Serbian Royals Inaugurate Monument to Queen Marie of Yugoslavia

Prince Philip and Princess Danica unveil a statue of Queen Marie. Photo (c) Prince Philip of Serbia.

Prince Philip and Princess Danica of Serbia recently attended the unveiling of a bust of Queen Marie of Yugoslavia in Inđija. Queen Marie, born a Princess of Romania and married to King Alexander I of Yugoslavia, was the great-grandmother of Prince Philip. This monument to the queen is located in a park which already bears her name. Philip and Danica were joined by Vladimir Gak, the mayor of Inđija. Prince Philip of Serbia is the son of Crown Prince Alexander II of Serbia and a grandson of King Peter II of Yugoslavia, who was himself the eldest son of King Alexander I and Queen Marie of Yugoslavia.

Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna of Russia's Jewels at Auction in Geneva

 

 

The jewels with an imperial provenance.
Photo (c) Sotheby's.

On 10 November, a brooch and a pair of ear clips that belonged to Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna of Russia will be sold at auction by Sotheby's in Geneva. Born Duchess Marie of Mecklenberg-Schwerin, Marie married Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich of Russia, a son of Emperor Alexander II of Russia. The jewels are estimated to sell for anywhere between $300,000 and $520,000. Given their history, it would not be surprising if they fetch much more.

 

Sotheby's offers the following description of this fascinating lot:

From a European Princely Family, Formerly from a European Imperial Family

Historically Important sapphire and diamond brooch and a pair ear clips

circa 1900

Comprising : a brooch of plaque design, set at the centre with an oval sapphire weighing 26.80 carats, the border set with cushion-shaped and rose diamonds, maker's marks for Sophia Schwan, probably for Bolin, St Petersburg, 1899-1908 and Russian assay marks, the pair of ear clips en suite, set with step-cut sapphires weighing 6.69 and 9.36 carats respectively, within a border of rose-cut and cushion-shaped diamonds, to a later fitted case by Cartier stamped with the crown of the Royal House of Greece, King of the Hellenes.

The auction house also notes that this set of a brooch and ear clips was firstly owned by Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna of Russia, who then left them to her only daughter Grand Duchess Elena Vladimirovna (Princess Nicholas of Greece). The catalogue entry for this lot gives further insight into how these jewels with a Russian imperial heritage were retrieved from Russia following the Revolution:

A ROMANOV INHERITANCE

From the Collection of HIH Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna

Two shabby Gladstone bags were chosen by Albert Stopford to secretly collect Maria Pavlovna's jewels from the closed but as yet unpillaged Vladimir Palace in St Petersburg. The jewels were stored in a safe in her Moorish style suite of rooms. Access was obtained with the cooperation of Maria Pavlovna's eldest son Boris [author's note: Kirill was Maria's eldest son] and trusted servant who let in Stopford, dressed in workman clothes, through a side door. He carefully dismantled the jewels, folding the pieces into old newspaper to protect them. In the safe was also money which Stopford changed into new Revolutionary notes andd the on 30th July set out for a train journey of three nights to Kislovodsk in Caucasus where Maria Pavlovna had a house. In his diary he records his arrival: “KISLOVODSK. The grand Duchess received me in her cabinet de travail and we counted the money which I had bought her in my boots form Petrograd. It was in revolutionary thousand rouble notes, which she had never seen before.” This was the last visit he made to see her before setting out for London with her jewels though he did receive a letter form her telling him “ that the night before - September 13-14 - the the Committee of Workmen and Soldiers came to the house at 2.30 am and stayed until 6, opening, searching and turning everything topsy-turvy”. The pressure was ever increasing. This dramatic story is graphically retold in William Clarke’s recent book “Hidden Treasures of the Romanovs, saving the Royal jewels”.

Albert Henry Stopford, who was at the time, aged fifty five and so not eligible for war service, was very much part of the social scene in St Petersburg (then called Petrograd). He was a witness from the Revolution from July 1915 to October 1917 and published his diary and letters anonymously in 1919. From these it is clear that he was on very familiar terms with Grand Duchess Vladimir, seeing her almost every day when both in Petrograd. He was also in constant touch with the British Ambassador and the embassy staff passing back information and acting as a semi official courier on his journeys between Petrograd and London.

