Funeral of Countess Maria Immaculata zu Toerring-Jettenbach: Exclusive

On Saturday, September 12, 2020, the Törring family gathered in a private funeral to lay to rest Countess Maria Immaculata. Given the danger posed by COVID-19, as well as rising contagion rates across Europe, the family decided this was the most responsible and safest manner to bid farewell to the late Countess. Funeral Oration by the officiating priest: "This church was very familiar to your mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother. On Sundays she usually sat on the left side of the church in the back third, formerly the women's side. During the service she always had a look at the family crest, the jumping dog up in the choir arch. Perhaps it also created an additional bond with this church that many generations of the Törring family prayed here. Today, she is one last time in the little church of Dünzelbach and will find a final resting place very close to this prayer room, her house, and the place where her family lives.

Maria Immaculata was born almost 100 years ago, on July 27, 1921 in eastern Hungary, the region that is today mainly known for its To-kaj wine here in the west. The family of Baron Waldbott von Bassenheim originally came from the Rhineland and made it to Hungary through marriage in the 19th century. Maria Immaculata grew up bilingual on her parents' estate, where she was taught by private tutors for the first few years of school. Then she went to a Sacré Coeur school near Pressburg. After finishing school, she could expect a carefree life on her parents' estate. But as her father writes in his memoirs, his daughter had no desire to just go about social life and wanted to do something more serious. The beginning of the war for Hungary in 1941 provided the opportunity to train as a nurse. She specialized in operations in the surgical department and took part in difficult operations every day for two years. I have even heard from experienced doctors that they can hardly stand this work on the open human body. It shows that the deceased could take a lot. In 1943 she was transferred to the rock hospital in Budapest, where the best medical staff in Hungary were brought together to care for the citizens of the capital, who were seriously wounded after bombing, in vaulted cellars. It was a horrific patchwork, in which the nurse treated countless seriously injured people day and night. At the last minute, before Budapest was occupied by the Russians, they managed to escape to the West, to which the family also fled in stages.

Maria Immaculata first ended up in Austria, where she helped find missing people on radio broadcasts. When the Russians approached Austria, the flight continued to the American zone. In Lower Bavaria, the family initially found accommodation in an inn near Grießbach, later they were able to move to the Arco family. During this post-war period Maria Immaculata worked in Munich for the UN aid organization UNRRA, which took care of war refugees. In 1947, she visited Seefeld Castle, where she met Count Hans Heribert Törring. The engagement took place after just two weeks, and soon after that the wedding took place. As it is said, all participants of the wedding were extremely happy, not only because of the bride and groom, but because everyone could finally eat their fill.

In the following years five children were born. The quiet life took a certain turn when the son Max was born with a disability. The mother did not want to accept the health impairment and sought medical help everywhere so that her son could lead a normal life. But in vain, no one could explain the strange disease. Finally, a specialist in the USA was able to diagnose the disease as muscle wasting. At that time, this disease was practically unknown in Germany and hardly researched. Countess Maria Immaculata then founded the “German Society for Muscle Sickness” in 1965 as a self-help organization with many in-house meetings. Today this society is a large association that supports many people in need, and has also expressed its condolences for the death of the founder in a beautiful way.

The deceased was impressively enterprising. She and her friend Princess Irmingard of Bavaria liked to drive to the Middle East and exotic regions, where they experienced exciting adventures that we would probably not expect as holidays. In the 1950s she bought a house in the south of France that was to serve as a meeting place and holiday residence for the family for two decades. The international milieu of the French Riviera certainly suited her. She made a number of interesting friendships and even looked after the property's small olive plantations. After her husband's death in 1977, a new stage in life began. She wanted to make it easier for the children to have a life of their own, and perhaps to lead a new one herself. She moved into a large house in Lower Bavaria, which she furnished with a lot of love. Furnishing and designing houses was a passion of hers. She put a lot of effort into the large garden and the rose plantations in particular, and the visitors were impressed by the splendour of the flowers when family and friends were invited, especially when the roses were in bloom. In general, she loved nature and was happy when deer and pheasants visited her property and let her feed them. But she was also a dashing hunter, a passion she might have inherited from her father.

Countess Antonia zu Törring-Jettenbach

At the age of 90 she moved back to Dünzelbach, close to the family. It was quite a sacrifice for her, as she had to leave her beloved rose garden behind. In any case, the small front garden of the forester's house next to the church was always well cared for. With age, her social circles became increasingly smaller. The visits of the children and grandchildren, the Sunday meetings, and meals together were a great pleasure for them. Thanks also to the family for taking the time to visit us. Old people often feel left alone and are grateful for the attention of their loved ones. How important the family was to the deceased could also be seen in her room, where children and grandchildren were present in her pictures. The last few months have been difficult, also for the family. Someone with such a strong will to live does not simply give up before death. I was allowed to bring her the sacraments of death one day before she died. She suffered badly, but was quite there and composed. She knew what was in store for her, and she was prepared for it.

