Margaret dines with Peter: more criticism from media

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 October 20, 1955


Princess Margaret and Captain Peter Townsend dined together tonight, reports the New York Times.  In the last eight days, the Princess has spent time with the divorced airman with the exception of yesterday as she had an official engagement.

The Palace continues to "refuse all comment" on the "rumored romance," but earlier today there were "two public developments that attracted public attention."

Prime Minister Anthony Eden  sent an "urgent call" to Sir Reginald Manningham-Butler, the Attorney General, to attend a Cabinet meeting.  The Attorney General is the country's "top advisor on constitutional matters." It is "unusual" for the Attorney General to be called at "such short notice.

The marriages of members of the Royal Family are governed by the Royal Marriages Act of 1772.  One Labor Member of Parliament, Marcus Lipton, said today that he has "introduced a question for answer by the Prime Minister next week."   He intends to ask if the Government will "repeal or amend" the Royal Marriages Act.

Princess Margaret and Group Captain Townsend had dinner at the Kinnerton Street home in Knightsbridge of Mr. and Mrs. John Lycett Willis.  Mrs. Willis is Princess Margaret's cousin.

The princess arrived alone at 6:30 p.m.  She was driven in a large car with chauffeur and her personal detective.  Townsend arrived about ten minutes later.

When the door was opened to let in other guests, "peals of laughter echoed" from inside the house.

The Daily Telegraph has criticized the Palace for failing to give any "press guidance" on the "rumored romance."

The editorial was titled: "A Damaging Silence."   The paper noted that the continued speculation was risking "a certain loss of dignity" to the Royal Family.

"The longer any element of mystery is allowed to linger in this affair, the more deplorable the publicity is to become."

No Family Order for Catherine

View image | gettyimages.com

In the past few weeks, there has been intense speculation from a certain quarter in the British press that the Duchess of Cambridge received the Family Order, and would be seen wearing it at the State Banquet in honor of the Chinese President's State visit.

The Family Order is the personal gift from the Sovereign to female members of the family.  Princesses of the Blood used  to receive it automatically, but wives of Princes of the Blood Royal have to earn it.   The Princess of Wales received the Order within the first few months of the her marriage to the Prince of Wales in 1981.   The  Duchess of Cornwall,  Countess of Wessex, the Duchess of Kent and Gloucester are also recipients of the Order.

I have been told by a very reliable authority that Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie have not received the Royal Family Order.  

The Duchess of York did not receive the Order during her marriage to the Duke of York.

Princess Michael of Kent has not received the Order.  She has been married to Prince Michael since June 1978.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were given the highest precedence after the Queen and Prince Philip. Duke of Edinburgh, taking the positions of the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall.

No announcement is made when the Queen bestows this gift.  Perhaps the Queen is waiting for Catherine to realize that it is time to be a full time royal, and start taking on new patronages, and other duties.  When Lady Alice Montagu-Douglas-Scott married the Duke of Gloucester in November 1935, she acknowledged that marrying into the Royal Family meant she would become a servant of the country.  

At some point in the not-too-distant future,  Catherine will wake to find that she is the Duchess of Cornwall and Cambridge, the wife of the heir apparent.  (Prince of Wales is not a hereditary title, but reserved for the heir apparent.  It will be up to Charles III to bestow the titles Prince of Wales and Earl of Chester on William.)   At that time, she will have run out of excuses because the wife of the heir to the throne is a full time position.  No ifs. ands, or buts about it.

Jessica accepts court ruling that she was never married

Indonesian celebrity Jessica Iskandar, 27, has accepted the recent court ruling that she was never married to Hereditary Count Ludwig von Waldburg zu Wolfegg von Waldsee.

She is disappointed, but willingly accepts the verdict in favor of the German nobleman.  The reason for her decision is financial.  She can't afford to "continue to fight for justice," she said on Monday.

[Seriously, Jessica, fight for justice? I hope you realize that you and others -- your brother -- allegedly conspired to commit fraud by creating false documents and registering a sham marriage - a marriage that never took place.]

She will not appeal the court's ruling. It is also not known at this time if Jessica will try to obtain support for her son, El Barack Alexander.  She may have to obtain a DNA test from Ludwig, who now lives in Ireland, where he works for Google.

As far as I know Ludwig has not acknowledged the child, who was born in California in July 2014.  By the time, Jessica returned to Jakarta in September 2014,  Ludwig had left his job, and returned to Europe.

Jessica would like for Ludwig to provide DNA.  She will accept the results of the DNA test, even it proves that Ludwig is not the father.   In an earlier interview, Jessica said: "If the tests prove that Ludwig is not my son's father, it will be my fault."

