The Eulogy of Crown Prince Pavlos of Greece for His Father The King

 

Crown Prince Pavlos of Greece.

During today's funeral service for King Constantine II of the Hellenes, his eldest son and heir Crown Prince Pavlos of Greece delivered a very moving eulogy to his father. The crown prince spoke first in Greek and then in English for the international guests in the Metropolitan Cathedral of Athens. The following is a transcript of his English-language remarks:

Dear Papa, Constantine, Your Majesty, Grandfather, Olympic Champion,

For your dear Queen, our Mother, for us the children, your grandchildren, and for all those come who together on this day to say farewell to you for the last time, and for all those who honor your memory, and for all those [for whom] it is not possible to be here today. 

My father, this is not the end. You shall always live in our minds and hearts, as it happens in every Greek family when they lose the dearest and most precious figure in their life. 

At a very young age, you lost your father, King Pavlos, my grandfather; however, you always remained loyal to the legacy that he conveyed to you. When at the age of eighteen, you became Crown Prince of Greece and received your commission as an officer in glorified Greek armed forces. His advice to you, and this was very dear to you, and I quote: 'Devote your life to the happiness of the Motherland for it is the most noble, remarkable mission. Always remember that it is better for the king to suffer and not for the people or the country. You are the guardian and protector of your Church.' This is the legacy my grandfather left to you. That [legacy] has now passed to myself, my brothers, your grandchildren, and we will protect it and honour it for the rest of our lives. 

As an Olympian, you honoured your country by winning the gold medal for the 1960 Olympic Games, you brought honour to the blue and white flag of Greece and to our homeland. Your victory was a feat of tactical and physical endurance on the sea that you navigated and your close dedicated crew towards an ultimate victory.

It was a truly challenging era when you ascended the throne, dear Father. Hard conflicts, opposite passions, and the results that no one wished for. From the very first moment, you tried to overthrow the coup, your efforts did not come to a successful result. Yet you did not wish that your presence in Greece would provoke a bloodshed. Always loyal to the legacy your father had given to you and respectfully accepted this decision of the Greek people. 

Your love for youth, education, and international sport has been constant. You formed the Hellenic College of London, the international school organisation of Round Square, as well as active participation in the International Olympic Committee and the World Sailing Federation. Your relationship with the International Olympic Committee led to our 2004 Olympics held here in Greece which was one of your greatest feats.

Family was a core value to you and our mother. It has always been your strong belief that it is the foundation of society. Together, you created a large family, inseparably united by love for each other and a sense of duty for the country. By the grace of God, you drew your last breath in our country, which you always loved above all else throughout your life. 

On this day, we, your children, your grandchildren, we are the future of your family here in our land and around the world, are ready, as you have always been, to offer to Greece whatever the country asks of us.

My strength is in the love of the people. This has always been the motto and guiding principle of our family. For us, and for all Greeks, the strength of the country lies in the love of the Greek people for their homeland. We, as you dear Papa, always love Hellas and its people.

Safe journey!

The Greek Royal Family as well as their family and friends then traveled to Tatoi, where the King was laid to rest, with a view of the sea, as he had wished. 

May God comfort the members of the Royal Family of Greece in their grief.

The Descent of Prince Alexander Romanoff from Empress Catherine the Great

 

Empress Catherine II of Russia (1729-1796)

|

Emperor Paul of Russia (1754-1801)

|

Emperor Nicholas I of Russia (1796-1855)

|

Emperor Alexander II of Russia (1818-1881)

|

Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich of Russia (1847-1909)

|

Grand Duke Kirill Vladimirovich of Russia (1876-1938)

|

Grand Duke Vladimir Kirillovich of Russia (1917-1992)

|

Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna of Russia (b.1953)

|

Grand Duke George Mikhailovich of Russia (b.1981)

|

Prince Alexander Georgievich Romanoff (b.2022) 

Princess Gabrielle d'Arenberg (1920-2022)

Princess Charles de Ligne, Madame Bertrand de la Haye Jousselin and Princess Armand d'Arenberg at a Parisian ball, 1950. Photo (c) Robert Doisneau.

On 1 August, Princess Gabrielle d'Arenbeg died at her home in Paris. She was 101 years-old.

