The House of Plantagenet: Secrets, Scandals, and the Kings Who Shaped England!

 

The House of Plantagenet was a significant royal dynasty that ruled England from 1154 until 1485. This era was marked by notable kings, territorial expansion, and pivotal historical events, shaping the course of English history.

Origins and Founding

• Founder: The dynasty was founded by Geoffrey Plantagenet, Count of Anjou, whose nickname "Plantagenet" is believed to derive from the broom plant he wore in his hat.
• First King: The first Plantagenet king was Henry II, who ascended the throne in 1154. His reign marked the beginning of a powerful dynasty that would last for over three centuries.

Major Dynasties Within the Plantagenets

The House of Plantagenet is often divided into three main branches:

1. Angevins: This original branch included influential kings like:
   • Henry II (1154–1189)
   • Richard I (1189–1199), known as "Richard the Lionheart"
   • King John (1199–1216), famous for signing the Magna Carta in 1215.
2. House of Lancaster: A cadet branch that produced notable figures such as:
   • Henry IV (1399–1413)
   • Henry V (1413–1422), celebrated for his military victories in the Hundred Years' War.
3. House of York: Another branch that included:
   • Edward IV (1461–1470 and 1471–1483)
   • Richard III (1483–1485), the last Plantagenet king who died at the Battle of Bosworth Field.

Fun Facts

• The Plantagenets ruled England for 331 years, longer than any other royal house in English history.
• The term "Plantagenet" was not used during their reign; it was coined by historians later.
• The dynasty's internal conflicts led to the Wars of the Roses, a series of civil wars fought between the Lancastrians and Yorkists for control of the throne.
• The Plantagenets were instrumental in establishing many aspects of modern governance, including the development of common law and parliamentary systems.
• The famous English poet Geoffrey Chaucer was a contemporary and patronized by several Plantagenet kings, contributing to the flourishing of English literature during this period.

Legacy

The House of Plantagenet left an enduring impact on England's political landscape and cultural identity. Their reign saw significant developments in law, architecture, and society. The legacy of their conflicts and reforms continues to influence British history today.

The Plantagenet Family Tree: The Intriguing History of England's Plantagenet Dynasty Kings

 

The Plantagenet Family Tree: A Royal History The Plantagenet family was one of the most powerful royal dynasties in European history, ruling England and parts of France from 1154 to 1485. Their fascinating story spans three centuries filled with intrigue, war, scandals and larger-than-life personalities. This article will provide an overview of the Plantagenet family tree and the key figures that make up this remarkable royal history. The Plantagenet dynasty was established by Henry II, who inherited the English throne in 1154. Born in France, Henry II was the first of 14 Plantagenet monarchs who would rule England over the next 331 years. This was a tumultuous era, with the Plantagenets battling for control over their French holdings while also fighting rebellions, plots and wars at home in England. Despite the constant unrest, the Plantagenet kings and queens left an indelible stamp on English culture and history. Figures like Richard the Lionheart, Henry V and Richard III continue to capture popular imagination centuries after their deaths. Tracing the twists and turns of the Plantagenet family tree provides insight into a vital period of European royal history.

The Legendary House of Plantagenet: England's Turbulent Royal Dynasty

The House of Plantagenet was a royal dynasty that ruled England for over 300 years, leaving an indelible mark on European royal history. From Henry II's accession in 1154 to Richard III's defeat at Bosworth Field in 1485, the Plantagenet kings and queens shaped medieval England through war, politics, scandal and cultural patronage. At its peak under Edward I, the House of Plantagenet controlled half of France and all of England. This powerful empire saw figures like Eleanor of Aquitaine, Edward III, Henry V and Richard the Lionheart shape English culture and identity. Yet the Plantagenet era was also filled with family infighting, rebellion and uncertainty over succession. Rival claims to the throne triggered the Wars of the Roses, pitting the Houses of York and Lancaster against one another in a bloody 30-year power struggle. Though the dynasty ended with Richard III’s death, the House of Plantagenet’s legacy of iconic rulers and protracted conflict continues to fascinate scholars and popular audiences alike. Exploring the dynamic history of the House of Plantagenet provides insight into a critical period of monarchical power struggles that shaped the course of European royal history.

