Sunday, May 5, 2019
Napoléon/Arco-Zinneberg Nuptials to Occur in October
All Three French "Pretenders" Present for the Funeral of Grand Duke Jean
HIH Prince Jean-Christophe Napoléon, HRH The Count of Paris, and don Luis Alfonso de Borbón y Martínez-Bordiú attended the funeral of Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg yesterday at Notre-Dame in Luxembourg City.
The Prince Napoléon was accompanied by his fiancée Countess Olympia of Arco-Zinneberg. Prince Jean-Christophe Napoléon (b.1986) is a half fourth cousin once removed of Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg. Countess Olympia (b.1988) is a first cousin twice removed of the late grand duke.
The Count of Paris attended the ceremony alone, although it had been previously announced that the Countess of Paris would also be there. Prince Jean d'Orléans (b.1965) is a second cousin twice removed of Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg.
Don Luis Alfonso de Borbón y Martínez-Bordiú also attended the ceremony without his wife, doña Maria Margarita. Luis Alfonso (b.1974) is a half fourth cousin twice removed of Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg.
The Prince Napoléon, Countess Olympia Arco-Zinneberg, and don Luis Alfonso de Borbón had dinner together the evening before the Grand Ducal funeral. They were joined by Jean-Christophe's uncle and aunt the Duke and Duchess of Castro. Also present were Archduke Carl Christian and Archduchess Estelle of Austria, Prince Henri, Prince Amaury and Princess Charlotte of Bourbon-Parma, Prince Serge and Princess Eleonore of Yugoslavia, and Prince Charles-Henri Lobkowicz.
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| The Prince Napoléon and his fiancée Countess Olympia Arco |
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| The Count of Paris |
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| Don Luis Alfonso de Borbón |
Saturday, May 4, 2019
On This Day In History: The Death of Count Carl Johan Bernadotte of Wisborg
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| Prince Carl Johan of Sweden, Duke of Dalarna Photograph (c) Swedish Royal Family |
Prince Carl Johan Arthur of Sweden was born on 31 October 1916 at Stockholm Palace. The prince was the fourth son and fifth (and youngest) child of Crown Prince Gustaf Adolf (1882-1973; later King Gustaf VI Adolf of Sweden) and his wife Crown Princess Margaret (1882-1920; née Princess Margaret of Connaught). Carl Johan joined four elder siblings: Prince Gustaf Adolf (1906-1947), Prince Sigvard (1907-2002; later Count of Wisborg), Princess Ingrid (1910-2000; later Queen Consort of Denmark), and Prince Bertil (1912-1997).
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| Crown Princess Margaret with her daughter Ingrid and son Carl Johan |
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| Prince Carl Johan of Sweden, Duke of Dalarna |
Carl Johan attended the Lundsberg School. Thereafter, he carried out his military training in the Swedish forces. The prince also pursued legal studies, and hoped to begin a career with the Ministry for Foreign Affairs.
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| Carl Johan Bernadotte and his first wife Kerstin Wijkmark |
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| Count Sigvard, Queen Ingrid, Count Carl Johan and Prince Bertil in 1953 Photograph (c) Swedish Royal Family |
The Swedish prince lost his dynastic rights and royal title when he married journalist Elin Kerstin Margaretha Wijkmark (1910-1987) at New York City on 19 February 1946. Carl Johan and Kerstin did not have biological children; however, they adopted a daughter and a son early in their marriage: Monica (b.1948; adopted in 1951) and Christian (b.1949; adopted in 1950). The Bernadotte couple lived for some time in New York City, where Carl Johan worked as the representative of the Anglo-Nordic Trading Company. In 1951, Grand Duchess Charlotte of Luxembourg granted Carl Johan and his legitimate descendants the title of Count(ess) of Wisborg; in addition, Carl Johan was given the personal title of Prince Bernadotte.
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| Carl Johan and Kerstin Bernadotte |
Carl Johan became a widower when his wife Kerstin passed away on 11 September 1987. Both of their adopted children married and have issue. Monica wed Count Johan Peder Bonde af Björnö (b.1950) in 1976; the couple divorced in 1997 after having three children. Christian married Marianne Jenny (b.1958) in 1980; the couple also have three children.
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| Carl Johan and Gunnila on their wedding day |
On 29 September 1988 at Copenhagen, Count Carl Johan Bernadotte remarried Swedish aristocrat Gunnila Wachtmeister af Johannishus (1923-2016). Gunnila was the widow of Carl-Herman Bussler (1918-1981), who she had married in 1942 and with whom she had four children. Carl Johan and Gunnila were popular members of the extended Swedish royal family. The couple attended the wedding of Carl Johan's great-grandnephew Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark to Mary Donaldson in 2004.
