Saturday, August 21, 2021

The Death of a Noble Woman: Fürstin Marie of Liechtenstein (1940-2021)

Fürstin Marie and Fürst Hans Adam II at the beautification mass of Pope John Paul II, 2011. Photograph (c) Getty Images / Vittorio Zunino Celotto.

Earlier today, Fürstin Marie of Liechtenstein, the wife of Fürst Hans Adam II of Liechtenstein, died at Grabs, Switzerland. She was eighty-one years-old. The princess had suffered a stroke on 18 August; she suffered from poor health for several years. The Princely House issued the following press release: "Her Serene Highness Princess Marie von und zu Liechtenstein died on 21 August 2021 at 4:43 pm in the hospital in Grabs. After her health steadily deteriorated following a stroke on 18 August 2021, she passed away today in the presence of her family and after receiving the Holy Sacraments of the Last Supper, peacefully and with great trust in God."

Marie's parents: Ferdinand and Henriette.

Born on 14 April 1940 at Prague, Countess Marie Aglaë Bonaventura Theresia Kinsky von Wchinitz und Tettau was the fourth child and second daughter of Count Ferdinand Kinsky von Wchinitz und Tettau (1908–1969) and his wife Countess Henriette von Ledebur-Wicheln (1910–2001). Ferdinand and Marie Henriette married in 1933. Marie had six siblings: Count Ferdinand (1934-2020; married Countess Hedwig von Ballestrem), Countess Eleonore (b.1936; married Thomas Cornides von Krempach), Count Johannes (1937-2004; married Countess Eleonore von Trauttmansdorff-Weinsberg), Countess Aglaë (b.1941; married Count Conrad von Ballestrem), Countess Elisabeth (b.1944; married Count Ludwig zu Dohna-Schlobitten), and Count Carl (1954-2016; married Baroness Elisabeth Zobel von Giebelstadt zu Darstadt).

Marie's paternal grandparents: Count Ferdinand and Princess Aglaë.
Marie's maternal grandparents: Count Eugen and Countess Eleonore.

The paternal grandparents of Marie were Count Ferdinand Kinsky von Wchinitz und Tettau (1866-1916) and his wife Princess Aglaë von Auersperg (1868-1919). The maternal grandparents of Marie were Count Eugen von Ledebur-Wicheln (1873-1945) and his wife Countess Eleonore Larisch von Moennich (1888-1975). 

Hereditary Princess Marie, 1967. Photograph (c) SRF Archiv.

According to the profile of Fürstin Marie on the website of the Princely Family of Liechtenstein: "Princess Marie attended primary school in Ering am Inn from 1946 to 1949. She then entered the boarding school of the Lioba Sisters in the 'Wald' Convent in Württemberg for eight years and completed her secondary education there. In 1957, Princess Marie spent an extended time in England in order to improve her English. She then attended the Academy for Applied Graphics at the University of Munich for six semesters and graduated with a diploma. After another, shorter language stay in Paris, she worked as a commercial artist in a print shop in Dachau until her engagement in 1965."

Countess Marie Aglaé is escorted by her father Count Ferdinand
Inside St Florin's
Hans Adam and Marie Aglaé

On 30 July 1967 at Vaduz, Countess Marie Kinsky von Wchinitz und Tettau married then Hereditary Prince Hans Adam of Liechtenstein in St Florin's. Prince Hans Adam was the eldest son of Fürst Franz Joseph II of Liechtenstein (1906–1989) and his wife Fürstin Georgina (née von Wilczek; 1921–1989). Hans Adam and Marie Agläe were second cousins once removed through their descent from Fürst Ferdinand Kinsky von Wchinitz und Tettau (1834-1904) and his wife Princess Maria Josepha of Liechtenstein (1835-1905). 

