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| Both photos @Chris Jelf |
Tuesday, June 18, 2024
The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh’s silver anniversary
Friday, June 14, 2024
The death of the Prince of Hohenlohe-0ehringen
The late Prince is succeeded by his only son, Kraft as Prince of Hohenlohe-Oehringen. The new Prince is married to Caroline von Wenden. They have four children, Hereditary Prince Christian-Kraft, Prince Carl Ferdinand, Prince Thassilo and Princess Philippa.
Wednesday, June 12, 2024
The Wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Westminster
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| All photos are the copyright of Ken Stone |
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| @Ken Stone Thank you to Ken Stone for allowing me to use his photos. He is the copyright holder. |
Sunday, June 9, 2024
Saturday, June 8, 2024
Dumfries House
On Vacation…. In England and Scotland. Today I visited Dumfries House. Tomorrow Balmoral.
Regular posts will resume after I return home.
The Duke & Duchess of Westminster Official photos
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| @Duke and Duchess of Westminster/Benjamin Wheeler/PA |
The Duke and Duchess of Westminster have released four official wedding photographs. All are copyrighted by the Duke and Duchess of Westminster/Benjamin Wheeler/PA
Friday, June 7, 2024
The Wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Westminster
The Duke of Westminster and Olivia Henson were married today in Chester Cathedral. The Prince of Wales and Princess Eugenie, Mrs. Brooksbank were among the guests.
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The Duchess of Westminster, 31, wore a veil and gown designed by Emma Victoria Payne. The veil was “embroidered with floral motifs and edgings from Ms Henson's great-great-grandmother's veil from about 1880.”
The duchess of Westminster wore the Faberge Myrtle Leaf Tiara, made in 1906.
Thursday, June 6, 2024
A Ducal wedding
If you are in the crowd in Chester tomorrow for the wedding of the Duke of Westminster and Olivia Henson, you will find free ice cream and gelato, paid for by the Duke of Westminster.
https://www.chesterstandard.co.uk/news/24369740.duke-westminster-future-duchess-olivia-henson/
The officiant for the ducal marriage is the Very Revd Dr Tim Stratford. He spoke to the Chester Standard about the wedding.
“They are a delightful couple and they have put a lot of thought and imagination and creativity into the service, so it’s a really lovely event to be a part of.
“It was a long way back in history that a very early ancestor of the present Duke was actually responsible for the foundation of the abbey on this site in 1092.”
Dr. Stafford added: “In many ways, preparing for this has been the same as preparing for any wedding that we do. The couple are more in the public eye, so there’s been more to be done in terms of security and the impact that a wedding that so many people will be interested in will have on the city centre. “But in terms of the clergy’s preparations with the couple for the service, they have all the same sort of questions and things to think about as any other.And where the free ice cream will be available.
https://www.chesterstandard.co.uk/news/24367207.free-ice-cream-chester-duke-westminster-wedding-crowds/
The Duke of Westminster's Romanov ancestry
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| @Victoria Tetley /Grosvenor 2024 |
Hugh Richard Louis Grosvenor, the 7th Duke of Westminster, is one of the richest men in the world. His net worth is in the range of £10.127 billion. In Chester Cathedral on June 7, he will marry Olivia Grace Henson.
There will be massive press attention as the Duke, 33. is a peer of the realm, with close royal connections. These connections are not due to his dukedom but due to his mother's family.
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Hugh's mother is Natalia Ayesha Phillips (1959), the youngest child (1909-1980) of Harold Phillips and Georgina "Gina" Werhner (1919-2011). She met Gerald, Earl Grosvenor in 1977 at a ball at Blenheim Palace. Her maternal grandmother, Lady Zia Werhner, was delighted with the possibility of a second duchess in the family. Natalia's older sister, Alexandra (Sacha) (1946-2018) married James, Hamilton, Marquess of Hamilton (1934) in 1966. He succeeded to the Dukedom of Abercorn (Peerage of Ireland) in 1979. Prince Andrew was one of the pages at their wedding. His godmother was Gina Phillips.
