Princess Henriette of Auersperg, affectionately known as Hetty, was a woman of unique charm and character. Born on September 2, 1933, in Sankt Johann im Pongau, Salzburg, she was the eldest child of Prince Alois of Auersperg and Countess Henriette Larisch von Moennich. Hetty's early life was marked by a strong sense of naturalness, as she preferred outdoor activities like skiing and golfing over the glamour of parties and social events. This down-to-earth quality would remain a defining feature of her life, setting her apart from the more formal and traditional aristocracy.
Despite her reluctance to engage in high-society events, Hetty's life was filled with significant events and experiences. She worked as a secretary before marrying Arndt von Bohlen und Halbach in 1968. The couple's marriage was marked by a strong partnership, with Hetty stating that she left major decisions to her husband. Hetty's life was also intertwined with that of her brother's ex-wife, Sunny von Bülow, who was involved in a high-profile trial in the 1980s. Hetty's unique blend of simplicity and elegance made her a fascinating figure in European aristocratic circles.
what were some of Princess Hetty's most notable achievements
Princess Hetty of Auersperg was a woman of unique charm and character. Born on September 2, 1933, in Sankt Johann im Pongau, Salzburg, she was the eldest child of Prince Alois of Auersperg and Countess Henriette Larisch von Moennich. Hetty's early life was marked by a strong sense of naturalness, as she preferred outdoor activities like skiing and golfing over the glamour of parties and social events. This down-to-earth quality would remain a defining feature of her life, setting her apart from the more formal and traditional aristocracy.Despite her reluctance to engage in high-society events, Hetty's life was filled with significant events and experiences. She worked as a secretary before marrying Arndt von Bohlen und Halbach in 1968. The couple's marriage was marked by a strong partnership, with Hetty stating that she left major decisions to her husband. Hetty's life was also intertwined with that of her brother's ex-wife, Sunny von Bülow, who was involved in a high-profile trial in the 1980s. Hetty's unique blend of simplicity and elegance made her a fascinating figure in European aristocratic circles.
what were Princess Hetty's contributions to the family business
Princess Hetty of Auersperg was a woman of unique charm and character. Born on September 2, 1933, in Sankt Johann im Pongau, Salzburg, she was the eldest child of Prince Alois of Auersperg and Countess Henriette Larisch von Moennich. Hetty's early life was marked by a strong sense of naturalness, as she preferred outdoor activities like skiing and golfing over the glamour of parties and social events. This down-to-earth quality would remain a defining feature of her life, setting her apart from the more formal and traditional aristocracy.Princess Hetty's contributions to the family business were significant. She learned the business by listening to her father as he increased their assets through careful management and wise investments. Hetty's formal education began at the age of 10 when her parents sent her to a strict Quaker boarding school in Sandwich. At the age of 15, Hetty attended a summer session at Friends Academy, followed by three years at a Boston finishing school, where debutantes were taught academics as well as the social etiquette of teas, dinners, and dances. During school breaks in New Bedford, Hetty had rooms at both Aunt Sylvia’s home on Eighth Street and her father’s house on Second Street. During weekends and summers, Hetty and the family often took a two-hour carriage ride to the family’s summer home at Round Hill in Dartmouth. These idyllic summers spent with family would not last forever, as tension steadily grew between Hetty and Aunt Sylvia, the other beneficiary of Gideon’s fortune. While Hetty worked for her father and kept track of her spending, the more extravagant Sylvia had little patience for Hetty’s shabby wardrobe and occasional outbursts. Hetty’s father reassured Hetty that she alone would inherit her parents’ and her aunt’s wealth as the sole living heir to the Hetty understood this promise to include her complete control of the inheritance, but her father had other plans. When her mother Abby died in 1860 without a will, her entire estate of more than $100,000 went to Abby’s father, who promised to leave the money to Hetty upon his own death. Hetty was able to keep only a house worth $8,000. Hetty accepted the outcome and moved to New York with her father, who wisely transitioned his business from faltering whale oil to shipping cargo. She worked closely with her father in building a portfolio of stocks, bonds and real estate. Hetty also socialized, and at an 1860 ball in honor of the visiting Prince of Wales in New York City, Hetty introduced herself as the “Princess of Whales,” a playful reference to her connection to New Bedford’s whaling industry During her years in New York, Hetty returned regularly to New Bedford and Round Hill, often to argue with Aunt Sylvia over the terms of her will. Hetty’s disappointment over her inheritance would continue. When her father died in 1865, he left Hetty about $900,000 directly and about $5 million in trust. Hetty was devastated to realize that even though she had been her father’s attentive business student, her father did not trust her with the bulk of the family fortune. Two weeks later, Aunt Sylvia died as the richest woman in New England, leaving Hetty with a significant inheritance. Hetty fought with mixed success to have the wills adjusted more in her favor, but she continued to manage her inherited wealth wisely, investing in government bonds and railroads. Her financial acumen and business sense earned her the nickname "The Witch of Wall Street."
