Friday, August 30, 2019

Noble Couplings That Were Not To Be: Hereditary Prince Gustav of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg and Elvire Pasté de Rochefort

Noble Couplings That Were Not To Be: 
Hereditary Prince Gustav of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg and Elvire Pasté de Rochefort
Princess Benedikte of Denmark, Fürst Richard of S-W-B, Elvire Pasté de Rochefort, Prince Gustav of S-W-B
On 16 August 2000, the Danish royal house announced the betrothal between Prince Gustav of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg (b.12 January 1969; eldest of three children and only son of Fürst Richard of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg and Princess Benedikte of Denmark) and Elvire Pasté de Rochefort (b.Paris 13 March 1968). Elvire is one of two children of Hervé Pasté de Rochefort and his wife Hélène Rodocanachi. The wedding between the pair was to take place in Paris in Spring of 2001. 
During a press conference in late August 2000 at Schloss Berleburg, Gustav and Elvire recalled that they first met at a wedding two years prior. Elvire was his dinner partner. The engaged couple revealed that it was not love at first sight. Elvire said that Gustav proposed to her on 23 July 2000. After their wedding, the couple planned to live in London for several years before moving to Schloss Berleburg.
On 25 November 2000, it was announced that the religious wedding of Prince Gustav of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg and his fiancée, Elvire Pasté de Rochefort, would take place at the Église de Saint Louis, Hôtel des Invalides, in Paris on 12 May 2001. A few months later, in March 2001, the news broke that the marriage of Gustav and Elvire had been postponed because of practical problems (logistics, accomodation, security). The union was expected to still occur in Paris at a later date.
Finally, in July 2001, Elvire and Gustav confirmed that their engagement had been called off. On 30 April 2005, Elvire Pasté de Rochefort married Christophe Clamageran. For many years, Prince Gustav of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg and Carina Axelsson have been in a relationship.
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The Bonapartes Visit Corsica To Commemorate 250th Anniversary Of Napoléon

Prince Charles Napoléon and his son Prince Jean-Christophe Napoléon Photo (c) PASCAL POCHARD-CASABIANCA / AFP
The Prince Napoléon and his fiancée Countess Olympia Arco-Zinneberg were in Ajaccio two weeks ago for the commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the birth of Emperor Napoléon I of the French. Prince Jean-Christophe was also joined by his father, Prince Charles. Of the visit, the Prince Napoléon stated: "It is a great pleasure to be here, just a few steps from the Bonaparte house and the imperial chapel where my family members rest, including my grandfather."
Prince Jean-Christophe Napoléon and fiancée Countess Olympia Arco-Zinneberg
Olympia Arco-Zinneberg and Jean-Christophe Napoléon
Jean-Christophe Napoléon and Olympia Arco-Zinneberg are scheduled to wed at Paris in October.
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Thursday, August 29, 2019

The Birthday of Queen Anne-Marie of Greece

Today Queen Anne-Marie of Greece celebrates her seventieth-third birthday.
Princess Anne-Marie Dagmar Ingrid of Denmark was born on 30 August 1946 at Amalienborg Palace in Copenhagen as the third and last daughter of the then Crown Prince Frederick of Denmark and his wife Ingrid (née Sweden). Anne-Marie's grandfather King Christian X was still on the Danish throne when his granddaughter was born; however, he was not to last until her first birthday. Christian X died on 20 April 1947 and was succeeded by Anne-Marie's father, King Frederick IX.
In 1959, thirteen year-old Anne-Marie of Denmark and her third cousin nineteen year-old Crown Prince Constantine of Greece met during a state visit in Copenhagen paid by Constantine's parent's King Paul of Greece and his wife Frederica (née Hannover) to King Frederick and Queen Ingrid. Two years later, in 1961, Crown Prince Constantine returned to Denmark and declared his intention of marrying Anne-Marie to her parents. When Frederick IX was told by Constantine of the plan, the Danish king locked his future son-in-law in the royal loo, while going off to fetch Queen Ingrid to tell her about the man who wanted to marry their youngest daughter!
Owing to Anne-Marie's age, the union needed to wait some years. It was not until July 1964 that the engagement of King Constantine II of Greece and Princess Anne-Marie of Denmark was announced. In the intervening years, Constantine's older sister Sophia had married Juan Carlos of Spain in 1962, and his father Paul had died in 1963 - at which time Constantine became king.
The couple were wed in great splendour at Athens on 18 September 1964. The new Queen of Greece converted from Lutheranism to Greek Orthodoxy. She wore a wedding gown by Danish designer Jørgen Bender.
In the first twenty-two years of their marriage, King Constantine II and Queen Anne-Marie had five children: Princess Alexia (b.1965), Crown Prince Pavlos (b.1967), Prince Nikolaos (b.1969), Princess Theodora (b.1983), and Prince Philippos (b.1986). The king and queen left Greece in 1967 after the king attempted a counter-coup against an authoritarian regime; however; they returned to the country to live in 2013.
The King and Queen of Greece frequently attend royal events around Europe. Unfortunately, King Constantine has suffered from ill-health for some time now. Yet, he has an able supporter in his wife, who has been by his side through the sorrows and joys of the nearly fifty-five years that they have been married.
We wish Her Majesty a very Happy Birthday!
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Spanish Royal Family Unite Around King Juan Carlos, Who Is In Recovery From Heart Surgery