Dr. Nelly Auersperg (1928-2023), Cancer Researcher and Grandniece of "The Woman in Gold"

 

At the age of ninety-four, Dr. Nelly Auersperg passed away on 15 January.

Nelly's father Viktor.

Born on 13 December 1928 at Vienna, Baroness Nelly Gutmann was the only daughter of Baron Viktor Gutmann von Gelse und Belišće (1891-1946) and Luise Bloch-Bauer (1907-1998), who wed in 1927. Nelly was later joined by a younger brother, Baron Francis Gutmann (1934-2014). Their father Viktor was an industrialist. 

Nelly's great-aunt Adele, circa 1920.

Nelly's paternal grandparents were Baron Alfred Gutmann von Gelse und Belišće (1857-1919) and Ottilie Pollak von Rudin (1864-1921). Her maternal grandparents were Gustav Bloch (1862–1938) and Marie Therese Bauer (1874–1961). Nelly's great-aunt was Adele Bloch-Bauer, who was painted by Gustav Klimt and whose story was told in the 2015 film The Woman in Gold, starring Helen Mirren, who portrayed Nelly's cousin Maria Altmann.

On 30 May 1955 at Vancouver, Baroness Nelly von Gutmann married Prince Johannes "John" von Auersperg (1930-2017), a son of Prince Eduard von Auersperg (1893-1948) and Countess Sofie von Clam und Gallas (1900-1980). The couple were married for sixty-two years. John and Nelly had two children: Princess Maria Elisabeth (b.1956; married David Harris) and Prince Eduard "Edward" Viktor (b.1958; married Nancy Andrews). 

Here is the obituary of Dr. Nelly Auersperg from the Vancouver Sun:

AUERSPERG, Nelly, MD/PhD
December 13, 1928 (Vienna) - January 15, 2023

Last Sunday, after a lengthy illness, our much beloved Nelly Auersperg slipped peacefully from this life. She and her family were grateful for the opportunity to enjoy their final time together.

Nelly was predeceased by her father Viktor (Gutmann), her mother Luise (nee Bloch Bauer), her brother Francis, and her husband John. She leaves behind and will be remembered by her daughter Maria (David), son Edward (Nancy), and her six grandchildren Anthony, James, Elizabeth, John, Steven and Natalie, and many others whom she touched during her incredible life. She was hugely grateful for the opportunity to hold two great-grandchildren, Ada and Henrik, and happy in the knowledge of more to come.

Nelly enjoyed a privileged childhood, but also experienced the horrors of war, revolution and loss. After eventually making her way to Vancouver, she obtained her MD degree (U of Washington) and PhD (UBC). She spent six decades in cervical and ovarian cancer research; a pioneer in her field, publishing over 200 research papers, and mentoring over 60 students, post-doctoral fellows and lab technicians, all of whom she lovingly and proudly referred to as her children. She was the recipient of an honorary doctorate from SFU, UBC Lifetime Achievement Award, AMS of UBC Great Trekker Award, and had an OVCARE symposium and an award in Women's Health Research named in her honour. She was a trustee of the BC Foundation for Non-animal Research.

In 2016, she travelled to Croatia, and successfully honoured her late father's final request to have his unjust death sentence imposed in 1945 overturned.

Nelly continuously displayed her gratitude for the life she was able to live in Canada. She set up three charitable foundations, providing respite for families affected by autism, housing for people suffering from homelessness and mental illness in Vancouver, and cervical cancer care in Uganda. In her nineties, she still found energy to contribute to and help translate into English a Croatian economics textbook about her childhood hometown of Belisce, and also helped spearhead the campaign to acquire a Shakespeare first folio for the UBC Special Collections library.

