Archduke Otto of Austria, Royal Prince of Hungary and Bohemia, former Head of the Austrian Imperial Family from 1922 until his abdication in 2007, turns 97 years old today.

He was born on 20 November 1912 at Villa Wartholtz in Reichenau, the eldest child of Archduke Karl and Archduchess Zita.

Archduke Otto - see bigger at his official website

Archduke Karl (1887-1922) was the eldest son of Archduke Otto (1865-1906, nephew of Emperor Franz Josef) and Archduchess Maria Josepha (1867-1944, daughter of Georg I of Saxony); Archduchess Zita (1892-1989) was a daughter of Duke Roberto I of Parma (1848-1907, the last reigning Duke) and Duchess Maria Antonia (1862-1959, youngest daughter of King Miguel I of Portugal).

Several tragic and premature deaths made Otto the third in the Line of Succession to the Throne, after his great-uncle Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Este ( whose morganatic marriage meant that his children were not in the Line of Succession) and his father Karl.

On 28 June 1914 Franz Ferdinand and his wife were killed in Sarajevo: this murder was the casus belli of the breaking out of the World War I. Two years later on 21 November 1916 Emperor Franz Josef died, after 68 years of reign; therefore Karl became Emperor of Austria and King of Hungary and Bohemia, and Otto the new Crown Prince. Read more…

MAfan Austrian Royals Archduke Otto, Biography, Birthday, Habsburg

View the image at King Hussein's official website

Today, Jordan marks the 74th anniversary of the birth of the late King Hussein. King Hussein bin Talal was born on November 14, 1935 at the Al-Qasr Al-Sagheer Palace in Amman to Prince Talal bin Abdullah and Princess Zein Al-Sharaf bint Jamil. After completing his elementary education in Amman, King Hussein attended Victoria College in Alexandria (Egypt),and Harrow School and the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, both in England.

When he was 15 years old, he witnessed the murder of his grandfather, King Abdullah I, at Al Aqsa Mosque in al-Quds (Jerusalem) after Friday prayers.

Prince Talal, King Abdullah´s eldest son, assumed the Throne on September 6, 1951; but only eleven months later, he was declared unfit to rule by parliament because of mental illness. King Talal abdicated in favour of his eldest son, Hussein. On August 11, 1952, Hussein was proclaimed King of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. He was only sixteen years old at the time. A Regency Council was appointed until King Hussein’s formal accession to the Throne on May 2, 1953, when he assumed his constitutional powers after reaching the age of eighteen, according to the Islamic calendar. Read more…

salma Jordanian Royals Anniversary, Biography, Birthday, King Hussein

Fürst Franz Josef II von und zu Liechtenstein died 20 years ago, on 13 November 1989; he has been the Head of State of the small Principality for 51 years, from 1938 to 1989, leading it during its evolution from a poor agricultural Country to one of the richest Nations in the World.

Prince Franz Josef was born in Schloss Frauenthal, Austria, on 16 August 1906, the eldest of the eight children of Prince Aloys (1869-1955) and Princess Elisabeth, née Archduchess of Austria (1878-1960); his paternal grandparents were Prince Alfred (1842-1907) and Princess Henriette (1843-1931; Alfred’s first cousin), while his maternal grandparents were Archduke Karl Ludwig of Austria (1833-1896) and his third wife Archduchess Maria Teresa, née Infanta of Portugal (1855-1944). Franz Josef was named after his godfather and maternal great-uncle, the Emperor of Austria.

Fürst Franz Josef II - source: Presse- und Informationsamt, Vaduz

Prince Franz Josef was born during the very long reign of his great-uncle Fürst Johannes II (a brother of Princess Henriette); in 1923 Prince Aloys, then 3^rd in the Line of Succession, renounced his rights, and in 1929 the deaths of Aloys’ elder brother and of Fürst Johannes left Franz Josef the first in the Line of Succession after his great-uncle Fürst Franz I (the younger brother of Princes Johannes II and Henriette).

On 30 March 1938 Fürst Franz I turned over the regency to Prince Franz Joseph, and died four months later, on 25 July 1938; Franz Josef became the Ruling Prince of Liechtenstein.

