Baron Georg Heinrich "Heini" Thyssen-Bornemisza (1950-2022)

The baron's death notice in the Neue Zürcher Zeitung of 15 October 2022.

Georg Heinrich and his father Hans Heinrich in St. Moritz. 

Photo (c) Mike Forster/ANL/Shutterstock.

Georg Heinrich "Heini" Thyssen-Bornemisza passed away recently. The Swiss-born German aristocrat and businessman was seventy-two years-old.

Baron Hans Heinrich Bornemisza de Kászon and Princess Teresa zur Lippe-Weißenfeld. Photo (c) Getty Images.

Born on 19 March 1950 at Lugano, Switzerland, Baron Georg Heinrich Alfred Gábor Thyssen-Bornemisza de Kászon was the first and only child of Baron Hans Heinrich Bornemisza de Kászon (1921-2002) and Princess Teresa zur Lippe-Weissenfeld (1925-2008), who married in 1946 and divorced in 1954. Georg Heinrich's paternal grandparents were Baron Heinrich Thyssen-Bornemisza de Kászon (né Thyssen; 1875-1947) and Countess Margit Bornemisza de Kászon (1887-1971). His maternal grandparents were Prince Alfred zur Lippe-Weissenfeld (1896-1970) and Countess Franziska von Schönborn-Buchheim (1902-1987).

The Thyssen dynasty.

Hans Heinrich with his three sons (left to right) Alexander, Lorne, and Georg Heinrich, ca. 1986.

Photo (c) Wolfgang Kühn / United Archives GmbH / Alamy Stock Photo.

From his father's subsequent marriages to Fiona Campbell-Walter and Denise Shorto, Georg Heinrich had three younger half-siblings: Baroness Francesca (b.1958; married and divorced Archduke Karl of Austria), Baron Lorne (b.1963), and Baron Alexander (b.1974). From his mother's subsequent marriage to Prince Maximilian zu Fürstenberg, Georg Heinrich had three younger half-siblings: Princess Teresa (b.1960), Prince Maximilian (b.1962), and Princess Katarina (1966-1992). Baron Georg Heinrich was the godfather of Count Friedrich von Schönburg-Glauchau (b.1985), the son of Count Rudolph von Schönburg-Glauchau and Princess Marie-Luise of Prussia. 

Prince Eduard of Anhalt, Princess Teresa, Princess Corinne of Anhalt, and Baron Hans Heinrich Thyssen-Bornemisza, ca. 1987.

Photo (c) Wolfgang Kuhn/United Archives via Getty Images.

According to the website of the NOMIS Foundation, Georg Heinrich Thyssen studied mathematics at the University of Munich; and he went on to receive a law degree from the University of Zurich. For thirty-five years, he held a series of executive positions within the Thyssen-Bornemisza Group (TBG). Georg Heinrich Thyssen chaired TBG AG and oversaw several major acquisitions.

https://nomisfoundation.ch/2022/10/15/nomis-foundation-grieves-loss-of-chairman-georg-heinrich-heini-thyssen-bornemisza/

May Georg Heinrich Rest in Peace.

60 Years Since the Passing of Fürstin Margarete of Hohenzollern, Daughter of the Last Saxon King

Fürstin Margarete with her dogs, ~1955.

Sixty years ago, on 16 October 1962, Fürstin Margarete of Hohenzollern died at Freiburg im Breisgau. She was sixty-two years-old.

Margarete of Saxony.

Born on 24 January 1900 at Dresden, Princess Margarete Karola Wilhelmine Viktoria Adelheid Albertine Petrusa Bertram Paula of Saxony was the fifth child and second surviving daughter of eventual King Friedrich August III of Saxony and Archduchess Luisa of Austria-Tuscany. Margarete had six siblings: Crown Prince Georg "Jury" (1893-1943), Prince Friedrich Christian "Tia" (1893-1968; married Princess Elisabeth Helene of Thurn and Taxis), Prince Ernst Heinrich "Erni" (1896-1971; married 1st Princess Sophie of Luxembourg; married 2nd Virginia Dulon), Princess Maria (1898-1898), Princess Maria Alix "Lalli" (1901-1990; married Prince Franz Joseph of Hohenzollern-Emden), and Princess Anna Monica "Anni" (1903-1976; married 1st Archduke Joseph Franz of Austria; married 2nd Reginald Kazanjian).

