Looking back at 2019 in genealogical facts

Another year has almost come to an end. Also in the reigning and non-reigning royal houses in the world there were births, engagements, weddings, divorces and deaths. We welcomed somewhat sudden a new queen in Thailand, while the crown prince of Dubai finally got married. We had to say goodbye to four former heads of state, a wife of a king, and the former wife of a late king, as well as the head of one of the no longer reigning royal families. What happened in 2019 when just looking at the royal family trees?

The reigning royal houses in Europe

Births

Enrique de Jesús, Duke of Touraine (Spain/France), son of Luis Alfonso de Borbón, Duc d’Anjou, and his wife Margarita, was born on 1 February 2019 in New York, USA.

Archie Harrison, son of Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, and his wife Meghan, was born on 6 May 2019 at the Portland Hospital in London, United Kingdom. He was christened in Windsor, United Kingdom, on 6 July 2019.

Engaged, married and divorced

Countess Diana Bernadotte af Wisborg (Sweden) and Stefan Dedek announced their separation on 21 January 2019.

Prince Louis of Luxembourg and Tessy Antony divorced on 4 April 2019 in London, United Kingdom.

Lady Gabriella Windsor married Thomas Kingston at St George’s Chapel, Windsor, United Kingdom on 18 May 2019.

Charlotte Casiraghi (Monaco) married Dimitri Rassam civilly on 1 June 2019 in Monaco, and religiously on 29 June 2019 at the Abbaye Sainte-Marie de Pierredon in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, France.

Louis Ducruet (Monaco) married Marie Hoa Chevallier civilly at the town hall in Monaco on 26 July 2019 and religiously at the cathedral of Monte-Carlo, Monaco, 27 July 2019.

Countess Josephine af Rosenborg (Denmark) married Kenneth Schmidt on 6 August 2019 in Lyngby, Denmark.

Princess Marie-Astrid von und zu Liechtenstein reportedly became engaged to Rafe Worthington in August 2019.

Princess Beatrice of York (Great Britain) announced her engagement to Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi on 26 September 2019. The marriage is to take place in 2020.

Princess Theresa von und zu Liechtenstein became engaged to Count Cajetan von Toerring-Jettenbach , which became known early October 2019.

Countess Elsa Marianne Bernadotte af Wisborg (Sweden) announced her engagement to Hjalmar Ståhlberg Nordegren on 28 December 2019.

Deceased

Princess Alix de Ligne née Princess of Luxembourg died on 11 February 2019 at Beloeil, Belgium, aged 89. She is mourned as mother, grandmother and great-grandmother.

Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg died on 23 April 2019 in Luxembourg aged 98. The widower of Princess Joséphine-Charlotte of Belgium reigned Luxembourg between 1964 and 2000. Many royal guests turned up for his state funeral on 4 May at the Cathédrale Notre-Dame. He left five children and numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Princess Ilona von und zu Liechtenstein née Countess Esterházy de Galántha died on 2 August 2019, aged 98. She is mourned by her stepdaughter.

The husband of Countess Anna Bernadotte af Wisborg (Sweden), Per Larsén died on 9 August 2019, aged 66. He is survived by his wife and chidlren.

Princess Christina of the Netherlands died on 16 August 2019 in The Hague, The Netherlands, of bone cancer, aged 72. She is mourned by her three children and five grandchildren.

Former French president and co-prince of Andorra Jacques Chirac died on 26 September 2019 in Paris, France. He is survived by his wife and one of his two daughters, the other one died in 2016.

Dagmar von Arbin, born Countess Bernadotte af Wisborg (Sweden) died on 22 December 2019, aged 103. would have celebrated her 104th birthday in April 2020. Even in the past years she was often present at big royal events. She was the eldest member of the extended Swedish royal family. She is mourned by her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Ari Behn – the former husband of Princess Märtha Louise of Norway – was found death at his home in Lommedalen, Norway, on Christmas Day, 25 December 2019. He was 47 years old and committed suicide. He is survived by his girlfriend, ex-wife, three daughters and his parents.

The reigning royal houses outside Europe

Births

Salama, daughter of Sheikh Saeed bin Maktoum al Maktoum of Dubai and his wife Sheikha Zeynab, was born on 19 January 2019.

Rashid, son of Sheikh Majid bin Mohammed al Maktoum of Dubai and his wife Sheikha Hessa, was born on 2 February 2019.

