Princess Alexandra Of Greece Seen On The Nude Art Scene In NYC

Yesterday in New York City, Princess Alexandra of Greece, the eldest daughter of Prince Michael of Greece and Marina Karella, attended the 2019 New York Academy of Art’s “Take Home A Nude Art Party and Auction.”

The event was held at Sotheby’s. Princess Alexandra and her husband Nicolas Mirzayantz are frequent patrons of the New York art scene.

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The Death of Duke Ludwig of Württemberg (1930-2019)

Duke Ludwig of Württemberg

It has been announced that Duke Ludwig of Württemberg, the elder brother of Duke Carl (Head of House), passed away on 6 October 2019. Ludwig was eighty-eight years-old. His death occurred at Weingarten.

Duchess Rosa and Duke Philipp of Württemberg 

Duke Ludwig of Württemberg was born on 23 October 1930 at Stuttgart as the second child and first son of Duke Philipp of Württemberg 1893-1975) and his second wife Archduchess Rosa of Austria-Tuscany (1906-1983).

(Left to right) Prince Jean d’Orléans, Prince Antonio of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, Margravine Helene Pallavicini,  and Duke Ludwig of Württemberg 

The duke gave up his dynastic rights in 1959. In 1960, Ludwig married Baroness Adelheid von une zu Bodman (b.1938); the couple divorced in 1970. Ludwig and Adelheid had three children: twins Christoph and Isabelle (b.1960), and Sybille (b.1963). Ludwig remarried in 1972 to Angelika Kiessig (b.1942); their union ended in 1988. Ludwig and Angelika had one daughter, Christiane (b.1973).

Ludwig worked as an interior designer. He is survived by his four children, and by his siblings: Princess Marie Christine of Liechtenstein; Margravine Helene Pallavicini; Princess Elisabeth of Bourbon-Two Sicilies; Princess Marie-Thérèse d’Orléans, Duchess of Montpensier; and Duke Carl of Württemberg. Ludwig was predeceased by his youngest sibling, Duchess Marie Antoinette. A memorial service for Duke Ludwig will be held at Schloß Altshausen on 19 October.

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The Descendants of the Grand Ducal House of Mecklenburg-Schwerin from Togo

At the funeral of Princess Woizlawa-Feodora Reuß (née Mecklenburg-Schwerin; 1918-2019), there was an interesting family reunion that took place. Present at the celebration of the life of the princess were a number of relatives: Duke Borwin of Mecklenburg, and sisters Duchess Donata and Duchess Edwina of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. In addition, there was in attendance Frieda zu Mecklenburg, along with her son. References to Woizlawa-Feodora by Frieda indicated that the former was the latter's aunt. If this is the case, it would be a most fascinating genealogical discovery. 

Princess Woizlawa-Feodora Reuß

Frieda zu Mecklenburg was born at Lomé, Togo on 5 January 1955. From what one can gather, she is possibly a descendant, through the male line, of the Grand Ducal House of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. If this is true, then Frieda is a second cousin once-removed of Queen Margrethe II of Denmark, Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna of Russia, and Princess Beatrix of The Netherlands. Frieda zu Mecklenburg would also be a second cousin twice removed of Prince Georg Friedrich of Prussia, the grandson of Frieda's potential second cousin Prince Louis Ferdinand of Prussia, who married Grand Duchess Kira Kirillovna of Russia, the aunt of Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna.

Duke Adolf Friedrich of Mecklenburg-Schwerin

Frieda's father appears to have been the natural or adopted son of Duke Adolf Friedrich of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (Schwerin, Mecklenburg-Schwerin 10 October 1873 - Eutin, West Germany 5 August 1969) and an as-yet-unknown Togolese woman. Adolf Friedrich was Governor of Togoland (in German West Africa) from 19 June 1912 until 31 August 1914. The duke was invited to the independence celebrations of Togo in 1960.

The wedding of Duke Adolf Friedrich of Mecklenburg-Schwerin and Princess Viktoria Reuß in 1917

Duke Adolf Friedrich of Mecklenburg-Schwerin was twice married. On 24 April 1917 at Gera, the duke wed Princess Viktoria Reuß (Potsdam 21 April 1889 - Rostock 18 December 1918). Adolf Friedrich and Viktoria had one child, Duchess Woizlawa-Feodora (Rostock 17 December 1918 - Strittmatt 3 June 2019). Woizlawa-Feodora married Prince Heinrich I Reuß (Krietern 8 October 1910 - Büdingen 10 March 1982). 

Princess Elisabeth zu Stolberg-Rossla, wife of Duke Johann Albrecht of Mecklenburg-Schwerin and subsequently of his brother Duke Adolf Friedrich of Mecklenburg-Schwerin

Adolf Friedrich married for a second time on 15 October 1924 at Ludwigslust to Princess Elisabeth zu Stolberg-Rossla (Rossla 23 June 1885 - Eutin 16 October 1969). Elisabeth was the second wife and eventual widow of the duke's elder brother Johann Albrecht of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (Schwerin 8 December 1857 - Wiligrad 16 February 1920), whom Elisabeth married on 15 December 1909 at Braunschweig.