(left to right) Princess Sofía of Spain and Princess Irene of Greece and Denmark 
The Count and Countess of Paris followed by Prince Michael and Princess Marina of Greece  as well as Duchess Diane of Württemberg 
Queen Anne-Marie of the Hellenes arrives on the arm of Prince Heinrich of Liechtenstein
Among the guests were a plethora of the European Gotha. Attendees included Archduke Otto of Austria, the Duke of Bragança, Queen Anne-Marie of Greece and her sisters-in-law Princess Irene of Greece and Denmark and Princess Sofía of Spain, Prince Michael and Princess Marina of Greece, the Count and Countess of Paris, Prince Jacques d'Orléans and siblings Princess Chantal and Prince Thibault, Duke Philipp and Duchess Rosa of Württemberg as well as Duke Carl and Duchess Diane of Württemberg. Members of the Bourbon-Parma, Hannover, Hohenlohe-Langenburg, Mecklenburg, Schwarzenberg, Thurn and Taxis, and Orsini families were also present.
Fürstin Gina of Liechtenstein and her daughter-in-law Princess Marie.
Hereditary Princess Marie and Hereditary Prince Hans Adam of Liechtenstein, 1979. Photo (c) Getty Images / Lichfield.
Princes Alois, Constantin, and Maximilian of Liechtenstein in 1979 Photograph (c) Getty Images / Lichfield
Hans Adam and Marie with their four children, 1985. Photo (c) Seeger-Presse.
Fürst Hans-Adam, Fürstin Marie, and their four children.
Fürst Hans Adam and Fürstin Marie had four children: Hereditary Prince Alois (b.1968; married Duchess Sophie in Bavaria), Prince Maximilian (b.1969; married Angela Brown), Prince Constantin (b.1972; married Countess Maria Kálnoky de Köröspatak), and Princess Tatjana (b.1973; married Philipp von Lattorff).
Duke Max and Duchess Elisabeth in Bavaria, Duke Albrecht of Bavaria, Duchess Sophie in Bavaria and Hereditary Prince Alois of Liechtenstein, Fürstin Marie and Fürst Hans Adam II, 1993. Photo (c) Getty Images / Picture Alliance.
On 3 July 1993 at Vaduz, Hereditary Prince Alois of Liechtenstein married Duchess Sophie in Bavaria, the daughter of Duke Max in Bavaria and his wife Duchess Elizabeth (née Countess Douglas). The Hereditary Prince and Hereditary Prince of Liechtenstein have four children: Prince Joseph Wenzel (b.1994), Princess Marie-Caroline (b.1996), Prince Georg (b.1999), and Prince Nikolaus (b.2000). 
Fürstin Marie, Prince Maximilian and Princess Angela, and Fürst Hans Adam II of Liechtenstein, 2000. Photo (c) Seeger-Presse.
On 29 January 2000 at New York, Prince Maximilian of Liechtenstein (b.1969) religiously married Angela Gisela Brown (b.1958), the daughter of Javier Francisco Brown and Silvia Maritza Burke. The couple had celebrated their civil marriage at Vaduz on 21 January. Prince Maximilian and Princess Angela have one son, Prince Alfons (b.2001). 
Prince Constantin of Liechtenstein and Countess Maria Kálnoky de Köröspatak, 1999. Photo (c) Belga Picture.
On 17 July 1999 at Csicso, Prince Constantin of Liechtenstein (b.1972) religious married Countess Maria Kálnoky de Köröspatak (b.1975), the daughter of Count Alois Kálnoky de Köröspatak and his wife Countess Sieglinde (née Baroness von Oer). The couple had celebrated their civil wedding at Vaduz on 14 May. Prince Constantin and Princess Maria have three children: Prince Mortiz (b.2003), Princess Georgina (b.2005), and Prince Benedikt (b.2008).
Princess Tatjana of Liechtenstein and Philipp von Lattorff, 1999. Photo (c) Seeger-Presse.
On 5 June 1999 at Vaduz, Princess Tatjana of Liechtenstein (b.1973) married Philipp von Lattorff (b.1968), the son of Klaus Jürgen von Lattorff and his wife Countess Julia Batthyány de Német-Ujvár. Princess Tatjana and Philipp have seven children: Lukas (b.2000), Elisabeth (b.2002), Marie (b.2004), Camilla (b.2005), Anna (b.2007), Sophie (b.2009), and Maximilian (b.2011).
The Prince and Princess of Wales with the Hereditary Prince and Hereditary Princess of Liechtenstein during a ski holiday in the 1980s. Photo (c) Seeger-Presse.
Fürst Hans Adam and Fürstin Marie of Liechtenstein with King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden, 1985. Photo (c) Getty Images.
Fürstin Gina, Fürst Franz Joseph, Hereditary Princess Marie and Hereditary Prince Hans Adam on Liechtenstein's National Day, 1986. Photo (c) Getty Images / Chip Hires.
Fürstin Marie and Fürst Hans Adam celebrating Marie's 70th birthday, 2010. Photo (c) Seeger-Presse / Sandra Zellner.
Hans Adam II and Marie attend the wedding of Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume of Luxembourg and Countess Stéphanie de Lannoy, 2011. Photo (c) Getty Images / Pascal Le Segretain.
Fürstin Marie and Fürst Hans Adam in Schloß Vaduz on the occasion of Marie's 73rd birthday, 2013. Photo (c) Seeger-Presse / Sandra Zellner.
(left to right) Fürstin Marie, Fürst Hans Adam II, Pope Francis I, Hereditary Prince Alois and Hereditary Princess Sophie of Liechtenstein, 2017. Photo (c) Getty Images / Vatican Pool-Corbis.
The Fürstin of Liechtenstein was a firm fixture on the European royal scene since she married Hereditary Prince Hans Adam in 1967. They formed a devoted couple, who were much loved by family and friends. Fürstin Marie of Liechtenstein was been strongly committed to social institutions in Liechtenstein. She served as the Honorary President of the Liechtenstein Red Cross, which she headed from 1985 to 2015.
Marie looking at her husband Hans Adam on Liechtenstein's National Day, 2004. Photo (c) Seeger-Presse / Albert Nieboer.
May the Fürstin Rest In Peace.

