Princess Bona Margherita of Savoy
Encyclopedia
Princess Bona Margherita of Savoy-Genoa (Maria Bona Margherita Albertina; later Princess Konrad of Bavaria; 1 August 1896 – 2 February 1971) was a daughter of Prince Thomas, Duke of Genoa and Princess Isabella of Bavaria
. Since her 1921 marriage to Prince Konrad of Bavaria
, she was known by the style Princess Konrad of Bavaria.
. Her father was a grandson of King Charles Albert of Sardinia
. Among her siblings were Ferdinando, 3rd Duke of Genoa; Filiberto, 4th Duke of Genoa; and Eugenio, 5th Duke of Genoa
. Her mother Isabella was a granddaughter of Ludwig I of Bavaria
.
Through her aunt Margherita of Savoy
, she was a cousin of Victor Emmanuel III of Italy
.
Bona Margherita was born at Castle d'Agliè
, Piedmont
. Her father had bought the eleventh-century castle right before his marriage with Isabella. They passed their honeymoon there.
. He was the youngest son of Prince Leopold of Bavaria
and Archduchess Gisela of Austria
. Through his father, he was a great-grandson of Ludwig I of Bavaria
, and through both parents was a grandson of Franz Joseph I of Austria
. The wedding took place at the Castle Agliè in Piedmont
, Italy (where she was born). It was attended by King Victor Emmanuel III of Italy
, Crown Prince Umberto
, and the Duke of Aosta, among others. The wedding is notable for being the first royal marriage between two enemy houses since World War I
began and ended. It was also remarkable as a gathering of royals representing the houses of Habsburg, Savoy
, and Wittelsbach.
They had two children:
and temporarily interned in the hotel Bayerischer Hof, together with among others the German Crown Prince Wilhelm and the former Nazi diplomat Hans Georg von Mackensen. Princess Bona, who worked during the war as a nurse, stayed afterwards with her relatives in Savoy. She was prohibited from entering Germany and was not reunited with her family until 1947. In later years Prince Konrad worked on the Board of German automaker NSU
.
Bona Margherita died on February 2, 1971 in Rome
. Her tomb can be found in the church of the Andechs Abbey, in Germany. Her husband Prince Konrad died on September 6, 1969.
Princess Isabella of Bavaria
Princess Isabella Maria Elisabeth of Bavaria was the third child and eldest daughter of Prince Adalbert of Bavaria and his wife Infanta Amelia Philippina of Spain...
. Since her 1921 marriage to Prince Konrad of Bavaria
Prince Konrad of Bavaria
Prince Konrad of Bavaria was a member of the Bavarian Royal House of Wittelsbach.-Early life:Konrad was born in Munich, Bavaria...
, she was known by the style Princess Konrad of Bavaria.
Family and early life
Bona Margherita was the third of six children born to Prince Thomas, Duke of Genoa and his wife Princess Isabella of BavariaPrincess Isabella of Bavaria
Princess Isabella Maria Elisabeth of Bavaria was the third child and eldest daughter of Prince Adalbert of Bavaria and his wife Infanta Amelia Philippina of Spain...
. Her father was a grandson of King Charles Albert of Sardinia
Charles Albert of Sardinia
Charles Albert was the King of Piedmont-Sardinia from 1831 to 1849. He succeeded his distant cousin Charles Felix, and his name is bound with the first Italian statute and the First War of Independence...
. Among her siblings were Ferdinando, 3rd Duke of Genoa; Filiberto, 4th Duke of Genoa; and Eugenio, 5th Duke of Genoa
Eugenio, 5th Duke of Genoa
Eugenio of Savoy-Genoa was a Prince of Savoy-Genoa, Duke of Ancona from birth, and fifth and final Duke of Genoa...
. Her mother Isabella was a granddaughter of Ludwig I of Bavaria
Ludwig I of Bavaria
Ludwig I was a German king of Bavaria from 1825 until the 1848 revolutions in the German states.-Crown prince:...
.
Through her aunt Margherita of Savoy
Margherita of Savoy
Margherita of Savoy , was the Queen consort of the Kingdom of Italy during the reign of her husband, Umberto I.-Family:...
, she was a cousin of Victor Emmanuel III of Italy
Victor Emmanuel III of Italy
Victor Emmanuel III was a member of the House of Savoy and King of Italy . In addition, he claimed the crowns of Ethiopia and Albania and claimed the titles Emperor of Ethiopia and King of Albania , which were unrecognised by the Great Powers...
.
Bona Margherita was born at Castle d'Agliè
Agliè
Agliè is a comune in the province of Turin in the Italian region Piedmont, located about 35 km north of Turin.Agliè borders the following municipalities: San Martino Canavese, Torre Canavese, Bairo, Vialfrè, Cuceglio, San Giorgio Canavese, and Ozegna.-Main sights:Agliè's main attraction is...