You will allow me to say a few more general words about this brief overview of her life. The way the deceased was described and how I experienced her myself, she radiated a strong presence. She had a strong will, but it was mixed with a lot of kindness and humor and she had a pronounced charm. Whenever she was here in church and came to communion holding her daughter's hand, I always thought to myself, “Respect. A woman with format.” As you can already see from the outline of her life, she was extremely independent and independent in her whole way of thinking, but also helpful, warm-hearted, and open to other people in an unobtrusive way. She could also be strict and precise when the situation called for it, but without wanting to hurt. She was a good listener and gave people the freedom to go their own way. A letter of condolence describes her as an extremely interesting and quick-witted conversation partner who spread the joy of life.

Your mother has come a very long way, from eastern Hungary to here in the small Dünzelbach in Upper Bavaria. She was accompanied by her faith, which was strongly shaped by a piety to Mary. In a sense, Mary stands for the maternal side of God, for care and devotion, the willingness to fully support the children. In Seefeld there is a figure of Mary in the field that your mother regularly visited and decorated with flowers. That is why the beautiful figure of Mary of his own possession can also be seen on the death card and the heartfelt song of Mary "Mary, spread your coat", which invites us to recognize and feel that we are children of God. The last days are also connected with Mary: the day of death was the feast of Mary's birth and today's funeral day is the feast of Mary's name, i.e. the name of the Mother of God, which the deceased herself carried: Maria Immaculata. A rich life has now found its consummation.  May Maria Immaculata rest in peace...."

Grave of Count Hans Heribert and Countess Maria Immaculata zu Törring-Jettenbach.

Eurohistory wishes to express our sincerest condolences to to Törring family during these sad times! NOTE: Reproduction of photos without prior permission is strictly forbidden!

The Marriage of Prince Henri of Bourbon-Parma and Archduchess Gabriella of Austria

The Bourbon-Parma/Austria nuptials

 

HRH Prince Henri of Bourbon-Parma and HI&RH Archduchess Gabriella of Austria were married today at Schloß Tratzberg in Jenbach, Austria. Archduchess Gabriella wore the Grand Duchess Adelaide Tiara. Father Paul Habsburg (b.1968; né Archduke of Austria; son of Archduke Michael of Austria and Archduchess Christina [née Princess zu Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenburg]), a cousin of the bride, was one of the officiants. Among the guests were Bourbon-Parmas, Habsburgs, Hohenbergs, Holstein-Ledreborgs, Liechtensteins, and Luxembourgs.

Prince Henri Luitpold Antoine Victor Marie Joseph of Bourbon-Parma was born at Roskilde, Denmark, on 14 October 1991. Henri is the youngest child and second son of Prince Erik of Bourbon-Parma (b.1953) and Countess Lydia Holstein-Ledreborg (b.1955), who married in 1980 and divorced in 1999. Henri's paternal grandparents are Prince Michel of Bourbon-Parma (1926-2018) and Princess Yolande of Broglie-Revel (1928-2014). Henri's maternal grandparents are Count Knud Holstein-Ledreborg (1919-2001) and Princess Marie Gabrielle of Luxembourg (b.1925).

Archduchess Gabriella Maria Pilar Yolande Joséphine-Charlotte of Austria was born at Geneva on 26 March 1994. Gabriella is the youngest child and second daughter of Archduke Carl Christian of Austria (b.1954) and Princess Marie-Astrid of Luxembourg (b.1954), who married in 1982. Gabriella's paternal grandparents are Archduke Carl Ludwig of Austria (1918-2007) and Princess Yolande de Ligne (b.1923). Gabriella's maternal grandparents are Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg (1921-2019) and Princess Joséphine-Charlotte of Belgium (1927-2005).

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Prince Henri and Archduchess Gabriella became engaged on 22 October 2017 in Switzerland. The pair are second cousins: both are great-grandchildren of Grand Duchess Charlotte of Luxembourg and her husband Prince Félix (1893-1970; né Bourbon-Parma). Interestingly, Henri's parents Eric and Lydia are second cousins; Gabriella's parents Carl Christian and Marie Astrid are also second cousins. Henri and Gabriella have a daughter, Victoria Antonia Marie-Astrid Lydia, who was born on 30 October 2017 at Geneva.

Congratulations to Henri and Gabriella!

The Week in Sales at EUROHISTORY

 It was, thankfully, a very busy week at Eurohistory. We appreciate tremendously the continued support of our clients and value every single sale!

These are the week's top five books....

NUMBER 1: 59% OF TOP-FIVE SALES!    

For a fourth week in a row, THE GRAND DUCAL HOUSE OF HESSE sits comfortably on the top of our top sellers' list!

When Arturo E. Beéche founded Eurohistory in 1997, he envisioned the creation of a library of royal books encompassing all of Europe’s ruling and formerly ruling dynasties. Two decades later, and after more than 30 books and over 120 issues of Eurohistory, the royalty journal he founded in 1997, we bring you The Grand Ducal House of Hesse. This is the third German dynasty that Eurohistory publishes a book about, the first two being the Ducal House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha and the Royal House of Bavaria (Volume I). This project is the culmination of more than two decades of research conducted by the authors. Beéche having already cooperated on several books and articles with Ms. Miller, a regular contributor to Eurohistory, pairing for another collaborative project was seamless. The Hesse and by Rhine Dynasty is one which Ms. Miller, better-known for her extensive work on the four daughters of Grand Duchess Alice of Hesse and by Rhine, with particular interest on Victoria Milford Haven, also feels passionately about. The result of years of research in Europe allowed Ms. Miller a unique insight into the lives of these four tragic sisters. The storyline begins in 1567. This was the year when the sons of Landgrave Philip "the Magnanimous” divided his vast lands among them. All branches of the Hessian dynasty stem from this territorial division. The Grand Ducal House of Hesse and by Rhine is among the most important German dynasties. Its members form a kaleidoscope of unique human beings: military and religious leaders, peculiar and heroic figures, talented artists and scientists, patrons of the arts and music, visionary and romantic architects, lucky and tragic people, dilettantes more interested in passing by than making a mark. They simply had it all. Their mark, not only in Darmstadt, but also throughout the Rhineland, is palpable in nearly every aspect of the region’s history, arts, letters, music, and architecture.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1944207082