According to Raleigh Trevelyan, author of Grand Dukes and Diamonds, Lady Zia, a close friend of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, said to Natalia: "Don't let him go. Don't let him go, you must come down and bring him to lunch."
Tally and Earl Grosvenor were married in 1978 in St Mary's Church, Luton. Lord Grosvenor's father, Robert, 5th Duke of Westminster died four months after his son's wedding.
Hugh was born in London on January 29, 1991. He has two older sisters, Lady Tamara van Cutsem, Lady Edwina Snow, a goddaughter of Diana, Princess of Wales, and one younger sister, Lady Viola Roberts. He is the last male in the family, which means the Westminster dukedom will become extinct if he and his wife do not have a son.
The 6th Duke of Westminster was 64 years old when he died in August 2016. Hugh was 25 when he inherited the peerage and the family wealth.
The Duchess of Westminster is the Prince of Wales' godmother. King Charles III is the Duke of Westminster's godfather. The Duke of Westminster is Prince George of Wales' godfather.
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Gina Phillips (later Lady Kennard), a lifelong friend of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, was the elder daughter of Sir Harold Wernher, BT, and Lady Zia Wernher (1892-1977). A racing enthusiast, Lady Zia, was born Countess Anastasia Torby, the elder daughter of Grand Duke Michael Mikhailovitch of Russia (1861-1929) and Countess Sophie of Merenberg (1868-1927). This was a morganatic marriage that did not have the approval of Alexander III.
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| Grand Duke Michael, Countess Sophie and their three children: Zia, Nada and Alex |
Grand Duke Michael's marriage was a love match, however. Sophie was the daughter of Prince Nikolaus of Nassau and Natalia Alexandrovna Pushkina, daughter of the Russian poet, Alexander Pushkin. This marriage was also morganatic. A morganatic marriage means an unequal marriage where the wives and children do not share their husbands' and fathers' rank and title. Natalia was created Countess of Merenberg by Georg Viktor, Prince of Waldeck Pyrmont, who was married to Prince Nikolaus' sister, Princess Helene. In 1891, Grand Duke Adolf of Luxembourg, Nikolaus' older half-brother, created his daughter as Countess of Merenberg after her marriage to Grand Duke Michael.
Michael's morganatic marriage saved his life. Alexander III stripped his military ranks, but Miche Miche, as he was known within the family, retained his great wealth in exile. The Grand Duke and his family lived in Wiesbaden and Cannes before settling permanently in England in 1900.
In 1910, the Grand Duke leased Kenwood House in Hampstead Heath.
https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/kenwood/
After the Russian Revolution, Grand Duke Michael lost his fortune. King George V and Queen Mary and Sir Harold Wernher provided financial assistance. Three of his brothers were killed by the Bolsheviks.
https://royalmusingsblogspotcom.blogspot.com/2019/07/grand-duke-michael-leaves-estate-at.html
Countess Zia married Harold Wernher in July 1917 in Russian Orthodox and Anglican ceremonies. The latter service was held at the Chapel Royal, St. James's Palace. King George V, Queen Mary, Queen Alexandra, the Princess Royal, Princess Victoria, Princess Maud, Princess Beatrice, Princess Marie Louise, Princess Andrew of Greece and Denmark, the Duke of Connaught with Princess Patricia of Connaught, the Marquess and Marchioness of Milford Haven, Earl and Countess of Medina, Lady Louise Mountbatten, and Grand Duchess George of Russia were among the royal guests. Countess Medina was Zia's younger sister, Nada.
Harold's father, Sir Julius's fortune was made in South Africa's diamonds. Following the death of his older brother, Derrick, in 1948, Harold succeeded to the baronetcy, which became extinct when he died.
