A Royal Romance: Twenty Years of Marriage for the Duke and Duchess of Calabria

The Duke and Duchess of Calabria at the Royal Palace in Madrid, 2019. Photograph (c) Bekia.

Today, Prince Pedro and Princess Sofía of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, Duke and Duchess of Calabria, celebrate their twentieth anniversary!

Doña Sofía arrives at the wedding with her father Don José Manuel Landaluce.

The Duke of Noto arrives at the wedding.

On 30 March 2001, Prince Pedro, Duke of Noto, and Doña Sofía Landaluce y Melgarejo were married in the chapel at the Real Club Puerto de Hierro in Madrid. Father Marco Álvarez de Toledo y Marone, a grandson of Infanta Cristina of Spain, officiated at the religious ceremony. Don José Manuel Landaluce acted as the godfather for the couple; Princess Anne, Duchess of Calabria, acted as godmother. Among others, the wedding was attended by the Prince of Asturias (now King Felipe VI of Spain), Infanta Elena and her husband Don Jaime, and Infanta Margarita and her husband Dr Carlos Zurita.

Pedro and Sofía.

Born in 1968, Prince Pedro of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, Duke of Noto, was the only son of Infante Carlos of Spain, Prince of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, and his wife Princess Anne d'Orléans. Pedro's paternal grandparents were Infante Alfonso of Spain, Prince of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, and his wife Princess Alicia of Bourbon-Parma. Pedro's maternal grandparents were Prince Henri d'Orléans, Count of Paris, and his wife Princess Isabelle of Orléans-Bragança. Born in 1973, Doña Sofía Landaluce y Melgarejo was the daughter of Don José Manuel Landaluce y Dominguez and his wife Doña Blanca Melgarejo y Gonzales. Sofía's paternal grandparents were Don Francisco Landaluce y Asensio and Doña Manuela Dominguez. Sofía's maternal grandparents were Don Carlos Melgarejo y Tordesillas (a son of the 5th Duke de San Fernando de Quiroga) and Doña Emilia Gonzáles y Gonzáles de Jonte. The marriage of the Duke of Noto and Doña Sofía Landaluce y Melgarejo was the crowning of a loving relationship of almost ten years, which had began in 1991. Pedro and Sofía had known one another since they were teenagers. A strong bond formed between them formed: their romance commenced when Pedro was twenty-three and Sofía was eighteen. In 1993, the couple welcomed the arrival of their first child, a son: Jaime (now Duke of Noto). Pedro's father Infante Carlos, Duke of Calabria, hoped for a royal bride for his only son and heir; therefore, paternal and dynastic approval for the couple to marry was not immediately forthcoming. 

Pedro and Sofía with their son Jaime.

Despite the lack of approval, Pedro and Sofía maintained their relationship. Sofía focused on raising their son Jaime, and Pedro regularly spent time with his beloved and their child. Over the years, Sofía won over her eventual father-in-law Carlos. The dedication of Pedro and Sofía to one another and their child, as well as their desire to be married, was ultimately victorious. Infante Carlos, Duke of Calabria, served as one of the witnesses to the couple when they married in 2001.

The Duke and Duchess of Calabria with their children, 2015.

After their marriage, the Duke and Duchess of Noto had a further six children: Prince Juan (b.2003), Prince Pablo (b.2004), Prince Pedro (b.2007), Princess Sofia (b.2008), Princess Blanca (b.2011), and Princess Maria (b.2015). Although the children of the Notos were initially not considered to be dynasts, the Duke of Calabria decided after 2004 that the children of his son and daughter-in-law should, in fact (and rightfully so), be styled as Royal Highnesses and Prince(ss) of Bourbon-Two Sicilies. 

The Duke and Duchess of Calabria arrive at the funeral of Infanta Alicia, 2017. Photograph (c) Getty Images/Europa Press Entertainment.

In 2015, Pedro's father Infante Carlos passed away. Prince Pedro succeeded as the Head of the Royal House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies; he and his wife Sofía became titled as Duke and Duchess of Calabria. In 2020, the couple announced the engagement of their eldest son Prince Jaime, Duke of Noto, to Lady Charlotte Lindesay-Bethune. The wedding was originally scheduled for Summer 2021; however, due to the global coronavirus pandemic, the marriage has had to be delayed.

