Mecklenburg House - Once a royal residence

I took these photos on my final night in London in June 2016

Nearly a stone's throw from Buckingham Palace is Buckingham Gate, a street that runs from Birdcage Walk to Victoria, a lovely street with fine homes and posh hotels. This house is at 16 Buckingham Gate. In 1889, following the death of her mother, Augusta, the Dowager Duchess of Cambridge, Grand Duchess Augusta of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, acquired the lease to this residence, which she named Mecklenburg House. 

 The Grand Duchess, who preferred London to Strelitz, enjoyed her visits to England. Augusta was in London during the spring of 1904 when she received word of her husband's death. The Prince and Princess of Wales were at Victoria Station to say goodbye to Augusta on June 1, 1904, as she began her journey back to Neustrelitz, not returning again until March 26, 1905. 

 This was her final visit to England. In July 1907, Augusta's niece, the Princess of Wales, traveled to Neustrelitz to see her aunt. 

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 After the First World War, 16 Buckingham Gate was converted to flats, at least, according to the listings in The Times. Bond & Co., a real estate agency, maintained an office in the building in 1930, thus ceasing to be a residence, royal or otherwise. The Dean of the British School of Osteopathy also had an office in the building. In the 1990s, the German-British Chamber of Industry and Commerce moved its offices into the building. The name of the building remains Mecklenburg House.

I wish I had walked by during the day, when I could have opened the door and asked to see any of the rooms.  I did that a few years earlier at Cambridge Cottage in Kew.

New additions to my collection

New additions to my postcard collection.

Princess Olga of Hannover (as well as a British princess) was the youngest daughter of Prince Ernst August of Hanover, Duke of Cumberland, and Princess Thyra of Denmark.  She was a first cousin of King George V as their mothers were sisters.  She was born on July 1884 at Gmunden, Austria, and died at Huberthaus at Gmunden on September 21, 1958 at the age of 74.  She was unmarried. 

Princess Hilda of Nassau (1864-1952) was the daughter of Duke Adolph of Nassau (deposed in 1866, later succeeded as Grand Duke of Luxembourg.)  She married Grand Duke Friedrich II of Baden (he succeeded in 1907) in 1885.  Their marriage was childless.

Princess Marie Alexandra Thyra Viktoria Luise Carola Hilda of Baden was born at Schloss Salem in 1902.  She was the only daughter of Prince Maximilian of Baden, the last royal chancellor of Germany and Princess Marie Louise of Hanover (older sister of Princess Olga).  She married Prince Wolfgang of Hesse in 1924.  The couple had no children.   She was killed during an air raid by US Army Air Forces in January 1944.

HRH Hereditary Prince Adolf Friedrich Georg Ernst Albert Edward of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (1882-1918) was the third child and eldest son of Grand Duke Adolf Friedrich V and his wife, Princess Elisabeth of Anhalt.  His paternal grandmother was Princess Augusta of Cambridge,   He succeeded his father in 1914. He committed suicide on February 23, 1918.

The children of Leopold IV, Prince of Lippe and his first wife, Princess Bertha of Hesse-Philippstahl-Barchfeld.  Both Hereditary Prince Ernst and Prince Chlodwig made morganatic morganatics.  Leopold never married.  The succession passed to their younger half-brother, Prince Armin (1924-2015), whose son, Stephan, is the present Prince of Lippe

The Prince and Princess of Hohenzollern (Friedrich and Margarete -nee Saxony) with their twin daughters, Maria Antonia and Maria Adelgunde, who were born on February 19, 1921. Maria Antonia married Count Heinrich of Waldburg zu Wolfegg und Waldsee.  She died on October 11, 2011.   Maria Adelgunde was the first wife of Prince Konstantin of Bavaria.  They married in 1942.  The marriage ended in divorce in 1948 and annulled two years later.  She did not remarry.  She died on May 23, 2006.

The adorable Hohenzollern twin princesses, Maria Antonia and Maria Adelgunde

The younger children of Duke Eduard of Anhalt.  The first two children, Friederike and Leopold died in infancy,  Marie Auguste (1898-1983) was the eldest surviving child. She married in 1916 to Prince Joachim of Prussia, youngest son of Wilhelm II.  In her final years, Marie Auguste adopted several adults (for payment), thus giving them surnames Prinz von Anhalt.  One of these adoptees is the former Robert Lichtenberg, now Frederick Prinz von Anhalt.   Joachim Ernst died in 1948 at Buchenwald, as a Soviet prisoner.  Joachim Ernst's youngest son, Eduard, is the present Prince of Anhalt.  Prince Eugen died in 1980, He had one daughter, Princess Anastasia, is the widow of Max Emanuel, Margrave of Meissen.

