On Saturday, 3 July 2021, Prince D. Pedro Alberto de Orleans e Bragança (b.1988) married Alessandra Haegler Fragoso Pires (b.1994) at the Imperial Church of Nossa Senhora da Glória do Outeiro in Rio de Janeiro. The presiding priest was Prince Alessandro of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, the son of Prince Casimiro and Princess Maria Cristina of Bourbon-Two Sicilies. The couple's wedding had originally been scheduled for last year; however, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, it had to be postponed. Sadly, at an engagement party for Pedro Alberto and Alessandra in 2020, several members of the couples' families contracted the novel coronavirus.
Prince Alberto and Princess Maritza with their children Prince Pedro Alberto and Princess Maria Beatriz in 1999. Photograph (c) Getty Images / Yann Gamblin.
Prince D. Alberto and Princess D. Maritza de Orleans e Bragança. Photograph (c) LUCIANA MONTEIRO FOTOGRAFIA.
Pedro Alberto is the son of Prince D. Alberto de Orleans e Bragança (b.1957) and Princess D. Maritza de Orleans e Bragança (b.1961; née Ribas Bokel). Pedro Alberto is a grandson of Prince D. Pedro Henrique of Brazil (1909-1981) and Princess Maria Elisabeth of Bavaria (1914-2011).
Prince D. Pedro Alberto and Princess D. Alessandra in 2018. Photograph (c) Denise Andrade.
Alessandra is the daughter of Rafael Fragoso Pires and Bettina Alessandra Haegler.
Our congratulations to Prince Pedro Alberto and Princess Alessandra on their marriage!
Casimir and Alana.
Photograph (c) Schloss Sayn 2020
Several days ago, Prince Casimir and Princess Alana zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Sayn welcomed the birth of their first child. Prince Johann Friedrich Salentin Eduard Brady Maria Casimir was born on 27 April 2020 at Koblenz. Prince Casimir zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Sayn and Alana Bunte married in June 2019. Prince Casimir (b.1976) is the third child and second son of Fürst Alexander zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Sayn and Countess Gabriela von Schönborn-Wiesentheid.
The new mother Princess Alana announced the arrival of her son on Instagram: "We are delighted to announce the birth of our son Johann Friedrich Salentin on April 27th at 1:05am, weighing 8lbs 4oz. The admiration we have for the doctors, midwives, and healthcare professionals that took care of us at Kemperhof Koblenz cannot be measured."
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Princess Sofia zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Sayn and Mr Archia Akhavan-Kharazian
Photograph (c) Schloss Sayn 2020
In March 2020, the engagement was announced between Princess Sophie zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Sayn (b.1986) and her boyfriend Archia Akhavan-Kharazian (b.1990). Sophie is the sixth child and third daughter of Fürst Alexander zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Sayn and Countess Gabriela von Schönborn-Wiesentheid. Archia is the son of Asghar Akhavan-Kharazian and Eva Jimenez Ontanaya.
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On 1 February 2020, Furstin Caroline Eva zu Sayn-Wittgenstein (b.1998) married Ryan Wayne Ashmore (b.1992). Caroline Eva is the daughter of the Fürst George Michael zu Sayn-Wittgenstein (b.1966) and Audra Maria Blohon (b.1969). Ryan Ashmore is the son of Jeffrey Todd Ashmore (b.Dallas 25 March 1965), son of Tommy Robert Ashmore and Nancy Sue Seibert, and Amy Elizabeth Hollenbeck.
After seven years of marriage and twenty-six years of partnership, Don Scipione Borghese and his wife Donna Barbara Massimo have welcomed the arrival of their first child: Don Camillo. The little boy was born at Rome on Wednesday, 22 April 2020. Camillo's father is forty-nine, and his mother is fifty-four years-old.
Don Scipione Borghese was born on 19 November 1970 at Rome as the second child and only son of Don Camillo Borghese (1927-2011) and Rosana Nucci (1933-1981), who married in 1958. Scipione has one older sister, Donna Flaminia Borghese (b.1959). In 2013, Don Scipione Borghese married Donna Barbara Massimo of the Princes Arsoli. The couple began dating in 1994, and they became engaged in 2007.
Donna Barbara Massimo was born on 4 June 1965 at Rome. Her parents are the late Don Filippo Massimo (1938-2008), Prince of Arsoli, and Maria Luigia Capparella (b.1942), who married in 1962 and separated in 1978. Barbara has one older brother, Don Fabrizio Massimo (b.1963), Prince of Arsoli.
