Wedding at Bad Berleburg

On Saturday 18.06.2011 the little town of Bad Berleburg saw royal and noble guests from near and far for the religious Wedding of Princess Nathalie zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg and Alexander Johannsmann. The couple had already married in a civil Ceremony on 27.05.2010 and has a son Konstantin, born on 24.07.2010. 

The festivities startedon the evenning of Friday 17.06. with a casual Barbecue for 230 guests. It tookplace in the Castle Parfty before the Orangerie. One of the cooks who prepared the Menue ws the cookof the danish Royal House Lisbeth Bager-Bertelsen. I was there with some other Royal Watchers and first one could see Princess Nathalie, Princess Benedikte and Prince Gustav in the Castle court walking around and discussing somethings. Also little Konstantin was driven around in his pram. Later also Prince Richard arrived in his Landrover. Atsomepoint Prince Richard, Princess Benedikte and Prince Gustav drove away to greet  Queen Margrethe who arrived short afterwards in an helicopter on a lawan a little bit outsde. Soon litter the drove back to the Castle. Later most of the guests arrived some drove in their Cars into the Castle Court others arrived in buses and had to walk a little bit.

On Saturday i and some other Royal Watchers who got Press Accredition completted our Accredtion and then went fast to the Church to reserve a good place there. From time to time it rained a little bit but luckily only very short and not too heavy. The first guests at the Church arrived around 15h30 and with short before the bride the danish and greek Royals. And then the brides mother Princess Benedikte together with her son Prince Gzstav (who had earlier also accompanied his partner Carina Axelsson and his cousin Princess Alexia of Greece to the  church), Finally the bride Princess Nathalie arrived together with her fater Prince Richard. The biride whore a gown of heavy ivory satin designed by the danish Designer Henrik Hviid with a lace top. Towards the End of the three meter long and two meter broad train the monogram of the bridalcouple was embroidedin pearl and crystals. She wore an Veil of irish lace from1 1905 who was a Wedding gift to her great-grandmother Crown Princess Margaretha of Sweden, née Princess of Connaught. It was later worn by her grandmother Queen Ingrid of Denmark, née Pricness of Sweden, Queen Margrethe II. of Denmark, Queen Anne-Marie of the Hellenes, Princess Benedikte, Princess Alexia opfGreeeces, Princess Alexandra zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg and Mary Donaldson. Also the tiara from Cartier was a gift to Crown Princess Margarethe of Sweden by the Khedive of Egypt in 1905. It was worn as bridal tiara by Queen Anne-Marie of the Hellenes, Queen Margrethe II. of Denmark, Princess Benedikte of Denmark, Princess Alexandra zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berlebrug and Princess Alexia of Greece and is now in the posession of Queen Anne-Marie.

The bride and her father walked over soaking wet red carpet the bride carrying her train and Veil over the Arm. Only at the Church Door the train and Veil where laid down and arranged. Now suddenly the bride realized that she had left her flower bouquet back in the Castle. Now soon someone was send back to the Castle and after around 10 min. waiting finally the her assistant came with the flowers. Now the bride and her father could make her way up the aisle. Short before the End of the Serive which lasted for around 50 mins. it started again to rain a little bit. The the bridal couple left the Church an kised short when outside of the church. Soon the made their way up to their waiting Car a Rolls Royce from 1954. They where followed by their parents and then Queen Margrethe Ii. and Queen Anne-Marie, Crown Prince Pavlos and Crown Princess Marie Chantal, Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary, Prince Nikolaos and Princess Tatiana. Aftermost of the guest had left the church i soon went to the Castle where a reception was sheduled to take place soon. When i arrived at the Castle the bridal Couple and the danish and greek guests had already arrived there. Suddenly a sturm began it rained heavenly, hail was coming down and also ligthening and thunder. The sturmwent on around 30 mins. Most of the guests had to wait in busses before the entrance in the Castle Court. Some of them like Princess Christina of Sweden and her husband waited until the hail had stopped then the walked up to the Castle where the reception had been moved inside. 