Clementine (1872-1955) was the youngest child of King Leopold II and Archduchess Marie Henriette of Austria.  She married Prince Victor Napoleon in 1910.  Prince Jean Napoleon, present head of the house, is her grandson

Louise (1858-1924) was the eldest of King Leopold II's children.  She married Prince Philipp of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha in 1875.  They were ill-suited, and in 1898, Louise left the marital home.  Philipp obtained a divorce in 1906.  Two children: Prince Leopold and Princess Dorothea.

Prince Henri of France (1933) eldest son of the Count and Countess of Paris.  In 1999, Henri succeeded his father as Count of Paris.

The funeral of Austin Prichard-Levy

Austin Prichard-Levy's cremation and committal service took place earlier today, Saturday, January 14, at the Golders Green Crematorium East Chapel in London.

A reception was held afterward at the family's home.

http://royalmusingsblogspotcom.blogspot.com/2017/01/remembering-austin-prichard-lrvy.html

Death of the Earl of Snowdon (1930-2017)

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The Earl of Snowdon "has died peacefully at his home:, reports the BBC.  He was 86 years old.

Antony Charles Robert Armstrong-Jones was born at London on March 7 1930, the only son of Ronald Armstrong-Jones, a barrister and his first wife, Anne Messel, who later married the Earl of Rosse.

He was educated privately at Sandroyd School and Eton.  He attended Jesus College at Cambridge University, where he studied architecture.  As he failed his exams, he did not receive a degree.

He became in photography, especially fashion and theater, after he left university. His big break as a portrait photographer came in the late 1950s, when he was asked to take official photographs of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip.  He also took photographs of the young Prince Charles and Princess Anne.

It was through mutual friends that Armstrong-Jones met Princess Margaret, Queen Elizabeth's younger sister.  They became engaged in February 1960, and were married on May 6, 1960 at Westminster Abbey.

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The couple resided in a large apartment at Kensington Palace (now the home of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and their family).   On October 6, 1961, Queen Elizabeth bestowed on her brother-in-law, the titles Earl of Snowdon and Viscount Linley of Nymans.   Princess Margaret was expecting her first child at the time, and the child would have been styled as Miss or Master Christian name Armstrong-Jones if her husband did not have a title.

The Queen was not going to create her sister's children as royals so she created an earldom for Armstrong-Jones.   Margaret gave birth to a son, David Albert Charles on November 3, 1961.  He was styled as Viscount Linley.  A daughter, Lady Sarah Frances Elizabeth Armstrong-Jones was born on May 1, 1964.

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Lord Snowdon's marriage to Princess Margaret was dissolved by divorce in 1978.   Not long after he received his divorce.  Lord Snowdon married Lucy Mary Lindsay-Hogg (nee Davies).  They had one child , Lady Frances Armstrong-Jones, who was born on July 17, 1979.

Since 2000, Lord and Lady Snowdon lived largely separate lives after it was revealed that Lord Snowdon was the father of a son, Jasper William Oliver Cable-Alexander, born April 30, 1998), whose mother, Melanie, was an editor at Country Life.

He received a Life Peerage, Baron Armstrong-Jones of Nymans in November 1999, which allowed him to keep his seat in the GHouse of Lords, after the hereditary peers were excluded.  Lord Snowdon retired from the Lords in 2015.

He is survived by his five children,  Polly Fry, who was conceived shortly before his marriage to Princess Margaret,  Lord Linley, Lady Sarah Chatto, Lady Frances von Hofmannsthal, and Jasper Cable-Alexander, and at least seven grandchildren,  the Hon Charles Armstrong-Jones, the Hon. Margarita Armstrong-Jones,  Samuel Chatto, Arthur Chatto, Rex, Maud and Sybvuil von Hofmannsthal.

Polly was born on May 28, 1960, just three weeks after Armstrong-Jones married Princess Margaret.  Camilla Grinling was married to Jeremy Fry, a member of the Fry Chocolate dynasty, at the time of her affair.  She has five daughters from her marriage to Barnaby Higson.   A DNA test confirmed Lord Snowdon's paternity although it took him four years to acknowledge Polly as his biological daughter.

