A Charming Photo of the Aosta Family!

Photo (c) Casa Reale di Savoia.

On the revamped website of the Royal House of Savoy, there is a lovely picture of the royal family. We see Prince Aimone, Duke of Aosta, and Princess Olga, Duchess of Aosta, with their three children: Prince Umberto, Prince Amedeo, and Princess Isabella.

 

Prince Amedeo, Princess Claude, Princess Bianca, Princess Mafalda, and Prince Aimone.

Born on 13 October 1967 at Florence, Prince Aimone Umberto Emanuele Filiberto Luigi Amedeo Elena Maria Fiorenzo of Savoy-Aosta, then Duke of Apulia, was the second child and first son of Prince Amedeo (1943-2021), Duke of Aosta, and Princess Claude d'Orléans (b.1943). Aimone has two sisters: Princess Bianca (b.1966) and Princess Mafalda (b.1969). 

Prince Michael, Princess Marina, Princess Alexandra, and Princess Olga. 

Born on 17 November 1971 at Athens, Princess Olga Isabelle of Greece is the second daughter of author Prince Michael of Greece and Denmark (b.1939) and artist Marina Karella (b.1940). Olga has one sister, Princess Alexandra (b.1968).

Aimone and Olga's engagement, 2005.

The Duke and Duchess of Apulia on the day of their religious wedding, 2008.

Prince Aimone and Princess Olga announced their engagement in 2005. On 16 September 2008, Aimone of Savoy and Olga of Greece were civilly married at the Italian embassy in Moscow, Russia, where the couple live. The pair celebrated their religious wedding on 27 September at the Church of Panagia Diasozousa on the Isle of Patmos in Greece. Their union was attended by their parents and by King Constantine II and Queen Anne-Marie of the Hellenes. 

The Duke and Duchess of Apulia with their first child, Prince Umberto, at his baptism.

The baptism of Prince Amedeo of Savoy.

The baptism of Princess Isabella of Savoy.

The Duke and Duchess of Aosta have three children. Prince Umberto Sathya of Savoy-Aosta, Prince of Piedmont, was born on 7 March 2009 at Paris. Prince Amedeo Michele of Savoy-Aosta, Duke of the Abruzzi, was born on 24 May 2011 at Paris. Princess Isabella Vita Marina of Savoy-Aosta was born on 14 December 2012 at Paris. 

Princess Olga and Prince Aimone arrive at the reception following the wedding of Grand Duke George of Russia in Saint Petersburg, 2021.

The 50th Birthday of Twins Prince Jaime and Princess Margarita of Bourbon-Parma!

Princess Irene with the twins.

Today, Prince Jaime of Bourbon-Parma, Count of Bardi, and Princess Margarita of Bourbon-Parma, Countess of Colorno, celebrate their fiftieth birthdays!

The twins with their older brother Prince Carlos.

On 13 October 1972 at Nimeguen, the twins Prince Jaime Bernardo and Princess Margarita Maria Beatrix of Bourbon-Parma were born as the second and third children of Prince Carlos Hugo, Duke of Parma, and Princess Irene of the Netherlands, who wed in 1964. Jaime and Margarita joined an older brother, Prince Carlos (b.1970; married Annemarie Cecilia Gualthérie van Weezel), and were followed by a younger sister, Princess Maria Carolina (b.1974; married Albert Brenninkmeijer). 

Prince Jaime and Princess Irene.

King Willem Alexander and Queen Máxima with their three daughters.

Princess Viktória and Prince Jaime.

On 5 October 2013 at Apeldoorn, Prince Jaime of Bourbon-Parma married Viktória Cservenyák (b.1982). The couple's wedding was attended by many relatives, including the groom's aunt Princess Beatrix of The Netherlands and his first cousin King Willem Alexander of The Netherlands. Jaime and Viktória have two daughters: Princess Zita Clara (b.2014) and Princess Gloria Irene (b.2016).