The Duke and Duchess of Calabria.

Our congratulations to Prince Pedro and Princess Sofía, Duke and Duchess of Calabria, on their 20th wedding anniversary!

A Century Since the Birth of Princess Alexandra of Greece, Future Queen of Yugoslavia

Queen Sophia of Greece with her granddaughter Alexandra, April 1921.

 

On 25 March 1921, Aspasia Manos gave birth to a daughter at Athens. The infant was named Alexandra. Her father, the late King Alexander I of the Hellenes, had died on 25 October 1920.

A lithograph of King Alexander I of the Hellenes and Aspasia Manos, circa 1918.

In 1915, Prince Alexander of Greece, son of King Constantine I of the Hellenes and his wife Queen Sophia (born Princess of Prussia), met Aspasia Manos, daughter of Colonel Petros Manos and his first wife Maria Argyropoulos. After a time, the couple became secretly engaged. This was necessary owing to the fact that the Greek royal family expected its members to marry other royals: this was a check mark that Mademoiselle Manos did not tick. In 1917, Alexander was compelled to become the King of the Hellenes after his father King Constantine was forced off the throne and his older brother Crown Prince George was not considered malleable by the then Greek government. Save for the new king, the entire Greek royal family was forced to go into exile. Aspasia was Alexander's sole support on the home front. The couple secretly married on 17 November 1919. 

Aspasia Manos and King Alexander I of the Hellenes.
Photograph (c) Alamy.

Alexander and Aspasia were just shy of marking their first wedding anniversary when the king died as the result of a tragic accident. Aspasia was four months pregnant when her husband passed away. Five months after Alexander's death, Aspasia gave birth to their only child, who was named Alexandra in honour of her father. Alexandra's grandfather King Constantine I and her great-grandmother Queen Dowager Olga served as her godfather and godmother. In July 1922, Alexandra was retroactively recognised as Her Royal Highness Princess Alexandra of Greece and Denmark, albeit with the caveat that she was not to be considered a Greek dynast. In September 1922, Alexandra's mother Aspasia was also given the style and title Her Royal Highness Princess Aspasia of Greece and Denmark. 

Princess Aspasia and her daughter Princess Alexandra.

After the overthrow of monarchy in 1924, Princess Aspasia and her daughter Alexandra followed the royal family into exile. For a period, mother and daughter lived in Fiesole, Italy, with Alexandra's grandmother Queen Dowager Sophia, who was very fond of her granddaughter. In 1927, Aspasia and Alexandra briefly relocated to the United Kingdom, and then returned to Italy after Aspasia purchased the villa The Garden of Eden in Venice. Aspasia and Alexandra remained in Venice until the outbreak of the Greco-Italian War in 1940, which necessitated the princesses leaving Fascist Italy, the enemy of their homeland. After periods in Egypt and South Africa, Aspasia and Alexandra moved to the United Kingdom.

King Peter II and Queen Alexandra of Yugoslavia with their son Crown Prince Alexander.

In 1942, Princess Alexandra of Greece and Denmark met King Peter II of Yugoslavia in London. Two years later, the couple were married in the British capital with King George VI and Queen Elizabeth as guests. In 1945, King Peter and Queen Alexandra of Yugoslavia welcomed the arrival of their only child, Crown Prince Alexander. 

The last King and Queen of Yugoslavia, Paris, 1967.

King Peter II of Yugoslavia died in 1970, aged only forty-seven. For much of her life, Queen Alexandra of Yugoslavia suffered from mental health difficulties; she was ably looked after by her mother Princess Aspasia, who passed away in 1972. Queen Alexandra of Yugoslavia's health remained precarious. She spent her later years in a British nursing home. On 30 January 1993, Queen Alexandra of Yugoslavia passed away at Burgess Hill, West Sussex. Alexandra was seventy-one years-old. The queen was survived by her son Crown Prince Alexander of Serbia and her three grandsons.

The 25th Birthday of Dom Afonso, Prince of Beira

The Prince of Beira.