His accession happened in a very negative moment: the 1928 bankruptcy of the Liechtensteinian Sparkasse left the Government without money and very close to the bankrupt, and the 1929 economical crisis worsened further on the economical situation of the whole Country; moreover in 1938 the German Nazi government occupied Austria, and several lands and possessions of the Princely Family in that country were expropriated. Read more…

MAfan Historical Royals, Liechtenstein Royals Anniversary, Biography, Death, Franz Josef II

Indian princess Gayatri Devi could have just relaxed in her life of luxury. Instead she won three elections, ran a stud farm and started schools for girls. She was also a campaigner for democracy and women’s rights. The princess died aged 90 on July 29 this year.

Raised in an opulent palace with 500 servants, she spent holidays in London and Europe. There her family mixed with the British Royal family and the social elite.

At just 20 she married Sawai Man Singh, the Maharaja of Jaipur, in a famous wedding in 1939. His family looked down on her Cooch-Behar connections and her family didn’t like his already having two wives. The handsome young man had been practically forced to marry these wives so he spent most of his time with the princess who was called one of the ten most beautiful women in the world. A writer in Vogue called her ‘a dream in sari and jewels.’

The Maharaji ruled over more than two million people until India’s independence from Great Britain in 1947. The princess set fashion trends, met Jackie Kennedy and other important people, and held extravagant parties. She was painted by Cecil Beaton.

In 1962 she won a seat in parliament, gaining one of the largest majorities in Indian history. She won elections three times but eventually she had a conflict with Indira Gandhi over Gandhi’s socialist policies. She was put in jail for five months on what many thought were trumped up charges of tax-evasion.

Her husband died on the polo field in 1970. In 1975 she retired from politics, but she continued to support charities, run her farm, and run the Maharani Gayatri Devi Girl’s School, one of the schools that she started. The talented princess also wrote books, including her memoirs, A Princess Remembers.

She tragically had to face the death of her only son, Jagat Singh, who had abused drug and alcohol in the nineteen-nineties. She remained resilient, however, still entering society. She loved cricket and riding. The princess wanted to see the Keira Knightley film, ‘The Duchess’, according to actress, Sharmira Tagore, who married the cricketer, Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi.

The princess, ‘a picture of beauty and grace’, will be greatly missed.

attaininggrace Other Mediatized Royals Biography, Books, Death, Gayatri Devi, Maharaja of Jaipur

Two Royal Nonagenarians – Count Carl Johan Bernadotte of Wisborg and Emmanuelle de Dampierre, Duchess of Segovia, celebrated their respective 93rd and 96th birthdays recently.

Count Carl Johan Bernadotte was born as Prince Carl Johan Arthur of Sweden, Duke of Dalarna was born on October 31, 1916 as the fifth and youngest child of Crown Prince Gustaf Adolf (later King Gustaf VI Adolf of Sweden) and Crown Princess Margaret of Connaught.

courtesy of thepeerage.com

He had 3 older brothers – Gustav Adolf (born 1906), Sigvard (born 1907) and Bertil (born 1912), and a sister – Ingrid (born 1910). In 1920, when Carl Johan was only 3 years old, Crown Princess Margaret died of an infection following surgery; she was 8 months pregnant with her sixth child.

In 1946, Prince Carl Johan married Elin Wijkmark. Upon the marriage, Carl Johan lost his succession rights and renounced all titles as his wife was not of equal rank, thus making the marriage morganatic. Carl Johan and Elin didn’t have any biological issue but they adopted two children:

Monica Kristina Margaretha Bernadotte (born March 5, 1951). She was adopted in 1951. Monica married Johan Peder Grefve Bonde af Björnö in 1976: they have 3 children – Ebba Kristina (born October 20, 1980), Marianne Cecilia (born September 29, 1982) and Carl Johan (born April 14, 1984). Monica and Johan Peder divorced in 1997.

Christian Carl Henning Bernadotte (born December 3, 1949). He was adopted in 1950. Christian married Marianne Jenny in 1980: they have 3 children – Christina Margaretha (born May 28, 1983), Richard Carl (born June 8, 1985) and Philip Carl (born May 18, 1988).