Barbara's paternal grandmother was Princess Maria Adelaide of Savoy-Genoa (1904-1979), who in 1935 married Don Leone Massimo (1896-1979), Prince of Arsoli. Through his mother, the newborn Don Camillo Borghese is a descendant of King Carlo Alberto I of Sardinia, King Johann of Saxony, King Ludwig I of Bavaria, King Carlos IV of Spain, and King Francesco I of The Two Sicilies. Uniting two historic families, Camillo also descends from many of the ancient noble dynasties of Rome.
Fürst Alexander zu Schaumburg-Lippe has announced that he and his fiancée Mahkameh Navabi, a concert pianist of Iranian extraction, have decided to postpone their religious marriage. This was scheduled to take place in September 2020.
In an article with Spiegel, Alexander said: "The decision to cancel our religious wedding and the associated festivities was not an easy one for us. But it goes without saying that we have to behave responsibly." Hundreds of guests had been invited to the Schaumburg-Lippe wedding.
Alexander and Mahkameh still plan on having their civil ceremony in September. The couple's religious wedding will take place in 2021. The prince and his partner have been dating since 2016.
This will be the third marriage of Fürst Alexander zu Schaumburg-Lippe. From 1993 to 2002, Alexander was married to Princess Lilly zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg; the prince and princess had one child: Hereditary Prince Heinrich-Donatus (b.1994). From 2007 to 2018, Alexander was married to Dr Nadja Anna Zsoeks; the couple had two daughters: Princess Friederike (b.2008) and Princess Philomena (b.2011). Alexander's son Donatus will act as his father's best man when the Fürst marries his intended.
Source: Schaumburg-Lippe sagt Hochzeit ab
The Duke of Bragança, Prince Imperial Bertrand of Brazil, Count Alberto Farini, Prince Luiz Philippe of Orléans and Bragança, and Prince Casimir of Bourbon-Two Sicilies. Photograph (c) Pró Monarquia.
On 11 March 2020, before the world was completely changed by the coronavirus pandemic, Prince Casimir of Bourbon-Two Sicilies and his wife Princess Maria Cristina organised a gathering for family members at their home in São Paolo. Prince Casimir is the son of the late Prince Gabriele of Bourbon-Two Sicilies (1897-1975) and his second wife Princess Cecilia Lubomirska (1907-2001). In 1967, Casimir married Princess Maria Cristina of Savoy-Aosta, the daughter of Prince Amedeo of Savoy (1898-1942), Duke of Aosta, and Princess Anne d'Orléans (1906-1986).
Princess Maria Cristina of Savoy-Aosta, Luce Frioli, Sophia Frioli, and Princess Maria Isabella of Savoy-Genoa. Photograph (c) Pró Monarquia.
Many cousins of Prince Casimir and Princess Maria Cristina attended the small soirée at their residence. Among those present were Dom Duarte Pio, Duke of Bragança and Head of the Royal House of Portugal, as well his daughter the Infanta Maria Francisca of Portugal, Duchess of Coimbra. Prince Imperial Dom Bertrand of Brazil, who also lives in São Paolo, was at the dinner as well as his nephew Prince Luiz Philippe of Orléans and Bragança, who is a Federal Deputy in the Brazilian Congress. In addition, Bertrand's niece Princess Maria da Glória of Orléans and Bragança was also a guest. Casimir and Maria Cristina have always remained close to their Brazilian cousins.
Three Generations of the Women of the Savoy-Genoa Branch of the Italian Royal Family: Countess Luce Frioli, Countess Sophia Frioli, and Princess Maria Isabella of Savoy-Genoa. Photograph (c) Rinnovamento nella Tradizione - Croce Reale.
Princess Maria Isabella of Savoy-Genoa, her daughter Countess Luce di Savoia Genova Frioli di Rezzano, and her granddaughter Sophia di Savoia Genova Frioli di Rezzano, who all live in the city, joined their cousins at this reunion. Maria Isabella is the only child of the last Duke and Duchess of Genoa: Prince Eugenio of Savoy-Genoa (1906-1996) and Princess Lucia of Bourbon-Two Sicilies (1908-2001). After the end of the World War II, Eugenio and Lucia moved to Brazil with their daughter to make a new life. In 1971, Maria Isabella of Savoy-Genoa married Alberto Frioli, Count di Rezzano; the couple had four children: Vittorio (b.1972), Maria Cristina (1973-1973), Carlo Alberto (b.1974), and Marie Luce (b.1978). Maria Isabella has maintained close ties with her many royal relations in South America and Europe.
