Royal Messages of Support Pour in Following Notre-Dame Fire

The Heads of various Royal and Imperial houses around the world have been sending messages of encouragement and support to the French people after the tragic fire at the Cathedral of Notre-Dame, Paris.

HRH Prince Jean d'Orléans, Count of Paris

The Message of HRH The Count of Paris:

This afternoon, at 3:00pm, I will go to Notre-Dame de Paris. I will pray for our country, of which Our Lady, erected by the kings of France, is the spiritual and protective symbol. I call on all French people to live in the same way and to unite in Hope.

 

HIH Jean-Christophe, Prince Napoléon

The Message of HIH The Prince Napoléon:

Deeply saddened by the tragedy of Notre-Dame de Paris. I thank the firefighters for their courage, and my prayers are with the Catholics during this Holy Week. 

I believe in the strength and solidarity of the French people to revive together this extraordinary monument, symbol of our heritage and our History.

 

TRH The Grand Duke and Grand Duchess of Luxembourg

 

The Messages of TRH The Grand Duke and Grand Duchess of Luxembourg:

Monsieur le Président de la République, 

The images of Notre Dame Cathedral on fire broke our hearts last night. Today we want to salute the movement of mobilization which is being born so that this high place of French civilization shines again in the whole world. Our bond with Our Lady is stronger than ever. 

Henri and Maria Teresa
Luxembourg, 16 April 2019

Monseigneur the Archbishop of Paris,
Monsignor Patrick Chauvet, Rector-Archpriest of Notre-Dame Cathedral, 

The images of the burning cathedral Notre-Dame de Paris have upset us because of this unique link that unites us to the symbol of Christian and eternal France. We did not expect to relive the time of the cathedral builders. We will be with you wholeheartedly in this work of reconstruction so that comfort gives way to our immense sorrow. 

Henri and Maria Teresa
Luxembourg, 16 April 2019

 

 

HIH Grand Duchess Maria of Russia

The Message of HIH The Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna of Russia:

The Head of the Imperial House of Russia, H.I.H. the Grand Duchess Maria of Russia, and her son and heir, H.I.H. the Grand Duke George of Russia, were deeply saddened by the news of the destruction by fire of a significant part of the Cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris. This is a tragic event for the entire Christian world, a portentous sign, and an irreplaceable loss for the culture of all the world. Their Imperial Highnesses pray that the Lord will preserve the lives of all the firefighters and others who are offering aid during this dreadful catastrophe, and that He will save from destruction the many holy relics which are kept in the Cathedral. The Grand Duchess and Grand Duke send their deepest condolences to the people of France.

HM The King of Sweden

The Message of HM The King of Sweden:

His Excellency Emmanuel Macron
President of the French Republic
PARIS 

Her Majesty the Queen and I wish to express our sincere sympathy following the fire at the Cathedral of Notre-Dame de Paris and convey our deep feelings of solidarity to the French people. 

CARL GUSTAF R

Royal Palace, Stockholm
16 April 2019 

HM The Queen

The Message of HM The Queen of the United Kingdom:

Prince Philip and I have been deeply saddened to see the images of the fire which has engulfed Notre-Dame Cathedral.

I extend my sincere admiration to the emergency services who have risked their lives to try to save this important national monument.

My thoughts and prayers are with those who worship at the Cathedral and all of France at this difficult time.

Elizabeth R.

 

HRH The Prince of Wales

 

The Message of HRH The Prince of Wales:

Cher Monsieur le Président, 

My wife and I were utterly heartbroken to learn of the terrible fire at Notre-Dame Cathedral this evening and wanted to let you know immediately how much we are thinking of yourself and the French people at this most agonizing of times, and of the emergency services who are so bravely tackling the blaze.

I realize only too well what a truly special significance the Cathedral holds at the heart of your nation; but also for us all outside France it represents one of the greatest architectural achievements of Western Civilization. It is a treasure for all mankind and, as such, to witness its destruction in this most dreadful conflagration is a shattering tragedy, the unbearable pain of which we all share.

Cher Monsieur le Président, our hearts go out to you and the people of France more than you can ever know, especially in view of our experience with the devastating fire at Windsor Castle twenty-seven years ago. We send you our most profound sympathy, however inadequate that may be.

