Prince Jan Paweł Sapieha-Różański (1935-2021)

The Sapieha family: Jan Paweł, Paola, Cristina, Michael, and Anna.

On 6 August 2021, Prince Jan Paweł Sapieha-Różański died at Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The prince was eighty-five years-old. Born on 26 August 1935 at Warsaw, Jan Paweł was the first of three sons of Prince Jan Andrzej Sapieha-Rozanski and his wife Princess Maria (née Zdziechowska). Prince Jan Paweł had two younger brothers: Prince Jerzy Andrzej (1937-2010) and Prince Eustachy Piotr (1947-2005). 

 

Princess Charlotte and Prince Jan Paweł, 1970.
Photo (c) Terry Daum.

On 18 December 1964 at London, Prince Jan Paweł Sapieha-Różański married Claudine Cumberledge (b.1938), the daughter of Claude Cumberlege and his wife Nora Kirby. The couple had one son, Prince Michael (b.1966), before eventually divorcing and receiving an annulment from the Roman Catholic Church in 1980. 

 

On 16 May 1980 at Petropólis, Prince Jan Paweł Sapieha-Różański married Princess Cristina of Orléans-Braganza (b.1950), the daughter of Prince Pedro Gastão of Orléans-Braganza and Princess Maria de la Esperanza of Bourbon-Two Sicilies. The couple had two daughters, Princess Anna Theresa (b.1981; married Benjamin Furlong) and Princess Paola Maria (b.1983; married Prince Constantin Swiatopolk-Czetwertynski). Prince Jan and Princess Cristina divorced in 1988.

May the Prince Rest in Peace.

On This Day in 1981: The Religious Wedding of Prince Ernst August of Hannover and Chantal Hochuli

Photo (c) Getty Images / Picture Alliance.

Forty years ago today, on 30 August 1981, Prince Ernst August of Hannover and Chantal Hochuli celebrated their religious wedding at Schloß Marienburg. The couple were civilly married on 28 August 1981 at Pattensen. 

Photo (c) Getty Images / United Archives.

Born on 26 February 1954 at Hannover, Prince Ernst August Albert Otto Rupprecht Oskar Berthold Friedrich-Ferdinand Christian-Ludwig of Hannover was the first son and second child of Prince Ernst August of Hannover (1914-1987) and his first wife Princess Ortrud of Schleswig-Holstein (1925-1980). Born on 2 June 1955 at Zürich, Chantal Hochuli was the daughter of Johann Gustav Hochuli (1912-?) and his wife Rosmarie Lembeck (1921-2011). 

Prince Louis Ferdinand of Prussia. Photo (c) Getty Images / United Archives.

Queen Sofía of Spain with Infanta Cristina and Infanta Elena are pictured in the forefront. The queen's and the groom's uncle Prince Georg Wilhelm of Hannover is pictured behind Doña Sofía. Photo (c) Getty Images / United Archives.

King Constantine II and Queen Anne-Marie of the Hellenes. Photo (c) Getty Images / United Archives.

In addition to members of the Royal House of Hannover, guests came from the royal houses of Greece, Prussia, and Spain. 

55 Years Since the Passing of the Last Queen of Portugal

A Hohenzollern gathering at Burg Hohenzollern in 1961. Front row: Grand Duchess Kira Kirillovna of Russia, Fürstin Margarete of Hohenzollern, Countess Augusta Victoria Douglas, and Princess Xenia of Prussia.

On 29 August 1966, Countess Augusta Victoria Douglas (née Princess of Hohenzollern; former Queen of Portugal) died at Eigeltingen, Baden-Württemberg. She was seventy-six years-old.

Princess Maria Teresa of Bourbon-Two Sicilies and her only daughter Princess Augusta Victoria of Hohenzollern, 1890.

Princess Maria Teresa of Bourbon-Two Sicilies holding her twin sons Prince Friedrich and Prince Franz Joseph of Hohenzollern while her husband Hereditary Prince Wilhelm of Hohenzollern holds their daughter Princess Augusta Victoria, 1901.

Born on 19 August 1890 at Potsdam, Princess Auguste Viktoria Wilhelmine Antonie Mathilde Ludovika Josephine Maria Elisabeth of Hohenzollern was the first child and only daughter of Fürst Wilhelm of Hohenzollern (1864-1927) and his first wife Princess Maria Teresa of Bourbon-Two Sicilies (1867-1909). Often known as Augusta Victoria, the princess had two younger brothers, who were twins: Fürst Friedrich of Hohenzollern (1891-1965; married Princess Margarete of Saxony) and Prince Franz Joseph of Hohenzollern (1891-1964; married Princess Maria Alix of Saxony). 

