Royal News of 2004, Section I

Last update on 6 April 2005

ALBANIA

Queen Susan of the Albanians died at Tirana on 17 July.
[She was born at Waverly, Sydney, New South Wales, on 28 January 1941, daughter of Alan Robert Cullen-Ward and of his wife, née Phyllis Dorothea Murray-Prior. In 1975 she married King Leka of the Albanians. Leka was the only child of King Zog of the Albanians and of his wife, née Geraldine Gräfin Apponyi de Nagy Appony. Leka was born on 5 April 1939, three days before his father fled the country. He assumed the title of King on his father's death in 1961. Queen Susan is survived by her husband and by their only child, Leka (b.1982).] (added 18 Jul 2004)

ANHALT

Johann Friedrich Wilhelm Karl Alexander Kuno Ferdinand Freiherr Hiller von Gaertringen died at Sindelfingen on 15 December.
[He was born at Stuttgart on 5 May 1921, son of Johann Heinrich Berthold Freiherr Hiller von Gaertringen and of his wife, née Gertraude Gräfin von Westarp (daughter of Kuno Friedrich Viktor Graf von Westarp [himself a direct male descendant of Prince Franz of Anhalt-Bernburg-Schaumburg-Hoym] and of his wife, née Ada Gräfin von Pfeil u.Klein-Ellguth).] (added 18 Dec 2004)

AUSTRIA

Archduke Ferdinand of Austria (b.1965, son of Archduke Heinrich of Austria and of his wife, née Ludmilla Gräfin von Galen) and his wife, née Katharina Gräfin von Hardenberg (who is a television presenter under the name Tita von Hardenberg), had their second child, Paulina, in Berlin on 14 January. (updated 24 Feb 2003)

Leopold Graf von Habsburg (son of Archduke Radbot of Austria and of his wife, née Caroline Proust) and his wife, née Nina Lenhart-Backhaus, had their first child, Chiara, at Vienna on 9 March. (updated 3 Apr 2004)

Leopoldina Tasso de Saxe-Coburgo e Bragança (daughter of Carl-Eduard Tasso de Saxe-Coburgo e Braganca [himself the son of Lamoral Freiherr Taxis di Bordogna e Valnigra and of his wife, Princess Theresia of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha] and of his wife, née Archduchess Walburga of Austria [herself the daughter of Archduke Georg of Austria and of his wife, née Marie Valerie Gräfin von Waldburg zu Zeil und Trauchburg]) married Alessandro Pavone (b.Rome 24 Nov 1975, son of Giovanni Carlo Pavone and of his wife, née Carla Boniolo) at the church of San Antonio, Faro, Portugal on 29 May. (added 1 Sep 2004)

Antonio Tasso de Saxe-Coburgo e Braganca (son of Carl-Eduard Tasso de Saxe-Coburgo e Braganca [himself the son of Lamoral Freiherr Taxis di Bordogna e Valnigra and of his wife, Princess Theresia of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha] and of his wife, née Archduchess Walburga of Austria [herself the daughter of Archduke Georg of Austria and of his wife, née Marie Valerie Gräfin von Waldburg zu Zeil und Trauchburg]) married Gabrielle Tardieu de Maleissye-Melun (daughter of Comte Jean Tardieu de Maleissye-Melun and of his wife, née Marie-Françoise de Gouvello de Keriaval [herself the daughter of Renaud, Marquis de Gouvello de Keriaval and of his wife, née Princess Béatrix Merode]) at Saint-Saturnin de Sarzeau, Morbihan, on 27 August. (updated 1 Sep 2004)

Prince Georg von Altenburg (b.1964, son of Prince Georg von Altenburg [himself the son of Archduke Clemens Salvator of Austria, Prince von Altenburg, and of his wife, née Elisabeth Gräfin Rességuier de Miremont] and of his wife, née Maria Roswitha Wickl) died on 20 April. (added 30 Aug 2004)

Archduke Martin of Austria (son of Archduke Robert of Austria-Este and of his wife, Princess Margherita of Savoy) married Princess Katharina zu Isenburg  (daughter of Franz Alexander Fürst zu Isenburg and of his wife, née Christine Gräfin von Saurma, Freiin von und zu der Jeltsch) at Birstein on 7 May. (updated 8 May 2004)

Archduke Sigismund, head of the Royal House of Tuscany, and his wife, née Elyssa Edmonstone, had their third child, Maximilian Stefano Sigismund William Bruce Erik Leopold, at Livingston, Scotland, on 27th May. (source: David McIntosh, added 29 May 2004)

Wolfgang Friederichsen died on 22 June.
[He was born at Hamburg on 20 August 1940. In 2002 he married Johanna Gräfin von und zu Eltz gt Faust von Stromberg (daughter of Jakob Graf und Edler Herr von und zu Eltz gt Faust von Stromberg and of his wife, née Ladislaja Freiin Mayr von Melnhof [herself the daughter of Friedrich Freiherr Mayr von Melnhof and of his wife, née Maria-Anna Gräfin von Meran (herself descended in the male line from Archduke Johann of Austria)]). (added 11 Jul 2004)

