The Passing of Princess Sixtina of Waldeck-Pyrmont (1933-2022)

 

The obituary of the princess.

Princess Sixtina of Waldeck-Pyrmont died on 18 May 2022. She was eighty-eight years-old.

Sixtina's parents: Fürst Wolff-Heinrich and Fürstin Irma zu Stolberg.

The commemorative coin celebrating the marriage of Fürst Wolff Heinrich and Fürstin Irma zu Stolberg.

Princess Irma with her two eldest children: Princess Sixtina and Prince Johann.

Born at Stolberg on 4 November 1933, Princess Irmgard Sixtina Juliana zu Stolberg was the first child of Fürst Wolff-Heinrich zu Stolberg (1903-1972) and his wife Fürstin Irma (1910-1994; née Erfert), who wed in 1932. Sixtina was joined by three younger siblings: Prince Johann (1935-1964), Fürst Jost-Christian (b.1940; married Sylvianne Janssens van der Maelen), and Princess Sophie Charlotte (b.1943; married Fürst Friedrich Wilhelm zu Wied). 

Fürst Georg II zu Waldeck und Pyrmont (1789-1845)

Fürstin Emma zu Waldeck und Pyrmont (1802-1858; née Princess of Anhalt-Bernburg-Schaumburg-Hoym)

On August 1961, Princess Sixtina married Prince Georg-Friedrich of Waldeck-Pyrmont (1936-2020), the second child of Prince Georg zu Waldeck und Pyrmont (1902-1971) and Countess Ingeborg von Platen Hallermund (1902-1991). Georg-Friedrich and Sixtina were third cousins; they both were great-great-grandchildren of Fürst Georg II zu Waldeck und Pyrmont (1789-1845) and Princess Emma of Anhalt-Bernburg-Schaumburg-Hoym (1802-1858). Georg-Friedrich and Sixtina had three children: Princess Henriette (b.1963), Princess Isabelle (b.1965), and Prince Philipp (b.1967).

Princess Henriette zu Waldeck und Pyrmont with her husband Count Hermann zu Castell-Rüdenhausen as well as Princess Elisabeth von Thurn und Taxis.
Photograph (c) Presse-Foto-Seeger.

In August 1989, Princess Christine Henriette Bathildis zu Waldeck und Pyrmont married Count Hermann zu Castell-Rüdenhausen (b.1963). The couple have three children: Countess Annabell (b.1991), Countess Cecily (b.1992), and Count Casimir (b.1994). Hermann is a younger brother of the late Countess Donata zu Castell-Rüdenhausen (1950-2015), wife of Prince Louis Ferdinand of Prussia (1944-1977) and Duke Friedrich August of Oldenburg (1936-2017). Henriette, who studied geography at university, is thus an aunt-by-marriage of Prince Georg Friedrich of Prussia, the Head of House Prussia.

Georg-Friedrich and Sixtina's second daughter Princess Marie Isabelle zu Waldeck und Pyrmont has made her career as an employment and occupational therapist. In December 1989, Isabelle changed her surname to be simply "Waldeck." She has one son, Constantin.

Philipp-Heinrich, the only son of Georg-Friedrich and Sixtina, has never married and has no children. He is currently fourteenth in the line of succession to the Head of the Princely House of Waldeck and Pyrmont.

 

May the Princess Rest in Peace.

Russian Imperial Couple Expect First Child in the Fall!

Grand Duke George and Princess Victoria.
Photo (c) Russian Imperial Chancellery.

The Imperial House of Russia has announced that Grand Duke George Mikhailovich and Princess Victoria Romanovna Romanoff are expecting their first child in the fall of this year. The princess is in excellent health and will be continuing her charitable activities full-time. Grand Duke George and Princess Victoria married last year in Saint Petersburg; the couple lives in Moscow. Their baby will be the first grandchild for Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna of Russia, Head of the Imperial House, and Prince Franz-Wilhelm of Prussia, the parents of Grand Duke George, as well as for Ambassador Roberto Bettarini and Carla Virginia Cacciatore, the parents of Princess Victoria.

 

 

 

 

Our congratulations to Grand Duke George and Princess Victoria on this most joyous news! May God grant the Princess a safe pregnancy!

Archduchess Helen of Austria Turns 85!

Archduchess Helen of Austria.

Today Archduchess Helen of Austria (née Toerring-Jettenbach) celebrates her eighty-fifth birthday!

 

The christening of Archduchess Helen in 1937. Holding her is her grandmother and namesake, Grand Duchess Helen Vladimirovna of Russia.