She did not live for work alone, enjoying the outdoors, skiing, sailing, gardening and reading. She also found time for family and was always there when needed, caring for her children and introducing her grandchildren to culture and the arts, Disneyland and the opportunity to travel. She and they especially treasured visits to the town she lived in Croatia, where she showed each of them something of their roots and the place where so much happened during and after the war to shape her life and their heritage.

She passed away at age 94, remaining inquisitive, feisty and alive until her final hours. She even relished watching the Canucks finally win a game just hours before she left us.

We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to Mercy Tenerio and Dr. Geoffrey Edwards for so many years of kindness, dedication and patience, to staff and friends at Tapestry, to Dr. Jason Park, and to the many staff at Vancouver General Hospital for their kind and tender care.

Funeral mass at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church (2465 Crown Street, Vancouver) on Tuesday, January 24 at 12 p.m., with a reception to follow at the Royal Vancouver Yacht Club from 3:30 p.m.

May Dr. Nelly Auersperg Rest In Peace.

 

Sources:

 

Obituary - Nelly Auersperg

Obituary - John Auersperg

The University of British Columbia - Dr. Nelly Auersperg Announcement

Alice Javal Weiller, Victim of Holocaust & Great-Grandmother of Luxembourg Princess

Alice Javal Weiller.

The birth record of Alice Anna Laval, 1869.

NOTE: My sincere gratitude to my dear friend Jakob Regnér, who discovered much of the information about the life story and tragic fate of Alice Javal Weiller.

On 10 October 1869 at Paris, Alice Anna Javal was born as the eldest child of Louis Émile Javal (1839-1907) and Maria-Anna Ellissen (1847-1933). Alice was followed by four younger siblings, the twins Jeanne Félicie Javal (1871–1956; married Paul Louis Weiss) and Jean Félix Javal (1871-killed in action 1915), Louis Adolphe Javal (1873-murdered at Auschwitz 1944) and Mathilde Julie Javal (1876–murdered at Auschwitz 1944). 

Alice's father Émile Javal.

Alice's father Émile Javal was a French doctor, ophthalmologist and politician. Alice was the paternal granddaughter of Léopold Javal (1804-1872) and Augusta de Laemel (1817-1893). Léopold Javal was the founder of an influent family of Alsatian industrialists of Jewish origin. Alice's maternal grandparents were Édouard David Ellissen (1808-1857) and Theodora Ladenburg (1819-1911).

The wedding banns of Alice Javal and Lazare Weiller, 1889.

Alice Javal's husband Lazare Weiller.

On 12 August 1889 in Paris, Alice Anna Javal married Jean Lazare Weiller (1858-1928), the son of an Alsatian Jewish couple Léopold Weiller and Reine Ducasse. The witnesses at the wedding were the politician and writer Eugène Spuller, the poet Sully Prudhomme, and Adolphe Carnot, brother of the President of France. In 1882, Lazare had converted to Roman Catholicism; that same year he married his cousin Marie-Marguerite Jeanne Weiller, who died in 1883 while giving birth to the couple's only child, a son named Jean, who died at the age of two. Alice and Lazare Weiller had four children: the twins Léopold Jean-Pierre Weiller (1890-1970) and Jeanne Marie-Thérèse Weiller (1890-1992; married Marcel Brulé), Georges-André Weiller (1892-1973), and Paul-Louis Weiller (1893-1993; married Alíki Diplarákou). 

 

Wilbur Wright, Lazare Weiller, and Henri Deutsch de la Meurthe, 1908.
Source: Gallica.

Alice Javal Weiller, 1908.
Source: Gallica.

 

In 1908, Alice's husband Lazare had established an 100,000 gold franc award for whoever might complete a one-hour closed circuit flight. The Wright brothers, Orville and Wilbur, traveled to France, where they ended up winning the prize. Like her husband, Alice Weiller had begun to take an interest in the nascent aviation sector, and she met the Wright brothers. On 9 October 1908 at Auvours, Alice Weiller made her first flight in the Wright Model A biplane, which was piloted by Wilbur Wright. 

 

Lazare Weiller, 1920.

