The 85th Birthday of Duchess Sophie of Württemberg!

Duchess Sophie of Württemberg at the wedding of Duchess Sophie of Württemberg and Maximilien d'Andigné, 2018. 
Photo (c) Getty Images / David Nivière.

Today, Duchess Sophie of Württemberg celebrates her eighty-fifth birthday!

The engagement of Albrecht Eugen of Württemberg and Nadejda of Bulgaria is announced in January 1924.

Newlyweds: Duke Albrecht Eugen of Württemberg and Princess Nadejda of Bulgaria

Born on 16 February 1937 at Stuttgart, Duchess Sophie Eudoxie Louise Josepha Margarethe Theresia vom Kinde Jesu Konrada Donata of Württemberg was the second daughter and fifth child of Duke Albrecht Eugen of Württemberg (1895-1954) and his wife Princess Nadejda of Bulgaria (1899-1958), who married in 1924. Sophie had four older siblings: Duke Ferdinand Eugen (1925-2020), Duchess Margarethe (1928-2017; married François Luce de Chevigny), Duke Eugen Eberhard (b.1930; married Archduchess Alexandra of Austria-Tuscany), and Duke Alexander (b.1933). Sophie's paternal grandparents were Duke Albrecht of Württemberg (1865-1939) and Archduchess Margarete Sophie of Austria (1870-1902). The duchess's maternal grandparents were King Ferdinand of Bulgaria (1861-1948) and Princess Marie Louise of Bourbon-Parma (1870-1899).

Lindach Castle.

Until the outbreak of World War II, Duke Albrecht Eugen and Duchess Nadejda of Württemberg lived with their children at a property in Silesia. After 1945 and the loss of this property to the Polish government under Soviet control, the family relocated to Schloß Lindach, near Schwäbisch Gmünd. Duchess Sophie, the couple's youngest child, spend her youth at Schloß Lindach. She attended a convent school in Wald run by nuns. In 1954, Sophie lost her father when Albrecht Eugen was killed in an automobile accident. In 1957, Sophie studied at the School of Household Arts in Stuttgart. The following year, in 1958, a day before her twenty-first birthday, Sophie was orphaned when her mother Nadeja died on 15 February, aged only fifty-nine. After the death of her mother, Sophie went to live with her brother Alexander in Munich. In 1961, the duchess went to Paris in order to study French. For six months, she took courses at the Alliance Française. Sophie then joined the fashion firm Heim Jeunes Filles as a sales assistant and designer, then, in 1967, she went to work for Maison Balmain.

Duchess Sophie during her religious wedding wearing the Chaumet Diamond Fringe Tiara, which formerly belonged to Queen Eleonore of Bulgaria.

Duchess Sophie, Antonio Manuel Rôxo de Ramos-Bandeira, Duke Ferdinand, Duchess Margarethe, Princess Eudoxia of Bulgaria, Duchess Alexandra and Duke Eugen Eberhard. 

Duchess Sophie at her wedding ball.

In February 1969, Duchess Sophie of Württemberg married Portuguese diplomat Antonio Manuel Rôxo de Ramos-Bandeira (1937-1987), the son of Dr. Antonio de Ramos-Bandeira and Alice de Souza-Rôxo. In addition to members of the Württemberg royal family, the wedding was attended by 120 guests, including Archduke Hubert and Archduchess Rosemary of Austria-Tuscany, Margravine Valerie of Baden, Prince Ludwig and Princess Marianne of Baden, Princess Eudoxie of Bulgaria, Fürst Friedrich and Fürstin Margarethe of Hohenzollern, Hereditary Prince Alois-Konstantin zu Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg, Duke Friedrich August and Duchess Marie Cecile of Oldenburg, Duke Roberto of Parma, Fürst Franz Joseph of Thurn und Taxis, and Fürst Georg of Waldburg zu Zeil und Trauchburg. A most unhappy chapter for the duchess, Sophie and Antonio's union ended in divorce in 1974 and was religiously annulled in 1976. The couple did not have children.

Sophie during her time with Nina Ricci, 1988.