On 3 May 2008 at Maarsbergen, Princess Margarita of Bourbon-Parma married Tjalling Siebe ten Cate (b.1975). The princess had previously been married from 2001 until 2006 to Edwin de Roy van Zuydewijn. Margarita and Tjalling have two daughters: Julia (b.2008) and Paola (b.2011).

Wishing Prince Jaime and Princess Margarita a very Happy Birthday!

The Golden Wedding of Infanta Margarita of Spain and Dr. Carlos Zurita!

Today, Infanta Margarita of Spain, Duchess of Soria and Hernani, and Dr. Carlos Zurita y Delgado celebrate their fiftieth wedding anniversary!

Margarita and Carlos.

Born on 6 March 1939 at Rome, Infanta Margarita of Spain was the third child and second daughter of Infante Juan of Spain and Princess María de las Mercedes of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, who wed in 1935. Margarita was baptized in Rome on 11 March 1939; her godparents were her paternal uncle Infante Jaime of Spain, Duke of Segovia, and her maternal aunt, Princess Esperanza of Bourbon-Two Sicilies. Margarita was born with an impediment that severely affected her vision. In her memoirs, Margarita's mother the Countess of Barcelona wrote: "One day when the baby was about two months, her nanny told me: 'I have something to report to you. I am worried for the girl cannot see her hands when she moves them.' I went to her crib and moved my hands in front of her eyes and realized that she did not notice any movement. We had a specialist come and see, but his diagnosis was that nothing could be done. We never gave up and continued bringing Margarita to other specialists. Finally, and when we had settled in Portugal, a leading eye specialist told us that there was nothing that could be done. She can see light and shadows and rarely something more." In the 1940s, the Count and Countess of Barcelona moved to Switzerland, where they resided with Queen Victoria Eugenia in Lausanne. It was there that Infanta Margarita began her education; she attended an institute for the visually impaired. In her memoirs, the Countess of Barcelona recounts that regardless of Margarita's vision problems, that the infanta was raised as if she had no physical impediments. María de las Mercedes noted that her daughter Margarita was unstoppable and daring: "Margarita would follow the children and get into all sorts of trouble. She even once managed to climb on the roof of the Château d'Eu." The Countess of Barcelona noted that Margarita had a deep affection for children. When, in 1954, the infanta was not invited to attend the Agamemnon cruise, Margarita was consoled because her brother Alfonso had not been invited either, due to his young age, and so she was able to spend more time with him. While at school in Lausanne, Margarita memorized the route to her school, so she walked alone as she knew she did not need an attendant. Infanta Margarita possesses an extraordinary memory, which certainly led to her easily becoming a polyglot: she is fluent in Spanish, French, English, Portuguese, Italian, Swedish, Danish, and Norwegian. When Prince Axel and Princess Margaretha of Denmark visited the Barcelona couple at Estorial, Infanta Margarita met the couple at the airport and accompanied them to the Villa Giralda. Margaretha remarked to Margarita's mother: "How can she possibly manage it? She spoke Swedish with me and Danish with Axel. She made no mistakes, and even I make them when speaking Danish." Like her older sister Pilar, Margarita studied nursing. The infanta is a great fan of music, irregardless of the genre!

Born on 9 October 1943 at Málaga, Carlos Zurita y Delgado was the son of Dr. Carlos Zurita González-Vidalte and Carmen Delgado Fernández de Santaella. Carlos studied medicine at the University of Seville. He went on to receive his doctorate from the Spanish College in Bologna, Italy. Carlos Zurita became a specialist in the respiratory and circulatory systems. 

On 12 October 1972 at Estorial, Infanta Margarita of Spain and Dr. Carlos Zurita were married at the Church of Saint Anthony. The Spanish royal family was in full force: the Count and Countess of Barcelona, Prince Juan Carlos and Princess Sofía with three children, as well as Infanta Pilar and her husband Luis Gómez y Acebo. Among the other guests were Infanta Cristina, Countess Marone; Princess Alicia, Duchess of Calabria; Princess Dolores of Bourbon-Two Sicilies; Queen Mother Giovanna of Bulgaria and her brother-in-law King Umberto II of Italy.