Ismail Leon, son of Sultan Mohammad V Faris Petra of Kelantan and Rihana Oksana, née Voevodina, was born on 21 May 2019. Without doubt the most controversial baby of the year. The father says the boy isn’t his and soon after the birth divorced the mother.

Tunku Abu Bakar Ibrahim Ibni Tunku Ismail, son of Tunku Mahkota Johor Tunku Ismail Ibni Sultan Ibrahim, the Crown Prince of Johor (Malaysia), and his wife Che’ Puan Khaleeda Bustamam, was born at the Hospital Sultanah Aminah in Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia, on 17 July 2019.

Fatema, daughter of Sheikh Suhail bin Ahmed bin Juma Al Maktoum of Dubai and Sheikha Maryam bint Mohamed Al Maktoum of Dubai, was born in September 2019.

Mohammed El Hassan, son of Prince Hashem bin Al Hussein of Jordan and Princess Fahdah, was born on 21 October 2019.

Hussein, son of Prince Hamzah bin Al Hussein of Jordan and Princess Basmah, was born on 8 November 2019.

Engaged, married and divorced

Tengku Mahkota Kelantan, Tengku Muhammad Faiz Petra Ibni Sultan Ismail Petra of Kelantan (Malaysia) married Sofie Louise Johansson at the Istana Balai Besar, Kota Bharu, Kelantan, Malaysia, on 19 April 2019. A second marriage took place in Sweden on 7 September 2019.

King Maha Vajiralongkorn Bodindradebayavarangkun of Thailand married Suthida Tidjai at the Ampornsathan Throne Hall in the Dusit Palace, Bangkok, Thailand, on 1 May 2019.

Lalla Soukaina of Morocco and Mehdi Regagrui have divorced according to reports on 9 May 2019.

Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammad bin Rashid Al Maktoum, crownprince of Dubai, and Sheikha Sheikha bint Saeed Al Maktoum of Dubai married in Dubai on 6 June 2019.

Sheikh Ahmad bin Mohammad bin Rashid Al Maktoum of Dubai and Sheikha Madiyah bint Dalmouk Al Maktoum of Dubai married in Dubai on 6 June 2019.

Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammad bin Rashid Al Maktoum of Dubai and Sheikha Mariam bint Butti Al Maktoum of Dubai married in Dubai on 6 June 2019.

The Sultan of Kelantan, Muhammad V (Malaysia) divorced Oksana Voevodina on 22 June 2019 in Singapore.

Yang Amat Mulia Pengiran Anak Haji Abdul Mui’iz bin Pengiran Indera Setia Diraja Sahibul Karib Pengiran Anak Haji Idris (Brunei) married Wan Haziqah Aqilah binti Haji Yussof at Baitun Na’im in Jalan Jerudong, Brunei on 18 August 2019.

Sheikh Khaled bin Mohammad bin Hamdan Al Nahyan of Abu Dhabi married Sheikha Maryam bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum of Dubai on 19 September 2019.

Princess Raiyah bint Hussein of Jordan and Ned Fares Donovan announced their engagement on 26 October 2019.

Awangku Muhammad Aizat bin Pengiran Haji Yasmin and Yang Amat Mulia Pengiran Anak Hafiyyah binti Pengiran Maharaja Lela Sahibul Kahar Pengiran Anak Haji Mohammad Yusof (Brunei) married on 15 December 2019 at Ma’wassalihin in Kampong Madewa, Brunei.

Deceased

Mom Rajawongse Sumalai Mongkol Sonakul died on 6 February 2019, aged 76. She was a granddaughter of King Chulalongkorn of Thailand.

Inkhosikati LaDube née Nothando Dube died in hospital in South Africa on 8 March 2019 of skin cancer, aged 31. She was the 12th wife of King Mswati III of Swaziland. She is mourned by her husband and children.

Sheikha Aisha bint Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa of Bahrain died on 3 April 2019. She was a daughter of the former ruler of Bahrain, Salman, and an aunt of King Hamad of Bahrain.

Ahmad Shah Al Musta’in Billah Sultan Abu Bakar, the 5th Sultan of Pahang died on 22 May 2019 at the National Heart Institute in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, aged 88. He is mourned by his wife, children and grandchildren. He abdicated in favour of his son in January 2019.

