Prince Gustav Albrecht of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg, who is the son of Prince Gustav and Princess Carina of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg, has been baptized at the chapel of Berleburg Castle in Germany. In addition to Prince Christian, other members of the royal family were present at the christening, as well as Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary and the christened child's grandmother, Princess Benedikte.
Prince Gustav Albrecht has six godparents, that is, Prince Christian, Princess Theodora, Ellen Hillingsø, Arabella Gaggero, Prince Franz-Albrecht and Prince Carl-Anton.
Zimmermann Kaleidoscope Tubular Midi Dress
RED Valentino Floral Detail Day Dress
L.K.Bennett Katerina Midi Dress
Marianna Déri Tiger Print Maxi Skirt
Lovely family photos. Prince Christian has grown so tall.
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful christening gown. Such a hoot to see the dogs nose their way into the pictures. All the family members are well dressed.
ReplyDeleteThank you for clarifying. I couldn't tell if those were dogs at their feet, or furry plush pillows, or what ... exactly. LOL.
DeleteEuropa
A beautiful baby, a beautiful occasion, a beautiful family and all of them beautifully dressed. Blessings to all.
ReplyDelete- Anon 9:13
I've read in a german magazine that the little boy is the child of a surrogate. If that is true, I want to add that surrogacy is illegal in Germany. For good reason.
ReplyDeleteYes, the baby was born via surrogacy. Not surprising since Carina is 55 years old. The surrogate is American and the baby was born in the US, since surrogacy is illegal in Germany as you say. In many European countries surrogacy is illegal, but it is not illegal for people to go to another country and find a surrogate there...
DeleteWhat is the reason?
DeleteWhat a beautiful, sweet baby! Everyone is well dressed with Princess Benedikte as elegant as ever. The only quibble are the wide brimmed hats of Princess Mary and the lady on the far left as they can block the view of those around them.
DeleteHis parents have told about it openly and he wasn’t born in Germany but in the States. /Grace
DeleteCoralie, that was an useless comment. The baby was not born in Germany. What a happy family occasion.
DeleteElena
Elena, I agree. An absolutely useless comment and self-righteous to boot. Coralie, your approval was not needed. By the way, it's a surrogate-mother, a human being, not just a "surrogate". You make it sound like a device in a laboratory. You're disrespectful on so many levels. Katrina
DeleteIt is illegal in almost all countries of Central Europe (so baby was born in the USA). I think ithis rule has rational reasons - it prevents child trafficking (only the rich order these "services" of surrogacy) and abuse of socially weak poor women.
DeletePrince Gustav's grandfather - the late father-in-law of Princess Benedikte was a Na.zi and stipulated in his will that the heir to the title "Prince Sayn Wittgestein Berleburg can only marry a woman of Aryan, aristocratic and Protestant origin. He died on the Eastern Front during the Second World War. His son fulfilled this condition - his bride Princess Benedikte of Denmark met the criteria one hundred percent. It is incomprehensible to me that the current Prince Gustav Sayn Wittgestein Berleburg postponed his marriage to Carina, with whom he lived for 20 years, until they were both 54, because of the title. They could have a happy family with children, but he preferred the title . It's absurdly ridiculous, because Germany is a republic and those aristocratic titles are only good for the tabloids.
PS: Gustav was previously engaged to Elvire Paste de Rochefort, but the wedding announced for May 2001 did not take place allegedly due to financial problems of the bride's family.
Stephanie
It is only illegal to make use of surrogacy (it is called "Leihmutterschaft") in Germany. It is not illegal to go to other countries and beget an otherwise inconceivable child by surrogacy there. With the according paperwork provided, German authorities will accept the child to the claiming parents. The Prince and the Princess of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg did go public about it, nothing was hidden, nothing happened in secret. Good for them. I like this approach, and I'm happy that they were able to have a child (and an heir as well) this way. As for everyone to see in the Christening pictures, no one raised a questioning eyebrow on the matter, all Danish, Greek, and German relatives seem overjoyed.
DeleteAnonymous 12:31, the reason being that there are ethical concerns such as the exploitation of women who live in poverty or the fact that being pregnant, you can easily form an emotional attachment to the baby that you didn't anticipate... That being said, I am quite certain that Gustav and Carina did not exploit anyone and they were surprisingly open about the whole thing, which I applaud. They have also done everything in a way that is legal, Germany recognizes the Californian court order saying that this is their child and that's it.