Among others: The Duke of Bragança with his daughter the Duchess of Coimbra, and then, on the far right, Prince Luis Alfonso of Bourbon-Two Sicilies and Princess Maria da Gloria of Orléans and Bragança. Photograph (c) Pró Monarquia.
Prince Luis Alfonso of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, the eldest son of Prince Casimir and Princess Maria Cristina, joined in the dinner hosted by his parents. The prince lives in São Paolo together with his second wife and three children.
Duarte and Francisca of Portugal. Photograph (c) Pró Monarquia.
The Duke of Bragança and his daughter had been in Brazil on a trip to celebrate Infanta Maria Francisca's graduation from the Universidade Católica Portuguesa. Father and daughter visited the Amazon rainforest and then were able to spend time with their relatives in São Paolo, before returning to Portugal.
Casimir and Maria Cristina of Bourbon-Two Sicilies had planned on going to Italy to celebrate the ninetieth birthday of Maria Cristina's sister, Archduchess Margherita of Austria-Este. Due to the outbreak of COVID-19, the couple were unable to do so and have stayed at their residence in Brazil.
Crown Prince Alexander and Crown Princess Katherine of Serbia arrive at the wedding of Crown Prince Leka and Crown Princess Elia of Albania at the Royal Palace in Tirana on 8 October 2016. Photograph (c) Seth B. Leonard.
Earlier this month, HRH Crown Prince Alexander II of Serbia agreed to answer some questions for the readers of Eurohistory. I would like to thank Teodora Miljković, the Head of Public Relations and Protocol for the Royal House of Serbia, for contacting me in order to arrange this interview. Naturally, I am also grateful to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, who was the first royal to be interviewed by the European Royal History Journal in the late 1990s, for his participation - especially during this difficult time for the world and for Serbia.
SBL: How do you and your family plan to celebrate your seventy-fifth birthday? Your father, King Peter II, only lived to be forty-seven. Your grandfather, King Alexander I, had his life cut short at the age of forty-five. It is an important milestone. What lessons or morals do you feel you can draw from your father and grandfather at this stage of your life?
CPA: I am not sure that the present situation would permit any form of solemn or social celebration of my 75th birthday. Anyway, I can draw much from examples of my ancestors that when the nation is in trouble, one’s own priorities must step back.
SBL: What are some of the most important life lessons that you have learned? What are some of your guiding principles and values?
CPA: I am not quite certain that the process of my experience so far is really to be valued as definitive. Our world is one of quick changes. We try our best to understand those changes and to draw adequate conclusions. Only after a certain lapse of time we can evaluate the consequences. On the other hand, one has one’s own principles and beliefs which are impossible to change. I know mine.
SBL: How has your Orthodox faith sustained you during your life? What is your earliest memory of what it meant to you to be a member of the Serbian Orthodox Church? What does it mean to you to be a member of the Serbian Orthodox Church presently living in Serbia?
CPA: It is really impossible to define something that is part of your personality and spirit since the time when your memories were born. I respect all religions and faiths, and consequently I do expect that everybody respects my right and privilege to be Orthodox Christian. We Serbs are traditionally closely related with the Serbian Orthodox Church. It is a feeling of common destiny, not of enmity. We had, and still have, many Serbs that are not Orthodox Christians, and that is their heritage which they treasure, and we respect that. It is not an impediment, however, to feel and behave as a good Serbian!
SBL: Are there any recollections of your parents, King Peter II and Queen Alexandra, that you could share with us? The King and Queen had a difficult life in exile, and, as their only child, you surely were one of the strongest factors that held them together during all of the challenging experiences that they faced.
CPA: I love and treasure the memory of my parents. Sadly, at times they were not happy people, nor sometimes a happy couple. However, they were my mother and father, and my memory of them shall always be a happy one. They lived in a difficult time, a tragic time, and were the victims of such times. They were betrayed by their allies and their enemies, in a similar way and measure. But I loved them very much, and they were deserving of my love.
SBL: Princess Aspasia of Greece, your maternal grandmother, was a very strong lady. As the widow of King Alexander I of Greece, she brought up your mother as a single parent. What role did Princess Aspasia play in your upbringing? What was she like as a person?
CPA: Princess Aspasia, as you mention, was a very strong person. She was like a mother to me. She was a character and portrayed real authority, and I remember her as such. She was dignified, and yet it was up to her to bring on the most difficult decisions that anyone had to imagine or to live through. A formidable woman who was so good to me.