King Manuel II of Portugal and Princess Augusta Victoria of Hohenzollern on their wedding day, 1913.

Queen Augusta Victoria of Portugal and Queen Amélie of Portugal attend the funeral mass for King Manuel II in London, 1932.

Photo (c) Smith Archive / Alamy Stock Photo.

On 9 September 1913, Princess Augusta Victoria of Hohenzollern married King Manuel II of Portugal (1889-1932) at Schloss Sigmaringen, the bride's childhood home. The couple were second cousins; both being descendants of Queen Maria II of Portugal. Augusta Victoria and Manuel had a happy marriage. However, the king and queen did not have children. Aged forty-two, King Manuel II of Portugal died on 2 July 1932 at Fulwell, Middlesex, England.

Queen Victoria Augusta of Portugal and her second husband Count Robert Douglas, 1939. Photo (c) AP / Shutterstock.

On 23 April 1939, Queen Dowager Augusta Victoria of Portugal married Count Robert Douglas (1880-1955), the son of Count Ludvig Douglas and Countess Anna Louise Ehrensvärd. Robert was married from 1906 until their 1938 divorce to Sophia de Fine Blaauw (1886-1971). The couple were third cousins twice removed; both being descendants of Grand Duke Karl Friedrich of Baden. Aged seventy-five, Count Robert Douglas died on 26 August 1955 at Langenstein. 

The Funeral of the "Red Princess": Princess Marie-Thérèse of Bourbon-Parma

The coffin of the princess inside Basilica di Santa Maria della Steccata.

Photo (c) RoyalBlog NL / Hans Jacobs.

On Friday, 27 August 2021, the funeral mass of Princess Marie-Thérèse (Maria Teresa) of Bourbon-Parma took place at 4:30pm in the Basilica di Santa Maria della Steccata in the city of Parma. Stemming from precautions around the novel coronavirus pandemic, the service was not publicly announced beforehand. The funeral card for the princess contained the Poem of St. Teresa of Avila, provided below in its English translation: 

Let nothing frighten you, all things pass away.  

God never changes, patience obtains all things. 

He who has God finds he lacks nothing; God alone suffices. 

The Duke and Duchess of Parma and other members of the Ducal Family. Photo (c) RoyalBlog NL / Hans Jacobs.

The funeral mass of Princess Marie-Thérèse was attended by four of her nieces and nephews (some of whom were accompanied by their spouses and children): Prince Carlos Javier and Princess Annemarie, Duke and Duchess of Parma and Piacenza; Prince Jaime, Count of Bardi; Princess Margarita, Countess of Colorno; and Princess Maria Carolina, Marchioness of Sala. After the mass, the princess was interred in the crypt under the basilica next to her beloved brother, the late Prince Carlos Hugo, Duke of Parma (1930-2010), former husband of Princess Irene of the Netherlands. 

A view of the funeral mass. Photo (c) RoyalBlog NL / Hans Jacobs.

Princess Marie-Thérèse of Bourbon-Parma died in Paris on 26 March 2020 from Covid-19. 

You can read Eurohistory's obituary of the princess here: In Memory of a Red Princess: The Passing of Marie-Thérèse of Bourbon-Parma (1933-2020)

For more information about the funeral of the princess, you can read RoyalBlog NL's article here: 

Uitvaart prinses Maria Teresa in Parma

Note: My utmost thanks to Hans Jacobs of RoyalBlog NL for allowing the use of his photographs from yesterday's ceremony. 

The 10th Wedding Anniversary of the Prince and Princess of Prussia

The Prince and Princess of Prussia, 2011. Photo (c) Getty Images / Andreas Rentz.

Today, the Prince and Princess of Prussia celebrate their tenth wedding anniversary!

One of the engagement pictures of Georg Friedrich and Sophie.

The engagement of Prince Georg Friedrich of Prussia and Princess Sophie of Isenburg was announced in January 2011. They had been a couple for many years. Georg Friedrich and Sophie are sixth cousins; both are descendants of Grand Duke Karl of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (1741-1816) and his wife Princess Friederike Caroline of Hessen-Darmstadt (1752-1782).