Archduke Georg of Austria (second son of Archduke Otto and of his wife Regina, Princess of Saxe-Meiningen) and his wife Eilika, Duchess of Oldenburg, had their third child, Carl Constantin, on 20 July. (updated 2 Aug 2004)

Comte Guillaume du Bessey de Contenson (son of Comte Louis du Bessey de Contenson and of his wife, née Beatrix Balsan) and his wife, Princess Henriette von Altenburg (daughter of Prince Clemens von Altenburg [himself the son of Archduke Clemens Salvator of Austria and of his wife, née Elisabeth Gräfin Rességuier de Miremont] and of his wife, née Laurence Costa de Beauregard) had their third child, Karl-Ludwig, at Geneva on 26 July. (added 22 Aug 2004)

Archduke Ferdinand of Austria (b.at Vienna on 6 December 1918, son of Archduke Maximilian of Austria and of his wife, née Princess Franziska zu Hohenlohe-Waldenburg-Schillingsfürst) died at Ulm on 6 August.
[He had married in 1956 Helene Gräfin zu Toerring-Jettenbach (daughter of Carl Theodor Graf zu Toerring-Jettenbach and of his wife, Princess Elisabeth of Greece and Denmark), and is survived by her, and by a son and a daughter. Another daughter died in 1983.] (added 16 Aug 2004)

Alfonso Carlos Tasso de Saxe-Coburgo e Braganca (son of Carl-Eduard Tasso de Saxe-Coburgo e Braganca [himself the son of Lamoral Freiherr Taxis di Bordogna e Valnigra and of his wife, Princess Theresia of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha] and of his wife, née Archduchess Walburga of Austria [herself the daughter of Archduke Georg of Austria and of his wife, née Marie Valerie Gräfin von Waldburg zu Zeil und Trauchburg]) and his wife, née Charlotte de Panafieu, had their first child, Pia, at Milan on 3 September. (added 11 Sep 2004)

Christoph Graf von Meran (son of Maximilian Graf von Meran [a direct male descendant of Archduke Johann of Austria] and of his wife, née Princess Colienne zu Schwarzenberg) and his wife, née Marie Charlotte Gräfin Henckel von Donnersmarck (daughter of Carl Josef Graf Henckel von Donnersmarck and of his wife, née Princess Marie Adelaide of Luxemburg), had their first child, Johannes Maximilian, on 29 September. (added 18 Feb 2005)

Archduke Guntram of Austria (son of Archduke Leopold Franz of Austria and of his first wife, Laetitia de Belzunce- d'Arenberg) and his wife, née Debora de Sola, had their second child, Tiziano Leopold, at Montevideo, on 24 October. (added 18 Dec 2004)

BADEN

Hereditary Prince Bernhard of Baden (son of Margrave Max of Baden and of his wife, Archduchess Valerie of Austria) and his wife, née Stephanie Kaul, had their second son, Friedrich Bernhard Leopold Christian Berthold Christoph, at Elisabethenkrankenhaus in Ravensburg on 9 March. (updated 26 Jun 2004)

BAVARIA

Princess Elisabeth of Bavaria (daughter of Max-Emanuel, Duke in Bavaria, and of his wife, née Elisabeth Gräfin Douglas) married Daniel Terberger at Nymphenburg on 25 September. (updated 26 Sep 2004)

Adelgunde Freifrau von Hoenning-O'Carroll, née Princess of Bavaria, died on 20 September.
[She was born at Nymphenburg on 9 June 1917, daughter of Prince Franz of Bavaria (1875-1957) and of his wife, Princess Isabella von Croy (1890-1982). In 1948 she married Zdenko Freiherr von Hoenning-O'Carroll (1906-1996). She is survived by their five children.] (added 26 Sep 2004)

BELGIUM

Prince Laurent of Belgium (younger son of King Albert II of the Belgians) and his wife, née Claire Coombs, had their first child, Louise Sophie Mary, at Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc, Woluwé-Saint-Lambert on 6 February. (updated 9 Feb 2004)

BRAZIL

Rodrigo Otavio Broglia Mendes and his wife, Princess Maria Pia of Orléans-Bragança (daughter of Prince Pedro de Orléans-Bragança [himself a son of the late Prince Pedro Henrique of Orléand-Bragança and of his wife, Princess Maria of Bavaria] and of his wife, née Maria de Fátima Lacerda Rocha) had their first child, Antonio, at Rio de Janeiro on 21 October. (updated 24 Oct 2004)

DENMARK

Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark (son of Queen Margrethe II of Denmark and of her husband, Prince Henrik [born Henri de Laborde de Monpezat]) married Mary Donaldson (b.Hobart, Tasmania, 5 Feb 1972, daughter of Professor John Dalgleish Donaldson and his first wife Henrietta Clark (d.1997)) at Vor Frue Church, Copenhagen on 14 May 2004. (updated 16 May 2004)

Countess Feodora af Rosenborg (daughter of Count Christian af Rosenborg [born Prince of Denmark, son of Prince Knud of Denmark, younger brother of King Frederik IX] and of his wife, née Anne-Dorthe Maltoft-Nielsen) married Eric Hervé Patrice Patte (b.Pont-à-Mousson 20 Aug 1976, son of Philippe and Monique Patte) at Holmens Kirke, Copenhagen, on July 31st 2004. (updated 31 Jul 2004)

