The Tenth Birthday of Lady Cosima Windsor, Granddaughter of the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester

Lady Cosima Windsor

Today, Lady Cosima Windsor celebrates her tenth birthday. She is currently thirtieth in the line of succession to the British throne. Cosima is a great-granddaughter of Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester, and Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester.

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Lady Cosima Rose Alexandra Windsor was born on 20 May 2010 as the only daughter and second child of the Earl and Countess of Ulster. Alexander Windsor, Earl of Ulster (b.1974), married Dr. Claire Booth (b.1977) on 22 June 2002 at the Queen's Chapel at St James Palace. Cosima has one older brother: Xan, Lord Culloden (b.2007).

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Lady Cosima is the paternal granddaughter of the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester. Cosima is the maternal granddaughter of The elder child of Robert Booth (1948–2006) and Barbara (née Hitchin).

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Lord and Lady Ulster live a very private life. Cosima's father Alex Windsor has worked as the director of Transnational Crisis Project; furthermore, he served in the British military from 1998-2008. Cosima's mother Claire is a physician and paediatrician.

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We wish Lady Cosima many happy returns of the day.

The Count and Countess of Paris en Famille at Dreux

The Count and Countess of Paris with their children Photograph (c) David Nivière.

Last week, Prince Jean and Princess Philomena d'Orléans, the Count and Countess of Paris, released a number of pictures of their family. Like all of the people of France, the Orléans have been sheltering-in-place at their home in Dreux.

The Count of Paris and Prince Gaston. Photograph (c) David Nivière.

The Countess of Paris with her daughters Princess Antoinette and Princess Louise-Marguerite. Photograph (c) David Nivière.

Prince Joseph d'Orléans with a chick on his head. Photograph (c) David Nivière.

Prince Gaston, the Dauphin of France, with the chickens and roosters. Photograph (c) David Nivière.

Princess Jacinthe, the youngest of the children, with the family's Newfoundland Leonora Photograph (c) David Nivière.

Prince Gaston d'Orléans, Dauphin of France, reading atop a wall of firewood. Photograph (c) David Nivière.

The Count and Countess of Paris with their children Photograph (c) David Nivière.

Last week, Prince Jean and Princess Philomena d'Orléans, the Count and Countess of Paris, released a number of pictures of their family. Like all of the people of France, the Orléans have been sheltering-in-place at their home in Dreux.

The Count of Paris and Prince Gaston. Photograph (c) David Nivière.

The Countess of Paris with her daughters Princess Antoinette and Princess Louise-Marguerite. Photograph (c) David Nivière.

Prince Joseph d'Orléans with a chick on his head. Photograph (c) David Nivière.

Prince Gaston, the Dauphin of France, with the chickens and roosters. Photograph (c) David Nivière.

Princess Jacinthe, the youngest of the children, with the family's Newfoundland Leonora Photograph (c) David Nivière.

Prince Gaston d'Orléans, Dauphin of France, reading atop a wall of firewood. Photograph (c) David Nivière.

Hessian Prince Dies In Motorcycle Accident Today

Prince and Landgrave Otto of Hesse

Today, 17 May, Prince and Landgrave Otto of Hesse lost his life following injuries sustained in a motorcycle accident. The incident took place this morning near Lindau am Bodensee. Otto Hessen was fifty-five years-old.

Otto was born at Oldenburg on 19 January 1965 as the second son and last child of Prince and Landgrave Wilhelm of Hesse (b.1933) and Oda-Mathilde von Garmissen (1935-2017), who married in 1961. Otto had an older brother, Wilhelm (b.1963). Otto’s paternal grandparents were Prince and Landgrave Wilhelm of Hesse (1905-1942) and Princess Marianne of Prussia (1913-1983).

On 8 September 1998, Otto married Carla Blickhaäuser (b.1974) in Las Vegas. The couple, who divorced in 2017, have four children: Prince Max (b.1999), Princess Elena (b.2000), Prince Moritz (b.2007), and Prince Leopold (b.2009). Otto of Hesse was an entrepreneur, a practitioner of the Korean martial art hapkido, and an avid motorcycle rider. According to royal genealogist Daniel Willis, Prince Otto was 1461th (or thereabouts) in the line of succession to the British throne.

May Otto Rest In Peace.