NUMBER 2: 9% (EACH) OF TOP FIVE SALES!

It's a tie between two of our best selling books, THE FOUR GRACES: Queen Victoria's Hessian Granddaughters & THE ROYAL HOUSE OF BAVARIA: ROYAL COLLECTIONS III

Eurohistory brings you Ilana Miller's amazing story of Victoria, Elisabeth, Irene and Alix of Hesse and by Rhine, Queen Victoria's Hessian granddaughters, The Four Graces. This excellent book covers the lifespan of these four very tragic sisters. Ms. Miller did extensive research to bring us closer to the four sisters of Hesse. The thrilling narrative is certain to keep the reader grasped as the lives of these women unfold. Handsomely illustrated with unique photos of the Hessian sisters and their descendants, this hardbound book promises to become a "must-read" for anyone interested in European royal history and the Russian Imperial Family. The book also includes several family trees helping the reader place the extensive cast of characters in historical perspective.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/097719616X?ref=myi_title_dp

The Wittelsbachs ruled over Bavaria and the Rhineland Palatinate for nearly 750 years, this fact made their dynasty one of Europe's longest-ruling families. Theirs is a history of not only sublime exaltation, but also deep and sorrowful loss. They were patrons of the arts and letters, incredible builders, scientists, politicians, visionaries, and maddening personalities. This first volume covers the history of the family from its beginning in the XI century to the life of Crown Prince Rupprecht, who died in 1955. In fact, the book is dedicated to him, "the best king Bavaria never had.”

https://www.amazon.com

/dp/1944207090?ref=myi_title_dp

NUMBER 3: 5% (EACH) OF TOP FIVE SALES!

THIS WAS A TOTAL SURPRISE!

We rarely have seen three books tie for a spot on our best-seller list...particularly when one of them (ROYAL HELLENIC DYNASTY) has been in print since 2007! The other two are THE GRAND DUKES and SISTERS: Daisy of Pleß and Shelagh Duchess of Westminster!

Co-Authored by HRH Prince Michael of Greece, Mrs. Helen Helmis-Markesinis and Arturo E. Beéche, the book contains a magnificent selection of Greek royal photos, all from the collections of Queen Olga, Queen Sophie, Queen Elisabeth, Queen Frederica, as well as other members of this amazing family, such as Princess Nicholas of Greece and Queen Mother Helen of Romania. Under the title of Elleniki Dynazteia, this book was first published in Greek several years. Our English language version changed the order of some of the photos, includes detailed captions and a new and a very detailed family tree. The book is 204 pages long and filled with nearly 200 excellent photos of Greek and related royalty.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/0977196151?ref=myi_title_dp

Arturo E. Beéche, founder and publisher of The European Royal History Journal, thought of the idea for an anthology on Russia's Grand Duchesses in 2004. Consequently, a companion book on the Russian Grand Dukes became imperative. The Grand Dukes: Sons & Grandsons of Russia's Tsars Since Paul I examines the biographies of nearly forty men whose birth gave them the right to one of the world's most prestigious positions. All sons of Russian tsars are covered in Volume I. The sons of collateral grand ducal branches are covered in Volume II. The biography of each of the Grand Dukes of Russia brings to life a deeply gripping human saga. These men were born into what then was one of the world's most powerful ruling dynasties. They were not all saints; they were not all demons - they were men whose birth showered them with untold privilege. Some used their birthright for the common good; some did not. Yet, they all remain amazingly intriguing, complex, complicated and conflicted human beings. At birth they were showered with untold privilege, including a lump sum of money placed in trust for them. By the time these funds were made available to a Grand Duke, the interest alone made them amazingly wealthy. Added to this benefit, they derived salaries from their military appointments, investments, real estate and inheritance. Thus, the Grand Dukes were able to maintain a lifestyle only surpassed by today's oligarchs and yesteryear's robber barons. They were consummate spenders in paintings, art, architecture, jewels, all while acting as sponsors of talented writers, thinkers, poets, ballerinas, among many others. One was a playwright of considerable talent. Another played a role in working toward the liberation of the serfs. One was a leading admiral with a fondness for "fast women and slow ships."

https://www.amazon.com/dp/0977196186?ref=myi_title_dp

Imported from Poland, this is a very interesting dual biography of two sisters (Daisy Pleß and Shelagh Westminster) who were among the top "it" girls in Edwardian England!

https://www.amazon.com/dp/8394176348?ref=myi_title_dp

NUMBER 4: 2% (EACH) OF TOP FIVE SALES!