Très cordialement à vous
Charles
The Prince of Wales

Fifty Years Since the Death of Queen Victoria Eugenia of Spain

On 15 April 1969, Queen Victoria Eugenia of Spain died at Lausanne, Switzerland, at the age of eighty-one. The queen was buried on 18 April 1969 at the Église du Sacré-Cœur in Lausanne. Sixteen years later, Her Majesty was reburied at El Escorial in Spain on 25 April 1985.

Queen Victoria Eugenia of Spain

The future queen of Spain was born on 24 October 1887 at Balmoral Castle in Scotland. The princess was the daughter of Prince Henry of Battenberg (1858-1896) and Princess Beatrice of the United Kingdom (1857-1944), who had married in 1885. The newest Battenberg was named after her grandmother, Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom, and her godmother, Empress Eugénie of the French.

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Princess Victoria Eugenia of Battenberg married King Alfonso XIII of Spain on 31 May 1906 at San Jerónimo el Real in Madrid. The celebrations were marred by a failed assassination attempt on the couple. Victoria Eugenia's wedding was attended by her mother Beatrice, by her brothers Alexander and Louis, and by her cousins the Prince and Princess of Wales (the future King George V and Queen Mary).

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Assassination attempt on King Alfonso XIII and Queen Victoria Eugenia on their wedding day

 

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In the course of their marriage, King Alfonso and Queen Victoria Eugenia had seven children in quick succession. The first to arrive was the heir, Infante Alfonso, Prince of Asturias, on 10 May 1907. The Prince of Asturias renounced his dynastic rights in 1933 upon his first marriage to Edelmira Sampedro-Ocejo y Robato, Countess of Covadonga (1906-1994). The couple's union ended in divorce in 1937. That same year, Alfonso married Marta Esther Rocafort-Altuzarra (1913-1993); they separated after a few months and were divorced in 1938. The Prince of Asturias passed away at the age of thirty-one on 6 September 1938. Like his youngest sibling, Gonzalo, the prince had inherited haemophilia, the tragic legacy of Queen Victoria, through his mother Queen Victoria Eugenia.

 

Infante Alfonso, Prince of Asturias

 

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Next to arrive was Infante Jaime on 23 June 1908. Jaime, who was titled Duke of Segovia, renounced his rights to the throne of Spain in 1933. The infante married twice, both times morganatically. In 1935, Jaime married Emanuelle de Dampierre (1913-2012), with whom he had two sons, Alfonso and Gonzalo. The Duke and Duchess of Segovia civilly divorced in 1947. In 1949, Infante Jaime took as his second wife former German actress Charlotte Tiedemann (1919-1979). The Duke of Segovia died on 20 March 1975 at the age of sixty-six.

Infante Jaime of Spain

 

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Then came Infanta Beatriz on 22 June 1909. Beatriz wed Alessandro Torlonia, 5th Prince of Civitella-Cesi in 1935. Beatriz passed away on 22 November 2002 at the age of ninety-three. Princess Sibilla of Luxembourg (b.1968; née Weiller), wife of Prince Guillaume of Luxembourg and sister-in-law of Grand Duke Henri, is a granddaughter of the infanta.

Infanta Beatriz of Spain

 

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A stillborn son followed Infanta Beatriz, Infante Fernando, who was born and died on 21 May 1910.

On 12 December 1911, Infanta Maria Cristina joined the family. In 1940, the infanta married Enrico Eugenio Marone-Cinzano, 1st Count Marone. Maria Cristina died at the age of eighty-five on 23 December 1996.

Infanta Maria Cristina of Spain

Infante Juan was born on 20 June 1913: he was given the title Count of Barcelona and married Princess Maria de las Mercedes of the Two Sicilies in 1935. The Count and Countess of Barcelona became the parents of King Juan Carlos I of Spain and his two sisters, Infantas Pilar and Margarita. The Count of Barcelona died on 1 April 1993, aged seventy-nine.

Infante Juan of Spain

 

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Lastly came Infante Gonzalo, who arrived on 24 October 1914 and died aged nineteen on 13 August 1934. Gonzalo had inherited haemophilia through his mother; this affliction led to his early death after he was involved in an automobile accident.