 

On 12 August 1928 at Vaud, Switzerland, Lazare Weiller died followed a heart attack brought on the by complications from diabetes. In 1920, Weiller had been elected as Senator from the Bas-Rhin, and he was reelected in 1927. Weiller had campaigned for the re-establishment of diplomatic relations between France and the Holy See, and he was interested in furthering France's ties with Germany, the United States and the United Kingdom.

 

Alice Javal Weiller is granted the Legion of Honour.

In 1932, Alice Weiller became vice-chairman of a committee of the Alsace-Lorraine Society promoting holiday camps for the working classes. Madame Weiller was appointed a chevalier of the Legion of Honour on 23 July 1932 by President Albert Lebrun.

 

Drancy Interment Camp.

 

When World War II broke out, members of the Javal family eventually became targets of Nazi officials after the German armed forces occupied France. Alice Javal Weiller, along with her brother Adolphe Javal and his family, were interred in the Drancy Interment Camp near Paris. On 2 September 1943, Alice Javal Weiller was was put Transport 59, destined for the Auschwitz Birkenau Extermination Camp in Poland. When Alice arrived at Auschwitz on 4 September, she was immediately murdered in the gas chambers. According to Yad Vashem: "On September 2, 1943, a train with 1,000 Jews on board, over a half of whom were French citzens, departed from the Bobigny station to Auschwitz at 10:00. Leutnant Wannenmacher was tasked with supervising the train. Based on the schedule of a transport out of Bobigny in November 1943, the train probably took the following route: Bobigny, Noisy-le-Sec, Epernay, Chalons-sur-Marne, Revigny, Bar-le-Duc, Noveant-sur Moselle (Neuburg), Metz, Saarbruecken, Frankfurt on Main, Dresden, Goerlitz, Liegnitz (Legnica), Neisse (Nysa), Cosel, Katowice (Kattowitz), Auschwitz. Librati further describes the journey: 'On the way four prisoners attempted to escape […] The escapees were promptly captured and killed immediately. As a punishment, the SS took all the other passengers out of the car, ordered them to strip, leave their luggage behind, and board the car again, completely naked with nothing but a blanket to cover them.' When the transport reached Auschwitz on September 4, 232 men and 106 women were selected for labour; the men were tattooed with numbers ranging from 145796–146027 and the women received the numbers 58300–58405. The other 662 deportees were murdered in the gas chambers as soon as they reached the camp."

Yad Vashem's Page of Testimony regarding Alice Javal Weiller.
Source: Yad Vashem.

 

Alice Javal Weiller was seventy-three years-old when she was killed in the Holocaust, solely she was Jewish. The next year, on 7 March 1944, Alice's sister Mathilde Javal, her sister-in-law Mathilde Helbronner Javal, and her niece Isabelle Javal (1919-1944), were moved from the Drancy Internment Camp via Transport 69 and taken to Auschwitz. According to Yad Vashen: "The transport departed from the Paris-Bobigny station on March 7, 1944, with a total of 1,501 deportees, according to the list prepared in the Drancy internment camp." When they were taken to the concentration camp, the three women were murdered. Two months later, on 20 May 1944, Alice's brother Adolphe Javal, who had also been held at Drancy, was put on Transport 74 to Auschwitz. According to Yad Vashem: "The 74th transport left Paris-Bobigny on May 20, 1944. The deportation list, compiled at Drancy, comprises 1,200 names." Transport 74 arrived at the concentration camp on 23 May, and Adolphe Javal was also murdered at Auschwitz. 

 

Alice Weiller remembered on the Shoah Memorial in Paris.

 

May the memory of Alice Anna Javal Weiller and her family be eternal.

 

+++++++

 

Alice Javal Weiller is the great-grandmother of Princess Sibilla of Luxembourg.