On 25 March 1996, Dom Afonso de Santa Maria Miguel Gabriel Rafael de Bragança was born at Lisbon. Afonso is the eldest son of Infante Dom Duarte Pio, Duke of Bragança, and Dª. Isabel Inês Castro Curvello of Herédia. As his father's heir, he has the style of Royal Highness and the title of Prince of Beira. However, he is not considered an infant of Portugal, as this title is traditionally reserved for younger royal children, the result of a royal warrant issued in 1455 by King Afonso V of Portugal, to commemorate the birth of the future João II. Dom Afonso is the first in line to the throne of Portugal.

 

The Duke and Duchess of Braganza with their son Afonso.
Photograph (c) Homem Cardoso.

Afonso was baptised in the Cathedral of Braga on 1 June 1996. The ceremony was celebrated by the Archbishop of Braga, Dom Eurico Dias Nogueira. The Prince of Beira's godparents are Dom Afonso de Herédia, the brother of the Duchess of Braganza, and Princess Elena Sofia of Bourbon-Two Sicilies. 

 

Dom Afonso, Prince of Beira.

Afonso studied at St. Julian's School on the Portuguese Riviera, Planalto College in Lisbon, and The Oratory School, a Catholic public school in England. He also studied Political Science and International Relations at the Portuguese Catholic University at the Institute of Political Studies in Lisbon. The Prince of Beira has now completed his studies at the Catholic University and is doing an internship at the Portuguese-American Chamber of Commerce. He also completed the course and training, and today he is a firefighter in the Royal Association of Volunteer Firefighters of Lisbon. This association of firefighters was founded by Infante Dom Afonso, brother of King Dom Carlos.

 

The Duchess of Bragança with her children (left to right) Dom Afonso, Dona Francisca, and Dom Diniz.

In August 2018, Afonso joined as an intern in the Department of Social and Pre-Hospital Emergency, in the Volunteer Fire Department of Lisbon, following in the footsteps of Dom Afonso, Duke of Porto, who was Honorary Commander of this same brigade.

 

The Duke of Bragança with his children (left to right) Dom Diniz, Dom Afonso, and Dona Francisca.

Through his father's connections to Timor, Afonso was appointed Honorary Liurai in September 2014, when he and his family visited the country to participate in the second senate session of the Liural Association, which represents the descendants of the island's tribal kings. The Prince of Beira is also the patron of the Prince of Beira Biomedical Sciences Award.

Dom Afonso, Prince of Beira.

 

Many happy returns of the day to the Prince of Beira!

30 Years Since the Passing of Nicholas Phillips, Master of Luton Hoo

Nicholas Phillips.
Photograph by Lord Litchfield.

A little over thirty years ago, the last guardian of Luton Hoo passed away. Nicholas Phillips was found dead in his car in the garage of Luton Hoo on 1 March 1991. Mr Phillips was only forty-three years old.

The wedding of Harold Phillips and Georgina Wernher.

Born on 23 August 1947 at London, Nicholas "Nicky" Harold Phillips was the only son of Lieutenant Colonel Harold "Bunnie" Phillips (1909–1980) and his wife Georgina "Gina" Wernher (1919-2011; later Lady Kennard), who wed in 1944. Nicholas had four sisters: Alexandra "Sacha" (1946-2018; later Duchess of Abercorn), Fiona (b.1951), Marita (b.1954), and Natalia (b.1959; later Duchess of Westminster). Nicholas Phillips was the maternal grandson of Major-General Sir Harold Augustus Wernher, 3rd Baronet, and his wife Countess Anastasia "Zia" de Torby. Through his grandmother Zia, Nicholas was the great-grandson of Grand Duke Michael Mikhailovich of Russia and his wife Countess Sophie von Merenberg. Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, served as Nicholas' godfather at his christening.

Nicky and Lucy Phillips, 1984.

Photograph (c) Desmond O'Neill Features Ltd: www.donfeatures.com.

On 18 October 1975 at Salzburg, Nicholas Phillips married Countess Marie Lucie "Lucy" Czernin von Chudenitz (b.Graz 16 May 1941), the daughter of Count Paul Czernin von Chudenitz and his wife Baroness Elisabeth von Gudenus. Nicholas and Lucy had two children: Charlotte Sonia Maria Phillips (b.Paris 22 December 1976) and Edward Phillips (b.London 2 November 1981; married Marina Wilson). 