The Only Child of the Last Surviving Great-Granddaughter of Queen Victoria Has Died

Paul Brandram

Mr Paul Brandram passed away on 9 May 2020 at his home in Combrook, Warwickshire. He was seventy-two years-old. Paul was a nephew of King George II of Greece, King Alexander of Greece, King Paul of Greece, Queen Mother Helen of Romania, and Princess Irene, Duchess of Aosta (onetime Queen of Croatia). Amongst his first cousins, Paul counted Queen Alexandra of Yugoslavia,  King Michael of Romania, King Constantine II of Greece, Queen Sofīa of Spain, and Duke Amedeo of Savoy.

Princess Katherine of Greece and Denmark

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Major Richard Campbell Brandram and Princess Katherine of Greece and Denmark

Richard Paul George Andrew Brandram was born at London on 1 April 1948; one of Paul's godfathers was his mother's cousin Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. Paul was the only child of Major Richard Campbell Brandram (1911-1994) and Princess Katherine of Greece and Denmark (1913-2007). Richard, a member of the British Royal Artillery, and Katherine were wed at Athens on 21 April 1947. After her marriage, Paul's mother assumed the style and title of "Lady Catherine Brandram."

A charming photograph of the newborn Paul Brandram. Photograph (c) International News Photo

Princess Marina, Duchess of Kent, holds Paul Brandram at his christening in 1948.

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Paul's maternal grandparents were King Constantine I of the Hellenes (1868-1923) and Queen Sophie (1870-1932; née Princess of Prussia). Paul's paternal grandparents were Richard Andrew Brandram (1874-1962), the founder of the Bickley Park School in Kent, and Maud Campbell Blaker (1877-1971).

King Constantine II of Greece, a best man, and Lady Helen Windsor, a bridesmaid, at the wedding of Paul Brandram and Jennifer Steele in 1975. Photograph (c) Alamy.

On 12 February 1975, Paul Brandram married Jennifer Diane Steele (b.1951) at London. The couple had three children: Sophie (b.1981), Nicholas "Nick" (b.1982), and Alexia (b.1985). Paul and Jennifer eventually divorced. In 2009 Paul married Kate Moreton Warhurst. Mr Brandram is survived by his wife, children, and grandchildren. According to the research of royal genealogist Daniel Willis, Paul Brandram was 524th in the line of succession to the British throne.

May Paul Rest In Peace.

An Exciting Engagement in the Royal House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies: Prince Jaime and Lady Charlotte

Prince Jaime of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, Duke of Noto, and Lady Charlotte Lindesay-Bethune

On Friday, 15 May, the engagement was announced between HRH Prince Jaime of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, Duke of Noto, and Lady Charlotte Lindesay-Bethune. The couple will marry in the Summer of 2021.

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Don Jaime de Borbón y Landaluce was born at Madrid on 26 June 1992 as the first child of Prince Pedro of Bourbon-Two Sicilies (b.1968) and Doña Sofía Landaluce y Melgarejo (b.1973). Jaime's parents married on 30 March 2001 at the Club de Hierro, Madrid, in an intimate ceremony attended by their family and close friends. In due time, Jaime was joined by six younger siblings: Juan (b.2003), Pablo (b.2004), Pedro (b.2007), Sofía (b.2008), Blanca (b.2011), and Maria (b.2015).

Anne and Carlos

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The paternal grandparents of Prince Jaime, Duke of Noto, are the Infante Don Carlos of Spain, Prince of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, Duke of Calabria (1938-2015), and Princess Anne d'Orléans (b.1938). The maternal grandparents of Prince Jaime are Don José Manuel Landaluce y Dominguez (b.1944) and Doña Blanca Melgarejo y Gonzales (1946-2009). Jaime is a great-grandson of the late Count and Countess of Paris. 

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Jaime's grandfather the Infante Don Carlos, Duke of Calabria, did not recognise the marriage of Pedro and Sofía as equal. In May 2002, a delegate of the Spanish branch of the Constantinian Order of Saint George wrote the following regarding the couple's union: "The marriage of the Duke of Noto was not authorised in accordance with the requirements of the Law on marriages of the Two Sicilies of 1829. No formal authorisation was given, the marriage did not conform to past precedents in the House, and the invitations were issued in the name of the bride and groom rather than jointly with the groom's parents. The descendants of this marriage will not therefore be Two Sicilies dynasts." Two years later, on June 2004, the same representative of the order, who was also a friend of the late Infante D. Carlos, stated: "D. Sofia is accorded the title of 'Duchess of Noto', but the children are not T-S dynasts; they are however Spanish dynasts. In the view of the Infante D. Carlos, they are Excelentisimo Senores." However, at some unknown date, presumably in or after 2004, the Infante D. Carlos decided to recognise the marriage of his son and daughter-in-law as dynastic. This change of heart was influenced by the Infante's first cousin and dear friend King Juan Carlos of Spain granting approval for the 2004 marriage of the Prince of Asturias, now King Felipe VI of Spain, to Letizia Ortiz Rocasolano, now Queen Letizia of Spain. Since this retroactive demorganatisation, the children of the Duke and Duchess of Noto (titled Duke and Duchess of Calabria since 2015) bear the style of Royal Highness and the title of Prince(ss) of Bourbon-Two Sicilies.