Princess Masha Magaloff and Duchess Sophie of Württemberg - two of Nina Ricci's leaders, 1993.
Photo (c) T. Umeda.

Beginning in 1982, Duchess Sophie of Württemberg became an executive with Nina Ricci, a position that she held for several decades. She directed the fashion house's haute couture department. She worked side-by-side with Princess Masha Magaloff (née Asanschevski-Asancheyev), the wife of Russian aristocrat Prince Michael Magaloff. In the early 1990s, the duchess and the princess were in Hawaii for a Ricci show. While there, they gave a very amusing and insightful interview to The Honolulu Advertiser about the goings on in the world of a fashion insider. Sophie started: "You go to the office, you have a meeting with your director, maybe shouting for an hour, and right after work you go to a cocktail party and you have to be chic. So you have a lovely suit and you change it with a little scarf, another necklace, earrings a little more sparkly. A gray suit is very nice, then you change the blouse for the evening. Pink perhaps." Masha added: "Pink is always magic to a lady. I have a fatal love for pink." Sophie then went on to muse about the arduous consultations that involve working with a bride choosing a haute couture gown, which she noted usually took days: "The bride has one idea. Mama has another. Grandmama has another..." Masha interjected: "[And] Auntie has another." "Then the bride starts crying," Sophie summarised. Sophie continued: "Black can be super chic, but on some women it can be too cruel. Navy is gentler." The duchess mentioned that Princess Barbara of Yugoslavia was an ideal client: "She'll see a dress and say, 'That's the one.' Others try the whole collection and say, 'Now I cannot decide...it was too much.'"

Duchess Sophie in 2000.
Photo (c) Seeger-Presse.

Duchess Sophie and her brother Duke Alexander at the 70th birthday celebrations of their first cousin Duke Carl of Württemberg, 2006.
Photo (c) Seeger-Presse / Sandra Zellner.

Duchess Sophie and her brother Duke Ferdinand at the wedding of Hereditary Prince Hubertus of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, 2009.
Photo (c) Seeger-Presse / Albert Nieboer.

A favourite amongst her relations, Sophie of Württemberg is often to be seen at royal weddings and funerals. The duchess lives in Paris.

Duchess Sophie in 1997.
Photo (c) Seeger-Presse.

Our best wishes to Duchess Sophie on her birthday!

The 70th Birthday of Prince Carlo Alessandro della Torre e Tasso

Principe Carlo Alessandro della Torre e Tasso.

Today, Prince Carlo Alessandro della Torre e Tasso, Duke of Castel Duino, celebrates his seventieth birthday!

Carlo Alessandro's father Raimundo in the late 1930s.

Princess Eugenie of Greece and Denmark with her husband Prince Raimundo della Torre e Tasso, 1953.
Photo (c) Getty Images.

Born on 10 February 1952 at Neuilly-sur-Seine, Prince Carlo Alessandro della Torre e Tasso was the only child of Prince Raimundo della Torre e Tasso (1907-1986) and Princess Eugenie of Greece and Denmark (1910-1989). Raimundo and Eugenie married in 1949 and divorced in 1965. This was the second marriage for Princess Eugenie, who from 1938 until 1946 was married to Prince Dominic Radziwill. From his mother's first union, Prince Carlo Alessandro had two half-siblings: Princess Tatiana Radziwill (b.1939; married Jean Henri Fruchaud) and Prince Jerzy Radziwill (1942-2001; married Françoise Lageat).

Prince Alexander von Thurn und Taxis.

 

Prince George of Greece and Princess Marie Bonaparte.

The paternal grandparents of Carlo Alessandro are Prince Alexander von Thurn und Taxis and his first wife Princess Marie de Ligne. The maternal grandparents of the prince are Prince George of Greece and Denmark and Princess Marie Bonaparte. Through his mother Eugenie, Prince Carlo Alessandro is a second cousin of the Prince of Wales. 

Carlo Alessandro and Véronique.

