Hereditary Grand Duke is very ill

September 10, 1901

The Hereditary Grand Duke of Baden, 44, is said to be in "critical condition," according to the Marquise de Fontenoy. The Marquise writes a daily column for the Chicago Daily Tribune and other newspapers.

The Marquise writes that there is no hope for Friedrich, who is the only son of the Grand Duke of Baden, and even "the prolongation of life, must be abandoned."

The Hereditary Grand Duke is in the final stages of consumption. He has already relinquished his military command and "is to withdraw from every form of public life." He has "completely wasted away and presents a pitiable spectacle." Friederich is married to Princess Hilda of Nassau, and they have no children.

This may be a blessing because his "offspring would have probably inherited the constitutional tendency to consumption." His sister, Queen Victoria of Sweden, is said to also suffer from the disease.

The Grand Duchy expects to hear the news of the Hereditary Grand Duke's death in the near future.

On his death, Prince Maximilian of Baden will become the heir to the throne. The Marquise describes him as "dissipated and a bald-headed roue," who was jilted by Grand Duchess Helen of Russia shortly before their marriage. It was said that Helen "objected to his conduct and principles."

Prince Maximilian spent some time in an asylum before he married Princess Marie Louise of Cumberland, the elder daughter of the Duke and Duchess of Cumberland. The Duke is also the de jure King of Hanover.

Lord Frederick used Scrabble to propose

The future Lady Frederick Windsor -- actress Sophie Winkleman -- revealed to Tatler how Frederick proposed to her in February.
He popped the question by using her favorite word-based board game.
Sophie told the magazine's reporter: "We were going for a picnic and Scrabble and Freddie said, 'I'll unpack the picnic and you unpack the Scrabble board.' I took the lid off and there was a question in the Scrabble tiles. It was very romantic and sweet of him."

Sophie will not be styled as The Lady Sophie Windsor because she is not the daughter of a Duke, Marquess or an Earl. She will be The Lady Frederick Windsor. If the couple have children, they will have the surname Windsor, but no title.

I made Danish tv

I was on Danish TV -- and not talking about royalty.
http://tv2.dk/ As of 11 p.m, I was still on the website. Look on the right for Skaenedag for Obama. I've tried to save the clip, but no luck!

An end of marriage?

The French weekly magazine, Point de Vue, reports this week that the marriage of the Prince and Princess of Hanover may headed for the rocks. It should be noted that Point de Vue doesn't always get it right. Earlier this year, the magazine stated that Prince William and Kate Middleton were ready to announce their engagement, and the magazine's sources were impeccable.

But there may be some truth to the current story. Prince Ernst August and his wife, the former Princess Caroline of Monaco, have not been seen together since mid-summer. The couple were married in a civil ceremony on January 23, 1999, following Ernst August's divorce from Chantal Hochuli, by whom he has two sons.
The relationship between Prince Ernst August, 55, who is the head of the house of Hanover, and Princess Caroline began while he was still married to Chantal. The friendship between the two women suffered a rupture because of Caroline's adultery with Ernst August.
The Princess, who is the eldest child of the late Prince Rainier III of Monaco and the American actress Grace Kelly, was born in 1957. Her first marriage to Philippe Junot ended in divorced in 1980 after two years of marriage. (This marriage was annuled in 1992.)
On December 29, 1983, Princess Caroline married Italian Stefano Casiraghi, by whom she had three children. Stefano was killed in a boating accident on October 3, 1990.
Princess Caroline and Prince Ernst August have one daughter, Alexandra, who is ten-years-old. In April 2005, the Prince, who has had issues with alcohol, was admitted to a hospital with acute pancreatitis. He fell into a coma the day before the death of his father-in-law, Prince Rainier, but eventually recovered although continues to receive "permanent medical care," according to the BBC.
Princess Caroline is the heiress presumptive to the Monagesque throne as her brother, Prince Albert II, is not married.
There is no confirmation of this story from the Palace in Monaco or from Ernst August's office.

More coverage on the Dutch royal visit

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/09/08/AR2009090803293.html

http://www.newsday.com/news/new-york/ny-ship-captain-receives-honor-from-dutch-queen-1.1432286

http://www.recordonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090909/NEWS/909090326

It is quite true that that the Dutch are more interested in this event than the New Yorkers.

Grand Duke Michael "safe"

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September 9, 1919

An aide to Grand Duke Michael of Russia says that the heir to the throne is safe, according to a report in the New York Times. The Grand Duke is reported to have "made his escape in a motorboat, cruising along the River Haini to Irkutsk, from which place he subsequently went aboard and since has remained incognito."