Grand Duchess Vladimir must have trusted him implicitly to put her extraordinary collection of jewels into his care. He had an advantage because on his journeys to and from England as the English Foreign Office and the War Office as well as the French and the Russian Embassies, used him to carry confidential papers which they feared might be in intercepted in the mail. Trustworthy travelers were a rarity so they took advantage of his travel for direct communication. It these circumstances he was effectively carrying their Diplomatic bags as he said “as a matter of courtesy and not in an official capacity”. He made full use of this privileged position and in those years he made four visits to England which he recalls in his diary. For instance on 22nd October 1916 he had “No bother with customs”. On another occasion the border officials wanted to examine his bags but he insisted he was carrying official papers and eventually they climbed down, no search was made and he was allowed to proceed on his journey.

During the war the safest way from Petrograd to England or France was by train first north through Finland, which at that time was in Russian hands, and so into Sweden and then on to either Bergen or Arendal in Norway. As German U-boats patrolled the North Sea and the coastal water were mined, the voyage from southern Sweden to Newcastle or Scotland was chosen as the shortest and safest journey for the steamer. The reality of these dangers is recalled in Stopford’s diary of 14th January 1916 “Not too bad a crossing. As we neared Arendal, in Norway we nearly ran into a mine. The sudden veering of the steamer threw us all off our seats. All along the south coast of Norway, where there are many currents, loose mines are constantly being washed up.” Later the same year on the way back from Petrograd he recalls in his diary for Thursday August 10th 1916 in rather telegraphic style, “before leaving the fjords for the open sea, was sent for by the captain. He expected the steamer to be stopped by German submarines, and said the F.O. bags ought to be weighted. The ships carpenter put iron into the coulisses of the bags and deposited them on the deck handy to be thrown overboard. Ship stopped suddenly in the night. Rushed on deck and found only a sea-frog. Arrived at Newcastle-on-Typne.”

Stopford left Petrograd on 26th September 1917 carrying Maria Pavlovna’s fabulous collection of jewels including the sensational sapphire brooch and earrings in this sale to embark on what must have been a very anxious ten day journey. Behind him the Provisional Government of Alexander Kerensky tottering and ahead lay the prospect of the hazardous journey across the North Sea which by this stage in the war was heavily mined. As it turned out he was able to follow his usual route via Finland and Sweden without encountering any difficulties, finally arriving safely by boat at Aberdeen on 6th October and professed himself “delighted to see policemen again”.

Meanwhile in the Caucasus the situation became so bad that Maria Pavlovna put her affairs in order and made arrangements for the cigarette boxes and cufflinks in the Vladimir Palace to be taken to Swedish Legation in Petrograd (these quite remarkably have only recently been discovered, safe and sound, in the Swedish Foreign Office in Stockholm and are now to be sold at Sotheby’s in London on 30thNovember 2009). She also made her own plans to leave Russia. The only route open to her was to make her way from Caucasus to the White Russian stronghold at the Black Sea port of Novorossiysk, a journey of 800 kilometers through a war-torn country. Despite the deteriorating situation and the fact that it was late autumn it is reported that she set off in style for the fifty mile journey to the nearest railway situation in an open carriage with her maid of honor at her side.

The next first hand report of Grand Duchess Vladimir’s escape from Russia is by her niece Grand Duchess Olga Alexandrovna who also left her departure to the last minute. She was already at the Black Sea port of Novorossiysk which at the time was the principle center of Denekin’s White Army and waiting for a passage when she heard at her Aunt Michen, the formidable Grand Duchess Vladimir, had arrived after a harrowing escape from Caucasus. She is quoted in her biography as recalling “I went to see her. I was duchess. There had never been much love between Aunt Michen and my own family, but I felt proud of her. Disregarding peril and hardship, the stubbornly had kept all the trimmings of bygone splendor and glory. And somehow carried it off. When even generals found themselves lucky to find a horse-cart and an old nag to bring them into safety, Aunt Michen made a long journey in her own train. It was battered all right – but it was hers. For the first time in my life I found it was a pleasure to kiss her”.

Even though the situation was very dangerous and time short it is said that the Grand Duchess, acting very much in character, is said to have refused passage on a ship which required a change ta Istanbul as she could have had to submit to the ignominy of being deloused. Instead, she obtained a later passage in February 1920 and within a month of her departure Novorossiysk fell to the Bolsheviks. Her passage was on an Italian vessel and it is recorded at once again “the good Stopford received us in Venice with money to pay for our passage”. From there she went to Switzerland and then to Paris.