how did Hetty's early involvement in the family business shape her financial strategies
Hetty Green's early involvement in the family business played a significant role in shaping her financial strategies. Born into a wealthy Quaker whaling and banking family in New Bedford, Massachusetts, Hetty was exposed to the family's financial dealings from a young age. Her father, Isaac Howland Jr., taught her the business by discussing his financial decisions and investments with her. This hands-on approach allowed Hetty to learn the intricacies of the family's financial operations and develop her own financial acumen.Hetty's formal education began at the age of 10 when her parents sent her to a strict Quaker boarding school in Sandwich. She later attended a summer session at Friends Academy and three years at a Boston finishing school, where she was taught academics as well as social etiquette. During school breaks, Hetty would return to New Bedford and work closely with her father in managing the family's assets, including stocks, bonds, and real estate. This early involvement in the family business instilled in Hetty a strong sense of financial responsibility and a keen understanding of the importance of careful management and wise investments.Hetty's financial strategies were deeply influenced by her father's teachings and her own experiences in the family business. She learned to prioritize frugality and avoid debt, as her father had always emphasized the importance of never borrowing money. Hetty also developed a keen eye for investment opportunities, often focusing on government bonds and railroads. Her financial wizardry earned her the nickname "The Witch of Wall Street," and she became known for her ability to make smart financial decisions and grow her wealth over time.
Princess Henriette of Auersperg was born on 2 September 1933 at Sankt Johann im Pongau, Salzburg, as the eldest child of Prince Alois of Auersperg (1897-1984) and Countess Henriette Larisch von Moennich (1903-1994). Known as "Hetty," the little girl was followed by two brothers: Prince Alfred (1936-1992) and Prince Luitpold (1937-1985). The future was to have a great deal of interesting experiences in store for Hetty. For a spell, the young princess worked as a secretary.
Alfie of Auersperg and Sunny Crawford wed in 1957
Sunny von Bülow
On 20 July 1957, Hetty's brother Alfred "Alfie" married Martha "Sunny" Sharp Crawford (1932-2008), daughter of utilities magnate George Crawford. Sunny had been Alfie's tennis instructor at a Swiss resort. The couple had two children: Princess Annie-Laurie "Ala" (b.1958) and Alexander (b.1959). After Alfie and Sunny's divorce in 1965, Sunny reportedly gave Alfie $3.5 million as a settlement. Sunny went on the marry Claus von Bülow (1926-2019) in 1966, with whom she had one daughter, Cosima (b.1967). Hetty Auersperg was subpoenaed in the 1982 trial of Claus von Bülow, who was charged with the attempted murder of Hetty's former sister-in-law.
