Princely House of Auersperg

[Warren]

Arms of the Princely House of Auersperg

The Princely House of Auersperg

Catholic, the family traces its descent from Adolf I (von Ursperg), Lord of Auersberg (990-1060) taking their name from the castle of "Unter Auerperg" in Carniola.
Baron of the Holy Empire 1550
Count of the Holy Empire 1630
Prince of the Holy Empire 1653
Acquired two counties which were erected into a Princely County 1664 (sold to the Grand Duchy of Baden in 1811).
The title of Prince of the Holy Empire was extended to all descendants 1791.
The lines of Auersperg and Auersperg-Trautson descend from the two sons of Wilhelm, 6th Prince of Auersperg (1749-1822).

Members of the family bear the title of Prince or Princess von Auersperg with the qualification of Serene Highness.

Line I: . Adolf, 11th Fürst von Auersperg (b1937), succeeded his father Karl-Adolf, the 10th Fürst, in 2006
married 1961 Maria de las Mercedes Tournier

Line II: . Franz Josef, Fürst von Auersperg-Trautson (b1954), succeeded his father Fürst Eduard Karl in 2002
married 1994 Archduchess Constanza of Austria (dau of Archduke Carl Ludwig and Princess Yolande de Ligne)

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[NoorMeansLight]

Princely Family of Auersperg

I was looking for information about this princely family, but don't seem able to find any thread. I've read that some of them, if not all, are direct descendants of Empress Maria-Theresia. Here's a link:

Principality of Auersperg - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Other than the basics, I know nothing about them, so here's hoping we could start a discussion regarding this royal family. The moderators shall feel free to remove the thread, in case this topic already exists.

 

[scooter]

I actually know Prince Alexander von Auersperg and his sister Princess Ala from Newport RI. Very nice people.

 

[michelleq]

I actually know Prince Alexander von Auersperg and his sister Princess Ala from Newport RI. Very nice people.

Aren't they the children of Sunny Von Bulow?

 

[scooter]

Yes. The house where Sunny entered her coma is my in-laws neighbor.

 

[Marc23]

I've read that some of them, if not all, are direct descendants of Empress Maria-Theresia. Here's a link:

Principality of Auersperg - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

There are too many Auerspergs,there is a comital line and I think 2 Princely lines...Auersperg-Trautson and Auersperg-Breunner...some of them are indeed descendants of Maria Theresia through marriages with some members of Imperial family(Auersperg-Trautson) or through some other branch like Counts von Meran(morganatic Habsburg descendants) with Auersperg-Breunner line...

Interesting fact is that long term mistress of Maria Theresia's husband Francis Stephan,was Princess Wilhelmine von Auersperg...

Afer he died Maria Theresia ordered that no lady should wear make-up and in that way pay respect to him...

But,at his funeral,Princess Wilhelmine von Auersperg showed herself in full manner and of course with make-up...When Maria Theresia approached her and asked was she aware of the mourning order,she coldly replied:"I didn't know I got my face from the state..."

 

[Kataryn]

Interesting fact is that long term mistress of Maria Theresia's husband Francis Stephan,was Princess Wilhelmine von Auersperg...

Historian Renate Zeidinger in her biography of Franz Stephan writes that while there has been a lot of contemporary hear-say about Franz Stephan and mistresses there is no actual proof while the odds are that he wouldn't have been able to conduct an affair without people realising that. So if there were affairs, they would have been documented.

Wilhelmine of Auersperg eg was the daughter of Franz Stephan's custodian and tutor Count Neipperg, who had raised the young prince. She later married a favorite of the then emperor, Fuerst Johann Adam von Auersperg and was called "La Belle Princesse" at court. It is know that Franz Stephan favored her and her husband, but from the letters which still exist it is clearly just friendship between them, with Wilhelmine very much in love with her husband. Otherwise I doubt the empress would have accepted the princess at court after the emperor's death.

Another example is Beatrice de Ligniville, an Italian princess who had married to Lorraine where she met and befriended Franz Stephan, his mother and his sister. Some letters are still to be found in Nancy's archives and it seems that Franz Stephan was a typical well-read man of his time who befriended ladies with a certain esprit, enjoyed their presence at court or their correspondence but stayed true to his wife.