On his return to England Albert Stopford put the jewels in a safety deposit box in a bank in London where they remained for rather more then two years by which time Maria Pavlovna had reached Europe. They then had discussions about who would provide the best professional advice. Cartier in Paris seemed to be the best choice as many of the jewels had come from them and they had offered to make no charge for the valuation. In mid-June 1920, Stopford received what was probably his last letter form “his Grand Duchess” where she said that “the offer is very tempting” but sadly in July her health had been severely affected by the ordeal of the previous four years and on 6th September she died. Her tomb is in the Russian Orthodox church Contrexeville in north eastern France which she had had build in memory of her husband in 1909.

The division of jewels therefore became the main matter for her will and the were placed in the hands of Cartier for valuation. Thereafter the division was by no means simple.

As is made clear by the provenance provided by Sotheby's, these particular items were inherited by Grand Duchess Elena Vladimirovna of Russia, who married Prince Nicholas of Greece. Nicholas and Elena had three daughters: Princess Olga (married Prince Paul of Yugoslavia), Princess Elisabeth (married Count Carl Theodor zu Toerring-Jettenbach), and Princess Marina (married Prince George, Duke of Kent). Therefore, it is possible that these jewels are being sold by one of Elena's descendants. No doubt, this gorgeous sapphire brooch and accompanying ear clips will make an historic addition to anyone's collection.

Source: Historically important sapphire and diamond brooch and a pair ear clips, circa 1900

100 Years Since the Birth of Princess Fawzia of Egypt, Eventual Queen of Iran

Queen Fawzia of Iran, Princess of Egypt.

Queen Fawzia of Iran in 1942, photographed by Cecil Beaton.

The Queen of Iran.

A century ago today, Princess Fawzia of Egypt was born. She was the daughter, sister, and aunt of successive kings of Egypt. Fawzia was also the first wife of the last Shah of Iran.

Left to right: Princess Faiza, Princess Faika, Princess Fawzia, and Prince Farouk.

A young princess. 

On 5 November 1921, Princess Fawzia bint Fuad of Egypt was born at the Ras el-Tin Palace in Alexandria. The princess was the eldest daughter of Sultan Fuad I of Egypt and Sudan (later King Fuad I of Egypt) and his second wife Nazli Sabri. Princess Fawzia had four full siblings: King Farouk I of Egypt (1920-1965), Princess Faiza (1923-1994), Princess Faika (1926-1983), and Princess Fathia (1930-1976). From her father's first marriage to Princess Shivakiar Ibrahim, Princess Fawzia had two older half-siblings: Prince Ismail (1896-1897) and Princess Fawkia (1897-1974). Princess Fawzia and her younger sisters were raised in the sheltered environment of the Egyptian royal court. In mid-1938, the engagement of Princess Fawzia to Crown Prince Mohammad Reza Shah of Iran was finalised.

Princess Fawzia of Egypt and Crown Prince Mohamed Reza of Iran.

Abdin Palace, Cairo.

A commemorative medallion issued to celebrate the union of the Iranian heir and the Egyptian princess.

On 15 March 1939, Crown Prince Mohammad Reza Shah of Iran and Princess Fawzia of Egypt were married at the Abeen Palace in Cairo. The wedding was the first time that the pair had met one another. Their marriage was a politically-motivated match; love was not a factor. The union of the couple was the culmination of a wish to cement ties between a Sunni Muslim dynasty (Egypt) and a Shi'i Muslim dynasty (Iran) in the region. After their marriage in the Egyptian capital, the couple traveled to Iran, accompanied by the bride's mother Queen Nazli and her sisters. 

The newlyweds.

Left to right: Princess Shams of Iran, Princess Ashraf of Iran, the Duke of Aosta, Queen Nazli of Egypt with her daughter Princess Fawzia, the Countess of Athlone.

Front row, left to right: Princess Ashraf of Iran, Queen Tadj ol-Molouk of Iran, Princess Fawzia, and Princess Shams.

In Tehran, further celebrations surrounding the wedding of the Crown Prince and Crown Princess were held. A second marriage ceremony for Mohammed Reza and Fawzia took place at the Marble Palace. The festivities were attended by some foreign royalties, including the Earl and Countess of Athlone as well as the Duke of Aosta. Mohammed Reza spoke Persian and French while Fawzia spoke Turkish and French. Therefore, husband and wife conversed in French.

Crown Prince Mohammed Reza and Crown Princess Fawzia with their daughter Princess Shahnaz.

