Sunday, April 20, 2025
Wednesday, April 16, 2025
Royal birthday Roundup
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| @Royal Palace, Brussels |
King Philippe of the Belgians celebrated his 65th birthday yesterday. When he was born on April 15, 1960, no one expected that he would succeed to the throne. He was the eldest son of Prince Albert, Prince of Liege, and his wife, Donna Paola Ruffo di Calabria. They were married on July 2, 1959, at St Michael and St Gudula Cathedral.
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| @www.ludion.be Marlene A Eilers Koenig Collection |
He was born at the Château du Belvédère in Laeken and was given the names Philippe Leopold Louis Marie. In December 1960, Philippe's uncle, King Baudouin, married Doña Fabiola Fernanda María-de-las-Victorias Antonia Adelaida de Mora y Aragón. Fabiola suffered five miscarriages between 1961 and 1968.
King Baudouin died in 1993 and was succeeded by his younger brother, Prince Albert. Prince Philippe, 33, became the heir apparent with the title Duke of Brabant. He married a Belgian nobleman, Mathilde Marie Christine Ghislaine d'Udekem d'Acoz in December 1999. They have four children: Princess Elisabeth, Duchess of Brabant (2001), Prince Gabriel (2003), Prince Emmanuel (2005), and Princess Eléonore (2008).
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| @Royal Palace, Brussels |
Philippe succeeded to the throne following his father's abdication on July 21, 2013.
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| Kongehuset |
Queen Margrethe II celebrates her 85th birthday. She was born on April 16, 1940, in Amalienborg Palace, Copenhagen, the first of three daughters of King Frederik IX and Princess Ingrid of Denmark. She was named Margrethe Alexandrine Þórhildur Ingrid. Her father succeeded to the throne in April 1947, and his heir was his younger brother, Prince Knud.
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| Marlene A. Eilers Koenig Collection |
The Danish succession was governed by Salic law, which excluded women from inheriting the throne. In 1953, Parliament passed an amendment to the Danish constitution, changing the succession to male primogeniture. Margrethe remained the heiress presumptive rather than the heir apparent, as a younger brother would have become the heir. King Frederik IX died in 1972 and was succeeded by his eldest daughter.
In 1967, she married Henri de Laborde de Monpezat. They had two sons, Prince Frederik (1968) and Prince Joachim (1969)
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| Kongehuset |
Fifty-two years after she succeeded to the throne on January 14, 1972, Margrethe II abdicated in favor of her eldest son, Frederik (now King Frederik X).
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| © Maison du Grand-Duc / Sophie Margue |
Grand Duke Henri (Albert Gabriel Félix Marie Guillaume) of Luxembourg is 70 today. He was born at Château de Betzdorf on April 16, 1955, the second of five children of Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg and Princess Josephine-Charlotte of Belgium. He became the heir apparent in 1964 when his grandmother, Grand Duchess Charlotte, abdicated in favor of her eldest son, Jean.
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| @Maison du Grand-Duc / Sophie Margue |
Abdication is a traditon in Luxembourg. On October 7, 2000, Jean abdicated in Henri's favor.
The Grand Duke married Cuban-born María Teresa Mestre y Batista in 1981. They have five children. Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume (1981), Prince Félix (1984), Prince Louis (1986), Princess Alexandra (1991), and Prince Sébastien (1992).
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| Marlene A Eilers Koenig Collection |
On October 3, 2025, Henri will abdicate in favor of his eldest son, Guillaume.
Monday, April 14, 2025
A New QVD Albie Dru
Lady Tatiana Dru gave birth to a son, Albie, in London on March 14, 2025. This is the second child for Lady Tatiana and her husband, Alick Dru. Their first child, Elodie Marina Florence, was born on September 20, 2023.
The newest descendant of Queen Victoria has been named Auberon James George. He is called Albie.
All three names are family names. Auberon and George are after Albie's grandfathers, and James honors Lady Tatiana's stepbrother, James Wentworth-Stanley, who took his own life in 2006.