Infante Gonzalo of Spain

 

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With her family, Victoria Eugenia departed Spain on 14 April 1931 when elections in the country brought the Republicans to power. Queen Victoria Eugenia of Spain became a widow on 28 February 1941, when King Alfonso XIII died at Rome following the fallout of a heart attack suffered earlier in the month. The couple had lived separate lives for sometime. 

 

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The queen returned to Spain in February 1968 to witness the baptism of her great grandson, Infante Felipe (the current King of Spain). 

 

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Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris in Royal History

Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris

Today, Monday, 15 April 2019, is a day that will not be forgotten or remembered happily in history. On this day, during Holy Week, the Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris was engulfed in flames beginning at 6:40PM CEST. As of 12:00AM CEST, the fire still burns at Notre-Dame.

 

Fire consumes Notre-Dame de Paris

Construction of the Cathedral of Notre-Dame of Paris started in 1163 and was largely finished by 1345. The cathedral is located the Île de la Cité in the fourth arrondissement of Paris. Over its more than 800 years of existence, Notre-Dame has been subject to numerous renovations. 

 

The Nave of Notre-Dame de Paris

 

The Cathedral has been the sight of numerous events of immense historic importance. It is a Roman Catholic Church that serves as an icon of Paris and France: it contains numerous treasures of immeasurable worth. The full extent of the loss is not yet known.

 

Here is a small selection of images of European royal history that have occurred at Our Lady of Paris.

 

King Henry VI of England is crowned King of France on 16 December 1431 at Notre-Dame

 

The Marriage at Notre-Dame of King François II of France and Queen Mary of Scots on 24 April 1558

 

The Coronation of Napoléon I as Emperor of the French on 2 December 1804 at the Cathedral of Notre-Dame

 

The Marriage of the Duke of Berry and Princess Marie-Caroline of the Two Sicilies on 17 June 1816 at Notre-Dame

 

Our thoughts and prayers are with all those who mourn this horrific event. 

On This Day In History: The Death of Francisco de Asís, King Consort of Spain

Queen Isabel II and King Consort Francisco de Asís of Spain

On 13 April 1902, His Majesty Francisco de Asís, King Consort of Spain, died at his residence, the château d'Épinay-sur-Seine in Paris. He was seventy-nine years-old. Francisco was the husband of the by-then-deposed Queen Isabel II of Spain (10 October 1830 – 9 April 1904). At his deathbed, the king consort was surrounded by his wife the Queen and their daughters the Infantas Isabel and Eulalia. Francisco's earthly remains were buried in the Panteón de los Reyes at El Escorial Monastery, outside Madrid.

Château d'Èpinay-sur-Seine (today functions as City Hall of the Parisian suburb of Èpinay-sur-Seine)

Infante Francisco de Paula of Spain and Princess Luisa Carlotta of the Two Sicilies

Infante Francisco de Asís María Fernando of Spain was born at the Royal Palace of Aranjuez on 13 May 1822. Francisco was the second son and third child of Infante Francisco de Paula of Spain (1794-1865) and his first wife and niece Princess Luisa Carlotta of the Two Sicilies (1804-1844); the couple had married in 1819. Francisco de Paula was the youngest son of King Carlos IV of Spain (1748-1819) and his wife and first cousin Queen Maria Luisa (1751-1819; née Bourbon-Parma); Luisa Carlotta was the daughter of King Francesco I of the Two Sicilies (1777-1830) and his second wife and first cousin Queen Maria Isabel (1789-1848; née Spain).

King Ferdinando VII and Queen Maria Cristina of Spain

Francisco de Asís was the third of eleven children born to his parents. Francisco de Asís had been preceded by two siblings: Infante Francisco de Asís (1820-1821) and Infanta Isabel (1821-1897). Francisco de Paula and Luisa Carlotta had eight more offspring after their second son's birth. These children were: Infante Enrique (1823-1870), Infanta Luisa (1824-1900), Infante Duarte Felipe (1826-1830), Infanta Josefina (1827-1910), Infanta Teresa (1828-1829), Infante Fernando (1832-1854), Infanta Maria Cristina (1833-1902), and Infanta Amalia (1834-1905). Like his older brother, who died as an infant, Francisco de Asís was named after St Francis of Assisi. 

