Messages

1

Russian Noble Families / Re: Benckendorff  Family

« on: December 28, 2008, 07:08:14 AM »

A relative of mine married a descendant of Sofia Alexandrovna Benckendorff and Sergei Viktorioevich Kotchoubey, can anyone tell me anything about her ancestry, and his? Thanks!!!

2

The Imperial Family / Re: Grand Duchess Maria Nikolayevna, and her descendants

« on: September 11, 2008, 03:04:46 PM »

Daria seems to me a rather tragic figure.

The information on her (online and in book) is rather scarce and inaccurate. I have seen her death (always by execution) listed as having taken place on "after 1930", "November 5th 1938", "November 4th 1937" and "1937". Her husband's death is also rather inaccurate.

I wonder why on earth would she still be living in the USSR, when half of her family had been exiled and/or murdered. I don't think she could have led a confortable life in the Soviet Union.

I've read online that she actually married four times, one of them to a Spaniard, can anyone comment on that? Did she have any children by any marriage (I've seen she had at least a son by Prince Kotchoubey)? What became of her family? Did she actually have any counter-Soviet contacts?

3

Iberian Royal Families / Re: TM King Felipe & Queen Letizia

« on: December 25, 2006, 06:15:07 AM »

Princess Letizia's first marriage to Alfonso Guerrero (born in Mérida, Extremadura in 1962) was only a civil marriage, i.e., they weren't married through the church, which is why there was no problem when Prince Felipe and she married through the church in 2004. He was her lecturer, and has published a few books. Indeed he is married.

Felipe's eldest sister, Elena, is married to Jaime (de) Marichalar y Sáenz de Tejada, whose father was a count. One of his brothers is a well known, playboysh adventurer.

The other sister, Cristina, is married to Iñaki (de) Urdangarín y Liebaert, who is Belgo-Spanish. He was a handball player and first met the infanta in Atlanta during the Olympic Games held there in 1996. It is said that his family has nationalistic inclinations and political connections with the PNV, the Basque Nationalist Party.

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Iberian Royal Families / Re: prospective successors of Franco

« on: December 25, 2006, 06:04:38 AM »

Before Franco chose Prince Juan Carlos (who was known as Juanito within the family and by the Generalisimo as well), there were five other "prospective" heirs to become King of Spain; one was the present King's own father, Juan, Count of Barcelona; Don Juan was the third son of the late King Alfonso XIII, who left Spain in 1931 following the April 14th elections. He died in Rome, in exile, ten years later. Alfonso XIII had had four sons: the eldest, Alfonso Prince of Asturias, forfeited his rights to the crown and for any of his descendants to marry a commoner from Cuba. His second son, Jaime, renounced his rights to marry a memberof the French Dampierre family, but was also regarded as the second candidatre to succeed Franco; his grandson Luis Alfonso was the third candidate, but today has no real claim on the Spanish throne and is regarded by many as the reightful king of France, following the senior male line of the Bourbon family.
The third candidate was Prince Francis Xaver (Francesco Saverio) of Parma, member of the Bourbon branch of the Italian Parmas who was the leader of the Carlist sympathisers, having inherited the claim through an aunt.
The next candidate was his own son, Charles Hugh (Carlo Hugo), who was forced to leave Spain for inciting political turmoil. He was married to a sister of the Queen of the Netherlands; his family is conscious of their political standing, and his youngest was considered a suitable bride to the presetn Crown Prince a few years ago, but there was never a relationship.

5

Iberian Royal Families / Re: Alfonso de Orleans, Infante of Spain and Beatrice of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha

« on: October 07, 2006, 10:13:35 AM »

how official was the engagement Eric... and to which one. After they were exiled they were extremnely difficult to be married off. Certyainly Ena's branch wasnt interested...

6

Iberian Royal Families / Re: King Pedro V & Queen Stephanie (Estefania) of Portugal

« on: October 07, 2006, 10:04:17 AM »

I don't like to contradict for the sake of contradicting, but I recently read that Pedro V's character isn't all that admirable. Perhaps he did his best in a poverty-striken country which he had to rule, but the romantic figure that ahs arrived to us comes mainly through the view Prince Albert had of his cousin. All in all, Pedro's character was, objectively, fairly avergae and mediocre, but of course the fact that he died young and lost his apparently charming wife so soon after marriage adds to the romantic, tragic image of the Braganza's.

7

Iberian Royal Families / Re: Exotic queens and mistresses of the Kings of Spain

« on: September 27, 2006, 12:32:35 PM »

 ;DI think what Umigon means is exotic as in foreign, a totally different culture, even skin colour (I mean, think of Zaida), religion... I suppose there's a limited number on them and probably there isn't much about them given the times they lived...

I should imagine that Yolande Árpád, daughter of Andras II of Hungary and wife of Jaime I the Conqueror would be fairly "exotic"...

I wonder how "exotic" we all are and how many of us have Moorish, Hun or other type of blood... Wouldn't I like to make the family tree of the world and find the common ancestor!!! 