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| @Lady Tatiana Dru (Instagram) |
Lady Tatiana is a "qualified, BACP-registered Integrative Psychotherapist" with her own practice in London.
https://tatianatherapy.com/home
Lady Tatiana's stepmother, Clare (Marchioness of Milford Haven), is one of the founders of James' Place. which helps "men in suicidal crisis find hope for the future."
https://www.jamesplace.org.uk/
Victoria - Alice - Victoria - George - David - George - Tatiana - Auberon
26 million and counting
Just before I woke up this morning, this blog - Royal Musings - reached the 26 million mark. This means 26 million hits for Royal Musings since July 2008.
Holy Moly.
Serously, to my readers, many thanks!!
Fleur and Harper are absolutely chuffed for their mom. They think she deserves a selection of celebratory drinks!!!!!
Sunday, April 13, 2025
Family connections - but not close
For this post, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are not the most important people in this photo. I am drawn to the woman in the white suit, a distant cousin of the Duke of Sussex. She worked for the UK's Foreign Service and was a part of the team that accompanied the royal couple to South Africa.
The woman is Tamara Leigh, the second of six children of Sir Edward Julian Egerton Leigh, KT, and Mary Goodman. Sir Edward is the Conservative MP for Gainsborough, a seat he has held since 1983. He is now the longest-serving Member of Parliament.
Tamara and Harry are distant cousins and do not move in the same social circles. Her aunt, Catherine Goodman, however, is one of King Charles III and Queen Camilla's friends. Their friendship is through art, as Catherine, a noted artist, represented by Hauser & Wirth, and King Charles co-founded the Royal Drawing School. She and Lady Sarah Armstrong-Jones, the King's first cousin, were roommates at the Camberwell School of Art and later the Royal Academy. This friendship led to an introduction to Charles.
Tamara married Rajiv Shah at the Brompton Oratory in London on November 18, 2023. Their son Gabriel was born in London on September 11, 2024. He was baptized at the Brompton Oratory only weeks before the deaths of his great-grandparents, Philip and Sonia Goodman.
Born in the Seychelles, Shah holds bachelor's and master's degrees and a Ph.D. in law from Cambridge University. He also earned a BS in Mathematics from the University of Warwick. His most recent position was Special Adviser to the Rt Hon Rishi Sunak MP in the No 10 Policy Unit. In 2023, the Catholic Herald named Shah and Sir Edward Egerton Leigh in a list of the United Kingdom's leading Catholics.
Sonia Goodman was born Countess Sophia Vladimirovna Kleinmichel in 1930. She was the only child of Countess Marie von Carlow and her second husband, Count Vladimir Petrovich Kleinmichel. Countess Marie was the eldest of four children of HH Duke Georg Alexander of Mecklenburg-Strelitz and his morganatic wife, Natalia Feodorovna Vanljarskya.
In the 1930s, Count Vladimir was an advisor to Grand Duchess Xenia of Russia, who lived in Frogmore Cottage, later the home of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex before they moved to the United States.
Natalia was a lady-in-waiting to Georg Alexander's mother, Grand Duchess Catherine Mikhailovna of Russia, who married Duke Georg August of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, second son of Georg, Grand Duke of Mecklenberg-Strelitz and Princess Marie of Hesse-Cassel. Duke Georg Alexander and Grand Duchess Catherine settled in Russia.
The Grand Duchess "loved her husband deeply and selflessly." The same selflessness did not extend to her son Georg Alexander when she learned he was in love with her lady-in-waiting and was determined to marry her. Natalia was dismissed from her position. Georg Alexander and Natalia shared a love of music. His uncle, Duke Friedrich Wilhelm of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, permitted the couple to marry. He bestowed the title, Countess of Carlow, on Natalia, which would also be used by her children.