Hmm: in other words:  does El-Barack have another baby daddy?

According to yesterday's meeting the press, Jessica, with tears streaming down her face -- ever the drama queen -- said she probably won't bother with requesting a DNA test.

"It is time to move on," she said.


https://www.swadeka.com/kalah-lawan-ludwig-di-persidangan-jessica-iskandar-kehabisan-uang/8353/

http://www.kabarmaya.com/6522/pihak-ludwig-franz-willibald-anggap-tes-dna-anak-jessica-iskandar-janggal/

http://www.jpnn.com/read/2015/10/20/333740/Jessica-Iskandar-Bilang-Sudah-tak-Punya-Uang-

Cambridge Mail call

The first card (for Princess Charlotte's birth) arrived last week (mailed on October 8.)  The second and third cards (Prince George's 2nd birthday and Princess Charlotte's baptism) arrived today (mailed on October 16.)

Margaret dines with Archbishop of Canterbury

October 19, 1955


Princess Margaret and other members of the Royal Family dined tonight with the Archbishop of Canterbury, reports the Associated Press.

The Archbishop is the head of the Church of England, which will "oppose" her marriage to Group Captain Peter Townsend.   The Anglican Church "frowns" on the marriage of divorced persons with living former spouses.  Townsend received a divorce in 1952 on the grounds of his wife's adultery.  She has remarried, and their two sons live with her.

The guests at the dinner at Lambeth Palace, the London residence of the Archbishop, Dr. Geoffrey Fisher, included Queen Elizabeth II,  the Duke of Edinburgh, Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, and Princess Margaret. as well as several other Bishops of the Church of England.

The announced reason for the dinner was to "celebrate the re-dedication of the Palace chapel, restored after having been badly damaged by a Nazi incendiary bomb May 10, 1941." But it is "believed" that the romance between the 25-year-old Princess and the 40-year-old Group Captain, a "hero of the Battle of Britain," would also be discussed.

Princess Margaret and her mother "drove in a heavy rain" to Lambeth Palace.  The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh,  who is "reportedly" against the marriage, drove from Buckingham Palace.

The Archbishop is a "devoted friend" of the Royal Family, but is "sternly devoted to his duty as he sees it." A breach between the Archbishop and Princess Margaret "would be painful to both."

The Princess is close to the Archbishop and often dines at Lambeth Palace.

Princess Margaret and Group Captain Townsend did not see each other today. He spent the day riding in the country.

Grand Duke Vladimir resigns positions

October 19, 1905

Grand Duke Vladimir has become involved in an open quarrel with his nephew, Emperor Nicholas II, following the "czar's summary action in stripping" Vladimir's son Grand Duke Kirill, of all his orders and decorations, "dismissing him from the army,  confiscating his fortune," and sending him into exile, reports the Chicago Tribune,.

Grand Duke Kirill has incurred the anger of Nicholas II by marrying Grand Duchess Victoria Melita of Hesse and By Rhine, the divorced wife of Grand Duke Ernst Ludwig, who is Empress Alexandra's older brother.

The couple were married recently in defiance of Nicholas II's wishes.  

Grand Duke Vladimir tried to reason with his nephew to no avail.  In response to Nicholas' humiliation of his son,  Vladimir has resigned his post as chief of the St. Petersburg military district and commander of the imperial guard corps.

In retaliation of his uncle's actions, Nicholas had dismissed all of Vladimir's friends from their public service positions.

PM Eden Meets with Queen

October 18, 1955

Prime Minister Anthony Eden presided over a Cabinet meeting at 10 Downing Street this morning, reports the New York Times. Late this afternoon, he was driven to Buckingham Palace for an audience with Queen Elizabeth II.  It is not known what the Queen and her Prime Minister discussed, although many assume that Princess Margaret's "increasingly public romance" may have been one of the topics.

The Queen had arrived in London earlier today, marking the end of her holiday in Scotland.

Government officials have made it clear that the Cabinet did not discuss "constitutional matters," such as the ones that would be raised if Princess Margaret decided to marry Group Captain Peter Townsend.

Palace sources state that there is no "decision about her personal future."
Earlier today,  Townsend "visited a preview of the motor show" and then drove to Clarence House, where Princess Margaret lives with her mother.  Margaret and Townsend spent two hours and 18 minutes together at Clarence House.

Later in the day,  Princess Margaret, accompanied by her lady-in-waiting, attended a cocktail party at Claridge's hosted by the Royal Air Force Cinema Corporation.  This was the Princess' first official engagement since returning from Scotland.

Britain's Press Council today adopted a resolution declaring that "certain papers have offended against good taste" in their reporting of Margaret's "rumored romance."