This week's other major surprise was four books tying for FOURTH place!

The history of King Christian IX of Denmark, the Father-in-law of Europe, and his descendants. Covering the last 150 years of the royal and imperial houses of: Denmark, Norway, Great Britain, Greece, Romania, Russia, Hanover, Baden, Mecklenburg-Schwerin and many other related dynasties and princely houses. The authors have handsomely documented their writings with nearly 450 exquisite and rare photos of King Christian IX and his wife Louise and their descendants.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0985460342

The first-ever biography of Portugal's controversial Queen Maria Pia, wife of King Luis, mother of assassinated King Carlos. Using previously unused sources, as well as the famed Queen's correspondence, the author managed to reconstruct the life of a strong woman who had a terribly difficult life in a kingdom where she arrived as a teen bride. A Savoy by birth, Maria Pia dedicated her life to the needs of her adopted country, Portugal.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0985460377

Included in this unique work, the Second Volume in a two-volume series, are 18 biographies of Russian grand dukes. These were the junior lines of the Russian Imperial Family at the time of the Revolution in 1917: Vladimirovichi, Pavlovichi, Konstantinovichi, Nikolaevichi and Mikhailovichi. The book is illustrated with exquisite and rare photographs of these intriguing men, their families and descendants. It also includes several family trees. The chapters were authored by some of today's most recognized authors and scholars on the Romanov Dynasty.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/0985460393?ref=myi_title_dp

Death of a Romanov Prince - Prince Oleg Konstantinovich’s Promising Life and Early Death “The coffin was lowered into the grave...... Soon there was a burial mound above. It was quickly covered with wreaths, flowers and crowned with a plain wooden cross. Prince Oleg’s promising life was finished.” Death of a Romanov Prince follows the brief life-journey of Prince Oleg Konstantinovich, one of the lesser-known members of the powerful and privileged Russian Imperial family. He was a talented young man of intellectual and artistic genius. Oleg was the gifted son of the talented Grand Duke Konstantin Konstantinovich, who wrote under the pseudonym of KR. The Grand Duke was a friend of Tchaikovsky, who set his numerous poems to music, and who established literary circles for his troops, translated Hamlet into Russian, and wrote The King of the Jews, an original play that he and his sons performed. The reader will follow Prince Oleg Konstantinovich, his family, and Imperial cousins, as his life takes him via the luxuries of the family’s four magnificent palaces of Pavlovsk, in Tsarskoye Selo, the Marble Palace in St Petersburg, the Konstantine Palace at Strelna; and the Ostashevo Estate near Moscow; as well as numerous holidays in the Crimea. The young prince enjoyed the most liberal program in literary, scientific, and artistic education. He was the first Romanov to be enrolled in a civilian school and graduated from the Imperial Lyceum in St Petersburg, where in 1913 he won the Pushkin Medal for his academic achievements. At the age of 21, Prince Oleg Konstantinovich was on the crest of a brilliant career and personal greatness when World War I began. Then tragedy struck ... Death of a Romanov Prince brings the reader into the battlefields of World War I’s Eastern Front. Bloody battles fought in northern Poland and Lithuania’s Masurian Lakes. It was while fighting there that Prince Oleg led his troops into heroic cavalry charges against the Germans.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/0994583001?ref=myi_title_dp

NUMBER 5: 1% (EACH) OF TOP FIVE SALES!

In 1913, the Romanovs celebrated three hundred years of seating on the Russian Imperial throne. Great fanfare and hope accompanied the celebrations. A year later, Imperial Russia entered a "war to end all wars," with the hope of "being back home for Christmas." It was not to be. Instead, in February 1917, after years of administrative and military ineptitude and incompetence, the Russian people had enough of its government's inefficacy and corruption. The consequences, as it turned out, changed the world. Tsar Nicholas II was overthrown; members of the Imperial Family faced persecution, arrest, financial instability, uncertainty, and worse. This is the compelling story of how the Romanovs dealt with glory, war, revolution, persecution, imprisonment, and escape!

https://www.amazon.com/dp/1944207104?ref=myi_title_dp

To Order...besides AMAZON...you can reach us at:

EUROHISTORY

6300 Kensington Avenue

East Richmond Heights, CA 94805

USA

Phone. 510.236.1730

Email: aebeeche@mac.com or eurohistory@comcast.net

 

+ Countess Maria Immaculata zu Toerring-Jettenbach (1921-2020)

From the left: The Duchess of Braganza, Margrave Maximilian of Baden, and Countess Maria-Immaculata Toerring-Jettenbach.

It is with sadness that we announce the passing of Countess Maria Immaculata of Toerring-Jettenbach, widow of Count Hans Heribert (1903-1977).

Archduchess Marie Alice of Austria (1913)

Born on 27 July 1921 in Harmas-Hutta, Hungary, Baroness Maria Immaculata Waldbott von Bassenheim was the daughter of Baron Friedrich Heinrich Waldbott von Bassenheim (1889-1959) and his wife Archduchess Maria-Alice of Austria (1893-1962), the eighth child of Archduke Albrecht of Austria, Duke of Teschen and of his wife, the former Princess Isabella of Croÿ.