Lord Snowdon's son, Viscount Linley, succeeds as the 2nd Earl of Snowdon.   The Hon. Charles Armstrong-Jones becomes Viscount Linley, and Margarita sheds the Hon. to become The Lady Margarita Armstrong-Jones.  These styles will not be used until after Lord Snowdon's funeral.   Until then, David remains styled as Viscount or Lord Linley.


http://royalbooknews.blogspot.com/2017/01/antony-armstrong-jones-1930-2017.html

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http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/theroyalfamily/2056112/Lord-Snowdon-fathered-a-secret-love-child-just-months-before-marrying-Princess-Margaret.html


http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/theroyalfamily/2059552/Lord-Snowdon-his-women-and-his-love-child.html

Princess Irene makes informal visit to USA

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January 12, 1967

Princess Irene of Greece is in the United States on an informal visit, reports the New York Times.  The 24-year-old princess, the younger sister of King Constantine II, will be visiting 17 cities to hear music.

Gina Bachauer, the Greek pianist, told reporters that Irene is "here as a musician."  The "tall, slender" princess is her pupil.  If she had not been born into a royal family, she might be "playing the piano professionally."

Princess Irene will leave New York City later day.  This was her first stop on a five-week music tour around the nation.  She expects to attend "25 concerts and rehearsals."

A spokesman for Lincoln Center said: "We've never arranged a tour like this for anyone, but then there aren't many important people or royalty who have the tremendous interest and musical ability of the Princess."

"She inherited her father's musicality and his beautiful hands - big and supple," said Miss Bachauer, who has taught both Princess Irene and her late father, King Paul.

Until Queen Anne-Marie, the wife of Irene's older brother, King Constantine II, gave birth to a daughter, Princess Alexia, in June 1965,  Princess Irene was first in line to the throne.

"I've always loved music," said the brown-eyed Princess.  She sees her tour as an opportunity to "visit some musical activities and learn some of their tricks."

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While in New York City, she "attended rehearsals, receptions, and dinner parties" at the Metropolitan Opera House, Philharmonic Hall, New York State Theater, the New York City Ballet, and the Juilliard School of Music.

This is the Princess's second visit here.  There years ago, she accompanied her mother, Queen Frederika, to New York, as the Queen was the recipient of an honorary degree from Columbia University.

Apart from music, Princess Irene is also interested in archeology.  "You can't help it at home," she said in fluent English.  "Wherever you go there are archaeological finds."

The princess likes discotheques. "They're fun when going with many friends."
She does not care for miniskirts.  The Princess, along with her mother, and her 28=year-old sister, Princess Sophie, the wife of Don Juan Carlos de Borbon, the son of the Spanish pretender, the Count of Barcelona, prefers the designs of the Greek-born designer, Jean Desses.

Princess killed in car crash

January 12, 1957


Princess Maria Antonietta of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, a granddaughter of  Francesco II, the last king of the Two Sicilies, was killed on Thursday night (January 10), reports the Associated Press.  

The Princess was 58 years old.

The accident took place in Wiesendangen, Switzerland.  A German truck "skidded on the ice" and collided into the princess' car.

Her sister, Princess Urraca Maria, 43, was driving Maria Antonietta to her home in Lindau, Germany.    Princess Urraca was "seriously injured.

The Sicilian monarchy was "absorbed" in the unification of Italy in 1860.

Princess Maria Antonietta Leonia was born at Madrid on April 16, 1898, the eldest of six children of Ferdinando, Duke of Calabria, and his wife, Princess Maria of Bavaria.

She was unmarried.

Thank you from the Cambridges

Happy Christmas from the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge

Queen will appreciate People's efforts, says Prince of Wales

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January 11, 1897

The Prince of Wales has responded to numerous inquiries" on the subject of Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee, reports the Associated Press.   The heir to the British throne tonight issued a statement saying that the Queen "still adheres to her decision from expressing an opinion on the proposals to celebrate the sixtieth anniversary of her reign."

He added:  "I am confident, however, that the Queen will readily appreciate any such undertakings which are the outcome of the wishes of the people, and that in considering the various suggestions do support will be given to work of mercy among the sick and suffering, and to anything that will tend to brighten the lives and ameliorate the condition of Her Majesty's subjects."

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British are split on Elizabeth's mate

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January 11, 1947


Britons are "sharply divided" over whether or not Princess Elizabeth should marry Prince Philip of Greece, reports the New York Times.

The Sunday Pictorial. which as a circulation of 2,500,000 readers in the United Kingdom, recently took a "poll of readers' opinions" regarding Princess Elizabeth's possible marriage to Prince Philip.

