Fine signed letter from Prince Philip Duke of Edinburgh's sister Princess Margarita of Greece and Denmark Princess of Hohenlohe-Langenburg (1905-1981), to Princess Marie Melita of Hohenlohe-Langenburg Duchess Consort of Schleswig-Holstein (1899-1967), discussing family life but also the tragic deaths of Archduchess Maria Ileana of Austria, Princess of Tuscany (1933–1959), and her husband Count Jaroslav Kottulinsky (1917-1959) in a plane crash in Brazil. Written in English mixed in with German expressions on her personal stationery embossed with Schloss Langenburg.

"Marita dear,

To your new & honourable age I send you all my very fondest wishes - von Herzen! - For happines & health & for all your heart may desire - God bless you! How I hope you may have a pleasant & carefree day, with Fritz will & your dear children & grandchildren around you - wie es sick gihoist & as I know you will like it most. Friedel & would liked to have come, but we thought as you said nothing about it, it would probably only be an ertra Belastung; if Fritz was not xxx ling up to guests, this I do pray he is feeling well enough to enjoy the day with you!

Now about a present for you would really wish for - I know its disgracefully late to ask but my shopping day has been so xxx xxx - always on some Feintag that apart a little glass-pot I got yesterday in Freilung & is purely personal, we have still not managed to purchase l'object parfait! It has now struck me that there are some charming Indian carpets from Mysore, Srinagar to be had in Munich, white sheeps-wool & hand embroidered. Tiny has some in her new house. I have also bought some, also for Xmas presents. They come in three sizes, the smallest for bed-side rugs. Would you like a couple of these for Lippspringe or a bigger one? Or would you like a lamp? We will be in Munich on the 31 for the Standesfroil ball & I could get them then. If Sandra is there, as I hope, she can tell me yr wishes & come & choose it or them with me. We were last week in M. on the 6th  - everything shut! - for Rutschi's wedding, (he has married a charming widow, Ines gnote haus, with a delightful daughter of ih.) They had a small Poltuabend in the new flat they have taken  & the wedding was next day in Rotlach Egern - very gemintlich & small, only us, his geschwisture, Fredy & Didu & a few relations & friends of Ines. The next day Fr. insisted on starting home as the weather was uncannily bright & spring like & siche da! We met fresh snow & a blizzard like wind shortly after Nordlinghe & by the time we got to Ob. Steinach the drifts were so high that we promptly stuck in one & had to be hauled out backwards by a 'bulldog' & got home 2 hours later than calculated! The same thing happened 2 days ago when I was taking Tittuk Freiburg to start her Bulitz school korespondenkam kurs in English & French as soom as we got on the xxx after Dottingen we stuck fast & Fritz had to go in a blizzard to the nearest farm & fetch a tractor. We then returned & had to go by Hall Stuttg. It snowed all the way!

Yesterday we still had quite a few things to buy for Tittu & Etty's Wohunng - really only a room & a bath - but lacking any space for things & then decided to go shopping for something for you in the afternoon. But again fate intervened because it was Wedneday & every thing was sht, oh graus! As it snowed & rained without ceasing I left Fr. this morning at 9, tho' the schullglaitte was considerable between Ninenstein & Kupfugell the drifts were over a metre and ahalf high with only a one way passage xxx between, but still, we got on all right & were back about 5. Please thank Sandra for her nice letter & tell her I rang her up, but her good Putzhau (I suppose?) told me she hadn't returned yet. But I hope to see her, wie se sagt on the 31 or 1.

What terrible news about poor Minola & her husband Kotulinsky!! Poor Ileana it must be too too tragic & heart breaking for her - also poor Anton. At first I had heard that the baby was with them too - if only it had been poor little thing....I suppose Ileana will take it? I hear the funeral is to be in Vienna, but when I don't know. in case you haven't Ileana's address it is: Ps I. of Romania, 30 Hyde Avenue, Newton 58, Massachusetts USA.

Now one more thing, Marita dear to finish this manuscript I seem to have written to make uo for all the shorter letters I don't seem to have manageed! The twins are being confirmed on March 15 (at least I think so! practically sure, as it is 2 weeks before Easter!) Naturally we want you & of course Fritz to come as the latter is Rupi's only godfather. Why don't you come a good time before & have Fritz meet you here, or, you stay after?!? Whatever suits you best.

We are all well thank you & recovering from the fatigues of Xmas & jugenjafd, which was luckily a success again. Kraft is back in Bremen & Andreas in Wiesbaden. Oh! and poor old Lilian died on the 9th & was buried on the 11th. He was suddenly taken ill with terrible headaches etc....Now - then was better considerably poor old soul - Fir Dr think it must have been a brain tumour.

Now poor Steinmein is in a state, as he feels he will the next! You know how they are. gain, alles libe Marita darling, hugs & kisses & love from

Margarita"

She was the eldest child and daughter of Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark and Princess Alice of Battenberg and the first great-great-grandchild of Queen Victoria, she was the eldest sister of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.

Margarita married Prince Gottfried of Hohenlohe-Langenburg on 20 April 1931 in Langenburg, Germany. Gottfried was a son of Princess Alexandra of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, a granddaughter of Queen Victoria through her second son, Alfred, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, and his wife, Grand Duchess Marie Alexandrovna of Russia, a daughter of Alexander II of Russia. In descent from Queen Victoria, Prince Gottfried was a second cousin once removed of Princess Margarita and in descent from Nicholas I, they were third cousins.

Princess Marie Melita was the wife of Wilhelm Friedrich, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein with whom she had four children. She was the eldest daughter of Ernst II, Prince of Hohenlohe-Langenburg and his wife Princess Alexandra of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.

Archduchess Maria married Count Jaroslav Kottulinsky in 1957 and had a baby but two years later tragically died in an accident. Arhfuchess Maria was the second child of Archduke Anton Habsburg and Princess Ileana of Romania.

Size: 30 x 21 cm approx