In 1951, Charlotte, Grand Duchess of Luxembourg created Carl Johan Count of Wisborg. Following the death of Elin in 1987, Count Carl Johan married Countess Gunnilla Marianne Lindberg Wachtmeister af Johannishus on September 29, 1988.

Count Carl Johan is Queen Victoria’s last surviving great-grandchild. Should he live until June 29, 2011, he will surpass his elder brother Sigvard as the longest lived of Queen Victoria’s male descendants.

Victoire Jeanne Joséphine Emmanuelle (Emanuela) de Dampierre was born on November 8, 1913 to Don Roger de Dampierre, 2nd Duke of San Lorenzo, Viscount of Dampierre, Nobleman of Viterbo and Donna Vittoria Ruspoli (daughter of Emanuele Ruspoli, 1st Prince of Poggio Suasa and Mary Curtiss).

Read more…

Marsel French Royals, Spanish Royals, Swedish Royals Biography, Birthday, Count Carl Johan Bernadotte, Emanuela de Dampierre

HRH Princess Margarete of Bourbon-Parma turns 100 years old today.

Princess Margarete von Thurn und Taxis was born on 8 November 1909 at the Chateau de Beloeil, in Belgium, the family seat of the Princes of Ligne; her parents were Prince Alexander Karl von Thurn und Taxis (1881-1937) and his first wife Princess Marie, née Princess of Ligne (1885-1971), herself the daughter of Prince Louis de Ligne and Princess Elisabeth, née de la Rochefoucauld.

Princess Margarete - courtesy of roglo.eu

Margarete was the last of three children, and the only daughter; her eldest brother Raimondo married in 1949 Princess Evgenia of Greece (the daughter of Prince Giorgios and Princess Marie, née Bonaparte, and granddaughter of King Giorgios I).

Margarete’s parents divorced when she was 10; her father remarried in 1932 to Helena Holbrook-Walker; in 1923 Prince Alexander Karl was naturalized as Italian citizen, taking the title of Principe della Torre e Tasso (the Italian translation of their German surname) and was created Duke of Castel Duino, in Friuli, that still is the family seat of the descendants of Prince Raimondo and Princess Evgenia.

Princess Margarete married in Paris on 29 April 1931 His Royal Highness Prince Gaetano of Bourbon-Parma (1905-1958), the 24^th and youngest son of the late Duke Roberto of Parma (1848-1907) and his second wife Duchess Maria Antonia, née Infanta of Portugal (1862-1959). Among Prince Gaetano’s half-siblings were three titular Dukes of Parma (Enrico, Giuseppe and Elias), and Princess Maria Luisa of Bulgaria (the first wife of King Ferdinand I), while among his siblings were Duke Xavier of Parma (Head of the Carlism, and father of the present Duke Carlos Hugo), Empress Zita of Austria and Prince Felix of Luxembourg. Read more…

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Prince Reza Cyrus Pahlavi celebrated his 49th birthday on October 31st , 2009 in the company of his family at Empress Farah’s house in Washington (USA).

In honour of the occasion, Reza Pahlavi has released new photos of him with his family on his Facebook page.

Born on October 31st, 1960 in Tehran (Iran), Prince Reza is the eldest son of the late Emperor of Iran, Mohammed Reza, and Empress Farah. Reza’s siblings include Princess Farahnaz (1963), Prince Ali Reza (1966), as well as a half-sister, Princess Shahnaz (1940). His youngest sister, Princess Leila, died on June 10, 2001.

After the Iranian Revolution in 1979 Reza Pahlavi, former Crown Prince of Iran, has lived in Egypt and Morocco, and since 1984 in the United States.

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Prince Reza married Yasmine Etemad Amini on June 12, 1986. They have three daughters: Noor (April 3, 1992), Iman(September 12, 1993) and Farah (January 17, 2004).

Reza Pahlavi is a prominent voice for the cause of democracy and liberty in his homeland. The Prince has written a number of books including “Gozashteh va Ayandeh” (2000), “Winds of Change ” (2002) and “Iran L’Heure du Choix “(2009).