The Shah and Queen of Iran with their daughter in Tehran. Photographed by Cecil Beaton in the mid-1940s.

Queen Fawzia of Iran and her daughter Princess Shahnaz.

On 27 October 1940 at Tehran, Princess Shahnaz Pahlavi of Iran was born as the only child of the Crown Prince and Crown Princess of Iran. In 1941, Fawzia's father-in-law was deposed, and her husband became the Shah of Iran. With this, Fawzia became the Queen of Iran. However, as is the case with some arranged marriages, the union was not a happy one. Fawzia greatly missed her homeland and suffered from depression as a result of her isolation at the Iranian court. Queen Tadj ol-Molouk did not treat her daughter-in-law very kindly, and Fawzia was not welcomed by her sisters-in-law either. It came as no surprise that Queen Fawzia moved back to Cairo in 1945, where she obtained an Egyptian divorce from the Shah. The termination of the union became final when an Iranian divorce was granted to the Shah and Queen in 1948. After this, Fawzia reverted to her title as Princess of Egypt.

Ismail Chirine and Princess Fawzia, 1949.

Ismail Chirine and Princess Fawzia with their daughter Nadia and their son Hussein.

On 28 March 1949, Princess Fawzia of Egypt married Colonel Ismail Hussein Chirine (1919-1997). The couple had two children: Nadia Chirine (1950-2009; married firstly Yusuf Shabaan; married secondly Mustafa Rashid) and Hussein Chirine (1955-2016). Theirs was a happy coupling. Fawzia remained in Egypt after the overthrow of the monarchy in 1952.

Princess Shahnaz Pahlavi and her mother Princess Fawzia of Egypt in the 1970s.

Princess Fawzia with her only son, Hussein Chirine.

Aged ninety-one, Princess Fawzia of Egypt died at Alexandria, Egypt, on 2 July 2013. She was ninety-one years-old. The princess was buried in Cairo next to her second husband.

Adieu to a Doyenne of the Gotha: Duchess Marie-Alix of Schleswig-Holstein (1923-2021)

Duchess Marie-Alix of Schleswig-Holstein on the occasion of her 95th birthday. Photo courtesy of Fürst Alexander zu Schaumburg-Lippe / Stiftung Louisenlund.

On Monday, 1 November 2021, Dowager Duchess Marie-Alix of Schleswig-Holstein died peacefully at her home of Gut Bienebek in Holstein. She was ninety-eight years-old. The four children of the duchess were by her side when she died in her sleep; after her passing, the family released a brief statement: "In deep sorrow and full of love we say goodbye to our mother, grandmother and great-grandmother and look back on her eventful and fulfilled life with respect and immense gratitude."

The wedding of Prince Stephan zu Schaumburg-Lippe and Duchess Ingeborg of Oldenburg, 1921.

Prince Stephan and Princess Ingeborg with Princess Marie-Alix and infant Prince Georg-Moritz. Photo (c) David McIntosh.

Born on 2 April 1923 at Bückeburg, Princess Marie-Alix of Schaumburg-Lippe was the first child and only daughter of Prince Stephan of Schaumburg-Lippe (1891-1965) and Duchess Ingeborg of Oldenburg (1901-1996), who married in 1921. Marie-Alix was followed by a younger brother, Prince Georg-Moritz of Schaumburg-Lippe (1924-1970), who sadly was killed in a automobile accident at the age of forty-six. As her father Stephan was a German diplomat, Marie-Alix lived with her family in Sofia, Bulgaria; Rome, Italy; Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Buenos Aires, Argentina; and Santiago, Chile. After the end of World War II, Marie-Alix spent time with her maternal Oldenburg relations in Lensahn, Ostholstein.

Fürst Georg zu Schaumburg-Lippe.

Fürstin Marie zu Schaumburg-Lippe.

Grand Duke Friedrich August II of Oldenburg.

Grand Duchess Elisabeth of Oldenburg.

The paternal grandparents of Marie-Alix were Fürst Georg of Schaumburg-Lippe (1846-1911) and his wife Princess Marie of Saxe-Altenburg (1864-1918). Her maternal grandparents were Grand Duke Friedrich August II of Oldenburg (1851-1932) and his second wife Duchess Elisabeth of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (1869-1955). Marie-Alix was a first cousin of Duke Anton-Günther of Oldenburg, Fürstin Eilika of Leiningen, Fürst Wittekind of Waldeck and Pyrmont, Fürstin Guda of Wied, and Fürst Philipp-Ernst of Schaumburg-Lippe.