Sheikh Mansour bin Ahmed bin Ali Al Thani of Qatar died on 17 June 2019. He was a son of Sheikh Ahmed bin Ali Al Thani, Emir of Qatar from 1960 to 1972.

Sheikh Khalid bin Sultan Al Qasimi of Sharjah, died on 1 July 2019 in London, aged 39. According to the inquest the fashion designer died of drugs toxicity. Also his elder brother Mohammed died of a drug overdose in 1999. He was a son of the ruler of Sharjah (United Arab Emirates),

Prince Bandar bin Abdulaziz Al Saud of Saudi Arabia died on 28 July 2019 aged 95. He was the 10th son of King Abdulaziz bin Saud, and thus a halfbrother of King Salman.

Princess Dina Abdul Hamid, the first wife of the late King Hussein bin Talal of Jordan, died on 21 August 2019 in Amman, Jordan, aged 89. She had secondly married Asad Sulayman Abd al-Qadir, alias Salah Taamari. She is survived by her daughter and grandchildren.

Sultan Ismail Petra ibni Almarhum Sultan Yahya Petra, died on 28 September 2019 at the royal ward of the Raja Perempuan Zainab II Hospital in Kota Bharu, aged 70. From 1979/80 to 2010 he was the Sultan of Kelantan (Malaysia). He suffered a stroke in May 2009 and 2010 it was declared that he wasn’t capable of ruling anymore. He had a wife and four children.

Princess Norodom Bopha Devi on 18 November 2019. The former ballet dancer died in hospital in Bangkok, Thailand, aged 76. She was the eldest daughter of the late King Norodom Sihanouk and thus the eldest halfsister of the present King of Cambodia.

Sheikh Sultan bin Zayed Al Nahyan of Abu Dhabi died on 18 November 2019, aged either 63 or 64. He was the second son of the founder of the United Arab Emirates and brother of the president of the United Arab Emirates Sheikh Khalifa.

Prince Mutaib bin Abdulaziz Al Saud of Saudi Arabia died on 2 December 2019. The Prince was aged 88. His death makes his brother King Salman of Saudi Arabia the oldest still living son of King Abdulaziz bin Saud.

The Tengku Panglima Perang of Pahang, Tengku Abdul Aziz ibni al-Marhum Sultan Abu Bakar, died on 24 December 2019,, aged 74. He was a son of the 4th Sultan of Pahang.

The non-reigning royal houses

Births

Marie-Amélie Béatrice Felicitas, daughter of Prince François d’Orléans, Count of Dreux (France), and his wife Princess Theresa, was born on 8 February 2019 in Palma de Mallorca. She was christened in Schönach, Germany, on 22 June 2019.

Francisco, son of Guy de Orleans e Bragança (Brazil) and Amanda Gabriel São Clemente de Azevedo, was born on 10 March 2019.

Welf August Yohannes Ferdinand Karl Wilhelm Anthony Julio Mario, son of Hereditary Prince Ernst August von Hannover and his wife Princess Ekaterina, was born at the Henriettenstift in Hannover-Kirchrode, on 14 March 2019. He was christened at Marienburg Castle on 11 May 2019.

Maximilian Archduke of Austria-Este, son of Prince Amedeo of Belgium, Archduke of Austria-Este, and his wife Archduchess Elisabetta Maria, was born at the UMC Saint-Pierre in Brussels, Belgium, on 6 September 2019.

Engaged and married

Princess Fawzia-Latifa of Egypt married Sylvain Honoudo in Geneva, Switzerland, on 19 January 2019.

Archduchess Eleonore of Austria, daughter of the head of the imperial family of Austria, became engaged to Jérôme D’Ambrosio late February or early March 2019. The marriage is to take place in 2020.

Maria de Fatima Isabel de Orleans e Bragança (Brazil) married João Fontes Soares at the Igreja Santa Ignez in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on 4 May 2019.

Prince Franz Wilhelm of Prussia and his longtime partner Nadia Nour married in 2019, some time before 12 May 2019.

Prince Dushan of Yugoslavia and Valerie De Muzio married religiously at the Church of St George in Oplenac, Serbia, on 25 May 2019.

Annabel de Bragança (Portugal) married Andrea Papi in the church of San Luigi dei Francesi in Rome, Italy, on 22 June 2019.

Prince Joachim of Prussia married Countess Angelina zu Solms-Laubach religiously on 29 June 2019 at the Church of Montes-Sion in Pollença, Mallorca, Spain.

