The 70th Birthday of Princess Beatrice of Saxe-Meiningen

Princess Beatrice.
Photograph (c) the Ducal House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.

Today, Princess Beatrice of Saxe-Meiningen celebrates her seventieth birthday. 

 

Prince Friedrich Josias and Princess Denys of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.

Born on 15 July 1951 at Bern, Princess Beatrice Charlotte of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha was the second child of Prince Friedrich Josias of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (1918-1998) and his second wife Denyse Henriette de Muralt (1923-2005). Beatrice had three siblings: Prince Andreas (b.1943), Princess Claudia (1949-2016), and Prince Adrian (1955-2011). 

Princess Beatrice of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha and Prince Friedrich Ernst of Saxe-Meiningen with the latter's parents Bernhard and Margot.
PHOTOGRAPH (C) EUROHISTORY
IMAGE MAY NOT BE REPRODUCED

In 1977, Princess Beatrice of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha married Prince Friedrich of Saxe-Meiningen (1935-2004). The couple had two children: Princess Maria Alexandra (b.1978) and Prince Friedrich Constantin (b.1980). 

Our best wishes to Princess Beatrice on her birthday!

Serbian Royals Remember Prince Tomislav on Anniversary of His Death

Members of the Serbian royal family at Oplenac.

Photo (c) Prince Mihailo Karađorđević.

 

On Monday, 12 July, several members of the royal family of Serbia gathered at the Church of Saint George at Oplenac to commemorate the anniversary of the death of Prince Tomislav of Yugoslavia. Born in 1928, Prince Tomislav was the second son of King Alexander I of Yugoslavia and Princess Marie of Romania. The prince died at Oplenac on 12 July 2000. The memorial service was attended by Princess Linda (Tomislav's widow), Prince Mihailo (Tomislav's son) and his wife Princess Ljubica, as well as their young daughter Princess Natalija.

The Short-Lived Union of Pierre d'Arenberg and Marie Christine Kraff de Laubarède

Pierre and Marie-Christine in London, 1990.
Photograph (c) Fergus Greer/Tatler.

In 1995, Prince Pierre d'Arenberg, Duke of Arenberg, married Marie Christine Kraff de Laubarède. It is alleged that the couple underwent a civil marriage ceremony in the Philippines; however, it it thought that the marriage was not registered with the French Embassy, for whatever reason. The couple had been together for several years. Pierre was the only child of Prince Charles d'Arenberg, Duke of Arenberg, and Margaret Bedford. Marie Christine was the only child of Leonce Kraffe de Laubarède and Elizabeth Anne Christie-Miller. 

The Arenberg Sisters: Alienor, Lydia, and Dorothée.
Photograph (c) Getty Images/Bertrand Rindoff Petroff.

On 19 August 1995 at London, Princess and Duchess Aliénor Margaretha Elisabeth Louise Marie of Arenberg was born as the only child of Prince Pierre d'Arenburg and Marie Christine Kraff de Laubarède. Pierre and Marie Christine either subsequently divorced or realised that their marriage had not been legally recorded, and the pair parted ways. In 1997, Prince Pierre d'Arenberg married Sylvia de Castellane. Pierre and Sylvia have two daughters: Princess Lydia and Princess Dorothée. 

Join Historian Rick Hutto for a Talk on the Great-Grandmother of Diana, Princess of Wales!

 

 

On Wednesday, 14 July, historian and author Richard Jay Hutto (who is also a dear friend) will be giving a webinar about Frances Ellen Work (1857-1947), an American socialite who became the maternal great-grandmother of Diana, Princess of Wales (1961-1997). The webinar is titled "Frances Ellen Work: Uncovering Princess Diana’s American Roots." Please see below for more information about what will surely be a fun and informative talk!

Contrary to popular belief, Meghan Markle was not the first American woman to join the lineage of Britain’s royal family — that distinction goes to Frances Ellen Work (1857-1947), the beautiful and tempestuous American heiress who was the great-great-grandmother of Princess Diana. But who was this early American socialite, and what earned her a spot in "The 400," Caroline Schermerhorn Astor's elite social circle? From family inheritance drama, to a manipulative father, to a highly-public divorce, this is the tumultuous story of one of the most prominent women of the American Gilded Age and Royal Society.

Join New York Adventure Club as we explore the life and legacy of Frances Ellen Work, Princess Diana’s beautiful and wealthy American great-great grandmother.