Duke Peter of Schleswig-Holstein. Photo (c) David McIntosh.

Prince Friedrich Ferdinand zu Schaumburg-Lippe and Princess Marie Melita zu Hohenlohe-Langenburg on their wedding day.

Left to right: Duke Friedrich Ferdinand, Prince Peter, and Princess Marie-Alix. Photo (c) David McIntosh.

On 9 October 1947 at Glücksburg, Princess Marie-Alix married Prince Friedrich Ernst Peter of Schleswig-Holstein (1922-1980). Peter was the third child and son of Duke Friedrich Ferdinand of Schleswig-Holstein (1891-1965) and his wife Princess Marie Melita of Hohenlohe-Langenburg (1899-1967). Peter and Marie-Alix were third cousins; they were both descendants of Fürst Georg of Schaumburg-Lippe (1784-1860) and his wife Princess Ida of Waldeck and Pyrmont (1796-1869). Peter and Marie-Alix made their home at Gut Bienebek, Rendsburg-Eckernförde. Aged fifty-seven, Marie-Alix became a widow in 1980 when her husband Peter died at the rather young age of fifty-eight. The duchess remained devoted to Schleswig-Holstein from her marriage until her last breath.

Left to right: Princess Marita, Prince Alexander, Duke Christoph, and Princess Ingeborg. Photo (c) David McIntosh.

Princess Barbara with her mother-in-law Duchess Marie-Alix at the wedding of Hereditary Prince Bernhard of Baden, 2001. Photo (c) Seeger-Presse.

Duchess Marie-Alix together with her son Duke Christoph and daughter-in-law Duchess Elisabeth attend the funeral of Fürst Philipp-Ernst zu Schaumburg-Lippe, 2003.

Duke Peter and Duchess Marie-Alix of Schleswig-Holstein had four children, two girls and two boys: Princess Marita (b.1948; married in 1975 to Baron Wilfried von Plotho), Duke Christoph (b.1949; married in 1981 to Princess Elisabeth zur Lippe-Weissenfeld), Prince Alexander (b.1953; married in 1994 to Barbara Beata Fertsch), and Princess Ingeborg (b.1956; married in 1991 to Nikolaus Broschek). 

Birthday cheers! Duchess Marie-Alix celebrates her 95th birthday surrounded by students of Louisenlund while her daughter Princess Ingeborg happily looks at her much loved mother. Photo (c) Stiftung Louisenlund.

Duchess Marie-Alix of Schleswig-Holstein was a co-founder of the Louisenlund Foundation in 1949. This institution was envisioned by her father-in-law Duke Friedrich Ferdinand, and its mission was made a reality by continued support from her husband Duke Peter, her son Duke Christoph, and her daughter Princess Ingeborg. According to its website, Louisenlund "has created a school system with learning and teaching methods which prepare students for the future. To be equipped for the future students must develop social awareness and a strong personality. Since the very beginning, the private foundation, Louisenlund has strived to achieve a holistic education for its students. Moreover, Louisenlund is embedded in a network of international contacts and partner schools. Around 440 students benefit from an education in a global environment whilst enjoying, at the same time the familiar atmosphere of the campus." Princess Ingeborg, the youngest child of the duchess, is the current chairperson of the foundation's Board of Governors as well as of the Board of Trustees. The original uniform of Louisenlund students was created from a blue sweater out of Duke Friedrich Ferdinand's wardrobe and a red sock from his daughter-in-law Duchess Marie-Alix's closet which served as the collar.

Fürst Friedrich Wilhelm of Hohenzollern and Duchess Marie-Alix at the wedding of Hereditary Prince Bernhard of Baden, 2001.

Duchess Marie-Alix with her children Princess Ingeborg and Duke Christoph attend the memorial service for Fürst Kraft zu Hohenlohe-Langenburg, 2004.

Princess Marianne of Baden and Duchess Marie-Alix attend the funeral of Prince Georg Wilhelm of Hannover, 2006. Photo (c) Seeger-Presse.

For many decades, Duchess Marie-Alix of Schleswig-Holstein was the Vice-President of the regional branch of the German Red Cross in Holstein. As shown by her dedication to the Louisenlund Foundation, the duchess was particularly keen on the betterment of young people and youth development.

Duchess Marie-Alix, her son Duke Christoph, and her daugher-in-law Duchess Elisabeth at the wedding of Prince Philipp of Hesse, 2006.