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 In the past year, there have been several other reports of the Grand Duke in hiding, including most recently in Archangel.

Queen Elisabeth flies over conquered Belgium

September 9, 1917

King Albert and Queen Elisabeth visited French-controlled Flanders today, visited an aviation center, where the queen watched "the expert airmen perform various feats," reports the Chicago Daily Tribune.
Queen Elisabeth expressed a wish to "obtain a glimpse once more of the sections of her unfortunate country still still in hostile hands." Her wish was granted. The Queen was taken aboard an airplane, and with several escort planes, she was flown over German-occupied Belgium.

Princess Victoria breeds and sells cat

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 September 9, 1905

"Her royal highness, Princess Victoria, has for sale several handsome chinchilla kittens. Sire: Puck III, ex-Chela; also Chela, splendid mother, lovely green eyes; blue Persian female; cheap to good homes; must sell, Mrs. Armor, Cumberland Lodge, Windsor Great Park."

According to the Chicago Daily Tribune, "everyone knows that Queen Alexandra is a cat lover," but it comes as a surprise that her daughter Princess Victoria "is not only a lover of cats, but an energetic and enthusiastic breeder as well."
The princess' catteries are run as a business and add a "considerable profit to her private pocket."

Mrs. Armor holds an important staff position at Cumberland Lodge. The princesses' cats range in price from $25 to $100.

More on Willem Alexander and Maxima's visit to NY

From the grey lady:

http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/09/08/dutch/

Danish readers! Watch for me on TV

I might be on TV2 tomorrow. I was coming out of COSI, which sells yummie salads, and was asked if I wanted to talk abut Obama for Danish TV. I gave my views on Obama and health care. The interview took place in Old Town Alexandria, near where I work.
The person who interviewed me was the DC-based correspondent, an older gentleman with gray hair.

Willem- Alexander & Maxima in Albany

The Crown Prince of the Netherlands and Princess Maxima will visit Albany, New York, this afternoon for events in celebration of New York's 400th anniversary, Albany, which is the capital of the state, was originally known as Fort Orange.
The Prince and Princess will be visiting the State Museum, where they will see the exhibit, "1609," which celebrates 400 years of cultural connections between the United States and the Netherlands.
The exhibit will not be open to the public during the prince and princess' tour, although one will be able to catch a glimpse of them in the Museum's lobby. According to the Albany Times-Union, "the prince and princess will join Frans Timmermans, the Dutch minister for European Affairs and International Cultural Policy, for the announcement of a major financial gift to extend the work of the New Netherland Project at the State Library."
(I received my MLS from the State University of New York at Albany, and did an internship at the State Library.)
The royal couple are also expected to meet privately with New York State Governor David Patterson and the mayor of Albany, Jerry Jennings.

Earlier today, the royal couple were welcomed to New York City by Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. The Dutch royal couple visited the Intrepid, a World War II carrier that is now a museum. In a speech, the Prince said: :In good times and bad, we have seen that great things can be achieved by people who are free to shape their own destinies and who respect the freedom of others to do the same. There is no city on earth that exemplifies this more than New York.
"These are challenging times, certainly for the financial capital of the world. But there is no doubt in my mind that New York will emerge from this crisis stronger than before, simply because New Yorkers are hard-working optimists who have always been able to find new opportunities We, the Dutch, share this attitude and we see a prosperous and sustainable future before us"

Also on the agenda today is a visit to U.S. Military Academy at West Point.
http://www.timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=839450

It is no surprise that the visit is getting more attention in the Netherlands than in the New York City newspapers.
,

Duke of Kent to join Navy

September 8, 1939


It was announced tonight that the Duke of Kent has joined the Navy. He will not be heading to Australia to replace Lord Gowrie as Governor General, as previously announced. Lord Gowrie will remain as Governor General, according to the AP.

Juliana to marry an Englishman?

September 8, 1933

The AP is reporting that a Reuters dispatch from Amsterdam reports on a rumor of an engagement between Crown Princess Juliana of the Netherlands and "possibly" an Englishman will be announced on Saturday. There was no confirmation from Dutch officials, and the possible bridegroom was not named in the dispatch.

Prince Knud marries cousin

September 8, 1933

Prince Knud of Denmark was married today to his first cousin, Princess Caroline Mathilde of Denmark. The Prince, who is second in line to the throne, is the younger son of King Christian X.

