The Funeral of Prince Amedeo of Savoy, Duke of Aosta

The coffin of the Duke of Aosta.

Princess Silvia of Savoy, Dowager Duchess of Aosta, aided by one of her granddaughters, leaves the church following the funeral of her husband.

The funeral of Prince Amedeo of Savoy, 5th Duke of Aosta, took place on Friday, 4 June, at the Basilica di San Miniato al Monte in Florence. The presiding celebrant at the funeral mass was Father Bernardo Gianni, Prior of the Olivetan Monastery of San Miniato al Monte. Due to restrictions stemming from the coronavirus pandemic, attendance inside the church was limited to 100 individuals. The family of the late duke were present: Princess Silvia of Savoy, Dowager Duchess of Aosta; Princess Claude d'Orléans; Prince Aimone and Princess Olga of Savoy, Duke and Duchess of Aosta, with their children; Princess Bianca of Savoy, Countess Arrivabene Valenti Gonzaga, with her children; and Princess Mafalda of Savoy with her children. 

Prince Umberto of Savoy, Prince of Piedmont, carries the collar of the Supreme Order of the Most Holy Annunciation, which belonged to his grandfather the late Duke of Aosta. 

Prince Amedeo of Savoy, Duke of the Abruzzi, departs the funeral of his grandfather.

Prince Aimone and Princess Olga of Savoy, the new Duke and Duchess of Aosta, leave the funeral together with their daughter Princess Isabella of Savoy.

Members of the Frescobaldi, Corsini, and Guicciardini noble families were in attendance. Representatives of the Unione Monarchica Italiana were present; since 2006, the late Duke of Aosta was considered by many Italian monarchists to be the Head of the Royal House of Savoy. The funeral of Prince Amedeo, Duke of Aosta, may be watched in full at this link: L'ultimo saluto al Principe.

Princess Claude d'Orleans with a granddaughter; Princess Olga of Savoy, Duchess of Aosta, with her son Prince Amedeo, Duke of the Abruzzi; and Prince Aimone of Savoy, Duke of Aosta, with his daughter Princess Isabella of Savoy (face obscured).

The three eldest grandsons of the late Duke of Aosta: Count Leonardo Arrivabene Valenti Gonzaga, Prince Umberto of Savoy, and Nobile Carlo Lombardo di San Chirico.

Princess Mafalda of Savoy looks after the arrangements on top of her father's coffin before it is transported from the church.

A Daughter, Lili, for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex with their son Archie. At the time of this picture, the Duchess was expecting their daughter Lili. Photograph (c) Misan Harriman.

On Friday, 4 June, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex welcomed their second child, a daughter. Lilibet "Lili" Diana Mountbatten-Windsor was born on 4 June 2021 at Santa Barbara, California. Lili joins an older brother, Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor (b.London 6 May 2019). The Duke and Duchess of Sussex married on 19 May 2018 at Windsor. Lili Mountbatten-Windsor is eighth in the line of succession to the British throne. The new arrival is the eleventh great-grandchild of Queen Elizabeth II and the late Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. 

The announcement on Lili's birth from the Duke and Duchess of Sussex reads as follows:

It is with great joy that Prince Harry and Meghan, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, welcome their daughter, Lilibet “Lili” Diana Mountbatten-Windsor, to the world. Lili was born on Friday, June 4 at 11:40 a.m. in the trusted care of the doctors and staff at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital in Santa Barbara, CA. She weighed 7 lbs 11 oz. Both mother and child are healthy and well, and settling in at home. Lili is named after her great-grandmother, Her Majesty The Queen, whose family nickname is Lilibet. Her middle name, Diana, was chosen to honor her beloved late grandmother, The Princess of Wales. This is the second child for the couple, who also have a two-year-old son named Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor. The Duke and Duchess thank you for your warm wishes and prayers as they enjoy this special time as a family.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex also issued a message of thanks on the website of their charitable organisation Archewell:

On June 4th, we were blessed with the arrival of our daughter, Lili. She is more than we could have ever imagined, and we remain grateful for the love and prayers we’ve felt from across the globe. Thank you for your continued kindness and support during this very special time for our family.

Our congratulations to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and the British Royal Family on the arrival of Lili!

The 60th Birthday of the Marquis of Milford Haven

A portrait of George, Marquess of Milford Haven.

The painter and copywriter holder is Gillian Erskine-Hill.

Today, the Marquis of Milford Haven celebrates his sixtieth birthday!

The wedding of David, Marquis of Milford Haven, and Janet Bryce.

Born on 6 June 1961 at London, George Ivar Louis Mountbatten was the eldest son of David Mountbatten, 3rd Marquess of Milford Haven (1919-1970) and his second wife Janet Mercedes Bryce (b.1937), who married in 1960. 

Janet, Marchioness of Milford Haven, and her eldest son George at his christening.

George Mountbatten, then Earl of Medina, was christened at St Andrew’s Church, London, on 17 November 1961. George was followed by a younger brother, Lord Ivar Mountbatten (b.1963). George was on the cusp of his ninth birthday when his father David Milford Haven died in 1970 at the age of fifty. 