Born on 8 September 1920 at Biarritz, Gabrielle Marie de Lambertye-Gerbéviller was the eldest daughter of Charles de Lambertye-Gerbéviller, marquis de Gerbéviller (1883-1940), and Lorena Sancho-Mata y Contreras (1896-1991), who wed in 1919. Gabrielle was joined by two younger sisters: Maria del Rosario (b.1922; married Prince Jean Charles de Ligne de La Trémoïlle), and Leontine (1925-2016; married Prince Albert-Edouard de Ligne). 

In August 1941 at Paris, Gabrielle de Lambertye-Gerbéviller married Prince Armand-Louis Hélie d'Arenberg (1906-1985). The couple had two children, a daughter and a son: Princess Mirabelle (b.1947; married 1st Louis-Jean Loppin, Comte de Montmort; married 2nd Georges Hervet) and Prince Charle (b.1949; married 1st Philomène Toulouse; married 2nd Diane d'Harcourt). 

The funeral of Princess Gabrielle will take place on 8 August at the parish church in Gerbeviller; she will be buried in the family vault.

Source: Disparition de la princesse Gabrielle d’Arenberg

May the Princess Rest in Peace.

Archaeologist and Author: Prince Erkinger von Schwarzenberg (1933-2022)

Prince Erkinger von Schwarzenberg died on 29 April at San Casciano, near Florence. The prince had turned eighty-nine years-old earlier that month.

The prince's father Johann and mother Kathleen.

Born on 8 April 1933 at Vienna, Prince Karl Erkinger Thaddäus von Schwarzenberg was the first child and only son of Prince Johann von Schwarzenberg (1903-1978) and Vicomtesse Kathleen de Spoelberch (1905-1978), who wed in 1931. Erkinger was joined by a younger sister, Princess Colienne (b.1937; married Count Maximilian Joseph von Meran). Erkinger's parents, Prince Johann and Princess Kathleen, were both killed in a motor vehicle accident on 26 May 1978 at Cittá della Pieve.

In 1946, Prince Johann and Princess Kathleen purchased a fifteenth-century villa in the countryside of San Casciano. Their son Erkinger was entranced by the villa and returned to live there permanently in 1978.

Erkinger Schwarzenberg attended Oxford and Princeton. His father was the Austrian ambassador to the United Kingdom. In 1957, while a student at Oxford, Erkinger became unofficially engaged to Alice Jolliffee, the daughter of the 4th Baron Hylton - the romance did not end in marriage. On 26 July 1962 at Athens, Prince Erkinger von Schwarzenberg married Elisabeth Constantinides (b.1943). Erkinger and Elisabeth had three children: Prince Johannes (b.1963), Princess Anna Gabriella (b.1964; married 1st Baron Philipp von Waechter; married 2nd Adam Dixon), and Prince Alexander Konstantin (b.1971; married 1st Annabel Dimitriadi; married 2nd Donna Elena Bonanno dei Principi di Linguaglossa). Erkinger and Elisabeth divorced in 1975. On 13 July 1977 at San Casciano, Prince Erkinger von Schwarzenberg married Countess Claudia zu Brandis (b.1949). Erkinger and Claudia had two daughters: Princess Gaia (b.1978; married Loïc van Cutsem), and Princess Ida (b.1980; married Baudouin de Troostembergh). 

Fluent in six languages, the prince was keenly interested in archeology and the history of art. He was also a passionate farmer. In 1966, Erkinger's book Die Grazien was published. In 1969, the prince contributed an article entitled "From the Alessandro Morente to the Alexandre Richelieu. The Portraiture of Alexander the Great in Seventeenth-Century Italy and France." which was published in the Journal of the Warburg and Courtauld Institutes.

Erkinger Schwarzenberg is survived by his wife, his five children, and his twenty grandchildren.

May the Prince Rest in Peace.

Source: San Casciano, addio a Karl Erkinger Schwarzenberg: a 89 anni muore il “principe contadino”

 

Archduchess Maria Immaculata of Austria-Tuscany (1933-2022)

Count Reinhart and Archduchess Immaculata at the wedding of their youngest son in 2000.  Photo (c) Seeger-Press.

Archduchess Maria Immaculata of Austria-Tuscany, Countess von und zu Hoensbroech died on 2 April 2022 at Engelskirchen, Germany. She was eighty-eight years-old. Maria Immaculata was buried at Schloß Kellenberg on 9 April.

