Today, Prince Rafael of Brazil, Prince of Orléans-Braganza, celebrates his 33rd birthday.
Prince Rafael of Brazil Photograph (c) Casa Imperial do Brasil
Rafael Antonio Maria José Francisco Miguel Gabriel Gonzaga de Orléans e Bragança e Ligne was born at Rio de Janiero on 24 April 1986. His parents, Prince Antônio of Brazil (b.1950) and Princess Christine of Ligne (b.1955), had married civilly on 25 September and religiously on 26 September 1981 at Belœil, Belgium. Prince Rafael's paternal grandparents are Prince Pedro Henrique of Brazil (1909-1981) and Princess Maria of Bavaria (1914-2011); his maternal grandparents are Antoine, Prince of Ligne (1925-2005), and Princess Alix of Luxembourg (1929-2019). Rafael grew up in Rio with his parents and three siblings: Prince Pedro Luíz (1983-2009), Princess Amélia (b.1984), and Princess Maria Gabriela (b.1989). Prince Pedro Luíz died aged twenty-six as a passenger aboard the crash of Air France Flight 447 on 1 June 2009. Princess Amélia married Alexander James Spearman (b.1984) in 2014.
Prince Rafael with his father Prince Antônio Photograph (c) Casa Imperial do Brasil
Prince Rafael attended the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro, where he graduated with a degree in production engineering. As his elder sister Amélia resides in Spain and his younger sister Maria Gabriela lives in Belgium, while Rafael resides in London, none of the children of Prince Antônio and Princess Christine live in Brazil.
Rafael (left) with his siblings Maria Gabriela, Amélia, and Pedro Luíz
The Head of the Brazilian Imperial House is Prince Luíz Gastão (b.1938), Rafael's uncle. Prince Rafael is third in line to the Headship of House Brazil after his uncle Prince Bertrand (b.1941) and his father Prince Antônio. This is due to the fact that Rafael's two uncles (Luíz Gastão and Bertrand) and one aunt (Isabel [1944-2017]) never married, and that his father's three older brothers, Eudes, Pedro de Alcântara, and Fernando, all married morganatically. Prince Rafael is followed in the line of succession by his younger sister Maria Gabriella, and then by his aunt Princess Leonor (b.1953) and her son from her marriage to Michel, Prince of Ligne (b.1951): Prince Henri (b.1989). Leonor's daughter Princess Alix of Ligne (b.1984) lost her dynastic rights after her 2016 marriage to Count Guillaume de Dampierre. Prince Rafael and his siblings are double-first cousins to Prince Henri and Princess Alix of Ligne, as their Brazilian parents (Antônio and Leonor) married siblings (Christine and Michel).
Prince Antônio and Princess Christine of Brazil Photograph (c) Pró Monarquia
Currently, Prince Rafael of Brazil works for AmBev in São Paolo. For a time, Rafael was in a relationship with Talita Vaccaro; however, the couple are now just friends. Under the current rules of to the Imperial House, Prince Rafael will have to marry an equal spouse in order to retain his dynastic place.
Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg (1921-2019) Photograph (c) Grand Ducal Court/Vic Fischbach
The Grand Ducal Court has announced that Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg passed away at 12:25am this morning (Tuesday, 23 April) following a recent illness. He was surrounded by his family. Grand Duke Jean celebrated his ninety-eighth birthday on 5 January of this year. A state funeral will be held at 11:00am on Saturday, 5 May, at Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Luxembourg.
Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg surrounded by family on his 98th birthday Photograph (c) Grand Ducal Court/C.Piscitelli
On Saturday, 13 April, the Grand Ducal Court stated that Grand Duke Jean had been hospitalised with a pulmonary infection. Three days later, on Tuesday, 16 April, the court released a positive update: "The condition of the state of health of His Royal Highness Grand Duke Jean is favourable. His Royal Highness remains under observation at hospital." However, at 5:30pm on Easter Sunday, the court released a more somber statement: "The state of health of His Royal Highness Grand Duke Jean has significantly deteriorated. The whole of the Grand Ducal Family is gathered at the bedside of Grand Duke Jean." At 6:00am this morning, Grand Duke Henri made the following announcement: "It is with great sadness that I inform you of the death of my beloved father, His Royal Highness Grand Duke Jean, who has passed away in peace, surrounded by the affection of his family."
