A girl for Lady Davina and Gary Lewis

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 Gary Lewis and the ... play dates! 

 Lady Davina Lewis and her Maori husband, Gary Lewis, are the parents of a daughter. It is the first child for the couple. 

Lady Davina is the daughter of the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester. Her sister-in-law, the Countess of Ulster, gave birth to a daughter, Lady Cosima, on May 20, and her sister, Lady Rose Gilman, is pregnant with her first child. 

 The name and the date and place were not announced in Tim Walker's column. Tim told me he was unaware of the recent birth of Lady Cosima, which is why the article says "First granddaughter." The Ulster birth was announced in the Telegraph!

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/theroyalfamily/7862027/Duke-and-Duchess-of-Gloucester-celebrate-birth-of-their-first-granddaughter.html 

Grand Duke Ernst Ludwig settles financial claims

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 June 30, 1928

Grand Duke Ernst Ludwig IV of Hesse and by the Rhine once ruled "over a territory about one-third the size of New Jersey, until he lost his throne in the revolution that followed the end of World War I in November 1918.

According to the AP's dispatch, "lawyers have grown fat in the ten years it has taken to settle the financial details connected with the grand duke's abdication." Ernst Ludwig has "finally relinquished all claims on land and other property estimated to be worth $6,000,000," which is now owned by the free state of Hesse. In return for this renunciation, the former Grand Duke, a grandson of Queen Victoria, will receive $250,000 in cash, and a total of $8,000,000 "spread over a period of 20 years." This means Ernst Ludwig will have an annual allowance of about $400,000.

His mother, Alice, was the second daughter and third child of Queen Victoria. His eldest sister, Victoria, is married to the former Prince Louis of Battenberg, who, in 1917, was created Marquess of Milford Haven. Another sister, Irene, married Prince Henry of Prussia, the younger brother of the Kaiser. Two sisters, Elisabeth and Alix, married into the Russian Imperial family. Elisabeth, known as Ella, was the wife of Grand Duke Serge, and Alix was the consort of Nicholas II. Both sisters were killed by the Bolsheviks in July 1918.

Ernst Ludwig and his second wife, Eleonore, have two sons, Georg Donatus and Ludwig.

Gerhardt Hauptmann's son to marry a Princess

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June 30, 1928

Princess Elisabeth of Schaumburg-Lippe is to marry Benvenuto Hauptmann, the son of the German dramatist Gerhard Hauptmann, according to the Chicago Daily Tribune and other news sources. Princess Elisabeth Hermine Auguste Viktoria is one of the "few rich princesses in Germany. The white-haired Hauptmann smiles  "benignly on his son's newest matrimonial venture."

 Benvenuto is divorced from his "charming English wife," and was "repeatedly engaged to a Russian." He dabbled in the diplomatic service, but "abandoned it to devote himself to his literary aspirations."

The New York Times reports that the beautiful 20-year-old Princess has "caused annoyance in the old German aristocracy," as she insists on marrying Benvenuto Hauptmann.

After "several months of pleading," the princess finally gained the consent of the head of the house, Prince Adolf.

The news of the engagement, however, has "caused the same amount of criticism as greeted the marriage" of Princess Victoria, sister of the former Kaiser and widow of the late Prince Adolf, to a Russian philander, Alexander Zubkov, who has since been deported from Germany, and is now "roaming about Europe."

Benvenuto Hauptmann "is not following his father's bent for drama," although he is "known for his translations from English to German." He is currently working on a translation of Joseph Conrad's novels.

The marriage is expected to take place in late July or early August. Princess Elisabeth is the daughter of the late Prince Stephan of Schaumburg-Lippe and Princess Marie of Saxe-Altenberg.

Frederick Cunliffe-Owen dies in NYC

June 30, 1926

Frederick Cunliffe-Owen, CBE, died tonight at his home, 248 Central Park West, after a long illness, following a bout with pneumonia which prostrated him in the late Spring," according to the New York Times. He was 72 years old.

Cunliffe-Owen was "perhaps the best-known Englishman resident in the United States." He was an authority on international affairs, and his "intimate friendships included men of the highest station in many countries.