The wedding of Archduke Theodor Salvator and Countess Maria Theresa, 1926.

Born on 7 December 1933 at Schloß Wallsee, Archduchess Maria Immakulata (Immaculata) Mathilde Elisabeth Gabriele Walburga Huberta of Austria-Tuscany was the third child and second daughter of Archduke Theodor Salvator (1899-1978) and Countess Maria Theresa von Waldburg zu Zeil und Trauchburg (1901-1967), who wed in 1926. Schloß Wallsee had been inherited by Archduke Theodor Salvator from his mother Archduchess Marie Valerie, the daughter of Emperor Franz Joseph of Austria. 

Archduke Franz Salvator of Austria-Tuscany, Princess Theresa of Bavaria, Countess Maria Immaculata von und zu Hoensbroech, and Archduke Karl Salvator.

Maria Immaculata had three siblings: Archduke Franz Salvator (1927-2012; married twice), Archduchess Theresa (b.1931; married Prince Rasso of Bavaria), and Archduke Karl Salvator (b.1936; married Edith Wenzl Baroness von Sternbach).

Maria Immaculata and Reinhart with their seven children.

On 14 May 1959 at Koslar, Archduchess Maria Immaculata of Austria-Tuscany civilly married Count Reinhart von und zu Hoensbroech (1926-2005), the fourth child and second son of Count Lothar von und zu Hoensbroech (1889-1951) and Baroness Helene de Loë (1896-1933). Maria Immaculata and Reinhart celebrated their religious marriage on 9 June 1959 at Schloß Wallsee. The couple went on to have seven children: Countess Alexandra (b.1960), Count Branco (b.1961; married Baroness Assunta von Lüninck), Countess Consuelo (b.1962; married Count Alexandre d'Hemricourt de Grünne), Countess Donata (b.1963; married Count Friedrich-August von Plettenberg), Countess Elena (b.1965; married Baron Georg von Holzhausen, one of the sons of Archduchess Maria Magdalena of Austria-Tuscany, a second cousin of Archduchess Maria Immaculata), Count Florian (b.1969; married Princess Desiree of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach), and Countess Gloria (b.1974). 

Kellenberg.

The couple raised their family at Schloß Kellenberg, the ancestral home of Count Reinhart. For many decades, Reinhart oversaw the castle and its estate; he was an accomplished forester. In April 1992, a fire almost completely destroyed the main part of the castle. Schloß Kellenberg was sold by the family in 2009. Together, Reinhart and Maria Immaculata enjoyed vacationing to locales which were not overwhelmed by tourists. In 2004, Archduchess Maria Immaculata attended the wedding of the Prince of Asturias (now King Felipe VI of Spain).

Archduchess Maria Immaculata and Count Reinhart at the wedding of Hereditary Prince Carl Christian von Wrede and Countess Katalin Bethlen de Bethlen, 2003. Photo (c) Seeger-Press / Minka Reddig.

Maria Immaculata was widowed on 8 June 2005 when her husband Reinhart died at the age of seventy-eight. The couple had been married forty-five years, and would have celebrated their forty-sixth anniversary the day after Count Reinhart passed away following a short illness. Now, Maria Immaculata has rejoined her husband.

Maria Immaculata with Pastor Stefan Bäuerle at Schloß Kellenberg, 2009. Photo (c) Jagodzinska.

May Maria Immaculata Rest in Peace.

The Teenage Californian Countess Swept Out to Sea in 1956

Camilla.

On 29 December 1956, Countess Camilla von Schönborn-Buchheim fell victim to the current of the sea and drowned at Strawberry Beach near Half Moon Bay (San Mateo), California. She was only seventeen years-old. Residents of the locale went on the record to state that many visitors to this beach had suffered the same fate. The countess had been with two friends when the tragedy occurred; one of these friends was also captured by the tide, but was able to be saved by the other friend. It was not until 31 December that Camilla's body was found by rescuers, as their search was hampered by the fog that often descended on that part of the Bay Area coast. 

Camilla and Friedrich Karl.