The 16th Earl of Lindsay

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Lady Charlotte Diana Lindesay-Bethune was born on 12 May 1993 as the youngest child of the 16th Earl of Lindsay (James Randolph Lindesay-Bethune; b.1955) and the Countess of Lindsay (née Diana Mary Chamberlayne-Macdonald; b.1961). Lady Charlotte's parents' married on 2 March 1982. The couple have four other children: Lady Frances Lindesay-Bethune(b.1986); Lady Alexandra Lindesay-Bethune (b.1988); the Honourable William Lindesay-Bethune, Viscount Garnock (b.1990); and the Honourable David Lindesay-Bethune (b.1993; twin brother of Lady Charlotte).

David, 15th Earl of Lindsay

The Douglas-Scott-Montagu family by Bassano Ltd in 1934. Photograph (c) National Portrait Gallery.

The paternal grandparents of Lady Charlotte Lindesay-Bethune are David Lindesay-Bethune, 15th Earl of Lindsay (1926-1989) and the Honourable Mary-Clare Douglas-Scott-Montagu (1928-2016). The maternal grandparents of Lady Charlotte are Major Nigel Chamberlayne-Macdonald (1927-2013) and Penelope Chamberlayne (b.1932).

Duke Friedrich II of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg

Duchess Magdalena Auguste of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg

Prince Jaime and Lady Charlotte are ninth cousins. The couple are both descended from Duke Friedrich II of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg (1676-1732) and Princess Magdalena Auguste of Anhalt-Zerbst (1679-1740). Furthermore, Jaime and Charlotte are descendants of King George II of Great Britain.

The Duke and Duchess of Calabria announce the engagement of their son Prince Jaime to Lady Charlotte.

We send our best wishes to Prince Jaime and Lady Charlotte as well as to their families upon the occasion of this wonderful news. To learn more about the ancestry of Prince Jaime of Bourbon-Two Sicilies and Lady Charlotte Lindesay-Bethune, please visit this link: The Heirs of Europe: Bourbon-Two Sicilies

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The Passing of Princess Maria Immaculata of Bourbon-Two Sicilies (1937-2020)

Princess Maria Immaculata of the Two Sicilies

 

It is with sadness that we report the recent passing in Spain of Princess Maria Immaculata of Bourbon-Two Sicilies. She died at Mallorca today, 14 May, and her funeral is to take place tomorrow, 15 May, in the strictest intimacy. Her death was communicated to us by one of her children. Maria Immaculata was eighty-two years-old.

 

Princess Cecilia Lubomirskaya and Prince Gabriele of the Two Sicilies

 

The princess was born on 25 June 1937 at Warsaw as the daughter of Prince Gabriele of the Two Sicilies (1897-1975) and his second wife Princess Cecilia Lubomirska (1907-2001), who had wed in 1932. Maria Immaculata had three full siblings: Prince Giovanni (1933-2000), Princess Maria Margarita (1934-2014; married Luis Gonzaga Maldonado y Gordon), and Prince Casimir (b.1938; married Princess Maria Cristina of Savoy-Aosta). From Prince Gabriele's first marriage in 1927 to Princess Malgorzata Czartoryska (1902-1929), the princess had one older half-brother, Prince Antonio (1929-2019; married Duchess Elisabeth of Württemberg).

The marriage of Princess Maria Immaculata and Miguel Garcia de Saéz y Telleca

On 29 June 1970 at San Carlos, Ibiza, Maria Immaculata married Don Miguel Garcia de Saéz y Tellecea (6 September 1921-12 March 1982), the son of Guillermo Garcia de Saéz and Margarita Tellecca. Educated at Cambridge and the Sorbonne, Miguel was a Spanish politician who eventually attained the position of director general of the National Institute of Emigration. Maria Immaculata and Miguel had two children: Don José-Luis Garcia de Saéz y de Borbón (b.Madrid 3 March 1972) and Doña Maria-Ilia (Cecilia) Garcia de Saéz y de Borbón (b.Madrid 11 December 1973). The couple divorced on 25 October 1979; they received a religious annulment on 24 April 1980. Princess Maria Immaculata of Bourbon-Two Sicilies was a Dame Grand Cross of the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George.

