Turiya Hanover
Encyclopedia
Turiya Hanover, otherwise Wibke, Prinzessin von Hannover, née van Gunsteren (born 1948, Lübeck
), is an Australian spiritualist, and a married-in member of the Royal Family of Hanover. She has published some new-age music.
Wibke was born as daughter of Ursula Schmidt-Prange and Dr. Hans-Daniel Christians, a physician. Her mother then married a Harry van Gunsteren, and the whole young family had van Gunsteren as surname, including the stepdaughter Wibke.
In 1969, Wibke married Prince Welf of Hanover, who was a first cousin of Prince Ernst August of Hanover
, the current head of the House of Guelf, as well as a first cousin of Charles, Prince of Wales
, the current heir to the thrones of British Commonwealth.
In 1970, they had a child, Princess Saskia of Hanover
, currently known as Mrs Saskia Hooper.
In 1973, Wibke started to work as spiritual therapeut.
In 1975, she and her husband Welf moved to India, having joined the spiritualist group they moved to live with. Wibke and Welf had become followers (sannyasins) of a syncretic movement led by Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh
. In 1975, Welf and Wibke, along with their five-year-old daughter Tania Saskia
, made a pilgrimage to Poona, India
to live in a ashram
with other followers of Bhagwan. Once there, Bhagwan gave Welf the name Vimalkirti ("Spotless splendour") and Wibke Turiya ("Spiritual love").
Her first husband Welf died at the age of 33 at a clinic in Poona from a cerebral haemorrhage after collapsing during a morning karate
practice session and becoming paralyzed at the ashram.
Although a lot of misinformed material floating around in print and in internet claims that they were divorced in 1979, there was no such divorce. They were married, until prince Welf died in 1981.
Currently, Turiya (Wibke) lives as entrepreneur in Byron Bay, Australia.
Turiya has published at least three pieces of music, through New Earth Records
:
Lübeck
The Hanseatic City of Lübeck is the second-largest city in Schleswig-Holstein, in northern Germany, and one of the major ports of Germany. It was for several centuries the "capital" of the Hanseatic League and, because of its Brick Gothic architectural heritage, is listed by UNESCO as a World...
), is an Australian spiritualist, and a married-in member of the Royal Family of Hanover. She has published some new-age music.
Wibke was born as daughter of Ursula Schmidt-Prange and Dr. Hans-Daniel Christians, a physician. Her mother then married a Harry van Gunsteren, and the whole young family had van Gunsteren as surname, including the stepdaughter Wibke.
In 1969, Wibke married Prince Welf of Hanover, who was a first cousin of Prince Ernst August of Hanover
Prince Ernst August of Hanover
Prince Ernst August of Hanover, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg is the elder son and heir apparent of Ernst August V, Prince of Hanover and his former wife Chantal Hochuli.-Life:Ernst August was...
, the current head of the House of Guelf, as well as a first cousin of Charles, Prince of Wales
Charles, Prince of Wales
Prince Charles, Prince of Wales is the heir apparent and eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. Since 1958 his major title has been His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales. In Scotland he is additionally known as The Duke of Rothesay...
, the current heir to the thrones of British Commonwealth.
In 1970, they had a child, Princess Saskia of Hanover
Princess Saskia of Hanover
Princess Saskia of Hanover , Princess of Great Britain and Ireland, Duchess of Brunswick-Lüneburg is a learning assistant in an infants' school and the only child of the late Prince...
, currently known as Mrs Saskia Hooper.
In 1973, Wibke started to work as spiritual therapeut.
In 1975, she and her husband Welf moved to India, having joined the spiritualist group they moved to live with. Wibke and Welf had become followers (sannyasins) of a syncretic movement led by Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh
Osho (Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh)
Osho , born Chandra Mohan Jain , and also known as Acharya Rajneesh from the 1960s onwards, as Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh during the 1970s and 1980s and as Osho from 1989, was an Indian mystic, guru, and spiritual teacher who garnered an international following.A professor of philosophy, he travelled...
. In 1975, Welf and Wibke, along with their five-year-old daughter Tania Saskia
Princess Saskia of Hanover
Princess Saskia of Hanover , Princess of Great Britain and Ireland, Duchess of Brunswick-Lüneburg is a learning assistant in an infants' school and the only child of the late Prince...
, made a pilgrimage to Poona, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
to live in a ashram
Ashram
Traditionally, an ashram is a spiritual hermitage. Additionally, today the term ashram often denotes a locus of Indian cultural activity such as yoga, music study or religious instruction, the moral equivalent of a studio or dojo....
with other followers of Bhagwan. Once there, Bhagwan gave Welf the name Vimalkirti ("Spotless splendour") and Wibke Turiya ("Spiritual love").
Her first husband Welf died at the age of 33 at a clinic in Poona from a cerebral haemorrhage after collapsing during a morning karate
Karate
is a martial art developed in the Ryukyu Islands in what is now Okinawa, Japan. It was developed from indigenous fighting methods called and Chinese kenpō. Karate is a striking art using punching, kicking, knee and elbow strikes, and open-handed techniques such as knife-hands. Grappling, locks,...
practice session and becoming paralyzed at the ashram.
Although a lot of misinformed material floating around in print and in internet claims that they were divorced in 1979, there was no such divorce. They were married, until prince Welf died in 1981.
Currently, Turiya (Wibke) lives as entrepreneur in Byron Bay, Australia.
Turiya has published at least three pieces of music, through New Earth Records
New Earth Records
New Earth Records is an independent record label focusing primarily on New Age Music and World Music. It was founded in 1990 in Munich, Germany, by European entrepreneurs Bhikkhu Schober and Waduda Paradiso under the auspices of the spiritual teacher known as Osho...
:
- Awakening of the Heart
- Forgiveness Meditation
- Healing the Body
Sources
- Marlene Eilers Koenig, The divorce that never was
- Marlene Eilers Koenig, Queen Victoria's Descendants
- Record Labels from New Earth Records
- article in Der Spiegel: Ein Welfe im Nirwana: Der Tod eines deutschen Prinzen, der für Bhagwan lebte
- Allan Raymond, Monarchies of Europe, Hanover Royal Family