Prince zu Hohenlohe-Langenburg
Encyclopedia
Prince Alfonso Maximiliano Victorio Eugenio Alexandro María Pablo de la Santísima Trinidad y Todos los Santos zu Hohenlohe-Langenburg (28 May 1924 – 21 December 2003) was a playboy
and businessman known for his promotion of the Spanish resorts of Marbella
and the Costa del Sol
. He also founded the Marbella Club Hotel
.
, the eldest son of Prince Maximilian Egon zu Hohenlohe-Langenburg
(1897–1968) and his wife, María de la Piedad de Yturbe y von Scholtz-Hersmendorff, Marchioness de Belvís de las Navas (known as Piedita) (1892–1990) daughter of Manuel Adrián de Yturbe y del Villar, Mexican ambassador to St. Petersburg, Vienna, Paris and Madrid, and María de la Trinidad von Scholtz-Hersmendorff y Caravaca, Marchioness de Belvís de las Navas. Hohenlohe came, on his father's side, from a family who traced their history back to the twelfth century
and were reign
ing Princes of the Holy Roman Empire
in Württemberg
until Napoleon I
's invasion. His mother Piedad was Marquesa de Belvís de las Navas, granddaughter of Francisco-María de Yturbe, Mexican Minister of Finance of Basque
origin. King Alfonso XIII
of Spain was his godfather
at a christening
in the royal palace.
Alfonso had five siblings, Maria Francesca (known as Pimpinella, his eldest sister, Marquesa de Belvís de las Navas), Alfonso, Christian, Elisabeth, Max Emanuel and Beatrice (known as Teñu).
The hereditary wealth of Prince Hohenlohe's family was depleted in the 20th century. His mother lost a few estates in the Mexican Revolution
; and after the fall of the Third Reich, property in Germany and Czechoslovakia disappeared behind the iron curtain
.
After World War II
, the prince started to buy land in Marbella in 1947. He sold plots to various rich and powerful friends including the likes of the Rothschild
and Thyssen
families. In 1954 he created the Marbella Club, the Costa del Sols first luxury hotel, attracting many celebrities of the time to the former fishing village.
The family fortune was replenished by Alfonso's marriage in 1955 to the 15-year-old Austrian-Italian Princess Ira von Fürstenberg
, a Fiat
heiress. The bride's youth evoked some scandal in high society, but the couple had obtained a papal dispensation
for the marriage and 400 guests attended a 16-day wedding party. Five years later the marriage was dissolved by divorce in Mexico City after Ira left him to marry another notorious 1950s playboy, Francisco "Baby" Pignatari, another dispensation being obtained, this time for an annulment
, from the Church in 1969.
, having relationships with actresses Ava Gardner
and Kim Novak
. In 1973 he married the actress Jocelyn Lane
. This too was a stormy partnership, and ended in divorce in 1985.
In the 1990s, the property speculator Jesus Gil y Gil became mayor of Marbella and the town entered a construction boom. The prince pulled out, selling his shares in the Marbella Club, due to the area's increasing association with Arab arms traffickers and Russian mafia
, whose conspicuous consumption was peppered with violence. He moved to the town of Ronda
and successfully turned his efforts to wine-making with a new wife, Marilys Haynes. His last wife died on 2 November 2000 after apparently taking her own life, the same year he learned he had prostate cancer.
He also had a daughter, Désirée zu Hohenlohe (1980), by a relationship with swiss
model
Heidi Balzar.
Playboy (lifestyle)
A playboy is a modern version of a public Casanova — a man of means with ample time for leisure, who demonstratively appreciates the pleasures of the world.The term has also been applied to a flashy womanizer, such as a player, pappagallo, or Don Juan....
and businessman known for his promotion of the Spanish resorts of Marbella
Marbella
Marbella is a town in Andalusia, Spain. It is situated on the Mediterranean Sea, in the province of Málaga, beneath the La Concha mountain. In 2000 the city had 98,823 inhabitants, in 2004, 116,234, in 2010 approximately 135,000....
and the Costa del Sol
Costa del Sol
The Costa del Sol is a region in the south of Spain, in the autonomous community of Andalusia, comprising the coastal towns and communities along the Mediterranean coastline of the Málaga province. The Costa del Sol is situated between two lesser known costas: Costa de la Luz and Costa Tropical...
. He also founded the Marbella Club Hotel
Marbella Club Hotel
The Marbella Club Hotel is a hotel in Marbella, Spain. Guests have included Ava Gardner, Audrey Hepburn, Cary Grant and Laurence Olivier.The hotel is located on the Southern Spanish Costa del Sol, on the "Golden Mile" near Old Town Marbella and Puerto Banús....
.