Grand Duke Michael was the third child of Grand Duke Michael Nikolaevich, the seventh child of Emperor Nicholas I of Russia, and Princess Cecilie of Baden.
Nicholas I - Michael - Michael - Zia - Georgina - Natalia - Hugh
The Duke of Westminster also has a Mountbatten connection as his great-aunt, Countess Nada Torby, married Prince George of Battenberg in 1916. A year later, George's father, Prince Louis of Battenberg was created the 1st Marquess of Milford Haven. George was styled as Earl of Medina until his father died in 1921 when he succeeded as the 2nd Marquess of Milford Haven.
Hugh's maternal grandfather, Harold Pedro Joseph Phillips was the son of Col. Joseph Phillips and Mary Mercedes Bryce, the youngest daughter of John Pablo Bryce and MarÃa de las Mercedes González de Candamo e Iriarte. Maria de las Mercedes' brother, Manuel González de Candamo e Iriarte was President of Peru (1903-1904).
Harold Phillip's first cousin, Janet Bryce (1937) was the daughter of Mary Mercedes's older brother, Francis Bryce. Janet was the second wife of David, 3rd Marquess of Milford Haven, the only son of Lady Zia's younger sister, Nada, Marchioness of Milford Haven.
Wednesday, June 5, 2024
Princess Theodora of Greece has set a date!
Several sources including Hello magazine are reporting the date of Princess Theodora of Greece and Denmark's wedding date has been set. The original source is described as "local media."
She will marry American lawyer Matthew Kumar in Athens on September 28, 2024.
The couple's engagement was announced on November 16, 2018. Their original wedding date May 26, 2020, in Spetses, was scuppered due to Covid-19.
At the time Theodora published a photo of her and Matthew on Instagram with a message: "On what should have been our wedding weekend - the love and support from friends and family have been so appreciated. We can't wait to celebrate with all of you in Greece once it's safe."
A new wedding date was set for 2023 in the "early summer" at Porto Heli, Greece, where King Constantine II and Queen Anne Marie lived. King Constantine died on January 10, 2023, in Athens at 82.
It is understood the wedding was postponed due to the king's death, but Matthew's legal roubles may also have played a role in the postponement. He had been suspended from the California bar but was reinstated in March 2024.
https://apps.calbar.ca.gov/attorney/Licensee/Detail/283521
Princess Theodora and Matthew Kumar have not confirmed the September date.
Newspapers and magazines continue to write that Theodora plays Allison Montgomery on the American daytime soap, Bold and the Beautiful. This was a minor role that ended in 2016.
https://royalmusingsblogspotcom.blogspot.com/2018/11/a-royal-engagement-princess-theodora-of.html
https://royalmusingsblogspotcom.blogspot.com/2024/02/will-princess-theodora-and-matthew.html
Tuesday, June 4, 2024
Mail Call
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| @Maison du Grand Duc/Marion Dessard |
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| This came with a letter in Spanish from a court official. |
Sunday, June 2, 2024
Prince Constantin of Schleswig-Holstein marries Countess Sophia von der Schulenberg
HH Prince Constantin of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg and Countess Sophia von der Schulenberg were married in a religious ceremony on June 1. The wedding was held at the Parroquia de Sant Bartomeu in Sóller, Mallorca, Spain.
More than 200 hundred guests attended the wedding, including the newly married Hereditary Count and Countess Fugger von Babenhausen and Prince Josef-Emmanuel and Princess Claudia of Liechtenstein were among the guests.
The bride wore the Schleswig-Holstein's Bow Tiara, which has been in the family for over 100 years. Constantin's great-grandmother, Princess Melita of Hohenlohen-Langenburg wore the tiara when she married his great-grandfather, Duke Friedrich of Schleswig-Holstein in 1916.
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| Marlene A Eilers Koenig collection |
The reception was held in the Jardins d'Alfà bia. The newlyweds drove to the reception in an old Fiat 500 car. Princess Sophia's father owns a finca in Sóller, and the Holstein family has a vacation home thirteen miles away in Santa Maria.