Communiqué from the Grand Ducal Court on Grand Duke Jean's health
Born on 5 January 1921 at Schloß Berg, Prince Jean Benoît Guillaume Robert Antoine Louis Marie Adolphe Marc d'Aviano was the eldest child of Grand Duchess Charlotte of Luxembourg (1896-1985) and Prince Félix of Bourbon-Parma (1893-1970), who had married in 1919. Jean's godfather was Pope Benedict XI. He was followed by five siblings, four sisters and one brother: Princess Elisabeth of Luxembourg (1922-2011), who married Duke Franz Ferdinand of Hohenberg (1927-1977) in 1956; Princess Marie Adelaide of Luxembourg (1924-2007), who wed Count Karl Josef Henckel von Donnersmarck (1928-2008); Princess Marie Gabrielle of Luxembourg (b.1925), who married Count Knud Johan Holstein til Ledreborg (1919-2001); Prince Charles of Luxembourg (1927-1977), who married Joan Douglas Dillon (b.1935) in 1967; and Princess Alix of Luxembourg (1929-2019), who married Antoine Prince of Ligne (1925-2005) in 1950.
Grand Duchess Charlotte and Prince Félix of Luxembourg with their children
Most of Jean's childhood was spent at Schloß Berg. After receiving his primary and secondary education in Luxembourg, Jean studied at Ampleforth College, Yorkshire, from 1934-1938. Between 1938-1940, the hereditary grand duke was privately tutored at the Grand Ducal Palace.
When troops from Nazi Germany invaded the Grand Duchy on 10 May 1940, Grand Duchess Charlotte, her entire family, and her government left Luxembourg for France: they briefly stayed in Paris and then in the South of France. As the Third Reich's reach became more menacing, the Luxembourg family and government made their way to the United Kingdom by traveling through Spain and Portugal. Grand Duchess Charlotte and her government made their base in London; the rest of the Grand Ducal family, the children and Prince Félix, were sent to Canada. It was there that Hereditary Grand Duke Jean attended the Université Laval at Quebec, where he studied Law and Political Science.
Exiled: Grand Duchess Charlotte and Prince Félix in London, 1941
On 29 November 1942, Prince Jean volunteered for service in the British Army. He initially trained with the Irish Guards at Coulsdon Common. Jean completed his officer's training at the Royal Military College, Sandhurst; by 1944, Prince Jean was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant in the Irish Guards. On 10 September 1944, Jean arrived in Luxembourg City, which his father had already reached with the American 5th Armoured Division earlier that morning. On that day, the balcony appearance at the Grand Ducal Palace of the Hereditary Grand Duke and Prince Félix was greeted with immense enthusiasm by their countryman. On 14 April 1945, Grand Duchess Charlotte returned to her country. Prince Jean was released from the Irish Guards on 26 June 1947. His service was recognised by receipt of the 1939-1945 War Medal, the 1939-1945 Star, and the French Croix de guerre.
Prince Jean in his uniform as a 1st Lieutenant in the Irish Guards
At the Cathedral of Luxembourg, Hereditary Grand Duke Jean married Princess Joséphine-Charlotte of Belgium (b.11 October 1927) on 9 April 1953. Joséphine-Charlotte was the only daughter of King Léopold III of the Belgians (1901-1983) and his first wife Queen Astrid (1905-1935; née Sweden). The couple were second cousins once removed, both being descendants of King Miguel I of Portugal (1802-1866) and his wife Princess Adelheid of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg (1831-1909). The godmother of the Belgian princess was her mother-in-law, Grand Duchess Charlotte of Luxembourg. Jean and Joséphine-Charlotte's union was not a love match at the start, but their marital bonds stood the test of time. Both of Joséphine-Charlotte's brothers, Baudouin (1930-1993) and Albert (b.1934), eventually reigned as King of the Belgians.
Jean of Luxembourg and Joséphine-Charlotte of Belgium on the occasion of their wedding
On 28 April 1961, Grand Duchess Charlotte appointed her eldest son as her "Lieutenant-Representant." The Lieutenancy is an institution unique to Luxembourg, wherein the Grand Ducal powers are delegated to the Lieutenant. Hereditary Grand Duke Jean took his oath as Lieutenant-Representant on 4 May 1961. On 12 November 1964, Jean became the Grand Duke of Luxembourg when his mother Charlotte abdicated the throne after a reign of forty-five years. In their new roles as Grand Duke and Grand Duchess, Jean and Joséphine-Charlotte visited the main towns of the districts of the Grand Duchy in 1965.
After a reign of thirty-six years, Grand Duke Jean abdicated on 7 October 2000. He was succeeded by his eldest son and heir Henri as Grand Duke of Luxembourg. After the abdication, Grand Duke Jean and Grand Duchess Joséphine-Charlotte made their home at Schloß Fischbach.
