Wednesday, January 16, 2013

Pope accuses Bulgarians of breaking a promise

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January 16, 1933

The Vatican issued today at "semi-official statement" in which King Boris III and Queen Giovanna are "flatly accused of breaking" a verbal and a written promise to the Pope before their marriage, agreeing to raise all of their children in the Roman Catholic faith, reports the New York Times.

This would not be the first cause for complaint of the Bulgarian king and Queen.  In his Christmas speech in 1930, the Pope "referred in strong terms" to the Orthodox wedding, which took place in Sofia, after the Roman Catholic wedding in Assisi.

The Pope may see this second offense as "much graver" and may choose to "stigmatize it publicly."

The announcement of the engagement of King Boris to Princess Giovanna of Italy was postponed several times because the Vatican would not consent to the marriage as King Boris is an Orthodox Christian.

According to reports, Boris and Giovanna eventually "bound themselves verbally and in writing to raise their children in the Roman Catholic faith.  With this agreement in hand, the Pope lifted the ecclesiastical opposition.

The Vatican was called off guard by the Orthodox wedding and is now "pained and surprised" by the baptism of Princess Maria Luisa in the Orthodox Church.

The Vatican's statement notes that the baptism was "held as a surprise" as it took place in a private chapel" with only a few guests.  This may mean that Queen Giovanna, still recovering from the birth, may not have known in advance about the baptism.  But, in the eyes of the Vatican, this does not make the "incident less deplorable."

It has been denied that Msgr Roncalli, the apostolic delegate in Sofia, will be asked to intervene.  He is in Bulgaria as a religious representative, and not a diplomat. Roncalli's  relationship with the King is considered "purely personal."

Michael loses his position as regent-designate

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January 16, 1913

Emperor Nicholas II has "been relieved by Imperial manifest of his position as Regent-designate" during the minority of the Tsarevitch in case of the death of the Emperor, reports the New York Times today.

He was also stripped of his role as commander of the Chevalier Guards.  Nicholas II has also issued an imperial ukase, placing the Grand Duke's "personal property and affairs" under the "supreme direction of the Emperor."  The estates will now be administered by the Department of Appanages of the Ministry of the Imperial Court.

The Emperor has taken these steps to show his disapproval with his younger brother, who ran off to Vienna last October and married Natalia Wulfurt.

Nicholas has not named a new Regent-Designate, but Grand Duke Dimitri's name has been "frequently mentioned in the course of unofficial gossip."

Grand Duke Dimitri, is the son of Grand Duke Paul and his first wife, Princess Alexandra of Greece.  Grand Duke Paul also incurred the Emperor's wrath when he contracted a mesalliance.

Reports about the Countess Lonyay are untrue

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 January 16, 1903

The Vienna correspondent for The Times has cabled the following statement regarding reports about the marriage of the Count and Countess Lonyay.  The Countess is the former Crown Princess Stephanie of Austria, who was born Princess Stephanie of Belgium.

"In new of the skepticism still professed by many journals regarding the truth of the denials given to recent rumors of the impending separation of the Countess Lonyay and her husband, I am requested to state that all reports of conjugal differences and financial difficulties are devoid of all foundation.
"Steps have already been taken to bring the authors of the reports to justice."

Translating this into modern parlance. Countess Lonyay and her husband are not having any marital problems, including sexual problems in the bed, and they are not financial trouble despite reports to the contrary.

The countess' lawyers will be taking action against the newspapers that have published such lies!

A Habsburg engagement

The engagement is announced between Maximilian, youngest son of Archduke Géza von Habsburg of New York, and Archduchess Monica von Habsburg of Tete, Mozambique, and Arabella, eldest daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Hugh Stafford Northcote, of Bishton Hall, Staffordshire.

Maximilian, 38, is the youngest of Archduke Géza's three sons by his first wife, Monika Decker.   An internationally recognized art expert,  Archduke Géza lives with his second wife, Elizabeth, and their daughter, Isabella, in New York.

Both of Géza's marriages were morganatic.  In the early 1990s,  Archduke Otto upgraded the spouses and children of the marriages to the title of Count or Countess von Habsburg.

This branch is one of the most junior of the Habsburg branches.  Géza, who was born in 1940, is the seventh of eight children of Archduke Josef of Austria and Princess Anna of Saxony.

All three of Archduke Géza's sons are accomplished in their own professions.