 

Alice Anna Javal (Paris 10 October 1869 – Auschwitz 4 September 1943); married Paris 12 August 1889 Jean Lazare Weiller (Sélestat, France 20 July 1858 – Territet, Switzerland 12 August 1928)

|

Paul Louis Weiller (Paris  29 September 1893 – Geneva 6 December 1993); married 2ndly (divorced) 31 October 1932 Aliki Diplarakou (Athens 28 August 1912 – 30 October 2002)

|

Paul-Annick Weiller (Paris 28 July 1933 – Geneva 2 November 1998); married Rome 26 June 1965 Donna Olimpia Emmanuela Torlonia di Civitella-Cesi (b.Lausanne 27 December 1943)

|

Sibilla Sandra Weiller y Torlonia (b.Neuilly-sur-Seine 12 June 1968); married September 1994 Prince Guillaume of Luxembourg (b.Betzdorf, Luxembourg 1 May 1963)

 

__________________________________________

 

Sources: 

Yad Vashem - The Central Database of Shoah Victims' Names: Alice Javal Weiller

Yad Vashem - Transport 59 from Drancy,Camp,France to Auschwitz Birkenau,Extermination Camp,Poland on 02/09/1943
Yad Vashem - The Central Database of Shoah Victims' Names: Mathilde Javal

Yad Vashem - The Central Database of Shoah Victims' Names: Mathilde Helbronner Javal

Yad Vashem - The Central Database of Shoah Victims' Names: Isabelle Javal

Yad Vashem - Transport 69 from Drancy,Camp,France to Auschwitz Birkenau,Extermination Camp,Poland on 07/03/1944

Yad Vashem - The Central Database of Shoah Victims' Names: Adolphe Javal

Yad Vashem - Transport 74 from Drancy,Camp,France to Auschwitz Birkenau,Extermination Camp,Poland on 20/05/1944

Fürst Ernst von Hohenberg (1944-2023), Grandson of Archduke Franz Ferdinand

 

Fürst Ernst Georg von Hohenberg passed away on 12 January 2023. He was seventy-eight years-old. Ernst was the last surviving grandson of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria and Duchess Sophie von Hohenberg. Now, the only surviving grandchild of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and Duchess Sophie is Fürst Ernst's first cousin, Baroness Sophie von Gudenus (b.1929; née Countess von Nostitz-Rieneck)

Fürst Ernst and Fürstin Marie-Thérèse.

Born on 1 March 1944 at Vienna, Fürst Ernst Georg Elemer Albert Josef Antonius Peregrinus Rupertus Maria von Hohenberg was the second son and child of Fürst Ernst von Hohenberg (1904-1954) and Fürstin Marie-Thérèse (1910-1985; née Wood). Ernst joined an older brother, Fürst Franz Ferdinand (1937-1978; married Heide Zechling). 

Franz Ferdinand and Sophie with their three children: Sophie, Maximilian, and Ernst.

The paternal grandparents of Ernst were Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria (1863-1914) and Duchess Sophie von Hohenberg (1868-1914; née Countess Chotek von Chotkow und Wognin). As is well known, the assassination of Franz Ferdinand, then heir to the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and Sophie on 28 June 1914 in Sarajevo was the catalyst that led to World War I. The maternal grandparents of Ernst were Captain George Jervis Wood (1887-1958) and Baroness Rosa Lónyay de Nagy-Lónya et Vásáros-Namény (1888-1971).

On 31 August 1973 at Radmer, Fürst Ernst von Hohenberg married Patricia Annette Caesar (b.1950), the daughter of Arthur M. Caesar and Selma Anne Maguire. Ernst and Patricia celebrated their religious marriage on 2 September 1973. The next year, the couple welcome the birth of their only child, Fürstin Eva Anne Marie von Hohenberg, on 1 December 1974 at Graz. Fürst Ernst and Fürstin Patricia divorced in 1999. Their daughter Furstin Eva married Alessandro Geromella in 2005; the pair divorced in 2008. Eva is now happily engaged to Peter Eduard Meier. In 2007, Fürst Ernst remarried to Margareta Anna Ndisi (b.1959). 

Since 1976 until his passing, Fürst Ernst resided in the hunting castle at Radmer in Styria, Austria.

