An heir for the Duke of Parma

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Their Royal Highnesses Prince Carlos and Princess Annemarie de Bourbon de Parmq announce, together with their daughters Princess Luisa Irene and Cecilia, with great joy and gratitude, the birth of their son and brother Carlos Enrique Leonard.Prince Carlos J  was born on Sunday morning, April 24, 2016 at 8.58 a.m.,in the Haga Juliana Geboorte Centrum in The Hague. At birth he weighed 6.6lbs.

Mother and her infant son are said to be doing well.

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Infanta Isabel's funeral in Paris

Marlene A Eilers Koenig Collection

April 25, 1931

A funeral with the "utmost simplicity," was held today in Paris in the chapel of the nursing home where Infanta Isabel of Spain died on April 22, reports the New York Times.

The body will be placed temporarily in the Pere Lachaise Cemetery in Paris in the family vault of the Marquis Quinones de Leon, former Spanish Ambassador to France.  A final decision on the Infanta's burial will be made after the newly exiled King Alfonso XIII returns to Paris from London.

A priest from the Spanish mission in Paris officiated at the mass for Infanta Isabel.  Neither Queen Victoria Eugenia or other members of the Spanish royal family attended the service.  They are living in exile in Fontainebleau.

Infante Don Alfonso and his wife, Infanta Beatriz, represented the King and Queen.

Isabel was 79 years old when she died.    She was born December 20, 1851, as the eldest surviving daughter of Queen Isabel II and King Consort Francisco de Asis, and was given the names Maria Isabel Francisca de Asis.   She was styled as Princess of Asturias until she was six-years-old when her mother gave birth to a son, the future Alfonso XII.   She regained the position of heiress presumptive when her brother was called to the throne in 1874, a position she held until the birth of King Alfonso's first child, Infanta Mercedes.

In 1868, she was married to Prince Gaetan of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, Count of Girgenti, son of the late King Ferdinando II of Bourbon-Two Sicilies.   It was an arranged marriage, and, ultimately, an unsuccessful arrangement.   Gaetan suffered from depression and poor health and was ill-suited to marriage with the headstrong Infanta.  He also suffered from epilepsy,  which Isabel did not learn about until after their marriage.  

In September 1871, Isabel suffered a miscarriage, which was followed by revolution and exile.  Queen Isabel had lost her throne in 1868 and finally abdicated two years later in favor of her son, Alfonso XII, who was proclaimed king in 1874.

The loss of their child and the political problems in Spain led to a further mental breakdown for Gaetan, who was kept under constant supervision.   But when the couple were staying in a hotel in Lucerne, Gaetan was able to lock himself in a room and committed suicide by placing a gun to his head.

Infanta Isabel was only 20 years old when she became a widow.  She had become close to her husband and was devastated by his death.  She remained with her family, helping to raise her younger sisters, and she worked tirelessly for the restoration of the monarchy.  


The royal family returned to Spain in January 1875.  Her brother and others put pressure on her marry, offering candidates including Archduke Leopold Salvator of Austria and Prince Arnulf of Bavaria.   She was close to her brother and told him that she had no desire to marry again.

Infanta Isabel was perhaps the most popular member of the Royal Family.  Following the establishment of the Spanish Republic earlier this month in Spain, the new government informed the elderly woman that she could remain in Spain.  The very ill, but proud Isabel chose to leave Spain with the rest of the royal family.

Prince George Meets his first American president

@Kensington Palace

HRH Prince George of Cambridge rides a rocking horse, a present from the President and the First Lady of the United States of America.  I believe the present was sent in 2014.

http://newsok.com/article/5197664

A few personal photos of the Queen

Princess Alexandra, the Queen and the Hon. Sir Angus Ogilvy arriving for James Ogilvy's wedding

I have a few more, but need to scan them .. and it is time to leave for work

A princess is born

From The Times (of London) April 22, 1926

and from the Court Circular

By pure coincidence,  on the day of Elizabeth's birth her future mother-in-law, Princess Andrew (Alice) of Greece, along with her younger sister, the Crown Princess of Sweden, and their mother, the Dowager Marchioness of Milford Haven (nee Princess Victoria of Hesse and by Rhine) visited King George V and Queen Mary at Buckingham Palace and stayed for lunch.  One wonder if Princess Andrew's nearly 5-year-old son, Prince Philip, had remained at Kensington Palace with his nanny.  The Dowager Marchioness lived in an apartment at Kensington Palace.  She was the King's first cousin.

It is possible that Queen Mary may have asked Princess Alice about her young son. But on April 21, 1926,  the guests may have offered a toast in honor of the new princess,  it is unlikely that the King and Queen and their guests would have thought, let alone considered the possibility that the young Philip would become the yet-to-be-named infant princess's first and only love.

Oh the handbag is priceless

What an adorable photo!  Queen  Elizabeth II is pictured with her two youngest grandchildren, Viscount Severn and the Lady Louise Windsor and her five great grandchildren: Mia Tindall (daughter of Zara Phillips and Mike Tindall holds Gan Gan's handbag), the other children are TRH Princess Charlotte (on great-granny's lap) and Prince George of Cambridge (children of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge) and Savannah and Isla Phillips (daughters of Peter Phillips and his wife Autumn).

The photo was taken by Annie Leibovitz//

A girl for the Duke and Duchess of York

This article was on the front page of the New York Times on April 21, 1926.  As the future Queen was born at 2:40 a.m., in London,  the news was  cabled the news to New York in time for later editions.

Solar Queen Elizabeth II

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Zita trying to recover Habsburg jewels

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April 19, 1926

According to the New York Times, former Empress Zita of Austria is taking legal action to "ascertain the whereabouts" of the Habsburg Crown jewels, said to be worth at least $1,125,000.   A French judicial commission will carry out Zita's request.

The jewels were pawned with "Geneva jewelers by Baron von Steiner," former Chamberlain of the Emperor Karl, "for an "insignificant sum in order to raise funds" for Karl's unsuccessful attempt to regain the Hungarian throne.

Baron von Steiner was arrested in Paris and extradited to Berne, where he was charged with fraud.  He was acquitted of the charges.   The jewels could be hidden in Switzerland or France, but officials in these countries do not know where the jewels are.    The Italian government has been unable to trace a "famous Florentine diamond" that was a part of the Habsburg collection.

Archduke Friedrich, who lives in Basle, is helping the former Empress to "regain possession of the jewels and obtain a new trial of the case in Geneva."

Princess Sofia of Sweden has given birth to a prince!

UPDATE:  IT IS A BOY. A Prince for Sweden.  Name announcement and Te Deum will be tomorrow

On Tuesday April 19 at 6.25 p.m., Princess Sofia gave birth to a son at Danderyd hospital in Stockholm.

Weight: 3595 grams (7.9 lbs)

Length: 49 cm (19.2 inches)

Both mother and child are in good health.

Prince Carl Philip was present at the hospital throughout the birth

The Marshal of the Realm is delighted to announce that HRH Princess Sofia gave birth to a healthy child on April 19 at 6.25 p.m. at Danderyd hospital.

Both mother and child are in good health.

Svante Lindqvist Marshal of the Realm

The proud Papa said the birth was at 6:28 pm. The King will announce the name and ducal title on Thursday which will be followed by a Te Deum on Friday.