Count Hans Veit zu Toerring-Jettenbach and Duchess Sophie Adelheid in Bavaria with their children: Carl Theodor, Marie José, and Hans Heribert.

Count Hans Heribert was the third child and second son of Count Hans Veit zu Toerring-Jettenbach (1862-1929) and Duchess Sophie Adelheid in Bavaria (1875-1957). Hans Heribert was firstly married morganatically in 1938 to Victoria Lindpaintner (1918-1965). The marriage, childless, ended in divorce in 1947. Then, on 10 December 1947, Hans Heribert married secondly Baroness Maria Immaculata von Waldbott-Bassenheim.

Countess Maria-Immaculata Toerring-Jettenbach.

Hans Heribert and Maria Immaculata had five children: Alice (b. 1949); Marie-José (b. 1950); Hans-Caspar (b. 1953), who married Countess Elisabeth von Waldburg zu Zeil u. Trauchburg (b. 1954), by whom he had five children, including two sons; Maximilian-Gaudenz (1955-1997); and Sophie (b. 1957). The five children of Count Hans-Caspar and Countess Elisabeth were Maria-Immaculata's only grandchildren. They are: Maria Antonia (b. 1981), married to Count Felix von Spiegel sum Diesenberg-Hanxleden (b. 1975); Elenore (b. 1984), married to Prince Franz Clemens von Altenburg (b. 1985); Fernanda (b. 1985), married to Maximilian Doebler; Cajetan (b. 1986), engaged to Princess Theresa of Liechtenstein; and Georg Clemens (b. 1989).

Countess Maria-Immaculata passed away on September 7 at her home in Duunzelbach, Bavaria. Due to the pandemic, the family has organized a small private funeral for her on September 12, 2020.

MAY SHE REST IN PEACE...

The 80th Birthday of Archduchess Anna-Gabriele of Austria, Daughter-In-Law of Emperor Karl and Empress Zita

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Today, HI&RH Archduchess Anna-Gabriele of Austria celebrates her eightieth birthday.

Fürst Carl Joseph von Wrede

HSH Fürstin Anna Gabriella Maria Theresia Kaspara von Wrede was born at Päh am Ammersee, Bavaria, Germany, on 11 September 1940. The princess was the first child of Fürst Carl Joseph von Wrede (1899-1945) and his wife Fürstin Sophie (1916-2008; née Countess Schaffgotsch gt Semperfrei von und zu Kynast und Greiffenstein), who married in 1939. Anna Gabriella has two siblings: Fürst Carl von Wrede (b.1942) and Fürstin Sophie (b.1944).

Archduchess Anna-Gabriele and Archduke Rudolph of Austria on their wedding day

On 15 October 1971, Fürstin Anna-Gabriele von Wrede married Archduke Rudolph of Austria (1919-2010) at Ellingen, Germany. The sixth child and fifth son of Emperor Karl and Empress Zita of Austria, Rudolph was the widower of Countess Xenia Tschernyschev-Besobrasow (1929-1968), with whom he had four children: Archduchess Maria-Anna (b.1954; married Prince Peter Galitzine), Archduke Carl Peter (b.1955; married Fürstin Alexandra von Wrede, the niece of Anna-Gabriele), Archduke Simeon (b.1958; married Princess Maria of Bourbon-Two Sicilies), and Archduke Johannes (1962-1975). When Archduke Rudolph and Anna-Gabriele married, her first cousin Princess Anna-Eugénie of Arenburg became her sister-in-law, as Anna-Eugénie had married Rudolph's brother Felix in 1952.

Archduchess Catharina with her father Archduke Rudolph on her wedding day.

Archduchess Catharina of Austria and Count Maximiliano Secco di Aragona

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Archduke Rudolph and Archduchess Anna-Gabriele had one daughter, Archduchess Catharina (b.1972), who married Count Maximiliano Secco di Aragona in 1999. From this marriage, Anna-Gabriele has three grandchildren.

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Archduchess Anna-Gabriele is the youngest of the last three surviving daughters-in-law of Emperor Karl and Empress Zita of Austria. The others are Archduchess Margherita of Austria (b.1930; née Princess of Savoy-Aosta), the widow of Archduke Robert, and Archduchess Yolande of Austria (b.1923; née Princess de Ligne), the widow of Archduke Carl Ludwig.

Will the Artist Formerly Known as Delphine Boël Become HRH Princess Delphine of Belgium? Quite Possibly.

The Shadow of Delphine.

This afternoon, 10 September, the last hearing took place in the paternity case between HM King Albert II of the Belgians and his daughter Delphine Boël. The Brussels Court of Appeals will deliver its decision by the end of October. After the hearing, Delphine Boël’s lawyer Marc Uyttendaele stated: "She wants to have exactly the same prerogatives, titles and qualities as her brothers and sisters." It was further revealed that Delphine's surname will be changed to "van Saksen-Coburg/de Saxe-Cobourg," as this is the family name of her father, the king.