On 10 February 1976 at Saint Tropez, Prince Carlo Alessandro della Torre e Tasso married Véronique Lantz (b.1951). Prince Carlo Alessandro and Princess Véronique have three children: Prince Dimitri (b.1977; married Elinor de Pret Roose de Calesberg), Prince Maximilian (b.1979), and Princess Constanza (b.1989). Prince Carlo Alessandro and Princess Véronique live at the family's ancestral home, the Castello di Duino.

Princess Véronique and Prince Carlo Alessandro, 2017.

Our best wishes to the Prince on his birthday!

The Ruby Wedding Anniversary of Archduke Carl Christian and Archduchess Marie Astrid of Austria

The newlyweds.

Today, Archduke Carl Christian and Archduchess Marie Astrid of Austria celebrate forty years of marriage!

Princess Marie-Astrid and Archduke Carl Christian.

The engagement of Archduke Carl Christian of Austria and Princess Marie Astrid of Luxembourg was announced on 9 November 1981 by the Grand Ducal Court. Born on 26 August 1954 at Beloeil, Archduke Carl Christian of Austria was the third child and second son of Archduke Carl Ludwig of Austria (1918-2007) and his wife Archduchess Yolande (b.1923; née Princess de Ligne). The archduke studied political science and worked as a banker in Brussels. Born on 17 February 1954 at Schloß Betzdorf, Princess Marie Astrid of Luxembourg was the first child of Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg (1921-2019) and his wife Grand Duchess Joséphine Charlotte (1927-2005; née Princess of Belgium). The princess had trained as a nurse. Carl Christian and Marie Astrid were second cousins; their shared great-grandparents were Duke Roberto I of Parma and his second wife Infanta Maria Antonia of Portugal.

A view of the wedding in Notre Dame.

Left to right: Princess Margaretha of Luxembourg, Hereditary Grand Duchess Maria Teresa and Hereditary Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg, Queen Fabiola and King Baudouin of Belgium, and Grand Duchess Joséphine Charlotte of Luxembourg.

Grand Duchess Charlotte of Luxembourg, Empress Zita of Austria, and Princess Philippine de Ligne.

Left to right: Prince Guillaume, Prince Jean, Princess Margaretha, Hereditary Grand Duchess Maria Teresa and Hereditary Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg.

Princess Benedikte of Denmark and her husband Fürst Richard zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg.

Infanta Elena of Spain and Prince Andrew of the United Kingdom.

On 6 February 1982, Archduke Carl Christian of Austria and Princess Marie-Astrid of Luxembourg were religiously married at Cathédrale Notre-Dame in Luxembourg City. The couple were joined in holy matrimony by Apostolic Nuncio Eugenio Cardinale, Bishop Jean Hengen of Luxembourg, and Bishop Bruno Wechner of Feldkirch. Among the guests were the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, Prince Andrew of Great Britain, Fürst Franz Joseph and Fürstin Georgina of Liechtenstein, Prince Louis and Princess Alix Napoléon, Queen Beatrix and Prince Claus of the Netherlands, Crown Prince Harald and Crown Princess Sonja of Norway, Queen Sofía of Spain, and Prince Bertil and Princess Lilian of Sweden.

Archduke Carl Christian and Archduchess Marie Astrid with their children, 1998.
Photo (c) Seeger-Presse.

Archduke Carl Christian and Archduchess Marie Astrid have five children: Archduchess Marie Christine (b.1983; married Count Rodolphe de Limburg-Stirum), Archduke Imre (b.1985; married Kathleen Walker), Archduke Christophe (b.1988; married Adelaide Drapé-Frisch), Archduke Alexander (b.1990), and Archduchess Gabriella (b.1994; married Prince Henri of Bourbon-Parma). Carl Christian and Marie Astrid have twelve grandchildren.

The archducal couple at the wedding of their son Christoph in 2012.
Photo (c) Getty Images / AFP.

Our congratulations to Archduke Carl Christian and Archduchess Marie Astrid on their Ruby Anniversary! 