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| Duke Georg Alexander |
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| Natalia, Countess von Carlow |
Countess Marie von Carlow was born in 1893 in St. Petersburg. In 1919, the Bolsheviks killed her first husband, Prince Boris Dimitrievich Galitzine, in front of her. She and her two young children eventually settled in England. In 1929, she married Count Vladimir Kleimmichel, another noble Russian refugee. Sophie was their only child.
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Lady Ottoline and Cecilia, the Countess of Strathmore and Kinghorne (mother of Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother) were first cousins.
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Philip was the son of Sir Victor Martin Reeves Goodman, KCB (1899-1967), and his first wife, Julian-Ottoline Morrell (1906-1989). Julian-Ottoline was the only child of Philip Edward Morrell and Lady Ottoline Violet Ann Cavendish-Bentinck.
On May 15, 1957, at St.Matthew's Church in Kensington, Philip married Countess Sophia (Sonia) Vladimirovna Kleinmichel (1930), daughter of Count Vladimir Petrovich Kleinmichel and Countess Marie Catherine von Carlow.
Tamara and Harry share a descent from Emperor Paul of Russia.
Paul I - Mikhail - Catherine - George Alexander - Marie - Sophia - Mary - Tamara
Paul I -Nicholas I - Konstantin - Olga - Andrew - Philip - Charles - Harry
Tamara and Prince Harry also share other lines of descent, through the third son of the 3rd Duke of Portland (Cavendish-Bentinck) and King Henry VII.
Lord Charles Frederick - Charles - Cecilia -Elizabeth - Elizabeth II - Charles - Harry
Lord Charles Frederick - Arthur - Ottoline - Julian -Philip -Mary - Tamara
Henry VII's lines of descent run through his two daughters, Margaret and Mary Tudor. Sophie is a descendant of Margaret, and Philip has lines of descent from both of Mary's daughters, Frances and Eleanor Brandon. Sophia's German lines of descent are through her great-grandson King James VI & I's granddaughter, Sophie, who married Ernst August, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg, and her son, King George I, and daughter, Sophie Charlotte, who married the King of Prussia.
Countess Marie von Carlow's older sister, Countess Catherine, married Prince Vladimir Galitzine. Their eldest son, Nicholas,'s first wife, Elizabeth, daughter of Cyril Denzil Branch, was the sister of Denise Branch, who married Sir Neville Egerton Leigh. Sir Neville was Sir Edward Egerton Leigh's father and Tamara's paternal grandfather.
Catherine's grandson, Prince Alexander Galitzine (son of her second son, Prince George), married Rohays Georgina Butter, the third child of Sir David Butter and Myra Wernher. Through her mother, Rohays was also a Romanov. She was the granddaughter of Lady Zia Wernher, daughter of Grand Duke Michael Mikhailovich of Russia. Lady Zia was one of the late Queen's friends.
Tamara and her family are mourning the deaths of her maternal grandparents, Philip and Sonia Goodman, who died within one week of each other.
The couple, who were married for 67 years, are survived by their five daughters, Mary (Lady Leigh), Catherine Goodman, Elizabeth Jones, Sophia Goodman, and Xenia Wiehe; thirteen grandchildren, Natalia Leigh, Tamara Shah, Benedict Leigh, Marina Leigh, Nicholas Leigh, Theodore Leigh, Michael, Augustine and Anastasia Jones, Frederick, Alexander, Charlotte, and Sasha Wiehe; and two great-grandchildren, Sophia Leigh and Gabriel Shah.
Philip and Sonia Goodman lived in London. Sonia was an active member of the Russian Orthodox Church.
Friday, April 11, 2025
New exhibition at King's Gallery at Buckingham Palace: The Edwardians: Age of Elegance
The Edwardians: Age of Elegance opened on April 10 at Buckingham Palace's
"Discover the opulence and glamour of the Edwardian age through the lives and tastes of two of Britain’s most fashionable royal couples – King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra, and King George V and Queen Mary.
