that Jan Bernadotte tied the knot for the seventh time. Really, Jan, really!


Count Jan Bernadotte had announced his engagement to a 53-year-old teacher, Gunilla Stenfors late last year. I thought: hmmmm how interesting. I guess that means Jan's 6th marriage to French-born Christiane Grandmontagne had finally been dissolved. I checked this out, and discovered that Jan was still married to Christiane, at least on paper, as the divorce had not been finalized.

Count Jan had announced that he and Gunilla would be married at the Hyltlinge Church on January 8. I checked several of the Swedish papers, and found nothing about a wedding. It was confirmed to me that Jan's sixth marriage was still extant on paper. I also learned that Jan and Gunilla knew several weeks ago that Jan's divorce was not finalized. In other words, despite the dramatic headlines published by the Swedish magazine, Svensks Damtidning, I knew that a wedding could not have taken place.

In the "exclusive interview," Jan states: "I didn't know I was already married."

Really, Jan, really! I knew you were not divorced. If you maintain good relations with all your former wives, as you claim, how could you not know that you and Christiane were still legally married, although to be fair, the marriage was not a success.
I believe it is customary for the husband and wife to receive official and notarized copies of divorce papers. Didn't Jan think it is a bit strange that he had not received a copy, and if he had not received a copy, why did he not pursue the matter?
Jan and Gunilla do not seemed bothered by the postponement.
"I feel so harmonious," Count Jan said, referring to his life with Gunilla, who is a teacher.
With "warmth in her voice," Gunilla responded: "Jan gives me the best a man can give. He gives me his time and it is such a gift."
Count Jan Bernadotte, 70, is the eldest son of the late Count Lennart Bernadotte (ne Prince Lennart of Sweden) and his first wife, Karin Nissvandt.
I am sure all the legal niceties will be worked out, and Jan and Gunilla will be able to have that wedding in front of 100 guests, after all, and ... live happy ever after!

http://royalbooknews.blogspot.com/2011/01/christiane-grandmontagnes-autobiography.html

Looking more and more like an Edinburgh wedding

Zara Phillips and Mike Tindall were spotted  8:30 this  morning at the Canongate Kirk in Edinburgh, giving rise to further speculation that the couple plan to marry at the church in the summer.  They were also seen speaking with the church's pastor.  The Church, located on the Royal Mile, is a few hundred yards from Holyrood Palace.
Zara and Mike announced their engagement in December.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-12181975

Princess Maria Christina von Altenberg returns home

Maria Christina is neither a Duchess nor a Habsburg.  She is an von Altenberg.   The 87 year old princess is the second child and eldest daughter of Prince Karl Albrecht  of Altenberg and his wife, Alice Ankarcrona.  They were married at Zywiec in 1920.   In 1949, Archduke Otto of Austria created Alice as Princess of Altenberg.  This title was also bestowed on her children and her male line descendants. 

Karl Albrecht's marriage was morganatic and his descendants are not Habsburg dynasts.


http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5i3C_LKzgreOF42iIdKoVboJc8rGw?docId=CNG.d6f5a5a7c7909cda6f3528735a2d3c43.d1


Timothy Snyder's The Red Prince is an excellent accounting of the family's history in Poland.
http://royalbooknews.blogspot.com/2010/12/red-prince-by-timothy-snyder.html

Alfonso and Baby Bee in Roumania

January 13, 1911


Prince Alfonso de Orléans-Borbon and his wife, Princess Beatrice, youngest daughter of the late Duke of Edinburgh, arrived today in Bucharest to visit the Roumanian Royal Family.  They are staying at the Cotrocenci Palace, the residence of Princess Beatrice's sister,  Crown Princess Marie of Roumania, according to the Court Circular, published in The Times.

Thyra's wedding presents

Embed from Getty Images 

 January 13, 1879

The newly married Duchess of Cumberland received a dazzling array of wedding presents, according to the Copenhagen correspondent of the London Standard.  The Duchess is the former Princess Thyra of Denmark.

King Christian IX and Queen Louise of Denmark gave their daughter a "splendid necklace with a cross attached."  

 Other gifts include:

Queen Victoria - a cashmere shawl, a medallion "studded with pearls and containing the portrait of her Majesty."

The Emperor and Empress of Russia -a "splendid bracelet with pearls, rubies and diamonds."

The Duke of Cumberland (the bride's husband) - a complete set of jewels in diamonds and sapphires.

The Prince of Wales - "a magnificent Indian necklace of large pearls, raw diamonds, and emeralds."

The Princess of Wales, - a "traveling necessaire in silver with embossed monograms in gold"

The children of the Prince and Princess of Wales - each gave a "bracelet set in brilliants."

