The Prince of Oettingen-Oettingen and Oettingen-Spielberg, a family friend of Prince William and Prince Harry and the father-in-law of Lord Max Percy, has died

From hunting trips to royal weddings, Prince Albrecht Ernst, who has passed away at the age of 71, touched the hearts of the royal family

It is a time of sadness for artist Princess Nora of Oettingen-Spielberg, a friend of the Royal Family, as she mourns the death of her father, Prince Albrecht Ernst of Oettingen-Oettingen and Oettingen-Spielberg. Princess Nora, who married Lord Max Percy, son of the Duke and Duchess of Northumberland, in 2017, is the youngest daughter of the late prince, who died on 12 November at the age of 71.

The news, which was first reported by the Royal Musings blog, will come as a blow to Prince William and Prince Harry, who reportedly attended hunting parties at Prince Albrecht’s family home of Schloss Oettingen. Indeed, Albrecht Ernst and his wife, Angela Jank, the Princess of Oettingen-Oettingen, were invited to William and Catherine’s wedding in 2011. Princess Nora and Lord Max also attended the wedding of Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank, alongside Princess Nora’s brother, Prince Franz Albrecht and his wife, Princess Cleopatra.

Franz-Albrecht, the new Prince of Oettingen-Spielberg, and his wife, Cleopatra zu Oettingen-Spielberg, at their wedding day in 2016

Gisela Schober/Getty Images

Prince Albrecht Ernst was born on 7 February 1951 to the 10th Prince of Oettingen-Oettingen and Oettingen-Spielberg, HSH Alois Philipp, and his wife, Countess Elisabeth zu Lynar, and inherited his father’s title in 1975. He married Angela Jank five years later, and the pair have since welcomed four children. First, there was Prince Franz Albrecht, who is now the 12th Prince of Oettingen-Oettingen and Oettingen-Spielberg, who was born in 1982. This was followed by the birth of Princess Theresa in 1984, then Princess Antonia Carolina in 1987 and Princess Nora in 1990. Prince Franz Albrecht’s son, Prince Louis Albrecht, who was born in 2019, is now the heir to the family’s title.

At home in Britain, Princess Nora and Lord Max have been busy trying to ensure the sale of the family’s 9,600-acre Rothbury Estate. It would be the largest land sale in England for 30 years, and Sir David Attenborough recently published a video rallying the public to help raise the £30 million required for the purchase by a coalition of The Wildlife Trusts and Northumberland Wildlife Trust. ‘Time is running out to save the historic Rothbury Estate,’ said the 99-year-old naturalist, singing the praises of the Percys’ land.

‘People know and love the Simonside Hills that rise here, they walk the ridges and listen for the calls of the curlew, they watch for red squirrels and admire the views as they scramble among the crags,’ he added. ‘They walk along its remote paths and marvel at the astonishing rock carvings left by our distant ancestors, who once lived here.’

Sir David presented a future for the Rothbury Estate, where the Wildlife Trusts would work together with local farmers to look after the area and create a place of harmony for people and nature, even reintroducing beavers and golden eagles to the landscape. ‘Please help us make this vision a reality,’ he implored.

The efforts have so far raised £8 million in donations, with individual contributions ranging from £5 to £5 million, but there are fears that time will run out before the remaining two-thirds of the money has been secured.

A 45-minute drive from Newcastle, the Rothbury Estate is situated on the edge of Northumberland National Park. It boasts 1,800 acres of woodland, 12 farms, a river for trout and salmon fishing, 23 residential properties, and the Crown and Thistle pub in the village of Alwinton.

An idyllic stretch of land – so why would Lord Max Percy want to sell up? The youngest son of the Duke and Duchess of Northumberland grew up in Alnwick Castle, perhaps best known as the filming location for Harry Potter and Blackadder, but after welcoming two children with Princess Nora, the scion is looking to settle down in the South of England and build a life with his family. No doubt the clan will rally together in the wake of their patriarch’s passing, remembering a man whose impact stretched far beyond Schloss Oettingen and touched the hearts of the British royal family.