Alexander, Prince zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Sayn

Alexander
Prince zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Sayn
Born (1943-11-22) 22 November 1943 (age 81)
Salzburg, Austria
SpouseCountess Gabriela of Schönborn-Wiesentheid
IssueHeinrich, Hereditary Prince zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Sayn
Princess Alexandra
Prince Casimir
Princess Filippa
Prince Ludwig
Princess Sofia
Prince Peter
Names
German: Alexander Konrad Friedrich Heinrich Fürst zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Sayn
HouseSayn-Wittgenstein-Sayn
FatherLudwig, 6th Prince zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Sayn
MotherBaroness Marianne von Mayr-Melnhof
ReligionRoman Catholic

Alexander Konrad Friedrich Heinrich Prince zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Sayn[1][2] (born 22 November 1943), is a German businessman, who is head of the Princely House Sayn-Wittgenstein-Sayn.

Early life

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He was born in Salzburg as the first son of Ludwig, 6th Prince zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Sayn (1915–1962) and his wife Baroness Marianne von Mayr-Melnhof (born 1919).[3] Following Prince Ludwig's death in 1962, Alexander succeeded as head of the princely house and, by tradition, as the 7th Prince (German: Fürst) zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Sayn.[1]

Alexander is a descendant of James II of England and his illegitimate son James Fitzjames, 1st Duke of Berwick, through his father's grandmother Marie Auguste Yvonne de Blacas d'Aulps, daughter of Louis, Duke of Blacas.

Career

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Prince Alexander is vice president of Europa Nostra[4] and president of Europa Nostra Germany. From 1986 to 2013, he served as president of the German Castles Association,[1] which elected him on 28 April 2013 honorary president as well as president of the "Stiftung der Deutschen Burgenvereinigung" (Foundation of the German Castles Association).

Personal life

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The old and the new castle at Sayn

In 1969, Alexander married Countess Gabriela von Schönborn-Wiesentheid (b. 1950) at Schloss Weißenstein, Pommersfelden.[1] They have seven children:[5]

  • Heinrich, Hereditary Prince zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Sayn (b. 1971), who married Donna Priscilla Incisa della Rocchetta,[6] daughter of Don Niccolo, Marchese Incisa della Rocchetta, in 2003, and they have issue.
  • Princess Alexandra (b. 1973), who married Hereditary Prince Carl Eugen zu Oettingen-Wallerstein in 1994. They divorced in 2002 and she married Count Stefano Hunyady de Kéthely in 2006,[1] and has issue from both marriages.
  • Prince Casimir (b. 1976), who married (civilly) in 1999 Corinna Larsen (divorced in 2004),[1] and married secondly to American model Alana Camille Bunte in 2019, and has issue from both marriages.[7]
  • Princess Filippa (1980–2001), who married Count Vittorio Mazzetti d'Albertis in June 2001; she was killed in an automobile accident in England three months later, without issue.[8]
  • Prince Ludwig "Louis" (b. 1982),[citation needed] who married in 2011 Countess Philippa Spannocchi, and they have issue.[1]
  • Princess Sofia (b. 1986), who married to Archia Akhavan-Kharazian, London based businessman of Iranian and Spanish roots, in 2020.
  • Prince Peter (b. 1992).

Patronages

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Honours

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National honours
Foreign honours

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g Genealogisches Handbuch des Adels, Fürstliche Häuser XIX. "Sayn-Wittgenstein". C.A. Starke Verlag, 2011, pp. 331-333. (German). ISBN 978-3-7980-0849-6.
  2. ^ In 1919 royalty and nobility lost their privileges in Germany, hereditary titles were to be legally borne thereafter only as part of the surname, according to Article 109 of the Weimar Constitution.
  3. ^ "Mamarazza". Feb 14, 2011. Retrieved Aug 8, 2020.
  4. ^ "Europa Nostra". Archived from the original on 2013-05-31. Retrieved 2013-05-29.
  5. ^ Website of the house Sayn-Wittgenstein: Familie aktuell Archived 2011-09-27 at the Wayback Machine. 2011-07-18.
  6. ^ "Civil Marriage of Hereditary Prince Heinrich zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Sayn and Donna Priscilla Incisa della Rocchetta".
  7. ^ "Royal Wedding in Hanover: The Guests (Part 1)". www.castleholic.com. Retrieved 2017-10-31.
  8. ^ "Filippa's Angel". Archived from the original on 2015-04-02. Retrieved 2013-02-24.
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