The 95th Birthday of Sylviane Muselier, Half-Sister of Queen Geraldine of Albania

Sylviane in front of portraits of her sister Queen Geraldine and her brother-in-law King Zog.

Today, Sylviane Girault Muselier turns ninety-five!

Gladys Virginia Stewart.

Born on 3 August 1927 at Mehun-sur-Yèvre, Centre-Val de Loire, Sylviane Girault was the eldest child of and Gontran Girault (1882-1964) and Gladys Virginia Stewart (1891–1947), who wed in 1926. Sylviane was joined by two younger siblings: Guy Girault (b.1930) and Patricia Girault (b.1932). Sylviane's mother Gladys had previously been married in 1914 to Count Gyula Apponyi de Nagy-Appony (1873–1924). From this marriage, Sylviane had three older siblings: Countess Geraldine (1915-2002; married King Zog I of the Albanians), Countess Virginia (1916-2002; married 1st András Baghy; married 2nd Joseph Blackburn; married 3rd József Máriássy), and Count Gyula (1923-1946).

The family at Marseilles in 1955.
(left to right) Sylviane, Queen Geraldine, Gontran Gilrault, Princess Senije, and Crown Prince Leka.

On 18 December 1955, Sylviane Girault married Maurice Muselier (1907-1989), the son of Admiral Émile Muselier, who fought against the Nazi invasion of France. The couple had two children: Corinne Muselier (married 1st Bernard Serour; married 2nd Roger Tréger) and French doctor and politician Renaud Muselier (b.1959; married Stéphanie Clément). 

Sylviane with her son Renaud and other family attend the royal wedding.
Photo (c) Seth B. Leonard.

In October 2016 in Tirana, Sylviane Muselier attended the wedding of her great-nephew Crown Prince Leka of Albania to Elia Zaharia. Seventy-eight years earlier, Sylviane was present for the wedding of Leka's grandparents, King Zog of Albania and Countess Geraldine Apponyi de Nagy-Appony. At the time of her half-sister's wedding in 1938, Sylviane was just ten years-old.

Sylviane Muselier and President Ilir Meta, 2017.

In 2017, the President of Albania awarded the Mother Teresa Medal to Sylviane Muselier. The award was given to Madame Muselier "as a testament of deep gratitude for her remarkable contributions, over many years, in four of sick children and Albanian families in need, for her concern and for her humanitarian and medical support as well as in recognition of the her promotion of the values and image of Albania and Albanians in France."

Sylviane with her great-nephew Crown Prince Leka and his wife Crown Princess Elia in 2019.

Our best wishes to Madame Muselier on her birthday!

François Luce-Bailly de Chevigny (1923-2022), Widower of Württemberg Duchess

François Luce-Bailly de Chevigny and Duchess Margarethe of Württemberg attending the funeral of the Countess of Paris at Dreux, 11 July 2003.

François Luce-Bailly de Chevigny died on 6th March 2022 at Neuilly-sur-Seine. He was ninety-eight years-old. 

Born on 15 June 1923 at Paris, François Luce was the son of Emile Léon Marie Luce (1886-1979) and Charlotte Léonie Bailly (1896-1980). In 1950, François was adopted by his maternal aunt Clémentine Marie Marguerite Bailly; at this time, François adopted the surname "Luce-Bailly de Chevigny."

On 27 December 1954 at Rome, François Luce-Bailly de Chevigny married Marchesa Gabriela Pallavicino (1925-1992; later married Christos Bellos), the daughter of Marchese Alessandro Pallavicino (1898-1965) and Countess Henriette von Schönborn (1897-1992). The couple divorced in 1959; they did not have children.

On 7 August 1970 at Altshausen, François Luce-Bailly de Chevigny married Duchess Margarethe of Württemberg (1928-2017), the second child and first daughter of Duke Albrecht Eugen of Württemberg (1895-1954) and Princess Nadejda of Bulgaria (1899-1958). After being married for forty-six years, Monsieur Luce-Bailly de Chevigny was widowed when his wife Duchess Margarethe passed away on 10 June 2017, aged eighty-eight.

May François Rest in Peace.