Background
He was born in MadridMadrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
, the eldest son of Prince Maximilian Egon zu Hohenlohe-Langenburg
Hohenlohe-Langenburg
Hohenlohe-Langenburg was a German county of northeastern Baden-Württemberg, Germany, located around Langenburg. Hohenlohe-Neuenstein was partitioned into it, Hohenlohe-Ingelfingen and Hohenlohe-Kirchberg in 1701...
(1897–1968) and his wife, María de la Piedad de Yturbe y von Scholtz-Hersmendorff, Marchioness de Belvís de las Navas (known as Piedita) (1892–1990) daughter of Manuel Adrián de Yturbe y del Villar, Mexican ambassador to St. Petersburg, Vienna, Paris and Madrid, and María de la Trinidad von Scholtz-Hersmendorff y Caravaca, Marchioness de Belvís de las Navas. Hohenlohe came, on his father's side, from a family who traced their history back to the twelfth century
and were reign
Reign
A reign is the term used to describe the period of a person's or dynasty's occupation of the office of monarch of a nation or of a people . In most hereditary monarchies and some elective monarchies A reign is the term used to describe the period of a person's or dynasty's occupation of the office...
ing Princes of the Holy Roman Empire
Princes of the Holy Roman Empire
The term Prince of the Holy Roman Empire denoted a secular or ecclesiastical Imperial State, who ruled over an immediate fief directly assigned by the Holy Roman Emperor...
in Württemberg
Württemberg
Württemberg , formerly known as Wirtemberg or Wurtemberg, is an area and a former state in southwestern Germany, including parts of the regions Swabia and Franconia....
until Napoleon I
Napoleon I
Napoleon Bonaparte was a French military and political leader during the latter stages of the French Revolution.As Napoleon I, he was Emperor of the French from 1804 to 1815...
's invasion. His mother Piedad was Marquesa de Belvís de las Navas, granddaughter of Francisco-María de Yturbe, Mexican Minister of Finance of Basque
Basque people
The Basques as an ethnic group, primarily inhabit an area traditionally known as the Basque Country , a region that is located around the western end of the Pyrenees on the coast of the Bay of Biscay and straddles parts of north-central Spain and south-western France.The Basques are known in the...
origin. King Alfonso XIII
Alfonso XIII of Spain
Alfonso XIII was King of Spain from 1886 until 1931. His mother, Maria Christina of Austria, was appointed regent during his minority...
of Spain was his godfather
Godparent
A godparent, in many denominations of Christianity, is someone who sponsors a child's baptism. A male godparent is a godfather, and a female godparent is a godmother...
at a christening
Christening
Christening is a naming ceremony associated with:*Baptism*Infant baptism*Ship naming and launching...
in the royal palace.
Alfonso had five siblings, Maria Francesca (known as Pimpinella, his eldest sister, Marquesa de Belvís de las Navas), Alfonso, Christian, Elisabeth, Max Emanuel and Beatrice (known as Teñu).
The hereditary wealth of Prince Hohenlohe's family was depleted in the 20th century. His mother lost a few estates in the Mexican Revolution
Mexican Revolution
The Mexican Revolution was a major armed struggle that started in 1910, with an uprising led by Francisco I. Madero against longtime autocrat Porfirio Díaz. The Revolution was characterized by several socialist, liberal, anarchist, populist, and agrarianist movements. Over time the Revolution...
; and after the fall of the Third Reich, property in Germany and Czechoslovakia disappeared behind the iron curtain
Iron Curtain
The concept of the Iron Curtain symbolized the ideological fighting and physical boundary dividing Europe into two separate areas from the end of World War II in 1945 until the end of the Cold War in 1989...
.
Early life
Alfonso grew up with private tutors in Bohemia and Spain, learning fluent German, Spanish, French and English.After World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the prince started to buy land in Marbella in 1947. He sold plots to various rich and powerful friends including the likes of the Rothschild
Rothschild family
The Rothschild family , known as The House of Rothschild, or more simply as the Rothschilds, is a Jewish-German family that established European banking and finance houses starting in the late 18th century...
and Thyssen
Thyssen family
The Thyssen family has notable members, all of whom descend from Friedrich Thyssen, which established steel works, elevators and escalators, industrial conglomerates, banks, and art collections - Thyssen AG, ThyssenKrupp and ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems. Originating from Germany, family members have...
families. In 1954 he created the Marbella Club, the Costa del Sols first luxury hotel, attracting many celebrities of the time to the former fishing village.
The family fortune was replenished by Alfonso's marriage in 1955 to the 15-year-old Austrian-Italian Princess Ira von Fürstenberg
Ira von Fürstenberg
Princess Virginia of Fürstenberg is a European socialite, actress, jewelry designer, and a former public relations manager for the fashion designer Valentino Garavani.-Background:...