After some time the bridal Couple and some of the guests came out for the planned musical perfomance of the Schützenverein (tradtitional shooting club) who could take place after all with a bit dely. During the perfomance the grandmother of the groom came out on the balcony of the Castle and Queen margrethe II. was spotted in one of the windwos. In one of the other windows Queen Anne-Marie was spotted with some of her children and Prince Nikolaos took pics from the scenery in the court. 

Later in the evening the Wedding banquet for 230 guests  took place in a tent in the Castle Garden. After the dinner the bridal Couple opened the Ballw with the danish bridal Waltz which is danced at all danish royal Weddings. 

Guestlist:
HSH Prince Richard zu Sayn Wittgenstein-Berleburg and HRH Princess Benedikte of Denmark
HSHHereditary Prince Gustav zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg and Mrs Carina Axeslsson
HSH Princess Alexandra zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg with Count Richard and Countess
Ingrid of Pfeil and Klein-Ellguth
HM Queen Margrethe II. of Denmark
TRH Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary of Denmark
HM Queen Anne-Marie of the Hellenes
TRH Crown Prince Pavlos and Crown Princess Marie Chantal of Greece
HRH Princess Alexia of Greece
TRH Prince Nikolaos and Princess Tatiana of Greece

Graf Christian und Gräfin Mette Ahlefeldt-Laurvig

Graf Preben und Gräfin Brita Ahlefeldt-Laurvig

HH Count Michael Bernadotte

Mr Dieter and Mrs Ariane Brinksm née Countess  zu Solms-Laubach

Mr Albert and Mrs Edda Darboven, née Princessof Anhalt

Mr Hans and Mrs Madeleine Dyhlén,[née Fourche d’Otrante

HRH Landgrave Moritz of Hesse

HRH Princess Tatiana of Hesse

TRH Hereditary Prince Donatus and Hereditary Princess Floria of Hesse

HH Princess Mafalda of Hesse

TH  Prince Philipp and Princess Laetitia of Hesse

HH Princess Elena of Hesse

TSH  Hereditary Prince Kraft and Hereditary Princess Carolin zu Hohenlohe-Oehringen

Baron Niels and Baroness Molise Iuel-Brockdorff
Baron Christoph and Baroness Julia von Jenisch
Baron Markus and Baroness Isabel von Jenisch

HH Countess Christine of Kageneck

Mr Marc and Mrs Anna Laudien, née Coutness zu Solms-Laubach

TSH Prince Stephan and Princess Maria zur Lippe

Mr Tord Magnuson and Princess Christina of Sweden, Mrs Magnuson

Baron Philip and Baroness Alexa von Malsen-Plessen

TSH Fürst Albrecht and Fürstin Angela zu Oettingen-Spielberg

HH Mr Kilian and HIlH Mrs Christina von Pezold, née Countess zu Solms-Laubach

TH Count Patrick and Countess Tatiana von Saurma-Jeltsch, née Countess zu Solms-Laubach

TSH Prince Christian-Peter and Princess Judith zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg
HSH Prince Hubertus zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg
HSH Princess Marie zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg and Mr Olivier LeMaire
HSH Prinzessin Natascha zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg
TSH Prince Otto-Ludwig and Princess Annette zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg
TSG Prince Robin and Princess Marie-Christine zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg
HSH Fürst Bernhart zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Hohenstein and Mrs Katharina von Alvensleben
HSH Princess Elisabeth zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Hohenstein
TSH Prince Georg and Princess Benedikta zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Hohenstein
TSH Fürst Alexander and Fürstin Gabriela zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Sayn

Mr Dr. Ludwig and Mrs Elisabeth Schmucker, née Countess zu Solms-Laubach

TSH Fürst Philipp and Fürstin Marie zu Solms-Hohensolms-Lich
HIlH Count Franz zu Solms-Laubach and Mrs Viktoria Unterreiner
HIlH Count Gustav-Albrecht zu Solms-Laubach
HIlH Count Karl-Georg zu Solms-Laubach
HSH Gräfin Madeleine zu Solms-Laubach
HSH Fürstin Maria zu Stolberg-Wernigerode