Our new exhibition explores their family lives, glittering social circles and spectacular royal events. Discover works by the most renowned contemporary artists of the period, including Carl Fabergé, Frederic Leighton, Edward Burne-Jones, Rosa Bonheur, John Singer Sargent and William Morris."
This is the new sumptuous exhibit at the King's Gallery at Buckingham Palace.
https://www.rct.uk/visit/the-kings-gallery-buckingham-palace
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| Winterhalter portraits of Edward VII and Alexandra |
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| Tuxen - the family of Queen Victoria |
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| Throne chairs for Edward and Alexandria |
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| Queen Alexandra's Mary Queen of Scots costume |
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| Queen Alexandra's jewelry including Kokoshick tiara |
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| Alexandra's coronation robe |
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| Alexandra's Coronation robe |
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| The Edawrdian royal family |
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| Objects from the royal family's travel |
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| Bust of King George V |
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| Queen Alexandra (Francois Flameng) |
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| Faberge pigeon |
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| Exhibition with Queen Alexandra's costume |
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| Edward VII's Faberge cigarette case |
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| Edward and Alexandra's personal art collection |
Edward and Alexandra's decorative objects
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| Chinese vase |
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| Queen Alexandra’s Coronation Dress, 1902 | Designer: Morin Blossier. Embroidery: Manick Chand | Credit: © Royal Collection Enterprises Limited 2025 | Royal Collection Trust. Photographer: Jon Stokes |
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| Attributed to R. & S. Garrard, Kokoshnik Tiara, 1888 |
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| Laurits Tuxen, The Marriage of George, Duke of York, with Princess Mary of Teck, | 6 July 1893, 1894 |
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Thank you to the Royal Collections for allowing me to use the images. I was invited to the press preview, but I live on the wrong side of the Pond. I will be going to the exhibition on June 15.
all images © Royal Collection Enterprises Limited 2025 | Royal Collection Trust
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A noble engagement!
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Countess Cäcilie Maria Caterina von Khevenhüller-Metsch and Pietro Del Gallo Marchese di Roccagiovine are expected to marry within the next six months. Their intention to marry was included in a recent list of forthcoming marriages in Rome, Italy's pubblicazioni di matrimonio.
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Cäcilie was born on March 29, 1997, in Rome. She is the youngest of four daughters of the late Maria Johannes Franz Xaver Lazarus Maximilian Felix Hubertus, 10th Prince of Khevenhüller-Metsch and Donna Camilla dei Principi Borghese.
https://royalmusingsblogspotcom.blogspot.com/2021/01/hsh-johannes-prince-of-khevenhuller.html
https://royalmusingsblogspotcom.blogspot.com/2020/11/two-noble-deaths-today-prince-of.html
Pietro was born on May 23, 1994. He is the second of four children of Luca Del Gallo, Marchese di Roccagiovine, and Chiara Marchiafava. Luca is the
The couple are eighth cousins through Johann Sigismund, 3rd Prince of Khevenhüller-Metsch (1732-1801) and Princess Maria Amalia of Liechtenstein (1737-1787). Their lines of descent are through three of their children, Anna, Franz Maria, 4th Prince of Khevenhüller-Metsch, and Maria Leopoldina.
Cäcilie's parents are seventh cousins from this line of descent.
Pietro's ancestry includes descent from Lucien Bonaparte, Prince of Canino and Musignano (1775-1840) and his second wife, Alexandrine de Bleschamp (1778-1853) through their eldest child Prince Charles Lucien Bonaparte, Prince of Canino and Musignano (1803-1857) and his wife Zenaide Bonaparte (1801-1854.) Zenaide and Charles were second cousins. She was the daughter of Joseph Bonaparte, King of Spain (1768-1844) and Marie Julie Clary.
Joseph and Lucien were brothers of Napoleon I, Emperor of France.
Charles Lucien and Zenaide's daughter, Princess Julie (1830-1900), married Alessandro del Gallo, Marchese di Roccagiovine (1826-1892). Through her son, Alberto (1854-1947), Pietro is Julie's great-great-great-grandchild.
