Princess Elisabeth von Thurn und Taxis
Elisabeth von Thurn und Taxis | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
![]() Princess Elisabeth von Thurn und Taxis (center) with Sabine Getty and François du Chastel in 2016 | |||||
Born |
St. Emmeram's Abbey, Regensburg, Germany | 24 March 1982||||
| |||||
House | Thurn and Taxis | ||||
Father | Johannes, 11th Prince of Thurn und Taxis | ||||
Mother | Gloria Princess of Thurn and Taxis | ||||
Religion | Roman Catholic | ||||
Occupation | Journalist, author |
Princess Elisabeth von Thurn und Taxis, (born Elisabeth Margarete Maria Anna Beatriz Prinzessin von Thurn und Taxis, on 24 March 1982 in Regensburg) is a German journalist, author, and member of the German princely House of Thurn und Taxis. Based in London, she has been a style editor-at-large for Vogue magazine since 2012.[1] In addition to writing about style, the arts and travel, she has authored a liturgical volume about faith and contributed a regular column to Vatican magazine.[2][3] She is known professionally as Elisabeth von Thurn und Taxis, however is frequently referred to by her nickname, TNT.[1]
Early life
Elisabeth was born on 24 March 1982 at the family palace, Schloss Thurn und Taxis, 500-room 8th-century abbey in Regensburg. She is the middle child of Johannes, 11th Prince of Thurn and Taxis (5 June 1926 – 14 December 1990) and Gloria Princess of Thurn and Taxis (née Gräfin von Schönburg-Glauchau).[4] She has an older sister, Maria Theresia (born 28 November 1980), and a younger brother, Albert (born 24 June 1983), who succeeded their father in 1990.
The former German princely House of Thurn and Taxis is one of Germany's wealthiest and most prominent families. Her mother is the daughter of the late politician and journalist Joachim, Count of Schonburg-Glauchau, as well as the sister of socialite Countess Maya von Schönburg-Glauchau and author Alexander, Count of Schonburg-Glauchau, a grandnephew by marriage of Queen Elizabeth II.[5]
During her childhood, Elisabeth and her siblings were frequent guests of Michael Jackson at his Neverland Ranch, visits she recalled in her blog after his sudden death in 2009. Describing Jackson as "excruciatingly shy," she defended his reputation, writing, "I couldn't imagine Michael hurting a fly, let alone a friend."[6]
Elisabeth was educated at Sevenoaks School in Kent, England, and has a bachelor's degree in media and communication studies from the American University of Paris.[7]
Career
Elisabeth worked as a features editor for the London-based Finch’s Quarterly Review and penned a blog, "The Princess Diaries," for Finch's until departing in 2010.[8] The blog contrasted the expectations, pleasures, difficulties and assumptions surrounding "princess" status with more "normal" issues like flat-hunting, London weather, and work. Elisabeth also contributed a monthly column in Vogue and articles for German and international art and style publications, including New York-based style magazine Quest.
A devout Catholic, Elisabeth has written for the British Catholic Herald about the revival of traditional religious communities in France, as well as a monthly column in Vatican Magazine.[2][9] She signed a 2008 petition asking the bishops of England and Wales to provide more Latin Sunday Tridentine Masses.[10] In December 2010, she published a liturgical volume titled The Faith of Children: in Praise of the People's Devotion. The book, which featured a foreword by Pope Benedict XVI's elder brother, Georg Ratzinger, was published in Italian and German.[11]
In 2011, her blog posts from Finch’s Quarterly Review were translated into German and published as a book.[12]
In 2012, she began working as a contributing style editor for fashion magazine Vogue.[1][13] In March 2015, she drew media criticism when she shared a photo on Instagram of what appears to be a homeless woman in Paris reading an issue of Vogue, which she posted with the comment, "Paris is full of surprises....and @voguemagazine readers even in unexpected corners!" She later deleted the photo and apologised on Twitter for causing any offense.[14]
Personal life
Elisabeth has frequently featured in socialite diary items and appeared in a Vanity Fair article entitled "Fortune's Children" in June 2009, photographed by Bruce Weber.[15] "I think it's a huge privilege to be able to use the access that we have in an interesting way," she said, discussing a book about art collectors she is writing in collaboration with her cousin, photographer Alex Flick. She is close friends with jewelry designer and socialite Sabine Getty[16] and with British aristocrat Alice Naylor-Leyland.