Prince Alfonso of the Two Sicilies, Count of Caserta

Princess Maria Antonietta of the Two Sicilies, Countess of Caserta

 

Princess Maria Immaculata of Bourbon-Two Sicilies was a granddaughter of Prince Alfonso of the Two Sicilies (1841-1934), Count of Castera, and his wife and first cousin Princess Maria Antonietta of the Two Sicilies (1851-1938). The princess was a great-granddaughter of King Ferdinando II of the Two Sicilies (1810-1859) and his second wife Archduchess Theresa of Austria (1816-1867). Maria Immaculata was a first cousin of the following Grand Dames of the Gotha: Princess Lucia of the Two Sicilies, the last Duchess of Genoa; Princess Maria de las Mercedes of the Two Sicilies, Countess of Barcelona; and Princes Maria de la Esperanza of the Two Sicilies, Princess Pedro Gastão of Brazil.

Maria Immaculata

 

May The Princess Rest In Peace.

The Passing of Princess Maria Immaculata of Bourbon-Two Sicilies (1937-2020)

Princess Maria Immaculata of the Two Sicilies

 

It is with sadness that we report the recent passing in Spain of Princess Maria Immaculata of Bourbon-Two Sicilies. She died at Mallorca today, 14 May, and her funeral is to take place tomorrow, 15 May, in the strictest intimacy. Her death was communicated to us by one of her children. Maria Immaculata was eighty-two years-old.

 

Princess Cecilia Lubomirskaya and Prince Gabriele of the Two Sicilies

 

The princess was born on 25 June 1937 at Warsaw as the daughter of Prince Gabriele of the Two Sicilies (1897-1975) and his second wife Princess Cecilia Lubomirska (1907-2001), who had wed in 1932. Maria Immaculata had three full siblings: Prince Giovanni (1933-2000), Princess Maria Margarita (1934-2014; married Luis Gonzaga Maldonado y Gordon), and Prince Casimir (b.1938; married Princess Maria Cristina of Savoy-Aosta). From Prince Gabriele's first marriage in 1927 to Princess Malgorzata Czartoryska (1902-1929), the princess had one older half-brother, Prince Antonio (1929-2019; married Duchess Elisabeth of Württemberg).

The marriage of Princess Maria Immaculata and Miguel Garcia de Saéz y Telleca

On 29 June 1970 at San Carlos, Ibiza, Maria Immaculata married Don Miguel Garcia de Saéz y Tellecea (6 September 1921-12 March 1982), the son of Guillermo Garcia de Saéz and Margarita Tellecca. Educated at Cambridge and the Sorbonne, Miguel was a Spanish politician who eventually attained the position of director general of the National Institute of Emigration. Maria Immaculata and Miguel had two children: Don José-Luis Garcia de Saéz y de Borbón (b.Madrid 3 March 1972) and Doña Maria-Ilia (Cecilia) Garcia de Saéz y de Borbón (b.Madrid 11 December 1973). The couple divorced on 25 October 1979; they received a religious annulment on 24 April 1980. Princess Maria Immaculata of Bourbon-Two Sicilies was a Dame Grand Cross of the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George.

Prince Alfonso of the Two Sicilies, Count of Caserta

Princess Maria Antonietta of the Two Sicilies, Countess of Caserta

 

Princess Maria Immaculata of Bourbon-Two Sicilies was a granddaughter of Prince Alfonso of the Two Sicilies (1841-1934), Count of Castera, and his wife and first cousin Princess Maria Antonietta of the Two Sicilies (1851-1938). The princess was a great-granddaughter of King Ferdinando II of the Two Sicilies (1810-1859) and his second wife Archduchess Theresa of Austria (1816-1867). Maria Immaculata was a first cousin of the following Grand Dames of the Gotha: Princess Lucia of the Two Sicilies, the last Duchess of Genoa; Princess Maria de las Mercedes of the Two Sicilies, Countess of Barcelona; and Princes Maria de la Esperanza of the Two Sicilies, Princess Pedro Gastão of Brazil.

Maria Immaculata

 

May The Princess Rest In Peace.