Born on 30 July 1939 at Graz, Countess Camilla Maria Helene Sofie Carolina von Schönborn-Buchheim was the only child of Count Friedrich Karl von Schönborn-Buchheim (1914-2011) and Countess Camilla Chorinsky, Baroness von Ledske (1918-1961), who married in 1938. Camilla's parents divorced in 1945. In 1951, Camilla's father married Edith Carpenter Macy (b.1927), whose mother Lydia married the Prince di San Faustino. Camilla was a student at Sarah Dix Hamlin School, where she was a senior. She lived with her father and stepmother at 2710 Scott Street in San Francisco. Camilla was slated to graduate from the private girls' school in June 1957, and she planned to attend university. Camilla was said to be a fine student and was popular with her classmates. 

A Ruritanian Idea from the 1990s: King Edward of Estonia

Prince Edward in 1994.

Photo (c) Heptagon/Shutterstock.

In July 1994, the Estonian Royalist Party (Eesti Rojalistlik Partei / ERP) sent a letter to Buckingham Palace requesting that Prince Edward, the youngest child of The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh, accept their invitation to become King of Estonia. At the time, the party had 8% of the seats in the Estonian Parliament. Estonia had gained independence in 1991 following the collapse of the Soviet Union.

The man behind this eccentric request was Kalle Kulbok, the head of the Royalist Party. In an interview, Mr Kulbok stated: "A British royal on the throne of Estonia would link us closely with Britain, a democracy we would like to emulate. It above all would be a great protection against future Russian attempts to conquer us again." The Estonian would-be-kingmaker went on to elucidate the virtues of Prince Edward that would endear the royal to the people of Estonia: "Estonians admire youth, which is free of Soviet corruption. Prince Edward is young and we are a very young nation ruled by a very young government. We like Prince Edward's artistic interests, which fit very well with Estonia's. I can also promise that Estonian newspapers are a lot nicer and more respectful than the English media." As it turns out, Kalle Kulbok had confided his dreams of a Kingdom of Estonia to the well-known historian Simon Sebag-Montefiore. Mr Kulbok entrusted the letter of the Royalist Party to Mr Sebag-Montefiore to be delivered to Buckingham Palace, which the latter kindly (and likely with a large dose of amusement) did.

When reports of this letter emerged, a spokesperson of the Estonian Embassy to the UK offered some clarification to the British people: "Estonians think very kindly of your royal family. But the Estonian Royalist Party is our equivalent of your raving loony party. They do not represent the government in any way." A Buckingham Palace spokesperson anonymously confided: "It is a charming but unlikely idea."

Head of Serbian Royal House Calls For Peace in Face of Russian Invasion of Ukraine

STATEMENT OF THE CROWN PRINCE OF SERBIA

From Belgrade, HRH Crown Prince Alexander of Serbia has issued an appeal today for a peaceful solution to the conflict in Ukraine:

“With great disturbance and sadness, I have been following the news about the conflict in Ukraine. I want to send my appeal to all parties included, to all world leaders, to find a peaceful solution for this terrible conflict. War is never a good option, it only brings destruction, pain, and suffering to innocent people, and I am deeply worried for the future of the entire society if this conflict continues.

There is no issue that can not be resolved with open talks; negotiating table is always the only proper place to resolve conflicts. When guns start to speak, humanity suffers. I wish and pray to see all parties included in this conflict to sit down and find a peaceful solution.

I am strongly supporting the official position of the Republic of Serbia, not to take sides in this tragedy, but to remain neutral, to respect the territorial integrity and international law, which is of high importance for our country as well, and to appeal for and keep peace. People of Serbia know very well how much terror conflicts like this bring, we have suffered a lot in the past. And no one should suffer like that anymore. The world that we all live in, needs peace desperately!”

100 Years Since the Birth of Princess Fawzia of Egypt, Eventual Queen of Iran

Queen Fawzia of Iran, Princess of Egypt.

Queen Fawzia of Iran in 1942, photographed by Cecil Beaton.

The Queen of Iran.

A century ago today, Princess Fawzia of Egypt was born. She was the daughter, sister, and aunt of successive kings of Egypt. Fawzia was also the first wife of the last Shah of Iran.

Left to right: Princess Faiza, Princess Faika, Princess Fawzia, and Prince Farouk.

A young princess. 