A medal to commemorate the marriage of Queen Isabel II of Spain and Infante Francisco of Spain

On 10 October 1846 (the sixteenth birthday of the Queen), Infante Francisco de Asís of Spain was married at Madrid to Queen Isabel II of Spain, the first daughter of King Ferdinando VII and Queen Maria Cristina of Spain (née Two Sicilies). Francisco and Isabel were double first cousins: both were grandchildren of King Carlos IV and Queen Maria Luisa of Spain (née Bourbon-Parma) as well as grandchildren of King Francesco I and Queen Maria Isabella of the Two Sicilies (née Spain). It was well-known that the couple were ill-suited from the beginning: Isabel was a man-eater and Francisco de Asís was not manly. In Madrid, famous for cutting sobriquets, Francisco de Asís was known as "Paquita," a diminutive of "Francisca." Spanish historians have argued that the bride was more interested in marrying her groom's bother, Infante Enrique, a virile, swashbuckling young man who seemed better suited to the wedding bed than his older bother. Reluctantly, Queen Isabel II and Infante Francisco de Asís entered into holy matrimony in a joint wedding ceremony alongside the queen's sister Infanta Luisa Fernanda (1832-1897) and Prince Antoine d'Orléans, Duke of Montpensier (1824-1890), the son of King Louis Philippe and Queen Marie-Amélie of the French. There had been much international debate about which royal prince should be wed to which of the two sisters. Queen Isabel certainly drew the shorter straw when she wound up with her effete cousin Francisco, while Infanta Luisa was considered far more lucky in getting the Duke of Montpensier. The French monarch's hope centered on Francisco de Asís being unable to procreate any children, thus the crown passing to the offspring of Montpensier and Luisa Fernanda. Queen Isabel's prodigous sexual appetite, which she satisfied by welcoming countless men to her bed chamber, ensured her one would retain the Spanish throne.

King Consort Francisco de Asís of Spain

During the course of the union of Queen Isabel II and King Consort Francisco de Asís, she gave birth countless times. Very few of her children shared the same father. However, of Queen Isabel II's many offspring, only five children reached adulthood. The first to arrive was Infanta Isabel (1851-1931), who married her mother's and father's first cousin Prince Gaetan of the Two Sicilies, Count of Girgenti. Infanta Isabel, quite possibly a lesbian, became a widow at a young age due to her husband's suicide. She never remarried, but her Madrid palace witnessed a long line of lady companions. Next to appear was the only surviving son, the future King Alfonso XII of Spain (1857-1885), who went on to marry twice. His first wife was Infanta María de las Mercedes, one of the many children of Montpensier and Luisa Fernanda. However, the beloved queen died of tuberculosis just months after their wedding. Alfonso XII's second wife was Archduchess Maria Christina of Austria (1858-1929), who served as regent during the childhood of the king's posthumous son, Alfonso XIII. The third child and second daughter, Infanta María del Pilar (1861-1879), came next; she was considered as a bride for the Prince Imperial, son of Emperor Napoléon III and Empress Eugénie of the French. The fourth child and third daughter, Infanta María de la Paz (1862–1946), then made her appearance; Paz married her first cousin Prince Ludwig Ferdinand of Bavaria (1859-1949), son of Infanta Amalia (a sister of Francisco de Asís) and Prince Adalbert, youngest son of King Ludwig I and Queen Theresa of Bavaria. Finally, and lastly, Infanta Eulalia (1864-1958) arrived and completed the family unit; Eulalia wed her cousin Infante Antonio, Duke of Galliera (1866-1930). Theirs was a disastrous marriage that caused the royal family much angst. Their two sons, Alfonso and Luis Fernando, suffered greatly by the marital turmoil of their parents. Alfonso, known as "Ali" within the family circle, made a splendid marriage to Princess Beatrice of Edinburgh, a granddaughter of Queen Victoria. As for Luis Fernando, he was a walking mess...well-known for his homosexual escapades, and alcohol and drug-induced debauchery, he eventually went through his fortune. Left with few options, he married Princess Marie de Broglie (née Say), a wealthy widow whose fortune Luis Fernando dealt a death blow to.

