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| Prince Guillaume and Princess Sibilla of Luxembourg with their children at the Bay des Débutantes |
The annual Bal des Débutantes will take place on 30 November at the Shangri-La Hotel in Paris. In recent years, the event has been attended by the following royal and noble young women: Princess Charlotte of Nassau; Infanta Maria Francisca of Portugal, Duchess of Coimbra; Princess Gauravi Kumari of Jaipur; Countess Gabrielle de Pourtalès; Amina Martinez de Irujo y Casanova (granddaughter of the late Cayetana, Duchess of Alba); and Maria do Carmo Calem (granddaughter of Princess Teresa of Orléans-Bragança, the youngest sister of the late Countess of Paris).
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| Princess Maria Carolina of Bourbon-Two Sicilies Photograph (c) Royal House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies |
This year’s ball contains an impressive guest list. Chief among them would be Princess Maria Carolina of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, Duchess of Calabria and Palermo: Maria Carolina (b.2003) is the eldest daughter and heiress of Prince Carlo of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, Duke of Castro. Another member of the larger Bourbon family will be there: Princess Louise d’Orléans (b.1999), the eldest daughter of Prince Charles-Louis d’Orléans, Duke de Chartres, and his wife Princess Illéana (née Manos; a cousin of Queen Alexandra of Yugoslavia [née Greece; Alexandra’s mother was born Aspasia Manos]). Louise d’Orléans will be escorted to the ball by Prince Philippe Emmanuel de Croÿ-Solre (b.1997). Another attendee will be Louise’s maternal cousin, Athina Manos (herself related to both the French and Serbian royal families). A final notable debutante will be Elvire de Clermont-Tonnerre (b.2002), the niece of the 12th Duc de Clermont-Tonnerre.
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| The three Infantes of Portugal at the Debutantes Ball in Paris |
It will be interesting to discover the other “cavaliers” who attend alongside the debutantes this year. Past cavaliers have included Prince Mirko of Bulgaria, the Infantes Afonso and Dinis of Portugal, Maharaja Padmanabh Singh of Jaipur, and Princes Paul-Louis and Léopold of Nassau.
Source: Le Bal 2019 : voici les 20 Débutantes (Stella Belmondo, Cristina et Victoria Iglesias, Princesse Louise d’Orléans…)
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