DeleteFor them this was their opportunity to still have a child, they look very happy and I am happy for them!
The so-called surrogacy is slavery. No woman should be forced to "lend" her womb to rich people due to oeconomic reasons. No child should be sold like a product.
DeleteThis looks like a happy family, on a happy family occasion. Too many women are shamed and judged for how they go about trying to have a family, or not being able to have one at all. What that says about this world is awful. But these pictures are beautiful, and I'll go with that.
DeleteChel
@ Stephanie. I agree it is ridiculous. I am getting the impression that the postponing of the marriage because he would not loose the title and his earlier engagement which not took place have all financial reasons. When the baby will be 20 years old his parents will have the age of 74 or 75. I hope for the new prince that his parents may live a long time in good health. There is a good chance that the majority of his friends all will have parents much younger than his. @ Luna. I cannot call this a love story. It is rather a story of power and money and being egoistic.
DeleteA surrogate mother can also be a family member or a friend. I know a woman who was born with a deformed uterus, and her sister offered to help her and her husband, she gave birth to her sister’s two children after having three of her own. The children know of their origin and they know how much their parents appreciate this gift. My friend’s sister does not consider herself their mother. /Grace
Delete@Stephanie. I go along with you and don't agree that it is a love story.
DeleteDon't quite know what name to give to it. Destiny - fate - part of an historical script.???
Coralie you go from bad to worse. Just stop.
DeleteThere's much more to the story of Prince Gustav and Princess Carina than what meets the eye. If theirs is not a love story than I'll eat my hat. They stayed together for many, many years despite the strange will of the Nazi Grandfather. They fought the testament for a long, long time to get the courts to declare the testament null and void. But the courts are slow, sadly. In the end, the Prince won his court case and almost immediately proceeded to marry Carina. But they were over fifty already by then. Twenty years of court battle had claimed its toll. Of course, the matter of surrogacy proves to be a very tricky one, indeed. There might be cases that can be compared to some modern type of slavery, I agree. But most of the cases are well contracted business arrangements. There are certain rights and stipulations involved when done properly. I don't think that the House of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg did something shady or went into exploitation territory here. I'm sure the person who bore the child was well paid and also chose to do so by free will. It's a regular business in many states, and, again, nowadays has not much to do with exploitation unless you turn to some third world countries where poverty takes over rational thinking.
DeleteA lot of things are illegal in Germany but people still do them - for better or for worst - and the world does not end. There are bigger, worst issues in the world right now than a very much wanted baby coming into a loving home. This baby - however he got here - is a blessing!
DeleteAnd not for nothing - if Germany hadn't had it's stupid and prejudice laws stipulating who Gustav could and could not marry in order to keep his inheritance, he and Carina could have gotten married years, decades, ago and had this baby the "old fashion way." *That's* what you should be in a tiff about it!!!
Europa
@ Coralie, keep some space for tolerance in your judgement, even if you/we don't understand all circumstances about this present case. Women accepting this role probably feel positive about it for various reasons.
Delete@ Europa. Excuse me, what German laws prevented the marriage? You can't be serious. The whole mess was created by his grandfather and the stipulations in his will. The Oberlandesgericht Hamm decided in 2020 that Gustav fulfilled the relevant criteria in the will and decided in his favour. Please check your facts.
DeleteTout le monde est bien habillé pour cette belle occasion mais surtout Mary qui est superbe avec cette robe imprimée dans un dégradé de tons orange; elle a su choisir une capeline de couleur saumon ; j'aurais aimé mieux la voir ainsi que ses boucles d'oreilles ; oh, j'allais oublier Benedikte toujours aussi classe !
ReplyDeleteI don't know what to think. The dresses of the ladies in a mix of styles as well as the hats (or no hats). Would like to have a better look on CP Mary. What I can see of the Zimmerman dress is a neckline that is really becoming almost old fashion. At least 3 years especially among the royals, these kind of necklines are worn pretty often. Rose
ReplyDeletePrincess Mary is remaining faithful to the Australian fashion house, Zimmermann. On their site they say that her dress is made of 90% recycled polyester, 10% elastane.