Infanta Isabel of Spain and Prince Gaetan of the Two Sicilies

King Alfonso XII and Queen Maria Cristina of Spain (née Austria)

Infanta Pilar of Spain

Infanta Paz of Spain and Prince Ludwig Ferdinand of Bavaria

Infanta Eulalia of Spain, Duchess of Galliera

In 1833, Isabel II became Queen of Spain at the age of three following the death of her father. In 1868, after thirty-five years on the throne, Isabel II abdicated following the Glorious Revolution. The queen, the king consort, and the royal children left for exile in France. In 1870, Isabel and Francisco separated on amicable terms. The only surviving son, Alfonso XII, reigned as King of Spain from 1874 until his untimely death in 1885. 

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Queen Isabel and King Consort Francisco de Asís survived King Alfonso XII by more than fifteen years. Queen Isabel II died on 9 April 1904 at Paris, aged seventy-three. She was also laid to rest at the Panteón de los Reyes in El Escorial. 

The majority of the estate left by King Consort Francisco de Asís went to his favorite grandson Infante Fernando of Bavaria, who married his first cousin Infanta María Teresa, youngest of two daughters of King Alfonso XII and Queen Maria Christina. Infante Fernando and his grandfather shared an interest in beautiful objets d'art and jewelry. Noted Spanish historian, Ricardo Mateos, has alleged that Infante Fernando also shared his grandfather's taste for homosexual liaisons.

Queen Isabel II of Spain in exile

King Felipe VI (b.1968), the great-great-great grandson of Queen Isabel II and King Consort Francisco de Asís, is the current Spanish monarch. 

King Felipe VI of Spain

Count of Paris to meet President Macron in May

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Prince Jean, Count of Paris, will meet President Emmanuel Macron on 2 May 2019. The Head of the Royal House of France will receive the President of the French Republic at the Château d'Amboise. Formerly the personal property of the Orléans family, the château has been owned by the Fondation St Louis since 1974, when the grandfather of the current Count of Paris placed a number of the family's properties into the foundation to secure them for future generations.

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The Château d'Amboise was the site of an event that held particular importance for Prince Jean d'Orléans. In September 1987 at Amboise, his grandfather, the late Henri, Count of Paris, announced to a group of 2,000 French monarchists that he was granting his elder grandson Jean the title Duke of Vendôme and his younger grandson Eudes the title Duke of Angoulême. Henri also made it clear that he was designating Jean to be his immediate successor, thus disinheriting Jean's father Henri, who had greatly displeased his father after his 1984 divorce from Princess Marie-Thérèse, Duchess of Montpensier (née Württemberg). In making this decision, the Count of Paris also bypassed his eldest grandson, Prince François d'Orléans, who had been born with a several handicap.

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As the French Royal Family was celebrating 1,000 years of the Capetian dynasty, the Count of Paris, the Duchess of Montpensier, and the Duke of Angoulême all watched from their place on the dais as the Duke of Vendôme read the following statement to those assembled: "If one day circumstances lead Frenchmen to confer national responsibilities on me, it will be because I have earned their confidence by my work, my efforts, and, I hope, my services rendered. The second millennium has begun in honour, peace and respect. With the help of God, long live France." [In 1991, after reconciling, the Count of Paris restored his son Prince Henri, Count of Clermont, to his place in the line of succession. The count also granted the title Princess of Joinville to Micaëla, the second wife of the Count of Clermont. Upon the death of Prince Henri, Count of Paris, in 1999, he was succeeded as Head of the Royal House by his eldest son Henri (1933-2019). Prince Jean became the Head of House France following the death of his father in January.]

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The Count of Paris and President Macron will be coming together at Amboise in May to commemorate the 500th anniversary of the death of Leonardo da Vinci.

Crown Princess Cecilie of Prussia's Fabergé Tiara Goes Up For Sale

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This week Sotheby's confirmed that a diamond Fabergé tiara, formerly the property of Crown Princess Cecilie of Prussia (1886-1954; née Mecklenburg-Schwerin), will go to auction in Geneva on 14 May 2019. The tiara is described by the auction house as "[being] set with three circular-cut diamonds, framed with stylised laurels within an arched surround of lattice work design, joined with rose diamond quatrefoils, central circular motif detachable, six small rose diamonds deficient, unsigned." This magnificent piece was created in 1903 and was a gift to Cecilie upon her marriage in 1905 to Crown Prince Wilhelm, eldest son of Wilhelm II.