In their nearly fifty-two years of marriage, Jean and Joséphine-Charlotte of Luxembourg became the parents of five children. First came Princess Marie Astrid (b.1954), who wed Archduke Carl Christian of Austria (1954) in 1982. Then arrived the current Grand Duke Henri (b.1955), who married María Teresa Mestre y Batista (b.1956) in 1981. Twins Prince Jean and Princess Margaretha (b.1957) were the next to arrive. Jean firstly married Hélène Vestur (b.1958) in 1987, and after their divorce he remarried Diane de Guerre (b.1962) in 2009. Princess Margaretha wed Prince Nikolaus of Liechtenstein (b.1947) in 1982. The benjamin of the family, Prince Guillaume, was born in 1963; he married Sibilla Weiller (b.1968) in 1994.
The Grand Duke and Grand Duchess with their children Photograph (c) Granger.com
Having battled with lung cancer, Grand Duchess Joséphine-Charlotte of Luxembourg passed away on 10 January 2005 at Fischbach. The grand duchess was seventy-seven years-old. Jean has been the centre of the Grand Ducal Family since then. The Grand Duke is now reunited with the Grand Duchess.
Grand Duchess Joséphine-Charlotte of Luxembourg Photograph (c) Grand Ducal Court
Jean and Joséphine-Charlotte attending King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden's 50th Birthday in 1996 Photograph (c) Raymond Reuter
Grand Duke Jean at the funeral of Grand Duchess Joséphine-Charlotte on 15 January 2005
Eurohistory sends its condolences to the Grand Ducal Family and the people of Luxembourg. The Grand Duke is survived by his five children, twenty-one grandchildren, fifteen great-grandchildren, and his sister Marie Gabrielle. May His Royal Highness Rest In Peace.
Jean and Joséphine-Charlotte on the day of their son Prince Guillaume's wedding in 1994 to Sibilla Weiller
Ahead of his first birthday tomorrow, three images of Prince Louis of Cambridge have been released by the Royal Family. The pictures were taken by his mother the Duchess of Cambridge at the family home in Norfolk. Prince Louis was born on 23 April 2018 at St Mary's Hospital, London.
From the official communiqué released by the Grand Duchy...
The state of health of Grand Duke Jean has declined since yesterday evening, the cour grand-ducale has announced. Luxembourg‘s former head of state was hospitalised about a week ago following a pulmonary infection. During the course of last week his health had initially improved. The whole Grand Ducal Family is at his bedside.
[Note: The following announcement was made on 19 April 2012 by Arturo E. Beéche upon the eve of the marriage of Prince Rudolf of Liechtenstein and Miss Tılsım Tanberk.]
Marriage in House Liechtenstein
Prince Rudolf of Liechtenstein will be married to Ms. Tilsin Tanberk on April 20, 2012. Rudolf is the son of Prince Philipp Erasmus of Liechtenstein and of his wife Princess Isabelle (née de l'Arbre de Malander).
Ms Tanberk is the daughter of Mr. Olgun Tanberk and of his wife Melek (née Kampulat).
The wedding is scheduled to take place in Istanbul on Friday, 20 April 2012.
The celebration of the union of Prince Rudolf and Tılsım Tanberk lasted from 20-22 April 2012. On Saturday, 21 April 2012, Prince Rudolf and Princess Tılsım of Liechtenstein were married in a Roman Catholic ceremony at the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit, Istanbul. The reception for the couple was held at Çırağan Palace, a former residence of the Ottoman Imperial Family and now a five star hotel. Among the 500 guests were Prince Philippe of Belgium, Duke of Brabant (now King Philippe I of the Belgians), Princess Michael of Kent, Princess Sibilla of Luxembourg (presumably with her husband Prince Guillaume of Luxembourg), Princess Camilla, Duchess of Castro (presumably with her husband Prince Carlo, Duke of Castro), Princess Margarita and Prince Radu of Romania, and Prince Michael of Yugoslavia as well as by the groom's first cousin Hereditary Prince Alois of Liechtenstein.
The marriage of Prince Rudolf and Princess Tılsım was described by another guest, Patricia della Giovampaola:
The wedding was fabulous. Not a detail was left unattended. A refined and exquisite menu.
The bride and groom, lovely, young and deeply in love. The ceremony was touching, with a choir and an excellent soprano. The ladies were so elegant, all of them wearing hats (as it should be) and mainly nude shoes. However, I've seen an explosion of colors in their dresses: neon green, orange, fuchsia, pinks.