Princess Beatrice "a bracelet in chiseled gold and studded with brilliants"

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge - a silver-gilt inkstand, a bracelet, and two silver-gilt candlesticks

The Tsarevich and Tsarevna of Russia (the bride's sister) - a large locket "most richly let with matchless sapphires and brilliants."

Hereditary Princess Caroline of Denmark - a breakfast service in fine Danish china

Crown Prince and Crown Princess of Denmark - "a most magnificent bracelet containing seven very large brilliants."

The Dowager Duchess Wilhelmina of Glücksborg" "an antique ring in diamonds" which once belonged to Queen Louise of Denmark, the wife of Frederik V.  Louise was the daughter of George II.

Stephanie faces arrest because she won't leave USA

January 13, 1941

Princess Stephanie zu Hohenlohe-Waldenburg-Schillingsfürst has been served a deportation warrant from the Justice Department today.  The warrant was served in Palo Alto, California, according to the AP.

In December 1939. the princess entered the United States on a Hungarian passport.  She was granted one extension of her visitor's visa, but a second extension was denied.  She had agreed to leave the United States last Saturday, but on January 6, she notified immigration officials "that she was suffering from a nervous condition and was unable to travel."

Two officials from the  United States public health service visited the princess and certified that she was "suffering from 'hysteria,' and was too ill to travel."  

 
The Justice Department determined that Stephanie's own doctor told immigration officials that the princess had obtained and was taking sedatives "which had not been prescribed, and this was largely responsible for her physical and medical condition."  he added that she "would continue in that condition" as long as "continues to take the sedatives."

Princess Stephanie will be arraigned on Friday at the immigration office in San Francisco.  Bail was set  $25,000,

The Princess released a statement through her attorney, saying that she was anti-Nazi, pro-British and pro-American."  

 
When informed of her statement that she was pro-British, a spokesman for the British consulate in San Francisco said:  "We are not aware that the Princess has paid us any diplomatic or social calls, nor has she in any way expressed a desire to help our cause."

A spokesman for the German consulate said that the Princess had been merely a guest of Fritz Wiedemann, the German Consul General in San Francisco, but he had not seen her since December 26.

"The Princess is a subject of Hungary.  She is not a German national, and this office is not concerned."

Ena will not attend Beatriz's wedding

January 13, 1935

Speculation continues about the state of the former king and queen of Spain's marriage.  Victoria Eugenia has been living in a London hotel for several months and has no plans to attend the wedding of her eldest daughter, Infanta Beatriz, the New York Times reports.

Former King Alfonso XIII "has been making preparations for the wedding in Rome, where he has taken a house."

Infanta Beatriz will marry Prince Alessandro Torlonia tomorrow.  Victoria Eugenia's absence from the wedding is "all the more remarkable as at the time of the engagement," she expressed delight at the news. 

 
"The engagement gives me much happiness.  I am very delighted about it,"  Victoria Eugenia told a London newspaper at the time of the announcement.

In response to an inquiry by the Daily Mail about whether "Victoria's non-attendance at the wedding" means that the former king and queen are separating, the response was: "No, no, it's quite untrue."

Grand Duke Serge quits office

January 13, 1905


For reasons of health, Grand Duke Serge of Russia "has been relieved of the Governor Generalship of Moscow," but will continue in the position of military commander of Moscow, reports the New York Times.
For the interim period, the Governorship "will be "provisionally exercised from St. Petersburg" by the Minister of the Interior.
Numerous protests of the Socialist Revolutionary Party "served warning" on the Grand Duke and on the Chief of Police "practically condemning them to death should the repressive measures adopted in St. Petersburg" a week ago be repeated in Moscow.  In spite of the warning, the "Moscow mob" suffered more harshly "than the demonstrators in St. Petersburg.
Since these threats were made, Grand Duke Serge remains in the confines of his palace.

As I said on Saturday ...

that  Count Jan Bernadotte could not have  married Gunilla Stenfors on Saturday because he was still married to Christiane Grandmontagne.  The weekly Swedish magazine, Svensk Damtidning,  features an interview with Jan stating that the wedding has been postponed because he didn't know he was still married to his sixth wife, Christiane Grandmontagne.  Utter nonsense.  Only a few weeks ago, he discussed the situation with a friend of mine, who mentioned that Christiane had told him that the divorce was not final.  Gunilla Stenfors was also aware of the situation as she also spoke with my friend.