DeleteIs it a re-wear?
Looks like poor Prince Frederik is fighting to be in the photo because of Princess Mary’s big hat. 😀
Nice to see such a happy family occasion.
My wishes for a long and happy life to the little Prince.
Love the behavior of the dog. I'm sure he/she is feeling jealous.
Congratulations!
ReplyDeleteThis is a real love story, together for many years before they could finally get married. They are not young anymore and if this was the only option to have a family, why not?
They have been open and honest about it so kudos to them.
Fashion wise the pictures are a delight for the eye, they are all groomed and elegant.
I can imagine Princess Benediktes happiness!
Luna
1.The baby is cute and I wish them happy.
Delete2. "This is a real love story, together for many years before they could finally get married" I think -. It would be a real real love story if Gustav was willing to give up his title for the sake of his love. He didn't, they wasted their young years because of a ridiculous rule set by his Nazi grandfather.
A similar case was poor Prince Bertil of Sweden - the uncle of the current Swedish king. His father would take away his title if he married a woman of non-aristocratic descent. Prince Bertil lived discreetly with his beloved woman for 3O years and they married after the death of his father. But both were already 60 years old and the possibility of having children was gone. All because of the title. (hypocrisy from a king from the Bernadotte dynasty, whose ancestors were petty traders, innkeepers and officials)
Sorry for the digression, I'm a history buff. Stephanie
@Stephanie. May I ask which title you are refering to? German aristocracy lost their titles in 1919. Of course you're aware of that, being a history buff and all. So, what title was Gustav Prince of SWB not willing to give up for love? Just curious. Thanks in advance.
DeleteI agree with you, Luna It's a lovely story and wonerdul to see hteir happiness.
Delete@Stephanie, while what you say about Prince Bertil is correct, it is important to note that he maintained his place in the line of success in order to be able to act as regent for the present King if his grandfather died before he reached his majority. His was a noble not a selfish act in any way..
The court case was about the family estate and fortune, the property of Berleburg not his title.
DeleteAnon 08:20. Absolutely correct. Thank you for clarifying things for some commenters here.
DeletePrince Gustav became Head of the House Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg when his father Prince Richard died a few years ago. The court battle was already going on there, and had little to do with inheriting the title, but was mainly about what was stipulated in his Grandfather's will. There it said at one point, that marrying a non-aryan person is forbidden and will result in losing all property. And beside that, there are always House rules to abide by in many aristocratic families. It is that silly Nazi rule that Prince Gustav fought against and won in the end. All the time, he and Carina stood together, so yes, I consider it a great lovestory.
DeleteWhat a lovely and probably much-longed for moment for Gustav and Carina! Its wonderful to see the family coming together for such a joyous occasion. Love that Christian is one of the godfathers. Can't see too much of the fashion but Benedickte wins the day for me--always so elegant. Mary's dress is a repeat from Count Henrik's confirmation last spring--would love to see more. Theodora looks nice in that shade of pink. Baby Gustav is adorable--and his christening gown is gorgeous.
ReplyDeleteJanet
What a cute little boy. I must say it is a nice birthday gift for Christian to be a Godparent to this little angel. The dresses of the ladies are very nice from what one could see. I really like the picture of Pss Benedikte and her new grandson. Smiles on both faces. Congratulation to the parents and the rest of the family. What a lucky little boy. Welcome to the world little one. css
ReplyDeletePrince Bertil could not get married because he had promised to support and help the future king, who had lost his father as a child. He did not need the title, but the position near the future king and later young king. He had sense of duty. - Rivka
ReplyDeleteWhat about Lilian? Was it right to deprive her of the opportunity to have a family and children? Bertill's brothers Sigvard and Karl Johann married for love and their father stripped them of their title and status. If Bertil had done the same when he and Lilian were young, maybe the King of Sweden would have understood that these medieval rules had no place in the 20th century.
DeleteQuestion to our dog lovers.
ReplyDeleteDo you think the dog is there as it wants to help the little Prince get started with his life in the family or do you think it is there as it is jealous and doesn’t want to be pushed aside to give way to the addition to the family?
Neither. I think the dog knows that he is loved and valued and wants to be near his people!
