Irina, Countess of Schönburg-Glauchau
Encyclopedia
Irina, Countess of Schönburg-Glauchau (born 1 April 1971), is a Hessian
princess by birth and the wife of Alexander, Count of Schönburg-Glauchau, the bestselling writer and journalist. A granddaughter of Prince Christoph of Hesse, she now holds the title Countess of Schönburg-Glauchau as the wife of the head of the comital branch of the former sovereign aristocratic house of Schönburg
.
, Bavaria
, the second child and first daughter of Prince Karl Adolf Andreas of Hesse (born 26 March 1937 in Berlin
), son of Prince Christoph of Hesse and Princess Sophie of Greece and Denmark
, and his wife Yvonne Szapáry of Muraszombath, Széchysziget and Szapár (born 4 April 1944 in Budapest
), a Hungarian
countess. Her father had been adopted by his childless uncle Prince Wolfgang of Hesse
, his father Christoph's elder brother, when Christoph, a high-ranking Nazi, was killed in 1943.
Irina is the grandniece of Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
(whose husband, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
, a born prince of Greece and Denmark, is the brother of her grandmother Sophie); the half-niece of Prince Georg of Hanover
, Prince Welf Ernst of Hanover
, and Princess Friederike of Hanover
; the first cousin once removed of the current head of the House of Hesse, Moritz, Landgrave of Hesse, and the second cousin of the erbprinz, Donatus, Hereditary Prince of Hesse.
As a teenager, Irina attended Felixstowe College for Young Ladies in Suffolk and was a member of Tyndale House.
She is Roman Catholic and a vegetarian. She is the sister-in-law of Gloria, Princess of Thurn and Taxis
, a pop icon in the 1980s.
civilly on 30 April 1999 and religiously on 29 May 1999 at St Caecilia's Church of Heusenstamm
, Hesse. They have three children:
She and her children are direct descendants of Queen Victoria
through her daughters Victoria
and Alice
(Irina being a great-granddaughter of Princess Margaret of Prussia
, Landgravine of Hesse, the youngest daughter of the Empress Frederick
, and a great-great-granddaughter of Princess Victoria of Hesse and by Rhine
, the eldest daughter of Princess Louis
).
House of Hesse
The House of Hesse is a European royal dynasty from the region of Hesse, originally and still formally the House of Brabant.-History:The origins of the House of Hesse begin with the marriage of Sophie of Thuringia, daughter of Louis IV, Landgrave of Thuringia and Elizabeth of Hungary with Henry...
princess by birth and the wife of Alexander, Count of Schönburg-Glauchau, the bestselling writer and journalist. A granddaughter of Prince Christoph of Hesse, she now holds the title Countess of Schönburg-Glauchau as the wife of the head of the comital branch of the former sovereign aristocratic house of Schönburg
House of Schönburg
Schönburg is the name of an old noble house, formerly with properties in present day Saxony, Thuringia and Bohemia.- History :...
.
Background
She was born Princess Irina Verena of Hesse in MunichMunich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
, Bavaria
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
, the second child and first daughter of Prince Karl Adolf Andreas of Hesse (born 26 March 1937 in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
), son of Prince Christoph of Hesse and Princess Sophie of Greece and Denmark
Princess Sophie of Greece and Denmark
Princess Sophie of Greece and Denmark was the fourth child and youngest daughter of Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark and Princess Alice of Battenberg, making her the elder sister of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh...
, and his wife Yvonne Szapáry of Muraszombath, Széchysziget and Szapár (born 4 April 1944 in Budapest
Budapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
), a Hungarian
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
countess. Her father had been adopted by his childless uncle Prince Wolfgang of Hesse
Prince Wolfgang of Hesse
Prince and Landgrave Wolfgang of Hesse-Kassel , was the designated Hereditary Prince of the monarchy of Finland , and as such, already called the Crown Prince of Finland officially until 14 December 1918, and also afterwards...
, his father Christoph's elder brother, when Christoph, a high-ranking Nazi, was killed in 1943.
Irina is the grandniece of Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
(whose husband, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh is the husband of Elizabeth II. He is the United Kingdom's longest-serving consort and the oldest serving spouse of a reigning British monarch....
, a born prince of Greece and Denmark, is the brother of her grandmother Sophie); the half-niece of Prince Georg of Hanover
Prince Georg of Hanover
Prince Georg of Hanover , Prince of Great Britain and Ireland, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg . Georg is the second eldest son of Prince George William of Hanover and his wife Princess Sophie of Greece and Denmark, an elder sister of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh...