Announcement of the engagement between Arndt von Bohlen und Halbach and Princess Henriette
Article (c) The Pittsburg Press of 23 December 1968
Arndt and Hetty at the 1968 New Year's Eve party on the Kitzbühel estate of US millionaire Matthew Taylor Mellon
In December 1968, it was announced from Munich that Princess Henriette of Auersperg was engaged to Arndt von Bohlen und Halbach, who was considered West Germany's most eligible bachelor as the heir to the Krupp arms dynasty. Four years younger than his betrothed, Arndt had been born on 24 January 1938 at Berlin as the only child of Alfried Krupp von Bohlen und Halbach (1907-1967) and Anneliese Bahr (1909-1998). Arndt's parents had married in 1937 to the great disappointment of his paternal grandparents Gustav and Bertha Krupp von Bohlen und Halbach; Bertha especially considered the union a mésalliance - she offered Anneliese a significant sum of money to have an abortion when Bertha discovered her daughter-in-law was with child. In the face of such opposition, Alfried and Anneliese's marriage quickly crumbled, and they divorced in 1941. At the time that Hetty and Arndt's engagement was made public, it was reported that Hetty had been until then a particularly close, "seemingly permanent companion," to Prince Johannes of Thurn and Taxis (1926-1990).
Hetty and Arndt at their civil wedding
The engaged couple at the pre-wedding press conference
The religious wedding of Arndt and Hetty at Schloß Blühnbach
The tall blue-eyed princess with blonde hair wed her "prince charming" in a civil ceremony on 1 February 1969 at Werfen bei Salzburg. The couple celebrated their religious wedding on Valentine's Day 1969 (14 February) at Schloß Blühnbach, the Krupp property that was formerly owned by Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria. The ceremony was Roman Catholic, the faith of the bride; Arndt was still Lutheran, though he converted to Catholicism later in life. Hetty let Arndt plan the entire ceremony, from choosing the 300 strong guest list to selecting the bride's wedding outfit, a Pongauer Dirndl. Hetty was quoted as saying: "His taste is perfect. Leaving all major decisions to Arndt is the way we plan to run our marriage." Amongst the guests were were members of the Liechtenstein, Furstenberg, Hohenberg, Hohenlohe, and Thurn and Taxis families - American actor George Hamilton was also present.
Arndt and Hetty at Gstaad
Hetty and Arndt beside the pool of their villa in Marrakech
The glittering princess with her husband
Arndt and Hetty
Aware of the nature of their marriage of convenience, Arndt and Hetty quickly and happily began living mostly separate lives. Hetty was drawn to the family's thirty-four-room villa at Marrakech. Arndt preferred Palm Beach and then getting away to a little house on the Isle of Sylt, off the German coast. The couple would typically spent August to October of every year at Schloß Blühnbach, where they enjoyed hunting and entertaining their international set of friends. In a 1985 Palm Beach Post interview with Arndt, it was noted that "the Princess is an avid sportswoman, and when not in Blühnbach is on the ski slopes of Gstaad or St Moritz. Their mutual respect and compatibility permits them a personal freedom that has cemented a happy marriage of fourteen years! Each Valentine anniversary, the Baron deluges the Princess with her favourite flower...Lilies-of-the-Valley." Arndt went on to say of his wife: "She is exactly the opposite of me. She likes skiing, golfing, all kinds of outdoor things. She very reluctantly goes to parties, I must say. You see, she's very natural. She doesn't wear lipstick or anything."
The funeral of Arndt von Bohlen und Halbach
Aged forty-eight, Arndt died on 8 May 1986 in the intensive care unit of a private hospital at Munich. He had been suffering from lymph node cancer since 1979 and had dealt with cirrhosis of the liver as a result of his alcoholism. Not surprisingly, Arndt and Hetty never had children. A widow at fifty-two, Hetty never remarried.
Princess Hetty of Auersperg
Long after her husband's death, Hetty granted an interview in 2012 with Express from her home at Marrakech. She recalled when she had initially met Arndt after she approached the Krupp heir for a job: "Why not marry me? You lead your life, and sometimes we bring ours together." he responded. And, marry him she did. Hetty remembered: "I know of some marriages where the husband is homosexual or bisexual. That is not necessarily the worst thing. We had a partnership. Arndt was not jealous. I could do whatever I wanted. We were a good team. I really liked Arndt."