Thomas Schmidt and his wife, née Countess Josephine af Rosenborg (daughter of Count Christian af Rosenborg [born Prince of Denmark, son of Prince Knud of Denmark, younger brother of King Frederik IX] and of his wife, née Anne-Dorthe Maltoft-Nielsen) had their second child, Clara, at Copenhagen in November. (updated 4 Dec 2004)

Prince Joachim of Denmark (younger son of Queen Margrethe II of Denmark and of her husband, Prince Henrik [born Henri de Laborde de Monpezat]) and his wife, Princess Alexandra, née Manley, have announced their separation. It is expected that their divorce will become final in 2005. (added 21 Sep 2004)

FRANCE (BONAPARTE)

Mme Albert Prouvost, née Anne de Maigret, died on 27 January.
[She was born at Epernay in 1923, daughter of Comte Louis de Maigret and of his wife, née Marie Roselyne de Villeneuve [herself the daughter of Christian, Marquis de Villeneuve-Esclapon, and of his wife, née Princess Jeanne Bonaparte (herself the daughter of Prince Pierre Bonaparte (1815-1881))]). In 1941 she married Albert Prouvost (1909-1991) by whom she had five children.] (added 1 Feb 2004)

Comte André Walewski (a direct male descendant of Comte Alexandre Colonna-Walewski, natural son of Emperor Napoléon I) and his wife, née Hélène Desmousseaux de Givré, had their second child, Armand, at Neuilly-sur-Seine on 24 February. (added 9 Mar 2004)

Comte Fabrice Walewski (a direct male descendant of Comte Alexandre Colonna-Walewski, natural son of Emperor Napoléon I) and his wife, née Maguelonne Redier, had their fourth child, Alexandre, at Neuilly on 26 April. (added 8 Jun 2004)

The engagement was announced between Guillaume, Comte de Villelume (son of Jacques, Marquis de Villelume and of his wife, née Jeanine Ruchaud) and Laetitia de Witt (daughter of Comte Baudouin de Witt [himself the son of Count Sergei de Witt and of his wife, née Princess Marie Clotilde Napoléon (herself the daughter of Victor, Prince Napoléon, and of his wife, Princess Clementine of Belgium)] and of his wife, née Isabelle de Rocca Serra).

Comte Nicolas Walewski (a direct male descendant of Alexandre Colonna-Walewski, natural son of Emperor Napoléon I) and his wife, née Clotilde Le Saux, had their third son, Melchior, at London on 9 November. (added 26 Nov 2004)

FRANCE (BOURBON)

Luis Alfonso de Borbón y Martínez-Bordiú, Duc d'Anjou (son of Alfonso de Borbón, Duque de Cádiz, Duc d'Anjou et de Bourbon, and of his wife, née Carmen Martínez-Bordiú y Franco, and the senior male member by primogeniture of the House of France) married María Margarita Vargas Santaella (daughter of Víctor José Vargas Irausquín and of his wife, née Carmen Leonor Santaella Tellerías) at Caracas on 5 November, followed by a religious ceremony at La Romana [Altos de Chavón], Dominican Republic, on 6 November. (updated 6 Apr 2005)

Stephanie Michelle de Borbón (daughter of Don Gonzalo de Borbón, Duc de Aquitaine, and of Sandra Lee Landry) and her husband, Richard Carl McMasters, had their fifth child, Alexander Leandro Joaquin Gonzalo McMasters de Borbon, at the Jupiter Medical Center, Florida, on 21 September. (added 15 Mar 2005)

FRANCE (ORLÉANS)

Princess Diane d'Orléans (b.1970, daughter of Prince Jacques d'Orléans, Duc d'Orléans, and of his wife, née Gersende de Sabran-Pontevès) married Alexis de Noailles (b.1952, younger son of Philippe de Noailles, Duc de Mouchy, Prince de Poix, and of his first wife, née Diane de Castellane) at a civil ceremony at Paris on 6 September, followed by a religious ceremony the same day at Chapelle Notre-Dame de la Compassion (Chapelle Royale Saint-Ferdinand) in Paris. (updated 27 Sep 2004)

The engagement was announced between Alexandre de Sambucy de Sorgue (son of François-Xavier de Sambucy de Sorgue and of his wife, Princess Jeanne-Chantal d'Orléans) and Anne-Cécile Berteau. (added 13 Nov 2004)

Pierre Louis Dailly and his wife, née Princess Adelaide d'Orléans (daughter of Prince Michel d'Orléans, Comte d'Evreux, and of his wife, née Béatrice de Pasquier de Franclieu), had their second child, Almudena, at Paris on 16 December. (updated 16 Jan 2005)

GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND

Richard James Christopher Bland (elder son of Godfrey Hamilton Bland and of his wife, née Olga Mary Hohler [herself the daughter of Edward Hohler and of his wife, née Jane Lane (herself the daughter of Robert Charlton Lane and of his wife, née Olga Fitzgeorge [whose father was a morganatic son of Prince George of Great Britain, Ireland and Hannover, Duke of Cambridge])]), married Eleanor Mary Townsend (b.1971, eldest daughter of John Richard Townsend and of his wife, née Lady Juliet Smith [herself the daughter of the second Earl of Birkenhead], LVO, a Lady-in-Waiting to Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon, 1965-71, and Extra Lady-in-Waiting 1971-2002) at St James’s Church, Newbottle, Northamptonshire, on 7 August. (updated 11 Aug 2004)