The witnesses for the bride were Prince Ataúlfo (who represented his father Infante Alfonso, Duke of Galliera), the Duke of Badajoz, Prince Adan Czarstoryski, and Prince Marino Torlonia. The witnesses for the groom were his father Dr. Carlos Zurita González-Vidalte and his brothers Emilio, Juan Carlos and Javier, as well as his maternal uncle José Juan Delgado Fernández de Santaella.

 Our best wishes to the couple on their anniversary!

The 70th Birthday of Princess Laure Napoléon

Princess Laure with her dog on the shores of Lake Geneva.

 

Louis and Alix with their children (left to right) Catherine, Laure, Jérôme, and Charles.

Today, Princess Laure Napoléon celebrates her seventieth birthday!

The Prince and Princess Napoléon with their four children, 1969.

Born on 8 October 1952 at Paris, Princess Laure Clémentine Geneviève Napoléon was the third child and second daughter of Prince Louis Napoléon (1914-1997), Head of the Imperial House of Bonaparte, and his wife Princess Alix (b.1926; née de Foresta), who wed in 1949. Laure's middle names come from her paternal and maternal grandmothers, Princess Clémentine of Belgium and Geneviève Fredet. Laure joined two older siblings, the twins Prince Charles (b.1950; married 1st Princess Béatrice of Bourbon-Two Sicilies; married 2nd Jeanne Françoise Valliccionni) and Princess Catherine (b.1950; married 1st Nicolò San Martino d'Agliè dei Marchesi di Fontanetto; married 2nd Jean-Claude Dualé), and Laure was followed by a younger brother, Prince Jérôme (b.1957; married Licia Innocenti). The princess was raised at the family home in Prangins, Switzerland. On 23 December 1982 at Grenoble, Princess Laure married Jean-Claude Lecomte (1948-2009). The couple had one son, Clément Louis Lecomte (b.1995). In 2005, the princess attended the funeral of her cousin Grand Duchess Joséphine-Charlotte of Luxembourg along with her brother Prince Jérôme.

Princess Laure at her christening, November 1952.

Our best wishes to the Princess on her birthday!

Portrait of a Marriage: Princess Charlotte of Monaco and Count Pierre de Polignac

Princess Charlotte of Monaco weds Count Pierre de Polignac

On 2 February 1920 in Paris, the engagement was announced between Count Pierre de Polignac and Princess Charlotte of Monaco, Duchess of Valentinois. This union between the French nobleman and the Monegasque royal was destined to secure the future of the Grimaldi dynasty.

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Count Pierre Marie Xavier Raphaël Antoine Melchior de Polignac was born on 24 October 1895 at the Château de Kerscamp. Pierre was the fourth son and seventh child of Count Maxence de Polignac and Suzanne de la Torre y Mier. Pierre served in the French Armed Forces during World War I. He became a friend of Marcel Proust and Jean Cocteau.

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Charlotte Louise Juliette de Monaco was born on 30 September 1898 at Constantine, French Algeria. Charlotte was the only child of Prince Louis of Monaco and Marie Juliette Louvet. In 1919, Prince Louis formally adopted Charlotte in Paris, and she was recognised as his legitimate daughter as a consequence of this adoption. Charlotte was transformed from being simply "Mademoiselle Charlotte Grimaldi de Monaco" into "Her Serene Highness Princess Charlotte of Monaco, Duchess of Valentinois."

The Hereditary Prince Albert and Hereditary Princess Mary of Monaco

Charlotte's father Louis (1870-1949) was the only son of Prince Albert I of Monaco (1848-1922) and Lady Mary Victoria Hamilton (1850-1922), who married in 1869 and whose marriage was annulled in 1880. Prince Albert was the only child of Prince Charles III of Monaco (1818-1889) and Countess Antoinette de Mérode (1828-1864). Lady Mary was the only daughter of William Hamilton (1811-1863), the 11th Duke of Hamilton, and Princess Marie Amelie of Baden (1817-1888).