HIlH Count Hans-Veit and HSH Countess Henriette zu Toerring-Jettenbach

Graf Peder und Gräfin Liane Wachtmeister

TSH Fürst Wittekind and Fürstin Cecilia zu Waldeck und Pyrmont

my pics from the barbecue

my pics from the Wedding Day

† Duke Carl of Croy

Carl, 14. Duke of Croy passed away on Tuesday 14, June at the age of 96. He was born on 11.08.1914 in Düsseldorf  as oldest son of Carl Rduolf, 13. Duke of Croy and his first wife the american Nancy Leishman. He spend his early childhood during the german Empire and later in the Republic of Weimar. He later also served as Soldier in the second World War and later studierd Jura in Switzerland. 

On 18.06.1953 he married at Nymphenburg Castle Princess Gabriele of Bavaria, one of the daughters of Crown Prince Rupprecht of Bavaria and his second wife Antonia, née Princess of Luxemburg. Together they moved into House Merfeld near Dülmen where the Duke lived until his death. Together the had 3 children among them the new Duke Rudolf who ws born in 1955.

The funeral of Duke Carl will take place on 22.06.2011. 
http://www.mv-online.de/lokales/kreis_coesfeld/duelmen/1569513_Weltoffener_Duelmener.html 

Memorial Mass for King Ludwig II.

A memorial mass took place on Monday 13.06.2011 in honor of the famous King Ludwig II. of Bavaria who died exactly 125 years ago a mysterious death. The Mass took place at the shore of Lake Starnberg.

The mass was also attended by members of the Wittelbach Family among them: Duke Franz of Bavaria, Duke Max and Duchess Elizabeth in Bavaria, prince Luitpold and Princess Beatrix, Prince Rasso and Princess Therese, Prince Leopold and Princess Ursula, Prince Ludwig, Prince Manuel and Princess Anna and Duchess Helene in Bavaria.

Photos

more Photos

http://www.sueddeutsche.de/muenchen/starnberg/gedenkfeier-fuer-ludwig-ii-der-kini-ein-symbol-unerfuellter-traeume-1.1107956

http://www.merkur-online.de/lokales/berg/ludwig-ii-hunderte-erinnern-maerchenkoenig-1281804.html

Tullgarns Slott

                                                                     Tullgarn Palaceis situated near Trösa south of Stockholm. Originally there was a Renaissance Palace standing at this placedating from the 16th Century.  In 1719 the then owner, Count Magnus Julius De La Gardie decided to demolish the old Palace and to build a  new one. The new Castle was build by architect Joseph Gabriel Destain. It has a open courtyard to the sea which got it's present Look in 1820. It was modelled after the Logarden and it's stairs at the Royal Palace at Stockholm.

In 1772 the Castle was bought by the Crown and soon became a royal residence. The first inhabitant of it was Prince Fredrik Adolf, Duke of Östergötland, the youngest brother of King Gustaf III. He modernized the Castlein the neo classical style but he died before the Wokrs where completted. In 1807 Fredrik Adolf,'s sister Princess Sophie Albertine took over the Castle and used it as Summer Residence until her death in 1829.  
Now Crown Prince Oscar, the future King Oscar I. and his wife Joséphine, née Princessof Leuchtenberg took over the Castle and after the death of the King in 1859 it became the her residence as Widow. Until her death in 1876 she spend the summers at Tullgarn. The old coat of Arms of the Bernadotte Dynasty (who until 1905 included Norway) and Leuchtenberg are represented on the gable at the Garden side of the Palace. 


In 1881 Crown Prince Gustaf the future King Gustaf V. took over the Castle. In the same year he married Princess Victoria of Baden. The main building was decorated in the style of a modern functional summerhouse then as a Castle. The breakfeastroom was decorated in the style of a southgerman "Bierstube" reflecting the fact that Victoria came from Souuh Germany.  Until 1950 Tullgarn served as a Summer Residence.Victoria and Gustav are represented through a flower arrangement in the lawn before te Garden entrance. The flowers form 2 Coat of Arms under a Crown representing Sweden and Baden. 
Since the 1950's the Main-Rooms of the Castle are open to the public during the summer months. 

See all my pics here in this Flickr Album