Countess Helen zu Toerring-Jettenbach was born at Schloß Winhöring on 20 May 1937. She was the second child of Count Carl Theodor zu Toerring-Jettenbach and of his wife, Princess Elisabeth of Greece, herself the middle daughter of Prince Nicholas of Greece (1872-1938) and Grand Duchess Helen Vladimirovna of Russia (1882-1957). Count Carl Theodor Toerring-Jettenbach's parents were Count Hans Veit zu Toerring-Jettenbach (1862-1929) and his wife Duchess Sophie in Bavaria (1875-1957), herself the daughter of Karl Theodor, Duke in Bavaria (a brother of Empress Elisabeth of Austria) and of his second wife Infanta Maria José of Portugal, a daughter of King Miguel I of Portugal.

Interestingly, this Portuguese ancestry connects Helen to a plethora of royal personages. Maria José's siblings included: The Duke of Braganza (whose descendants include the present holder of the title, Dom Duarte, as well as descendants in the houses of Liechtenstein and Thurn und Taxis); Archduchess Maria Teresa of Austria (last wife of Archduke Karl Ludwig [1833-1896], a brother of Emperor Franz Joseph as well as the great-grandfather of Archduke Ferdinand, Helen's late husband); Grand Duchess Maria Anna of Luxembourg (who married Grand Duke Guillaume IV and who was the mother of six daughters, among them Grand Duchesses Marie Adelaide and Charlotte, as well as Crown Princess Antonia of Bavaria); and Duchess Maria Antonia of Parma (who was the second wife of Duke Robert, by whom she had twelve children, among them: Prince Felix of Luxembourg, Empress Zita of Austria and Duke Francesco Xaverio of Parma, to name a few).

Helen passed the war years in Bavaria, where her family felt protected from the atrocities consuming Europe. Her father's opposition to the National Socialists and her mother's outright and intense dislike for Hitler and his cronies made it imperative that then family remain in semi-isolation, while living quietly. The fact that Princess Elisabeth's sisters (Olga of Yugoslavia and Marina of Kent) were married into families that opposed Nazi Germany during the war only made life more fragile for the Toerring-Jettenbachs.

With peace in 1945 also came an opportunity for the family of Countess Helen to renew long-lost connections to their royal relations outside Germany. Visits to Athens to see Grand Duchess Helen and other members of the Greek royal family were soon arranged, while others traveled to Bavaria to reconnect with the Toerring-Jettenbachs. Luckily, Schloß Winhöring was unscathed by the ravages of war and the bombings that Munich underwent.

 

Princess Elisabeth of Greece (Countess zu Toerring-Jettenbach) with her children Hereditary Count Hans Veit and Countess Helen – Schloß Winhöring, c. 1944.

Tragedy, however was also around the corner. In 1955 Princess Elisabeth succumbed, quite rapidly, to a malady that she had been fighting against. The previous year the family of Grand Duchess Helen, a widow since 1938, suffered a sad blow when Prince Nicholas of Yugoslavia, second son of Princess Olga and Prince Regent Paul, died in a car crash in England.

 

Princess Olga of Yugoslavia, Archduke Ferdinand of Austria, Countess Helen zu Toerring-Jettenbach and Princess Marina, The Duchess of Kent.

 

Archduchess Helen on her wedding day.

However, as life always does, great loss is oftentimes replaced by deep happiness. Such was the case in 1956 when Countess Helen married a longtime family friend, Archduke Ferdinand of Austria (1918-2004), eldest son of Archduke Maximilian (1895-1952) and of his wife Princess Franziska zu Hohelonhe-Schillingsfürst (1897-1989). Ferdinand and Helen were to be married for nearly five decades.

The couple were blessed with three very attractive and delightful children: Elisabeth (1957-1983), Sophie (b. 1959) and Maximilian (b. 1961). They were raised in various European countries as Archduke Ferdinand's business obligations demanded relocation every so often. However, throughout the family remained much attached to London, Munich and Salzburg, where Ferdinand's mother lived. They also retained countless links to most of their royal relations across the continent, particularly with King Constantine II of the Hellenes and Queen Sophie of Spain, as well as with Helen's first cousins of Yugoslavia and Kent.

 

Archduchess Helen with her eldest daughter, the late Archduchess Elisabeth.

In October 1982, Helen's eldest daughter, Elisabeth, married an Australian gentleman by the name of James Litchfield. The couple settled in faraway Australia and hoped for a long life together. Sadly, it was not to be as Archduchess Elisabeth passed away quite suddenly at Myalla, Cooma, Australia, on 18 May 1983.

In the meantime, Archduchess Sophie, who can easily be argued is one of the most strikingly beautiful royals, was making a name for herself as both a top model and an humanitarian devoted to orphaned children. After several attempts at finding a soul mate, Sophie married Fürst Hugo zu Windish-Grätz in 1990. The couple settled in Italy, where Furst Hugo has vast interests as well as playing an important role within the Vatican's administrative structure. Hugo has also served as Ambassador of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta.