You can find more pictures on Reza’s facebook page.

salma Iranian Royals Biography, Birthday, Pahlavi Dynasty, Prince Reza

HH Princess Anita of Orange-Nassau, the wife of HH Prince Pieter-Christiaan, today celebrates her fortieth birthday.

View the image at Koninklijkhuis

Princess Anita was born Anita Theodora van Eijk on October 27th, 1969, to Leonardus Antonius and J.C.M. van Eijk. Anita was born in Neuchâtel, Switzerland and has an older sister and brother (her brother passed away when Anita was 16 years of age).

From her birth, Anita was a ‘citizen of the world’. She spent her early childhood in Aix-en-Provence, France before the family headed back to the Netherlands where Anita undertook her primary school education. With three countries already under her belt, the future Princess then moved to Singapore where she attended high school at the United World College of South East Asia. It was then back to the Netherlands, and Anita completed an International Baccalaureate from the Rhineland Lyceum. Read more…

JessRulz Dutch Royals Biography, Birthday, Princess Anita

Her Imperial Highness Princess Ashraf Pahlavi turns 90 years old today.

She was born on 26 October 1919, the second daughter and third child of the then Reza Khan Mirpanj and his wife, née Nimtaj Khanum; when Ashraf was 6, her father became Shahanshah Reza Pahlavi, Emperor of Iran, and her mother became the Queen Consort Tadj ol-Molouk.

Princess Ashraf - courtesy of roglo.eu

Ashraf’s siblings were an older sister, Princess Shams, a twin-brother, Shahanshah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi, and a younger brother, Prince Alì Reza.

In 1925 her father Reza Khan was declared Shah of Iran, and during his reign – between 1925 and 1941 – he pursued a politic of strong modernisation, introducing several economic and social reforms, among whom was the increasing of civil and political rights for the women; this politic was proceeded after Reza Shah’s deposition in 1941 by his son Mohammed Reza Shah, who tried to approach Iran to the Western World through the so-called “White revolution”.

Princess Ashraf grew up supporting this politic, and taking an active part in it. She was, as well as her sister Princess Shams, one of the first women to discard the veil in Iran; she devoted to welfare and social work activities, becoming Vice-President of the Imperial Organization for Social Services and President of the High Council of the Iranian Women’s Association, promoting of these organizations to reach their aims in the cultural, health, educational, legal, and social fields. Read more…

MAfan Iranian Royals Biography, Birthday, Pahlavi Dynasty, Princess Ashraf

Prince Ludwig Ferdinand of Bavaria was born 150 years ago, on 22 October 1859, in the Royal Palace in Madrid.

He was the eldest son of Prince Adalbert of Bavaria (1828-1875) and his wife Princess Amalia, née Infanta of Spain (1834-1905); his paternal grandparents were King Ludwig I and Queen Therese of Bavaria, while his maternal grandparents were Infante Francisco de Paula and Infanta Luisa Carlotta of Spain; among his cousins were three Kings of Bavaria, Ludwig II, Otto and Ludwig III, and King Alfonso XII of Spain.

Prince Ludwig Ferdinand in 1906 - from Wikipedia

Prince Ludwig Ferdinand grew up firstly in Spain and later in Bavaria together with his four siblings, a brother, Prince Alfons, and three sisters, Princess Isabella, later Princess of Savoy and Duchess of Genova, Princess Elvira, later Countess von Wrbna, and Princess Clara.

Ludwig Ferdinand studied medicine in Heidelberg and Munich, following the example of Duke Karl Theodor in Bavaria, and took the government licensing examination in Surgery and Gynaecology; he also was member of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Gynäkologie und Geburtshilfe (German Society of Gynaecology and Obstetrics) and Cirujano honorario de la Real Academia Española (Honorary Surgeon of the Spanish Royal Academy); his devotion to the medicine was seen by his family as one of the many eccentricities of the members of the Bavarian Royal Family, but later it has been very appreciated, since the Prince used to practise his job of surgeon gratuitously. Read more…

MAfan German Royals, Historical Royals Anniversary, Bavaria, Biography, Birthday, Prince Ludwig Ferdinand