On 28 January 2023, a Requiem Mass for Fürst Ernst von Hohenberg will be held at the Pfarrkirche Artstetten. His burial will be in the vault of Schloss Artstetten on 28 January 2023.

May He Rest In Peace.

The 90th Birthday of Princess Marie Louise of Bulgaria

 

Tsar Simeon and Princess Marie Louise.

Photo (c) Paraskeva Georgieva.

Last Friday, on 13 January, Princess Marie Louise of Bulgaria celebrated her ninetieth birthday in the capital of her homeland, Sofia. She arrived for the event together with her sons Prince Karl-Boris and Prince Hermann zu Leiningen, her daughter Princess Alexandra von Kohary with her husband Jorge Champalimaud Raposo de Magalhães and their children, as well as her son Pawel Chrobok, Prince von Kohary. On the occasion of Princess Marie Louise’s birthday, a thanksgiving prayer service was held in the St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral., which she personally attended, accompanied by King Simeon II. In addition to her children, the Royal Family included Princess Kalina, her husband Kitin-Muñoz and Prince Simeon-Hasan. Unfortunately, Queen Margarita was unable to return from Madrid, where she is recovering from hip joint surgery.

Princess Marie Louise.

Photo (c) Paraskeva Georgieva.

During the duration of the service, Plovdiv Metropolitan Nikolai addressed the following remarks to the princess and those present in the church:

Your Royal Highness,

On the day of your birth, 21 cannon salutes were fired over the capital of Bulgaria, Sofia, and a thousand people gathered to express the joy of the entire nation that God has blessed the Royal Family, and thus our country, with a child. Two days later, you received Holy Baptism and were accepted into the fold of the Holy Orthodox Church. The blessed Metropolitan Stefan and later Bulgarian Exarch baptized you, and your Godfather is the chair of the National Assembly Alexander Malinov. Let me say one more time, in order to understand the significance of the state act – the head of the church baptized you and you were accepted from the holy font by the entire Bulgarian people in the person of the highest representative of the legislative body. From the moment of your birth and your baptism, you have been in the embrace of the Bulgarian Church and the Bulgarian people, and I assure you that this is still the case to this day.

I will not dwell on the difficulties you have gone through in your life. The fact that you lost your father so young, together with your brother, His Majesty Simeon II, is sad and should not happen to any child. The fact that soon after you and your family were expelled from your homeland is a consequence of the historical vicissitudes to which our entire people fell victim. We regret and suffer with you, but unfortunately, history is what it is. We cannot change it, but we must remember it.

I, for example, remember how you were welcomed in Sofia in 1991, when you, as the first member of the Royal Family, set foot on your Motherland again. In Plovdiv, they still have an unforgettable memory of your visit with your blessed mother, Her Majesty Queen Mother Giovanna. These thousands of rallies, these ovations and tears in the eyes especially of the older Bulgarians, your peers, may have redeemed even a little of the bitterness you suffered. Surely the people’s love for you and your family, which was shown then and was shown many times later, convinced you that Bulgaria considers you its daughter, flesh of the flesh and blood of the blood of the people.

You certainly have many merits and achievements in your life, first of all your children and family. From the point of view of the Bulgarian statehood, a huge merit of yours is that during all these years, in exile and in our country, you have steadfastly stood by your brother, His Majesty the King of the Bulgarians and modestly, quietly, sometimes imperceptibly to the general public, but you firmly and steadfastly support it. We know very well what His Majesty did for the Bulgarian state and for the Bulgarian people, about the extent to which his personal authority and efforts made it possible for Bulgaria to once again be an integral part of the family of European nations. We will never forget what His Majesty did for the Bulgarian Orthodox Church by helping to overcome the unfortunate schism. Every person, and especially the statesman, when he has to make difficult and responsible decisions, needs to ask his close people, his family and his brothers or sisters, from whom he can seek support and advice. His Majesty has mentioned more than once how close you are to his heart. We are sure that just as in decisive moments he relied on the advice of his wife, Her Majesty Queen Margarita and his family, so he also turned to you for advice. Moreover, you have always given him good advice and sincere support as a loving sister. I am sure he has thanked you for your devotion not once. We also thank you, because your love and your devotion to your royal brother is an expression of your love for the Bulgarians and for Bulgaria, of which your family, in two historical periods, was the personification, and for the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, because of the Divine character of royal power, for which will always be God’s mercy and blessing.