 

The baptism of Archduke Nikolaus: Prince Alexis, Princess Larissa, Archduchess Helen with baby Nikolaus and Hereditary Prince Maximilian.

Hugo and Sophie had three children: Hereditary Prince Maximilian (b. 1990), Prince Alexis (1991-2010) and Princess Larissa (b. 1996). The death of their son Alexis was a deeply sad tragedy for the boy's parents and his grandmother Helen. Christian fortitude and a deep belief in Catholic principles allowed the family to find the strength to overcome this immensely challenging loss.

The family's benjamin, Archduke Maximilian settled in Madrid, where he works in the medical device field. Maximilian Heinrich Ferdinand of Austria was born in Boulogne-sur-Seine in 1961. In 2005 he married Maya Al-Askari, a lovely lady whose family proudly claims descent from the Prophet Mohammed. Max and Maya have been blessed with three children: Archduke Nikolaus (b. 2005), Archduke Constantin (b. 2007) and Archduchess Katharina (b. 2010). All children were born in Madrid, where Max has lived for the better part of the last quarter century.

 

Archduke Ferdinand and Archduchess Helen of Austria.

In 2004, Archduchess Helen lost her husband, who succumbed to a long malady. 

Today, on Archduchess Helen's 85th birthday, we at Eurohistory, wish her the very best and may God continue keeping a watchful eye over the life of a truly lovely lady...

The Birthday of Princess Victoria Romanovna Romanoff!

Princess Victoria Romanova.
Photograph courtesy of the Russian Imperial Chancellery.

Today, Her Serene Highness Princess Victoria Romanova Romanoff celebrates her birthday!

Grand Duke George Mikhailovich and Princess Victoria Romanovna.
Photograph (c) Russian Imperial Chancellery.

Born in Rome on 18 May 1982, Rebecca Virginia Bettarini was the first daughter and only child of His Excellency Ambassador Roberto Bettarini and his wife Carla Virginia Cacciatore. Due to her father's many diplomatic postings, she grew up in Europe, the Middle East, and South America. She studied political science, with an emphasis on international and European studies, at Luiss Guido Carli University; the princess went on to obtain a master's degree. She also worked as a volunteer for the Sovereign Military Order of Malta. In 2017, Rebecca Bettarini became the Director of the Russian Imperial Foundation. In 2020, Rebecca was received into the Russian Orthodox Church with the name Victoria Romanovna, in honour of the Holy Martyr Victoria of Rome, and in memory of Grand Duchess Victoria Feodorovna. Victoria's engagement to Grand Duke George Mikhailovich of Russia was announced in January 2021. Her mother-in-law, Grand Duchess Maria, decreed that Victoria would be styled and titled HSH Princess Victoria Romanova Romanoff after her marriage. Grand Duke George and Princess Victoria were religiously wed in October 2021 at Saint Petersburg. The couple live in Moscow, where they are engaged in charitable works and philanthropic endeavours.

Photo (c) Getty Images / Olga Maltseva.

Our best wishes the Princess on her birthday!

To learn more about Princess Victoria, you may read these articles:

July 2020: A Russian Imperial Marriage On The Horizon: Rebecca Bettarini Converts to Russian Orthodoxy
January 2021: An Imperial Engagement: HIH Grand Duke George of Russia and Nob. Rebecca Virginia Bettarini
January 2021: The Betrothal Ceremony of Grand Duke George Mikhailovich of Russia and Victoria Romanovna Bettarini
March 2021: Russian Imperial Wedding in October 2021 at St Petersburg
March 2021: The Chaumet Lacis Tiara for the Russian Imperial Wedding in October!
March 2021: Russian Imperial Wedding: Victoria Romanovna On Choosing Her Wedding Tiara!
May 2021: Fabergé Wedding Rings for the Russian Imperial Marriage in October!

September 2021: Special Details on the Civil Marriage of Grand Duke George of Russia and Princess Victoria!

October 2021: The Imperial Wedding in Saint Petersburg

The Birth of Princess Isidora of Serbia

 

Princess Ljubica and Prince Michael of Serbia with their daughter Princess Natalija.

Prince Mihailo and Princess Ljubica of Serbia today welcomed the birth of their second child, Princess Isidora. Princess Isidora joins older sister Princess Natalija, who was born in 2018. The newest Karađorđević is a great-grandchild of King Alexander I of Yugoslavia and Queen Marie (née Romania); Prince Mihailo, the father of Princesses Natalija and Isidora, is the youngest child of the king and queen's second son, Prince Tomislav. 

The Diamond Wedding Anniversary of King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofía of Spain

Juan Carlos and Sofía.