Nicky and Lucy Phillips at Luton Hoo.

After learning of Nicholas' death, the Hon. Jeremy Soames, a grandson of British Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill, wrote: 

 

Nicholas Phillips's many friends will be deeply shocked and saddened by the news of his tragic death. His natural reserve belied a thoroughly cultured, astute, and generous mind.

Following university in Switzerland and a period as a banker in Paris, Nicky returned to England and immersed himself in his family's business interests. The international approach he inherited from his grandparents and cultivated in his own lifetime, added an extra dimension.

His meticulous running of his family's estate at Luton Hoo and his ability to enhance its appeal and access to the local community has set a fine example for others in privileged positions to follows. A respected racehorse breeder, he directed a considerable amount of energy towards the administration of British racing. It was typical of Nicky that he should wish to make a contribution to a sport which had provided him and his family with so much pleasure.

He enjoyed and appreciated the many treasures which his family had accumulated, but his real pleasure came from sharing the with his many friends and the community around Luton Hoo. His unaffected generosity will be widely remembered. 

May his memory be a blessing. 

The Chaumet Lacis Tiara for the Russian Imperial Wedding in October!

THE CHAUMET LACIS TIARA FOR PRINCESS VICTORIA ROMANOVNA

 

The Chaumet Lacis Tiara.
Photograph (c) Chaumet.

In news that will delight royal jewellery watchers, the future Princess Victoria Romanovna Romanoff will be wearing a magnificent tiara created by Maison Chaumet when she marries Grand Duke George Mikhailovich of Russia. Grand Duke George is the son of Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna, head of the Russian Imperial House, and Prince Franz-Wilhelm of Prussia. Victoria Romanovna Bettarini is the daughter of Ambassador and Sigra. Roberto Bettarini. Maison Chaumet has crafted exceptional tiaras, jewels, and timepieces at the very heart of the place Vendôme since 1780. The High Jewellery savoir-faire of the Maison has been passed down through generations of jewellers for almost 240 years. The bride-to-be of the heir to the Imperial House of Russia recently joined Jérôme Carron and David Nivière of Point de Vue when she visited Chaumet's Parisian headquarters to select her nuptial diadem. Victoria was presented with eleven tiaras, one of which was the Chaumet Bourbon-Parma Tiara, from which to made her choice. After consideration, Victoria Romanovna decided upon a piece that has never been worn before: the Lacis Tiara. 

Grand Duke George Mikhailovich and the future Princess Victoria Romanovna.
Photograph (c) Russian Imperial Chancellery.

Maison Chaumet provides this description of the tiara:

Lacis tiara in white gold, set with one oval-cut D VVS1 diamond of 5.02 carats, one pear-shaped D VVS2 diamond of 2.21 carats and brilliant-cut diamonds.

A subtle interplay of light and transparency is orchestrated by the crossing of fils couteau mountings, an iconic virtuosity of the Maison which seems to render the metal structure invisible in order to let the stones sparkle.

Recalling the stone latticework and mashrabiyas of contemporary architecture, with its white gold interlacing Lacis delineates symmetrical and delicate jewellery while also suggesting maze of narrow streets. This modern reinterpretation of diamond mesh, an historic Chaumet signature, is especially striking in the form of a light tiara, a secret watch, and rings and bracelets with airy volumes.

The Lacis tiara took over 800 hours of work by Chaumet’s jewellers, polishers and gem-setters to create. The tiara's creation was completed in July 2020. The tiara is made of white gold and over 438 brilliant diamonds of varying sizes.

Source: Chaumet Lacis tiara

The Lacis Tiara.
Photograph (c) Chaumet.

A side view of the Lacis Tiara.
Photograph (c) Chaumet.

In Point de Vue, Rebecca Victoria Romanovna Bettarini notes that she was particularly drawn to this piece as its shape recalls a kokoshnik, the traditional Russian headdress. The Lacis tiara was created by Benoît Verhulle, the Chaumet chef d'atelier. It will be a worthy addition to this historic Russian imperial wedding.

MAISON CHAUMET AND THE ROMANOVS

 

Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna Senior and the Chaumet Waterfall Tiara.

