70th birthday Duchess Diane of Württemberg

On 24. Aopril 2010 the 70th birthday of HRH Duchess Diane of Württemberg was celebrated at Altshausen Castle. On of the Events was a reception at the former Alte Remise of the Castle which was renovated in the past months and now reopened as Gallery where the Artworks of the Duchess are on display. Among the guests where are a lot of local politicans and people from the foundations which the Duchess helps with the sale of her artworks but also the Prime Minister of Baden-Württemberg Stefan Mappus with his wife, as the former Prime Minister Lothar Späth with his wife Ursula (who happen to be good friends of the Royal Family). Other guests included Prince Radu of Romania who walked together with the Royal family, the First Lady of Paraguay and the mayor of Stuttgart with his wife.

Duchess Marie, Duchess Diane and Duke Carl

Count Moritz of Goess, Duchess Marie Caroline and Duke Philipp,
behind them Duke Michael and Duchess Julia, Hereditary Countess Mathilde and
Hereditary Count Erich of Waldburg zu Zeil and Trauchburg

Duchess Helene, Margravine Pallavicini and her
husband Margrave Friedrich Pallavicini


Duke Friedrich and Mercedes Lugo de
Maidana, First Lady of Paraguay

Duke Friedrich came out to welcome
the highest guests

Duke Friedrich welcomes Prime Minister Stefan Mappus
and his wife Susanne Verweyen-Mappus

Arrival of former Prime Minster Lothar Späth
and his wife Ursula

Gebhard Fürst, Bishop of Rottenburg-Stuttgart

The major of Stuttgart Wolfgang Schuster
and his wife Stefanie

St. Augustiner Church at Coburg

The St. Augstiner Church in Coburg was build from 1855-1860 according Plans of Vicenz Fischer-Birnbaun. In honor of Prince August of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha wo had helped the project financiell it was inaugurated on the death anniversary of Augustinus von Hipp on 28.08.1860. Under the Church is a Crypt where the member of the catholic branch of the Ducal Family of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha the so called Kohary branch are buried.

The Entrance in the Vault

When one comes into the Crypt under the Church there is first a little Chapel and then there are 2 Crypts. On the right is the so called Tsars Cryptand then there is another Crypt on the left side.

The Chapel

The Tsars Crypt

In the Tsars Crypt are the builder of the Crypt Prince August of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (1818-1881) and his wife Princess Clementine, née Princess of Orléans (1818-1907) buried. Also their youngest son King Ferdinand I. of the Bulgarians (1861-1948)is buried in this Crypt.

The double Sarcophagus of Princess August and Princess Clementine






The Sarcophagus of King Ferdinand of the Bulgarians




The left Crypt








Plaque in honor of the 120th anniversary of the
birth of Prince Leopold (1878-1916)

Plaque in honor of Princess Maria (1899-1941)
who died in the KZ at Pola



Plaque in honor of Prince Rainer (b 1900)
who is missed since Spring 1945



Sarcophags of Princess Leopoldine, née Princess of Brazil
(1847-1871) and Prince August (1845-1907)



Sarcophagus of Prince Philipp (1844-1921)



Sarcophagus of Prince Peter August (1866-1934)



Sarcophagus of Prince Leopold (1878-1916)



Sarcophagus of Prince Franz Joseph (1869-1916)

Plaque in memory of Duchess Dorothea of Schleswig-Holstein-
Sonderburg-Augustenburg, née Princess of Saxe-Coburg
and Gotha (1891-1967)

Grave Plaques for Prince Ludwig Gaston (1870-1942),
Princess Maria Anna, née Countes of Trauttmannsdorff-Weinsberg
(1873-1948) and Princess Josefine (1911-1997)