Death notice of Henriette von Bohlen und Halbach (née Princess of Auersperg)
Hetty survived her husband by thirty-three years. Her nephew Prince Alexander of Auersperg and her nieces Princesses Ala and Cecile announced that their beloved aunt had died on 30 May 2019 at St Johann in Tirol. Hetty was eighty-five years-old.
Princess Hetty of Auersperg
May She Rest In Peace.
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what were Princess Hetty's key contributions to society
Princess Hetty of Auersperg was a woman of unique charm and character. Born on September 2, 1933, in Sankt Johann im Pongau, Salzburg, she was the eldest child of Prince Alois of Auersperg and Countess Henriette Larisch von Moennich. Hetty's early life was marked by a strong sense of naturalness, as she preferred outdoor activities like skiing and golfing over the glamour of parties and social events. This down-to-earth quality would remain a defining feature of her life, setting her apart from the more formal and traditional aristocracy.Despite her reluctance to engage in high-society events, Hetty's life was filled with significant events and experiences. She worked as a secretary before marrying Arndt von Bohlen und Halbach in 1968. The couple's marriage was marked by a strong partnership, with Hetty stating that she left major decisions to her husband. Hetty's life was also intertwined with that of her brother's ex-wife, Sunny von Bülow, who was involved in a high-profile trial in the 1980s. Hetty's unique blend of simplicity and elegance made her a fascinating figure in European aristocratic circles.
As we conclude our exploration of Princess Hetty of Auersperg, we are reminded of the unique qualities that made her stand out among her peers. Her reluctance to engage in high-society events and her preference for outdoor activities like skiing and golfing set her apart from the more formal and traditional aristocracy. Despite her reluctance to participate in lavish parties, Hetty's life was filled with significant events and experiences, including her marriage to Arndt von Bohlen und Halbach and her involvement in the high-profile trial of her brother's ex-wife, Sunny von Bülow. Hetty's unique blend of simplicity and elegance made her a fascinating figure in European aristocratic circles, and her financial acumen earned her the nickname "The Witch of Wall Street."
Princess Hetty's life was marked by a strong sense of naturalness, which was reflected in her approach to finance. She learned the business by listening to her father and developed a keen eye for investment opportunities. Her financial strategies were deeply influenced by her father's teachings and her own experiences in the family business. Hetty's ability to make smart financial decisions and grow her wealth over time earned her a reputation as a shrewd businesswoman. As we reflect on Princess Hetty's life, we are reminded of the importance of staying true to oneself and pursuing one's passions, even in the face of societal expectations. Her story serves as a testament to the power of individuality and the impact that one person can have on the world around them.
what were some of Princess Hetty's most memorable public appearances
Princess Hetty of Auersperg was known for her unique blend of simplicity and elegance, which set her apart from the more formal and traditional aristocracy. Despite her reluctance to engage in high-society events, she did make some notable public appearances throughout her life. Here are a few of the most memorable:
Marriage to Arndt von Bohlen und Halbach: Princess Hetty married Arndt von Bohlen und Halbach in 1968. The wedding was attended by members of various European royal families, including the Liechtenstein, Furstenberg, Hohenberg, Hohenlohe, and Thurn and Taxis families. The event was marked by a strong sense of naturalness, reflecting Hetty's down-to-earth personality.
New Year's Eve Party: In 1968, Hetty and her husband attended a New Year's Eve party on the Kitzbühel estate of US millionaire Matthew Taylor Mellon. The event was a glamorous gathering of European aristocrats and American celebrities, including actor George Hamilton.
Gstaad and Marrakech: Hetty and her husband were often seen together at various social events, including a trip to Gstaad and a vacation in Marrakech. These appearances showcased their elegant and refined lifestyle, which was a stark contrast to Hetty's earlier reluctance to participate in high-society events.
These public appearances highlight Princess Hetty's ability to navigate the complexities of aristocratic society while remaining true to her unique personality and values.
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