Diane, Duchess of Württemberg

Princess Diane was born in Petrópolis, Brazil, the fourth daughter and sixth child of the Orléanist claimant to the French throne, Henri, Count of Paris, and his wife, Princess Isabelle of Orléans-Braganza.[1] At the time of her birth, as a claimant to the throne, her father was banned from living in France.[2] Thus, she was born in her mother's native Brazil. In 1950, the ban was lifted and the family moved to France. Princess Diane attended the Académie Julian in Paris.[3]

Geburt der Isis by Diane, Duchess of Württemberg, 1989–90, Altshausen.

The Duchess became interested in silk painting at the age of 14. She received formal training at the Académie Julian. She worked in a variety of techniques such as silk screen printing, oil painting, stuccowork, glass and wood painting. In 1971, following an illness caused by using lead-based paints, Diane began sculpting.[4] She signs her works as DxDiane. The letter D placed before Diane signifies Dimanche de Pâques, the day of her birth.[5] She is a patron of the Smolny Institute of Liberal Arts and Science.[6][7]

In 1979, the Duchess established an eponymous foundation, "Diane Herzogin von Württemberg, Prinzessin von Frankreich-Stiftung," to aide disadanvatged children.[8]

In 1956, on a cruise organized by Queen Frederica of Greece, Princess Diane met Duke Carl of Württemberg, son and heir of Philipp Albrecht, Duke of Württemberg and his wife, Archduchess Rosa of Austria.[9] In 1957, her brother, Prince Henri, married Carl's sister, Duchess Marie-Thérèse of Württemberg.

On 21 July 1960, she married Duke Carl at Altshausen.[10] The wedding celebrations lasted three days. Princess Diane wore a Dior gown designed by Yves Saint Laurent.[11]

In 1975, Carl succeeded his father as head of the House of Württemberg.

They had six children and sixteen grandchildren:

• Duke Friedrich Philipp Carl Franz Maria (1 June 1961 – 9 May 2018), married in 1993 to Princess Marie of Wied (born Munich, 27 December 1973), had issue.
• Duchess Mathilde Marie-Antoinette Rosa Isabelle (b. Friedrichshafen, 11 July 1962), married in 1988 to Prince Erich of Waldburg zu Zeil und Trauchburg (b. 1962), have issue.
• Duke Eberhard Alois Nikolaus Heinrich Johannes Maria (b. Friedrichshafen, 20 June 1963), married in 2011 to Desiree Copf (b. Samedan, 29 December 1969), have issue.
• Duke Philipp Albrecht Christoph Ulrich Maria (b. Friedrichshafen, 1 November 1964), married in 1991 to Duchess Marie-Caroline in Bavaria, have issue.
• Duke Michael Heinrich Albert Alexander Maria (b. Friedrichshafen, 1 December 1965), married in 2006 Julia Ricarda Storz (b. Munich, 4 April 1965)
• Duchess Eleonore Fleur Juanita Charlotte Eudoxie Marie-Agnès (b. Altshausen, 4 November 1977), married in 2003 to Count Moritz von Goëss (1966), have issue.

• Sovereign Military Order of Malta: Grand Cross of the Order pro Merito Melitensi, 2000[12]
• France: Chevalier of the Legion of Honour, 2010[12]
• Baden-Württemberg: Recipient of the Order of Merit of Baden-Württemberg, 2011[12][13]

• I.K.H. Diane Herzogin von Württemberg, Prinzessin von Frankreich ; Diane Herzogin von Württemberg, Roger Orlik ; Sp-Verlag (2002) ISBN 3-9807873-0-3
• Kunsthandwerk, Gemälde, Skulpturen ; Diane von Württemberg ; Ulm : Süddt. Verl.-Ges., 1991. ISBN 3-88294-165-0

• "Diane von Württemberg (70): Anpassungsfähig" [Diane von Württemberg (70): Adapts easily]. Stuttgarter Zeitung (in German). 2010-03-26. Archived from the original on 2011-07-24. Retrieved 2011-04-11.

• Media related to Diane von Württemberg at Wikimedia Commons
• Personal website