Lady Davina Windsor (elder daughter of Prince Richard of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Duke of Gloucester, and of his wife, née Birgitte van Deurs) married Gary Lewis (a New Zealander, son of Larry Lewis and of Vikki Carr) at Kensington Palace on 31 July. (updated 1 Aug 2004)

Among items passed by the Privy Council in December, 2003: ""Declaration of Consent to the marriage of Henry Ulick Lascelles and Fiona Margaret Wilmott. Order directing that the Instrument signifying consent be entered in the books of the Privy Council." Henry Ulick Lascelles (b.1953), is the son of Hon. Gerald Lascelles (himself the younger son of Henry Lascelles, 6th Earl of Harewood, and of his wife, Mary, Princess Royal of Great Britain and Ireland) and of his first wife, née Angela Dowding. He had married Alexandra Morton in 1979.

Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester, died at Kensington Palace on 29 October.
[She was born Lady Alice Montagu-Douglas-Scott an Montagu House on 25 December 1901, the daughter of John, 7th Duke of Buccleuch and Queensberry (1864-1935) and of his wife, née Lady Margaret Bridgeman (1872-1954). In 1935 she married Prince Henry of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Duke of Gloucester, the third son of King George V. He died in 1974. Their elder son, Prince William, was killed in an air crash near Wolverhampton in 1972. She is survived by her younger son, Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester, and by his wife and children.] (added 5 Nov 2004)

Tim Taylor and his wife, née Lady Helen Windsor (daughter of Prince Edward of Great Britain and Ireland, Duke of Kent, and of his wife, née Katharine Worsley) had their fourth child, Estella, on 21 December. (added 4 Jan 2005)

Hon. Sir Angus Ogilvy died at Kingston Hospital, London, on 26 December.
[He was born at London on 14 September 1928, son of David Ogilvy, 7th Earl of Airlie, and of his wife, Lady Alexandra Coke. In 1963 he married Princess Alexandra of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (daughter of Prince George, Duke of Kent, and of his wife, Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark). He is survived by her, and by their son, James, and their daughter, Marina, and by four grandchildren.] (added 2 Jan 2005)

GREECE

Crown Prince Pavlos of Greece (eldest son of King Constantine II of the Hellenes and of his wife, née Princess Anne-Marie of Denmark) and his wife, née Marie-Chantal Miller, had their fourth child, a son, Odyseus, at Portland Hospital, London, on 17 September. (updated 6 Nov 2004)

HOHENZOLLERN

Princess Désirée von Hohenzollern (b.1963, daughter of Prince Johann Georg von Hohenzollern and of his wife, Princess Birgitta of Sweden) has married, secondly, Eckbert von Bohlen und Halbach(b.1956, son of Berthold von Bohlen und Halbach [himself the son of Gustav Krupp von Bohlen und Halbach, owner of the Krupp manufacturing empire] and of his wife, née Edith von Maltzan Freiin von Wartenberg und Penzlin) at Schloß Bruchsal in November. She was formerly married, from 1990 to 2002, to Heinrich Erbgraf zu Ortenburg. He was formerly married, from 1988 to 1995, to Ulrike Freiin Michel von Tüßling. (added 4 Dec 2004)

Princess Maria Theresia von Hohenzollern (b.at Sigmaringen on 11 October 1922, daughter of Friedrich Fürst von Hohenzollern and of his wife, Princess Margarete of Saxony) died on 13 December. (added 22 Dec 2004)

ITALY

Olivier Janssens and his wife, née Marie Elisabeth Zellinger de Balkany (daughter of Princess Maria Gabriella of Savoy and of her former husband, Robert Zellinger de Balkany) had their first child, Gabriella Luisa Maria Asia, at Bangkok, Thailand, on 7 March. (added 3 Apr 2004)

LIECHTENSTEIN

Philipp von Lattorff and his wife, Princess Tatiana of Liechtenstein (daughter of reigning Prince Hans Adam of Liechtenstein and of his wife, née Marie Gräfin Kinsky von Wchinitz u.Tettau) had their third child, Marie Teresa, at Grabs on 18 January. (added 21 Jan 2004)

Prince Hans-Moritz of Liechtenstein died at Tulln on 3 February.
[He was born at Waldstein bei Peggau on 6 August 1914, son of Prince Alfred of Liechtenstein (1875-1930) and of his wife, Princess Theresia Maria zu Oettingen-Oettingen und Oettingen-Wallerstein (1887-1971). In 1944 he married Princess Clotilde von Thurn und Taxis (b.1922, eldest child of Karl August Fürst von Thurn und Taxis and of his wife, née Maria Anna Infanta of Portugal). He is survived by her and by their seven children.] (added 9 Feb 2004)

