Mensdorff-Pouilly family
The House of Mensdorff-Pouilly is the name of a noble family originally from Lorraine. The family derived its name from the barony of Pouilly at Stenay in Meuse. Through Princess Sophie of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, wife of Emmanuel von Mensdorff-Pouilly, the family is closely related to the royal families of Belgium, Sweden, Portugal, Bulgaria and the United Kingdom.
| House of Mensdorff-Pouilly | |
|---|---|
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| Parent family | Pouilly |
| Place of origin | Pouilly-sur-Meuse |
| Founder | Emmanuel von Mensdorff-Pouilly |
| Final head | Alexander, 3rd Prince von Dietrichstein zu Nikolsburg |
| Titles | Prince von Dietrichstein zu Nikolsburg Count von Mensdorff-Pouilly |
| Estate(s) | Schloss Mikulov (Nikolsburg) |
| Dissolution | 1964 |
History
In 1790, during the French Revolution, Albert Louis de Pouilly (1731–1795) emigrated with his family. His sons Albert and Emmanuel changed the family name to Mensdorff-Pouilly, named for a place in the county of Roussy in Luxembourg.
In 1818, Emmanuel von Mensdorff-Pouilly received a comital title from the Austrian Emperor, and he was recognized as noble in Bohemia (the Inkolat) in 1839. The family motto is Fortitudine et caritate. The Mensdorff-Pouilly family succeeded the extinct House of Dietrichstein, one of Europe’s most distinguished noble families.[1]
Through Princess Sophie of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, wife of Count Emmanuel von Mensdorff-Pouilly (1777–1852), the family is closely related to the royal families of Belgium, Sweden, Portugal and the United Kingdom.
Notable members
- Count Emmanuel von Mensdorff-Pouilly (1777–1852), Vice Governor of the Fortress of Mainz.
- Princess Sophie of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld (1778–1835), married to Emmanuel; the sister of both Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld and King Leopold I of Belgium; aunt of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom.
- Alexander von Mensdorff-Pouilly, Prince von Dietrichstein zu Nikolsburg (1813–1871), son of Emmanuel and Sophie; Austrian Foreign Minister (1864–1866).
- Count Albert von Mensdorff-Pouilly-Dietrichstein (1861–1945), younger son of Alexander; Austrian diplomat.
- Countess Clotilde Apponyi de Nagy-Apponyi (1867–1942), daughter of Alexander; women's rights advocate and diplomat for Hungary.
Gallery
Literature
- Eddie de Tassigny: Les Mensdorff-Pouilly. Le destin d'une famille émigrée en 1790. Le Bois d’Hélène, Bihorel 1998.