The 70th Birthday of the Fürst zu Oettingen-Oettingen und Oettingen-Spielberg

Fürstin Angela and Fürst Albrecht zu Oettingen-Oettingen und Oettingen-Spielberg at the wedding of Prince Manuel of Bavaria, 2003.  Photograph (c) Seeger-Press/Nieboer.

On 7 February 1951, Prince Albrecht Ernst Otto Joseph Maria Notger zu Oettingen-Oettingen und Oettingen-Spielberg was born at Munich. The prince was the eldest son and third child of Fürst Alois zu Oettingen-Oettingen und Oettingen-Spielberg (1920-1975) and Fürstin Elisabeth (1922-2005; née Countess zu Lynar), who had married in 1946. Albrecht has four sisters: Princess Franziska (1947-2011; married Fürst Ferdinand zu Hohenlohe-Bartenstein), Princess Alexandra (b.1948; married Fürst Hubertus Fugger von Babenhausen), Princess Gabriele (b.1953; married Peter Gollwitzer), and Princess Margarita (1957-2000; married Prince Franz von Lobkowicz). Upon the death of his father in 1975, Albrecht succeeded as Fürst zu Oettingen-Oettingen und Oettingen-Spielberg. 

Left to right: Duke Philipp of Württemberg, Fürstin Angela, the late Duke Friedrich of Württemberg, and Fürst Albrecht at the wedding of Duchess Fleur of Württemberg, 2004. Photograph (c) Seeger-Press/Kirkham. 

In 1980, Fürst Albrecht married Angela Jank (b.1951). The Fürst and Fürstin have four children: Hereditary Prince Franz-Albrecht (b.1982; married Baroness Cleopatra von Adelsheim von Ernest), Princess Theresa (b.1984; married Carl-Christian Oetker), Princess Antonia (b.1987), and Princess Nora (b.1990; married Lord Max Percy). 

From left to right: Prince Leopold of Bavaria, Hereditary Carl-Eugen zu Oettingen-Wallerstein, Fürst Moritz zu Oettingen-Wallerstein, and Fürst Albrecht zu Oettingen-Spielberg surround the coffin of Duke Albrecht of Bavaria. Photograph (c) Seeger-Press.

The Oettingen-Spielbergs are a steady presence at Gotha events, both on the Continent and in the United Kingdom. The fürst was among the chief mourners at the funeral of Duke Albrecht of Bavaria. In 2011, Fürst Albrecht and Fürstin Angela attended the wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. When their only son Franz-Albrecht married model/noblewoman Cleopatra in 2016, Prince Harry (now Duke of Sussex) was in attendance. 

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