Prince Jan Andreas of Liechtenstein (son of Prince Hanno of Liechtenstein and of his wife, née Kerstin Lundberg) and his wife, née Lena Johansson, had their first child, Viktor, in Sweden on 13 February. (added 24 Feb 2004)

Prince Alexander of Liechtenstein (son of Prince Philipp of Liechtenstein and of his wife, née Isabelle de l'Arbre de Malander) and his wife, née Astrid Barbara Kohl, had their first child, Theodora Alexandra Isabella Antonia Nora Marie, at Chêne-Bougeries, Geneva, on 20 November. (updated 19 Feb 2005)

LIPPE

Francisco Figueroa zur Lippe-Weissenfeld (son of Sergio Figueroa Tagle and of his wife, Sophie Gräfin zur Lippe-Weissenfeld [herself the daughter of Alfred Graf zur Lippe-Wissenfeld and of his wife, née Anna Gräfin von Goëß]) died at Saint-Cloud on 9 May. (added 16 May 2004)

Arndt Nikolaus von der Hagen (b.1967, son of Jürgen von der Hagen [himself the son of Hans Tronje von der Hagen and of his wife, née Renate Burggräfin und Gräfin zu Dohna-Schlobitten] and of his wife, née Lilli Gräfin von Kanitz [herself the daughter of Hans Graf von Kanitz and of his wife, née Karoline (Lilli) Princess zur Lippe (herself the daughter of Leopold Fürst zur Lippe and of his wife, née Princess Bertha of Hesse-Philippsthal-Barchfeld)]) married Maja Poppe at Meißen on 15 May. (added 11 Aug 2004)

Prince Georg zur Lippe [-Weissenfeld] (youngest son of Prince Christian zur Lippe [-Weissenfeld] (1907-1996) and of his wife, née Pauline Gräfin zu Ortenburg (1913-2002)) and his wife, née Alexandra Gerlach, had their first child, Georg Moritz, apparently in early June. (added 16 Jun 2004)

LUXEMBURG

Prince Guillaume of Luxemburg (younger brother of Grand Duke Henri of Luxemburg) and his wife, née Sibilla Weiller, had their fourth child, Jean André Guillaume Marie Gabriel Marc d'Aviano, on 13 July. (updated 14 Jul 2004)

NETHERLANDS

Queen Juliana of the Netherlands died at Soestdijk Palace on 20 March.
[She was born at The Hague on 30 April 1909, only child of Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands and of her husband, Duke Heinrich of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. In 1937 she married Prince Bernhard zur Lippe. She became Queen upon her mother's abdication in 1948. She herself abdicated in 1980 in favor of her eldest daughter, Queen Beatrix.] (added 31 Mar 2004)

Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands died at Utrecht on 1 December.
[He was born at Jena on 29 June 1911, son of Prince Bernhard zur Lippe-Biesterfeld (1872-1934) and of his wife, née Armgard von Cramm (1883-1971). In 1937 he married Princess Juliana of the Netherlands, who became Queen of the Netherlands on the abdication of her mother in 1948, until her own abdication in 1980. She died earlier this year (see above).] (added 4 Dec 2004)

Prince Constantijn of the Netherlands (youngest son of Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands) and his wife, née Petra Laurentien Brinkhorst, had their second child, Claus-Casimir Bernhard Marius Max, Ct van Oranje-Nassau, jonkheer van Amsberg, at The Hague on 21 March. (updated 31 Mar 2004)

Prince Johan Friso of the Netherlands (b.Utrecht 25 Sep 1968, second son of Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands and of her husband, the late Prince Claue) married Mabel Wisse Smit (b.Pijnacker 11 Aug 1968, daughter of Hendrik Cornelis Los and of his wife, née Florence Malde Gijsberdina Kooman [who remarried, as a widow, Peter Wisse Wisse Smit]) at the Old Church in Delft on 24 April. On his marriage his titles became "His Royal Highness Prince Johan Friso Bernhard Christiaan David van Oranje-Nassau, Count van Oranje-Nassau, jonkheer van Amsberg" with the family name "Van Oranje-Nassau van Amsberg". (updated 5 Nov 2004)

Prince Bernhard van Oranje-Nassau, van Vollenhoven (second son of Pieter van Vollenhoven and of his wife, Princess Margriet of the Netherlands) and his wife, née Annette Sekrève, had their second child, Samuel Bernhard Louis, at Amsterdam on 25 May. (updated 26 May 2004)

NORWAY

Crown Prince Haakon of Norway and his wife, née Mette-Marit Tjessem Høiby, had their first child together, Ingrid Alexandra, at Rikshospitalet, Gaustad, Oslo, on 21 January. (updated 24 Jan 2004)

OLDENBURG

Duchess Bibiane of Oldenburg (daughter of Duke Friedrich August of Oldenburg and of his first wife, Princess Marie-Cecile of Prussia) married Peter Dorner (b.Wasserburg-am-Inn 19 Feb 1972) at Meran on 22 May. (updated 29 May 2004)

Duchess Sophie of Oldenburg (daughter of Duke Huno of Oldenburg and of his wife, née Felicitas-Anita Gräfin Schwerin von Krosigk) married Joseph Maria von Radowitz (son of Joseph Maria von Radowitz and of his wife, née Armgard Gräfin von Hardenberg) in a civil ceremony at Rastede on 24 June, followed by a religious ceremony at the church of St.Ulrich, Rastede, on 26 June. (added 17 Jul 2004)