Cäcilie is based in Paris and is an Associate Consultant with South Pole. She has a Bachelor of Science in Renewable Energy Engineering from Hochschule für Technik und Wirtschaft Berlin and a Master of Science in Energy Management from the ESCP Business School.
Pietro is an accredited assistant to Letizia Moratti, MEP, in Brussels. He studied law at the University of Rome.
Wednesday, April 9, 2025
Happy Anniversary, Your Majesties
On April 9, 2005, a royal wedding took place at the Guildhall in Windsor. The Prince of Wales and the love of his life, Camilla Parker-Bowles (nee Shand), were married in a civil ceremony at the Guildhall. Although the Church of England now allows the remarriage of divorced persons, Charles and Camilla chose to have a civil ceremony, followed by a Service of Blessing at St. George's Chapel.
Embed from Getty ImagesEmbed from Getty ImagesEmbed from Getty ImagesThe service was officiated by the Archbishop of Canterbury.
Charles' mother, Queen Elizabeth II, did not attend the civil ceremony but was present for the Service of Blessing. She hosted the reception that followed the religious service.
Embed from Getty ImagesEmbed from Getty Images Embed from Getty Images
Chris Jackson is the photographer for the 20th-anniversary photos taken in Rome.
Tuesday, April 8, 2025
Paul Hohenzollern (Lambrino) arrested in France
Paul Hohenzollern (ne Lambrino) was arrested today in Paris on "the basis of a European arrest warrant issued by Romania." Agence France-Presse confirmed the arrest. He is also known as Paul al Romanei.
The 76-year-old grandson of King Carol II has evaded extradition to Romania on two occasions, most recently in August 2024, while in Malta.
Between 2006 and 2013, Paul was "accused of working with a gang of fraudsters." They allegedly tried to "obtain properties he claimed as part of his royal inheritance," according to RKSNews.
The Romanian Ministry of Defense confirmed that Paul was taken from his home in Paris and taken to court, where a judge "ordered his detention." A French court will make the final decision on his extradition to Romania, where he will be jailed.
Following his conviction for influence peddling, money laundering, and bribery, Paul was sentenced to three years and four months in prison. He fled Romania before officials could take him to prison.. In 2022, he was arrested in Paris, where a French court upheld his appeal and denied Romania's extradition request. In April 2024, he was arrested again in Malta based on the 2020 arrest warrant. Maltese courts also denied Romania's extradition request, and Lambrino was again released.
The 75-year-old Lambrino told The Times of Malta: “I’m not used to being arrested, so when you come to Malta for an important event where you’re becoming a grand master and the guest of honour, and you’re accosted by four people saying you’re under arrest, it’s not very pleasant.”
The Sovereign Military Order of Malta stated that Lambrino was not a member of the organization and had not been invited to its events.
In July 2024, the European Court of Justice "highlighted the importance of safeguarding Paul's fundamental human rights." The following month, Maltese authorities released him, but they also denied his extradition to Romania. Paul returned to Paris, rejoining his wife, Lia, and their 15-year-old son, Carol-Ferdinand.
According to several sources, Paul "was imprisoned, by decision of the delegated counselor, following this morning's hearing."
The Romania Ministry of Justice acknowledges that "the decision to hand over Romanian citizen Paul Philippe will be up to the French courts."