 

[Marc23]

Very interesting,thank you...I read that Franz Stephan left some money to Princess Wilhelmine and that Maria Theresia payed her off after his death and that always confused me...

I read that Maria Theresa somehow tolerated this "relationship" as Wilhelmine sometimes joined the imperial family when dining.Once,she was seated next to Archduchess Maria Amalia and another time,next to Archduchess Maria Elisabeth.Maria Theresia sat next to her daughters on both occasions.

The money Empress later gave to Princess Wilhelmine was already promised.Order for release was already signed by the Emperor Franz Stephan before the family set out for Innsbruck,where he died.I also have to say that she was quite rude at the funeral.

I think as time went by MT and Franz's relationship became less and less pleasant.I read that MT only idolized her husband upon his death but the last decade or so were not so pleasant for both of them.

It is also interesting that it was stated that Wilhelmine was also having an affair with the famous Prince Charles de Ligne...

Maybe it would be also interesting to add that this Priness Wilhelmine von Auersperg descended from Habsburgs...she is a direct descendant of Maximilian I,Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire!

Her husband Prince Johann Adam Joseph von Auersperg was also related to Empress Maria Theresia as they both descended from Count Ernst von Mansfeld who died in 16th century!

 

[Kataryn]

Maybe it would be also interesting to add that this Priness Wilhelmine von Auersperg descended from Habsburgs...she is a direct descendant of Maximilian I,Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire!

Her husband Prince Johann Adam Joseph von Auersperg was also related to Empress Maria Theresia as they both descended from Count Ernst von Mansfeld who died in 16th century!

Today the herediary Count Neipperg is married to Archduchess Andrea of Austria, eldest child of Otto von Habsburg and the late Archduchess Regina.
And not to forget the other Archduchess, Marie Louise, the granddaughter of Maria-Theresia who married her Neipperg as well...

 

[Warren]

Posts discussing which Mediatised Families were considered "equal" in terms of marriage by the Habsburgs have been moved to the
Habsburg Heirs and House Rules thread.

 

[NoorMeansLight]

Thank you all for your posts, very informative as always! Marc23, I love private details like that (like the make-up incident). The Auersperg-Trautson line seems to be more significant than the rest, I guess I'll have to read more about them.

 

[Johann Salvator]

As a child I grew up in Uruguay where my father owns a ranch. I remember our neighbours 'the princes' who were Austrians and Auspergs. I remember visiting them and also feeling disappointed when my mother told me of who they were, because although they were a lot richer than us, they did not fulfilled what I imagined a family of princes should be.
Does anyone know of a branch of the family moving to South America? They were the nicest people and I believe they still live there. thanks!

 

[Marc23]

Family of present,11th Fürst von Auersperg lives or lived in Montevideo...genealogically speaking they are senior branch of Fürsten von Auersperg-Breunner as the first Prince of this,Breunner line is younger brother of the grandfather of the Prince who resides in Uruguay...

Hope this does not sound complicated ;-)

 

[sirhon11234]

Wow, I remembering hearing about Sunny Von Bulow, I didn't know she was once married into a Princely family.

 

[Marc23]

Wow, I remembering hearing about Sunny Von Bulow, I didn't know she was once married into a Princely family.

Yes,to Prince Alfred von Auersperg...here are some of his pictures:

http://www.televisioninternet.com/news/pictures/prince-alfred-von-auersperg.jpg

http://www.seilern.ch/media/Alfi-Auersperg-1976-.gif

http://www.brookspeters.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/svbAlf.jpg

 

[MAfan]

Prince Alfred was the son of Prince Alois von Auersperg and his wife Princess Henriette, née Countess Larisch von Möennich; he was born in 1936 and married to Martha "Sunny" Crawford in 1957; if I recall correctly, they met in Austria in 1956 in a hotel where he worked as a tennis instructor. They had two children together, Annie-Laurie and Alexander, before divorcing in 1965.
In 1968 he re-married to Hannelore Auer, but also this marriage ended in divorce after eleven years; they didn't have children together.
In 1979 Alfred married as his third wife to Beatrice Kyd Edle von Rebenburg, with whom he had a daughter, Cecile, in 1980.
Three years later Prince Alfred was involved in a car crash in Austria; he went into a irreversible coma until his death nine years later, in 1992.