The wedding was called off not long shortly before 100 guests were arrive at the Hyltinge Church.  I wonder what "shortly" means as Jan knew about this several weeks before the scheduled wedding.   Hmmm ... will Gunilla stick it out and wait until the ink dries on Jan's divorce papers, or will she reconsider marrying a man who didn't know he was divorced ... for the sixth time.

http://royalmusingsblogspotcom.blogspot.com/2011/01/is-count-jan-bernadotte-bigamist.html

Archduchess Ilona of Austria has died

HI & RH Archduchess Ilona of Austria died today in Freiburg, Germany.  She married Duke Georg Alexander Karl Michael Philipp Ignaz Maria Duke of Mecklenburg on April 30, 1946 at Sigmaringen.  The marriage was dissolved by divorce in 1974 after Ilona left her husband for a musician.
The couple had four children: Duchess Elisabeth (March 22, 1947), Duchess Marie Catherine (November 14, 1949),  Duchess Karoline (April 18, 1952) and Duke Georg Borwin (June 10, 1956.)   Georg died at Mirow on January 26, 1996.
Duke Georg Borwin is the present head of the house of Mecklenburg-Strelitz.

Ilona was the second of eight children of the late Archduke Josef Franz of Austria, Prince of Tuscany, and his wife, Princess Anna of Saxony, the youngest daughter of King Friedrich August III.   Ilona was born at Budapest on April 20, 1927.  

She is survived by her four children and grandchildren, and by five of her siblings.
http://www.mecklenburg-strelitz.org/news.html

The photo is from the collection of David McIntosh.
It was taken sometime in the 1980s.

Update:  Archduchess Ilona's funeral was held in Ruhpolding, Bavaria, on January 21, 2010.  The mourners included her children, Duke Borwin, Duchess Elisabeth, Duchess Maria Katharina and Duchess Irene, and their spouses,  Archduke Joseph Arpad and Archduchess  Maria of Austria,  Archduke Stefan and Archduchess Maria of Austria, Archduke Geza and Archduchess Elizabeth of Austria, Archduke Michael and Archduchess Christiane of Austria and Archduchess Kynga of Austria.

Princess Astrid marries divorced commoner

January 12, 1961

Today HRH Princess Astrid of Norway entered the "small parish church of Asker," as a princess with the style of royal highness.  She came out of the church with a new title and style,  Princess Astrid, Mrs. Ferner.  Her sister, Princess Ragnhild Alexandra, also lost the style of royal highness when she married Erling Lorentzen in 1953.   The new title was announced by King Olav V.   

Women cannot succeed to the Norwegian throne.

The Princess, the second daughter of King Olav V, and his late wife, Princess Martha,  married a Norwegian commoner, Johan Martin Ferner.  This was Ferner's second marriage.  His first marriage ended in divorce in 1955.

Embed from Getty Images 

 This was a very private wedding, and all of the royal guests from Britain, Luxembourg, Denmark, and Sweden, are all related to the bride.  According to the New York Times, "the private nature of the wedding was emphasized by the fact that no official representatives of any foreign country were present."

Despite a heavy snowfall today and a temperature 10 degrees below zero, "thousands of persons gathered along the mile-long road from the royal residence at Skaugum to the church.   The road was lit with flaming torches that "lent a fairy tale aspect" in the snow.

Procession to the church began at 5 p.m. and was headed by Princess Ragnhild and her husband.  They were followed by relatives from Denmark and Sweden.  Princess Margaret and her husband, Antony Armstrong-Jones were ninth in the procession. They were followed by Hereditary Grand Duke Jean and Hereditary Grand Duchess Josephine Charlotte of Luxembourg, Prince Bertil and Princess Margaretha of Sweden,  Crown Prince Harald of Norway, who was in "full dress uniform" and Crown Princess Margrethe of Denmark.

Queen Elizabeth's sister, Princess Margaret wore "mink and blue velvet."
Princess Astrid, 28, smiled faintly as she walked "through the flower-bedecked portals of the church with her bouquet of pink roses and freesias."  She entered the church to the Purcell's "Trumpet Tune and Air."

The Chicago Tribune's report noted that Astrid looked "pale and shaken" when she arrived at the church, but she "seemed to recover" when she stood before the bishop with Ferner and made her vows.

Her "elaborate gown" was made of point d'esprit and silver-embroidered lace."  Three young bridesmaids and her nephew, 6-year-old Haakon Lorentzen, attended Astrid.  

After the couple promised to "love and honor" each other and made their vows, Metropolitan Opera star Aase Nordmo Lovberg sang Beethoven's "Song of Praise."

The newlyweds emerged from the church to Mendelssohn's "Wedding March."   The 40-minute ceremony was broadcast on Norwegian radio.

King Olav hosted a dinner for 200 guests at his home at Skaugum.  The royal guests used the royal silver plate in the "royal dining room," while the non-royal guests  "dined on china in the billiard room and library."

Embed from Getty Images 

 The couple cut a 70-pound wedding cake "made in the shape" of Princess Astrid's boat "on which she and Ferner spent so many happy hours."

 After the dinner, Princess Astrid and Mr. Ferner, and their guests "were greeted by a long procession carrying torches."

Princess Astrid and Johan Martin Ferner announced their engagement in November.  The announcement was received with criticism due to Ferner's first marriage. Objections were raised by officials with the Norwegian Lutheran church and members of the Norwegian Parliament.   Several Norwegian pastors will "not marry divorced persons.   