PRUSSIA

Princess Kira of Prussia died at Berlin on 10 January.
[She was born at Cadinen on 27 June 1943, daughter of Prince Louis Ferdinand of Prussia and of his wife, née Grand Duchess Kira of Russia. From 1973 to 1984 she was married to Thomas Liepsner, an American. They had one daughter, Kira-Marina, who was born in 1977.] (added 12 Jan 2004)

Princess Marie Antoinette of Prussia died on 1 March.
[She was born at Hohenthurm on 27 June 1920, daughter of Friedrich Graf Hoyos, Freiherr zu Stichsenstein (1876-1951), and of his wife, née Wilhelmine Pauline Sidonie Marie Julitta von Wuthenau-Hohenthurm (1895-1981). In 1944 she married Prince Wilhelm Viktor of Prussia (1919-1989), son of Prince Adalbert of Prussia (1884-1948) and of his wife, Princess Adelheid of Saxe-Meiningen (1891-1971). They had two children: Princess Marie Louise of Prussia, Gräfin von Schönburg-Glauchau; and Prince Adalbert of Prussia.] (added 9 Mar 2004)

Prince Friedrich Wilhelm of Prussia (eldest child of the late Prince Louis Ferdinand of Prussia and of his wife, née Grand Duchess Kira of Russia) married Sibylle Kretschmer at the Registrar's office at Berlin-Charlottenburg on 23 March.
[He had formerly been married from 1967 to 1971 to Waltraut Freydag, and from 1976 to 2004 to Ehrengard von Reden.] (added 4 Apr 2004)

REUSS

Christian-Alfred Graf von Wedel (b.1951, son of Alfred Robert Clemens Graf von Wedel and of his third wife, née Princess Caroline Reuss [herself the daughter of Prince Heinrich XXXVI Reuss and of his wife, née Princess Hermine von Schönburg-Waldenburg]) married Sidonie Gräfin Grote (b.1968, daughter of Karl-Ernst Graf Grote and of his wife, née Helgard von Voigt) at Schachten on 20 April.
[According to Danmarks Adels Aarbog, Christian-Alfred had married firstly, at Frankfurt on 14 October 1978, Silvia Majal (b.Murska Sobota, Slovenia, 7 Nov 1956, daughter of Stanislav Majal and of his wife, née Marija Gerzak). However, this marriage is not mentioned in GHdA.] (added 5 Jul 2004)

Henri, Baron Grand d'Esnon, died on 23 July.
[He was born at Paris on 24 Jan 1918, son of Gaston, Baron Grand d'Esnon and of his wife, née Geneviève Demarçay. In 1950 he married Princess Gertrud Reuss (daughter of Prince Heinrich XXXIX Reuss and of his wife, née Antonia Gräfin zu Castell-Castell. He is survived by her and by their five children.] (added 3 Aug 2004)

RUSSIA

Prince Paul Dimtreivich Ilyinsky died at Palm Beach, Florida, on 10 February.
[He was born in London on 27 January 1928, son of Grand Duke Dimitri Pavlovich of Russia and of his wife, née Audrey Emery. He was a long-time city councilman and mayor of Palm Beach, Florida. In 1949 he married Mary Evelyn Prince, but the marriage was annulled in 1951. In 1952 he married Angelica Kauffman, and is survived by her and their four children.] (added 11 Feb 2004)

The engagement announced on 9 September 2003, between Charles Harold Alexander Butter (b.10 April 1960, only son of Sir David Henry Butter and of his wife, née Myra Alice Wernher [herself the daughter of Sir Harold Wernher, Bt., and of his wife, née Countess Anastasia de Torby (herself the daughter of Grand Duke Michael Mikhailovich of Russia and of his wife, née Sophie Gräfin von Merenberg)]) and Marianna Olszewski (eldest daughter of Mr and Mrs Albert Olszewski, of Mount Carmel, Pennsylvania) has been called off, according to Butter himself, quoted in the Daily Telegraph on 5 June 2004. (added 8 Jun 2004)

Nicholas Mathew (son of Thomas Mathew and of his wife, Princess Olga Romanov [herself the daughter of Prince Andrei Alexandrovich of Russia and of his second wife, née Nadine McDougall]) and his wife, née Judith Aird, had their first child, a son, on 18 November. (added 29 Nov 2004)

The engagement was announced 3 December, 2004, between Alexander James Amherst Burnett of Leys (b.1973, elder son of James Comyn Amherst Burnett of Leys and of his wife, née Fiona Mercedes Phillips [herself the daughter of Harold Phillips and of his wife, née Georgina Wernher (herself the daughter of Sir Harold Wernher, Bt., and of his wife, Countess Anastasia de Torby [herself the daughter of Grand Duke Michael Mikhailovich of Russia and of his wife, Sophia Gräfin von Merenberg, Countess de Torby])]) and Lavinia Margaret Cox (elder daughter of Mr and Mrs C.A.F. Cox, of Leochel Cushnie, Aberdeenshire). (added 5 Dec 2004)