 

[Marc23]

So,both he and his former wife Sunny were at the same time in coma for years...poor children,they must have suffered a lot!

 

[Johann Salvator]

Family of present,11th Fürst von Auersperg lives or lived in Montevideo...genealogically speaking they are senior branch of Fürsten von Auersperg-Breunner as the first Prince of this,Breunner line is younger brother of the grandfather of the Prince who resides in Uruguay...

Hope this does not sound complicated ;-)

I just searched them following your info and found lots of them in Uruguay! Thanks for your help, wasn't complicated at all

 

[Lindy]

House of Auersperg at Otto's Funeral?

Did Franz Josef, Fürst von Auersperg-Trautson and his wife, Archduchess Constanza of Austria (daughter of the late Archduke Carl Ludwig and Princess Yolande de Ligne), attend the funeral of Archduke Otto? (I did see pictures of Yolande and her other children: Rodolph, Carl-Christian, and Alexandra.)

 

[Seraphine]

Lukas of Auersperg married Alice of Bavaria, but already some years ago. She has made her doctor in zoology at vienna university in between.
Does anybody know, if she is pregnant now ? I think it's time....

 

[Marc23]

It is also interesting that Princess Alice of Bavaria is descendant of Princess Sophie von Auersperg,who died at the beginning of 20th century...so,she and her husband are related...

Don't know if she is pregnant though :-(

 

[Marc23]

Ca anyone tell me(if somebody knows) which family is the present owner of the Auersperg Palace in Vienna...

I found this:"In the beginning of 2006 the Palais was sold again to an old European family."

Is this Auersperg or some other noble family?Thnx

 

[NGalitzine]

Do Ala and Alexander, the children of Sunny von Bulow, ever take part in aristocratic events in Europe or do they pretty much remain in New York?

 

[Kit]

It is not known who owns the palais currently. In 2006 it was sold to a swiss investor group who wished to remain anonymous. In 2008 it was sold again via an Internet-auction. That is all that the public knows about it.

 

[Marc23]

Thank you...didn't know it was resold!Maybe just wanted to know if some related family bought the palace...

 

[Warren]

.
Palais Auersperg, Vienna

The Palace was built between 1706-1710. In 1777 Johann Adam, Fürst Auersperg, friend and confidant of Emperor Franz-Stephan and Empress Maria Theresia, bought the Palais, at that time still called Palais Rofrano. In 1786 the Palais was renamed Palais Auersperg.

In 1940 Prince Ferdinand Auersperg (1887–1942) inherited the Palais and on his death two years later it passed to his sister Princess Christiane von Cröy who lived with her family in the upper rooms during World War II. Members of the Resistance were hidden in the Palais and there is a sign near the entrance in commemoration.

The palace was sold in 1953 to Konsul Alfred Weiss, founder of Arabia Kaffee.


v Palais Auersperg, Vienna
Content and photograph courtesy of Wikipedia, reproduced under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported licence.

 

[Ilse]

Prince Johannes of Auersperg-Trautson got engaged to Countess Maria-Fátima Czernin von und zu Chudenitz.
Nobiliana.

 

[fearghas]

Prince Johannes of Auersperg-Trautson got engaged to Countess Maria-Fátima Czernin von und zu Chudenitz.
Nobiliana.

A nice match, I was hoping he would marry well

 

[Duc_et_Pair]

The Czernin von und zu Chudenitz are one of the oldest noble families in Europe and have married very well into prestigious families. Interesting is that two brothers Czernin von und zu Chudentiz married two ladies Kinsky von Wchinitz und Tettau. The most famous Czernin was the last Foreign Secretary of the Double Monarchy and played a role in various diplomatic affairs. Congratulations to the engaged couple.

 

[MAfan]

Since his uncle Fürst Franz Joseph von Auersperg-Trautson (the husband of Archduchess Constanza of Austria) doesn't have any son but only daughters, Prince Johannes will eventually succeed as Fürst.