Princess Edna Makonnen (Ethiopia) became engaged to Jamal Robinson in July 2019.

Princess Maria Cristina de Orleans e Bragança (Brazil) and Gustavo de Arazane announced their engagement in August 2019.

Countess Philippa von Meran (Austria) married Benedikt Wolloner on 24 August 2019.

Princess Alexandra Romanoff (Russia) and Edward Heard announced their engagement on 12 September 2019.

Princess Aglaë von Baden married Wolf von Trotha in Amorbach. There was a report without date in the magazine Bunte of 17 October 2019.

Prince Hussain Aga Khan married Elizabeth Hoag (Fareen) civilly on 27 September 2019 and religiously on 29 September 2019, both in Geneva, Switzerland.

Prince Jean-Christophe Napoléon Bonaparte, Prince Napoléon and Countess Olympia von und zu Arco-Zinneberg became engaged, which became known in March 2019. They got married civilly in Neuilly-sur-Seine, France, on 17 October 2019, and religiously at the Cathédrale Saint-Louis des Invalides in Paris, France, on 19 October 2019.

Prince Rostislav Romanoff (Russia) and Foteini Georganta announced their engagement on 25 September 2019. They already have a son. They got married on 27 October 2019 in Rye, East Sussex, United Kingdom.

Prince Pedro Alberto de Orleans e Bragança (Brazil) became engaged to Alessandra Haegler Fragoso Pires in December 2019.

Deceased

Elisabeth Sandhofer née Archduchess of Austria (Tuscany) died on 1 January 2019 in Salzburg, Austria, aged 76. She is mourned by her husband, four children, and grandchildren.

Henri, The Count of Paris, head of the French royal family, died suddenly in Paris, France, on 21 January 2019. He is mourned by his wife, ex-wife, four of his five children and numerous grandchildren.

Princess Sara Gizaw, Duchess of Harar (Ethiopia) died in Addis Abeba, Ethiopia, on 15, 16 or 17 February 2019, aged 90. She is mourned as mother and grandmother.

Heide Prinzessin von Preussen-Müllem née Schmidt died some time in March 2019, aged 80. She is mourned by her daughter and grandchildren.

Duchess Gabrielle von Croÿ, Princess of Bavaria died on 19 April 2019 aged 91. She is mourned by her children and grandchildren.

Fürst Gerhard von Hohenberg died on 8 May 2019, aged 77.

Carolyn Willison Kawananakoa (Hawaii) died on 11 May 2019, aged 85. She is mourned by her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

The husband of Archduchess Ileana of Austria (Tuscany), David Snyder, died in a car accident near Coopersville, Ottawa County, Michigan, USA, on 18 May 2019, aged 62. He is mourned by his wife, children and grandchildren.

Prince and Landgrave Hermann von Hessen-Philippsthal-Barchfeld died on 18 May 2019 at Augustenau Castle, Herleshausen, Germany, aged 83. He is mourned as husband, father and grandfather.

Princess Woizlawa Feodora Reuss née Duchess zu Mecklenburg-Schwerin died in Strittmatt, Germany, on 3 June 2019 aged 100. She is mourned by her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Duke Georg Friedrich von Hohenberg (Austria) died on 24 July 2019, aged 90. He is mourned by his wife, children and grandchildren.

The husband of Countess Anna-Maria von Meran (Austria), Philippe Destremau, died on 4 September 2019, aged 81. He is survived by his wife, his children and grandchildren.

Prince Rudolf zur Lippe died on 6 September 2019 in Berlin, Germany, aged 82. He is survived by his wife and son.

Alexandra Prinzessin von Preussen née Blahova died on 8 September 2019 at her home, aged 71. She is survived by her husband, two children and a grandson.

Duke Ludwig von Württemberg died on 6 October 2019 at Weingarten, Germany, aged 88. He is survived by his children and grandchildren. He renounced his dynastic rights in 1959. His younger brother Carl therefore succeeded as head of the family in 1975.

Princess Armgard of Prussia née von Veltheim died at Holzminden, Germany, on 1 November 2019 aged 94. She was the widow of Prince Wilhelm Karl of Prussia, a grandson of Emperor Wilhelm II of Germany. Her three children and several grandchildren survive her.

Prince Antonio of Bourbon-Two Sicilies passed away on 11 November 2019, aged 90. He left his wife, four children and several grandchildren behind.

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