 

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According to Article 2 of the Royal decree on the granting of the title of Prince or Princess of Belgium (November 2015): "In the public and private acts which concern them, the Princes and Princesses, children and grandchildren, descended directly from His Majesty King Albert II, bear the title of Prince or Princess of Belgium following their first name and, in so far as they bear them, their family name and their dynastic title and before any other titles which are theirs by right of their ancestry. Their first name is preceded by the predicate His/Her Royal Highness." The degree does not stipulate that the "children and grandchildren, descended directly from His Majesty King Albert II" have to be born within wedlock in order to be legally entitled to the royal title and style. Therefore, Delphine may very well be recognised by the court as "Her Royal Highness Princess Delphine of Belgium" with the surname of "van Saksen-Coburg/de Saxe-Cobourg."

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King Albert's lawyer, Alain Berenboom, reacted: “We assume that this case will finally end. It was painful for everyone, hurting all parties that were involved in it, and King Albert was involved in it despite himself, without his asking. So it is time for this to stop." In January 2020, King Albert acknowledged that he was the biological father of Delphine Boël. A communiqué from the king was issued via his attorney, Monsieur Berenboom. The statement read as follows:

His Majesty King Albert II has taken note of the results of the DNA test in which he cooperated at the request of the Brussels court of appeal. The scientific conclusions show that he is the biological father of Madame Delphine Boël. 

Even though there are arguments and legal objections to justify that legal paternity does not necessarily mean biological paternity, and that the procedure used seems to him disputable, King Albert has decided not to use those arguments and to end with honour and dignity this painful procedure. 

King Albert insists that since the birth of Madame Delphine Boël he was not involved in any family, social or educational decision regarding Madame Delphine Boël, and that he has always respected the bond that existed between Madame Delphine Boël and her legal father.

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Since the late 1990s, through both private and public channels, Delphine Boël has sought to gain recognition from King Albert II that he is her biological father. This was sparked by the revelation in Mario Danneels' 1999 book Paola: From La Dolce Vita to Queen, a biography of Albert's wife Queen Paola, that Albert had sired a child with another woman. Until the release of the book, Albert and Delphine had remained in touch off and on, and Albert had indeed played a rather present role in Delphine's life during her younger years, even after Albert and Paola reconciled in the 1980s. However, once the Danneels' book was released, the king began to steadfastly deny his paternity. For almost twenty years, the king refused to take any responsibility for his actions. In an interview that the king's lawyer Monsieur Berenboom gave in January, he said: "The king will no longer legally contest that he is her legal father. We have noted the results of the DNA test. It shows that through DNA King Albert is 99.99% likely the biological father of Delphine Boël. The king will treat his children equally. He will include Boël in his will at the same level as his other children. King Albert therefore now has four children."

Sybille de Selys Longchamps with her daughter Delphine. 

Jonkvrouw Delphine Michèle Anne Marie Ghislaine Boël was born on 22 February 1968 at Brussels. Her parents are Albert (b.1934), then Prince of Liège and later King of the Belgians, and Baroness Sybille de Selys Longchamps (b.1941). At the time of Delphine's birth, both of her parents were married to other people. Albert of Belgium had married Donna Paola Ruffo di Calabria (b.1937) in 1959; Sybille de Selys Longchamps had married Jonkheer Jacques Boël in 1962. At the time of Delphine's birth, her father already had three children with his wife, but her mother had no children with her husband.

Albert, Sybille, and Delphine on holiday in Corsica (1974).
Photograph (c) VIER

Baroness Sybille de Selys Longchamps, Delphine Boël, and the Prince of Liege (later King Albert II of the Belgians)

Albert and Sybille began their relationship in the Summer of 1966: they met in Greece, where her father was the Belgian ambassador. By this point, both parties were in marriages that had soured. In the 2013 documentary Our Daughter Is Called Delphine, Sybille stated: "From the start I felt that we were not indifferent to each other. Months later I was invited to a dinner. I was seated next to Albert. I immediately realised this was done on purpose. Paola was furious. She butted him with her elbow once or twice. At that point I realised he had feelings for me." A romance developed, and Albert's brother King Baudouin pressured Sybille's father to get the couple to end their relationship. However, Sybille was already pregnant with Albert's child: "I thought I could not have children because I had had an infection. We had not taken any precautions." Albert sent Sybille flowers when he learned that she had given birth to their daughter.

Delphine and Sybille.

In the early 1980s, Albert and Sybille ended their relationship. Albert, who became King of the Belgians in 1993, and Paola healed the issues in their marriage. Sybille divorced Jacques Boël in 1978, and was remarried in 1982 to the Honourable Michael Anthony Rathborne Cayzer, a son of the 1st Baron Rotherwick. Sybille became a widow when Anthony died in 1990.

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For many years, Delphine Boël has been in a relationship with James "Jim" O'Hare. The couple have two children: Joséphine (b.2003) and Oscar (b.2008). One might surmise that Delphine named her children after her paternal great-great-great-grandparents, King Oscar I of Sweden and Norway and his wife Joséphine (née Duchess von Leuchtenberg).

 

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Through her father Albert, Delphine's ancestry is Gotha through and through. Through her mother Sybille, Delphine's roots are heavily grounded in the Belgian aristocracy. However, her maternal family offers a surprising American connection: Delphine's great-great-great-grandfather was James McMillan (Hamilton, Ontario 12 May 1838 - Manchester, Massachusetts 10 August 1902), who served as a United States Senator from the State of Michigan from 1889 until 1902.