In January 2025, Miles Johnson profiled Paul Lambrino in a detailed article, "The Fugitive Prince," for the Financial Times.
https://royalmusingsblogspotcom.blogspot.com/2015/12/prince-paul-of-romania-arrested-for.html
https://royalmusingsblogspotcom.blogspot.com/2015/12/an-update-on-paul-lambrino.html
https://royalmusingsblogspotcom.blogspot.com/2020/12/paul-lambrino-has-been-sentenced-to.html
https://royalmusingsblogspotcom.blogspot.com/2020/12/paul-lambrino-wanted-man.html
https://royalmusingsblogspotcom.blogspot.com/2020/12/paul-remains-awol.html
https://royalmusingsblogspotcom.blogspot.com/2021/07/lia-and-son-forced-to-leave-bucharest.html
https://royalmusingsblogspotcom.blogspot.com/2022/06/paul-lambrino-is-in-custody.html
https://royalmusingsblogspotcom.blogspot.com/2022/06/new-information-on-paul-lambrinos.html
https://royalmusingsblogspotcom.blogspot.com/2024/04/paul-lambrino-detained-in-malta.html
Thursday, April 3, 2025
Prince Andreas of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (1943-2025)
HH Prince Andreas of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha died on Thursday, April 3, 2025. He was 82 years old, having celebrated his birthday on March 21. The prince suffered from Parkinson's Disease.
He was the titular Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.
HH Prince Andreas Michael Friedrich Hans Armin Siegfried Hubertus of Saxe-Coburg and Coburg was born in Schloss Casel, in Lower Lusatia, on March 21, 1943, the only child of HH Prince Friedrich Josias of Saxe-Coburg, Duke of Saxony, and H Ill H Countess Victoria-Luise of Solms-Baruth.
His parents divorced in 1946. The following year, his mother married Richard Whitten, an American, and the family soon moved to the United States.
In his memoirs, I did it my way, Prince Andreas wrote: "I was a wartime child, one whose early years were decidedly affected by the madness that brought Germany to its knees. the time I was celebrated my fifth birthday, however, decisions unknown to me made the United States my home."
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| @HH Prince Andreas of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha |
He considered his childhood in the United States "quite an adventure," as he and his family—his mother, stepfather, and younger sister, Victoria Whitten—were not "restrained by the heavy burden posed by social position, history, and wealth."
"I do believe that growing up in the United States, a country for which I hold to this day a special place in my heart, stamped my spirit with a different attitude."
Andreas's father, Prince Friedrich Josias, had not expected to succeed his father, Carl Eduard, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, as he was the third son. His eldest brother, Johann Leopold, had married without permission, and he and his male descendants were barred from the succession. Hubertus, the second son, was killed during the Second World War, leaving Friedrich Josias as heir.
Carl Eduard, a grandson of Queen Victoria and a British prince by birth, was stripped of his British royal and ducal titles in 1917 when Parliament passed the Titles Deprivation Act. Carl Eduard had taken up arms against the Allies as a German sovereign. In the late 1920s, he became a devoted supporter of National Socialism.
Andreas's mother ensured her children grew up "completely bilingual." Prince Andreas noted in his memoirs that this was "quite smart of her, of course as I was expected one day in the future to inherit the Coburg legacy and for that I was surely to need fluency in German almost as a prerequisite to fulfilling my duty and obligation."
When school friends learned he spoke German, Andreas was teased and often called a Kraut. He wrote, "We began phasing out German, and we reached a point when most of the German I had known was lost."
When he returned to live in Germany in the early 1960s, he "basically had to learn German from scratch."
Although Prince Friedrich Josias also lived in the United States in the 1950s, he did not see his son. Andreas described his father as an "extremely complicated man."
Friedrich Josias succeeded his father in 1954, but Carl Eduard left his entire estate to his grandson, Prince Andreas. The late duke and other members of the Coburg Family Foundation believed that Friedrich Josias did not have the capabilities or interest to run or learn about the family properties.
The young prince did have an opportunity to meet with his grandparents in the early 1950s, when his stepfather was stationed in France. The Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha died in 1954. Although Carl Eduard was succeeded as head of the house by his youngest son, Prince Friedrich Josias, he left his entire estate to his only grandson (at the time), Prince Andreas.
In the late 1950s, Andreas traveled to Argentina to visit his father, who was living in Buenos Aires, with his second wife, Denyse von Muralt, and their three children, Princess Claudia, Princess Beatrice, and Prince Adrian.