He was born in London, the elder son of the late Sir Philip Cunliffe-Owen, KCB, KCMG, the head of an older Cheshire county family. His mother was born a Baroness von Reitzenstein. Educated at Lancing School and the Universtiy of Lausanne, Cunliffe-Owen entered the British Diplomatic Service. He served in different parts of the world, and "in Egypt particularly."

In the 1880s, Mr. Cunliffe-Owen left the Diplomatic Service and "began to devote his attention to literary pursuits. He came to the United States, where he "soon became nown as the author of informative and authoritative articles on European affairs and personages."

He spent time as a member of the New York Tribune's editorial staff, and more recently, "his articles were a feature of the Sunday issues of the New York Times."

Earlier in his career, he wrote under several pseudonymns, including "Ex-Attache, "Veteran Diplomat" and "Marquise de Fontenoy."

He is survived by his wife, Marguerite Countess du Planty. Their son, Algernon, died in 1910 at the age of 22.

Prince of Wales to wed Spanish princess

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 June 30, 1926

The Spanish newspaper, La Voz de Gulpuzcoa, has a front-page story today "claiming the visit of King Alfonso of Spain to London seems to confirm reports" that the Prince of Wales will marry Alfonso's elder daughter, Infanta Beatriz.

Beatriz, 17, and the Prince of Wales are second cousins, as Beatriz's mother, Queen Victoria Eugenia, and the Prince's father, King George V, are first cousins.
The United News report notes that religion is a barrier to marriage. Infanta Beatriz would have to renounce her Roman Catholic faith and become a Protestant as the Prince of Wales cannot marry a Roman Catholic without losing his right of succession.

King Alfonso XIII and Queen Ena arrived today in London from Paris for a visit to the United Kingdom. They were attended by the duke of Miranda, the Marquis de Benbana, and the Prince of San Carlos.

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 According to the New York Times, a "crowd largely composed of his Spanish subjects gave a rousing welcome" to King Alfonso and Queen Victoria tonight. They had traveled to London from Paris via Calais and Dover.

At Victoria Station. the king and queen were welcomed by Queen Mary, the Prince of Wales, the Duke and Duchess of York and Princess Beatrice, who is Queen Ena's mother.

Although this is a state visit, the King has "intimated that he and Queen Victoria wish to be regarded as private visitors during their stay." They expect to remain in England for two weeks.

just another day at the Palace

June 29, 1860

Their Serene Highnesses Prince Julius and Prince Johann of Schleswig-Holstein-Glucksburg visited Queen Victoria today at Buckingham Palace. The two princes are the younger brothers of Prince Christian of Denmark. who is the heir to the Danish throne.
In the afternoon, the Queen, accompanied by the Princess Alice and Prince Arthur, and "attended by the Hon. Caroline Cavendish, took a drive in a carriage and four in the afternoon," according to the Court Circular. The Prince Consort, the Prince of Wales and the Count of Flanders rode on horseback, and all were attended by the Equerries in waiting.
In the evening, Her Majesty held a dinner party at Buckingham Palace. The dinner guests included His Majesty the King of the Belgians, their Royal Highnesses the Princess Alice, the Prince of Wales, the Count of Flanders and the Duke of Saxe-Coburg.