SAXE-COBURG-GOTHA

Prince Carl-Eduard of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha (son of Prince Ernst Leopold of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha [himself the son of Hereditary Prince Johann Leopold of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha and of his first wife, née Feodore Freiin von der Horst] and of his second wife, née Gertraude Monika Pfeiffer) and his wife, née Miriam Stephanie Kolo, had their second child, Johanna Carlotta Sophia, on 16 August. (added 26 Sep 2004)

SAXE-MEININGEN

H. P. Kerkhof and Nanon Varekamp (daughter of Axel Varekamp and of his wife, née Heike Freiin von Saalfeld [herself the daughter of Sven Freiherr von Saalfeld (himself the son of Duke Ernst of Saxe-Meiningen (1859-1941) and of his wife, née Katharina Jensen, cr Freifrau von Saalfeld (1874-1945)) and of his wife, née Elisabeth Faust]) had a child, Nout, born at The Hague on 15 June. (added 28 Jun 2004)

According to a message on Netty Leistra's board, Princess Marie Alexandra of Saxe-Meiningen (daughter of Prince Friedrich of Saxe-Meiningen (for whose death see below) and of his second wife, Princess Beatrice of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha) married Benno Beat Christian Widmer (b.Basel 17 Jul 1971), a Swiss lawyer, in a civil ceremony at Basel on 26 April. A religious wedding had already occurred at Gravedona, Italy, on 17 July 2002. (updated 16 Aug 2004)

Prince Friedrich of Saxe-Meiningen died on 13 July.
[He was born at Meiningen on 21 January 1935, son of Prince Bernhard of Saxe-Meiningen (1901-1984) and of his first wife, née Margot Grössler (1911-1998). From 1962 to 1973 he was married to Ehrengard von Massow. Since 1977 he had been married to Princess Beatrice of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, by whomhe leaves a daughter, Marie Alexandra, and a son, Friedrich Constantin.] (added 17 Jul 2004)

SPAIN

Felipe, Prince of the Asturias (only son of King Juan Carlos of Spain and of his wife, née Princess Sophia of Greece and Denmark) married Letizia Ortiz Rocasolano (b.Oviedo 15 Sep 1972, daughter of journalist Jesus Ortiz) at Madrid on 22 May. (updated 23 May 2004)

Beltrán Gomez-Acebo y de Borbón (son of the late Luis Gomez-Acebo y de Estrada and of his wife, the infanta Pilar of Spain [sister of King Juan Carlos]) married Laura Ponte Martínez (b.Vigo 9 June 1973) on 18 September in La Granja de San Ildefonso, Segovia. The couple is expecting their first child in June 2005. (updated 17 Nov 2004)

Fernando Gomez-Acebo y de Borbón (son of the late Luis Gomez-Acebo y de Estrada and of his wife, the infanta Pilar of Spain [sister of King Juan Carlos]) married Mónica Fernán Luque in Monasterio de la Encarnación de Madrid on 27 November. (updated 29 Nov 2004)

Bruno Gomez-Acebo y de Borbón (son of the late Luis Gomez-Acebo y de Estrada and of his wife, the infanta Pilar of Spain [sister of King Juan Carlos]) and his wife, née Barbara Cano de la Plaza, had their first child, Alejandro Juan, at Fundación Jiménez Díaz in Madrid on 5 November. (updated 13 Nov 2004)

Comtesse Antoine du Chastel de la Howarderie died on 3 October.
[She was born Countess Anne-Marie Ostrorog at Paris on 2 April 1923, daughter of Count Jan Ostrorog and of his wife, née Maria de los Angeles de Borbón (herself the daughter of Francisco de Borbón, Duque de Marchena [himself the son of Infant Sebastian of Spain and Portugal (1811-1875) and of his second wife, Infanta Cristina of Spain (1833-1902)], and of his wife, née Maria del Pilar de Muguiro y Beruete, Duquesa de Villafranca). In 1942 she married Comte Georges de Saint-Georges du Petit-Thouars (1913-1952). In 1954 she married Pierre Blaton (1925-1974). In 1986 she married Comte Antoine du Chastel de la Howarderie, who survives her. She is also survived by two sons from her first marriage and a daughter from the second.] (added 11 Oct 2004)

SWEDEN

Bernd Grawe and his wife, née Countess Diana Bernadotte af Wisborg (daughter of Count Lennart Bernadotte af Wisborg [who was born Prince of Sweden, only son of Prince Vilhelm of Sweden and of his wife, Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna of Russia] and of his second wife, née Sonja Haunz) had their first child, Paulina Marie, on 13 February. (updated 21 Feb 2004)

Countess Sonia Bernadotte, née de Robbert, second wife of Count Sigvard Bernadotte af Wisborg, formerly Prince of Sweden (son of King Gustaf VI Adolf of Sweden and of his first wife, née Princess Margaret of Great Britain and Ireland) died on 21 May. They had been married from 1943 to 1961, and had one son, Count Michael Sigvard. (added 29 May 2004)

