Community Chat

[Oznell]

It's Archduchess Marie Astrid of Austria (what a mouthful!), now about 65 years of age, I think.  At one time there was raging speculation that she and Charles would get together.  Instead, she married Archduke Carl Christian:

What an attractive couple.  The smattering of photos below gives an idea of her personal style.   She was originally a princess of Luxembourg prior to her marriage to the archduke.

Hubby's nice looking too:

Mmmmm--  that emerald tiara.

[itsmagic]

She looks very happy.  I think she made the right choice. 

[HiLo]

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@itsmagic wrote:

She looks very happy.  I think she made the right choice. 

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I agree. She definitely made the right choice.

[Oznell]

And cute family picture:

[bridal_diva]

Great looking couple - good choice!

[sidsmom]

What an odd thread title.

I believe we're burying the lead.

She married her cousin😳

On 6 February 1982 in Luxembourg she married her second cousin Archduke Carl Christian of Austria. 

Er uh umm........

[Nonametoday]

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@sidsmom wrote:

What an odd thread title.

I believe we're burying the lead.

She married her cousin😳

On 6 February 1982 in Luxembourg she married her second cousin Archduke Carl Christian of Austria. 

Er uh umm........

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@sidsmom   The royals have always intermarried.  That is why a lot of them are somewhat off the beam a bit.  Kate Middleton has brought new blood into the family, that which was not from royal blood. She is a commoner and her children have both royal and common blood.  The family had to start adding new blood.  They were all going to have to begin marrying their cousins, otherwise, who might be their aunt or Lord knows, their sister or stepmother, otherwise.

Old money families who came here from "the old country" for the first couple centuries wanted certain families marrying within certain families and Xs daughters would marry Y's sons and Ys daughters would marry Xs sons.  It was a way of keeping money in the family.

[Mz iMac]

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@Nonametoday wrote:

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@sidsmom wrote:

What an odd thread title.

I believe we're burying the lead.

She married her cousin😳

On 6 February 1982 in Luxembourg she married her second cousin Archduke Carl Christian of Austria. 

Er uh umm........

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@sidsmom   The royals have always intermarried.  That is why a lot of them are somewhat off the beam a bit.  Kate Middleton has brought new blood into the family, that which was not from royal blood. She is a commoner and her children have both royal and common blood.  The family had to start adding new blood.  They were all going to have to begin marrying their cousins, otherwise, who might be their aunt or Lord knows, their sister or stepmother, otherwise.

Also the Hemophilia gene still runs through the royals veins.

[chrystaltree]

There probably was no raging speculation in Charles' mind or this woman's mind either.   

[Oznell]

There's an interesting back story to the fact that "Charles/Marie Astrid" was an absolute non-starter.  Unless I'm wrong, I think it wasn't considered because of the nature of the English monarchy's relationship to the Church of England.  The king or queen, I believe, could not marry anyone other than a fellow Anglican or Protestant.

And since the then-princess Marie Astrid was Roman Catholic, perhaps there were strictures on her side against marrying a Protestant...

Perhaps someone can fill us in more?