Crisis in Dutch royal marriage

June 29, 1956


Queen Juliana and Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands "denounced today gossip about them abroad and ordered an inquiry into the origin of reports of tension in the royal family," according to a front page story in the New York Times.
The Queen and her husband issued a statement saying they had been "disappointed and grieved" by the way it was "considered permissible abroad to describe our family life and relations of our close surroundings."
"We think it desirable to constitute an inquiry into the circumstances which have caused this."
By coincidence, today is Prince Bernhard's 49th birthday. The Dutch government is understood to be "embarrassed by the statement," and had indicated that the Palace would remain silent on the matter.
The premier, Willem Dreez, offered the Dutch government's official attitude: "There is no constitutional crises and no thought of abdication or divorce. This is a purely private matter between the Queen and the Prince and nothing further can be said about."
Reports of marital difficulties between Queen Juliana and Prince Bernhard "gained international prominence on June 11, when the West German weekly news magazine, Der Spiegel, published an article about a rift between the Queen and her husband "over the Queen's association with a 'faith healer.'"
The faith healer is a 61-year-old woman named Greet Hoffmans, "who had been introduced to the palace in 1948," after the birth of Queen's youngest daughter, Princess Christina. The princess was born with a serious eye ailment.
Prince Bernhard "eventually grew impatient with Miss Hoffman' presence and influence on the Queen." In 1950, he ordered Hoffmans to leave the palace. But it was the "continuation of her relationship with Queen Juliana that was alleged to have provoked estrangement between the Queen and her consort."
Although it was regarded as "a confidential matter," the situation has been known "for years to leading Netherlanders and press circles."

A girl for Anita Stewart

June 29, 1910

The Duchess of Vizeu, formerly Miss Anita Stewart, gave birth yesterday to a daughter at the home of her mother, Mrs. James Henry Smith, in Grosvenor Square, London.
The Duchess and her husband, the Duke of Vizeu, have been living with Mrs. Smith "for some weeks," according to the Los Angeles Times.
The name of the baby was not released to the media.

Death of the Duke d' Alencon

June 29, 1910

The Duke d'Alencon, grandson of King Louis Philippe, who lost his throne in the revoution in 1848, died today.

Prince Ferdinand Philippe Marie was the second son of Prince Louis Duke de Nemours. He was born in July 1844, and and was a member of the Tertiary Order of St. Francius, a "lay order of the Franciscan monks." He was "well known for his charities."
The Duke "was one of the few men in the terrible fire at the Charity Bazaar in Paris, May 4, 1897, who kept their heads and did heroic rescue work," according to the New York Times.

Goals in life

As many of my readers know, I am a passionate baseball fan. I love my baseball. I grew up as a New York Mets fan. Still love my Mets, even though I have not lived in the new York metropolitan region since 1989. I became a Baltimore Orioles fan, thanks my my husband -- our first date was the very first game at Camden Yards in 1991 between the Os and the Mets, an exhibition game. My late husband was a baseball writer, and we went to many games at the Yard. He had a season ticket, which I sat in -- a 13 game Sunday plan -- and he sat in the press box. I took over the seat after he died.
I am also a fan of the Washington Nationals as D.C. got a team in 2005. The Montreal Expos moved to the Nation's Capital. I have a 20 game Season ticket plan for the Nats. Yes, it is a little weird to cheer for more than one team, but I do, and I understand why.
This past weekend was interleague play - the Nats vs the Os in Baltimore. At every home game (80 games), the Orioles select the Fan of the Game. The camera scans the crowd looking for the most spirited fan. I have been trying to win for years! Yesterday, I shook, I wiggled, I cheered (it was 100+ degrees) and I WON! My entire row won a large pretzel (as did I) and I also got a nice prize pack!

Get to be the Oriole fan of the game .. check!

Prince Harry throws out first ball

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Not the first pitch ... it's called the first ball, British press!

Prince Harry of Wales was at Citi Field stadium today, the home of the New York Mets, and threw out the first ball ... to great acclaim and cheers from the crowd of nearly 40,000.

He looks positively adorable in his New York Mets cap.  Sadly, the Mets lost to the Minnesota Twins.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/theroyalfamily/7856878/Prince-Harry-throws-first-ball-in-New-York-Mets-baseball-game.html

At the same time, I was sweltering at Camden Yards in Baltimore to see the Orioles beat the Washington Nationals. I love the Orioles and the Nats! This is interleague play ... and for me when the Nats play the Os, it doesn't matter who wins!

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At least Prince Harry wore the hat of a classy team. He could have been wearing a Yankees cap ... yuck.

no Japan trip for Prince Henry

June 25, 1898

The New York Times reports on a dispatch from Shanghai that was received in its Berlin office. Prince Henry of Prussia, younger brother of Kaiser Wilhelm II, will not be traveling to Japan, "in view of the fact that the Japanese government has expressed doubts of its ability to protect the Prince against the possible attacks of fanatics."