As the young prince approached his majority, he spent more time in Germany, living with his paternal grandmother, Victoria Adelheid, a princess of Schleswig-Holstein by birth. He also got to know cousins on both sides of the family- his two grandmothers were sisters- including his Swedish cousins, Princesses Margaretha, Birgitta, Desiree, Christina, and King Carl XVI Gustaf. In 1932, Friedrich Josias's older sister, Princess Sibylla, married Hereditary Prince Gustaf Adolf of Sweden (1906-1947).
One of Andreas's godchildren is the king's youngest child, HRH Princess Madeleine.
In 1965, Andreas returned to live in Germany. H completed his military service in 1969. I was time for the young prince to learn "the family trade: timber and forestry management." Although his father was head of the family, he did not have control of the family's foundation. spent time with the Prince of Leiningin and his family in Amorbach. Andreas's two grandmothers were granddaughters of Queen Victoria's elder half-sister, Princess Feodora of Leiningen, who married the Prince of Hohenlohe-Langenburg. Eilika, the Princess of Leiningen, wanted very much for her eldest daughter, Princess Melita, to marry Andreas.
"I didn't want to," Andreas wrote. " She later called me a bad boy because she wished I would date her daughter, but I was already engaged to Carin Dabelstein, the woman who became my wife."
Andreas was "alone in Hamburg," where he "longed for company." He had a comfortable life and wanted to "have someone to share good times with." A friend of his was dating Carin's sister, and he arranged a double date. was, according to Andreas, "a blind date."
Their relationship began in 1966. At one point, Andreas could not make up his mind, but the relationship continued. Carin was introduced to "Grandmother Coburg," who was pleased with Andreas's choice, although she would have wished for her grandchildren to marry other members of the Gotha, she "was willing to accept" Carin as Andreas' wife. She died in November 1970, six months before Andreas's civil wedding in May 1971
Their religious wedding (Lutheran) was in July 1971. In accordance with the House Law of 1855, Friedrich Josias approved the marriage. However, he and his third wife, Katja, did not attend the wedding as the date did not fit into their schedule. Andreas' mother and stepfather traveled from Louisiana to be present at the service.
The couple did not have a "huge wedding because it not really fit our personalities." At the time, Andreas did not know many members of the Gotha families, but "quite a few of the ones I knew were not happy with my choice."
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| @HH Prince Andreas of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha |
Prince Andreas and Princess Carin's marriage was very happy and successful. I lasted until November 11, 2023, when Carin died in Coburg at 77. She had been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1997.
https://royalmusingsblogspotcom.blogspot.com/2023/11/hh-princess-carin-of-saxe-coburg-and.html
Andreas and his new princess settled in Coburg, where they raised their three children, HH Princess Stephanie Sibylla (1972), HH Hereditary Prince Hubertus Michael (1975), and HH Prince Alexander Philipp (1977).
Prince Andreas was a member of the board of two foundations: the Foundation of the Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (Family Foundation) and the Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha Foundation for Art and Science. Both foundations were founded by Andreas's grandfather, Carl Eduard, in 1928 and "comprise the family assets."
He was 47 years old when he finally accessed his "family's inheritance" in Gotha, East Germany. tha's mayor Knut Kreuch said today: "It was love at first sight because the buildings and forests, as well as the cosmopolitanism of the people, fascinated the young prince from the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.
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| HH Prince Hubertus and HH Prince Andreas in 2013 |
In June 1990, the governments of West and East Germany signed an agreement allowing for the free movement of "all Germans." As soon as he could, Prince Andreas drove into East Germany—just a few miles from Coburg—to see with his "own eyes what had happened to our real estate, properties, hunting grounds, forests, lodges and castles." He did not want to upset anyone, but the prince kept an inventory "of what we left so we could prepare for when the issue of restitution was finally raised."
When the time came to present his restitution case, Andreas, who did his due diligence, "asked for everything I could."