, Prince Welf Ernst of Hanover
Prince Welf Ernst of Hanover
Prince Welf Ernst of Hanover , Prince of Great Britain and Ireland, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg was the eldest son of Prince George William of Hanover and his wife Princess...
, and Princess Friederike of Hanover
Princess Friederike of Hanover
Princess Friederike of Hanover , Princess of Great Britain and Ireland, Duchess of Brunswick-Lüneburg is the youngest child and only daughter of...
; the first cousin once removed of the current head of the House of Hesse, Moritz, Landgrave of Hesse, and the second cousin of the erbprinz, Donatus, Hereditary Prince of Hesse.
As a teenager, Irina attended Felixstowe College for Young Ladies in Suffolk and was a member of Tyndale House.
She is Roman Catholic and a vegetarian. She is the sister-in-law of Gloria, Princess of Thurn and Taxis
Gloria, Princess of Thurn and Taxis
Gloria, Princess of Thurn and Taxis is a princess, by marriage, of the German Thurn und Taxis House.-Biography:Gloria was born on 23 February 1960, the daughter of Joachim, Count...
, a pop icon in the 1980s.
Marriage and children
Irina Verena, Princess of Hesse married Alexander, Count von Schönburg-GlauchauAlexander, Count von Schönburg-Glauchau
Alexander Count of Schönburg-Glauchau is a German journalist and writer.- Life :Alexander of House of Schönburg is the son of Joachim, Count von Schönburg-Glauchau, and Beatrix, Countess Széchenyi de Sárvár-Felsővidék. His siblings are Gloria, Princess of Thurn and Taxis, also known as Princess...
civilly on 30 April 1999 and religiously on 29 May 1999 at St Caecilia's Church of Heusenstamm
Heusenstamm
Heusenstamm is a town of over 18,000 in the Offenbach district in the Regierungsbezirk of Darmstadt in Hesse, Germany.- Geography :- Location :The town lies on the river Bieber. Heusenstamm is one of 13 towns and communities in the Offenbach district...
, Hesse. They have three children:
- Maria-Letitia, Countess of Schönburg-Glauchau (born 31 July 2001, Berlin)
- Maximus Carolus Joachim Maria, Count of Schönburg-Glauchau (born 25 May 2003, Berlin)
- Valentin Polykarp Josef Maria, Count of Schönburg-Glauchau (born 23 February 2005, Berlin)
She and her children are direct descendants of Queen Victoria
Victoria of the United Kingdom
Victoria was the monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death. From 1 May 1876, she used the additional title of Empress of India....
through her daughters Victoria
Victoria, Princess Royal
The Princess Victoria, Princess Royal was the eldest child of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom and Prince Albert. She was created Princess Royal of the United Kingdom in 1841. She became German Empress and Queen of Prussia by marriage to German Emperor Frederick III...
and Alice
Princess Alice of the United Kingdom
The Princess Alice was a member of the British royal family, the third child and second daughter of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.Alice's education was devised by Albert's close friend and adviser, Baron Stockmar...
(Irina being a great-granddaughter of Princess Margaret of Prussia
Princess Margaret of Prussia
Princess Margaret of Prussia was a daughter of Frederick III, German Emperor and Victoria, Princess Royal. She married Prince Frederick Charles of Hesse. In 1926 they became Landgrave and Landgravine of Hesse...
, Landgravine of Hesse, the youngest daughter of the Empress Frederick
Victoria, Princess Royal
The Princess Victoria, Princess Royal was the eldest child of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom and Prince Albert. She was created Princess Royal of the United Kingdom in 1841. She became German Empress and Queen of Prussia by marriage to German Emperor Frederick III...
, and a great-great-granddaughter of Princess Victoria of Hesse and by Rhine
Princess Victoria of Hesse and by Rhine
Princess Victoria of Hesse and by Rhine, later Victoria Mountbatten, Marchioness of Milford Haven was the eldest daughter of Louis IV, Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine and his first wife Princess Alice of the United Kingdom .Her mother died while her brother and sisters...
, the eldest daughter of Princess Louis
Princess Alice of the United Kingdom
The Princess Alice was a member of the British royal family, the third child and second daughter of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.Alice's education was devised by Albert's close friend and adviser, Baron Stockmar...
).
External links
Styles
- 1 April 1971 – 30 April 1999: Her Highness, Princess Irina of Hesse
- 30 April 1999 – present: Her Highness, The Countess of Schönburg-Glauchau