Princess Elisabeth of Bourbon-Two Sicilies (1933-2022)

Princess Elisabeth of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, Duke Carl of Württemberg, and Princess Marie-Thérèse d'Orléans, Duchess of Montpensier in 2000.
Photo (c) Seeger-Press.

According to the Annuario della Nobiltà Italiana, Princess Elisabeth of Bourbon-Two Sicilies died on Saturday, 29 January, at the age of eighty-eight.

The Royal Family of Württemberg gather in 1973 to celebrate the 80th birthday of Duke Philipp.
Photo (c) William Mead Lalor Collection.

The Württemberg siblings in 2006: (left to right) Margravine Helene Pallavicini, Princess Marie Christine of Liechtenstein, Duke Carl of Württemberg, Princess Elisabeth of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, and Duke Ludwig of Württemberg.

Duchess Elisabeth Maria Margarethe Alix Helene Rosa Philippine Christine Josepha Therese vom Kinde Jesu of Württemberg was born at Stuttgart on 2 February 1933 as the second daughter and third child of Duke Philipp of Württemberg (1893-1975) and his second wife Archduchess Rosa of Austria-Tuscany (1906-1983), who wed in 1928. Elisabeth had an older half-sister, Duchess Marie Christine (b.1924; married Prince Georg of Liechtenstein) from her father's first marriage to Archduchess Helena of Austria-Tuscany (1903-1924), the sister of Elisabeth's mother. Elisabeth had five full siblings: Duchess Helene (1929-2021; married Markgraf Federico Pallavicini), Duke Philipp (1930-2019; married twice), Duchess Marie-Thérèse (b.1934; married Prince Henri d'Orléans, Count of Clermont), Duke Carl (b.1936; married Princess Diane d'Orléans), and Duchess Marie Antoinette (1937-2004). 

 

A young Prince Antonio.

The wedding of Prince Antonio of Bourbon-Two Sicilies and Duchess Elisabeth of Württemberg.

Prince Antonio of Bourbon-Two Sicilies and Duchess Elisabeth of Württemberg on the cover of Bunte

Princess Elisabeth and Prince Antonio with their son Prince Francesco, 1960.

In July 1958, Duchess Elisabeth married Prince Antoine (Antonio) of Bourbon-Two Sicilies (1929-2019), the only child of Prince Gabriele of Bourbon-Two Sicilies (1897-1975) and his first wife Princess Malgorzata Czartoryski (1902-1929). Elisabeth and Antonio had four children: Prince Francesco (b.1960; married Countess Alexandra von Schönborn-Wiesentheid), Princess Maria Carolina (b.1962; married Andreas Baumbach), Prince Gennaro (b.1966), and Princess Annunziata (b.1973; married Count Carl Fredrik Creutz).

 

Prince Antonio and Princess Elisabeth at the wedding of their niece Duchess Fleur.
Schloß Altshausen, 2003.

Prince Jean d'Orléans with his aunts Princess Elisabeth and Princess Marie-Christine at the wedding of Duchess Fleur.
Schloß Altshausen, 2003.

Prince Antonio and Princess Elisabeth with Margravine Helene at the wedding of Duchess Fleur.
Schloß Altshausen, 2003.

Princess Elisabeth is survived by her four children and by seven grandchildren.

May the Princess Rest In Peace.

Princess Mafalda of Bulgaria Engaged to Long-Time Boyfriend

Princess Mafalda of Bulgaria attends the Emporio Armani fashion show during the Milan Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2020 on September 19, 2019 in Milan, Italy.
Photo (c) Getty Images / Daniele Venturelli / WireImage.

Yesterday in Hola, it was announced that Princess Mafalda of Bulgaria is engaged to her long-time boyfriend, Marc Camille Abousleiman, a London banker. The couple plan to celebrate their union with a civil marriage in May 2022 in Mallorca.

Born on 27 July 1994 at London, Princess Mafalda-Cecilia of Bulgaria is the eldest child of Prince Kyrill of Bulgaria, Prince of Preslav (b.1964) and his wife Princess Rosario (b.1968; née Nadal y Fuster-Puigdorfila), who married in 1989 and have been separated for many years. The princess has two younger siblings: Princess Olimpia (b.1995) and Prince Tassilo (b.2002). Mafalda is the paternal granddaughter of King Simeon II and Queen Margarita of Bulgaria. 