Duchess Anna in Bavaria marries Baron Andreas von Maltzan

© Herzogliche Verwaltung Schloss Tegernsee

Duchess Anna in Bavaria married Baron Andreas von Maltzan on Friday in a civil ceremony at Schloss Tegernsee.  This is the second marriage for the fifth and youngest daughter of Max, Duke of Bavaria, and his wife, Countess Elizabeth Douglass.

Anna, 40, was married in September 2007 to Klaus Runow.  This marriage was dissolved by divorce earlier this year.  Duchess Anna has two sons, Heinrich, 5, and 3-year-old Johannes, from her first marriage.

Baron Andreas von Maltzan, 50, is a photographer and an artist.  The first reports of a romance between the couple appeared earlier this year, when Anna accompanied Andreas to the opening of his photography exhibit.

http://www.exklusiv-muenchen.de/news/andreas-von-maltzan-32467

About 170 guests attended the reception at Schloss Tegernsee.

http://www.teneues.com/shop-us/andreas-von-maltzan-biography.html

http://www.maltzan.de/

Interview: The Countess of Wessex

Sunday Express' Camilla Tominey's interview with HRH The Countess of Wessex is one of the best royal interviews in a long time.  True journalism.

Camilla does not go for the salacious, or even the jugular.  She sticks to what are the real rules of reporting: who, what, where, how and why?   We need more reports like this.

http://www.express.co.uk/news/royal/612253/World-Exclusive-Sophie-Countess-of-Wessex-The-Queen-interview

Margaret and Townsend return to London

October 17, 1955

Princess Margaret and Group Captain Townsend returned separately today to London after spending the weekend at the home of the Princess's cousin, reports the New York Times.

Tonight, they were "together again," dining with mutual friends, Mr. and Mrs. Mark Bonham-Carter.   The American-born Leslie Nast, is the former wife of Peter George Grenfell, 2nd Baron St. Just, and the daughter of the late Condé Nast. Bonham-Carter,  a former "frequent escort" of Princess Margaret, is the grandson of the late Prime Minister Asquith.

The Princess arrived at Clarence House at about 2 p.m. where a crowd of more than 500 cheered her.

One prominent Anglican clergyman, Canon C.T. Kirkland, honorary canon of Canterbury Cathedral, spoke today about the Princess: "It is a matter of profound sorrow.  Here is somebody who is very dear to our hearts.  Here she contemplates doing something which is deliberately an affront both to religion and church."

Royal Marriage: Austria-Bavaria

October 17, 1955

Archduchess Theresia of Austria, 24, was married today to Prince Rasso of Bavaria, according to the Associated Press.

The wedding took place at the chapel of Schloss Wallsee, near Amsetten. The 29-year-old bridegroom is a student at Munich University.

Members of German and Austrian nobility attended the wedding.  After a honeymoon in Spain, the couple will live in Starnberg.

Prince Rasso is the youngest child of Prince Franz of Bavaria and Princess Isabella of Croy.  Archduchess Theresia is the second child of Archduke Theodor of Salvator of Austria and Countess Maria Theresia von Waldburg zu Zeil und Trauchburg.

The bride is a great-granddaughter of Austrian Emperor Franz Josef, who died in 1916.

Margaret's romance now a national issue

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October 16, 1955

The romance between Princess Margaret and Group Captain Peter Townsend was "shadowed today by the awful solemnity of an affair of state," reports the New York Times.

As Princess Margaret went to church today in the "glowing Berkshire woods," it became apparent that her "expected engagement and marriage" had become a "National issue.   Newspapers, such as the Manchester Guardian The Sunday Times has taken "assumed contradictory opinions on the couple's marriage."

Questions of the "religious and political aspects" of the marriage have developed into a full-blown conversation.   The issue of Princess Margaret's position has moved from the 'ain't love grand' comments of the popular press to the "stratosphere" world of the "Court, the Church of England, the Government."

The "crux of the matter" is not whether Margaret should marry Group Captain Townsend  -- there is a lot of public approval -- but how will the marriage take place without "jolting the delicate relationship of the Crown, Church, Government that stands at the apex of British society."

The central theme of the argument is the Royal Marriages Act. The Guardian has called the act "mumbo-jumbo" and it would be "ridiculous" to invoke it.  Many feel that the act should be repealed and the Princess "left free to marry whom she pleases."

This view was "repudiated" today by the Sunday Times, which declared that Royal Marriages and "therewith the issue of those in line of succession to the Throne are matters of vital public moment."   To even debate a repeal of the act "would raise precisely the same controversy as does the question of assent under the act."