Georg Friedrich's parents: Louis Ferdinand and Donata. Photo (c) Getty Images / Peter Bischoff.

Louis Ferdinand and Donata with their son Georg Friedrich. Photo (c) Getty Images / Picture Alliance.

Prince Louis Ferdinand of Prussia with his daughter-in-law Princess Donata and his grandchildren Prince Georg Friedrich and Princess Cornelie-Cecile. Photo (c) Getty Images / Picture Alliance.

Born on 10 June 1976 at Bremen, Prince Georg Friedrich Ferdinand of Prussia was the first child and only son of Prince Louis Ferdinand of Prussia (1944-1977) and his wife Princess Donata (1950-2015; née Countess zu Castell-Rüdenhausen), who wed in 1975. Georg Friedrich has one sister, who was born after the tragic death of their father: Princess Cornelie-Cecile (b.1978).

Sophie's parents: Franz Alexander and Christine. Photo (c) Getty Images / Andreas Rentz.

Born on 7 March 1978 at Frankfurt, Princess Sophie Johanna Maria of Isenburg was the fourth child and third daughter of Prince Franz Alexander of Isenburg (1943-2018) and his wife Princess Christine (b.1941; née Countess von Saurma), who wed in 1968. Sophie has four siblings: Prince Alexander (b.1969; married Sarah Lorenz), Princess Katharina (b.1971; married Archduke Martin of Austria), Princess Isabelle (b.1973; married Prince Carl zu Wied), and Prince Victor (b.1979; married Jungeun Lee).

Prince Georg Friedrich of Prussia with his mother Duchess Donata of Oldenburg and his sister Princess Cornelie-Cecile. Photo (c) Getty Images / Andreas Rentz.

The Prince and Princess of Prussia. Photo (c) Getty Images.

The newlyweds. Photo (c) Getty Images / Andreas Rentz.

On 25 August 2011, Prince Georg Friedrich of Prussia and Princess Sophie of Isenburg were civilly married at Potsdam. Their religious wedding followed two days later, on 27 August. As the groom is Protestant (Lutheran) and the bride is Roman Catholic, the ecumenical religious ceremony took place at the Friedenskirche, where the Protestant pastor Michael Wohlrab and the retired Roman Catholic abbot Count Georg Henckel von Donnersmarck presided over the nuptials. 

The Prince and Princess of Hohenzollern. Photo (c) Getty Images / Andreas Rentz.

Archduchess Eilika, Archduke Georg, and Archduchess Gabriella of Austria. Photo (c) Getty Images / Andreas Rentz.

Princess Ursula and Prince Leopold of Bavaria. Photo (c) Getty Images / Andreas Rentz.

Prince Hassan and Princess Sarvath of Jordan. Photo (c) Getty Images / Andreas Rentz.

The Margravine and Margrave of Baden. Photo (c) Getty Images / Andreas Rentz.

Crown Princess Margarita and Prince Radu of Romania. Photo (c) Getty Images / Andreas Rentz.

Prince Alexander and Princess Gisela of Saxony. Photo (c) Getty Images / Andreas Rentz.

Princess Sibilla of Luxembourg with Hereditary Prince Bernhard and Hereditary Princess Stephanie of Baden. Photo (c) Getty Images / Andreas Rentz.

Grand Duchess Maria and Grand Duke George of Russia. Photo (c) Getty Images / Andreas Rentz.

The Landgrave of Hesse. Photo (c) Getty Images / Andreas Rentz.

The wedding of the Prince and Princess of Prussia was attended by a multitude of royal and noble families. Representatives from the houses of Anhalt, Austria, Baden, Bavaria, Belgium, Bourbon-Parma, Bourbon-Two Sicilies, Hannover, Hesse, Hohenzollern, Jordan, Lippe, Luxembourg, Mecklenburg, Oldenburg, Portugal, Prussia, Reuss, Romania, Russia, Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, Saxony, Schaumburg-Lippe, and Schleswig-Holstein were present. 

Prince Georg Friedrich and Princess Sophie of Prussia at the wedding of Hereditary Prince Ernst August and Hereditary Princess Ekaterina of Hannover, 2017. Photo (c) Getty Images / Gisela Schober. 

Prince Georg Friedrich and Princess Sophie of Prussia have four children: the twins Prince Carl Friedrich and Prince Louis Ferdinand (b.2013), Princess Emma (b.2015), and Prince Heinrich (b.2016).