 

Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna, wife of Grand Duke Vladimir (the brother of Tsar Alexander III and the uncle of Tsar Nicholas II), was certainly the Russian imperial client most in contact with Joseph Chaumet. The grand duchess's first major acquisition, in 1899, was a “waterfall” tiara typical of the jeweller’s designs: three clusters ended in dangling briolette-cut diamonds that gave the illusion of drops of water about to fall. Indeed, the Waterfall Tiara was intended as a gift from Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich to his wife on the occasion of their silver wedding anniversary. It is worth noting that Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna is the great-great-grandmother of Grand Duke George Mikhailovich.

Princess Irina Alexandrovna Yusupov wearing her Chaumet Sunburst Tiara.

Another notable Romanov client of Chaumet was Princess Irina Alexandrovna of Russia, Princess Yusupov, who arranged for all of the jewels she received for her wedding to be designed and created by the jewellery firm.

 

+++++++

 

For an English-language translation of the Point de Vue article, please see The Russian Legitimist. 

For an English-language interview with Monsieur Benoît Verhulle of Maison Chaumet, please see “The Chaumet method is to say that we will succeed."

The Little Known Daughter-In-Law of King Peter I of Serbia: Radmila Radonjić

 

Former Crown Prince George of Serbia and his wife Radmila.

On 4 July 1907 at Njeguši, Montenegro, Radmila Radonjić was born into a notable Montenegrin family. In 1947, she married the former Crown Prince George of Serbia (1887-1972), eldest son of King Peter I of Serbia (1844-1921) and Princess Zorka of Montenegro (1864-1890). Radmila later recounted how she encountered her future husband and how their relationship progressed: "I met my husband during the war. He came regularly to see my relatives in Dedinje. These were only short visits. Our feelings for one another came later, only in 1946, because we met again after the war. Then our wedding took place, without the usual ceremonies. It was a civil marriage. The prince did not allow any parades and ceremonies." Radmila and George religiously wed in 1955. The couple did not have children. 

Radmila Radonjić.

Radmila was widowed when Prince George of Serbia died at Belgrade on 17 October 1972. The prince, aged eighty-four, had been ill with an heart ailment for some period. His passing was briefly noted in the Yugoslavian press by the national news agency Tanjug (Танјуг): "Đorđe Karađorđević, born in 1887, was the first Serbian heir to the throne up to 1909, when he renounced all rights of succession. He was a brave fighter in the Balkan wars and in the First World War." In his old age, Belgrade residents remembered that Prince George was a frequent visit to Hunter's Café near the British embassy. The prince would dress in an old suite and a Basque beret, sitting for hours while drinking either brandy or Turkish coffee and chatting with friends. Prince George outlived all of his siblings: his sister Princess Jelena, who married Prince Ioann Konstantinovich of Russia, died in 1962; and his brother King Alexander I of Yugoslavia, who married Princess Marie of Romania, was assassinated in 1934. George of Serbia was buried at the Royal Mausoleum at Saint George's Church in Oplenac.

Prince Karl Vladimir of Yugoslavia and Radmila Radonjić in the 1990s.

 

Radmila Karageorgevich survived her husband by over two decades. She gave additional insights into her life with her late husband Prince George: "Never respecting the rules of the royal court, which, by the way, he considered a stupid fabrication, George did not even find it necessary to inform about his marriage to the king in exile [his nephew King Peter II]. Even less did he consider to ask or expect the king's approval of his marriage, as required by court rules. Our life in the prince's villa at Dedinje went on as usual. Since George was educated up in military schools from an early age, he knew how to follow an established order. Almost every day, we went fishing, on the Sava or at Ritopek behind Vinča." 

 

Radmila's grave at Oplenac.

 

At the age of eighty-six, Radmila Karageorgevich died at Belgrade on 5 September 1993. In a similar manner to her husband, who had survived all of his siblings, Radmila outlived all of her royal in-laws. Her sister-in-law Princess Jelena's husband Prince Ioann Konstantinovich of Russia was murdered by the Bolsheviks in 1918 during the Russian Revolution, and her brother-in-law King Alexander of Serbia's wife Queen Marie passed away in 1960. Radmila Radonjić Karageorgevich, who in a different world might have been Crown Princess of Serbia, was buried next to her husband at Oplenac.