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On 19 March 1920, Princess Charlotte of Monaco and Count Pierre de Polignac were married in a civil ceremony at Monte Carlo. The couple were joined in matrimony in a Roman Catholic service the following day, 20 March. The day before the civil wedding, on 18 March, Pierre de Polignac took the Grimaldi surname and became a Monegasque citizen. By virtue of marrying Charlotte, Pierre was titled as the Duke of Valentinois. Alas, this alliance between Charlotte and Pierre was not destined to end "happily ever after" for the parties involved. 

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The Duke and Duchess of Valentinois welcomed their first child within nine months of their union. Princess Antoinette Louise Alberte Suzanne of Monaco was born on 28 December 1920 at Paris. Almost three years later, Charlotte and Pierre produced their second child and only son: Prince Rainier Louis Henri Maxence Bertrand of Monaco arrived at the Princely Palace in Monte Carlo on 31 May 1923. After the birth of their second and last child, Pierre and Charlotte's marriage foundered.

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In March 1930, Princess Charlotte and Prince Pierre legally separated after a decade of not-so-wedded bliss. Former French president Raymond Poincaré acted as a mediator for the princely couple. Charlotte left her husband in favour of her lover, the Italian doctor Pietro Dalmazzo. In her case for a separation, Charlotte sought a division of the couple's marital property. In his followup to his wife's lawsuit, Pierre cited Charlotte's lover Dr Dalmazzo as a factor in the breakdown of the marriage. Pierre temporarily placed his children, Antoinette and Rainier, in the custody of Princess Henriette of Belgium, Duchess of Vendome. This infuriated Pierre's father-in-law Prince Louis II. In February 1933, the divorce between Hereditary Princess Charlotte of Monaco and Prince Pierre was officially announced by the princely palace in Monte Carlo. In a letter to her father, the princess wrote: "All I ask is to be permitted to seek a peaceful life for myself. For reasons which have been clear for three years, I ask you to dissolve my marital ties and to grant me an absolute divorce." The dissolution of the couple's marriage "led to unofficial indications of displeasure from the Vatican." As a condition of receiving the divorce, and in a stipulation that was only ratified years later, Charlotte gave up her succession rights so that her son Rainier would be the immediate heir of his grandpa Louis.

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On 9 May 1949, Prince Louis II of Monaco passed away at the age of seventy-eight. He was succeeded by his grandson, who became Prince Rainier III. Both Charlotte and Pierre attended the celebrations that marked their son's succession to the Monegasque throne. By this time, Charlotte had taken up residence at her family's Château de Marchais outside of Paris. Pierre was also a resident of his country of birth. 

Prince Rainier, Princess Charlotte, Prince Pierre, and Princess Antoinette of Monaco in 1956.

The wedding of Prince Rainier was the last public occasion to reunite his parents. Charlotte and Pierre both attended the union of their son to the American actress Grace Patricia Kelly in April 1956. Rainier's nephew Baron Christian de Massy, the only son of Princess Antoinette, recounted the acrimonious goings-on between his grandparents during this family event in his memoirs:

Some time after, when I was older, Aunt Grace told me that the royal wedding day and the whole period that preceded it were among the worst ordeals she had ever known. At the various official and unofficial occasions, the lunches, the dinners, and the other family gatherings, she was miserably aware of the tension that existed in most of the family, and especially between Charlotte and Polignac, who even carried on vicious arguments right in front of her and Uncle Rainier. At one point she heard Polignac say, in a deliberate slight to Charlotte, and referring to her illegitimate birth, "At least my son married a real princess!" Grace had naturally dreamed that her new parents-in-law would be pleasant and compatible; the fact that her mother-in-law was less than welcoming to her and that Mamou despised her own [ex-]husband was very painful to Grace, for whom family links were of primary importance. One of her first wishes was to make the difficult, quarrelling Grimaldis a family as united as hers. She now understood that this was impossible.

