The 60th Birthday of Princess Blanche d'Orléans

Princess Blanche with her mother Princess Marie-Thérèse, Duchess of Montpensier. Photo (c) Getty Images / Pool Van der Putten/Croy.

Today, Princess Blanche d'Orléans celebrates her sixtieth birthday!

The Count and Countess of Clermont with their four eldest children, 1965. From left to right: Princess Marie, Princess Blanche, the Countess of Clermont holding Prince Jean, the Count of Clermont, and Prince François.

Born on 10 September 1962 at Ravensburg, Princess Blanche Elisabeth Rose Marie d'Orléans was the third child and second daughter of the then-Count and Countess of Clermont. Blanche's parents, Prince Henri d'Orléans (1933-2019; later Count of Paris) and Duchess Marie-Thérèse of Württemberg (b.1934; later Duchess of Montpensier), had married in 1957. Princess Blanche joined two older siblings, Princess Marie (b.1959; married Prince Gundakar of Liechtenstein) and Prince François (1961-2017), and was followed by two younger siblings, Prince Jean (b.1965; married Philomena de Tornos) and Prince Eudes (b.1968; married Marie-Liesse de Rohan-Chabot).

The Countess of Clermont and her children with their maternal grandmother Duchess Rosa of Württemberg, Christmas 1981.

The Duchess of Montpensier with her five children, 1984.

Both Blanche and her older brother François were born with mental and physical handicaps which only became apparent as the children grew up. Their mother had unknowingly developed toxoplasmosis during these two pregnancies. In 1977, Marie-Thérèse told Point de Vue: "François, whom you saw with us, and Blanche form the center of our family, through their exquisite kindness, the purity of their souls and the deep joy they engender in our hearts." In 1981, the Countess of Clermont commented when asked about these two special children: "You ask me for news of François and Blanche. It touches me and I thank you for it. Although their health forever prohibits them from exercising responsibility - I am their legal guardian - they are nonetheless the radiant center of our family life. Their gentleness and peace have certainly helped to deepen all of our lives. This does not prevent many practical problems from having to be solved. Thanks be to God, we have always succeeded." 

We wish the Princess a very happy birthday!

The 60th Birthday of the Earl of St Andrews, Future Duke of Kent

Edward and Katharine with their son George, July 1962.

On 26 June 1962, George Philip Nicholas Windsor, Earl of St Andrews, was born at the family home of Coppins in Iver, Buckinghamshire. George was the first child of the Duke and Duchess of Kent, who had married in 1961. At the time of his birth, the Earl of St Andrews was tenth in the line of succession to the British throne. He was also the first male-line member of the extended British royal house to not be born with a princely title; it was noted at the time of his birth that the Earl of St Andrews would become the first non-royal Duke of Kent whenever the time came for him to succeed to the title. The newest addition to the Kent branch of the Royal Family weighed 6 1/4 lbs. 

The statement released from Coppins following his arrival read: "Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Kent was safely delivered of a son at three o'clock this afternoon. Both the Duchess and her child are well. [signed] John H. Pell." Indeed, Sir John Pell, the gynaecologist of HM Queen Elizabeth II, led the team of doctors who attended the Duchess of Kent at the birth. 

The Earl of St Andrews was christened in the music room at Buckingham Palace on 14 September 1962. George received as godparents: Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh; Princess Alexandra, Mrs Angus Ogilvy; Mr Oliver Worsley; and Lady Lily Serena Lumley. The christening of the Earl of St Andrews was officiated by Dr A M Ramsey, the Archbishop of Canterbury; the little earl wore the christening robe of Honiton lace worn by Queen Victoria's children, as well as by the earl's late grandfather George and his father Edward. In addition to the Duke and Duchess of Kent, the attendees included The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh, the Queen Mother, the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, Princess Marina Duchess of Kent, Princess Mary the Princess Royal, Princess Alexandra, Prince Michael of Kent, Prince Paul and Princess Olga of Yugoslavia, Sir William Worsley and Lady Worsley, Mr and Mrs Marcus Worsley, and Mr Oliver Worsley. A reception was held afterward at Kensington Palace. 

Our best wishes to the Earl of St Andrews on his birthday!

The 60th Birthday of Prince Christoph of Bavaria

Princess Gudila and Prince Christoph of Bavaria.

Today Prince Christoph of Bavaria celebrates his sixtieth birthday!

Born on 5 May 1962 at Schloss Leutstetten, Prince Christoph Ludwig Maria of Bavaria is the fifth child and third son of Prince Rasso of Bavaria and Archduchess Theresa of Austria-Tuscany. Christoph has six siblings: Princess Maria-Theresia (b.1956; married Count Tamás Kornis de Göncz-Ruszka), Prince Franz-Josef (b.1957), Princess Elisabeth (b.1959; married Count Andreas von Kuefstein), Prince Wolfgang (b.1960; married 1st Countess Beatrice zu Lodron-Laterano und Castelromano; married 2nd Tatiana Eames), Princess Benedikta (b.1961; married Baron Rudolf von Freyberg-Eisenberg-Allmendingen), and, lastly, Princess Gisela (b.1964; married Prince Alexander of Saxony, Margrave of Meissen). 

The prince married Countess Gudila von Plettenberg-Lenhausen (b.1962) in a civil ceremony at Munich on 18 August 1994 and in a religious wedding at Lenhausen on 20 August. Prince Christoph and Princess Gudila have three sons and one daughter: Prince Corbinian (b.1996), Prince Stanislaus (b.1997), Prince Marcello (b.1998) and Princess Odilia (b.2002). 

 

Prince Christoph of Bavaria is a certified farmer and forest warden. The prince is the Grand Prior of the Bavarian Order of Saint George as well as a Knight of the Bavarian Order of Saint Hubert.

 

Our best wishes to the Prince on his birthday!

The 60th Birthday of Duchess Caroline of Oldenburg

Duchess Caroline of Oldenburg in 2013.

Today, Duchess Caroline of Oldenburg celebrates her sixtieth birthday.

Born on 10 April 1962 at Kiel, Countess Caroline zu Rantzau was the youngest child and second daughter of Count Christian zu Rantzau (1924-2002) and Héloise von Lettow-Vorbeck (1923-2018), who wed in 1954. Caroline's paternal uncle Count Kuno zu Rantzau and maternal aunt Ursula von Lettow-Vorbeck had married in 1953.

In 1987, Caroline married Duke Christian of Oldenburg (b.1955), the eldest son of Duke Anton Günther of Oldenburg (1923-2014) and Princess Ameli zu Löwenstein-Wertheim-Freudenberg (1923-2016). Duke Christian and Duchess Caroline of Oldenburg have four children: Duke Alexander (b.1990), Duke Philipp (b.1991), Duke Anton (b.1993), and Duchess Katharina (b.1997). 

Many happy returns to the Duchess of Oldenburg on her birthday!