As Princess Margaret is 25 years old, she does not need the Sovereign's consent to marry but must give 12 months' notice to the Privy Council of a marriage.  Both Houses of Parliament cannot object to marriage within 12 months.   Another complication is the Church of England.  Queen Elizabeth II is the head of the Church.

The Church of England "holds that a Christian marriage is for all time" and does not recognize the marriage of divorced persons if the other spouse is still alive.
Group Captain Townsend divorced his wife in 1952 on the grounds of her adultery. She has since remarried.

The Sunday Times argues that the Princess if she does marry Townsend, must renounce her right of succession.

The succession is defined by the 1701 Act of Settlement.  The Guardian's editorial calls for the repeal of the Royal Marriages Act and an amendment of the Act of Settlement as "too much is made of the question of divorce."

This evening, after spending a few hours with her mother at Windsor,  Princess Margaret returned to Allanbay Lodge, the home of Mr. and Mrs. John Lycett Willis. in Berkshire.  She and Group Captain Peter Townsend "strolled arm-in-arm around the lawns of the secluded country mansion," where they spent the weekend.

The couple appeared "relaxed and oblivious" to the photographers.  They also were seen in a "rose entwined terrace," playing with a dog.  As the "sunshine faded,"  Margaret and Peter went "slowly, apparently reluctantly" back into the house.

Princess Margaret will return to London as she has several engagements to carry out.

Pedro will wait to use Duke of Calabria title

HRH Prince Pedro of Bourbon-Two Sicilies will not assume has assuming the titles and dignities of the title Duke of Calabria,  for several months, according to an article in El Mundo,   Prince Pedro,46,  has told friends that out of respect to the memory of his father, he will postpone the the use of his father's titles.

For the time, he will remain known as the Duke of Noto, and his eldest son, Prince Jaime, will remain styled as the Duke of Capua.   He has also canceled the annual ceremony for the Constantinian Order, which was was headed by the late Duke of Calabria.

The Duke of Calabria has suffered from neurological ailments and a stroke that had largely incapacitated him since 2012,   Prince Pedro had represented his father.

The Duke of Noto is said to be very effected by his father's death.  For some years, father and son were estranged as the Duke of Calabria would not permit his only son to marry Sofia Landaluce Melgarejo.   Prince Pedro and Sofia became parents of Jaime in 1993, and remained together despite Pedro's father's disapproval.

The Duke of Calabria eventually acquiesced, the the couple were married in 2001.  They are now the parents of seven children.   The final reconciliation when the Duke of Calabria created Prince Jaime as Duke of Capua.


http://www.elmundo.es/loc/2015/10/15/561e6c9022601dc7778b4576.html

Wedding will be small and private

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 October 15, 1955

It will be a small wedding, "perhaps in November," for Princess Margaret and Peter Townsend, reports the Chicago Tribune.

The wedding will be a "family affair," but not a state occasion," and will probably take place, privately, at one of the royal family's residences.

The real question will be Margaret's "royal place."  When she marries, her allowance will increase to $45,000 a year  She also has a private fortune.  Townsend earns $8,000 as the air attache at the British embassy in Brussels.

Princess Margaret's "official life," may end if she marries the Group Captain.   This may be difficult for the princess as she revels in the "pomp and the idea of being royal."

People support Margaret and Peter

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 October 15, 1955

The Princess Margaret- Peter Townsend story is "the talk of the day," throughout England, reports the New York Times.

There is wide support for the Princess and her Group Captain.  "Virtually without exception, there has been no censure of the Princess" regarding her choice of a husband.  No words of reproach have been said publicly against either Princess Margaret or Group Captain Townsend.  Nearly every newspaper, regardless of its political views, has wished the princess every happiness.

There is "massive public support" from "eager crowds, the cheers, the hordes of reporters, cameramen and others who flock" to wherever the Princess goes or to the Group Captain "when he appears in public."   This proves the "tremendous human interest" in this love story.

It is also "proof of the devotion of the British public to the Royal Family.  Queen Elizabeth II and her young family have won "a warm place in British hearts, and Princess Margaret shares in this love."  

The country will support Princess Margaret's marriage.  Townsend is British "to the core.  He has a "fine war record," he is "handsome, and he once served as George VI's equerry.

The fact that he is divorced (the innocent party) and the father of two young sons, does not diminish his position in the eyes of the British public.

There are questions.  Where will they live, for example?  Will the Princess relinquish her title and social existence to live abroad with her new husband?  

There is a "faint possibility" that the princess will not marry Group Captain Townsend, "although few would wager heavily on it now. "

The New York Times ends its op-ed with "The British throne has withstood more serious crises in days gone by, though none perhaps so universally appealing."