George and Sarah, Marquis and Marchioness of Milford Haven, at Royal Ascot.

On 8 March 1989 at London, George Mountbatten, 4th Marquis of Milford Haven, married Sarah Georgina Walker (b.1961; married to Andreas Antoniou from 1985-1987), the daughter of George Alfred Walker (1929-2011), a self-made millionaire businessman, and his wife Jean Maureen Hatton (b.1936). The Milford Havens had two children: Lady Tatiana Mountbatten (b.1990), and Henry “Harry” Mountbatten, Earl of Medina (b.1991). After seven years of marriage, George and Sarah Milford Haven divorced in 1996. The following year, 1997, George married Clare Husted Steel (b.1960; married to Nicholas Wentworth-Stanley from 1985-1997).

George and Clare, Marquis and Marchioness of Milford Haven, attend the Cartier Queen's Cup Polo final at Guards Polo Club on June 18, 2017 in Egham, England. Photo (c) David M. Benett/Getty Images.

Many happy returns of the day to Lord Milford Haven!

Family Gathers to Celebrate 81st Birthday of King Constantine II of Greece

 

This week, the family of King Constantine II of Greece came together to celebrate his 81st birthday. In addition to his wife Queen Anne-Marie, the king was joined by his children Prince Nikolaos of Greece and Princess Theodora of Greece. Constantine’s sisters Queen Sofía of Spain and Princess Irene also were on hand to mark this special moment in the life of their brother. Constantine was born on 2 June 1940 at the Psychiko Palace in Psychiko, a suburb of Athens, as the only son of then Crown Prince Paul of Greece and his wife Princess Frederica of Hanover.

Prince Charles-Emmanuel of Bourbon-Parma Turns Sixty

Prince Charles-Emmanuel.

Today, Prince Charles-Emmanuel of Bourbon-Parma celebrates his sixtieth birthday!

Princess Yolande de Broglie-Revel and Prince Michel of Bourbon-Parma on their wedding day.

Born on 3 June 1961 at Paris, Prince Charles-Emmanuel Marie Joseph Jacques Hély of Bourbon-Parma was the fifth child and second son of Prince Michel of Bourbon-Parma (1926-2018) and Princess Yolande de Broglie-Revel (1928-2014), who married in 1951. Charles-Emmanuel has four older siblings from his parents' marriage: Prince Eric (1953-2021), Princess Inès (1952-1981), Princess Sybil (b.1954), and Princess Victoire (1957-2001). Charles-Emmanuel's parents divorced in 1999. Afterward, his father Michel married long-time companion Princess Maria Pia of Savoy in 2003.

Prince Charles-Emmanuel and Princess Constance on the day of their religious wedding.

On 18 May 1991, Prince Charles-Emmanuel of Bourbon-Parma civilly married Constance de Ravinel (b.Boulogne-Billancourt 18 July 1970). Charles-Emmanuel and Constance celebrated their religious wedding on 25 May 1991 at Dampierre. Constance was the daughter of Baron Yves de Ravinel and his wife Countess Alexe de Castellane. 

Charles-Emmanuel and Constance of Bourbon-Parma with their children.

Prince Charles-Emmanuel and Princess Constance of Bourbon-Parma have had four children during their thirty years of marriage: Prince Amaury (b.1991), Princess Charlotte (b.1993), Princess Elisabeth (b.1996), and Princess Zita (b.1999). 

Many happy returns of the day to Prince Charles-Emmanuel!

The Baptism of Prince Bagrat Bagationi

 

 

On Monday, 31 May, Prince Bagrat Bagrationi was baptised at Svetitskhoveli Cathedral. His Eminence Bishop Davit Alaverdeli presided over the service. Prince Bagrat Bagrationi was born on 19 January in Tbilisi, Georgia. The little prince was named after his late paternal grandfather. Bagrat is the first child of Prince Juan Bagration-Mukhransky and his wife Princess Kristine. Prince Bagrat is a great-great-great-grandchild of King Alfonso XII of Spain.

Prince Amedeo of Savoy, Duke of Aosta (1943-2021)

The Duke of Aosta.

Prince Amedeo, Duke of Aosta, speaking with his first cousin King Michael of Romania at Sinaia.
Queen Anne-Marie of Greece and Crown Princess Katherine of Serbia are in the background.

King Juan Carlos of Spain with Prince Amedeo and Princess Silvia, Duke and Duchess of Aosta, as well as Prince Aimone, Duke of Apulia and his then-fiancée Princess Olga of Greece, 2008.

