Johannes, 11th Prince of Thurn and Taxis
| Johannes | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prince of Thurn and Taxis | |||||
 Pictured with his wife in 1981 | |||||
| Head of the House of Thurn and Taxis | |||||
| Period | 26 April 1982 - 14 December 1990 | ||||
| Predecessor | Karl August | ||||
| Successor | Albert II | ||||
| Born |
5 June 1926 St. Emmeram's Palace, Regensburg, Bavaria, Weimar Republic | ||||
| Died |
14 December 1990 (aged 64) Munich, Germany | ||||
| Burial | Gruftkapelle, St. Emmeram's Palace, Regensburg, Bavaria, Germany | ||||
| Spouse |
Countess Mariae Gloria of Schönburg-Glauchau (m. 1980; his death 1990) | ||||
| Issue |
Princess Maria Theresia Princess Elisabeth Albert, 12th Prince of Thurn and Taxis | ||||
| |||||
| House | Thurn and Taxis | ||||
| Father | Karl August, 10th Prince of Thurn and Taxis | ||||
| Mother | Infanta Maria Anna of Portugal | ||||
| Religion | Roman Catholic | ||||
Johannes, 11th Prince of Thurn and Taxis (5 June 1926 – 14 December 1990) was a German businessman and head of the immensely wealthy, formerly princely Thurn und Taxis family from 1982 until his death.[1][2][3]
Early life
Johannes was born in Regensburg, Germany, to Karl August, 10th Prince of Thurn and Taxis, and Infanta Maria Anna de Braganza.[2] 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,[2] 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.[4] In the 1970s Johannes threw avant-garde parties and, because he was bisexual,[5][6] he was often seen in gay discos.[7]
On 31 May 1980 Johannes, Prince of Thurn and Taxis, married his 4th cousin twice removed, Countess Gloria of Schönburg-Glauchau. They are both descended from Karl Alexander, 5th Prince of Thurn and Taxis. They had three children:[2]
- 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.[4]
Honours
Dynastic honours
Dynastic orders of non-reigning families:
- House of Thurn und Taxis: Sovereign Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Parfaite Amitié[8][9]
- Saxonian Royal Family: Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Rue Crown[8][10][11]
- Portuguese Royal Family: Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Immaculate Conception of Vila Viçosa[8][12]
- Russian Imperial Family: Knight Grand Cordon of the Imperial Order of Saint Stanislaus[8][13][14]
National and foreign honours
- Commander of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany[8][15]
- Sovereign Military Order of Malta: Bailiff Knight Grand Cross of Honour and Devotion of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, 3rd First Class[8][9][16][17]
Ancestry
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
- ↑ Willis, Daniel. The Descendants of King George I of Great Britain. Clearfield, 2002, Baltimore, US. p. 516. ISBN 0-8063-5172-1.
- 1 2 3 4 Genealogisches Handbuch des Adels: Furstliche Hauser Band XIX. Limburg an der Lahn: C. A. Starke Verlag. 2011. pp. 365, 367, 369, 382–383, 385–386. ISBN 978-3-7980-0849-6.
- ↑ In 1919 royalty and nobility were mandated to lose their privileges in Germany, hereditary titles were to be legally borne thereafter only as part of the surname, according to Article 109 of the Weimar Constitution. Styles such as majesty and highness were not retained.
- 1 2 "The Conversion of Gloria TNT". Colacello, Bob. Vanity Fair (magazine). June 2006. retrieved 26 June 2015.
- ↑ Gloria in Extremis, Horacio Silva, New York Times Style Magazine, 6 December 2008
- ↑ http://www.vanityfair.com/news/2006/06/princesstnt200606
- ↑ Bernd-Ulrich Hergemöller. Mann für Mann. page 689
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 Alamy, Orders shown at Johannes funeral
- 1 2 RoyaltyGuide, Johannes seen wearing the Necklet and medal
- ↑ seen wearing the sash and star of the order
- ↑ http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VwCYQz2eY-I/VBs16zzsIpI/AAAAAAAAOKY/xtBji0ymeU4/s1600/Scan0040.jpg
- ↑ wearing the Grand Cross' star on his stomach
- ↑ https://www.pinterest.com/pin/412712753323873814/
- ↑ http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_uWBHkd4c3U/UIBnJftxRpI/AAAAAAAAIJ4/GQbD7kZ7ZHE/s1600/28s4gmr.jpg
- ↑ http://imagecollect.com/picture/prince-photo-2254969/archival-pictures-globe-photos-49698
- ↑ Royal Magazin
- ↑ http://c8.alamy.com/comp/CPW6HX/thurn-taxis-johannes-prince-of-561920-14121990-german-businessman-CPW6HX.jpg
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 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Karl August |
Prince of Thurn and Taxis 26 April 1982 – 14 December 1990 |
Succeeded by Albert II |