Friday, August 20, 2021

The Death of a Noble Woman: Fürstin Marie of Liechtenstein (1940-2021)

Fürstin Marie and Fürst Hans Adam II at the beautification mass of Pope John Paul II, 2011.
Photograph (c) Getty Images / Vittorio Zunino Celotto.

Earlier today, Fürstin Marie of Liechtenstein, the wife of Fürst Hans Adam II of Liechtenstein, died at Grabs, Switzerland. She was eighty-one years-old. The princess had suffered a stroke on 18 August; she suffered from poor health for several years. The Princely House issued the following press release: "Her Serene Highness Princess Marie von und zu Liechtenstein died on 21 August 2021 at 4:43 pm in the hospital in Grabs. After her health steadily deteriorated following a stroke on 18 August 2021, she passed away today in the presence of her family and after receiving the Holy Sacraments of the Last Supper, peacefully and with great trust in God."

Marie's parents: Ferdinand and Henriette.

Born on 14 April 1940 at Prague, Countess Marie Aglaë Bonaventura Theresia Kinsky von Wchinitz und Tettau was the fourth child and second daughter of Count Ferdinand Kinsky von Wchinitz und Tettau (1908–1969) and his wife Countess Henriette von Ledebur-Wicheln (1910–2001). Ferdinand and Marie Henriette married in 1933. Marie had six siblings: Count Ferdinand (1934-2020; married Countess Hedwig von Ballestrem), Countess Eleonore (b.1936; married Thomas Cornides von Krempach), Count Johannes (1937-2004; married Countess Eleonore von Trauttmansdorff-Weinsberg), Countess Aglaë (b.1941; married Count Conrad von Ballestrem), Countess Elisabeth (b.1944; married Count Ludwig zu Dohna-Schlobitten), and Count Carl (1954-2016; married Baroness Elisabeth Zobel von Giebelstadt zu Darstadt).

Marie's paternal grandparents: Count Ferdinand and Princess Aglaë.
Marie's maternal grandparents: Count Eugen and Countess Eleonore.