 

U.S. Senator James McMillan of Michigan

 

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The Ancestry of Delphine

1. Jonkvrouw Delphine Michèle Anne Marie Ghislaine Boël (b.Brussels 22 February 1968)
who is partnered with James O'Hare and has issue:

- Joséphine O'Hare (b.Uccle, Brussels 17 October 2003)
- Oscar O'Hare (b.28 April 2008)

Parents

2. King Albert II of the Belgians (b.Stuyvenberg Castle, Brussels 6 June 1934; he married at Brussels on 2 July 1959 Donna Paola Margherita Maria Antonia Consiglia Ruffo di Calabria [b.Forte dei Marmi 11 Sep 1937])
who was in a relationship between 1967 and 1984 with
3. Baroness Sybille Michèle Emilie Marie Ghislaine de Selys Longchamps (b.Uccle, Brussels 28 August 1941; she 1stly married at Ways, Belgium on 11 September 1962 [divorced 1978] Jonkheer Jacques Pol Pascal Marie Ghislain Boël [b.Brussels 31 March 1929]; she 2ndly married on 14 May 1982 the Hon. Michael Anthony Rathborne Cayzer [28 May 1920 - London March 1990])

Grandparents
4. King Léopold III of the Belgians (Brussels 3 November 1901 - Brussels 25 September 1983)who wed in a civil ceremony at Stockholm on 4 November 1926 and then married in a religious ceremony at Brussels on 10 November 1926
5. Princess Astrid Sofia Lovisa Thyra of Sweden (Arvfurstens Palace, Stockholm, Sweden 17 November 1905 - Küssnacht am Rigi, Schwyz, Switzerland 29 August 1935
6. Count Michel François Raphaël Marie Ghislain de Selys de Longchamps (Waremme 2 April 1910 - Villers-la-Ville 23 October 1982)
who married at Brussels on 25 November 1937
7. Countess Pauline Julie Caroline Cornet de Ways-Ruart (Brussels 23 December 1914 - Brussels 19 October 1953)

Great-Grandparents
8. King Albert I of the Belgians (Brussels 8 April 1875 - Marche-les-Dames 17 February 1934)
who married at Munich on 2 October 1900
9. Duchess Elisabeth Gabriele Valerie Maria in Bavaria (Possenhofen 25 July 1876 - Brussels 23 November 1965)
10. Prince Oscar Carl Vilhelm of Sweden (Stockholm 27 February 1861 - Stockholm 24 October 1951)
who married at Copenhagen on 27 August 1897
11. Princess Ingeborg Charlotta Carolina Frederikke Louise of Denmark (Charlottenlund 2 August 1878 - Stockholm 11 March 1958)
12. Raymond Charles Michel Ghislain de Sélys Longchamps (Liège 25 February 1880 - Woluwé-Saint-Lambert, Brussels 23 October 1966)
who married
13. Emilie Caroline de Theux de Meylandt et Montjardin (Aywaille 4 June 1880 - Woluwé-Saint-Lambert, Brussels 2 October 1972)
14. Count Paul Martin Félix Cornet de Ways-Ruart (Brussels 16 August 1866 - Brussels 27 January 1951)
who married
15. Gladys "Jewel" McMillan (Detroit, Michigan, United States of America 10 May 1891 - Brussels 30 April 1967)

Great-Great-Grandparents
16. Prince Philippe Eugène Ferdinand Marie Clément Baudouin Léopold Georges of Belgium, Count of Flanders (Laeken 24 March 1837-Brussels 17 November 1905)
who married at Berlin on 25 April 1867
17. Princess Marie Luise Alexandra Karoline of Hohenzollern (Sigmaringen 17 November 1845 - Brussels 26 November 1912)
18. Duke Karl Theodor in Bavaria (Possenhofen 9 August 1839 - Kreuth 29 November 1909)
who married at Kleinheubach on 29 April 1874
19. Infanta Maria José "Maria Josefa" Beatriz Joana Eulália Leopoldina Adelaide Isabel Carolina Micaela Rafaela Gabriela Francisca de Assis e de Paula Inès Sofia Joaquina Teresa Benedita Bernardina of Portugal (Bronnbach 19 Mar 1857 - Vienna 11 Mar 1943)
20. King Oscar II of Sweden and Norway (Stockholm 21 January 1829 - Stockholm 8 December 1907)
who married at Biebrich on 6 June 1857
21. Princess Sophie Wilhelmine Marianne Henriette of Nassau (Biebrich 9 July 1836 - Stockholm 30 December 1913)
22. King Frederik VIII of Denmark (Copenhagen 3 June 1843 - Hamburg 14 May 1912)
who married at Stockholm on 28 July 1869
23. Princess Louise Josephine Eugenie of Sweden and Norway (Stockholm 31 October 1851- Copenhagen 20 March 1926)
24. Michel Ferdinand Raphaël de Sélys Longchamps (Liège 20 November 1841 - Waremme 11 January 1911)
who married
25. Eusébie de Brigode de Kemlandt (Liège 10 June 1850 - Liège 5 March 1935)
26. Marie Georges Theodore Xavier de Theux de Meylandt et Montjardin (Saint-Trond, Limbourg 23 September 1838 - Brussels 13 December 1896)who married at Namur on 10 May 1865
27. Eugénie Louise Philippine Ghislaine de Thysebaert (Namur 25 October 1844 - Brussels 6 July 1902)
28. Count Arthur Marie Antoine Ghislain Félix Cornet de Ways-Ruart (Brussels 27 September 1838 - Vonêche 28 January 1890)
who married at Warnant on 12 October 1865
29. Marie Josèphe Ghislaine Caroline de Jacquier de Rosée (Warnant 2 July 1839 - Etterbeek 30 December 1927)
30. James Howard McMillan (Detroit, Michigan 17 September 1866 - Colorado Springs, Colorado 9 May 1902)
who married in June 1890
31. Julia Villiers Lewis (Detroit, Michigan 12 August 1870 - 23 January 1956)