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The Fabergé tiara did not solely adorn the head of the Crown Princess. In 1949, her youngest child Princess Cecilie (1917-1975) wore the tiara when she married American architect Clyde Harris (1918-1958). Princess Cecilie and Clyde Harris had one child, Kira (b.1954). Princess Cecilie was the only daughter of Crown Princess Cecilie to marry; she was also the only daughter of the Crown Princess to whom the tiara would have been bequeathed. Crown Princess Cecilie's only other daughter, Princess Alexandrine (1915-1980), was affected with Down Syndrome.

Crown Princess Cecilie with her daughters Princess Alexandrine (left) and Princess Cecilie (right)

It is conservatively estimated that the tiara will fetch between $200,000-$300,000; however, it will likely bring much more when it comes to the auction floor owing to its glorious past.

For more on this magnificent piece of royal jewellery, please visit Sotheby's: Diamond tiara, attributed to Fabergé, circa 1903

 

Prince Sergei Poutiatine: The Fate of the Second Husband of Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna

Prince Sergei Mikhailovich Poutiatine was born in the Russian Empire on 7 December 1893 at St Petersburg. He was the eldest son of Prince Michael Mikhailovich Poutiatine (1861-1938) and his wife Princess Sofia Sergeevna (1866-1940; née Paltova). Sergei had one younger brother, Prince Alexander Mikhailovich Poutiatine (1897-1953). The Putyatins (Poutiatines) were a Rurikid family with princely and noble lines.

Prince Michael Mikhailovich Poutiatine (left) with Rasputin in the early 1900s

Sergei attended the Corps des Pages in St Petersburg. Sergei's father Michael was a palace commandant at Tsarkoe Selo. It was there, as youths, that Sergei became acquainted with the young lady who was to become his first wife, Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna of Russia (1890-1958). During World War I, Sergei served for four years in the Imperial Fourth Rifle Regiment, where he reached the rank of captain. The prince received the Cross of St George from Emperor Nicholas II for his wartime service. Grand Duchess Maria noted in The Education of a Princess, her first book of memoirs, that "he was a splendid officer, twice wounded, and cited for heroism in action. He came fairly often to our house; I had known him since childhood; but during the war I saw him but seldom."

 

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Grand Duchess Maria was the only daughter and eldest child of Grand Duke Paul Alexandrovich (1860-1919) and Grand Duchess Alexandra Georgievna (1870-1891; née Greece). In 1908, Grand Duchess Maria married Prince Wilhelm of Sweden, Duke of Södermanland (1884-1965). Maria and Wilhelm had one son, Prince Lennart of Sweden, Duke of Småland (1909-2004; later Count of Wisborg). The couple's union was dissolved by divorce in 1914.

 

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Prince Sergei and Grand Duchess Maria had developed deep affections for one another in Spring 1917.

Again, Maria confided in the pages of The Education of a Princess:

The revolution which brought me to the comparative refuse of Tsarskoie-Selo brought him [Sergei] there also from the front, where - because of his father's situation at court - his position had become dangerous. And now that we were both refugees, in a manner of speaking, at Tsarskoie, he came often to see me at my father's house. Our relations adjusted themselves; our mutual shyness disappeared; we were definitely attracted to each other. 

Feelings that I had never before experienced stirred in the depths of my heart. In spite of the revolution, in spite of all the uncertainty, all the anxiety, our unused youth, our fresh mental forces, leaped to claim their due. Spring was upon us, carrying along living floods of new joy. Above all else, one wanted happiness, one wanted to take from life everything that was left for life to give. Our very realisation of the peril, of the indefiniteness of our situation, our constant personal danger, contributed to the awakening of these feelings and set them aglow. Thus, at the collapse of our old world, we dared upon its wreck to seize at a new chance of happiness, to live a new life. 

I gave myself entirely over to the strange new delight of being really in love.

