About Women's Rights, Green GM Technology and Skiing Competitions

Photo: 1 FL TV

Longest blog title ever? Seems like we missed a whole bunch of stuff happening in Liechtenstein during the last couple of days so let's quickly catch up! Already between March 3rd and 5th, the Heidegger Talentecup, a competition for young skiing hopefuls, took place in Malbun and Hochegg, Liechtenstein's skiing areas. As a surprise for all the children, Hereditary Prince Alois came along on the last day to hand out the medals. For pictures, have a look on the event's Facebook page. 

A few days later, most likely on the 7th, the Private University of the Principality of Liechtenstein organised a lecture on "Green GM Technology as interface between society and science". The event was also attended by the Hereditary Prince.

Most recently on International Women's Day, March 8th that is, Hereditary Princess Sophie attended a talk on the subject "Women in Wars and Armed Conflicts" held in Schaan. The two speakers of the event included International Criminal Court (ICC) judge Sanji Mmasenono Monageng and Sarah Abu Assali, a Syrian journalist, peace activist and member of the Syrian Women's League. 1 FL TV reported about the talk in this video which includes a few glimpses of the Hereditary Princess.

Sources: Liechtensteiner Volksblatt

Dinner With The Grand Dukes *

Photo: Anouk Antony / Luxemburger Wort / Wort.lu

Earlier tonight, Grand Duke Henri and Grand Duchess Maria-Teresa as well as Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume and Hereditary Grand Duchess Stéphanie welcomed the members of Luxembourg's government for a dinner at the Château de Berg. The political guests were welcomed in the Salle «Je Maintiendrai» before proceeding to the dining room for - exactly - the dinner. 

Pictures of the evening are located at Wort in German, Wort in French, Wort in English, L'essentiel, Le Quotidien, Tageblatt, the government and Pressphoto.

Source: Cour grand-ducale

Friday Flashback (on a Monday*): A Royal Childhood

Photo: Point de Vue

Hereditary Princess Sophie together with her father and four sisters Duchess Marie-Caroline, Duchess Helena, Duchess, Elizabeth and Duchess Maria-Anna. Born as the oldest of the five daughters of Duke Max in Bavaria and his wife née Countes Elizabeth Douglas - We already talked a little about the Douglas family last Saturday. - and thus being the great-great-granddaughter of the last King of Bavaria, Ludwig III, Hereditary Princess Sophie is the only wife of an heir to a European throne who was born a royal. In fact her style is higher than those of her in-laws; while the members of the Princely Family of Liechtenstein have traditionally been serene highnesses, the Hereditary Princess is styled as a royal highness.

[* As we generally seem to be having a pretty quiet time on our hands and I'm sure you don't mind. However, fear not, the quiet times are going to change in the next couple of days, at least Luxembourg-wise.]

Luxarazzi 101: Douglas Floral Tiara

Photo: Information und Kommunikation der Regierung, Vaduz

Today's tiara isn't a Liechtenstein one in the strictest definition but it has been worn by one of the princely brides and as a little sparkle on a Sunday evening to ease into a new week never hurt nobody, let's talk about Hereditary Princess Sophie's wedding tiara which is often described as being a Bavarian piece even though it isn't. The confusion, however, is all too understandable: Why would a Duchess in Bavaria chose a non-Bavarian, non-new family tiara to wear at her own wedding? The answer is rather simple as well: Because her mother is a born Countess Douglas and it's a family tradition but let's start from the beginning.

Countess Ottora Douglas, Duchess Elisabeth in Bavaria (Photos: Point de Vue, Zimbio)

While the tiara is usually described as either the Douglas or the Douglas Floral Tiara, it is not entirely certain who its first owner was. Generally, not much is known about the piece's history. Made towards the end of the 19th century by a French jeweller, the tiara consists of diamonds set in a floral motif. In addition to seven diamond daisies, the tiara features diamond leaves as well as single diamond berries; an all around very literal interpretation of the floral theme that was very popular during the second half of the 19th century. To go with the tiara, there are a pair of earrings as well as a large brooch in the same design. These days, the jewels are owned by Duchess Elizabeth in Bavaria, mother of Hereditary Princess Sophie, who was a born Countess Douglas.

Of originally Scottish ancestry, Duchess Elizabeth was born in Stockholm as the first daughter of Count Carl Ludvig Douglas and Ottora Haas-Heye and a member of the Stjernorp branch of the Swedish-German descendants of the Clan Douglas. Her father was the son of Swedish general Count Archibald Douglas, grandson of Countess Louise of Gondelsheim and Langenstein, herself a daughter of Grand Duke Ludwig I of Baden by morganatic marriage. Through her mother, Duchess Elizabeth is also the great-granddaughter of Prince Philipp of Eulenburg, friend of Kaiser Wilhelm II.

Duchess Elizabeth's family, however, isn't only very well connected but also quite rich and so it's no surprise that she was given a tiara by her family. When exactly she received the gift, I do not know. The only pictures I have seen of her and Duke Max in Bavaria's wedding, don't allow a good glimpse at the tiara and so it's hard to tell whether she already wore it at the time. Whether the tiara was a family heirloom or newly purchased for Duchess Elizabeth also isn't common knowledge but I can tell you that it was also worn by her mother, Countess Ottora, at the pre-wedding ball of Hereditary Princess Sophie in Munich in 1993.