The paternal grandparents of Marie were Count Ferdinand Kinsky von Wchinitz und Tettau (1866-1916) and his wife Princess Aglaë von Auersperg (1868-1919). The maternal grandparents of Marie were Count Eugen von Ledebur-Wicheln (1873-1945) and his wife Countess Eleonore Larisch von Moennich (1888-1975). 

Hereditary Princess Marie, 1967.
Photograph (c) SRF Archiv.

According to the profile of Fürstin Marie on the website of the Princely Family of Liechtenstein: "Princess Marie attended primary school in Ering am Inn from 1946 to 1949. She then entered the boarding school of the Lioba Sisters in the 'Wald' Convent in Württemberg for eight years and completed her secondary education there. In 1957, Princess Marie spent an extended time in England in order to improve her English. She then attended the Academy for Applied Graphics at the University of Munich for six semesters and graduated with a diploma. After another, shorter language stay in Paris, she worked as a commercial artist in a print shop in Dachau until her engagement in 1965."

Countess Marie Aglaé is escorted by her father Count Ferdinand
Inside St Florin's
Hans Adam and Marie Aglaé

On 30 July 1967 at Vaduz, Countess Marie Kinsky von Wchinitz und Tettau married then Hereditary Prince Hans Adam of Liechtenstein in St Florin's. Prince Hans Adam was the eldest son of Fürst Franz Joseph II of Liechtenstein (1906–1989) and his wife Fürstin Georgina (née von Wilczek; 1921–1989). Hans Adam and Marie Agläe were second cousins once removed through their descent from Fürst Ferdinand Kinsky von Wchinitz und Tettau (1834-1904) and his wife Princess Maria Josepha of Liechtenstein (1835-1905). 

(left to right) Princess Sofía of Spain and Princess Irene of Greece and Denmark 
The Count and Countess of Paris followed by Prince Michael and Princess Marina of Greece 
as well as Duchess Diane of Württemberg 
Queen Anne-Marie of the Hellenes arrives on the arm of Prince Heinrich of Liechtenstein

Among the guests were a plethora of the European Gotha. Attendees included Archduke Otto of Austria, the Duke of Bragança, Queen Anne-Marie of Greece and her sisters-in-law Princess Irene of Greece and Denmark and Princess Sofía of Spain, Prince Michael and Princess Marina of Greece, the Count and Countess of Paris, Prince Jacques d'Orléans and siblings Princess Chantal and Prince Thibault, Duke Philipp and Duchess Rosa of Württemberg as well as Duke Carl and Duchess Diane of Württemberg. Members of the Bourbon-Parma, Hannover, Hohenlohe-Langenburg, Mecklenburg, Schwarzenberg, Thurn and Taxis, and Orsini families were also present.

 
Fürstin Gina of Liechtenstein and her daughter-in-law Princess Marie.
Hereditary Princess Marie and Hereditary Prince Hans Adam of Liechtenstein, 1979.
Photo (c) Getty Images / Lichfield.
Princes Alois, Constantin, and Maximilian of Liechtenstein in 1979
Photograph (c) Getty Images / Lichfield

Hans Adam and Marie with their four children, 1985.
Photo (c) Seeger-Presse.
Fürst Hans-Adam, Fürstin Marie, and their four children.
Fürst Hans Adam and Fürstin Marie had four children: Hereditary Prince Alois (b.1968; married Duchess Sophie in Bavaria), Prince Maximilian (b.1969; married Angela Brown), Prince Constantin (b.1972; married Countess Maria Kálnoky de Köröspatak), and Princess Tatjana (b.1973; married Philipp von Lattorff).
 