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Iberian Royal Families / Re: Exotic queens and mistresses of the Kings of Spain

« on: September 26, 2006, 06:13:27 PM »

Yes exactly My contribution

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Iberian Royal Families / Re: Exotic queens and mistresses of the Kings of Spain

« on: September 26, 2006, 05:33:19 PM »

I know Mary I Tudor spoke Spanish.. it's not the same case but it's very similar, though of course Mary had Spanish tutors, didn't she? Usually Queens brought their maids and laundrywomen from their native lands, maybe their language rubbed off on the next generation...

10

Iberian Royal Families / Re: The sisters of King Juan Carlos I of Spain

« on: September 26, 2006, 05:06:12 PM »

I just want to say that Mr. Zapatero's wife is a very beautiful woman! 

She may be beautiful (I'm not going to comment), but she didn't wear a bra to the wedding of the Princes of the Asturias, and recently she was photographed attending a private dinner in Lanzarote at the summer estate of the King and Queen...wearing flip-flops! OK, they were expensive, well-made and made of leather...but they're still flip-flops! Es que quien no sabe estar....

On the Duchess of Soria, as has been already pointed out, she is also Duchess of Hernani. However, the Soria title will revert to the crown when she dies, as will her sister's, who is Duchess of Badajoz for as long as she lives. However, when Margarita dies her son Alfonso Zurita y Borbón will inherit the Hernani title, as she inherited (through rather strange genealogical traces though) years ago from a minor branch of the Bourbons (I believe the descendants of the Infante Sebastián Gabriel).

11

Iberian Royal Families / Re: Exotic queens and mistresses of the Kings of Spain

« on: September 26, 2006, 05:00:55 PM »

OK, she isn't a consort/lover of a King of Spain...but I recently read that Princess Anna of Kiev (Rurik dynasty), who married Henri I of France, was the responsible of bringing the Eastern Orthodox name of Philip (Philippe, Philippos) into the Western World... OK, not of Spain, but seemed an quasi-exotic story Give me a break, it's late PS-Otro Borboncito!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

12

Iberian Royal Families / Re: Alfonso de Orleans, Infante of Spain and Beatrice of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha

« on: September 24, 2006, 01:19:25 AM »

By the time Don Alvaro amrried his branch was politically VERY unimportant, although his grandparents' marriage was weaved out the web's of political duty. Of course, this took place even before Alfonso XIII was born, and even after that there was talk of putting Eulalia and Antoine on the Spanish throne should the young king die.

Does anyone have an address or any form of communication with the present Duc de Galliéra or any of his closest relatives? I'd like to get in touch.

13

French Royals / Re: The restoration of Monarchy in France, pretenders and possibility

« on: September 24, 2006, 01:10:58 AM »

Has it already been mentioned that the Duque of Anjou's wife if pregnant? I've scrolled around but can't find a thread that covers the news, though there's not much else to be said really...

http://www.hola.com/imprimir_noticia.php?url=/famosos/2006/09/12/luisalfonso-padre/index.html

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Iberian Royal Families / Re: Antonio de Orleans and Eulalia de Borbón, Infantes of Spain

« on: September 24, 2006, 01:00:00 AM »

She probably would XD After all, she was so often politically incorrect  Here's a couple of pages (in Spanish and English) about Eulalia's trip to the new world:
La visita de una infanta a la capital cubana:
http://www.cult.cu/global/loader.php?cat=actualidad&cont=showitem.php&id=3212&tabla=entrevista&titulo=ESTAMPAS%20DE%20CUBA&autor=569&tabla=entrevista&seccion=Letra%20con%20filo

Bertha Palmer:
http://www.neleth.com/gloria/Chapter_Four.htm

Chicago 1893:
http://www.lib.umd.edu/ARCH/honr219f/1893chic.html

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Iberian Royal Families / Re: The Spanish branch of the Orléans family

« on: September 24, 2006, 12:53:11 AM »

Regarding the Carlos-Eulalia marriage, the couple were very good friend and remained so till his violent death in 1908 (one of several royals Eulalia knew who were killed or died in violent deaths -Nicholas II, George I of Greece, Carlos I of Portugal, the Duchess d'Alençon, Elisabeth of Austria...). Eulalia wasn't too keen on the marriage, though she didn't dislike Carlos himself, but she complained that she was not fit to be an infanta, let alone a queen (at least it'swhat she says in her memoirs). Alfonso XII, urged by some ministers who were against the Luso-Spanish alliance, decided to intervene and no marriage took place. As you know he evtually married Eulalia's niece (or second cousin once-removed, depending on which family link you follow) the same year Eulalia herself got married to Antoine d'Orléans.

As for Montpensier, he was certainly a favourite for the infanta Eulalia. When Alfonso XII died his son was the only male descendant of Fernando VII of Spain IN Spain, and both men became the centre of attention at funerals and family gatherings. When he died in early 1890 his death shocked Eulalia, who was near her last stages ofpregnancy. A month later she gave birth to a baby girl that died during the ordeal -asfyxia- and Eulalia's relations with her husband would forever be destroyed.