Frieda zu Mecklenburg Photograph (c) Frieda zu Mecklenburg

Duke Adolf Friedrich of Mecklenburg-Schwerin's possible granddaughter, Frieda, studied at the Collége Protestant Lomé in the early 1970s. In the 1980s, she attended the Institut Universitaire de Technologie de Bordeaux. Frieda zu Mecklenburg is an honorary member of the Société Allemande-Togolaise (SAT). Note: The author of this post wishes to thank Hein Bruins (see here for his website) for his kind help in researching this topic.

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A Diplomatic Post for Prince Aimone of Savoy in Russia

Prince Aimone of Savoy, Duke of Apulia, Duke of Aosta

Recently Prince Aimone of Savoy has been appointed as the ambassador of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta (SMOM; Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem, of Rhodes and of Malta) to the Russian Federation. The Russian Federation has accepted the prince's diplomatic credentials.

Prince Aimone with his father Prince Amedeo

Aimone is the only son of Prince Amedeo, Duke of Savoy and Head of the Royal House, and his first wife Princess Claude d'Orléans. Aimone's paternal grandparents are the late Prince Aimone, Duke of Aosta, and Princess Irene of Greece and Denmark. His maternal grandparents are the late Prince Henri d'Orléans, Count of Paris, and Princess Isabelle of Orléans-Bragança.

Princess Olga of Savoy (née Greece) on her wedding day

 

(left to right) Princess Isabella, Prince Umberto, and Prince Amedeo.

Since 2008, Prince Aimone of Savoy has been married to Princess Olga of Greece, daughter of Prince Michael of Greece and Denmark and his wife Marina Karella. The couple have three children: Prince Umberto, Prince of Piedmont; Prince Amedeo, Duke of the Abruzzi; and Princess Isabella. The family reside in Russia, where Prince Aimone has worked for many years.

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The Third Wedding Anniversary of the Crown Prince and Crown Princess of Albania

A kiss between the newly married couple!

Three years ago, on 8 October 2016, Crown Prince Leka of the Albanians and his fiancée Elia Zaharia were married in a splendid ceremony at the Royal Palace in Tirana.

Their wedding was covered by media from around the world, including the European Royal History Journal. A video showing the plethora of royal, imperial, and noble guests to the wedding can be seen here (...the film was taken by the mother of the author of this post, whose birthday happened to be the same day as the royal nuptials). The union of Leka and Elia was a wonderfully organised event that showed how much affection the couple has from their contemporaries at home and abroad.

We wish Their Royal Highnesses a very happy anniversary! More pictures from the wedding may be viewed here: Scenes from the Royal Wedding

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Program Detailing The Reburial of Queen Mother Helen of Romania On 18 October

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In Celebration of an American Royal Historian: Dr. Mary Houck

Dr. Mary Houck Photograph (c) The Blade

Over many decades and until the present day, Dr. Mary E. Houck of Ohio has carved out a special and unique role as an American historian with an encyclopaedic knowledge of the imperial, royal, and noble houses of Europe - as well as those of every other continent! She has shared a special bond with Arturo E. Beéche, the founder and publisher of the European Royal History Journal and of Kensington House Books...they are very much kindred spirits. I believe that the pair are rather a sort of adopted-by-choice mother and son team - two people bound together by an abiding common interest. Since 2000, Mary and Arturo have worked to guarantee that the published/written word of royal history is preserved for their contemporaries and for the generations to come. Dr. Houck has traveled widely on the European Continent in order to further her first-hand experience and knowledge. As a consequence, she has greatly inspired those who share her passion, and she has compelled many of us to seek more information about the subjects that so greatly interest Mary. Dr. Houck has undertaken countless visits to Germany, Spain, Portugal, Denmark, Belgium, The Netherlands, Luxembourg, Austria, Monaco, Italy, Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia, Romania, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, France, Russia, and the United Kingdom, so that she might fulfill her desire to learn all that she can about the history and genealogies of dynasties around the world. They also traveled to Costa Rica not only to visit Arturo's family several timers, but also his late dear friend Prince Alfred of Prussia. Her love for learning and teaching what she has gleaned about these subjects has been shared with a wide audience, indeed. The library that she has amassed at her home is amazing in both its size and the breadth of information that it contains. Due to Dr. Houck's dedication and influence, there are many aspiring royal historians (and royal watchers) who have benefited from her wish to teach others from the wealth of knowledge she possesses. The author of this post has had the pleasure of spending time with Dr. Houck on several occasions. I most memorably recall that she kindly helped me in learning the correct pronunciations of various German royal and noble families. Dr. Mary Houck is an invaluable resource due to her efforts in contributing the vast archive that she has acquired so that it will become an important part of the Eurohistory Photo Collections and Archive. Dr. Houck possesses an unrivalled ability to identify members in what may seem an obscure royal picture of postcard. We owe an unparalleled debt of gratitude to her - and, as is my humble wish, we celebrate her today!

For more on Dr. Mary Houck, please read this August 2002 article by George J. Tanber from The Blade: In terms of royal facts, she rules