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| Count Carl Johan and Countess Gunnila at the Danish crown princely wedding in 2004 |
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| Countess Gunnila Bernadotte at the wedding of Princess Madeleine of Sweden in 2013 |
Aged eighty-five, Count Carl Johan Bernadotte died on 5 May 2012 in the Ängelholm Hospital in Ängelholm, Sweden. The count was the last surviving great-grandchild of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom (1819-1901). Carl Johan was the paternal uncle of King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden and maternal uncle of Queen Margrethe II of Denmark and Queen Anne-Marie of the Hellenes. His wife Gunnilla followed him on 12 September 2016, when she died at Båstad, Sweden, at the age of ninety-three.
Footage from the funeral of Count Carl Johan Bernadotte:
Friday, May 3, 2019
The Birthday of Prince Alexander of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
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| Prince Alexander of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha Photograph (c) Prince Andreas of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha |
Today, Prince Alexander of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha celebrates his forty-second birthday.
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| Prince Andreas and Princess Carin with their children Stephanie, Hubertus, and Alexander |
HH Prince Alexander Philipp of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha was born at Coburg on 4 May 1977 as the second son and third child of Prince Andreas (b.1943), Head of House Saxe-Coburg and Gotha since 1998, and his wife Princess Carin (b.1946; née Dabelstein), who wed in 1971. Alexander joined two older siblings, Princess Stephanie (b.1972) and Hereditary Prince Hubertus (b.1975).
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| A 2004 portrait of Prince Alexander by artist Hans Christian Ribbe Photograph (c) Hans Christian Ribbe |
Alexander studied forestry and was involved in the work of the family's property at Callenberg. His father, Prince Andreas, then suggested that Alexander should look after Greinburg Castle, at Grein, Austria, and its surroundings. For some years now, the prince has been committed to overseeing the administration of this property and its resources.
Eurohistory wishes Prince Alexander a very Happy Birthday. Alles Gute zum Geburtstag!
Watch the Funeral of Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg
The full film of the funeral of Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg may be viewed at the link below.
Aged ninety-eight, the grand duke died on 23 April surrounded by his family. The celebration of his live was in the same vein: the children, grandchildren, and at least one great-grandchild of Grand Duke Jean were present at Notre-Dame Cathedral in Luxembourg today to bid adieu to their "Papa" and "Apapa."
A full guest list was released by the Grand Ducal Court. Members of royal houses around the world gathered with his family and members of the Luxembourgish public to mourn and commemorate the life of the well-loved grand duke. For the comprehensive guest list, please visit this link at Luxarazzi: Who Will Attend: The Official Guest List for the Funeral of Grand Duke Jean
Thursday, May 2, 2019
Concern About The Health of Princess Margarita of Romania
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| Princess Margarita and her husband Radu attend the Silver Wedding celebrations of Grand Duke Henri and Grand Duchess Maria Teresa of Luxembourg in 2006 |
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| Princess Margarita with her husband Radu when he announced his 2009 bid for the Romanian presidency |
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| Margarita and Radu attend the wedding celebrations for Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden in 2010 |
For some years, the Romanian press has published reports that Princess Margarita, the eldest daughter of King Michael and Queen Anne, is dealing with ill health.
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| Princess Margarita with her husband at Otopeni Airport as they awaited the coffin of His Majesty |
The first articles appeared during the period when the Romanian royal family was reeling from the loss of King Michael of Romania, who died on 5 December 2017 in Switzerland. His Majesty's funeral was held in his country later that month. The royal family observed an extended period of mourning.
One news outlet carried the following article in December 2017 regarding the health of the princess:
After her mother's death, last year [in 2016], many reported that Princess Margarita was transformed by suffering. However, no one suspected that the situation was a serious one.
Her appearances in public a few days later also did not allow the suffering of the princess to be seen.
But on Wednesday morning at Otopeni Airport, when the entire Royal Family was waiting for the arrival of the aircraft that brought the coffin to King Michael's body, the princess gave evidence that she did not feel well.
Then, at some point, she even sat down in her assigned chair, and then had to ask for help from Prince Radu when she needed to either stand up again or sit down. During the ceremony at the airport, the princess grasped her husband's hand repeatedly.
This is not the first time that Princess Margarita, [then] 68, shows signs of malady. Last year, shortly after her mother's death, the weakened princess, drawn in the face and pale, shocked many people at her appearance in the church in Săvârșin, where a service was held in memory of Queen Anne.
