Archduke Carl-Christian, Pss Marie Astrid (née Luxembourg) and Family 2, 2022 -

[Tatiana Maria]

Do we know exactly if their Son Alexander is really divorced because of a noble tittle ?

There is no evidence for that, as far as I can see. The posted article does not mention a reason for the separation.

 

[Linda_26]

Do we know exactly if their Son Alexander is really divorced because of a noble tittle ?

As I've said in an earlier comment, it's quite certainly because of other private reasons, which have nothing to do with Natacha's title or lack thereof.
The fact that her grandfather (or great-grandfather, I don't remember) might have embellished their family history (something which is true for other people who married into royal families, as it was pointed out in another comment) was known way before the wedding, and it still went ahead (in the presence of Alexander's whole family).
So, there must be other reasons

 

[meeralakshmi]

Does anyone else think Marie-Astrid resembled Taylor Swift in her youth?

 

[Toledo]

As I was checking out the translated pages of Point de Vue for any pictures of the wedding anniversary of the Portuguese royals this weekend, I found this scandal that was reported about a week ago, if page loads in French just mouse over and right click over the browser page and select translate to English:

Did this family secret cause the divorce of Archduke Alexander of Austria?
By Chloé Friedmann - May 05, 2025, 5:15 p.m.

The rumour of a rift between the Archduke and Natacha Rumiantzoff-Pashkevich was born on the blog of the historian Marlene A. Eilers Koenig on 19 April. Since then, the German daily Bunte has looked into the "scandal" that could be at the origin of this separation.​

​

Did he marry a "false countess"? At least that's what the daily Bunte claims in an article published on May 5. According to the German media, this "scandal" could be at the origin of the recent divorce between the young man and his (ex?) wife Natacha, pronounced after a year and a half of marriage. "The family of Counts Rumiantzoff-Pashkevich does not exist," wrote journalist Antonia Barbarino. This information was already shared by historian Marlene A. Eilers Koenig on her blog in 2023.​

I recall reading about this suspicion here in the RFs, I just don't remember where but that there were questions on the family title that had nothing to do with his wife Natacha because, from what I recall, she also believed she was part of a noble family, too and not a long standing made up claim by an ancestor.

Europe has so many fraudulent aristocrats from the past that never got exposed, it's bad that this young lady had to discover it later in life. And this is not just an European thing, here in the USA we also had modern day impostors...think of a man named George Santos!

 

[Linda_26]

As I was checking out the translated pages of Point de Vue for any pictures of the wedding anniversary of the Portuguese royals this weekend, I found this scandal that was reported about a week ago, if page loads in French just mouse over and right click over the browser page and select translate to English:

Did this family secret cause the divorce of Archduke Alexander of Austria?
By Chloé Friedmann - May 05, 2025, 5:15 p.m.

The rumour of a rift between the Archduke and Natacha Rumiantzoff-Pashkevich was born on the blog of the historian Marlene A. Eilers Koenig on 19 April. Since then, the German daily Bunte has looked into the "scandal" that could be at the origin of this separation.​

​

Did he marry a "false countess"? At least that's what the daily Bunte claims in an article published on May 5. According to the German media, this "scandal" could be at the origin of the recent divorce between the young man and his (ex?) wife Natacha, pronounced after a year and a half of marriage. "The family of Counts Rumiantzoff-Pashkevich does not exist," wrote journalist Antonia Barbarino. This information was already shared by historian Marlene A. Eilers Koenig on her blog in 2023.​

I recall reading about this suspicion here in the RFs, I just don't remember where but that there were questions on the family title that had nothing to do with his wife Natacha because, from what I recall, she also believed she was part of a noble family, too and not a long standing made up claim by an ancestor.

Europe has so many fraudulent aristocrats from the past that never got exposed, it's bad that this young lady had to discover it later in life. And this is not just an European thing, here in the USA we also had modern day impostors...think of a man named George Santos!

As we've already said in this thread, it's quite clear that the divorce has nothing to do with the controversy about Natacha's title (which was known long before the wedding).
There are certainly other, more serious, reasons.

