Gloria, Princess of Thurn and Taxis : biography
Gloria, Princess of Thurn and Taxis (born Countess Mariae Gloria Ferdinanda Gerda Charlotte Teutonia Franziska Magarethe Frederike Simone Johanna Joachima Josefine Wilhelmine Huberta of Schönburg in Glauchau and Waldenburg; 23 February 1960) is a member, by marriage, of the German Thurn und Taxis House.
German titles
Although the German Federal government does not recognize "noble" or "royal" status per se, members of the former royal, princely, and noble houses of German descent use their "titles" which the German government regards as last names. As a courtesy and for ease of use, female members of these families use the feminized version of the family name.
Ancestors
| Ancestors of Gloria Countess von Schönburg-Glauchau | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Great Great Grandparents |
CountKarl von Schönburg-Forderglauchau(1832–1898) ∞ 1864 CountessAdelheid von Rechteren-Limpurg(1845–1873) |
CountBohuslaw Chotek von Chotkowa und Wognin(1829–1896) ∞ 1859 CountessWilhelmine Kinsky von Wchinitz und Tettau(1838–1885) |
CountAdam Baworów-Baworowski ∞ CountessFranziska von Hardegg auf Glatz und im Machlande |
CountVictor Paul Chorinsky, Freiherr von Ledske (1883–1901) ∞ 1863 CountessAnna von Trautmansdorff-Weinsberg (* 1843) |
CountIstván Széchényi (* 1791) ∞ 1836 CountessCrescência von Seilern und Aspang(1799–1875) |
Gregoriu Christopulos ∞ Eufrosyne Caravas |
PrincePavel Galitzine (1822–1871) ∞ PrincessEkaterina Trubetskoy (1831–1918) |
PrinceNikolai Petrovich Mestschersky ∞ CountessMaria Alexandrowna Panina |
| Great Grandparents |
Count Joachim von Schönburg-Glauchau (1873–1943) ∞ 1898 Countess Oktavia Chotek von Chotkowa und Wognin (1873–1946) |
Count Rudolf Baworów-Baworowski (1865–1931) ∞ 1850 Countess Franziska Anna Chorinsky, Freiin von Ledske (1876–1963) |
Count Edmund Széchényi von Sárvár-Felsővidék (1839–1922) ∞ 1891 Eulalia Christopulos (1854–1918) |
Prince Paul Galitzine (1856–1916) ∞ 1887 Princess Alexandra Nikolajewna Mestscherskaya (1864–1941) |
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| Grandparents |
Count Karl von Schönburg-Glauchau (1899–1945) ∞ 1927 Countess Maria Anna Baworów-Baworowska (1902–1988) |
Count Valentin Széchényi von Sárvár-Felsővidék (1893–1954) ∞ 1921 Princess Maria Galitzine (1895–1976) |
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| Parents |
Count Joachim von Schönburg-Glauchau (1929–1998) ∞ 1957 Countess Beatrix Maria Széchényi de Sárvár-Felsővidék (* 30 January 1930) |
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Gloria, Countess von Schönburg-Glauchau (* 1960) |
Titles
- 23 February 1960 – 31 May 1980 Her Illustrious Highness Countess Gloria of Schönburg-Glauchau
- 31 May 1980 – 26 April 1982 Her Serene Highness The Hereditary Princess of Thurn and Taxis
- 26 April 1982 – 14 December 1990 Her Serene Highness The Princess of Thurn and Taxis
- 14 December 1990 – present Her Serene Highness The Dowager Princess of Thurn and Taxis
Biography
Gloria was born on 23 February 1960, the daughter of Joachim, Count of Schönburg-Glauchau and of Beatrix, Countess Széchenyi de Sárvár-Felsővidék. Her brother, Alexander, Count of Schönburg-Glauchau, is a best selling writer and journalist. Her sister-in-law, Irina Verena, Princess of Hessen is a grand niece of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh and Gloria herself is a relative of Sophie, Duchess of Hohenberg.
Although she was a countess, her family had little money, and she had worked as a waitress in the Swiss ski resort, St Moritz, before marrying Johannes Prinz von Thurn und Taxis, who was born in 1926.
Known as the punk princess and "Princess TNT", Gloria was an icon in the 1980s. She was known for her exuberant and lavish spending and whirlwind social life. However, on Johannes’s death, the spending came to a halt as massive taxes were due on the estate he left behind.
The couple had three children:
- Princess Maria Theresia Ludovika Klothilde Helene Alexandra of Thurn and Taxis, born 28 November 1980 in Regensburg
- Princess Elisabeth Margarethe Maria Anna Beatriz of Thurn and Taxis, born 24 March 1982 in Regensburg.
- Prince Albert Maria Lamoral Miguel Johannes Gabriel of Thurn and Taxis, born 24 June 1983 in Regensburg, who succeeded his father in 1990 as Albert II, Prince of Thurn and Taxis.
After her husband’s death, Princess Gloria acted as a trustee for her underage son, Albert II, the new head of the House of Thurn und Taxis. During the trusteeship, Gloria controlled the $2 billion Thurn und Taxis fortune.
In 2001, she was severely criticized for stating in a talkshow that the high AIDS-rate in African countries was due not to a lack of safe sex practices but to the fact that "the blacks like to copulate (‘schnackseln’) a lot". In 2008, she said in an interview that the reason for the higher copulate of blacks is the higher heat in Africa.