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| Princess Margarita is assisted by her husband and an aide after leaving the Caraiman event in 2018 |
In September 2018, reports about the royal's condition again surfaced when Margarita fell ill while attending the 90th anniversary of the construction of the Heroes' Cross at Caraiman:
Princess Margarita, Crown Custodian, who walked on Saturday at the Cross of Caraiaman, felt badly during the ceremonies organised on the occasion of the 90th anniversary of the inauguration of the royal monument with the support of the Royal House. She did not require medical care afterwards.
Princess Margarita was one of the participants at Saturday's Caraiman ceremony, located at almost 2,300 meters altitude. Local sources told News.ro that Margarita felt poorly during the ceremony after she had walked along a path to climb to the Caraiman Cross.
"It's a long, tiring road that many people cannot walk through without difficulty. It is worth appreciating the effort of the princess and the fact that she went up there," Gheorghe Haiduc told News.ro.
Link: Principesei Margareta i s-a făcut rău după ce a urcat până la Crucea Caraiman
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| Princess Margarita with her youngest sister and goddaughter Princess Marie in 2016 |
Closer to home, more immediate worries about the wellbeing of Princess Margarita were expressed by her sister Princess Marie when she took to social media in February 2017.
At that time, Marie of Romania stated that a family member had undergone the Whipple procedure (also known as a pancreaticoduodenectomy). According to the Mayo Clinic:
The Whipple procedure is a complex operation to remove the head of the pancreas, the first part of the small intestine (duodenum), the gallbladder and the bile duct.
The Whipple procedure is used to treat tumors and other disorders of the pancreas, intestine and bile duct. It is the most often used surgery to treat pancreatic cancer that's confined to the head of the pancreas. After performing the Whipple procedure, your surgeon reconnects the remaining organs to allow you to digest food normally after surgery.
The Whipple procedure is a difficult and demanding operation and can have serious risks. However, this surgery is often lifesaving, particularly for people with cancer.
Link: Whipple procedure
Princess Margarita became a Swiss citizen during a naturalisation ceremony at Lausanne in June 2017. The princess was born at Lausanne on 26 March 1949 - she celebrated her seventieth birthday this year. Margarita is the only one of her siblings to become a Swiss citizen; she would thus be able to benefit from the country's universal healthcare system. In addition, the princess likely has resources that would allow her to receive the very best medical treatment.
Link: Une altesse royale parmi les naturalisés à Lausanne
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| Princess Margarita at an event for the Romanian Red Cross in 2015 |
The Queen Will Attend Lady Gabriella Windsor's Wedding
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| Lady Gabriella Windsor and Mr Thomas Kingston |
Today, 3 May, Buckingham Palace issued the following statement:
The wedding of Lady Gabriella Windsor and Mr Thomas Kingston will take place at St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle on Saturday 18th May 2019. The wedding will be attended by Her Majesty The Queen, accompanied by Members of the Royal Family. The marriage ceremony will commence at 12pm, conducted by the Dean of Windsor, The Right Revd David Conner.
Her Majesty's presence at Lady Gabriella's wedding will make the marriage's guest list grander than those of her parents Prince and Princess Michael of Kent as well as of her brother and sister-in-law Lord and Lady Frederick Windsor.
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| Prince and Princess Michael of Kent at their civil wedding in 1978 |
On 30 June 1978, Prince Michael of Kent married Baroness Marie-Christine von Reibnitz in a civil ceremony at Vienna. The couple were joined in the celebration of their union by the siblings of the prince: the Duke of Kent and Princess Alexandra, The Hon Lady Ogilvy, with her husband Sir Angus Ogilvy. Also present was Lady Helen Windsor, the Duke of Kent's daughter, in addition to Princess Anne (eventual Princess Royal) and Lord Mountbatten of Burma.
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| Lord and Lady Frederick Windsor with the groom's family after their marriage |
Fast forward forty-one years to the wedding of Lord Frederick Windsor. The eldest child of Prince and Princess Michael of Kent married Miss Sophie Winkleman on 12 September 2009 at Hampton Court. Lord and Lady Frederick's wedding was attended by the Duke and Duchess of Kent, their daughter Lady Helen Windsor, and Princess Eugenie of York.
With the knowledge that the Queen is coming, it is clear that Lady Gabriella Windsor and Mr Thomas Kingston will have the highest royal representation at their upcoming wedding. The couple's engagement was announced in September 2018.
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