Saturday, May 2, 2020
Olga Kulikovskaya, Daughter-In-Law of Grand Duchess Olga Alexandrovna of Russia, Dies at Ninety-Three
A Marriage in the Imperial Family of Brazil
The newlyweds. |
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).
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Alessandra is the daughter of Rafael Fragoso Pires and Bettina Alessandra Haegler.
Our congratulations to Prince Pedro Alberto and Princess Alessandra on their marriage!
Thursday, April 30, 2020
News from the Princely House of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Sayn: a Birth, an Engagement, and a Wedding
Casimir and Alana. Photograph (c) Schloss Sayn 2020 |
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."
Princess Sofia zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Sayn and Mr Archia Akhavan-Kharazian Photograph (c) Schloss Sayn 2020 |
Tuesday, April 28, 2020
A New Baby Borghese: The Son and Heir of House Borghese Descends from Many Royal Houses
Don Scipione Borghese and Donna Barbara Massimo |
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.
Source: Nobiltà, nato a Roma l'erede del principe Scipione Borghese e Barbara Massimo
For a more detailed look into the illustrious ancestry of little Don Camillo Borghese, please visit this page: The Heirs of Europe: Borghese
Fürst Alexander zu Schaumburg-Lippe Postpones His Marriage Amid Pandemic
Sunday, April 26, 2020
A Right Royal Soirée In São Paolo: Braganzas, Bourbons, and Savoys Gather For a Small Family Reunion
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.
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.
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.
Saturday, April 25, 2020
EUROHISTORY EXCLUSIVE: An Interview with HRH Crown Prince Alexander II of Serbia
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.
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.
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!
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.
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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