DeleteAnswer to anon 20:51
ReplyDeleteYes, the German nobility lost their titles in 1918, but still these "princes", who are in almost every district in Germany, insist on these empty titles. Some property, a castle, is attached to the title - so, as always, money is behind everything. Apparently, they broke the rules of Gustav's grandfather's will with some legal trick. I just wonder why Gustavo's father - that is, Princess Benedikte's husband - did not put this in order. to enable his son to marry Carina 20 years ago and have a family with children. The logical conclusion from all this: the first is the family property with the title, the second place is Carina
Where to begin? These "princes" don't need to insist on their titles, they are part of their names. First name Gustav, last name Prinz of SWB, no privilegies attached. Just look it up. Does everybody with Prince or Princess in their family name own property or a castle? In your dreams. They broke the will of the grandfather with some legal trick? Do tell. I'm sure you've got the facts and are on to something big. No? By the way, a german Oberlandesgericht decided in his favour. Legal trick, hm? And no, his father, Richard, couldn't do anything about it. Gustav Albrecht, the grandfather, had left everything to his then unborn grandson in direct male line. Not uncommon for noble houses to avoid inheritance tax. A will is a will and can only be changed by the person who wrote the will in the first place. The stipulation in the will, that the woman in question had to be "aryan" is immoral and should not be valid, don't you agree? You can all this look up on the Internet. See for yourself.
DeleteThis is an interesting question about succession. Apparently the prince’s grandfather had the authority to use his personal will to change the eligibility for succession. Queen Elizabeth certainly couldn’t have done that even if she had wanted to. In Britain the eligibility and order of succession are a matter of law. The fact that German titles were eliminated in 1918 complicates the matter. Was there no law in effect at the time, even local law for that province, that governed succession? Or did the elimination of titles render all succession laws void? If the grandfather could alter the requirements for succession, one does have wonder why the prince’s father didn’t change it, and one has to wonder how the current prince might alter the requirements for succession. For instance, if he and his wife hadn’t had any children, could he have willed the princely title to some random person of his choosing?
ReplyDeleteAlso, the fact that the grandfather could alter the requirements for succession in his will seems to indicate that princely title was an item of personal property like a car or a bank account, as opposed to something for which he was merely the custodian or beneficiary during his lifetime.
Ed
This is not about succession. Read the comments from Anon 28/08 08:20 and DSC 28/08 15:05, they will answer your questions.
DeleteI believe the will in question was about the associated real estate and financial property, not the title, and that the family had a habit of skipping a generation when leaving property. That is why Gustav's father could not just change the rules, but a court case was necessary.
DeleteWhat a beautiful baby. That first photo is precious. I have a friend who is a surrogate. She’s happy to carry babies for couples who can’t carry them on their own. She researched the couple meticulously and works with a lawyer to cover all her bases. She makes a lot of money doing it.
ReplyDeleteDear Stephanie, Dear No Name 11:41. Get your facts straight. The Kaiser abdicated in 1918 and Germany became a republic. The nobility and its RIGHTS were abolished. Nobiliary particles became part of one’s surname. Therefore, they cannot be empty titles. Most nobles are not princes and the land normally attached to their names part of history, often ancient history. They are not interested in tabloids. Prince Gustav did not use tricks, rubbish. A family member challenged Gustav’s hereditary rights to the property based on the clauses of the will of Gustav’s grandfather. The courts finally ruled that these clauses were unlawful, which made it possible for the marriage to take place. By the way, nobles with crumbling listed castles and manors are a minority in Germany and have colossal financial problems,
ReplyDeletethey may be rich on paper but mostly cash-poor. Who would wish to marry a man who risked losing his property in the act?
🌞 Virginia
Dear Virginia, I agree with the facts you stated. But I consider it sad and cowardly to postpone marriage with the woman he loves because of an inheritance dispute and thereby deprive himself and her of the possibility of having a happy married life and children in a natural way (not at an age when it is more natural to have grandchildren). Millions of people know how to exist without relying on inheritance and support themselves with their own work, I'm sure that would be the way for Gustav and Carina too.
DeleteAnd the answer to your question (Who would wish to marry a man who risked losing his property in the act?) Every decent woman who puts love before property. Inheritance is a nice thing, but you can also support your family decently with working.