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Several months after Rainier's wedding, in July 1956, Pierre underwent a 2 1/2 hour operation for a stomach ulcer in Charlottesville, Virginia. On 10 November 1964, Prince Pierre of Monaco died of cancer at the American Hospital in Neuilly-sur-Seine. The prince had been an active patron of the arts. He was sixty-nine years-old. Rainier and Antoinette were at their father's bedside when he passed away. Pierre's former wife survived him by over a decade. Princess Charlotte of Monaco died on 15 November 1977 at the Château de Marchais. The princess had taken to rehabilitating ex-convicts on her estate. She was seventy-nine years-old. Both Charlotte and Pierre are buried at the Chapelle de la Paix in Monte Carlo. 

Charlotte and Pierre.

Portrait of a Marriage: Princess Charlotte of Monaco and Count Pierre de Polignac

Princess Charlotte of Monaco weds Count Pierre de Polignac

On 2 February 1920 in Paris, the engagement was announced between Count Pierre de Polignac and Princess Charlotte of Monaco, Duchess ofValentinois. This union between the French nobleman and the Monegasque royal was destined to secure the future of the Grimaldi dynasty.

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Count Pierre Marie Xavier Raphaël Antoine Melchior de Polignac was born on 24 October 1895 at the Château de Kerscamp. Pierre was the fourth son and seventh child of Count Maxence de Polignac and Suzanne de la Torre y Mier. Pierre served in the French Armed Forces during World War I. He became a friend of Marcel Proust and Jean Cocteau.

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Charlotte Louise Juliette de Monaco was born on 30 September 1898 at Constantine, French Algeria. Charlotte was the only child of Prince Louis of Monaco and Marie Juliette Louvet. In 1919, Prince Louis formally adopted Charlotte in Paris, and she was recognised as his legitimate daughter as a consequence of this adoption. Charlotte was transformed from being simply "Mademoiselle Charlotte Grimaldi de Monaco" into "Her Serene Highness Princess Charlotte of Monaco, Duchess ofValentinois."

The Hereditary Prince Albert and Hereditary Princess Mary of Monaco

Charlotte's father Louis (1870-1949) was the only son of Prince Albert I of Monaco (1848-1922) and Lady Mary Victoria Hamilton (1850-1922), who married in 1869 and whose marriage was annulled in 1880. Prince Albert was the only child of Prince Charles III of Monaco (1818-1889) and Countess Antoinette de Mérode (1828-1864). Lady Mary was the only daughter of William Hamilton (1811-1863), the 11th Duke of Hamilton, and Princess Marie Amelie of Baden (1817-1888).

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On 19 March 1920, Princess Charlotte of Monaco and Count Pierre de Polignac were married in a civil ceremony at Monte Carlo. The couple were joined in matrimony in a Roman Catholic service the following day, 20 March. The day before the civil wedding, on 18 March, Pierre de Polignac took the Grimaldi surname and became a Monegasque citizen. By virtue of marrying Charlotte, Pierre was titled as the Duke of Valentinois. Alas, this alliance between Charlotte and Pierre was not destined to end "happily ever after" for the parties involved. 

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The Duke and Duchess of Valentinois welcomed their first child within nine months of their union. Princess Antoinette Louise Alberte Suzanne of Monaco was born on 28 December 1920 at Paris. Almost three years later, Charlotte and Pierre produced their second child and only son: Prince Rainier Louis Henri Maxence Bertrand of Monaco arrived at the Princely Palace in Monte Carlo on 31 May 1923. After the birth of their second and last child, Pierre and Charlotte's marriage foundered.