Born in June 1994, Marc Camille Abousleiman is the younger son of the Camille Abousleiman (b.15 June 1959), an attorney, and Marie-Christine Riachi (b.10 January 1962). Marc's father served as Minister of Labor for Lebanon in 2019, resigned in October 2020, but continued in a caretaker capacity until January 2021. Marc's paternal grandparents are the late Chaker Abousleiman (d.18 October 2000), a politician and attorney, and his wife Leila Gedeon. 

Our congratulations to Mafalda and Marc on their engagement!

Source: https://www.hola.com/actualidad/20220126308841/mafalda-de-bulgaria-anuncia-boda-mayo-mallorca/

Niece of Tongan King Recalls Nightmare of Tsunami Fallout

Maxar closeup satellite imagery shows the ash covered homes and buildings on January 18, 2022, after the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai volcano eruption on January 14th , 2022 in Tongatapu, Tonga.
Photo (c) Maxar via Getty Images.

 

On Thursday, 20 January, the Honourable Frederica Tuita shared a gripping account on her social media of her experience during the 2022 Hunga Tonga eruption and the resulting tsunami. On last Thursday, 14 January 2022, there was a sizeable explosion on Hunga Tonga–Hunga Haʻapai, an uninhabited volcanic island of the Tongan archipelago. Hunga Tonga is forty miles north of Tongatapu, the Tonga's main island. The eruption caused tsunamis in Tonga, Fiji, American Samoa, and Vanuatu. Following is Frederica's recollection of the what it was like on the main island: 

All praise and glory to the highest and most holy; our Heavenly Father for seeing Tonga through the volcanic eruption which not only shook heaven and earth but shook the very core of everyone who was here in the Kingdom that day. 

The volcanic ash has settled into every crevice our lives and we still sleep in fear of another eruption. Yet through the ash, panic and chaos, I saw hope. In the rush to evacuate with my parents to the villa (His Late Majesty King George V's residence located on the highest point nearest town), I was separated from my children. I decided to try and cheer everyone up around me which in turn kept me from worrying about my children (who I later confirmed were safe at home with my eldest sister and her son). The power all over Tonga was out and we were using phones and candles to see. While I was sitting in the villa dining room I looked outside and saw it, through the dark was a stream of vehicles coming up the villa driveway. Their Majesties had kept the gates open for anyone seeking refuge from the tsunami wave and volcanic ash rain. The entire estate had vehicles parked in it from back to front. Families gathered on the porch and we welcomed children and elderly into the dining room; the look of relief as grandmothers closed their eyes sitting on soft seats brought us all comfort. I sat with my phone light on Elizabeth Kite and Melemanu Bloomfield and watched them tearing large black and purple pieces of material left from Baroness Tuputupu and Lord Ma'afu's funerals for everyone coming in; almost all of them didnt have masks and the air was thick with dust and sulfur. As more people came in, I decided to free up my chair for them and found a spot on the floor near my parents and Her Majesty the Queen (HMQ) at the entrance hallway. Even from the hallway I could hear people and children coughing, mothers patting their children's backs and shushing softly to comfort them. 

As we sat there waiting for any news, an army truck turned in with bottled drinking water. Her Majesty excused herself as she saw to the distribution of water, startling those sitting outside who looked up then took a second look to confirm it was HMQ standing before them. Late into the night I could hear a child wake up crying, perhaps surprised to find themselves in a strange place. 

All our senses were on high alert; I didn't want to believe there was a little less sulfur in the air so I asked my mother and HMQ if they thought there was less sulfur in the air, they agreed. The air in the house was still, we opened the door just a little but the air brought with it ash and dust that I could feel hitting my face. We closed the door but not before I whispered to my mother's police security, "if the police drive out and go past my home, please let me know so I can hitch a ride? I need to see my kids". She said yes and I had more reason to stay awake and wait. 