 

The Count and Countess of Paris Depart Dreux Amid Conflict With The Fondation Saint-Louis

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

This week, the Count and Countess of Paris packed a few suitcases, gathered their five children, and left their home at the Royal Domain of Dreux. This comes as the relationship between the Count, who has the right to live at the domain, and the Fondation Saint-Louis, which manages the estate, has deteriorated significantly. Prince Jean d'Orléans explained to L'Écho Républicain: "This is not an exile or a flight. I am just taking my family to another location until the situation improves."

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The Count of Paris believes that the Fondation Saint-Louis, of which he is honorary president, has been slowly trying to make life at Dreux more difficult on the Count and his family. This has included such incidences as foundation staff making derogatory comments about the family's dog, someone on staff running over one of the chickens that the Orléans children raise, and the foundation's administration making part of the vegetable garden inaccessible to the family. Prince Jean thinks that the Fondation Saint-Louis has perhaps overextended their security measures by installing CCTV cameras all over the estate, which has created a feeling of a lack of privacy within the Orléans family. Furthermore, during the novel coronavirus pandemic, the Fondation Saint Louis instituted new regulations that would limit the daily life of the Count and Countess of Paris and their children. "They took advantage of this period to issue four pages of regulations under the pretext of health security. This document, which I do not recognise as having any legal value, is in fact only a series of measures aimed at us," Prince Jean stated in his recent comments. “One of the measures obliges us to no longer enter the domain by the main entrance, but to do so by the rampart walk, where they want to install an electric gate: an unnecessary, absurd and dangerous expense since the rampart walk which connects the houses is not made to support cars."

Maison Philidor, home of Madame the Duchess of Montpensier.

This is not the first clash between the Orléans and the Foundation Saint Louis. In 2016, the foundation took measures to try and end the right of Princess Marie-Thérèse, Duchess of Montpensier, to live at the Maison Philidor in Dreux, which has been her home for many years. Ultimately, the foundation relented, and Jean's mother was able to stay in her home.

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Reaction to the news of the departure of the Count and Countess of Paris has been mostly been met with sympathy. The exception to this would be the statement of Marc Métay, Secretary General of the Fondation Saint-Louis: "What happens between the Saint-Louis Foundation and the Count of Paris is a strictly private matter on which I do not have to comment." However, Stéphane Bern, a well-known French journalist with connections to many European royal houses, is understanding of concerns of the Count of Paris; moreover, Monsieur Bern is also on the board of directors of the foundation. Bern stated, "We cannot attack our honorary president in this way. It shows a lack of respect towards his father and his grandfather. We must not forget that the foundation exists by the will of the latter. It is paradoxical to attack the Orléans family when one belongs to a foundation whose precise purpose is to defend the family's heritage. The foundation takes refuge behind the law. Of course, we must respect the rules, but we also must respect the princes of the family of France." The Mayor of Dreux, Pierre-Frédéric Billet, has also weighed in on the situation: "We have met with Marc Métay. The City is keen to establish a collaboration with the foundation to develop the royal domain [according to the foundation's plans]. We are going to put in the means for that. But, therefore, I have asked to join the council of administration [of the Fondation Saint-Louis] in the same way as the Mayor of Amboise, who is a member already." Monsieur Billet continued that the royal domain of Dreux "benefits from the presence of the family of the Count of Paris. They have every right to be there. They are part of the history of Dreux. Many Drouais are also attached to their presence." The Fondation Saint-Louis was established in 1974 by Prince Henri the Elder d'Orléans (1908-1999), Count of Paris and Head of the Royal House of France. The late Count of Paris placed the following assets into the foundation: the Château d'Amboise, the Royal Domain of Dreux, the Chapelle Royale Saint-Louis at Dreux, the Château de Bourbon-l'Archambault, the church Notre Dame de la Compassion, and the colonne des princes de Condé. After Henri the Elder's death, his son Prince Henri the Younger d'Orléans (1933-2019), Count of Paris, and then his grandson Prince Jean d'Orléans, Count of Paris, have served as honorary presidents of the foundation. The Fondation Saint-Louis is controlled by a board of directors; the current President of the Fondation Saint-Louis is Monsieur François Voss. No member of the Orléans family has a position on the board of directors of the foundation which controls its patrimony. In 2011, the nine surviving children of Henri the Elder, Count of Paris, sought to have the Fondation Saint-Louis dissolved so as to regain control over the former properties of their ancestors; this lawsuit did not result in a victory for the Orléans princes and princesses.