'Piedita' née Marie de la Piedad de Yturbe, Princess Max Egon von Hohenlohe-Langenburg, 2nd Marquesa de Belvis de las Navas, 1892 - 1990
Alex Zemann (photographer)
Category
Photographs
Date
1935 - 1937
Materials
wood and photographic paper
Measurements
365 mm (H)263 mm (W)345 mm (H)245 mm (W)237 mm (H)182 mm (W)
Order this imageCollection
Polesden Lacey, Surrey
NT 1246697
Summary
Studio portrait of Princess Piedita, inscribed Piedita, 1935-1937.
Full description
The dramatic studio photograph has strong lighting on the Princess' face and a dark background. She is wearing a neat, close fitting hat and a smart jacket and blouse. The Prince and/or Princess Max von Hohenlohe dined at 16 Charles Street on: 9th June 1932, 26th November 1936, 23rd June 1937 and 10th May 1938. Margaret Greville was a Godmother to their youngest daughter Beatriz whose photograph is in the cutting album NT1246423.13. There is also a letter hoping that Margaret will attend the christening and a photograph of Piedita and her three boys and two daughters in another cuttings album NT1246423.12. All dated 1935. Piedita was born in Paris. Her father, Manuel de Yturba del Villar where her he was the Mexican Ambassador, her mother, Trinidad von Scholtz Hermensorff, was born in Spain into a wealthy business family. Due to her father's postings in 1896 she attended the coronation of Tsar Nicholas II, was presented to Edward VII and Queen Alexandra in 1909, the following year she attended an imperial ball in the court of Kaiser Wilhelm II. WW1 was mostly spent in Spain and it was there, in 1918 that she inherited the title Marquesa de Belvas de las Navas. Piedita married Prince Maximilian Egon von Hohenlohe-Langenburg (1897 - 1968) in Madrid. King Alfonso XIII and the Queen were unable to attend but lent Piedita a horse-drawn carriage. Prince Max was descended from the Austrina branch of princes. Piedita and Max had three sons and three daughters, the youngest of which, Beatriz was a goddaughter of Margaret Greville. In the Cuttings album there is a letter from Piedita, a photograph of her with her children and a photograph of Beatriz taken in 1939. In 1956 their country resdience , El Quexigal, burnt down, many works of art were destroyed. After this the family lived in Palacio Parcent, Madrid, once her father's official residence, later bought by her mother. Pieda published her biography, Erase une vez, , which was serialised in the national newspaper of Spain. After her husband died Piedita was frequently consulted by the Spanish media on cultural issues. Piedita died in Marbella aged 98.
Marks and inscriptions
Fotos / Zemann / Komotau 1936 (inscribed on mount) Written in ink on the mount at the bottom; Piedita , 1935 - 1937
Makers and roles
Alex Zemann (photographer), photographer