Today, 1 June, Prince Amedeo of Savoy, 5th Duke of Aosta, died after going into cardiac arrest at San Donato Hospital in Arezzo. Earlier this year, Prince Amedeo had undergone major surgery at a clinic in Milan, after which he returned home to Castiglion Fibocchi. On 27 May, Amedeo was admitted to San Donato Hospital in Arezzo for minor surgery, which was completed successfully. He had been scheduled for release today; however, he suffered a fatal heart attack this morning. The announcement of the death of Prince Amedeo was made by the Aosta branch of the Royal House of Savoy. The Duke of Aosta was seventy-seven years-old. Amedeo was a first cousin of King Constantine II of the Hellenes, King Michael of Romania, Queen Sofía of Spain, and Queen Alexandra of Yugoslavia. He descended from King Louis Philippe of the French, German Emperor Friedrich III, King George I of the Hellenes, and Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom.

 

Princess Irene, Duchess of Aosta, with her infant son Prince Amedeo in 1943.

Irene and Amedeo.

Prince Amedeo and his mother Princess Irene.

 

On 27 September 1943, Prince Amedeo Umberto Constantino Giorgio Paolo Elena Maria Fiorenzo Zvonimir of Savoy-Aosta was born at Florence. Amedeo was the only child of Prince Aimone of Savoy (1900-1948), 4th Duke of Aosta and erstwhile King of Croatia as Tomislav II, and his wife Princess Irene of Greece and Denmark (1904-1974), who married in 1939. Amedeo’s paternal grandparents were Prince Emanuele Filiberto, 2nd Duke of Aosta, and Princess Hélène d’Orléans. Amedeo’s maternal grandparents were King Constantine I of the Hellenes and Princess Sophie of Prussia. At the time of his birth, King Vittorio Emanuele III was the Italian monarch, and little Prince Amedeo was fourth in the line of succession to the Italian throne after the Prince of Piedmont, the Prince of Naples, and his father Aimone.

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The engagement between Prince Amedeo, Duke of Aosta, and his second cousin Princess Claude d'Orléans was announced in September 1963. Princess Claude (b.Larache, Morocco 11 December 1943) was the ninth child and fifth daughter of Prince Henri, Count of Paris, and Princess Isabelle of Orléans-Braganza.

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Prince Amedeo and Princess Claude were married on 22 July 1964 at Sintra, Portugal, in a beautiful ceremony attended by a myriad of their relatives and friends. King Umberto II of Italy was one of the chief guests.

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Amedeo of Aosta and Claude d’Orléans were the parents of three children, one son and two daughters: Princess Bianca of Savoy-Aosta (b.Florence 2 April 1966; married in 1988 to Count Giberto Arrivabene-Valenti-Gonzaga; five children: Viola [b.1991], Vera [b.1993], Mafalda [b.1997], Maddalena [b.2000], and Leonardo [b.2001]); Prince Aimone of Savoy-Aosta, Duke of Apulia (b.Florence 13 October 1967; married in 2008 to Princess Olga of Greece; three children: Prince Umberto [b.2009], Prince Amedeo [b.2011], and Princess Isabella [b.2012]); and Princess Mafalda of Savoy-Aosta (b.Florence 20 September 1969; married 1stly in 1994 [divorced] to don Alessandro Ruffo di Calabria; married 2ndly in 2001 to Nobile Francesco Lombardo di San Chirico; three children: Anna [b.1999], Carlo [b.2001], and Elena [b.2003]). In addition to his three children with Princess Claude, the Duke of Aosta was also the father of Don Piero Incisa della Rocchetta (b.Florence 30 November 1967) with Nobile Nerina Corsini (1942-2014) and Ginevra van Ellinkhuizen (b.Milan 16 March 2006) with Kyara van Ellinkhuizen (b.1967).

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The marital union of Amedeo and Claude deteriorated. The couple separated on 20 July 1976, they then obtained a civil divorce on 26 April 1982, and, finally, an annulment from the Holy See was granted on 8 January 1987. 

The wedding of Prince Amedeo and Princess Silvia, Duke and Duchess of Aosta, 1987.

Prince Amedeo and Princess Silvia, Duke and Duchess of Aosta.

Amedeo and Silvia.

 

On 30 March 1987, Prince Amedeo, Duke of Aosta married donna Silvia Paternò di Spedalotto dei Marchesi di Reggiovanni (b.Palermo 31 December 1953). The couple did not have children. After a marriage of thirty-four years, Princess Silvia of Savoy, Duchess of Aosta, is a widow. Prince Amedeo is survived by his wife Princess Silvia, his five children, and his eleven grandchildren. The funeral of Prince Amedeo, Duke of Aosta, will take on Friday, 4 June, at 11:30 AM in Florence at the Chiesa di San Miniato al Monte.

 

Prince Amedeo and Princess Silvia, Duke and Duchess of Aosta, with Amedeo's first cousins Princess Maria Cristina of Bourbon-Two Sicilies and Archduchess Margherita of Austria-Este.

Amedeo of Savoy with his first wife Claude d'Orléans, his second wife Silvia, and ten of his eleven grandchildren, 2016. 

Prince Amedeo, Duke of Aosta, with his son Prince Aimone, Duke of Apulia.

 

Per arrangements made prior to his death, Prince Amedeo of Savoy will be buried in Tuscany. However, whenever Princess Silvia passes away, the couple will both be buried at Superga in Turin.