Today marks sixty years since the marriage of Prince Juan Carlos of Spain and Princess Sophia of Greece and Denmark. The couple were twice on 14 May 1962: firstly in a Roman Catholic ceremony held at 10am in the Cathedral Basilica of St. Dionysius the Areopagite, and secondly in a Greek Orthodox ceremony held at noon in the Metropolitan Cathedral of Athens. The Gotha turned out in full force with the Greek and Spanish royal families to witness the union of the man and woman who would in 1975 become the King and Queen of Spain.

Princess Sophia arrives in the Cathedral Basilica of St. Dionysius on the arm of her father, King Pavlos of Greece, and followed by her eight bridesmaids.

The Count and Countess of Barcelona witness the marriage of their son and daughter-in-law.

The couple at the altar.

Sophia puts the wedding band on Juan Carlos's hand.

Juan Carlos places the wedding ring on Sophia's hand.

The Prince and Princess depart the Cathedral Basilica of St. Dionysius.

The Prince and Princess greet the crowds lining the streets of Athens on their way to the Metropolitan Cathedral.

Prince Juan Carlos and Princess Sophia in the Metropolitan Cathedral. Behind them are Princess Anne-Marie of Denmark and Crown Prince Constantine of Greece, who married in Athens two years later.

The couple during the crowning ceremony. Behind them one sees the Duke of Calabria, King Paul of Greece, and Prince Christian of Hannover.

Juan Carlos and Sophia depart the Metropolitan Cathedral.

Queen Juliana of the Netherlands (obscured), Queen Frederica of Greece on the arm of the Count of Barcelona, behind them is Queen Mother Helen of Romania, Queen Victoria Eugenia of Spain, Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands, Queen Ingrid of Denmark (obscured), and King Olav of Norway.

A Century Since the Birth of Prince Dedo of Saxony

Today marks one hundred years since the birth of Prince Dedo of Saxony.

Prince Dedo in the arms of his mother Princess Sophie with his father Prince Ernst Heinrich behind them. Also pictured are Dowager Grand Duchess Maria Anna of Luxembourg, Grand Duchess Charlotte of Luxembourg with Prince Jean, Princess Elisabeth of Luxembourg, Princess Hilda of Luxembourg, and Crown Princess Antonia of Bavaria, 1922.

Born on 9 May 1922 at Munich, Prince Albrecht Friedrich August Johannes Gregor Dedo of Saxony was the first child and eldest son of Prince Ernst Heinrich of Saxony and Princess Sophie of Luxembourg. 

Princess Sophie of Luxembourg and Prince Ernst Heinrich of Saxony on their wedding day, 1921.

Prince Ernst Heinrich, the third son of King Friedrich August III of Saxony and Archduchess Luisa of Austria-Tuscany, and Princess Sophie, the sixth and youngest daughter of Grand Duke Guillaume IV of Luxembourg and Infanta Maria Anna of Portugal, had married on 12 April 1921 at Schloß Hohenburg.

Princess Sophie with her three sons, 1932.

Prince Dedo of Saxony was joined by two younger brothers: Prince Timo (1923-1982) and Prince Gero (1925-2003). The three brothers lost their mother in 1941, when Princess Sophie died at the age of thirty-nine. Once the Nazis took power in Germany, the Saxon royal family was put under house arrest. With the advance of the Soviet Army on Berlin in early 1945, Ernst Heinrich and his sons came up with a plan to hide some of the royal family's treasures, so that these would not be pilfered by the Soviets. Prince Dedo and his youngest brother Gero spent five nights digging two pits in a forest near Moritzburg Castle; the princes then hid forty crates of the family treasure in these pits. In 1999, Prince Gero recalled the harrowing situation: "After the crates had been unloaded from the vehicle, Dedo had to return to the castle. I dragged the crates to the trench and realised that we had made it too small, which is why I had to put one of the crates upside down. I didn't like doing this but had no other choice due to shortage of time. After I'd carefully covered the trench with earth and trodden it down with my rubber boots, I then raked over the area and covered it with pine needles and leaves." Aside from the Saxon princes, only the forester who worked at Moritzburg Castle was aware of the location of the buried treasure. The Soviets arrived and forced the man to reveal the main hiding pit - a massive amount of the patrimony of the Royal Family of Saxony was taken to Russia. However, in 1996, a couple with a metal detector came across the pit with the remaining crates. The Saxon government negotiated with Prince Dedo and Prince Gero and eventually agreed to return the objets d'art to the princes. "It can only be described as divine providence that this family treasure has returned to our family after so many years," the brothers said in a statement. 

For many decades, Prince Dedo lived in Canada, as did his younger brother Prince Gero, who passed away in Ontario in 2003. Their other brother, Prince Timo, had died in 1982. Prince Dedo died on 6 December 2006 at Radebeul, Germany. He was eighty-seven years-old. Dedo outlived both of his younger brothers. Prince Dedo of Saxony was buried at Sigmaringen, where his father Ernst Heinrich and his brother Gero were also buried.