It's Spring, so flowers seem proper in hats.
After the ceremony, we run back to our hotel to change for the great Gala Dinner at the Ciragan Sirayi...
Prince Rudolf and Princess Tılsım of Liechtenstein
The couple have become the the parents of three children: Princess Alienor Faye (29 September 2014-13 December 2015), and twins Princess Laetitia and Prince Karl Ludwig (b.21 July 2016).
Prince Rudolf and Princess Tılsım of Liechtenstein
Prince Rudolf (b.7 Sep 1975) attended the Vrije Universiteit Brussel and works in global finance. Princess Tılsım (b.20 Jul 1974) was educated at both Columbia University and Brown University.
On 19 April 1929, Lady Pamela Carmen Louise Mountbatten was at Barcelona as the second daughter and last child of Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma (1900-1979), and his wife Lady Mountbatten (1900-1960; née Hon. Edwina Cynthia Annette Ashley). Lady Pamela joined an elder sister Patricia, eventual 2nd Countess of Burma (1924-2017). Pamela's godfathers were King Alfonso XIII of Spain, in whose country she was born, and Prince George, Duke of Kent; one of her godmothers was her aunt, Queen Louise of Sweden (1889-1965; née Mountbatten).
In 1947, Lady Pamela served as a bridesmaid to her third cousin HRH The Princess Elizabeth (now HM The Queen), eldest daughter of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, at the princess' wedding to HRH Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, Pamela's first cousin.
Lady Pamela Mountbatten married David Nightingale Hicks (1929-1998) on 13 January 1960 at Romsey Abbey. Pamela's bridesmaids were Princess Anne, Princess Clarissa of Hesse, Victoria Marten, Lady Amanda Knatchbull and the Hon. Joanna Knatchbull. David Hicks forged a terribly successfully career as an interior designer.
Lady Pamela Hicks and her husband had three children, two daughters and a son: Edwina (b.1961), Ashley (b.1963), and India (b.1967). Edwina Hicks is an artist; Ashley Hicks followed in his father's footsteps as an interior designer; and India Hicks owns her fashion and accessories company.
India Hicks, a bridesmaid at the 1981 wedding of the Prince of Wales and Lady Diana Spencer, occasionally shares candid and entertaining clips of her mother on India's Instagram account. Lady Pamela Hicks remains as sharp and witty as ever.
A post shared by India Hicks (@indiahicksstyle) on
Lady Pamela has published two volumes of memoirs: India Remembered: A Personal Account of the Mountbattens During the Transfer of Power (2007) and Daughter of Empire: Life as a Mountbatten (2012). She resides at The Grove near Brightwell Baldwin, Oxfordshire, England.
Eurohistory wishes Lady Pamela a very Happy Birthday!
Prince Alexis of Hesse with his dog Paul
Photograph (c) Werra Rundschau
At the link, feel free to view a delightful piece by DW News on Prince Alexis and Landgrave of Hesse (of the Hesse-Philippsthal-Barchfeld line) and his family's home of Schloss Augustenau. Prince Alexis, who studied art history, has managed Schloss Augustenau and its estate for nearly a decade.
Alexis (b.5 March 1977) is the only son of Prince and Landgrave Hermann of Hesse (b.21 August 1935) and Countess Monika Strachwitz von Groß-Zauche und Camminetz (b.11 July 1939), who married on 9 May 1962. The couple's only daughter, Princess Verena (b.12 February 1972), is married since 2000 to Felix von Saucken (b.1970). Alexis is the nephew of Prince and Landgrave Wilhelm of Hesse (b.1933), the Head of the Hesse-Philippsthal-Barchfeld family.
Princess and Landgravine Monika of Hesse (née Strachwitz von Groß-Zauche und Camminetz)
Photograph (c) Osthessen News
The paternal grandparents of Prince Alexis are Prince Wilhelm and Landgrave of Hesse (1905-k.i.a. 1942) and Princess Marianne of Prussia (1913-1983). The maternal grandparents of Alexis are Count Manfred Strachwitz von Groß-Zauche und Camminetz (1899-1972) and his wife Toska von Baumbach (1915-1974).
The 1933 wedding of Prince and Landgrave Wilhelm of Hesse and Princess Marianne of Prussia
Photograph (c) Deutsches Historisches Museum
Count Manfred Strachwitz von Groß-Zauche und Camminetz
Visit this link to learn more about the Hesse-Philippsthal-Barchfeld family and Schloss Augustenau: Schloss Augustenau