Duke Max and Duchess Elisabeth in Bavaria, Duke Albrecht of Bavaria, Duchess Sophie in Bavaria and Hereditary Prince Alois of Liechtenstein, Fürstin Marie and Fürst Hans Adam II, 1993.
Photo (c) Getty Images / Picture Alliance.
On 3 July 1993 at Vaduz, Hereditary Prince Alois of Liechtenstein married Duchess Sophie in Bavaria, the daughter of Duke Max in Bavaria and his wife Duchess Elizabeth (née Countess Douglas). The Hereditary Prince and Hereditary Prince of Liechtenstein have four children: Prince Joseph Wenzel (b.1994), Princess Marie-Caroline (b.1996), Prince Georg (b.1999), and Prince Nikolaus (b.2000). 
 
Fürstin Marie, Prince Maximilian and Princess Angela, and Fürst Hans Adam II of Liechtenstein, 2000.
Photo (c) Seeger-Presse.
On 29 January 2000 at New York, Prince Maximilian of Liechtenstein (b.1969) religiously married Angela Gisela Brown (b.1958), the daughter of Javier Francisco Brown and Silvia Maritza Burke. The couple had celebrated their civil marriage at Vaduz on 21 January. Prince Maximilian and Princess Angela have one son, Prince Alfons (b.2001). 
 
Prince Constantin of Liechtenstein and Countess Maria Kálnoky de Köröspatak, 1999.
Photo (c) Belga Picture.
On 17 July 1999 at Csicso, Prince Constantin of Liechtenstein (b.1972) religious married Countess Maria Kálnoky de Köröspatak (b.1975), the daughter of Count Alois Kálnoky de Köröspatak and his wife Countess Sieglinde (née Baroness von Oer). The couple had celebrated their civil wedding at Vaduz on 14 May. Prince Constantin and Princess Maria have three children: Prince Mortiz (b.2003), Princess Georgina (b.2005), and Prince Benedikt (b.2008).
 
Princess Tatjana of Liechtenstein and Philipp von Lattorff, 1999.
Photo (c) Seeger-Presse.
On 5 June 1999 at Vaduz, Princess Tatjana of Liechtenstein (b.1973) married Philipp von Lattorff (b.1968), the son of Klaus Jürgen von Lattorff and his wife Countess Julia Batthyány de Német-Ujvár. Princess Tatjana and Philipp have seven children: Lukas (b.2000), Elisabeth (b.2002), Marie (b.2004), Camilla (b.2005), Anna (b.2007), Sophie (b.2009), and Maximilian (b.2011).
 
The Prince and Princess of Wales with the Hereditary Prince and Hereditary Princess of Liechtenstein during a ski holiday in the 1980s.
Photo (c) Seeger-Presse.
Fürst Hans Adam and Fürstin Marie of Liechtenstein with King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden, 1985.
Photo (c) Getty Images.
Fürstin Gina, Fürst Franz Joseph, Hereditary Princess Marie and Hereditary Prince Hans Adam on Liechtenstein's National Day, 1986.
Photo (c) Getty Images / Chip Hires.
Fürstin Marie and Fürst Hans Adam celebrating Marie's 70th birthday, 2010.
Photo (c) Seeger-Presse / Sandra Zellner.
Hans Adam II and Marie attend the wedding of Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume of Luxembourg and Countess Stéphanie de Lannoy, 2011.
Photo (c) Getty Images / Pascal Le Segretain.
Fürstin Marie and Fürst Hans Adam in Schloß Vaduz on the occasion of Marie's 73rd birthday, 2013.
Photo (c) Seeger-Presse / Sandra Zellner.
(left to right) Fürstin Marie, Fürst Hans Adam II, Pope Francis I, Hereditary Prince Alois and Hereditary Princess Sophie of Liechtenstein, 2017.
Photo (c) Getty Images / Vatican Pool-Corbis.
 
The Fürstin of Liechtenstein was a firm fixture on the European royal scene since she married Hereditary Prince Hans Adam in 1967. They formed a devoted couple, who were much loved by family and friends. Fürstin Marie of Liechtenstein was been strongly committed to social institutions in Liechtenstein. She served as the Honorary President of the Liechtenstein Red Cross, which she headed from 1985 to 2015.
 