Countess Bettina Bernadotte (daughter of Count Lennart Bernadotte af Wisborg [who was born Prince of Sweden, only son of Prince Vilhelm of Sweden and of his wife, Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna of Russia] and of his second wife, née Sonja Haunz) married Philipp Haug at Mariefred near Schloß Gripsholm, Sweden, on 2 August. A religious ceremony followed at Mainau on 29 October. (updated 23 Oct 2004)

Count Carl Johan Bernadotte af Wisborg (son of Count Claes Bernadotte af Wisborg [himself the son of Count Carl Oscar Bernadotte af Wisborg (himself the son of Prince Oscar of Sweden (1859-1953)) and of his second wife, née Gerty Borjesson] and of his wife, née Birgitta Magnusson) and his wife, née Anna Olsson, had their second child, Wilhelm, at the Mälarsjukhuset, in Eskilstuna, on 14 August. (updated 28 Aug 2004)

Countess Louise Bernadotte af Wisborg (daughter of Count Claes Bernadotte af Wisborg [himself the son of Count Carl Oscar Bernadotte af Wisborg, son of Prince Oscar of Sweden (1859-1953)] and of his wife, née Birgitta Magnusson) married Heinz Assmann at Almesåkra kyrka, Småland, on 14 August. (added 11 Sep 2004)

Baron Hans de Geer af Finspang and his wife, née Baroness Kristina-Louisa Silfverschiold (herself the daughter of Baron Nils Silfverschiold and of his wife, Princess Désirée of Sweden) had their third child, Fred Louis Gerard, at Danderyds Hopsital on 16 September. (updated 21 Feb 2005)

Gerty, Countess Bernadotte af Wisborg, née Börjesson, died at Jönköping on 10 November.
[She was born at Södertälje on 30 October 1910, and in 1937 married, as his second wife, Count Carl Oscar Bernadotte af Wisborg (1890-1977), son of Prince Oscar of Sweden. One son, Claes, was born from this marriage.] (added 17 Nov 2004)

Count Lennart Bernadotte af Wisborg died at Schloß Mainau on 21 December.
[He was born Prince Lennart of Sweden at Stockholm on 8 May 1909, only child of Prince Vilhelm of Sweden (1884-1965) and of his wife, Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna of Russia (1890-1958). He renounced his rights to the throne and was created Count af Wisborg in 1951. From 1932 to 1972 he was married to Karin Nissvandt. Since 1972 he had been married to Sonja Haunz.  He had nine children.] (added 22 Dec 2004)

TWO SICILIES

Elzbieta Morman, née Bisping (b.1915, daughter of Jan Bisping and of his wife, née Countess Maria Josefa Zamoyska [herself the daughter of Count Andrzej Zamoyski and of his wife, Princess Carolina of Bourbon-Two Sicilies]) died in February. (added 11 Apr 2004)

Prince Pedro of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, Duca di Noto (son of Prince Carlos of Bourbon-Two Sicilies and of his wife, née Princess Anne d'Orléans), and his wife, née Sofia Landaluce y Melgarejo, had their third child, Pablo, in Madrid on 28 June. (updated 30 Jun 2004)

WALDECK-PYRMONT

Hans-Christian von Wartenberg (son of Hansjoachim von Wartenberg and of his wife, Princess Rixa zu Waldeck und Pyrmont) married Ordalie Freiin von Papius (daugther of Curt-Heinrich Freiherr von Papius and of his wife, née Marie-Kristin Freiin von Schlotheim, adopted Freiin von Gemmingen-Guttenberg) at Flehingen on 5 June. (update 20 Aug 2004)

Prince Alexander zu Waldeck und Pyrmont (son of Prince Josias zu Waldeck und Pyrmont and of his wife, née Vita Schwenkreis) married Tanja Rippetoe at the Fürstenkapelle, Kloster Lichtenthal, in Baden-Baden on 26 June. (updated 27 Jun 2004)

Matthias Hoyer and his wife, Princess Katharina zu Waldeck u.Pyrmont (daughter of Prince Christian-Peter zu Waldeck u.Pyrmont and of his wife, née Sybille Pieper), had triplets: Zita-Florentine, Henry-Oscar, and John-Moritz, born at Hamburg on 12 July. (added 18 Aug 2004)

Prince Georg-Wilhelm zu Waldeck und Pyrmont and his wife, née Freda Riedesel Freiin zu Eisenbach had their fourth and fifth children, Caspar and Christian, at Lüneburg on 6 October. (added 17 Nov 2004)

WÜRTTEMBERG

Moritz Graf von Goëß and his wife, née Duchess Fleur of Württemberg (daughter of Duke Karl of Württemberg and of his wife, née Princess Diane d'Orléans) had their first child, Zeno, on 30 October. (updated 6 Nov 2004)

Duchess Maria Antoinette of Württemberg (b.at Altshausen on 31 August 1937, youngest child of Duke Philipp of Württemberg and of his second wife, Archduchess Rosa of Austria) died at Friedrichshafen on 12 November. (updated 9 Jan 2005)

YUGOSLAVIA

Prince Serge of Yugoslavia (son of Prince Alexander of Yugoslavia and of his first wife, Princess Maria of Savoy) married Eleonore Rajneri in a private ceremony on 18 September. Serge was previously married from 1985 to 1986 to Sophie de Toledo. (updated 21 Sep 2004)