Before leaving their home, my father had grabbed his radio; at the villa he found a wooden chest and sat on it with his radio on his lap. He would turn the radio on from time to time so we could listen for any news of the volcano. We all had a mixture of feelings until mother turned to us and said, "si'i 'aonga pe 'ene langa e?". She was referring to His Late Majesty King George V, not many not even I knew that he had built the villa for reasons such as this. The drive way is long enough for so many vehicles to park along; safe on higher ground. I took another look at the families coming in with all the facilities available to them, turned to my mother and said, "Yes mum, 'aonga lahi 'aupito 'ene maa'imoa kihe kakai".  

Suddenly my cousin Laite walked in and told me the ash rain had eased up and the police van was able take me home. I bid HMQ and my parents goodbye and made my way through the thick layer of ash on the ground to the vehicle. As we drove on the road, no other vehicle was moving, everyone had been told to find shelter, anyone found driving around by police were instructed to park there. Everything was covered in at least 3 inches of ash. The road was dark and the island was completely still with uncertainty lingering in the air. We turned into my home and relief washed over me as I saw candle light shining out from inside. As I walked up I greeted my sister and husband who had sought safety there and walked inside to all 3 of my children running towards me. I knelt down and embraced them all at once, this was all the sustenance I needed. With my daughter and sons safely in my arms, I was ready for the sun to rise and help light the way to the Kingdom's recovery.

The Honourable Frederica Tuita Filipe, 2016.
Photo (c) Getty Images / Amanda Edwards.

The Hon. Frederica Tuita is the third of four daughters of Princess Royal Salote Mafile'o Pilolevu, The Lady Tuita, and her husband Siosaʻia, The 9th Lord Tuita. In 2013, Frederica Tuita married Johnny Filipe; the couple have three children. Frederica's uncle is King Tupou VI of Tonga; her late uncle was King George V of Tonga. 

+++++++

If you would like to donate to help the Tongan people recover, here are a few helpful links:

GoFundMe - Tonga Tsunami relief by Pita Taufatofua
Friends of Tonga - Hunga-Tonga Hunga-Ha'apai Volcanic Eruptions and Tsunami Disaster Relief

The Diamond Wedding Anniversary of King Simeon II and Queen Margarita of Bulgaria

Queen Margarita and King Simeon II on their religious wedding day.

Today, Their Majesties King Simeon II and Queen Margarita of Bulgaria celebrate sixty years of marriage!

Simeon and Margarita discuss their engagement, 1961.

The engagement ring.

The engagement of the couple was announced on 10 August 1961 by the Simeon's mother Giovanna: "Her Majesty the Queen Mother of Bulgaria is pleased to announce the engagement of her son Simeon, King of the Bulgarians, with Señorita Margarita Gómez-Acebo y Cejuela." That day at noon, the King and his fiancée held a press conference at the royal residence on the Avenida del Valle. The couple disclosed that Simeon had met Margarita some years before at a party in Madrid; however, it was about a year and a half before their engagement that their relationship had turned from a friendship into a romance. Margarita was given a ring with a large ruby set by diamonds by her fiancé. Queen Mother Giovanna gave her future daughter-in-law a platinum brooch set with three emeralds surrounded by diamonds. 

Margarita and Simeon after their civil wedding.

On Saturday, 20 January 1962, King Simeon II of Bulgaria and doña Margarita Gómez-Acebo y Cejuela were civilly married at the town hall in Lausanne, Switzerland. Colonel Georges Guentchjeff was the witness for King Simeon; don Jose Luis Gómez-Acebo y Cejuela was the witness for his sister. It was later revealed by the king's sister that the couple had also held an intimate Roman Catholic wedding in Madrid beforehand. King Simeon was naturally of the Bulgarian Orthodox faith; while Queen Margarita was of the Roman Catholic faith, which she retained after their union.

The newly married King and Queen of Bulgaria.
Queen Mother Giovanna and Princess Marie Louise are in the background.