In conclusion, I want to share a small but very important detail of your personal history, which, when I learned it, moved me greatly. Your aunt Princess Eudoxia, sister of O’Bose, the late King Boris III, bequeathed you her personal prayer book, on the first page of which was written “To Marie-Louise, who speaks to God in Bulgarian.” You lived in a foreign language environment. You spoke to God in Bulgarian! This is not just beautiful, in these gestures lies the true dignity of people of royal blood. Those who, even in exile, far from the Motherland, if they feel the need to turn to God, turn to him only and only in their native language. Because God wanted their personal destiny to be woven into the destiny of their Motherland, which is actually the Divine meaning of history.

My request to you is – as, of course, I wish you many more years of health and life – that you also give your children and nephews, not as a bequest, but from now on, a Bulgarian prayer book and write on it the words of Your aunt: “… talk to God in Bulgarian”. Invite them to pray together every day with one humble prayer for the Bulgarian people and for Bulgaria, as we are sure that you say it. For that Bulgaria, which has loved you since the day you were born and which is in such great need of this prayer today.

Your Royal Highness!

It was God’s will that you welcome and celebrate your blessed 90th anniversary in the Motherland! Allow me, on behalf of His Holiness the Bulgarian Patriarch Neophyte and my Most Eminent fellow synodal metropolitans, the most consecrated bishops and clergy, to wish you many more years blessed with health, strength and spiritual joys!

May God help you, may God protect you, Your Royal Highness, and grant you, your children and loved ones many and happy years.

King Boris with his two children, Princess Maria Luisa and Crown Prince Simeon.
Photo (c) Bulgarian Royal House.

Born on 13 January 1933 at Sofia, Princess Maria Luisa of Bulgaria was the first child of King Boris III of Bulgaria (1894-1943) and his wife Queen Ioanna (1907-2000; née Princess Giovanna of Savoy), who had married in 1930. The princess was joined by a brother, Crown Prince (and later King) Simeon, in 1937.

Prince Karl zu Leiningen and Princess Marie Louise of Bulgaria, 1957.

Princess Marie Louise of Bulgaria married Prince Karl Vladimir Ernst Heinrich zu Leiningen in a civil ceremony on 14 February 1957 in Amorbach; this was followed by a religious ceremony on 20 February 1957 at the Russian Orthodox Church in Nice. Prince Karl zu Leiningen (1928-1990) was the son of Fürst Karl zu Leiningen and Grand Duchess Maria Kirillovna of Russia, the daughter of Grand Duke Kirill Vladimirovich and Grand Duchess Victoria Feodorovna. Karl and Marie Louise had two sons: Prince Boris (b.1960) and Prince Herman (b.1963). The couple divorced on 4 December 1968.

Princess Marie Louise of Bulgaria and Bronislaw Chrobok, 1969.

On 16 November 1969 at Toronto, Canada, Princess Maria Luisa married Bronislaw Chrobok (b.1933). The son of a Polish officer, at the outset of the Second World War, his family settled in London, where Bronislaw graduated from college. The marriage ceremony was conducted by the prominent professor of Theology, Protopresbyter Alexander Schmemann. The couple’s best man at the marriage was Stefan Grouef, the son of the Royal Chancellory Office head Pavel Grouev. Marie Louise and Bronislaw had two children, Alexandra (b.1970) and Pawel-Alistair (b.1972).

Our belated best wishes to the Princess on her birthday!

Princess Rohays Galitzine (1952-2023), Great-Granddaughter of Grand Duke Michael Mikhailovich of Russia

The death notice of Rohays Galitzine.
From The Times of 17 January.