Dr. von Habsburg has been teaching history at Oundle College since September 2001.  He attended Ampleforth College and St. Andrew's University, where he received his master's and Ph.D. in history.  His first book Catholic and Protestant Translations of the Imitatio Christi, 1425–1650 From Late Medieval Classic to Early Modern Bestseller, was published in the fall of 2011.  He is also a member of the Catholic Reformation Research Network.

http://www.oundleschool.org.uk/news/newsItem.php?id=868

His older brother, Count Ferdinand, has studied at the University of Bradford, Fordham University in New York, and the University of Durham.  He has a Ph.D. in Social Sciences from Durham.

For more than 15 years, Ferdinand has been working in Southern Sudan and the Maldives with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP). He is now a consultant with UNICEF, based in Juba, South Sudan, and Nairobi.

http://www.oa.ampleforth.org.uk/news/ferdinand-von-habsburg-lothringen-e87

http://www.oa.ampleforth.org.uk/news/peace-or-pieces


Count Ferdinand married Mary Nyanut Ring Machar, a Dinka from South Sudan, in Nairobi in August 199.  They have four children: Countess Luisa Aluel (2000), Count Laszlo Rum (2002), Countess Gisela Aluk (2004), and Matyas Malith (2009).

The eldest of the three brothers, Count Franz Ferdinand married Theresa Joao Manuel Carlos at Tete, Mozambique, in January 1995.  They have two children, Countess Ana Monica (1995), and Count Philippo (1997).  He may also have a daughter, Jessica von Habsburg, who is also from Tete.

This marriage may have been dissolved as Frank is involved with an African-American woman, Lei Greenspan, from Columbia, South Carolina. She has a law degree from George Washington University.  She currently lives in Tete.

Franz is known professionally as Frank von Habsburg. He is the CEO of ProIntel Africa Lda, an accounting firm.  He has a degree from the London School of Economics and Political Science. 

Frank has been based in Tete for seventeen years.  He believes in the growth of Tete.

 ZT: What is the single most important piece of advice that you would give to someone thinking about investing in Tete or Mozambique?
FvH:
Have interminable patience, don’t take short cuts, and avoid paying bribes.

http://www.zambezitraveller.com/cahora-tete/business/tete-%E2%80%93-phoenix-rises


Frank's mother, Monika von Habsburg, also lives in Tete, where she owns and runs a B&B, Villa Habsburg, on the banks of the Zambezi River.

In 2009,  Franz said to his mother: “Mother, if you are bored there is lots happening in Tete, so please come and join us."

Monika was living in Scotland at the time.  She packed up everything and moved to Tete.

And, in case, you need a place to stay in Tete, Mozambique,  here the link to Villa Habsburg
http://villahabsburg.com/index.html



Dr. von Habsburg's fiancee, Arabella Northcote, 37, is a lawyer in Oxford.  The date of the wedding was not announced.

Beatrice and Eugenie's official (sort of) trip to Berlin

From the British Embassy in Berlin:

http://ukingermany.fco.gov.uk/en/news/?view=News&id=850074482

I am interested in the exhibit next year on the Hanovers and the UK.

Princess Margarita of Baden

Credit: Markgräflich Badische Verwaltung
Princess Margarita of Baden's death was  announced by her brother, the Margrave of Baden.  Her funeral is expected to take place in the next few days at St Sava Serbian Orthodox Church in London.   This will be followed by a private funeral at Schloss Salem.

http://www.suedkurier.de/region/bodenseekreis-oberschwaben/salem/Prinzessin-Margarita-von-Baden-ist-tot;art372491,5858651

Tuesday, January 15, 2013

In Memorium: Princess Margarita of Baden (1932-2013)

Serbia  September 2010  (Photo by Marlene A. Eilers  Koenig)

Princess Margarita Alice Thyra Viktoria Marie Louise Scholastica of Baden was born on July 14, 1932, the first of three children of Berthold, Margrave of Baden, and Princess Theodora of Greece and Denmark.

Marlene A. Eilers Koenig collection
Princess Margarita was raised at the family's home, Schloss Salem.   In the mid-1950s, she spent some time in London, where she worked as a nurse at St. Thomas's Hospital.  She was known as Nurse von Baden.

Margarita and two of her cousins, Princess Christina of Hesse and Princess Beatrix of Hohenlohe-Langenburg remained in London in the mid-1950s.

It was in London where Margarita met her husband, Prince Tomislav of Yugoslavia, second of three sons of the late King Alexander I and Queen Marie.  Tomislav's older brother, King Peter II, was married to Princess Alexandra of Greece.