SBL: Did you ever have occasion to meet your paternal grandmother Queen Marie of Yugoslavia? Your paternal grandmother was the daughter of King Ferdinand of Romania and his wife Queen Marie, who was born a Princess of the United Kingdom. If you were able to meet Queen Marie, what impression did she make upon you?
CPA: Of course, I did meet her on many occasions. She also was a sort of a walking monument. She had both strong supporters and formidable enemies, and she – sometimes – chose a sort of seclusion to defend herself. After the untimely death of her consort, King Alexander I of Yugoslavia, she felt a little lost in the world, but she was a fighter, and she died as one.
SBL: Your godmother is Queen Elizabeth II. You have always had a close relationship with her and the British royal family. What impact has Her Majesty had on you? What is it like to have the Queen as a godmother?
CPA: It is both a privilege and luck! She is a unique person in the world that represents the history of the World, the present times, and a promise for the future. She is a liaison between times, and a pillar of staunch and sturdy commitment that one’s destiny is not only a private relation with the time and nation, but an essential institution that keeps different worlds together. There are many that understand this very well, and also some that never will understand anything. That is the world, and The Queen knows and understands that. I always enjoy very much meeting her.
SBL: This year, you and Crown Princess Katherine will celebrate your thirty-fifth wedding anniversary. What are some of the fondest memories that you have shared during your long marriage?
CPA: Yes! We are together 35 years. A long time, and a short time! A time of love, and a time of temptations. Our fondest memories keep us together, and they are our private treasure. I am very grateful for the care and love my wife has given me, and for her great patience.
SBL: How are your sons doing during this time? Hereditary Prince Peter as well as Prince Philip and your daughter-in-law Princess Danica live in the United Kingdom. Prince Alexander lives in the United States. How do you all keep in touch? What are you proudest about when you think about each of your sons?
CPA: Keeping in touch, not only communications-wise, but also in sense of keeping the sense of family unity, filial piety and fatherly love, is easy in form and difficult in essence today. The fact that our lives are organized in different places and that my sons are now independent men, with their own destinies, professions and temptations, is a very complicated issue. However, many families experienced such situations. I can only say this: I love my sons and my grandson very much, and their family happiness and security in life and in pursuit of the way they chose and within families they have, or will have, is my greatest hope and trust.
SBL: In February of this year, your grandson Prince Stefan turned two years old. What are your dreams and hopes for your grandson? How does it feel being in the role of grandfather?
CPA: He is a beautiful child, Stefan is also very sweet and full of humour. He has the good looks of his mother, and the shining spirit of his father, and I am sure that God will bless him with all the good fortune and goodness of character that he possesses and deserves. I pray for that.
SBL: As the Head of the Serbian Royal Family, you possess close genealogical ties to all of the crowned heads of Europe. Naturally, you are also the cousin of the heads of currently non-reigning families. How do you all stay in contact with each other?
CPA: Well, we are all one family, and we share our good and bad times. Each of us is a different story and each of us has a different destiny, but we are branches of the same tree, and fortunes, positive or adversary, of each one touches everybody else.
The Royal Palace in Belgrade.
SBL: Due to this worldwide public health emergency, you and the Crown Princess have had to shelter-in-place at your residence, the Royal Palace in Belgrade. What does a “typical” day look like now for both of you? Are there things that you both have discovered a newfound appreciation for while you stay at home?
CPA: This is an incredible experience we lacked so far. We are learning new information on a daily basis to see what is coming and rousing up the force to fight this evil virus. My wife and I praise our government, doctors, nurses and medical staff for putting their lives in danger to save lives. I am proud of my wife and her hard work and devotion in helping and providing our healthcare system with urgently needed equipment and contacts. She is very dedicated working with her foundations in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Greece and Serbia.
SBL: The novel coronavirus has led to millions of people around the world having their existences upended and changed drastically. Among other cousins of Your Royal Highness, the Prince of Wales contracted the virus, from which he has recovered. As of 14 April, there have been 4,465 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Serbia, and ninety-four Serbians have lost their lives due to this virus. In the face of this pandemic, what is your message to the people of your country?
CPA: Keep one’s head up and endure! Be strong and look forward to a bright future. Above all follow carefully the government directives and keep safe.
SBL: When COVID-19 is contained, and less of a public health threat, what are some aspects of life that you believe many of us will not take for granted? Things we might have not valued before all of this, but which self-isolation may have caused us to value much more than we had previously?