Stephanie
@Stephanie. In your first post you wrote: "They wasted their young years because of a ridiculous rule set by his Nazi grandfather". Now you call him a coward because he fought for what belonged to him. This is not just any old inheritance, it is about being the Head of the family, losing the place his mother was living in and losing everything he had been trained all of his life to do. This inheritance includes a ton of responsibility. He didn't fight the will for the fun of it. His wife has been along for the ride all these years. Had she wanted to leave, she would have done so. Their love must be real strong and I wish them nothing but happiness.
DeleteAs a self declared history buff, you should rely on facts, not just opinions.
Dear Anon 22:32,
ReplyDeleteI don't call him a coward at all, "because he fought for what belonged to him." But for the fact that he gave priority to inharitance over marriage and children. Gustav could fight in court against injustice and at the same time have a wife and children.
I believe that love, family and children take precedence. I have my birth home too, where my mother still lives - admittedly not as luxurious, but I would also fight for my inheritance and for justice. But I would never, never put them before my marriage and children. And my mother would absolutely refuse to let me put my marital happiness and children aside for that. (Besides, Gustav's mother Princess Benedikte never had to worry about ending up on the street. She had many options).
We cannot fool the biological clock. We have a limited time to start a family and upbringig children. Stephanie
And how do you know that this child is not their own after all we can freeze down sperm, eggs and embyos? Sometimes we should think more about what our comments say about ourselves, who we are and what we stand for as fellow human beings.
DeleteDear anon 11.01
DeleteYou wrote: "we can freeze down sperm, eggs and embyos" - do you think this should be the way to go? Babies shouldn't be "created in test tubes in a lab. What next - we freeze the embryos, use one and throw the remaining three in a landfill or an incinerator? Like a spoiled steak? And then we find some poor woman and rent her womb to carry the baby how do we rent an apartment or a car?
Stephanie
@Stephanie. We got it, you're a woman of virtue. But, you are quite opinionated and that doesn't leave any room for tolerance. You won't let facts stand in the way of building your opinion. This couple made a decision and they don't need your approval. They live their life, you live yours. Nobody has to live by your values but you. Like it or not. So, do you find it in your heart to wish them happiness or is this beyond you? Either way, the deed is done, you may as well stop your harping and move on. This is getting tiresome.
DeleteAnon 20:22, that's a really offensive remark. My great-niece and great-nephew each were born as a result of advanced fertility treatment, and I won't have them insulted. Please think before you write.
DeleteDear Jonesnori and Anon 11:01 am
DeleteI assure you that I know a lot from my own experience how difficult it is to have a child. I wish everyone, including little Gustav Albrecht, and your great-nephew and great-niece good luck in life. I am assuming that your relatives did NOT use this method of conception due delaying parenthood and marriage due to a dispute over inheritance, money or title like the head of House Sayn Wittgestein Berleburg apperently did. And as for the facts, ask the gynecology doctors what is done with the unused embryos - they end up in the incinerator (this is a proven fact).
Steph.
Anon 11:36, many embryos fail to become babies, for many reasons, whether they started via IVF or not. In these cases, they enabled their siblings to be born, so they did not die in vain. I think that remembering their loss is admirable, but stopping people from being able to have children because of it is wrong.
DeleteTo Jonesnori
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, I did not want to comment on those who use IVF because of medical problems with conception, but I wanted to comment on those who do it for status, title, property, inheritance disputes and then exploit poor women and they rent their wombs.
Then there is the question of when is a conceived life worthy of protection. For some from conception, for others after birth. I'm not going to get into philosophical debates about it - there's no place for that here. But I think I'm not insulting anyone, I'm just politely expressing my opinion. Freedom of speech still applies, doesn´t it ? Steph.
I get you on the poor women. It is a quandary. Adoption has some such issues as well. Many surrogates are relatives, though. I know a couple who used IVF for both, because they were in their late thirties when they married. The elder proved unable to carry a pregnancy to term, so the younger volunteered to carry her wife's child for her, and successfully did so. A couple of years later she carried her own. That scenario is uncommon, but a sister or sister-in-law acts as a surrogate somewhat more often.
DeleteAs far as status, etc., I understand your feelings, but I don't feel we know enough to condemn this couple. You disagree, and I respect that.
Anon 15:47 was me, jonesnori. Not sure why it posted as anon.
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