Duchess Marie-Caroline, Duchess Elizabeth, Duchess Maria-Anna in Bavaria (Photos: Bunte, PPE)

Whether it already had a tradition as a bridal tiara or not, Duchess Elizabeth's daughters certainly made it one. When marrying Duke Philipp of Württemberg in 1991, Duchess Marie-Caroline became the first of the four married daughters to wear the tiara at her wedding, a suit followed by her sisters Duchess Elizabeth and Duchess Maria-Anna at their respective 2004 and 2007 weddings. The second daughter to do so, however, was Hereditary Princess Sophie in 1993 and who knows, as the only one of the daughters married to a future monarch as well as being the oldest one of the sisters, she might just be the one to inherit the Douglas Floral Tiara one day and thus it might actually be added to the Liechtenstein collection.

Another Day, Another Concert

Last Wednesday but still without any visual evidence thus far, Grand Duke Henri attended a concert by the Berlin Philharmonic under the direction of Sir Simon Rattle. The German orchestra, which also includes a Luxembourgish musician, played Johannes Brahms, Georg Friedrich Haas and Claude Debussy.

Source: Visit Luxembourg, Cour grand-ducale

Friday Flashback: A Luxembourgish Thurn und Taxis Princess

Princess Elisabeth (1901–1950), fifth daughter of Grand Duke Wilhelm IV and Grand Duchess Maria Ana, and her husband Prince Ludwig-Philipp of Thurn und Taxis pose for a picture together with their son Prince Anselm and their daughter Princess Iniga.

Princess Iniga's granddaughter Theresa von Einsiedel recently announced her engagement to Prince François d'Orléans, son of Prince Michel, Count of Évreux. The couple first met in Vienna at a ball organised by Princess Marie of Liechtenstein.

The One For Which I Don't Know A Catchy Title

Photo: Brigitt Risch / Liechtensteiner Vaterland / Vaterland.li

As if I ever have catchy titles, but anyway... Today, Malaysia's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Anifah Aman, was on a working visit to Liechtenstein. As it happens whenever a member of a foreign government visits the Principality work-wise, Mr. Aman was was received for an audience at Schloss Vaduz by Hereditary Prince Alois. Pictures are available at Vaterland.

Source: Vaterland

A Liechtensteiner in Paris *

Photo: ZVG

In March 2010, Prince Hans-Adam published a book entitled "Der Staat im dritten Jahrtausend" in which the Prince analyses the modern nation-state in various ways. Since then, the book has also been published in English as "The State in the Third Millenium" and today Prince Hans-Adam presented the French translation entitled - yes, they are very literal - "L'Etat au Troisième Millénaire" of the book in Paris. A Chinese version will come out later this year while Japanese, Korean and Portuguese translations are also in the works. Among the guests of the book presentation in Paris was the Prince's sister-in-law Princess Isabelle. Pictures can be found at Volksblatt.

Source: Vaterland

Luxarazzi 101: Princess Ingeborg's Pearl and Diamond Brooch

Photo: Acaba

Tracing the history of royal jewellery almost always also means tracing royal history in general and the histories of royal marriages in particular. It is often the case that one piece of jewellery owned by a European royal family has its origins with an entirely different royal family and came into the current family via a third one. Too complicated? Let's trace one of these cases with a diamond and pearl brooch now owned by the Grand Ducal Family of Luxembourg.

Photos: Zimbio / Daylife

I haven't done maths or anything but judging by my impressions, this brooch featuring a large pearl set in a diamond motif might just be the most frequently worn one by Grand Duchess Maria Teresa. The piece originates with Princess Ingeborg (1878-1958), one of the daughters of King Frederik VIII of Denmark. It is unknown whether the princess, who can be seen wearing the brooch in the centre picture in the collage above, was its first owner or whether she had already inherited the brooch from one of her relatives.

Together with Prince Carl of Sweden, Princess Ingeborg had four children, among them the future Queen Astrid of the Belgians, mother of Grand Duchess Joséphine-Charlotte. Whether Luxembourg's late Grand Duchess inherited he brooch directly from her grandmother or whether it passed to her via the detour of Queen Astrid isn't certain (to me). She, however, did seem to enjoy the pearl and diamond piece as she regularly wore it for state occasions as does her very own daughter-in-law now. Like I said before, I have not counted the outings but judging from my impression, Princess Ingeborg's brooch has also been a favourite of Grand Duchess Maria Teresa for many years and who can blame her, it's a beautiful piece indeed.

Luxembourg City Film Festival

Photo: Claude Piscitelli / Luxemburger Wort / Wort.lu

Woot woot, the Grand Duchess surfaced again: Last night Grand Duchess Maria Teresa, who we last saw in mid-January, and Grand Duke Henri attended the opening of the Discovery Zone Luxembourg City Film Festival at the Utopolis cinema. Together with an array of film industry professionals - Great description Wort.lu! - as well as Luxembourg mayor Lydie Polfer and Culture Minister Maggy Nagel, Grand Duke Henri and Grand Duchess Maria Teresa watched a private screening of Spike Jonze's award-winning movie "Her".

Pictures of and more information about the night can be found at Tageblatt, Wort in German, Wort in French and Wort in English.


Source: Wort