 The wedding was originally scheduled to take place at the Cathedral in Oslo, but due to the controversy, the celebrations were moved to the small church in Asker.  The Lutheran ceremony was performed by a retired Bishop Arne Fjellbu of Nidaros, an "old friend of the royal family."

The Princess and her husband share a common interest in yachting, and she has sailed her own boat for many years and has won numerous prizes in national regattas.
The Princess spent the war years with her mother and sister and brother in Bethesda, Maryland.  Astrid was eight years old when the Germans invaded Norway in 1940, and she and her family fled the country and sailed to the United States.   

Since the end of the Second World War, Princess Astrid has visited the United States several times.  During the winter of 1953-1954, she spent two months in Palm Beach, Florida, with her mother, who was very ill.  In the spring of 1956, she spent two weeks at the same resort in Palm Beach.  She came back again in 1958 to attend Minnesota's centenary celebrations.  Her most recent visit to this county was in June 1960, when she and two other Scandinavian princesses, "made the inaugural flight of Scandinavian Airlines to Los Angeles."

Princess Astrid is said to be "very popular with children."  Since the death of her mother and her sister's marriage,  Astrid has acted as Norway's first lady.  During visits to Norwegian towns with her father, children "often greeted her more spontaneously and informally than they did the King."

Princess Ira wed Baby Pignatari

January 12, 1961

Princess Ira zu Fürstenberg, the former wife of Prince Alfonso of Hohenlohe-Langenburg, and Francisco (Baby) Pignatari, the Brazilian sportsman, were married today in Reno, Nevada, by Justice of the Peace William Beemer.  The civil ceremony took place at the home of a friend, Richard Blakey, according to United Press International.

Alfonso XIII's granddaughter weds today

January 12, 1961

Victoria Marone Cinzano, the 19-year-old granddaughter of the late King Alfonso XIII of Spain, and Don Carlos Alvarez, 30, a Spanish Grandee, were married today "in a glittering ceremony at the Roman Catholic Cathedral" in Geneva.

The bride's grandmother, former Queen Victoria Eugenia, "headed the list of several hundred guests from Spain and Italy," according to the report in the New York Times.   

A civil ceremony took place before the religious service.  

The bride is the daughter of Count Enrico Marone Cinzano, a wealthy "Italian industrialist and producer of Vermouth," and Infanta Maria Cristina of Spain, younger daughter of King Alfonso XIII and Queen Victoria Eugenia.

Death of a Princess

January 12, 1955

Countess Elisabeth zu Toerring-Jettenbach died today in a hospital in Munich, reports the Associated Press.  She was 50 years old.  The former Princess Elisabeth of Greece and Denmark is the younger sister of Princess Paul of Yugoslavia and the Duchess of Kent. 
She is survived by her husband, Count Carl Theodor, and their two children, Hereditary Count Hans Veit, who celebrated his 20th birthday yesterday, and 17-year-old Countess Helene.
The Countess was born at Tatoi on May 14, 1904, the youngest daughter of Prince Nicholas of Greece and Denmark and the former Grand Duchess Helen of Russia.   In 1934, she married Count Carl Theodor zu Toerring-Jettenbach, who succeeded his father in 1929. 
The Duchess of Kent is godmother to Elisabeth's daughter, Helene Marina.   She has left London to attend her sister's funeral, which will take place "in the chapel of the family seat near Munich."

Beatriz attends wedding rehearsal

Embed from Getty Images 

 January 12, 1935

Infanta Beatriz of Spain tried on her "gown of ivory satin" for one last time before her wedding tomorrow to Prince Alessandro Torlonia, a member of the Italian nobility.  The Infanta, elder daughter of former King Alfonso XIII of Spain, joined the wedding rehearsal today, reports the Associated Press.

Her gown, made by Mme Bellier of the Maison Rosine in Paris, is "of exquisite material, with a train nearly seven yards long, richly trimmed, with a broadband of ermine." 

Mme. Bellier has been the dressmaker to the Spanish royal family "for many years."

It has the "full lines of a court dress, "yet manages to enhance the princess' youthful slimness."  The bride will wear a "diadem of orange blossoms brought fresh from Valencia and a veil of tulle."   Beatriz's regal train will be carried by two flower girls dressed in red.  They are Joanna Bagno, "daughter of the old Spanish royalist house," and Tacolata Chigi, a cousin of Prince Alessandro.
The bride's two witnesses will be her brother, Don Jaime, and her uncle, Don Carlos, who was also a witness to the marriage of her parents, King Alfonso XIII and the former Princess Victoria Eugenie of Battenberg, granddaughter of Queen Victoria.

Although Infanta Beatriz has received several pieces of jewelry from her parents, she will wear no jewels on her wedding day.