Friedel and Margarete.

On 2 June 1920 at Sibyllenort, Princess Margarete of Saxony married Prince Friedrich "Friedel" of Hohenzollern (1891-1965; eventual Fürst of Hohenzollern), the son of Fürst Wilhelm of Hohenzollern and his first wife Princess Maria Teresa of Bourbon-Two Sicilies. Margarete's sister Lalli went on to marry Margarete's brother-in-law Joschi in 1921.

Left to right: Princess Margarete holding Prince Franz Joseph, Princess Maria Adelgunde, King Friedrich August with Princess Maria Theresia in front of him, Princess Maria Antonia, and Prince Friedrich with Prince Friedrich Wilhelm, ~1927.

Fürstin Margarete and her eldest son Prince Friedrich Wilhelm, 1928.

Fürstin Margarete and her son Prince Johann Georg, 1934.

Fürstin Margarete on the ski slopes with her daughters Princess Maria Antonia and Princess Maria Adelgunde, 1935.

Fürstin Margarete and her youngest child Prince Ferfried, 1943.

Margarete and Friedrich had seven children: Princess Maria Antonia "Mimi" (1921-2011; married Count Heinrich von Waldburg zu Wolfegg und Waldsee), Princess Maria Adelgunde "Mädi" (1921-2006; married 1st Prince Konstantin of Bavaria; married 2nd Werner Hess; married 3rd Hans Huber), Princess Maria Theresia "Hesi" (1922-2004), Fürst Friedrich Wilhelm "Fritz" (1924-2010; married Princess Margarita zu Leiningen), Prince Franz Josef "Frale" (1926-1996; married 1st Princess Maria Fernanda of Thurn and Taxis; married 2nd Princess Diane of Bourbon-Parma), Prince Johann Georg "Hansi" (1932-2016; married Princess Birgitta of Sweden), and Prince Ferfried (1943-2022; married 1st Angela von Morgen; married 2nd Eliane Etter; married 3rd Maja Meinert). 

Left to right: Princess Maria Alix of Hohenzollern, Queen Marie of Romania, Prince Franz Joseph of Hohenzollern-Emden, King Ferdinand of Romania, Fürst Wilhelm of Hohenzollern, Fürstin Adelgunde of Hohenzollern, Princess Margarete of Hohenzollern, and Prince Friedrich of Hohenzollern, ~1927 at Schloß Sigmaringen. 

A happy couple on holiday: Margarete and Friedel whilst on a cruise on the Nile River, 1960.

Romanians Commemorate the Centennial of the Coronation of King Ferdinand and Queen Marie

The royal couple.

Today, Nicholas and Alina-Maria of Romania commemorated the centennial of the Coronation of Nicholas' great-great-grandparents, King Ferdinand and Queen Marie of Romania. 

The Coronation of King Ferdinand I and Queen Marie of Romania.

Photo (c) Tallandier / Bridgeman Images.

On 15 October 1922, King Ferdinand and Queen Marie were crowned as monarchs of Greater Romania in a lavish ceremony at Alba Iulia Cathedral, which is now known as Coronation Cathedral (Catedrala Încoronării). The importance of this event drew from the fact that the king and queen had overseen a massive expansion of the borders of the Romanian kingdom following World War I; this was greatly due to the diplomatic lobbying of Queen Marie at the Paris Peace Conference of 1919. The coronation was attended by the Duke of York (future King George VI), the Duke of Genoa, Prince Paul of Serbia (later Regent of Yugoslavia), and the ceremony was witnessed by over twenty thousand Romanians. 

The resting place of the king and queen, Curtea de Argeș.

Nicholas and Alina-Maria, as well as students from the local technical school named after King Ferdinand, attended a service at Curtea de Argeș Cathedral, the burial place of all the departed kings and queens of Romania. Archimandrite Caliopie Ichim officiated over the ceremony. 

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!