Photo (c) Seeger-Presse / Albert Nieboer.

Duchess Marie-Alix of Schleswig-Holstein is survived by her four children, by her nine grandchildren, and by her (at least) five great-grandchildren.

The duchess in 2004.

May Marie-Alix Rest in Peace. Sources:

Marie Alix Herzogin zu Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg ist gestorben Marie Alix Herzogin zu Schleswig-Holstein ist tot

Louisenlund Foundation

Brazilian Royals Celebrate Union of Prince Pedro Alberto and Princess Alessandra

Prince Pedro Alberto and Princess Alessandra at the altar. Photo (c) Princess Maria Gabriela of Orleans and Bragança.

Over the weekend, members of the Brazilian imperial family gathered at Petropolis as Prince Pedro Alberto de Orleans e Bragança and his wife Princess Alessandra renewed their wedding vows. Pedro Alberto and Alessandra celebrated their marriage on 3 July 2021 in Rio de Janeiro. Pedro Alberto (b.1988) is the son of Prince Alberto de Orleans e Bragança (b.1957) and Princess Maritza (b.1961; née Ribas Bokel). Pedro Alberto is a grandson of Prince Pedro Henrique of Brazil (1909-1981) and Princess Maria Elisabeth of Bavaria (1914-2011). Alessandra Haegler Fragoso Pires (b.1994) is the daughter of Rafael Fragoso Pires (1957-2020) and Bettina Alessandra Haegler.

Prince Antonio, Princess Maria Gabriela, and Princess Christine. Photo (c) Pro Monarquia.

Prince Rafael, Prince Antonio, two unidentified gentleman (likely Princes of Orleans and Braganza), and Hereditary Prince Henri de Ligne. Photo (c) Pro Monarquia.

Prince Imperial Bertrand of Brazil and Prince Michel de Ligne in the centre. Photo (c) Pro Monarquia.

Our best wishes to Prince Pedro Alberto and Princess Alessandra!

The Tragic Tale of a Forgotten American Princess: Lois Radziwill

Lois Evans Olson Radziwill.

Over the centuries, many American women have married into European royal and noble families. One of the most unknown is Princess Lois Radziwill. Everyone knows of Caroline Lee Bouvier, who married Prince Stanislaw Radziwill in 1959. Understandably, very few are aware of Lois, who married Stanislaw's first cousin once removed in 1950.

The birth certificate of Lois Lorine Evans.

Irvin and Hazel Evans with their daughter Lois, 1928.

On 10 February 1928 at Minot, North Dakota, Lois Lorine (later changed to "Lorraine") Evans was born as the first child of Endre Irvin Evans (1900-1966) and his wife Hazel Viola Hills (1903-1995). Lois Evans had four younger siblings: Joyce Arlene Evans (1929-1995), Irvin Howard Evans (1932-2003), Marilyn Jean Evans (1936-1991), and Yvonne Lee Evans (1944-2011). Lois Evan's paternal grandparents were born in Norway: Edward Gilbert Evensen (1866-1938) and Inga Marie Iversdatter Sollid (1871-1949). Her maternal grandparents were Adrian Bloomer Hills (1879-1965) and Rena Susan Muir (1880-1959).

Lois Evans photographed in a bridal veil around the time of her marriage to sailor George Olson, 1945. Photo (c) The Bismarck Tribune.

Lois was raised in Bismarck, ND. Her father worked as a foreman at a crematorium. Lois began her high school studies in Bismarck, but she moved west and graduated in 1945 from high school in Santa Monica, California. In 1944, her parents had relocated to California. Aged eighteen, Lois Evans married George Conrad Olson, a member of the US Navy and the son of Mr. and Mrs. Horace Olson of Minnesota, on 1 December 1945 in Salt Lake City, Utah. The marriage was of short duration; however, it is uncertain as to when or if it was terminated legally. A girlfriend of Lois, Mrs. Beatrice Johnson Betts, who was an attendant at Lois' wedding to George Conrad, was not certain as to the particulars surrounding the end of the Olson/Evans marriage. Reportedly, Lois moved to New York and worked as a model before going to Paris to study fashion design. 

Princess Lois Radziwill on holiday in Rome, July 1950.