 

Love in the Time of Covid: A Princely Marriage in Paris

Newlyweds: Prince Joachim and Princess Yasmine Murat.
Photograph (c) Frederic de Natal.

On 5 March 2021, Prince Joachim Murat, Principe di Monte-Corvo, married Yasmine Briki. A civil marriage, the Murat/Briki union took place at the mairie of the 10th arrondissement in Paris. The nuptials were attended by Grand Duke George Mikhailovich of Russia and his fiancée Victoria Romanovna Bettarini. The ceremony took place in accordance with the Covid-19 restrictions that are in place in France.

Grand Duke George of Russia, Prince Joachim Murat, Prince David Bagrationi of Georgia attend the wedding of Crown Prince Leka and Crown Princess Elia of Albania, 2016.
Photograph (c) Getty Images / Luc Castel.

 

Prince Joachim and Princess Yasmine Murat with their family.
Photograph (c) Frederic de Natal.

 

Born at Paris on 3 May 1973, Prince Joachim Napoléon Murat is the only son of Prince Joachim Louis Napoléon, 8th Prince Murat, 7th Principe di Pontecorvo (b.1944) and his first wife Laurence Marie Gabrielle Mouton (b.1945), who wed in 1969. The recent noble groom has four sisters: Princess Caroline (b.1971), Princess Laetitia (b.1975; married Denis Charissoux), and the twins Princess Elisa and Princess Pauline (b.1977). Prince Joachim Murat is a descendant of Joachim Murat, 1st Prince Murat, Grand Duke of Berg, and King of Naples, as well as his wife Caroline Bonaparte, one of the sisters of Napoléon Bonaparte, Emperor of the French. 

 

Princess Yasmine Murat.
Photograph (c) Instagram.

 

Born in Algeria on 23 February 1982, Yasmine Lorraine Briki is a descendant of a noble Yemeni family. The new Princess Murat is the CEO and Founder of the Gouvernance Think Tank and Magazine. Princess Yasmine is also the President of United Hopes.

 

Our congratulations to Prince Joachim and Princess Yasmine on the occasion of their wedding!

 

Note: One wishes to extend thanks to dear friend Frederic de Natal for informing of this princely wedding and for allowing the use his photographs. You can read his French-language article about the Murat nuptials here at his blog: Le Prince Joachim & Yasmine, un mariage royal en cette année Napoléon.

The 85th Birthday of Fürst Wittekind zu Waldeck und Pyrmont

Fürst Wittekind of Waldeck and Pyrmont.

Today, Fürst Wittekind zu Waldeck und Pyrmont celebrates his eighty-fifth birthday.

Hereditary Prince Josias zu Waldeck und Pyrmont and Duchess Altburg of Oldenburg.

Prince Wittekind Adolf Heinrich Georg-Wilhelm zu Waldeck und Pyrmont was born on 9 March 1936 at Arolsen. The prince was the only son and fourth of five children of Prince Josias zu Waldeck und Pyrmont (1896-1967) and his wife Duchess Altburg of Oldenburg (1903-2001), who married in 1922. Wittekind has four sisters: Princess Margarethe (1923-2003; married Count Franz August zu Erbach-Erbach), Princess Alexandra (1924-2009; married Fürst Botho zu Bentheim und Steinfurt), Princess Ingrid (b.1931), and Princess Guda (b.1939; married 1st Fürst Friedrich Wilhelm zu Wied, married 2nd Horst Dierkes). 

 

The wedding of Countess Cecilie von Goëß-Saurau and Fürst Wittekind zu Waldeck und Pyrmont.

On 1 April 1988 at Frohnleiten, Styria, Fürst Wittekind zu Waldeck und Pyrmont civilly married Countess Cecilie von Goëß-Saurau (b.Frohnleiten 23 August 1956). Wittekind and Cecilie's religious wedding took place on 19 May 1988 at Arolsen. Fürstin Cecilie zu Waldeck und Pyrmont is a daughter of Count Carl-Anton von Goëß-Saurau (1921-2015) and his wife Baroness Maria Mayr von Melnhof (1921-1996), who wed in 1948. Cecilie of Waldeck and Pyrmont is a cousin of Count Moritz von Goëß, the husband of Duchess Fleur of Württemberg. 