The engagement was announced on January 2, 1956.  Prince Tomislav was 28 and his future wife was 24.  Only five months earlier,  Margarita's cousin, Princess Christina married Tomislav's younger brother, Prince Andrej.

The marriage between Princess Margarita and Prince Tomislav took place in June 1957.  A civil ceremony took place at Schloss Salem on June 5.  That evening, the Margrave and Margravine of Baden hosted a gala ball.

The following day, the couple were married according to the rites of the Orthodox church, followed by a Lutheran service.  Princess Margarita was given away by her father.  Her wedding gown was a "plain white corded silk dress with a V-neckline, long sleeves, and a full skirt, and an old family train." A headdress of orange blossoms held the long veil in place.

The Princess did not have any bridesmaids, but her train was carried by her first cousins, Princes Welf and Georg of Hanover.

King Simeon of Bulgaria and the Duke of Edinburgh were the sponsors at the Serbian Orthodox ceremony.

The guests at the wedding included Margarita's uncle, the Duke of Edinburgh, and Kings Simeon of Bulgaria and Umberto of Italy.

Marlene A. Eilers Koenig collection
Princess Margarita and Princess Christina were now sisters-in-law, as well as first cousins.  Princess Beatrix was briefly engaged to Margarita's brother, Prince Maximilian, Margrave of Baden, but the engagement was broken before the wedding took place.

Margarita and Tomislav, who settled in England, had two children, Prince Nikola, who was born in 1958, and Princess Katarina, who was born in 1959.



The couple's marriage ended in divorce in 1981.


Princess Alice, the Duke of Edinburgh, Margravine of Baden and King Peter  II






All photos  Marlene A. Eilers Koenig Collection 



Royal Palace, Serbia  September 2010
Marlene A. Eilers Koenig Collection


Princess Margarita remained close to her uncle, the Duke of Edinburgh, and also maintained very good relations with Crown Prince Alexander of Serbia.

Princess Margarita died on January 15, 2013 at her home in Farnham, Surrey, after a long illness. She was 80.  She is survived by her two children, Prince Nikola, and Princess Katarina, and two granddaughters, Princess Maria and Victoria da Silva, and one great grandson, Enzo.   She is also survived by her two brothers, Max, Margrave of Baden, and Prince Ludwig of Baden and their families. If you liked this article







Princess Maria Luisa baptised in Orthodox rite

January 15, 1933

Only two days old, Princess Maria Luisa of Bulgaria is already an "international figure," reports the New York Times.

Her baptism, according to the rites of the Roman Catholic faith, was scheduled to take place at the end of the week,  as King Boris had promised the Pope before he married Princess Giovanna.   At 10:00 a.m., this morning the princess, named for her paternal grandmother, the late Princess Marie Louise of Bourbon-Parma, was "hurriedly baptized in the Orthodox faith.''

So "great was the haste" that King Boris did not even wait for the arrival of his mother-in-law, Queen Elena of Italy.  She arrived from Rome this evening only to learn that her newest grandchild was baptized in the Orthodox faith.

The ceremony was performed by the Archbishop of Sofia.  The King was present for the ceremony along with members of the Cabinet and "most of the Court."

The infant princess' godfather is Alexander Malinoff, President of the Chamber.

It was never "officially announced" that King Boris would raise his children as Roman Catholics, but it was generally assumed in Italy that he had signed the necessary papers agreeing to the Pope's request for the marriage to be approved.

Queen Giovanna is Roman Catholic.  Her mother, Queen Elena, a Princess of Montenegro, converted from Orthodoxy to Roman Catholicism at the time of her marriage to King Vittorio Emanuele.

The papal representative in Sofia,  Monsignor Roncalli visited the Bulgarian premier Mouchanoff to offer an official protest of the princess' Orthodox baptism.

Duke of Coburg visits George V

January 15, 1933

The Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha became the first "former enemy Sovereign" to visit the British Royal family since the end of the World War, reports the New York Times.

He arrived earlier today at Sandringham as the guest of King George V and Queen Mary. 

The Duke and King George V are first cousins, as both are grandsons of Queen Victoria.

Last October, the Duke's daughter, Princess Sibylla married Hereditary Prince Gustav Adolf of Sweden, grandson of King Gustav V.  The Earl of Athlone, brother of Queen Mary, and his wife, Princess Alice, and other members of the British royal family attended the wedding, "renewing old ties" with the Duke.