The negotiations were lengthy. Andreas made it clear that he "intended to stay and keep the forestry going; all the while while keeping people employed." The Federal Government returned 6200 acres to Andreas, and the State of Thuringia "restituted 800 acres for buildings and real estate that the state kept." He also received the "right of passage" to the Ducal Palace in Gotha, but decided as goodwill to not pursue a claim to the Ducal art collection, although he "demanded" that the collection "always mention the provenance of each piece."
The family foundation has "forestry operations in Bavaria, Thuringia, and Austria" and is also responsible for maintaining Schloss Callenberg, near Coburg, and Schloss Greinburg, in Grein, Austria. The Ducal Art Collection is on display at Schloss Callenberg.
Duke Carl Eduard had left his estates in dire shape. This was due to World War II, his involvement with the Nazis, bad management and Germany''s division after the end of the war. Andreas persevered in rebuilding the family fortune and properties.
"I always managed to keep the Family Foundation debt-free, and this allowed us an incredible freedom of action in investment. So excess profits were set aside for a rainy day fund."
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| @HH Prince Andreas of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha |
It was not until January 23, 1998, when Prince Friedrich Josias died at Schloss Greinberg, that Andreas became the head of the House of Saxe-Coburg.
The late Prince Andreas was involved with numerous organizations and associations, especially in art, culture, and sport. H served on the Coburg City Council and was a member of the boards of the Coburg State Foundation, the Prince Albert Society, and the Schloss Friedenstein Foundation.
He is survived by his three children, Princess Stephanie, Prince Hubertus, who succeeds him as head of the House, and Prince Alexander; three grandchildren, Princess Katharina, Hereditary Prince Philipp, and Princess Madeleine; and two half-sisters, Princess Beatrice and Victoria Beveridge, and their families. He was predeceased by two half-siblings, Princess Claudia and Prince Adrian of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.
After learning of Prince Andreas's death, Coburg's mayor, Dominik Sauerteig, issued a statement: "It is a special loss that the city of Coburg must endure today. Prince Andreas of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha was a figure of integration for Coburg's urban society. My thoughts are with his family.
""I am deeply saddened. H was an impressive man who dealt with his illness remarkably openly and radiated a great zest for life. Prince Andreas of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha not only bore Coburg in his name, he was also a figure internationally known and respected beyond the city's borders.
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| On November 21, 2023, HH Prince Andreas was made an honorary citizen of Coburg @Coburg |
I would particularly like to emphasize his great social, political, and cultural commitment to our city and his city. A city councilor from 1996 to 2002, as well as a member and president of the Coburg Rotarians, he was committed to Coburg society. As the owner of many hectares of forest and a nature lover, he was active in the protection of the Coburg region. H was involved in numerous clubs and associations, especially in art and culture, as well as in promoting sports. Since his illness, he has also been particularly committed to Parkinson's research and has publicly campaigned not only for himself but also for other affected people. This impressed me greatly. The city of Coburg and I personally will remember him with gratitude."
In a 2013 interview to commemorate his 70th birthday, Prince Andreas told the Neues Presse: "Tradition, home, family, honesty, loyalty -- these are the values to which I am committed. My family and I are more focused than others, but we need to pay attention to doing our job well and fulfilling our responsibilities."
HH Prince Andreas of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha most certainly fulfilled his responsibilities as the de jure Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
https://sachsen-coburg-gotha.de/?Das_Herzogshaus%3ADie_Familie_heute%3APrinz_Andreas
https://royalmusingsblogspotcom.blogspot.com/2016/11/a-coburg-christmas-tree-for-windsor.html
I did it my way is available from Amazon.
https://royalbooknews.blogspot.com/2016/04/i-did-it-my-way-by-hh-prince-andreas-of.html
Grandmother Coburg https://royalmusingsblogspotcom.blogspot.com/2020/10/viktoria-adelheid-duchess-of-saxe.html
Queen Victoria - Leopold - Charles Edward - Friedrich Josias - Andreas.
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