Only 55% of the "letters received" favor a marriage "if the Prince and Princess are in love."   Forty percent were against the marriage of the future Queen with a Greek Prince, and the "remaining 5 percent of those who expressed an opinion," believed that "no political obstacle should be placed in their way if the Princess and the Prince should desire to wed, but that Princess Elizabeth should in this event renounce her right to the throne."

A number of letters from readers showed opposition to the marriage, citing the constitutional crisis in 1936, when King Edward VIII abdicated the throne in order to marry Wallis Simpson.

This controversy is officially for nothing as both Buckingham Palace and 10 Downing Street are sticking to their "previous denials" that there is any engagement between Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip.

According to the newspaper, "women form the overwhelming majority of those who favor the marriage provided the young couple are in love."  Most of the opposition comes  "from politically minded people, the men just outnumbering the women."  Most of the men do not want the princess to marry a prince from Greece or "with any other foreign royal."

A large number of those who responded would prefer the princess to marry a commoner.

50 years ago today: the wedding of Princess Margriet of the Netherlands

On January 10, 1967 at St. James's Church in The Hague,  HRH  Princess Margriet of the Netherlands, third of four daughters of Queen Juliana and Prince Bernhard, married Pieter van Vollenhoven.
They first met at Leiden University, and their engagement was announced in March 1965.


Today, the couple, who have four sons and eleven grandchildren, celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary.

all images: Marlene A. Eilers Koenig Collection

Princess Louise put under restraint

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January 10, 1917


The Rheinische Westphalische Zeitung is reporting that Princess Louise of Belgium has been "put under a guardian at the investigation" of Duke Ernst Gunther of Schleswig-Holstein.

Duke Ernst Gunther is described as the brother-in-law of the German Emperor, Wilhelm II.  This is a true statement, as Empress Auguste Viktoria is his sister.  He is also the assistant to the governor-general of Belgium.

The Duke is married to Princess Louise's daughter, Princess Dorothea of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.   Louise, the eldest daughter of King Leopold II of the Belgians, is divorced from Prince Philipp of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.   In the last few years, she has been in the public eye on account "of her love affairs, her quarrels with her family and her sensational extravagances."

The princess has also suffered numerous suits regarding her debts and "constant litigation in Paris and Berlin.  Shortly after the war began, she was requested to leave Paris.

It's a girl for the Hereditary Prince and Princess of Isenburg

FREUDIGE NACHRICHTEN AUS DEM SCHLOSS BIRSTEIN

Mit großer Freude und Dankbarkeit gibt das Fürstliche Haus Isenburg die Geburt des zweiten Kindes von I.I.D.D. dem Erbprinzen und der Erbprinzessin bekannt. Prinzessin Zita hat am 05. Januar 2017 in München das Licht der Welt erblickt.

I.D. die Erbpinzessin und I.D. Prinzessin Zita sind wohl auf und werden in der 2. Kalenderwoche 2017 in Birstein zurück erwartet.



The Hereditary Princess of Isenburg gave birth to a second daughter,  Princess Zita on January 5 at Munich.  Mother and daughter are doing well, and will return to Schloss Kirstein in two weeks.

The couple's first child, Princess Alix Imagina, was born on November 24, 2015.


http://hanauer.de/ha_20_111252330-29_Prinzessin-Zita-erblickt-das-Licht-der-Welt.html

Royal death:Queen Marie of Hanover

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 January 9, 1907


Queen Marie of Hanover died this afternoon at her home in Gmunden, Austria.  She was 88 years old.  She had been suffering from an "inguinal hernia," which necessitated an operation on January 6, reports the Washington Post.

Princess Alexandrina Marie Wilhelmina Catherine Charlotte Theresa Henrietta Luise Pauline Elisabeth Friederike Georgina of Saxe-Altenburg was born at Hildburghausen on April 14, 1818, as the eldest daughter of Hereditary Prince Josef of Saxe-Hildburghausen and Duchess Amelia of Württemberg.  In 1826, the family became of Saxe-Altenburg, due to the exchange and transfer of the the Sachsen territories belonging to the Ernestine branches, including Saxe-Coburg and Gotha and Saxe-Meiningen.    Marie's father succeeded to the Saxe-Altenburg duchy in 1834.