 

Aged seventy, Princess Rohays Galitzine died on 7 January 2023. Rohays is survived by her husband Prince Alexander Galitzine and their two daughters, Princess Sasha and Princess Nadezhda. 

The wedding of Sir David Butter and Myra Wernher.

Born on 9 April 1952 at London, Rohays Georgina Butter was the third daughter and child of Major David Henry Butter (1920-2010) and Myra Alice Wernher (1925-2022), who wed in 1946. Rohays joined two older sisters, Sandra Butter (b.1948; married William Morrison) and Marilyn Butter (b.1950; married James Ramsay, 17th Earl of Dalhousie). She was followed by a younger sister and brother, Georgina Butter (b.1956; married Count Peter Pejačević de Veröcze), and Charles Butter (b.1960; married Agnieszka Szeluk). 

Rohays's great-grandparents: Grand Duke Michael Mikhailovich and Countess Sophie de Torby. 

Rohays Butter's paternal grandparents were Colonel Charles Adrian James Butter (1876-1949) and Agnes Marguerite "Madge" Clark (1885-1972). Her maternal grandparents were Sir Harold Wernher, Baronet (1893-1973) and Countess Anastasia "Zia" de Torby (1892-1977), the daughter of Grand Duke Michael Mikhailovich of Russia (1861-1929) and Countess Sophie Nikolaievna of Merenberg (1868-1927).

On 18 March 1988, the engagement between Rohays Butter and Prince Alexander Galitzine was announced in The Daily Telegraph. On 7 May 1988, Rohays Georgina Butter married Prince Alexander Peter Galitzine at Dunkeld Cathedral. The Reverend T. Dick officiated. Rohays was walked down the aisle by her father. Her attendants were the Honourable Alice Ramsay, Alexandra Munemann, Molly Seymour, Georgia Jacob, Lady Edwina Grosvenor, Charles Morrison, Edward Phillips, Victor Burnett, Aidan Crawley, and Lord Eskdaill. Count Paul Raben was Prince Alexander's best man. The wedding reception was held at the home of the bride, and the couple honeymooned abroad. Prince Alexander and Princess Rohays had two daughters: Princess Sasha Alice Natalia Galitzine (b.1989) and Princess Nadezhda "Nadia" Georgina Galitzine (b.1990). 

Princess Anne Marie with her daughter Princess Caroline and her son Prince Alexander, ~1947.
Photo (c) National Portrait Gallery, London / Francis Goodman.

Born on 6 September 1945 at Marlow, Bucks, Prince Alexander Peter Galitzine was the first son and second child of Prince George Galitzine (1916-1992) and Baroness Anne Marie von Slatin (1916-2007), who wed in 1943 and divorced in 1954. Alexander joined an older sister, Princess Caroline Galitzine (b.1944; married [and divorced] Jonathan Hazell). Caroline and Alexander were followed by a younger brother, Prince George Galitzine (b.1946; married Emma de Bendern). After his father's remarriage in 1963 to Jean Dawnay, the three older Galitzine siblings were joined by a younger sister, Princess Catherine Galitzine (b.1964; married Nicholas Laing). Alexander's mother Anne-Marie married Arthur Ponsonby in 1956; the couple divorced in 1963 and Arthur went on to become the 11th Earl of Bessborough. 

Prince Alexander's great-grandparents: Duke Georg Alexander of Mecklenburg-Strelitzand Natalia Vanljarskaya, Countess von Carlow, with their four children. Alexander's grandmother Catherine is standing next to her father.

Prince Alexander Galitzine's paternal grandparents were Prince Vladimir Galitzine (1884-1954) and Countess Catherine von Carlow (1891-1940), the daughter of Duke Georg Alexander of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (1859-1909) and Natalia Vanljarskaya (1858-1921). His maternal grandparents were Major-General Baron Rudolf Carl von Slatin (1857-1932) and Baroness Alice von Ramberg (1873-1921). 

Emperor Paul.

Through their mutual descent from Emperor Paul I of Russia, Rohays Butter and Alexander Galitzine were fifth cousins. 

May Rohays Rest In Peace.