On 19 September 1917, Prince Sergei Mikhailovich Poutiatine married Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna at Pavlovsk Palace. Maria's father, Grand Duke Paul, was a strong supporter of his daughter's union with Sergei, telling her: "You must find yourself a good man and marry him; then I would feel easy about you... Listen, if you like Poutiatin, I consider that you should marry him."

Shortly after their marriage, the couple resided first at Grand Duke Paul's palace, which was located on the English Embankment in St Petersburg. They moved in with Sergei's parents at the Poutiatine's apartment in the city. Sergei and Maria's only child, a son, was born on 8 July 1918 at Pavlovsk. The infant Prince Roman Sergeievich Poutiatine was baptised on 18 July 1918. On the day of her son's baptism, Grand Duchess Maria lost her half-brother Prince Vladimir Paley and her aunt Grand Duchess Elisabeth Feodorovna when they were assassinated by the Bolsheviks at Alapayevsk.

 

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In the wake of the upheaval of the Russian Revolution, Prince Sergei and Grand Duchess Maria fled Russia with their child - they eventually arrived in Romania in December 1918. Prince Michael and Princess Sofia Poutiatine travelled to the Romanian capital to look after their grandson, Roman. In the meantime, Sergei and Maria went first to the United Kingdom and then France, where they were able to secure lodgings in Passy, a suburb of Paris. Tragically, Sergei and Maria's son Roman died on 29 July 1918 at Bucharest shortly after he turned one year-old.

Grand Duchess Maria recalled the loss of her son in her second book of memoirs, A Princess in Exile:

One Monday morning in summer we returned from a quiet week-end in the country and found the usual batch of mail. It included a letter from my mother-in-law. She wrote regularly once a week to give us news of the child, and up till the last letter it had invariably been excellent. The last report was not so good, but there had been nothing alarming about it. Although the letter was addressed to my husband, I opened it myself. From the very first sentence I guessed with a shock that something had happened. I was terror-stricken. Shipping over the first page of preparatory phrases I turned to the second and at the end of it I found the dreadful news. The baby had died. 

How ruthlessly death was persecuting us! Was it going to stamp us out altogether?  

The baby was exactly a year old. This was the fourth being dear to me whom I had lost within just a few months. The letter that had brought the news of his death contained very few details, and we only learned afterwards how it had occurred. He had been in perfect condition, gaining weight steadily and progressing satisfactorily, when as the hot weather came on he developed intestinal trouble. At first his illness inspired no anxieties, but suddenly from one day to the next he grew worse, had convulsions, and died. 

Nothing could describe the despair of his grandparents. Some strange psychological twist in my character made me painfully self-conscious of this new calamity. I concealed it out carefully from my friends in London; only Dmitri knew about it. I feared and wanted to avoid renewed expressions of sympathy; I hated to appear as the embodiment of tragedy.  

The weight on my own heart grew heavier, although I was so crushed already by my father's death that most of my sensibility had been blunted, nearly killed. For many years afterwards I was unable to react to joy. Something seemed to have burnt out within me.

 

Prince Sergei Poutiatine in 1914

In exile, the relationship between Prince Sergei and Grand Duchess Maria slowly deteriorated. The loss of their only child was a contributing factor, combined with the massive chaos brought upon by the Revolution and its effect on both families. For a time, Sergei worked at a bank in London. Maria took solace in the renewed company of her brother Grand Duke Dimitri. Maria recalled that her husband "assimilated things with surprising facility. In London he learned to speak fluent English in no time; in Paris he rapidly pickup French, which he had known but forgotten for want of practice, and he could write both languages extremely well." Maria began to discover a purpose and a sense of independence with the founding of her fashion house Kitmir.

Unsurprisingly, the effects of life in exile took a toll on the couple. Again, Maria remembers: "My second marriage, although a 'love match,' had been an unequal union. It had been contracted, moreover, under the stress of a great crisis. As soon as our lives had ceased to be in actual danger and we had to take up our places in organised society, the difference in our tastes and temperaments became apparent." Prince Sergei Poutiatine and Grand Duchess Maria of Russia were divorced in 1924. The grand duchess wrote: "I decided at last on a divorce. My affection for his family was unchanged, and they remained in my care for a number of years. Until Putiatin's remarriage to an American girl, we met occasionally in a friendly way. The divorce proceedings had to go through two phases, the Russian Orthodox Church and the French courts." In 1930, Sergei immigrated to the United States and settled in New York.