The two families have known each other "for ages." Constantin told the German newspaper, Bild. "We met when we were 18 and have always stayed in touch. And at some point, a close friendship turned into love."
Sophia's first cousin, Alix Preuss-Neudorf, is married to Constantin's younger brother, Prince Leopold.
Prince Constantin is the third of four children of the late HH Prince Christoph of Schleswig-Hplstein-Sonderburg-Gucksburg and Princess Elisabeth of Lippe-Weissenfeld. Princess Sophia is one of four children of Count Fritz von der Schulenberg and Baroness Franziska von Knigge. Count Fritz is the CEO & Managing Partner of Jebsen & Jessen
His father died after a long battle with cancer in September 2023.
Constantin told Bild: "For my mother, our wedding is definitely pure joy, but it is also said that my father is not here. But we have a few items in the program in church and at the celebration that will allow my father to be here some way." The late Prince Christoph attended Constantin's civil wedding. "We are very grateful that my father was able to witness the birth of Tassilo. He met the baby, and already got married in March 2023. We celebrated it in a big way with the family, and he was able to be there too."
The couple's 10-month-old Prince Tassilo arrived at the wedding in a wicker basket pushed by one of the flower girls.
After working for McKinsey for seven years, Constantin started LAGERLÖWE Self Storage in 2019 in Hamburg. He has two master's degrees, in economics and management from St. Andrew's University and finance and private equity from the London School of Economics. Sophia works
Constantin is the second member of his family to marry in Mallorca. His uncle, Prince Alexander, married Barbara Beata Fertsch in San Cabeneta in 1994.
Prince Constantin is a descendant of Queen Victoria.
Victoria - Alfred - Alexandra - Marie Melta - Peter - Christoph - Constantin
I have asked about using one or two of the wedding photos. I will not violate copyright by lifting the photos from Bild or UltimaHora. I have provided links to the articles so you can see the images from the wedding.
https://royalmusingsblogspotcom.blogspot.com/2022/12/two-royal-engagements-in-holstein-and.html
Saturday, June 1, 2024
The wedding of Viscount Althorp and the Hon. Frances Roche.
On this day - June 1, 1954 --Edward John Spencer, Viscount Althorp, only son of the 7th Earl Spencer and Lady Cynthia Hamilton married Hon Frances Roche, daughter of the 4th Baron Fermoy and Ruth Gill at Westminster Abbey. The bride was only 18 when she married.
The bride and groom had close ties to the British court. The new Viscountess Althorp was born at Park House, Sandringham on the day King George V died. Her father, Lord Fermoy, was a close friend of George VI, and her mother, Ruth, Lady Fermoy (styled after the death of Lord Fermoy), was one of the Queen Mother's best friends. She also served as Woman of the Bedchamber.
Lord Althorp's godparents included Queen Mary and the Prince of Wales (Edward VIII). He served as an equerry to George VI and Elizabeth II. The Countess Spencer served 35 years as one of Queen Elizabeth's (Consort of George VI) ladies-in-waiting.
The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh attended the wedding at Westminister with the Queen Mother, Princess Margaret, the Duchess of Gloucester, the Duchess of Kent with the Duke of Kent and Princess Alexandra of Kent, and the Earl of Athlone.
Miss Roche was given away by her father. She wore a "gown of camellia-coloured faille embroidered on the tight-fitting bodice and full skirt with hand-cut diamonds, sequins and rhinestones, and a tulle veil which formed a short train and was held in place by a diamond tiara." She carried a "bouquet of lilies-of-the-valley, white roses, and stephanotis."
Frances' tiara is known as the Fermoy tiara, and
The bride had three pages, David Wake-Walker (the groom's nephew), Viscount Raynham, and James Dawnay, all of whom wore "white satin suits buttoned down the front and stiff muslin collars and pale blue moiré sashes, after a painting by Reynolds.