King Juan Carlos of Spain, aged eighty-one, is currently recovering at Hospital Universitario Quirónsalud in Madrid after undergoing triple coronary artery bypass surgery on Saturday, 24 August.
The first members of the family to visit the king emeritus were Queen Sofía and King Felipe VI, who went to hospital after Juan Carlos came out of surgery on Saturday.
On Sunday, 25 August, King Felipe VI of Spain and Queen Letizia visited their father and father-in-law. Queen Sofía then went to see her husband and was accompanied by her sister Princess Irene of Greece as well as closest friend and cousin Princess Tatiana Radziwiłł with husband Dr Jean Fruchaud.
On Monday, 26 August, Infanta Cristina along with her children Juan Valentín, Irene, and Miguel, went to the unit where Juan Carlos is recovering. Cristina and her family spent about a half-hour with the king; the infanta gave no comment to reporters waiting outside after she left.
On Tuesday, 27 August, Juan Carlos was visited by his wife and all three of his children, in relays. First came Queen Sofía with Infanta Elena and her children Juan Froilan and Victoria Federica. Infanta Cristina arrived on her own to see her father. Finally, King Felipe and Queen Letizia with their daughters Leonor and Sofía went to hospital to see the king emeritus.
On Wednesday, 28 August, Infanta Elena returned to the clinic to spend some time with her father.
On Thursday, 29 August, King Felipe took his youngest daughter Infanta Sofía to visit Juan Carlos.
Today, Friday, 30 August, Queen Letizia took her eldest youngest Leonor to spend time with the king emeritus. King Juan Carlos is reportedly making a satisfactory recovery.

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

Prince Nikolai of Denmark Celebrates His 20th Birthday

Today His Highness Prince Nikolai celebrates his twentieth birthday. 🇩🇰 The Danish Royal Court released three news pictures of the prince. Photos © Steen Brogaard
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Monday, August 26, 2019

The Formerly Secret 1963 CIA Report On The Greek Royal Family

Over the decades, the Central Intelligence Agency of the United States has compiled many reports and dossiers on various royal families around the world. In 1963, the CIA was focused on the Royal Family of Greece: in particular, on King Paul, his wife Queen Frederica, and their son Crown Prince Constantine. The report, which is available at the link below, offers fascinating insight into how a foreign intelligence agency viewed the actions of these three key members of the Greek Royal Family, and how the royals' actions were consequential in the Greek political scene at the time. Link: The Monarchy and Stability in Greece
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Thursday, August 22, 2019

King Juan Carlos of Spain To Undergo Heart Surgery On Saturday

HM King Juan Carlos of Spain will undergo heart surgery on Saturday, 24 August. The announcement was made today by the royal palace. It is reported that doctors noticed the need for the operation during a routine check up in June: the exact cause for this surgery has not been released, understandably.
King Juan Carlos has had a plethora of operations over the decades to deal with various ailments. In 1954, the then-Infante Juan Carlos underwent an appendectomy after being diagnosed with appendicitis. In 1981, the king required surgery after injuries he sustained while colliding with a glass door. In 1985, Juan Carlos had surgery on his right knee. In 2001, the king underwent a procedure to correct varicose veins on his right left. In 2010, Juan Carlos was in hospital for an operation to remove a benign tumour on his right lung. In 2011, the king had surgery on the Achilles tendon of his left foot as well as having a right knee replacement. In 2012, Juan Carlos had a right hip replacement after suffering a dislocation in that hip; he then underwent a left hip replacement as well. In 2013, the king had back surgery after experiencing a herniated disc; he also had a further operation on his left hip. Last year, King Juan Carlos had an additional surgery on his right knee.
Embed from Getty Images
Due to these health problems, it is no wonder that King Juan Carlos made the decision to withdraw from public duties earlier this year. For quite some years, the Juan Carlos has required a cane to walk - with extra assistance being necessary at times. The heart surgery of the eighty-one year-old king emeritus will take place at a private hospital in a suburb of Madrid.
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