Engagement of Infanta Maria Francisca, Duchess of Coimbra!

Duarte and Maria Francisca.

Duarte and Isabel, the Duke and Duchess of Braganza, have announced the engagement of their only daughter a Infanta Maria Francisca to Duarte de Sousa Araújo Martins in a communiqué this morning:

Their Royal Highnesses the Duke and Duchess of Bragança are pleased to announce the engagement of their daughter, Her Highness Infanta Maria Francisca of Bragança, Duchess of Coimbra, and Mr Duarte de Sousa Araújo Martins. Her Highness and Mr Duarte de Sousa Araújo Martins became engaged in Timor, earlier this month.  Infanta Maria Francisca informed Their Royal Highnesses the Dukes of Bragança and other close members of her family. More details regarding the wedding day will be announced in due course. Sintra 15 December 2022

Our congratulations to Maria Francisca and Duarte!  

A Princely Engagement: Prince Johann Wenzel of Liechtenstein and Countess Felicitas von Hartig

Feli and Wenzel. Photo (c) Prince Johann Wenzel von und zu Liechtenstein. This image may be not reproduced without his permission.

Prince Johann Wenzel von und zu Liechtenstein and Countess Felicitas von Hartig are engaged! The kind couple shared the details of their engagement with royal reporters and writers, including me. This was very sweet of them.

The happy couple! Photo (c) Prince Johann Wenzel von und zu Liechtenstein. This image may be not reproduced without his permission.

From Prince Wenzel: "We are happy to announce that we got engaged on 25th of August 2022 during wonderful holidays in Sicily."

Photo (c) Prince Johann Wenzel von und zu Liechtenstein. This image may be not reproduced without his permission.

Countess Felicitas von Hartig, born on 10 April 1994, studied law in Vienna, Austria (Magistra Iuris). Now the countess is working for the Austrian Ministry of the Interior and is finishing her Art History degree on the side. She is the daughter of Count Lukas von Hartig (b.1964) and Countess Claudia von Hartig (b.1965; née Edle von Toperczer), who wed in 1993.

Photo (c) Prince Johann Wenzel von und zu Liechtenstein. This image may be not reproduced without his permission.

Prince Johann-Wenzel von und zu Liechtenstein, born 16 March 1993, studied Politics and Economy in Montreal, Canada followed by one year at Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, United Kingdom, and two additional years with the Coldstream Guards. He finished his Masters in Agribusiness Management. Now the prince works with his father in Austria for the family business „Liechtenstein’sche Forst- und Gutsverwaltung“. Johann-Wenzel is the son of Prince Gundakar von und zu Liechtenstein (b.1949) and Princess Marie von und zu Liechtenstein (b.1959; née Princess d'Orléans), who wed in 1989. Prince Johann Wenzel is a great-grandson of the late Prince Henri and Princess Isabelle, Count and Countess of Paris.

Photo (c) Prince Johann Wenzel von und zu Liechtenstein. This image may be not reproduced without his permission.

Johann Wenzel and Felicitas met at a party in 2012. The couple met again after many years in 2017 in London while Countess Felicitas was completing an internship at Sotheby’s and Prince Johann-Wenzel was fulfilling his service with the Coldstream Guards. After both having lived in Paris and Lisbon, the couple now live in Vienna.

The wedding is planned for summer 2023.

Our congratulations to Johann Wenzel and Felicitas on their engagement!

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.