, Piedmont
Piedmont
Piedmont is one of the 20 regions of Italy. It has an area of 25,402 square kilometres and a population of about 4.4 million. The capital of Piedmont is Turin. The main local language is Piedmontese. Occitan is also spoken by a minority in the Occitan Valleys situated in the Provinces of...
. Her father had bought the eleventh-century castle right before his marriage with Isabella. They passed their honeymoon there.
Marriage
On January 8, 1921, Bona Margherita married her second cousin Prince Konrad of BavariaPrince Konrad of Bavaria
Prince Konrad of Bavaria was a member of the Bavarian Royal House of Wittelsbach.-Early life:Konrad was born in Munich, Bavaria...
. He was the youngest son of Prince Leopold of Bavaria
Prince Leopold of Bavaria
Leopold Maximilian Joseph Maria Arnulf, Prinz von Bayern was born in Munich, the son of Prince Regent Luitpold of Bavaria and his wife Archduchess Augusta of Austria...
and Archduchess Gisela of Austria
Archduchess Gisela of Austria
Gisela Louise Marie, Princess Imperial and Archduchess of Austria, Princess of Hungary and Bohemia, Princess of Bavaria was the second daughter and eldest surviving child of Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria and Empress Elisabeth...
. Through his father, he was a great-grandson of Ludwig I of Bavaria
Ludwig I of Bavaria
Ludwig I was a German king of Bavaria from 1825 until the 1848 revolutions in the German states.-Crown prince:...
, and through both parents was a grandson of Franz Joseph I of Austria
Franz Joseph I of Austria
Franz Joseph I or Francis Joseph I was Emperor of Austria, King of Bohemia, King of Croatia, Apostolic King of Hungary, King of Galicia and Lodomeria and Grand Duke of Cracow from 1848 until his death in 1916.In the December of 1848, Emperor Ferdinand I of Austria abdicated the throne as part of...
. The wedding took place at the Castle Agliè in Piedmont
Piedmont
Piedmont is one of the 20 regions of Italy. It has an area of 25,402 square kilometres and a population of about 4.4 million. The capital of Piedmont is Turin. The main local language is Piedmontese. Occitan is also spoken by a minority in the Occitan Valleys situated in the Provinces of...
, Italy (where she was born). It was attended by King Victor Emmanuel III of Italy
Victor Emmanuel III of Italy
Victor Emmanuel III was a member of the House of Savoy and King of Italy . In addition, he claimed the crowns of Ethiopia and Albania and claimed the titles Emperor of Ethiopia and King of Albania , which were unrecognised by the Great Powers...
, Crown Prince Umberto
Umberto II of Italy
Umberto II, occasionally anglicized as Humbert II was the last King of Italy for slightly over a month, from 9 May 1946 to 12 June 1946. He was nicknamed the King of May -Biography:...
, and the Duke of Aosta, among others. The wedding is notable for being the first royal marriage between two enemy houses since World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
began and ended. It was also remarkable as a gathering of royals representing the houses of Habsburg, Savoy
House of Savoy
The House of Savoy was formed in the early 11th century in the historical Savoy region. Through gradual expansion, it grew from ruling a small county in that region to eventually rule the Kingdom of Italy from 1861 until the end of World War II, king of Croatia and King of Armenia...
, and Wittelsbach.
They had two children:
| Name | |Death | Prince Eugen of Bavaria Prince Eugen of Bavaria Prince Eugen of Bavaria was a member of the Bavarian Royal House of Wittelsbach.-Early life:Prince Eugen was born in Munich and was the only son of Prince Konrad of Bavaria and his wife Princess Bona Margherita of Savoy-Genoa.-Marriage:On 16 November 1970 Prince Eugen married Countess Helene von... | July 16, 1925 | January 1, 1997 | married Countess Helene von Khevenhüller-Metsch; no issue |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Later life
At the end of the Second World War, Prince Konrad was arrested by the French military at Hinterstein. He was brought to LindauLindau
Lindau is a Bavarian town and an island on the eastern side of Lake Constance, the Bodensee. It is the capital of the Landkreis or rural district of Lindau. The historic city of Lindau is located on an island which is connected with the mainland by bridge and railway.- History :The name Lindau was...
and temporarily interned in the hotel Bayerischer Hof, together with among others the German Crown Prince Wilhelm and the former Nazi diplomat Hans Georg von Mackensen. Princess Bona, who worked during the war as a nurse, stayed afterwards with her relatives in Savoy. She was prohibited from entering Germany and was not reunited with her family until 1947. In later years Prince Konrad worked on the Board of German automaker NSU
NSU Motorenwerke AG
NSU Motorenwerke AG, normally just NSU, was a German manufacturer of automobiles, motorcycles and pedal cycles, founded in 1873. It was acquired by Volkswagen Group in 1969...
.
Bona Margherita died on February 2, 1971 in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
. Her tomb can be found in the church of the Andechs Abbey, in Germany. Her husband Prince Konrad died on September 6, 1969.