Marie looking at her husband Hans Adam on Liechtenstein's National Day, 2004.
Photo (c) Seeger-Presse / Albert Nieboer.
 
May the Fürstin Rest In Peace.

Thursday, August 19, 2021

Prince Franz Josef von Altenburg (1941-2021)

Franz Josef Altenburg, 2019.
Photo (c) Hollengut.

Aged eighty, Prince Franz Josef von Altenburg died on 18 August 2021. Born on 15 March 1941, Prince Franz Josef Georg Clemens Maria Leopold Salvator von Altenburg was the seventh child of Archduke Clemens Salvator of Austria (1904-1974) and Countess Elisabeth Rességuier de Miremont (1906-2000). In 1969, Franz Josef married Baroness Christa von Härdtl (b.1945); the couple had four children. Franz Josef Altenburg was a ceramist and sculptor. 

May Franz Josef Rest In Peace.

Wednesday, August 18, 2021

Archduchess Maria Magdalena of Austria (1939-2021)

Archduchess Maria Magdalena, 2004.

The death of Archduchess Maria Magdalena of Austria was announced on Wednesday, 18 August. According to the Romanian royal house, Maria Magdalena died in Salzburg, Austria. The archduchess was eighty-one years-old. Castle Bran's Facebook account issued the following statement:

 
At Bran Castle, we mourn the passing into eternity, after a long and undeserved suffering, of Her Imperial and Royal Highness, Archduchess Maria Magdalena Holzhausen.

A model of grace, dignity, and warmth, she was, along with her brother and sister, the cornerstone of the Castle’s reconstruction, devastated after decades of neglect. She became one of the legends of Bran by mixing, with royal discretion and unparalleled humor, guidance and support.

We express our deepest condolences to her husband, Baron Hans von Holzhausen, her children, Baron Johannes, Baron Georg and Baroness Alexandra, her brother Archduke Dominic Habsburg and her sister Archduchess Alexandra Baillou.

She will always be in our hearts and our prayers, as is her grandmother, Queen Maria, her mother, Princess Ileana and her dear sister, Archduchess Elisabeth. May God grant her Eternal Rest in Peace.

Princess Ileana and Archduke Anton, 1931.
Photograph (c) Getty Images / Keystone-France.

 

Born at Schloß Sonnberg on 2 October 1939, the archduchess, known en famille as "Magi," was the fifth child and third daughter of Archduke Anton of Austria (1901-1987) and Princess Ileana of Romania (1909-1991), who married in 1931 and divorced in 1954. Maria Magdalena had five siblings: Archduke Stefan (1932-1998), Archduchess Maria Ileana (1933-1959), Archduchess Alexandra (b.1935), Archduke Dominic (b.1937), and Archduchess Elisabeth (1942-2019).

Archduchess Maria Magdalena, Princess Ileana, and Archduchess Elisabeth at the graduation of Maria Magdalena from Notre Dame de Sion.
Photo (c) The Kansas City Star of 9 June 1957.

Along with her siblings, Maria Magdalena spent her youth in the United States, where her mother Ileana had relocated in the early 1950s. The archduchess attended the Dana Hall School in Wellesley, Massachusetts, before transferring to study at the French Institute of Notre Dame de Sion, a Roman Catholic school in Kansas City, Missouri; she graduated from Notre Dame de Sion in 1957. Her younger sister Elisabeth was also a student at Notre Dame de Sion. After completing her high school education in the United States, Maria Magdalena went on to study French literature at the Sorbonne in Paris. In 1959, Archduchess Maria Magdalena of Austria married Baron Hans Ulrich von Holzhausen (b.1929). The couple had three children, two sons and a daughter. 

Archduchess Maria Magdalena.
Photo (c) Castelul Bran.

Archduchess Maria Magdalena was a granddaughter of King Ferdinand I and Queen Marie of Romania. Among her first cousins were King Michael I of Romania and King Peter II of Yugoslavia. The archduchess was a second cousin of Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna of Russia.

Source: Salzburger Nachrichten.

May Maria Magdalena Rest In Peace.

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