CPA: Let us not surmise, let us have patience to see what is coming and the strength to fight the adverse situation. We will rebuild the economy and we will win and survive.
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May God Bless Serbia, the Crown Prince and Crown Princess, and all members of the Royal House of Serbia!
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To learn more about Crown Prince Alexander and Crown Princess Katherine, please visit their website: Royal Family of Serbia
Prince Johannes Heinrich of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.
Princess Mathilde of Saxony.
Here we catch glimpses of the family life of Prince Johannes Heinrich of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (Innsbruck 28 March 1931 - 14 April 2010), Princess Dr. Mathilde of Saxony (Bamberg 17 January 1936 - Sistrans, Austria 18 March 2018), and their only child Prince Johannes Albert (Innsbruck 17 November 1969 - Ortler 21 August 1987). The family were photographed in 1972 by Georg Fruhstorfer at their home in Innsbruck, Austria. The blonde-haired Prince Johannes Albert, the short-lived heir to the Royal Saxon House, was three years-old at the time.
Johannes Heinrich, Johannes Albert, and Mathilde.
Mathilde and Johannes Albert.
The princess and her little prince.
Johannes Heinrich and Mathilde were married civilly at Munich on 15 October 1968 and religiously at Kloster Andechs on 12 November 1968. This was the second marriage of the prince and the first marriage of the princess.
Prince Rainer of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.
Prince Johannes Heinrich of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.
Prince Johannes Heinrich was the son of Prince Rainer of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha and his first wife Johanna Károlyi de Károly-Patty. Johannes Heinrich became a successful businessman. In 1957, Johannes Heinrich married Baroness Marie-Gabrielle von Fürstenberg (1921-2007), who was a talented artist. The couple had one child, Princess Felicitas of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (b.1958). Johannes Heinrich and Marie-Gabrielle divorced in 1968.
Prince Friedrich Christian of Saxony and Princess Elisabeth-Therese of Thurn and Taxis
The Royal Family of Saxony in the 1940s. Left to right: Margrave Friedrich Christian, Prince Maria Emanuel, Margravine Elisabeth-Therese, Princess Mathilde, and Prince Albert.
Princess Mathilde was the daughter of Prince Friedrich Christian of Saxony, eventual Margrave of Meißen, and Princess Elisabeth-Therese of Thurn and Taxis. Princess Mathilde finished her primary studies in Bregenz, Austria, and then went on to receive her doctorate in medicine while studying at university in Munich. Mathilde had four older siblings: Prince Maria Emanuel (1926-2012), Princess Maria Josepha (1928-2018), Princess Maria Anna (1929-2012), and Prince Albert (1934-2012).
Mathilde of Saxony and her son Johannes Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
The tragic death of their son Johannes Albert in a mountaineering accident at the age of seventeen threw his parents into deep despair. The strain on their relationship as a result of their only child's passing was too much to bear. Prince Johannes Heinrich and Princess Mathilde divorced in 1993, but the couple remained close towards the end of their lives.
Prince Johannes Heinrich of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha died in April 2010. He was survived by his partner Rosemarie Steinhauser and his daughter Princess Felicitas. Princess Mathilde of Saxony passed away in March 2018.
More can be read about their fascinating family and extended relations in The Coburgs of Europe (2013) by Arturo E. Beéche.
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Ancestry of Prince Johannes Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
1. Prince Johannes Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (1969-1987)
Parents
2. Prince Johannes Heinrich of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (1931-2010)
m. 1968 (div. 1993)
3. Princess Mathilde of Saxony (1936-2018)
Grandparents
4. Prince Rainer of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (1900-~1945)
m. 1930 (div. 1935)
5. Johanna Károlyi de Károly-Patty (1906-1992)
6. Prince Friedrich Christian of Saxony, Margrave of Meißen (1893-1968)
m. 1923
7. Princess Elisabeth-Therese von Thurn und Taxis (1903-1976)
Great-Grandparents
8. Prince August Leopold of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (1867-1922)
m. 1894
9. Archduchess Carolina of Austria-Tuscany (1869-1945)
10. Heinrich Károlyi de Károly-Patty (b.1868)
m.
11. Paula Gamon
12. King Friedrich August III of Saxony (1865-1932)
m. 1891 (div. 1903)
13. Archduchess Luisa of Austria-Tuscany (1870-1947)
14. Fürst Albrecht von Thurn und Taxis (1867-1952)