A day later, on Sunday, 21 January, the couple celebrated their religious marriage at the Russian Orthodox Church of Saint Megalomartyr Barbara in Vevey, Switzerland. The ceremony was conducted by Metropolit Andrey of New York, Head of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church in Exile, Bishop Antony, Head of the Orthodox Church in Switzerland, and Father Igor Troyanov of Saint Barbara's Church. The nuptials of the king and queen was attended by 400 guests. Aside from King Simeon and Queen Margarita, the royal attendees present were the following: Queen Mother Giovanna of Bulgaria, Princess Marie Louise of Bulgaria and Prince Karl Vladimir zu Leiningen, Queen Mother Geraldine of Albania, Archduke Andreas Salvator of Austria, Prince Ludwig of Baden, Prince Irakly Bagration-Mukhransky, Prince and Princess Viggo, Count and Countess of Rosenborg, King Farouk of Egypt and his daughter Princess Fawzia, Princess Zahra Khanzadi Sultana of Egypt and her daughter Princess Sabiha Fazila Khanum Sultana, Prince Michael of Greece, Landgrave Philipp of Hesse and his son Hereditary Prince Moritz, Fürst Emich zu Leiningen, Duke Christian Ludwig and Duchess Barbara of Mecklenburg, Princess Marie Clotilde Napoléon, the Duke of Parma, Prince Louis Ferdinand and Princess Kira of Prussia with their son Prince Friedrich Wilhelm, Grand Duke Vladimir Kirillovich of Russia, and Prince Tomislav and Princess Margarita of Yugoslavia. Other noble guests from Spain and Europe included: Prince Dimitri Romanoff, the Marchioness of Winchester, the Duque and Duquesa de Almenara Alta, the Marquesa de Zurgena, Gräfin Viktoria zu Solms-Rödelheim und Assenheim and her son Erbgraf Markwalt zu Solms-Rödelheim und Assenheim, Conte Calvi di Bergolo, the Condesa de Alba de Liste, the Vizconde de Tuy, the Duquesa de Andria, and Conte Carlo Colonna.

Queen Margarita.

In February 1962, Princess Marie Louise of Bulgaria, who was living in Oakville, Canada, with her first husband, granted an interview to Stasia Evasuk of The Ottawa Journal about the royal wedding. The princess shared her recollections: "The wedding went off smoothly. I can't tell you where Simeon and his bride are honeymooning. They'll live in Madrid where my mother has her official residence since the Communists are still in power in Bulgaria. I've known the bride for years. I met her in Spain where I lived for seven years with my brother and mother before my marriage. She has no close relatives. Everyone in her family was killed by anti-Franco forces in the Spanish civil war except her and her brother. They were saved by a nanny. The night before the wedding there was a reception for 400 guests at the Lausanne Palace Hotel. I enjoyed seeing old friends I hadn't seen for a long time. [On the wedding day,] my mother wore a deep purple silk dress with a matching velvet coat and I wore a pink and brocaded gold dress with matching silk coat. The bride wore a long white silk gown embroidered with pearls. She looked simply beautiful." Queen Margarita of Bulgaria wore the Bulgarian Fleur-de-Lis Tiara.

The King and Queen with their children and grandchildren, 2007.
Photo (c) HM King Simeon.

King Simeon and Quen Margarita have five children: Crown Prince Kardam, Prince of Tirnovo (1962-2015; married Miriam Ungria y López); Prince Kyrill, Prince of Preslav (b.1964; married Rosario Nadal y Fuster-Puigdorfila); Prince Kubrat, Prince of Panagjuriste (b.1965; married Carla-Maria Royo-Villanova y Urrestarazu); Prince Konstantin-Assen, Prince of Vidin (b.1967; married Maria Garcia de la Rasilla y Gortazar); and Princess Kalina (b.1972; married Antonio "Kitin" Muñoz Valcárcel). The King and Queen of the Bulgarians have eleven grandchildren. The royal couple live at Vrana Palace.

 

 

Our best wishes to Their Majesties on the occasion of their Diamond Wedding Anniversary!