Led by author and Gilded Age historian Richard Jay Hutto, our experience surrounding Princess Diana's royal lineage will include:

- A look at how Frances Work’s father leveraged the family fortune to bend the will of his daughters and grandchildren, including 15 codicils specifying what they must do in order to inherit it
- The story of how Frances, in a desperate attempt to escape her father’s domination, was tricked into marrying her horse trainer who falsely claimed to be a Hungarian count
- Why Frances’s former husband sued her for bigamy and used British law to shield himself while serving as an elected Member of Parliament
- A discussion of the interconnecting lives of her twin sonswho were High Society favorites
- Hear how Frances’ sister — the “good daughter” — volunteered in France to escape the scandal of her husband’s misdeeds

Afterward, we'll have a Q&A with Rick — any and all questions about Princess Diana's American Family are welcomed and encouraged!

To register for "Frances Ellen Work: Uncovering Princess Diana’s American Roots," please visit this link:  New York Adventure Club

Marriage for the Duc d'Ayen, Heir of the Duc de Noailles

Emmanuel and Letizia in 2019.
Photograph (c) Getty Images/Henri Tullio.

Emmanuel de Noailles, Duc d'Ayen, and Letizia Bemberg recently married in France. The couple have two sons, Raphaël and Felix. 

Emmanuel de Noailles.

Born in Washington, DC, on 14 February 1983, Emmanuel Paul Louis Marie de Noailles, Duc d’Ayen, is the only son of Hélie de Noailles, 10th Duc de Noailles, and Nadèje Gonin. Emmanuel's paternal grandparents are François de Noailles, 9th Duc de Noailles, and Charlotte de Caumont La Force. Emmanuel's maternal grandparents are Louis Gonin and Blandine de la Forest de Divonne. 

Letizia Bemberg.

Letizia Bemberg is the daughter of Peter Bemberg and Gwendoline Levié-Ffoulke. Letizia's paternal grandparents are Eduardo Pedro Federico Bemberg and Georgia Betty Hatch. Letizia's maternal grandparents are Jean Jérôme Levié-Ffoulke and Etheldreda Buhan.

Our congratulations to the Duc and Duchesse d'Ayen on their marriage!

Princess Charlotte of Bourbon-Parma Engaged to Guatemalan Diplomat

 

 

Recently, Princess Charlotte of Bourbon-Parma became engaged to Javier Valladares Urruela. 

 

Charlotte at the Bal des débutantes, 2011.

 

Princess Charlotte is the daughter of Prince Charles Emmanuel of Bourbon-Parma (b.1961) and his wife Constance de Ravinel (b.1970). Charlotte's paternal grandparents are Prince Michel of Bourbon-Parma (1926-2018) and Princess Yolande de Broglie-Revel (1928-2014). Charlotte's maternal grandparents are Baron Yves de Ravinel and his wife Countess Alexe de Castellane.

 

Javier Valladares Urruela with his father Acisclo Valladares Molina.

 

Javier Valladares Urruela is the son of Acisclo Valladares Molina (b.1946), Guatemalan Ambassador to the United Kingdom, and his wife Marina Raquel Urruela Prado. Javier's paternal grandparents are Luis Valladares Aycinena (1904-1983), Guatemalan Ambassador to the Holy See, and María Molina Rubio (1910-2012). Javier's maternal grandparents are Federico Adolfo Urruela Vásquez (1918-1957) and Julia Marina Prado Rossbach (1922-2015). Javier Valladares Urruela has served as the Third Secretary at the Guatemalan Embassy to France.

 

Our congratulations to Javier and Charlotte on their engagement!

 

A Right Royal Quiz: Who Am I?

A Gotha Quiz: Who Am I? By Darren Shelton for the European Royal History Journal.

My maternal grandfather at one time was mooted as heir to a throne he did not inherit, although in time he was to become a reigning sovereign on his brother's death. I was born to a well-known mother who was a considerable heiress, and whose inheritance was hard won over cousins with a greater claim. My father was plucked from obscurity. With my siblings, we ruled in the major capitals of the world. Married twice, I was unlucky in love. My first wife, the treasure of my heart, loved another and despised my presence. My second wife, a political match, loved me to distraction, while I could not stand her. Deprived of children who lived, I spent my life being a progressive free thinker. Who am I, and who were my wives? The answer will be revealed on Thursday.

_______

I am Holy Roman Emperor Joseph II and my wives, Princess Isabella of Parma and Princess Maria Josepha of Bavaria.