In 2009, she was made a Dame of the Order of Malta.[17]
After many years living in New York City, she now resides primarily in London.[3]
Decorations
Dame of Honour and Devotion in Obedience of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta
Ancestry
Until 1918, the House of Thurn and Taxis held the rank of royalty in the German Empire, where they once owned the continental postal system as an Imperial fief.[4] As they were required to intermarry with other reigning or once-reigning dynasties, Elisabeth's mother is of similar background.[4] Through her father, she is a descendant of Leopold II, Holy Roman Emperor, John VI of Portugal, Louis Philippe, King of the French and Charles IV of Spain. Through her mother, by birth a member of a mediatised comital dynasty, Elisabeth descends from the houses of the Russian princely families Golitsyn and Meshchersky and the German princes of Reuss.[4]
Books
- Tagebuch einer Prinzessin. (The Princess Diaries). Marion von Schröder. Berlin, 2011, ISBN 978-3-548-37473-4
- Fromm! Eine Einladung, das Katholische wieder mit allen Sinnen zu erleben. With a foreword by Georg Ratzinger, epilogue by Mgr. Wilhelm Imkamp. Kisslegg, 2009, ISBN 978-3-939684-61-9
See also
References
- 1 2 3 Emanuella Grinberg (7 March 2015). "Photo on Vogue editor's Instagram deleted amid criticism". CNN. Retrieved 8 March 2015.
- 1 2 Josef Karg (29 October 2009). "Ich bin keine Heilige!" [I'm not a saint!]. Augsburger Allgemeine (in German). Retrieved 8 March 2015.
- 1 2 Anna-maria Wallner (1 April 2010). "Die Carrie Bradshaw des Vatikans" [The Carrie Bradshaw of the Vatican]. Die Presse (in German). Retrieved 8 March 2015.
- 1 2 3 4 5 Genealogisches Handbuch des Adels, Fürstliche Häuser Band XIX. "Schönburg". C.A. Starke Verlag, 2011, pp. 367-370. ISBN 978-3-7980-0849-6.
- ↑ Genealogisches Handbuch des Adels, Furstliche Hauser Band XIX. C.A. Starke Verlag, Limburg an der Lahn. 2011. pp. 365, 368-369, 383-386. German. ISBN 978-3-7980-0849-6.
- ↑ Elisabeth von Thurn und Taxis (7 July 2009). "Never Neverland Again". Finch's Quarterly Review. Archived from the original on 11 July 2011. Retrieved 8 March 2015.
- ↑ Julia Katharina Hettich (16 March 2014). "Das Glamouröse Leben Der Jetset-Prinzessin" [The Glamorous Life of the Jet-Setting Princess]. Bunte (in German). Retrieved 8 March 2015.
- ↑ Elisabeth von Thurn und Taxis (29 October 2010). "Goodbye, Farwell, Aufwiedersehen, Adieu!". Finch's Quarterly Review. Archived from the original on 12 February 2011. Retrieved 8 March 2015.
- ↑ "The return of the tonsure, wimple and soutane". Catholic Herald. 23 November 2007. Retrieved 2009-07-02.
- ↑ "Leading Catholics petition for Latin Mass". The Daily Telegraph. 24 July 2008. Retrieved 2009-07-02.
- ↑ "German Princess Thurn und Taxis presents book about her faith". Rome Reports. 19 December 2010. Retrieved 17 January 2011.
- ↑ Jochen Brenner (23 September 2011). "Elisabeth von Thurn und Taxis:Katholisch für Anfänger" [Elisabeth von Thurn und Taxis: Catholic for Beginners]. Der Spiegel (in German). Retrieved 8 March 2015.
- ↑ Dhani Mau (7 March 2015). "Vogue's Elisabeth Von Thurn Und Taxis Posts Tasteless Instagram In Paris". Fashionista. Retrieved 8 March 2015.
- ↑ Elisabeth of Thurn und Taxis (8 March 2015). "I wanted to extend my sincerest apologies for the offense my post has caused". Twitter. Retrieved 8 March 2015.
- ↑ "Fortune's Children". Vanity Fair. 1 June 2009. Retrieved 8 March 2015.
- ↑ http://www.vogue.com/13287042/sabine-ghanem-joseph-getty-wedding-rome-italy/
- ↑ "Bischof Schraml ruft zum Dienst an Armen und Kranken" [Bishop Schraml calls for service to the poor and sick] (in German). Roman Catholic Diocese of Passau. 20 June 2009. Retrieved 8 March 2015.