 

[Marengo]

I missed this earlier, but two weeks ago Natasha's father wrote an angry letter to Point de Vue, which they published. Although he attacks an 'American librarian in Virginia' [Marlene, I presume], he fails to clarify anything. He says the findings are simply untrue but that is it. While earlier on [at the time of the marriage] it was discovered by Marlene and by us here that the claims were shaky at the very best.

article: Droit de réponse du comte Roumiantzoff

translation: Droit de réponse du comte Roumiantzoff

Quite odd that Point de Vue simply published this, without taking up any of the points of doubt.

But what it does show is that the claims are not by Natasha's making but it is something the family feels passionately about and which she will have heard since her childhood years.

 

[Somebody]

It is especially unclear how his father being a war hero has any relevance to this title discussion... Does anyone have access to (and/or more information about) the biography of his 'legendary father' - as he suggests the information included would clear all doubts; although I am not sure how letters of General De Gaulle could proof anything regarding his ancestry - birth documents, however, would at least theoretically be an interesting source to understand their claims better and compare it to other sources.

Based on references to it in this Pravda-Belgium article, it seems to be a personal memoir published by his son (Natasha's father).

I do like how Marlene stresses on her blog that none of this is Natacha's fault. It seems rather likely her grandfather made it up and it would be hard to go against something that is so much part of what you've 'known' about your family and that at least her father is still very passionate about.

However, if the various Russian genealogists indicate there are no male-line descendants in this family, while the family wants the world to believe their claim that they in fact are, the best way would be to publish a clear lineage (which for a noble family should be relatively easy to support with marriage, birth and baptismal records for example).

 

[Marengo]

Indeed it is written by his son:

https://www.amazon.fr/Roum-Nicolas-ROUMIANTZOFF/dp/2749142938

See: Archduke Carl-Christian, Pss Marie Astrid (née Luxembourg) and Family 2, 2022 -

Marlene has been fair IMO. But perhaps the son has trouble accepting that his father may have embelished this story. Or if we want to be generous: trouble that claims to grandeur of the family have no basis in written sources. But the son is right -as nobody ever contested- his father the general was a hero and did great things for France in the war.

 

[iceflower]

Together with Grand Duke Henri Archduke Carl-Christian and Princess Marie Astrid attended the celebrations for the 40th anniversary of the signing of the Schengen Agreement in Schengen today, June 14:


** anp gallery **

40e anniversaire de l’Accord de Schengen | Cour grand-ducale

Site officiel de la famille grand-ducale luxembourgeoise, le rôle de Chef de l'Etat du Grand-Duc.

monarchie.lu

Cour grand-ducale Luxembourg on Instagram: "🇪🇺 S.A.R. le Grand-Duc, accompagné de S.A.R. la Princesse Marie-Astrid et de S.A.I.R. l’Archiduc Christian d’Autriche, a participé, ce samedi, en compagnie du Président de la Chambre des Députés, Claude Wis

75 likes, 1 comments - courgrandducale on June 14, 2025: "🇪🇺 S.A.R. le Grand-Duc, accompagné de S.A.R. la Princesse Marie-Astrid et de S.A.I.R. l’Archiduc Christian d’Autriche, a participé, ce samedi, en compagnie du Président de la Chambre des Députés, Claude Wiseler, du Vice-Premier ministre...

www.instagram.com

 

[JR76]

However, if the various Russian genealogists indicate there are no male-line descendants in this family, while the family wants the world to believe their claim that they in fact are, the best way would be to publish a clear lineage (which for a noble family should be relatively easy to support with marriage, birth and baptismal records for example).

For a noble family with roots in the former Russian empire those records could be a nightmare to obtain. Even impossible since civil wars, foreign invasions, political purges of both people and archives have been disastrous for that kind of records.
There are, however, extensive records of the nobility of the Russian empire available also outside of the former empire and if the family doesn't turn up there then that is a very clear indication of that its claim is false.