Daughters of King Vittorio Emmanuele III

[gleb]

I was searching through some microfilm of the NY Times today and ran across this article on Princess Mafalda reguarding her death.  The article dated 24 April 1945 stated that "Pss. Mafalda was interned at the request of her husband Prince Philip of Hesse Kassel who denounced his wife as not enthusiatic enough over the Hitler regime."  I found that quite interesting and has never heard that before.  It also went on to say that
the Princess had lived in a villa seperated from the camp with her children.

I have already said this is just a ridicolous rumour. In those years it was believed becouse Prinz Philip was a member of the Nazi party, but Philip was a prisoner too (at Rastenburg for example), and he DEEPLY LOVED HIS WIFE.

Princess Mafalda lived in a little house together with a french couple, near the camp.

Her children lived in Germany (after a week in Vatican)with their Grand mother Margareth of Prussia, later they had to move to Wolfsgarten (Otto and Elisabeth), Moritz was still a soldier, Heinrich lived at Adolfseck schloss.

[Norbert]

Thank you gleb for underlining how silly this rumour is. This site is for information not fairy tales.

[Eurohistory]

I was searching through some microfilm of the NY Times today and ran across this article on Princess Mafalda reguarding her death.  The article dated 24 April 1945 stated that "Pss. Mafalda was interned at the request of her husband Prince Philip of Hesse Kassel who denounced his wife as not enthusiatic enough over the Hitler regime." 

Blasphemous!

Arturo

[Alexandre64]

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj213/Alexandre64_2007/Photo/Mafalda31.jpg

[Princess Jil]

 In fact at the end of August 1943 she left for Sofia hoping to be of assistance to her sister Giovanna who husband, King Boris of Bulgaria, was seriously sick.

This is very interesting to me.  I have read somewhat about King Boris III on different websites.  He seemed to get seriously ill and then died after a meeting with Hitler.  I have read that some believed he was poisened by Hitler.  It was said that Boris refused to give over the Jews of Bulgaria to Hitler.  He would not allow them to be sent to concertration camps or killed. I am sure this caused Hitler to be quite angered at Boris and possibly more angered at Italy since he was married to an Italian princess.  I wonder if this caused problems for Princess Mafalda and led in a way to her death
She did try to assist her sister and Boris (after his meeting with Hitler).

An interesting fact about Boris III is that no Jews from his country were killed during WWII.  He stood up to Hitler and saved lives.  Unfortunately, I think it led to his own death?

Do you think any of this might of tied into Princess Mafalda's death?

[LenelorMiksi]

Princess Maria Francesca (1914-2001) was the youngest child of King Victor Emanuel III of Italy (1869-1944) & Queen Elena née princess of Montenegro (1872-1952).  She married Prince Louis of Bourbon-Parma (1899-1967).  I've always thought she was very pretty from her pictures, and I came across a comment made by Queen Marie of Romania when she visited the royal family of Italy.  She said, "As to the youngest, little Maria, then about five or six years old, she was all eyes and dark curls, a perfect treasure, almost too good to be true, a real Christmas-card baby one does not expect to meet in reality.  Never had I seen eyes so large, round and black; they shone like polished gems, while as a contrast her pouting lips were cherry-red."  Marie of Romania can really bring the image of someone to life, especially as black-and-white photographs can only do so much.




I don't know anything about her personality or life beside this little snippet, but I'll try to find out more!

[britt.25]

Here is are some pictures of Prince Rémy of Bourbon-parma, one her sons. He is very good looking.









The description of the perfect look of Maria Francesca is fascinating. The pictures show that her eyes are really catching!!! Very large and black, especially on the child pictures.
The one, where she's an adult was totally new to me. Do you know, if there are any more pictures, where she is an adult??
She looks wonderful there as well. This typical mediterrean look makes her very attractive....

I have read she had some more sisters and one of them died at the KZ Buchenwald in 1944. Does anyone know, why?

[Svetabel]

Maria really looked like a mediterranean beauty, and was the pretiiest among her sisters IMHO.

With her son Guido

[royaltybuff]

I have read she had some more sisters and one of them died at the KZ Buchenwald in 1944. Does anyone know, why?

Yes, her sister, Princess Mafalda married Prince Philip of Hesse-Cassel (he was the son of Princess Margaret of Prussia, granddaughter of Queen Victoria of GB). Mafalda was arrested and placed in a concentration camp where she died. Here is a link to the Wikipedia site on her.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Princess_Mafalda_of_Savoy

[britt.25]

Thank you. I have just read through it and it's such a sad story with her short life, her arrestment, bombing, infection and death. Oh dear....

[Mari]

Yes, very sad! What measures did her family take to try and get her released? Are there any photo's of the Sisters together?

[grandduchessella]

Gleb, that image of Mafalda in court dress is simply stunning!  Thank you for shring it with us.......

Mafalda is literally covered in jewels and her gown and train are simply splendid - wonderful examples of how court dress was worn in the 30's.

I wonder what the stones of her jewellery were - emeralds or sapphires I shouldn't wonder - and it looks as though all of it is ensuite.  Quite a substantial parure........

From a 1930 news article:

a "charming dress of pale mauve hyacinth shade. The train is 100 years old and like the turqoise and diamonds she is wearing" is part of the Hessian family. Those really don't look like turquoises to me, though. 

[Eric_Lowe]

I think they are sapphires, illustrated in Gaby of Savoy's jewel book that included the sketches to this parure. I suspect she lent in to Sophie of Greece to wear later on (like Sophie's wedding, she also wore Mafalda's diamond and pearl tiara instead of borrowing her mother's tiara (now property of the Princess Royal), whom she wore for the wedding pictures taken in Paris). 

[grandduchessella]

Mafalda's husband Philip

http://images.google.com/hosted/life/f?q=hesse+source:life&imgurl=90fc950ce37a07e1

[Eric_Lowe]

He looked terrible...crushed....