CastleMemory: Schloss Cecilienhof

Visiting Schloss Cecilienhof in Potsdam, 
the home of the last crown prince of the German Empire, 
in 2005.

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CastleTalk: The Curious Case of the Thurn und Taxis Inheritance

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The death of Richard Fürst zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg earlier this week saw a surge in interest in my take on the (in)famous will of inheritance looming over the family. One point about the Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg inheritance that many seem to find especially curious is the fact that the late Prince Richard never actually owned his family's fortune but that it was instead passed from his father - who went missing during World War 2 - to a yet unborn grandson - who was born in 1969 - (or anyone else, really, who would inherit after Prince Richard). The German nobility, however, isn't short of interesting inheritance constructions - case in point: The Thurn und Taxis inheritance.
The Thurn und Taxis family isn't just famous for their fabulous wealth, estimated at around $ 2.5 billion today - even though Princess Gloria of Thurn und Taxis says it less than a billion - but also for their lifestyle to go along with it. In fact, Princess Gloria of Thurn und Taxis may si…
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Royal Wedding in Hanover: The Guests (Part 1)

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Today in Hanover, Hereditary Prince Ernst-August of Hanover married Ekaterina Malysheva. Here are some of the guests, in no particular order... Margrave Max and Margravine Valerie of Baden, née Archduchess Valerie of Austria, with their son Prince Michael and his wife Princess Christina of Baden.  Count Friedrich of Ortenburg and his wife Countess Christine, née Baroness of Wangenheim, with their sons Max and Albert, who were two of the page boys. Count Karl of Solms-Laubach and I presume one of his daughters.  Andrés and Lauren Santo Domingo. Another picture of  Andrés and Lauren Santo Domingo.  Prince Georg-Friedrich of Prussia and his wife Princess Sophie, née Princess of Isenburg. Another picture of the couple. Prince Heinrich of Hanover, uncle of the groom, his wife Princess Thyra, née von Westernhagen, and their sons Prince Albert and Prince Julius.  Another picture of Prince Heinrich and Princess Thyra of Hanover. Prince Andreas and Princess Alexandra of Leiningen. She is a bo…
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Royal Wedding in Hanover: The Guests (Part 2)

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And here we go again, some more guests of the royal wedding in Hanover yesterday. Once again in no particular order. For more guests, have a look at my previous post. Pictures of the bridal couple here. The bride's parents on the left together with Princess Alexandra of Hanover, Alessandra de Osma (fiancée of Prince Christian), Prince Christian of Hanover and Princess Chantal of Hanover, mother of the groom. It was Prince Christian who led a round of rousing applause for his brother and sister-in-law. Princess Alexandra and Alessandra de Osma. Prince Christian. Princess Alexandra Princess Chantal, mother of the groom. Baron Christian of Humboldt-Dachroeden, illegitimate son of the groom's grandfather, and his wife Baroness Marie.  Countess Marie of Hochberg, née Princess of Hanover and aunt of the groom.  Hereditary Prince Ferdinand of Leiningen, cousin of the groom.  Martin Kind, businessman and president of the local football club, Hannover 96.  Prince Berthold of Baden.  O…
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