While in France, Lois met Prince Wladislaw Jerzy Gogislaw Radziwill (1881-1963) at a dinner party in December 1949 at Cannes. The prince was the only child of Prince Karol Radziwill (1839-1907) and Princess Teresa Lubomirska (1857-1883). His great-grandparents were Prince Antoni Radziwill (1775-1833) and Princess Luise of Prussia (1770-1836).

Prince Wladislaw and Princess Lois Radziwill.

On 7 April 1950, the sixty-eight year-old Polish prince and the twenty-two year-old American model were married at Neuilly near Paris. Wladislaw and Lois had known one another for four months. In an interview with the New York Daily News, Lois stated: "It's true that he was much older than I was, but he is a striking man, so polished and suave; so considerate, too. He is one of the most famous big game hunters in the world and he shot 24 elephants. He fascinated and intrigued me. He was a hero." The princess from humble origins had to quickly adapt to her new husband's social circle. "Just a day ago I was plain Lois Evans Olson and now look at me, a princess, I thought to myself. When people went on calling me princess I could not believe it because I never considered myself to be anything else than what I was - an American girl." However, Lois quickly discovered that her parents were not initially keen on her marriage to a (much older) nobleman. "My people are old-fashioned, small-town folks. They dreamed about a church wedding for me, to someone of my own kind. Eventually they learned about my marriage through my sister. There were real fireworks by cable and mail but finally they realised I was happy and reconciled themselves to the idea." According to Lois, she and Wladislaw were quite happily for a brief period. "I am a good skier and I spent a great deal of time without my husband in Switzerland." Prince Wladislaw seemed to understand, but then, according to Princess Lois, one evening the couple had a row in Paris. It was over a very trivial matter: Lois wanted them to go have dinner at one of her favourite restaurants, and Wladislaw did not want to go. One imagines that there were many more complications in this relationship to explain the events that followed. Princess Lois Radziwill left Paris for New York for three months. When she returned to France, Prince Wladislaw and she agreed to a Mexican divorce. The divorce occurred in late 1951, according to press reports. Lois noted: "He [Wladislaw] is wonderful and we'll be friends until we die. But a marriage is a 50-50 proposition, and I wanted a normal life." Upon reflection, Lois offered this small piece of advice for young American women: "Stop dreaming about becoming a princess. Just stay where you are and what you are. It's best."

Lois Radizill. Photo (c) Ebbs Breuer.

The life of Princess Lois Radziwill after 1951 is a sad story. In 1952, Lois was living in Los Angeles, where several of her friends were charged with stealing jewels at a party in which Lois was also present. In 1954, Lois filed a lawsuit in a Manhattan court against industrialist Alexander Berglas for $2,000,000. The reasons for the suit were never publicly disclosed. On 18 June 1955, Lois was arrested at her 732 South Normandie Avenue apartment in Los Angeles by a vice squad, consisting of two detectives, one of whom recalled the former princess showing them a fresh needle mark on her arm and confirming that she had just given herself a "fix." She was released on a $2,500 bond. Upon reflection, it seems as though the young woman had definitely developed a substance abuse issue. In early July, before her arraignment, she was admitted to Los Angeles General Hospital after apparently overdosing on pills. On 13 October 1955, Lois Evans Radziwill pleaded guilty to possession of heroin in a Los Angeles court. She was twenty-seven years-old. In November, Superior Judge Allen T. Lynch sentenced Lois Evans Radziwill to a one to ten year term at the California State Prison for Women at Corona. 

What became of Princess Lois Radziwill afterward is not known by this author.

The Rudy Wedding Anniversary of the Duke and Duchess of Buccleuch and Queensberry

 

The Duke and Duchess.

Today, the Duke and Duchess of Buccleuch and Queensberry celebrate their fortieth wedding anniversary.

Richard and Elizabeth with their three eldest children, 1993.
Photo (c) Alamy.

On 31 October 1981, Richard Montagu-Douglas-Scott, then Earl of Dalkeith, married Lady Elizabeth Kerr. The groom was the eldest child and son of the Duke and Duchess of Buccleuch and Queensberry. The bride was the daughter of the Marquess and Marchioness of Lothian. Richard and Elizabeth have four children: Lady Louise (b.1982; married Rupert Trotter); Walter, Earl of Dalkeith (b.1984; married Elizabeth Cobbe); Lord Charles (b.1987); and Lady Amabel (b.1992). After the death of his father John in 2007, Richard succeeded as 10th Duke of Buccleuch and 12th Duke of Queensberry. 

Our congratulations to the Duke and Duchess on their Ruby Wedding Anniversary!