On February 18, 1843,  Princess Marie married Crown Prince Georg of Hanover, heir to the Hanover crown.  He was also a British prince, the son of Prince Ernest August, Duke of Cumberland, who succeeded to the Hanover throne in 1837, following the death of the Duke of Cumberland's brother, King William IV.   William was king of the United Kingdom and king of Hanover.  His niece, Princess Alexandrina Victoria, as 1st in line to the British throne, succeeded as Queen Victoria, but Hanover, which was ruled by Salic law- males only - when to the next in line, the Duke of Cumberland, who remained the heir presumptive to the British throne until November 1840, when Queen Victoria gave birth to her first child.

Georg succeeded to the Hanover throne in 1851, following the death of his father.   He reigned until 1866, when the royal family was forced into exile as a result of Hanover's support for Austria in the Austro-Prussian war.   Hanover was annexed by Prussia.   The family lived at their residence in Gmunden,  Austria.  King George V died in Paris in 1878.

Thee couple had three children: Prince Ernst August (1845), styled as Duke of Cyumberland, who is married to Princess Thyra of Denmark, Princess Frederica (1848, the wife of Baron Alfons von Pawel-Rammingen, and Princess Marie (1849-1904), who was unmarried.


Queen Marie is survived by her two eldest children, four grandchildren,  Princess Marie Louise of Hanover (Princess Max of Baden), Grand Duchess Alexandra of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, Princess Olga of Hanover and Prince Ernst August of Hanover, and two great grandchildren,  Princess Marie-Alexandra and Prince Berthold of Baden.  She is also survived by her sisters,  Princess Elisabeth of Saxe-Altenburg and Grand Duchess Alexandra Iosifovna of Russia, the wife of Grand Duke Konstantin.

Remembering Austin Prichard-Levy

Belgrade 2010

Austin Prichard-Levy was the beloved husband of Princess Lavinia of Yugoslavia, and the beloved father of Luca, who will celebrate his 17th birthday on Valentine's Day.

Austin, who died from a massive heart attack, was 63 years old.  He was born Roma, Queensland, on January 20, 1953.  His death took place at his home in London on Monday January 2.

(I learned about the death on Tuesday but waited to post this until after the official announcement was made )

He was the personal manager for the Australian pianist, David Helfgott, whose life was the subject of the Oscar-winning movie, Shine.  His paternal grandmother was the German actress and singer, Margarete Schlegel (1899-1987).  Schlegel's husband was Prussian Jewish-born political economist Hermann Joachim Levy, who was baptized as a Lutheran at age 14.   Their son,  Hermann Martin Heinrich Levy, was baptized as a Roman Catholic.  Professor  Levy was teaching in Britain, having lost his position in Berlin, when his wife and young son fled Nazi Germany to join him in 1938.

I have known Lavinia and her family for many years.  In the early 1990s, I visited her mom, Princess Kira of Leiningen, and Lavinia and her older brothers were also there.  A wonderful modest tea - and lots of conversation.  I was delighted when Lavinia married Austin in 1998.   We kept in touch, and I finally got to meet Austin when we were in Belgrade for Crown Prince Alexander and Crown Princess Katherine's 25th wedding anniversary.

Dear, Dear Lavinia, I know what you are going through ... all my love.

all three photos @Marlene A. Eilers Koenig

2001:  HRH Princess Lavinia

HRH Princess Lavinia and family outside the White Palace in Belgrade in 2001

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/property/news/11333886/Fancy-living-in-a-Yugoslavian-princesss-home.html

http://davidleser.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Slava-Grigoryan.pdf

Queen knew of Harewood's affair

January 4, 1967


Buckingham Palace acknowledged tonight that Queen Elizabeth II knew "was aware of the adultery of her cousin, the Earl of Harewood with the former model Patricia Tuckwell," reports the Washington Post.

Palace sources also confirm  that the Queen knew two years ago that Lord Harewood had fathered a child by the Australian-born Miss Tuckwell, and that the Countess of Harewood "had brought the matter to the Queen's attention formally last May."

On Monday, the Countess of Harewood filed for divorce.  Lord Harewood will not contest his wife's suit.  He also stated that he would like to marry Miss Tuckwell, but cannot do so without the Queen's permission because of the Royal Marriages Act.

The Queen will find it "hard to approve" because of the Church of England's stance toward divorced persons.

Three newspapers today "urged for a repeal" of the Royal Marriages Act.  One Labour MP, Marcus Lipton, will urge Prime Minister Wilson to have the law "repealed,  calling the law "quite ridiculous."

The Earl of Harewood is the Queen's first cousin.  He is the elder son of the late Princess Mary, Princess Royal, who died in 1965.