She also had three child bridesmaids: Elizabeth Wake-Walker (niece of the bridegroom), Lady Margot Cholmondelely, Bridget Astor, and three adult bridesmaids, the Hon. Mary Roche (the bride's sister), Miss Sylvia Fogg-Elliot, Miss Fiona Douglas-Home and Miss Rowena Combe.
The adult bridesmaids wore "long dresses of white spotted Swiss muslin with a fichu neckline and full skirts and pale blue moiré sashes." Their headdresses and bouquets were of "lilies-of-the valley, white roses, and stephanotis."
Captain John Dawes, The Royal Scots Greys, was Lord Althorp's best man.
Members of the Royal Scots Greys regiment formed a guard of honor when the newly married Lord and Lady Althorp left Westminster Abbey.
The wedding reception was held at St. James's Palace.
Lady Margot Cholmondeley is the older sister of David, 7th Marquess of Cholmondeley. She married Tony Huston, the son of director John Huston, and brother of Angelica Huston.
The Hon. Bridget Astor was the daughter of the 4th Baron Astor of Hever. Her first husband was Count Arthur Tarnowski.
Sylvia Fogg-Elliot was Lady Althorp's maternal first cousin. In 1959, she married Richard Allen.
Rowena Combe married in 1963 to Jocelyn Feilding, an art dealer. Lady Althorp's daughter, Jane was one of the child bridesmaids. Her mother was Lady Silvia Coke, daughter of the 4th Earl of Leicester. This marriage ended in divorce in 1983. Rowena and Lady Anne Coke (the widow of Lord Glenconner) were first cousins. Lord Althorp was previously engaged to Lady Anne. His father forced his son to end the engagement because of “mad blood” in Lady Anne’s family. Her paternal grandmother was Marion Trefusis whose family had s genetic defect where sons died young and daughters were born with mental disabilities. Marion’s first cousin Charles, 21st Baron Clinton had two daughters, Fenella and Harriet who passed the gene to their children. Fenella, married to the Hon John Bowes-Lyon, brother of Queen Elizabeth, was the mother of two mentally disabled .daughters. Harriet, the wife of Henry Fane, had three mentally disabled daughters. It was the five girls’s grandfather, Lord Clinton who paid for their institutionalization.
Viscount Raynham (Charles) succeeded his father as the 8th Marquess of Townshend in 2010.
(Charles) James Payan Dawnay is the son of Captain Oliver Dawnay and Lady Margaret Boyle, daughter of the 8th Earl of Glasgow. In 1978, James married Sarah Stogdon. Captain Dawney was the Queen Mother's Private Secretary and Equerry to Queen Elizabeth (Queen Mother) from 1952 until 1956. He was an Extra Equerry from 1956 until 1962.
[James Dawnay's brother, Ivo, is married to Rachel Johnson, younger sister of former Prime Minister Boris Johnson).
Elizabeth and David Wake-Walker were the children of Lord Althorp's sister, Lady Anne Spencer who married Christopher Baldwin Hughes Wake-Walker in February 1944. Christopher was the son of Admiral Sir Frederic Wake-Walker. Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret attended the wedding at Westminster Abbey and the reception at Admiralty House. In 1960, David Wake-Walker was named a Page of Honour to Queen Elizabeth II
Lord and Lady Althorp had four children, Sarah, Jane, Diana and Charles. Their marriage ended in divorce in 1969. Lord Althorp succeeded his father in 1975 as the 8th Earl Spencer.
His youngest daughter, Lady Diana Spencer was the first wife of the future King Charles III. They are the parents of the Prince of Wales and the Duke of Sussex.
I expect my mom, thirteen days away from giving birth to me, read about the wedding of Lord and Lady Althorp's wedding in the New York Times. She was interested in the British and other European royal families and wanted to watch the Coronation on her honeymoon -- confirmed by Dad. Now you know why I am the way I am ....
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