Princess Shirley Poutiatine on her wedding day (1906-1990; née Manning)
Photograph (c) of The New York Times

It was in the New World that Prince Sergei Poutiatine found his future. On 12 January 1931, Prince Sergei married Miss Shirley B Manning (b.6 December 1908) at the Russian Orthodox Church of St Augustine in New York City. Shirley was the second daughter and youngest child of John Alexander Manning (1870-1938) and his wife (1878-1964; née Edith Helen Baker). An industrialist, Mr Manning was the president of the John A Manning Paper Company of Albany, president of the Behr-Manning Corporation of Troy, and president of the Schuyler Meadows Club. For many years, he was also the president of Albany Hospital. His daughter, Shirley, was educated at the Fermata School for Girls in Aiken, South Carolina, and at Miss Porter's School in Farmington, Connecticut.

Prince Sergei and Princess Shirley Poutiatine after their 1931 wedding
Photograph (c) The Capital Times

Prince Sergei became a US citizen on 23 April 1940 at Albany, New York. The naturalisation ceremony was presided over by Justice Francis Bergan of the New York Supreme Court. At the time, Sergei and Shirley Poutiatine were residing in Loudonville, New York. After he became a citizen in the United States, Sergei heartily encouraged others to refer to him as "Mister" Poutiatine - he was not one to put on airs and graces.

In their early years, the couple lived between Loudonville and Paris. However, the hamlet of Loudonville was the town in which the Poutiatines primarily made their home and raised their family. Sergei and Shirley had three children: Prince Ivan Sergeievich Poutiatine (b.3 December 1931), Prince Michael Sergeievich Poutiatine (Albany, New York 8 May 1935-Vero Beach, Florida 17 December 2004), and Princess Mariana Sergeevna Poutiatine (b.6 October 1942). In June 1960, Ivan Poutiatine married Lochiel Cameron; the couple have three sons: Michael (b.1962), Andrew (b.1965), and Peter (b.1969). In May 1965, Michael Poutiatine married Marcia Meserve; they had two daughters, Allison (b.1967) and Jennifer (b.1970). In December 1972, Mariana Poutiatine married Charles Barton Cotten Sr; they have one daughter, Alexandra (b.1975).

Prince Ivan and Princess Lochiel Poutiatine in 2016
Photograph (c) Drew Altizer

Ivan Poutiatine studied architecture and moved to Mill Valley, California, in 1965. He has served on the Mill Valley City Council and Planning Commission, as well as being a participant in numerous other civic endeavours in his community. Ivan attributed his desire to be a part of public service to his parents' admonition that "one must always give back to his/her community."

 

Princess Marcia Poutiatine, widow of Prince Michael, in 2019
Photograph (c) Vero News

Michael Poutiatine graduated from Yale University. He worked for a period at the business that his maternal grandfather had founded, the John A Manning Paper Company. However, for the majority of his career, Michael worked in the travel sector.

Princess Mariana Poutiatine as a student at Miss Porter's School in 1960

 

Aged seventy-two, Prince Sergei Mikhailovich Poutiatine died on 26 February 1966 at Charleston, South Carolina. Sergei and Shirley had a home in the "Holy City." The prince was buried in the cemetery of Old Saint Andrew's Episcopal Church at Charleston. His wife, Princess Shirley Poutiatine, passed away on 7 September 1990 at Charleston, South Carolina. Princess Shirley was eighty-one years-old. Her mortal remains rest beside those of her husband.

 

Princess Shirley Poutiatine's grave in Charleston, SC
Photograph (c) FindAGrave

Prince Sergei Poutiatine survived his first wife, Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna of Russia, by nearly eight years. Maria died at Mainau on 13 December 1958, aged sixty-eight. 

Note: Thanks to Nick Nicholson for his input and revisions in this piece. 

For more on the family of Prince Sergei Poutiatine, please visit these links:

 

Miss Manning Wed To Russian Prince

 

The Russian princely family Poutiatine

Ivan Poutiatine: My Volunteering Life in Mill Valley

Michael Poutiatine - Obituary

Genealogics