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HRH Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, was admitted to King Edward VII Hospital in London yesterday evening. Born on 10 June 1921, the duke is ninety-nine years-old. The Duke of Edinburgh is expected to remain in hospital for a number of days.
We send HRH our best wishes for a speedy recovery!
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| Eurohistory weekend sales. |
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| Prince Joseph and Princess Anna Louise of Bourbon-Parma on their wedding day. |
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| Prince Philippe and Princess Annette of Bourbon-Parma with their sons Jacques and Joseph. |
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| Prince Jacques of Bourbon-Parma and Countess Birgitte of Holstein-Ledreborg on their wedding day. Photograph (c) Getty Images/Keystone-France. |
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| The cover of From Tyranny to Freedom. |
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| Countess Viktoria-Luise zu Solms-Baruth. |
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| The marriage certificate of Captain Richard Whitten and Countess Viktoria-Luise of Solms-Baruth. |
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| Viktoria-Luise arrives in the United States in 1948. |
Viktoria-Luise of Solms-Baruth (1921-2003) led one of the most extraordinary lives imaginable. Born to an extremely well-connected German noble family, her godmother and namesake was Viktoria-Luise’s maternal great-aunt, Auguste Viktoria of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg, the last German Empress and first wife of Wilhelm II. Viktoria-Luise was raised in a Germany reeling from the aftermath of defeat in World War I and she grew into adulthood during the dark days of the Third Reich. Her family was firmly against the Nazi regime, and eventually her father (and some other family members) was jailed because of his opposition to the insanely horrific policies of Adolf Hitler. On the cusp of her 21st birthday, Viktoria-Luise wed her first cousin (their mothers were sisters) Prince Friedrich Josias of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. This union was of short duration due to the total incompatibility of their characters, but before divorcing the couple did have one child, Andreas, who his mother referred to as “my little prince.” Today Prince Andreas is the Head of the Ducal House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. Now in his golden years, the Prince recently released his own compilation of memoirs (I did it my way). From what this reviewer has read and heard, Andreas seems to be much loved by the people of Coburg, the town of his ancestors which he has called home since he returned to Germany in the 1960s. Not long after the defeat of the Axis Powers, a charming American army officer named Richard Whitten entered the scene. He and Viktoria-Luise fell in love and eventually married. This marriage brought much happiness and much change into Viktoria-Luise’s life. After living for a few years in Europe, the couple and their small children (Andreas and the couple’s young daughter, Victoria) moved to America. The last chapters of this collection of reminiscences unfold as Viktoria-Luise (at times, quite hilariously) tells the reader of her adaption to life as a “normal” housewife in the United States. In addition to the different culture, she was faced with so many new responsibilities and situations, but she certainly learned how to “fit in” with the way of life in this country—all the while remaining conscious of her heritage and retaining close ties to all of her numerous royal and noble relatives in Europe. The book comes to a close in the 1950s; perhaps the author intended to share more, but simply ran out of earthly time. If I recall correctly, these memoirs were written when Viktoria-Luise was an elderly lady living in Louisiana. Her personality jumps off the pages as when one reads her book. She is candid, funny (her sense of humor and self-deprecation made me burst into laughter several times), honest and “sharp as a tack.” It is almost as though you are sitting with her in her living room listening to her speak. From Tyranny to Freedom—Memoirs of My Life is truly a top favorite on my shelf. Read it and you will not fail to be charmed by this amazing woman.
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| Antoine de Castellane. |
French aristocrat and artist Comte and Marquis Antoine de Castellane died on 3 February 2021. He was eighty-six years-old.
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| Antoine's father: Count Henri de Castellane. |
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| Antoine's mother: Doña Silvia Rodríguez de Rivas. |
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| Antoine's stepfather: Boson de Talleyrand-Périgord, Duke de Talleyrand. |
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| Antoine's stepfather: Erich von Posch-Pastor. |
After the death of his father, Antoine's mother Silvia married in 1938 Paul Louis Archambauld Boson de Talleyrand-Périgord, VI Duc de Talleyrand, VIII Herzog zu Sagan, VI Duca di Dino (1867-1952). Silvia and the Duke divorced in 1942. In 1945, Silvia remarried Eric von Posch-Pastor (1917-1962). The couple had two children, among them a daughter, Barbara de Posch-Pastor (b.1951; married Prince Michel d'Orléans, Count d'Évreux). Silvia and Eric divorced in 1955.
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| Antoine and his wife Francine. Photograph (c) Getty Images. |
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| Antoine's daughter: Victoire de Castellane. |
On 28 May 1960, Marquis Antoine de Castellane married Françoise Dufour (b.1937). The couple had one child, Victoria de Castellane (b.1962; married 1st Paul-Emmanuel Reiffers; married 2nd Thomas Lenthal). In 1967, Antoine de Castellane and Françoise Dufour divorced. In 1976, Antoine married Francine Latour-Touya (b.1930). The marquis is survived by his widow, his first wife, his daughter and son-in-law, and his four grandchildren.
To learn more about the career and artistic portfolio of Antoine de Castellane, please visit this website: Antoine de Castellane
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| Jack and Eugenie hold their newborn son's hand. Picture courtesy of Princess Eugenie's Instagram. |
Her Royal Highness Princess Eugenie was safely delivered of a son today, 9th February 2021, at 0855hrs at The Portland Hospital. Jack Brooksbank was present. The baby weighs 8lbs 1oz. The Queen, The Duke of Edinburgh, The Duke of York, Sarah, Duchess of York, and Mr and Mrs George Brooksbank have been informed and are delighted with the news. This is Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank’s first child, The Duke of York and Sarah, Duchess of York’s first grandchild, and the ninth great-grandchild for The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh. Her Royal Highness and her child are both doing well.The young Master Brooksbank, whose name will be announced in time, is eleventh in the line of succession to the British throne. His parents married in 2018. Baby Brooksbank was born on the nineteenth anniversary of the death of his great-great-aunt Princess Margaret.
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| Infanta Elena and Infanta Cristina of Spain. |