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In March 1930, Princess Charlotte and Prince Pierre legally separated after a decade of not-so-wedded bliss. Former French president Raymond Poincaré acted as a mediator for the princely couple. Charlotte left her husband in favour of her lover, the Italian doctor Pietro Dalmazzo. In her case for a separation, Charlotte sought a division of the couple's marital property. In his followup to his wife's lawsuit, Pierre cited Charlotte's lover Dr Dalmazzo as a factor in the breakdown of the marriage. Pierre temporarily placed his children, Antoinette and Rainier, in the custody of Princess Henriette of Belgium, Duchess of Vendome. This infuriated Pierre's father-in-law Prince Louis II. In February 1933, the divorce between Hereditary Princess Charlotte of Monaco and Prince Pierre was officially announced by the princely palace in Monte Carlo. In a letter to her father, the princess wrote: "All I ask is to be permitted to seek a peaceful life for myself. For reasons which have been clear for three years, I ask you to dissolve my marital ties and to grant me an absolute divorce." The dissolution of the couple's marriage "led to unofficial indications of displeasure from the Vatican." As a condition of receiving the divorce, and in a stipulation that was only ratified years later, Charlotte gave up her succession rights so that her son Rainier would be the immediate heir of his grandpa Louis.

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On 9 May 1949, Prince Louis II of Monaco passed away at the age of seventy-eight. He was succeeded by his grandson, who became Prince Rainier III. Both Charlotte and Pierre attended the celebrations that marked their son's succession to the Monegasque throne. By this time, Charlotte had taken up residence at her family's Château de Marchais outside of Paris. Pierre was also a resident of his country of birth. 

Prince Rainier, Princess Charlotte, Prince Pierre, and Princess Antoinette of Monaco in 1956.

The wedding of Prince Rainier was the last public occasion to reunite his parents. Charlotte and Pierre both attended the union of their son to the American actress Grace Patricia Kelly in April 1956. Rainier's nephew Baron Christian de Massy, the only son of Princess Antoinette, recounted the acrimonious goings-on between his grandparents during this family event in his memoirs:

Some time after, when I was older, Aunt Grace told me that the royal wedding day and the whole period that preceded it were among the worst ordeals she had ever known. At the various official and unofficial occasions, the lunches, the dinners, and the other family gatherings, she was miserably aware of the tension that existed in most of the family, and especially between Charlotte and Polignac, who even carried on vicious arguments right in front of her and Uncle Rainier. At one point she heard Polignac say, in a deliberate slight to Charlotte, and referring to her illegitimate birth, "At least my son married a real princess!" Grace had naturally dreamed that her new parents-in-law would be pleasant and compatible; the fact that her mother-in-law was less than welcoming to her and that Mamou despised her own [ex-]husband was very painful to Grace, for whom family links were of primary importance. One of her first wishes was to make the difficult, quarrelling Grimaldis a family as united as hers. She now understood that this was impossible.

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Several months after Rainier's wedding, in July 1956, Pierre underwent a 2 1/2 hour operation for a stomach ulcer in Charlottesville, Virginia.

On 10 November 1964, Prince Pierre of Monaco died of cancer at the American Hospital in Neuilly-sur-Seine. The prince had been an active patron of the arts. He was sixty-nine years-old. Rainier and Antoinette were at their father's bedside when he passed away. Pierre's former wife survived him by over a decade. Princess Charlotte of Monaco died on 15 November 1977 at the Château de Marchais. The princess had taken to rehabilitating ex-convicts on her estate. She was seventy-nine years-old. Both Charlotte and Pierre are buried at the Chapelle de la Paix in Monte Carlo. 

Charlotte and Pierre.

Luxembourg Hereditary Grand Ducal Pair Expecting Second Child!

Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume and Hereditary Grand Duchess Stéphanie. Photo (c) Maison Grand Ducal / Sophie Margue.

This morning the Grand Ducal Court is pleased to announce that Hereditary Grand Duchess Stéphanie of Luxembourg is expecting her second child. She and Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume, who wed in 2012, welcomed their first child and son, Prince Charles, in 2020. The hereditary grand ducal couple anticipate their new arrival to be born in April 2023. 

Our congratulations to the Grand Ducal House on this happy news!