 

The three princes Waldeck-Pyrmont.

 

Wittekind and Cecilie have three sons. Hereditary Prince Carl Anton of Waldeck-Pyrmont was born at Arolsen on 25 December 1991. The hereditary prince was followed by twin sons: Prince Josias and Prince Johannes were born at Arolsen on 7 July 1993. 

 

Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands, Fürstin Cecilie, and Fürst Wittekind of Waldeck-Pyrmont.

 

Fürst Wittekind of Waldeck-Pyrmont is the second cousin of Princess Beatrix of the Netherlands (b.1938; former Queen). Wittekind and Beatrix are both great-grandchildren of Grand Duke Friedrich Franz II of Mecklenburg-Schwerin and Princess Marie of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt.

 

 

 

Many happy returns of the day to Fürst Wittekind!

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are Expecting a Daughter!

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex.

It has been announced that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are expecting a baby girl. The second child and first daughter of the Sussexes will be eighth in the line of succession to the British throne. Prince Harry of Wales, later Duke of Sussex, is the second son of Charles, Prince of Wales, and his late first wife Lady Diana Spencer. In May 2018, Prince Harry married Rachel Meghan Markle. In May 2019, the Duke and Duchess welcomed the arrival of their first child, Archie Mountbatten-Windsor. The Duchess of Sussex suffered a miscarriage in Summer 2020. Baby Girl Sussex is expected in Summer 2021.

Our congratulations to the Duke and Duchess as well as their son on this happy news!

Russian Imperial Wedding in October 2021 at St Petersburg

From the Chancellery of the Head of the Imperial House of Russia

The Chancellery of the Head of the Russian Imperial House, H.I.H. The Grand Duchess Maria of Russia, has the honour and pleasure to announce that the wedding of Her son and heir, H.I.H. Grand Duke George of Russia, and His fiancée, Miss Victoria Romanovna (Rebecca Virginia) Bettarini, will take place on October 1, 2021, in St. Petersburg.

Alexander N. Zakatov
Director
Chancellery of Her Imperial Highness
Moscow, March 5, 2021

Photograph (c) Lodovico Colli di Felizzano

The announcement from the Imperial Chancellery.

Photograph (c) Vlada Krassilnikova for Paris Match.

Our congratulations to the happy couple on this wonderful news!

The 60th Birthday of the Duke of Fife, Cousin of the Queen

David Carnegie, 4th Duke of Fife.

 Today, His Grace The Duke of Fife celebrates his sixtieth birthday.

 

Charles Carnegie, Duke of Fife, in 1985.
Photograph by Allan Warren.

Born on 3 March 1961 at London, David Charles Carnegie was the only son of Charles Carnegie (1929-2015), 3rd Duke of Fife, and his former wife the Hon. Caroline Dewar (b.1934), who married in 1956. David has one elder sister: Lady Alexandra Carnegie (b.1959; married Mark Etherington). David's parents Charles and Caroline divorced in 1966. 

On 16 June 1987 at London, David Carnegie, then Earl of Macduff, married Caroline Anne Bunting (b.13 November 1961), daughter of Martin Brian Bunting and Veronica Mary Cope. David and Caroline have three sons: Lord Charles Duff Carnegie (b.1989; now Earl of Southesk; married Camille Ascoli), Lord George William Carnegie (b.1991), and Lord Hugh Alexander Carnegie (b.1993).

Princess Eugenie of York and the Duke of Fife.
Photograph (c) Alamy.

After the death of his father in 2015, David succeeded as the 4th Duke of Fife. The Duke and Duchess of Fife live at Elsick House, which is the family home of the ducal family.

The Duke of Fife with the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh.
Photograph (c) Getty Images.

The Duke of Fife is the paternal grandson of Charles Carnegie (1893-1992), 11th Earl of Southesk, and Princess Maud of Fife (1893-1945). The duke is also the paternal great-grandson of Alexander Duff (1849-1912), 1st Duke of Fife, and Princess Louise of Great Britain (1867-1931). Owing to his descent from Queen Victoria, the Duke of Fife is in line to the succession of the British throne. He is a second cousin once removed of HM The Queen.

Many happy returns of the day to His Grace!