The Prince and Princess of Prussia, 2015. Photo (c) Getty Images.

Our best wishes to the Prince and Princess on the occasion of their wedding anniversary!

Princess Roxanne Zaher: Only Grand-Daughter of the Last Crown Prince of Afghanistan

"Peacock" - a self-portrait of Roxanne Zaher, 2012.

Born on 24 August 1988, Princess Roxanne "Roxy" Zaher of Afghanistan is the only child of Prince Muhammad Zahir Khan (b.1962) and his wife Princess Oshila (b.1958). Raised in Virginia, the princess moved to New York to pursue her education. Roxanne attended Stony Brook University; thereafter, the princess studied at the Christine Valmy International School.

Crown Prince Ahmad Shah of Afghanistan, 1963.

Roxanne's paternal grandparents are Crown Prince Ahmad Shah Khan of Afghanistan (b.1934) and Princess Khatul Begum (b.1943). The paternal great-grandparents of Princess Roxanne are King Zahir Shah of Afghanistan (1914-2007) and Queen Humaira Begum (1918-2002). 

Princess Roxanne Zaher of Afghanistan.

On 29 August 2015, Princess Roxanne Zaher married Reny Rajan Daniel in Queens, New York. Mr. Daniel is a physician assistant who specialises in ENT issues. The couple live in the United States.

The Family of Countess Elinka von Einsiedel, Grandmother of Princess Tatiana of Greece

The Coat of Arms of the Comital House of Einsiedel.

On 26 July 1922, Countess Elinka Karin Harriet von Einsiedel was born as the only child of Count Adolkar  Haubold Siegfried von Einsiedel (1889-1963) and Margot Luigina Ilma von Gans (1889-1984/1986). Margot von Gans married Count Adolkar von Eisiedel on 1 October 1921. Margot and Adolkar divorced in 1925.  Elinka was the paternal granddaughter of Count Clemens Adolf von Einsiedel (1853-1917) and Countess Caroline von Armin (1865-1898). Elinka was the maternal granddaughter of Dr. Paul Friedrich von Gans (1866-1915) and Baroness Eilinka von Fabrice (1875-1935).

Countess Margot von Eisiedel.

The documentation of the death of Baron Claus von Bischoffshausen, Elinka's half-brother.

Harold E. Rydon.

Margot von Gans had been previously married. In 1917, when she was eighteen, Margot wed Baron Werner von Bischoffshausen (1894–1970). The couple had one son, Baron Claus-Henning von Bischoffshausen (1919-killed in action 1942). Margot and Werner divorced in 1921. After her parting from Count von Eisiedel, Margot von Gans remarried once more. In 1947, Margot wed Harold Edwin Rydon (1890–1970). After being widowed, Margot moved to Denmark, where she passed away in 1984.

Peter Ordway.

Elinka Ordway's petition to become a naturalised US citizen.

On 21 February 1945 at Munich, Countess Elinka von Einsiedel firstly married Ernst Bierlein (Munich 26 February 1920-3 January 2009). The couple had two children, a son and a daughter: Peter Michael Bierlein (b.Munich 3 December 1945) and Marie Blanche "Blanca" Bierlein (b.Munich 10 December 1954). Elinka and Ernst divorced in 1957. On 2 September 1957 at Munsing, Countess Elinka von Einsiedel secondly married Walter Rupprecht (b.Basel 26 February 1924). The couple had one son: Carl Alexander Rupprecht (Málaga 29 October 1962-Chacao, Caracas 28 September 2008; adopted by his stepfather Peter Ordway and assumed the surname Ordway). Elinka and Walter divorced in 1970. On 19 March 1975, Countess Elinka von Einsiedel married Peter Ordway (St. Paul, Minnesota 26 March 1916-3 August 2001) in the Dominican Republic. In 1990, Elinka Ordway filed a petition to become a citizen of the United States. She and her husband Peter lived in Florida.

Countess Elinka von Einsiedel, Mrs. Peter Ordway, died in late 2015. Elinka was survived by her son Peter Bierlein and her daughter Marie Blanche Bierlein Brillembourg; and by her grandchildren Boris A. Blatnik (b.1978), Princess Tatiana of Greece and Denmark (b.1980), and Elinka Ordway Pardo (b.2002).