Princess Alice, Countess of Athlone, is the Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha's older sister.

Duke of York to marry

January 15, 1923

"It is with the greatest pleasure that the King and Queen announce the betrothal of their beloved son, the Duke of York, to Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, the daughter of the Earl and Countess of Strathmore and Kinghorne, to which union the King has gladly given his consent."

The first rumors of an engagement between The Duke of York, who is the second son of King George V and Queen Mary, and Lady Elizabeth, the youngest daughter of Lord and Lady Strathmore, first surfaced last year, when the Duke of York and his sister, Princess Mary, were guests at Glamis Castle. Lady Elizabeth acted as hostess for her mother, who was seriously ill at the time.
The Duke of York's visit to Glamis was the first time that the son of a king had visited the castle since Charles II.

A close friendship formed between Elizabeth and the royal visitors. Lady Elizabeth was one of Princess Mary's bridesmaids, when she married Lord Lascelles last year. Those in royal circles "soon perceived that the Duke's friendship had ripened into a deeper sentiment, and that the King and Queen, it is understood, watched the development of this love match with a sympathetic interest."
Although reports of a royal engagement were denied at the time, the attachment between the duke and Lady Elizabeth was known, and an engagement "was regarded as a probability."
It has been assumed "that only a question of precedence required to be settled when the betrothal would be made public," as it is rare for a younger son of the King to announce his engagement, when the "intentions in this respect of the heir to the throne are undefined."

It appears unlikely that the Prince of Wales will marry before his younger brother.

This engagement follows the marriage last year of Princess Mary to Viscounnt Lascelles.  This is a "further instance of the fact that royal unions, in England at any rate, are becoming more affairs of the the heart and less subjects of arrangements by chancellories," reports the New York Times.

Prince Albert & Princess Charlene win libel suit

The Prince and Princess of Monaco have won their libel suit against the Sunday Times. 

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/press/prince-albert-and-princess-charlene-accept-libel-damages-over-untrue-marriage-stories-8452426.html

Monday, January 14, 2013

York Princesses and official duties

Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie are about to carry out official engagements in Germany on behalf of British businesses ...

The engagements in Hanover and Berlin are not official official engagements, which means the engagements won't be mentioned in the Court Circular.

The two princesses, daughters of the Duke of York and Sarah, Duchess of York, have been asked by 10 Downing Street to carry out the engagements in Germany.


But this may be the first step in extending official royal roles to the two princesses.   Great Britain does need a few young distaff members to carry out official engagements.

The Duchess of Cambridge is 31.  The Princess Royal will celebrate her 63rd birthday in August.  The Countess of Wessex is in her 40s.  The Duchesses of Cornwall and Gloucester and Princess Michael are in their 60s.  Princess Alexandra celebrated her 76th birthday on Christmas Day.  The Duchess of Kent will celebrate her 80th birthday this year.

Yes, indeed, the British royal family needs to embrace the two York princesses, especially as they are Princesses of the Blood Royal.  

Baby Cambridge and the Coronation celebrations

The Duchess of Cambridge is expected to give birth in July to her first child.   The actual due date has not been announced, but the media are assuming that the birth will take place in mid-July.


This year Queen Elizabeth II will celebrate the 60th anniversary of her Coronation.  The actual date of the Coronation is June 2.  However, a major celebration is to take place at Buckingham Palace from July 11 through July 14. 

https://www.coronationfestival.com/

A "Spectacular Evening Gala" will take place on the evenings of July 12 and July 13.  These would not be the right times for Prince William to be rushing Catherine to the hospital.

I think we can safely assume that Catherine will not be present at these events whether she already has given birth or is in the final days of her pregnancy.

This also means Baby Cambridge will be getting more attention than the Coronation anniversary celebrations.

Oh dear, Oh dear: King Juan Carlos

More and more I am warming to the sound of King Felipe

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/spain/9799327/Spains-King-Juan-Carlos-facing-embarrassment-over-emails.html

Anniversary of the Duke of Clarence's death

Today is the first anniversary of the death of the Duke and Clarence and Avondale, eldest son of the Prince and Princess of Wales.

The New York Times reports that members of the Royal Family obsvered a day of mourning.  The Prince and Princess of Wals attended divine services at the Albert Memorial Chapel.

Queen Victoria was unable to attend the service as she is at Osborne House on the Isle of Wight.