Johannes, 11th Prince of Thurn and Taxis
| Johannes | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prince of Thurn and Taxis | |||||
 Johannes, Prince of Thurn and Taxis and his wife, Gloria, Princess of Thurn and Taxis (1981) | |||||
| Spouse | Countess Mariae Gloria of Schönburg-Glauchau | ||||
| Issue |
Princess Maria Theresia Princess Elisabeth Prince Albert (II.) | ||||
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| House | House of Thurn and Taxis | ||||
| Father | Karl August, 10th Prince of Thurn and Taxis | ||||
| Mother | Princess Maria Anna of Braganza | ||||
| Born |
5 June 1926 Regensburg, Germany | ||||
| Died |
14 December 1990 (aged 64) Munich, Germany | ||||
| Burial | Gruftkapelle, Schloss St. Emmeram, Regensburg | ||||
| Religion | Roman Catholic | ||||
Johannes, Prince of Thurn and Taxis (5 June 1926 – 14 December 1990) was a German businessman and head of the immensely wealthy, princely Thurn und Taxis family from 1982 until his death.
Early life
Johannes was born in Regensburg, Germany, to Karl August, 10th Prince of Thurn and Taxis, and Princess Maria Anna de Braganza. He had two older sisters and one younger brother.
Marriage and family
The Thurn and Taxis family came to massive media attention during the late-1970s through mid-1980s when Johannes married the younger Countess Mariae Gloria of Schönburg-Glauchau, a member of a mediatised comital dynasty which still possessed large estates in Germany after World War I but became refugees in Africa under the Nazi regime and fell on hard times. The couple's haut bohème lifestyle located them among the jet set and Princess Gloria's over-the-top appearance (characterized by bright hair color and flashy clothes) prompted Vanity Fair to describe her as "Princess TNT, the dynamite socialite", a sobriquet that stayed with her a long time.[1] In the 1970s Johannes threw avant-garde parties and, because he was bisexual,[2] he was often seen in gay discos.[3]
On 31 May 1980 Johannes, Prince of Thurn and Taxis, married Countess Gloria of Schönburg-Glauchau. They had three children:[4]
- Maria Theresia Ludowika Klothilde Helene Alexandra (* 28 November 1980 in Regensburg),
- Elisabeth Margarethe Maria Anna Beatriz (* 24 March 1982 in Regensburg),
- Albert (II.) Maria Lamoral Miguel Johannes Gabriel (* 24 June 1983 in Regensburg).
Upon the death of his father in 1982, Johannes became the head of the Thurn and Taxis family. On 14 December 1990 he died, after two heart transplants within 2 days, in Munich-Großhadern. He left U.S. $500 million in debts and his widow sobered her lifestyle to master the fiscal responsibilities of probating his estate and securing what remained of her son's fortune.[1]
Ancestry
Honours
- Grand Master of the Order of Parfaite Amitié, 1982.
- Bundesverdienstkreuz, 1985.
- Knight Grand Cross of Honour and Devotion of the Order of Malta.[5]
Sources
| Styles of Johannes, Prince of Thurn and Taxis | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Reference style | His Serene Highness |
| Spoken style | Your Serene Highness |
| Alternative style | Sir |
- Wolfgang Behringer. Thurn und Taxis: Die Geschichte ihrer Post und ihrer Unternehmen. München/Zürich: 1990. ISBN 3-492-03336-9
- Martin Dallmeier and Martha Schad. Das Fürstliche Haus Thurn und Taxis, 300 Jahre Geschichte in Bildern. Regensburg: 1996. ISBN 3-7917-1492-9
- Bernd-Ulrich Hergemöller. Mann für Mann. page 689
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "The Conversion of Gloria TNT". Colacello, Bob. Vanity Fair (magazine). June 2006.
- ↑ Gloria in Extremis, Horacio Silva, New York Times Style Magazine, 6 December 2008
- ↑ Bernd-Ulrich Hergemöller. Mann für Mann. page 689
- ↑ Genealogisches Handbuch des Adels, Fürstliche Hauser Band XIX. C.A. Starke Verlag, Limburg an der Lahn. 2011. pp.369, 385-386. German. ISBN 978-3-7980-0849-6.
- ↑ Royal Magazin
External links
Media related to Johannes, Prince of Thurn and Taxis at Wikimedia Commons
| Johannes, 11th Prince of Thurn and Taxis Cadet branch of the House of Tassis Born: 5 June 1926 Died: 14 December 1990 | ||
| German nobility | ||
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| Preceded by Karl August |
Prince of Thurn and Taxis 26 April 1982 – 14 December 1990 |
Succeeded by Albert II |
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