On 5 November 1921, Princess Fawzia bint Fuad of Egypt was born at the Ras el-Tin Palace in Alexandria. The princess was the eldest daughter of Sultan Fuad I of Egypt and Sudan (later King Fuad I of Egypt) and his second wife Nazli Sabri. Princess Fawzia had four full siblings: King Farouk I of Egypt (1920-1965), Princess Faiza (1923-1994), Princess Faika (1926-1983), and Princess Fathia (1930-1976). From her father's first marriage to Princess Shivakiar Ibrahim, Princess Fawzia had two older half-siblings: Prince Ismail (1896-1897) and Princess Fawkia (1897-1974). Princess Fawzia and her younger sisters were raised in the sheltered environment of the Egyptian royal court. In mid-1938, the engagement of Princess Fawzia to Crown Prince Mohammad Reza Shah of Iran was finalised.

Princess Fawzia of Egypt and Crown Prince Mohamed Reza of Iran.

Abdin Palace, Cairo.

A commemorative medallion issued to celebrate the union of the Iranian heir and the Egyptian princess.

On 15 March 1939, Crown Prince Mohammad Reza Shah of Iran and Princess Fawzia of Egypt were married at the Abeen Palace in Cairo. The wedding was the first time that the pair had met one another. Their marriage was a politically-motivated match; love was not a factor. The union of the couple was the culmination of a wish to cement ties between a Sunni Muslim dynasty (Egypt) and a Shi'i Muslim dynasty (Iran) in the region. After their marriage in the Egyptian capital, the couple traveled to Iran, accompanied by the bride's mother Queen Nazli and her sisters. 

The newlyweds.

Left to right: Princess Shams of Iran, Princess Ashraf of Iran, the Duke of Aosta, Queen Nazli of Egypt with her daughter Princess Fawzia, the Countess of Athlone.

Front row, left to right: Princess Ashraf of Iran, Queen Tadj ol-Molouk of Iran, Princess Fawzia, and Princess Shams.

In Tehran, further celebrations surrounding the wedding of the Crown Prince and Crown Princess were held. A second marriage ceremony for Mohammed Reza and Fawzia took place at the Marble Palace. The festivities were attended by some foreign royalties, including the Earl and Countess of Athlone as well as the Duke of Aosta. Mohammed Reza spoke Persian and French while Fawzia spoke Turkish and French. Therefore, husband and wife conversed in French.

Crown Prince Mohammed Reza and Crown Princess Fawzia with their daughter Princess Shahnaz.

The Shah and Queen of Iran with their daughter in Tehran. Photographed by Cecil Beaton in the mid-1940s.

Queen Fawzia of Iran and her daughter Princess Shahnaz.

On 27 October 1940 at Tehran, Princess Shahnaz Pahlavi of Iran was born as the only child of the Crown Prince and Crown Princess of Iran. In 1941, Fawzia's father-in-law was deposed, and her husband became the Shah of Iran. With this, Fawzia became the Queen of Iran. However, as is the case with some arranged marriages, the union was not a happy one. Fawzia greatly missed her homeland and suffered from depression as a result of her isolation at the Iranian court. Queen Tadj ol-Molouk did not treat her daughter-in-law very kindly, and Fawzia was not welcomed by her sisters-in-law either. It came as no surprise that Queen Fawzia moved back to Cairo in 1945, where she obtained an Egyptian divorce from the Shah. The termination of the union became final when an Iranian divorce was granted to the Shah and Queen in 1948. After this, Fawzia reverted to her title as Princess of Egypt.

Ismail Chirine and Princess Fawzia, 1949.

Ismail Chirine and Princess Fawzia with their daughter Nadia and their son Hussein.

On 28 March 1949, Princess Fawzia of Egypt married Colonel Ismail Hussein Chirine (1919-1997). The couple had two children: Nadia Chirine (1950-2009; married firstly Yusuf Shabaan; married secondly Mustafa Rashid) and Hussein Chirine (1955-2016). Theirs was a happy coupling. Fawzia remained in Egypt after the overthrow of the monarchy in 1952.

Princess Shahnaz Pahlavi and her mother Princess Fawzia of Egypt in the 1970s.

Princess Fawzia with her only son, Hussein Chirine.

Aged ninety-one, Princess Fawzia of Egypt died at Alexandria, Egypt, on 2 July 2013. She was ninety-one years-old. The princess was buried in Cairo next to her second husband.