, a Fiat
Fiat
FIAT, an acronym for Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino , is an Italian automobile manufacturer, engine manufacturer, financial, and industrial group based in Turin in the Italian region of Piedmont. Fiat was founded in 1899 by a group of investors including Giovanni Agnelli...
heiress. The bride's youth evoked some scandal in high society, but the couple had obtained a papal dispensation
Papal dispensation
Papal dispensation is a reserved right of the Pope that allows for individuals to be exempted from a specific Canon Law. Dispensations are divided into two categories: general, and matrimonial. Matrimonial dispensations can be either to allow a marriage in the first place, or to dissolve one...
for the marriage and 400 guests attended a 16-day wedding party. Five years later the marriage was dissolved by divorce in Mexico City after Ira left him to marry another notorious 1950s playboy, Francisco "Baby" Pignatari, another dispensation being obtained, this time for an annulment
Annulment
Annulment is a legal procedure for declaring a marriage null and void. Unlike divorce, it is usually retroactive, meaning that an annulled marriage is considered to be invalid from the beginning almost as if it had never taken place...
, from the Church in 1969.
Later life
After the divorce, the prince resumed the life of a playboyPlayboy (lifestyle)
A playboy is a modern version of a public Casanova — a man of means with ample time for leisure, who demonstratively appreciates the pleasures of the world.The term has also been applied to a flashy womanizer, such as a player, pappagallo, or Don Juan....
, having relationships with actresses Ava Gardner
Ava Gardner
Ava Lavinia Gardner was an American actress.She was signed to a contract by MGM Studios in 1941 and appeared mainly in small roles until she drew attention with her performance in The Killers . She became one of Hollywood's leading actresses, considered one of the most beautiful women of her day...
and Kim Novak
Kim Novak
Kim Novak is an American film and television actress. She began her career with her roles in Pushover and Phffft! but achieved greater prominence in the 1955 film Picnic...
. In 1973 he married the actress Jocelyn Lane
Jocelyn Lane
Jocelyn Lane, also known as Jackie Lane, was a model and actress active in the 1960s. She was married to Prince Alfonso of Hohenlohe-Langenburg.-Early life:...
. This too was a stormy partnership, and ended in divorce in 1985.
In the 1990s, the property speculator Jesus Gil y Gil became mayor of Marbella and the town entered a construction boom. The prince pulled out, selling his shares in the Marbella Club, due to the area's increasing association with Arab arms traffickers and Russian mafia
Russian Mafia
The Russian Mafia is a name applied to organized crime syndicates in Russia and Ukraine. The mafia in various countries take the name of the country, as for example the Ukrainian mafia....
, whose conspicuous consumption was peppered with violence. He moved to the town of Ronda
Ronda
Ronda is a city in Spanish province of Málaga. It is located about West from the city of Málaga, within the autonomous community of Andalusia. Its population is approximately 35,000 inhabitants.-History:...
and successfully turned his efforts to wine-making with a new wife, Marilys Haynes. His last wife died on 2 November 2000 after apparently taking her own life, the same year he learned he had prostate cancer.
Marriages
- He married, as his first wife, HSHSerene HighnessHis/Her Serene Highness is a style used today by the reigning families of Liechtenstein and Monaco. It also preceded the princely titles of members of some German ruling and mediatised dynasties as well as some non-ruling but princely German noble families until 1918...
Princess Ira von FürstenbergIra von FürstenbergPrincess Virginia of Fürstenberg is a European socialite, actress, jewelry designer, and a former public relations manager for the fashion designer Valentino Garavani.-Background:...
on 17 September 1955 (civil) and 21 September 1955 (religious) in VeniceVeniceVenice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
, ItalyItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
; and the couple were divorced in 1960, annulled in 1969. They had two sons: Prince Christoph "Kiko" von Hohenlohe (1956–2006) and Prince Hubertus of Hohenlohe-Langenburg (1959-).
- He married, as his second wife, Jocelyn LaneJocelyn LaneJocelyn Lane, also known as Jackie Lane, was a model and actress active in the 1960s. She was married to Prince Alfonso of Hohenlohe-Langenburg.-Early life:...
, a British actress, on 3 May 1973 (divorced 1985) in Las Vegas, NevadaLas Vegas, NevadaLas Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
. They had one daughter Princess Arriana Theresa Maria von Hohenlohe (1975-).
- He married, as his third wife, Marilys Haynes (1941–2000) on 15 February 1991.
He also had a daughter, Désirée zu Hohenlohe (1980), by a relationship with swiss
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
model
Model (person)
A model , sometimes called a mannequin, is a person who is employed to display, advertise and promote commercial products or to serve as a subject of works of art....
Heidi Balzar.