Helen denies marriage plans

June 25, 1938

Princess Helen, the mother of the young King Michael of Roumania, released an official denial that she intends to remarry. The Princess is divorced from Prince Carol.
The denial, according to the AP dispatch, "states that all names connected with hers are absolute inventions."

Victoria Luise as Princess of Wales?

June 25, 1910

The Chicago Daily Tribune reports on the "interesting rumors in circulation in military circles in Potsdam" regarding a marriage between the Prince of Wales and Kaiser Wilhelm II's only daughter, Victoria Luise.

The Princess, who turns 18 in September, is nearly two years older than the heir to the British throne, but "that would not be regarded as a handicap from the parents' standpoint." The Empress is several months older than her husband, and their second son, Prince Eitel Friedrich, is married to a princess who is nearly "three years his senior."

Potsdam circles hope that when King George V and Queen Mary make an official visit to Germany, they will be accompanied by their eldest son, which would allow for the Prince of Wales to "form an acquaintance" with his pretty second cousin, "which may some day ripen into affection.

The Kaiser and Kaiserin note that there are only a limited number of European eligible princes for their daughter to marry. The most eligible are Roman Catholic and include King Manoel of Portugal and several Austrian archdukes. The Princess, however, is like her parents, "an uncompromising Protestant." The Empress would prefer to see Victoria Luise married to "the most obscure Prince than share a throne with a Roman Catholic king."

A marriage between Victoria Luise and the Prince of Wales "would suggest political advantages of far reaching proportions."

Although the Kaiser's mother, Victoria, was a British princess, the "close dynastic ties between England and Germany have, of course mot been able to prevent strained relations." A marriage between the Kaiser's daughter and the heir to the British throne would mean that the "danger of Anglo-American hostilities would become remote to the vanishing point."

King George V, however, ranks as a "first class Germanophobe." There is "grave doubt" whether he could be persuaded to allow a marriage between his son and Kaiser Wilhelm II's only daughter.

Franz Ferdinand to marry countess

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June 25, 1900

It was officially announced today that Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria, the heir to the throne, "will formally renounce the rights of the succession to the imperial throne," next Thursday, reports the New York Times.

On the following day, he will marry Countess Sophie Chotek. This morganatic marriage is the reason for Franz Ferdinand's renunciation.

The archduke was born in 1863, the son of Archduke Karl Ludwig, the second brother of Emperor Franz Joseph, When he was twenty-two years old a "marriage was arranged for him by the Austrian Cabinet," but Franz Ferdinand's refusal to the proposition "was so uncompromising that the matter was promptly dropped." At the time, Franz Josef upheld his nephew's "right to choose his own wife."

Countess Sophie is thirty-one years old and a member of the Bohemian aristocracy, where her father owns large estates. It has been "generally known" that the Archduke and the Countess  were "much in love with each other."

The countess was the governess to the daughters of Archduke Friedrich and Archduchess Isabella. As Archduke Franz Ferdinand often visited Friedrich's home, many assumed that he would marry one of the Archduke's eight daughters.
"Great surprise was occasioned when it became evident that he had chosen, not one of the pupils, but the governess."

Countess Sophie was forced to leave Archduke Friedrich's home. Despite the imperial laws that forbid such an alliance, Franz Ferdinand had "moved heaven and earth to make her his wife."

Franz Ferdinand had considered marrying Sophie in Hungary, where "he is not restricted in his choice of a life partner.

The forfeiture to the succession "does not mean that the Archduke releases his personal rights to the throne," but only that his children will not have succession rights.

Hungary, Sophie could become Queen, which, according to Austrian law, the Queen of Hungary and the Empress of Austria, are the same. Thus, Franz Ferdinand was seeking a way to circumvent the imperial laws.

Franz Ferdinand enlisted the support of Hungary's prime minister and several Austrian officials. Eventually, they were able to get Franz Joseph's consent for the marriage, although he insisted "it must be a morganatic marriage."