Princess Irene was asked about the matter in an interview that still has to be broadcasted. So what she says exactly is not clear yet, but she does refer to her former brother-in-law (very shortly probably). To be honest I am surprised that she didn't talk about it sooner, if one of my in-laws would should at me and kill two people in the process I don't think I would remain silent about it, no matter what title they have.
I wonder how Sixte Henri relates the killing to his faith, that he is fond of flaunting. The Bourbon-Parma family (or rather prince Xavier and his family) indeed made a spectacle out of themselves in the late 70-ties. As I said int he thread about princess Irene, their reputation here (in the Netherlands) was extremely bad (I say was as very little people now remember any other Bourbon-Parma than princess Margarita). That prince Sixte seems to be a fascist and supports anti semitic bisshops doesn't do much for his reputation either I suppose.
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I never read anything about a false pregnancy of princess Irene btw. But maybe other posters know more (lucien?).
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The official reason that Carlos Hugo did not attend the 1st wedding of his daughter was because his plane was delayed. Unofficially it is said he did not approve of the character of Edwin de Roy van Zuydewijn. I am not sure how the duke thinks about unequal marriages but it seems that he has become somewhat more forgiving on the matter.
There are no doubt many who do not know anything on the stories,but I do,I have that age.....
No,there was no false pregnancy at all,a miscarriage yes,but not a false pregnancy.These are downright lies and made up stories by people who haven't got a clue in the first place.
Ofcourse CH didn't approve of that mans (EdRvZ) character,he smelled trouble before his smitten daughter did,and he was right.
On Sixtus.I have posted that story at least twice here,he aimed and shot at Irene and Carlos Hugo that day,and yes,two people in front of them were killed because of it.How Sixtus can relate the killing to his faith?Like he relates anything to himself first and then to anything/anyone else,a false saint,or in dutch,'n schijnheilige.Sixtus is a frustrated two-legged creature,a closeted queen every inch,and lack of it.An affront to mankind and a gay fascist one at that indeed,yes.If I was to meet him,I would still slap him in the face or rearrange his clockwork.That man is evil to the core.
I will never forgive him!!
The B-P family,Xavier and Madeleine were impossible people,pretentious poor rats,nada mas.It was Xavier that announced the engagement of Irene and Carlos,allthough that was the prerogative of HM Queen Juliana,who,in a split second,de-nounced that in a public statement on radio and tv here;" Our daughter is not engaged" .Old Xavier was trouble,Ok,he had been in a nazi concentration camp during the war,but his character was his and never changed,he was a hardliner as pretender.Pretender to what?Nada y nada otravez.There wasn't anything left of the former splendour,it were Irene's millions that patched-up the family and the families castle at Lignieres.
Then,as the engagement was announced by HM,and Irene and Carlos were picked up by plane by Bernhard and came to Soestdijk Palace,there was great joy,really,there was.
But then it appeared Carlos refused to give up his rights as pretender to the Throne of Spain,and Irene had to give up her rights as second in line to the Dutch Throne because of it,and ofcourse she converted to be a Roman-Catholic.The PM (Marijnissen at that time) insisted to have the marriage outside of the Netherlands and on Irene to drop her rights.It was called "the night of Marijnissen",and The Netherlands woke -up with the news that the Princess was to marry outside of the Netherlands and had stepped down as second in-line to the Throne,IIRC it was a rainy day,I remember it as being that,and all felt that way too.The people didn't understand what really happened.
The B-P family meanwhile,moved into Soestdijk Palace,and as HM and Prince Bernhard & Princess Beatrix were on a State Visit to Mexico,one Irene was to accompany them on but refused the last second to be with Carlos,the family really took over the Palace.
So much so,the staff hated their every whimp and one called Bernhard in Mexico.He got so infuriated by just another mediterrenean pretender bunch,and especially this one,that he litterally came to kick them out of Soestdijk Palace.They had taken over everything and ordered staff around as if they were theirs,so they went on strike till Bernhard kicked them out,unceremoniously.
Irene and Carlos wished for children,yes,but it wasn't untill 1971 till Carlos was born.In the meantime Irene received treatment in Geneva for years,forgot the man's name,never mind.She gave birth to Carlos in the dutch city of Nijmegen,at the (Catholic-) Radboud University hospital.
All had been forgiven by that time,btw,very soon after the wedding they were in Italy along with the rest of the family for the summer holidays,and they always came along to Lech for the winter holidays.
I recall everyones joy that Princess Irene finally gave birth,then came the twins,and then Maria-Carolina,who's 35th birthday it was yesterday.
35 Already.Time flies and heals many wounds.Duke Carlos Hugo ( who did hold the title Duke of Madrid,and I think still does allthough not connected to any claim any longer,he and Juanito get along very good) suffers of cancer.He received treatment here in Amsterdam and that is how I met him on several occasions.A modest warm and very kind frail man.
He is doing much better at present,thank goodness,and is still a dear and close companion to the various members of our Royal Family and as we know,he's always invited to the family events and warmly greeted by the a tad older as they recognise him and like him still.
What a life he had/has.His aunt the last Empress of Austria,all that is gone,all the splendour,what is left is a smiling friendly and warm human.