The wedding took place at the royal chapel at Fredensborg Palace.

A "strong guard" was posted outside the chapel to "prevent any demonstrations." This was due to acts of vandalism committed last night when "bunting and garlands, with which the streets of the village were decorated, were torn down," reports the Chicago Tribune. According to the news reports, "Communists were blamed" for the vandalism.

Princess Caroline Mathilde "wore a simple wedding gown, made by her own hands," and "practically covered with lace." She wore a veil that had belonged to her great-grandmother, Queen Louise. Her train was edged with lace more than 100 years old and given to her by Queen Alexandrine.

The wedding was attended by 60 guests, including the crown princes and princesses of Norway, Sweden, and Belgium, the Grand Duke and Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, and Prince Hubertus of Prussia, the third son of the former Crown Prince and Crown Princess of Germany.

The Grand Duke of Mecklenburg is the only brother of Queen Alexandrine. Prince Hubertus' mother is Queen Alexandrine's sister, Cecilie.
Princess Caroline was attended by her sisters, Princesses Feodora and Alexandrine Louise, her cousin, Duchess Thyra of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, and a Countess of Solms-Baruth.

In the evening, King Christian gave a wedding dinner at Fredensborg. Afterward, the newly married couple left by car for a "secret destination."

Prince Knud, 33, is a naval officer. His bride, 21, is the daughter of Prince Harald, the king's brother, and Princess Helena. Before her marriage, Princess Caroline Mathilde was an apprentice to a woman photographer.

"One never knows how things go in this world, so it is well to be able to earn one's own living if necessary," the Princess said to one of her friends.

It was when she was studying commercial photography in Copenhagen that she fell in love with Prince Knud.

Although Danes appear "pleased with the marriage," there was some opposition to the wedding by the bride's mother, Princess Helena, who objected to the couple's close relationship.

The Hereditary Prince of Solms-Hohensolms-Lich marries

On September 5, 2009, Hereditary Prince Carl Christian of Solms-Hohensolms-Lich married Countess Christina Douglas in a Lutheran ceremony at the Marienstifskirche. The ceremony was performed by Pastors Sven Kiessling and Adelheid Groten. Pastor Groten confirmed Countess Christina.

The Hereditary Prince is the son of Reinhard, the Prince of Solms-Hohensolms-Lich and Marie Fouché d'Otrante. The bride is the eldest daughter of Count Patrick Douglas and his first wife, Alexandra von Berlichingen.

The bride wore an elegant cut wedding dress with a long lace veil. To the strains of Mendelssohn's Wedding March, the bride and groom emerged from the church following the hour-long ceremony. The bridal party and their guests made their way through Lich's Old Town to the castle where a private reception was held in the garden. The wedding festivities culminated with a dinner and dance in the evening.

The guests at the religious wedding included Princess Benedikte of Denmark, whose husband's mother, Margareta, was an aunt of the Princess of Solms-Hohensolms-Lich, Prince Carl-Albrecht of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg, Prince and Princess Ludwig-Ferdinand of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg; the Prince of Castell-Rüdenhausen; Prince Stephan and Princess Maria zur Lippe, the Prince and Princess of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Sayn, the Prince of Fürstenberg and his son, the Hereditary Prince, the Hereditary Prince and Princess of Bentheim-Steinfurt and their young son, Jonathan, the Prince and Princess of Ysenburg und Büdingen and their family, the Prince of Stolberg-Wernigerode, the Prince and Princess of Castell-Castell, and Hereditary Prince and Princess of Hesse and their son, Moritz, and the former German president Ramon Herzog, and his wife, Alexandra.

The couple's son, Prince Louis Clemens Jamal of Solms-Hohensolms-Lich, turned one on September 5. He was present for his parents' wedding.

The Hereditary Princess grew up in Vienna, where she met her husband, who works for the Svenska Handelsbanken in Austria's capital.

The couple were married in a civil ceremony in Vienna on December 13, 2008. The couple live in Vienna with their son, Louis (born on September 5, 2008) They are both descendants of Grand Duke Ludwig of Baden.

The three photos accompanying this post were taken by Anuschka Becker, who is the copyright holder. I thank her for allowing me to use these photos. No one else is permitted to copy these three photos for their use.

The first photo shows Princess Caroline of Solms-Hohensolms-Lich, Mrs. Lijenqvist, holding her nephew, Prince Louis of Solms-Hohensolms-Lich, who is the son of the bride and groom. The other two photos are of the Hereditary Prince and Princess of Solms-Hohensolms-Lich.