Among my fun-loving boating companions, there is actually a genuine, honest-to-goodness prince in our midst. We call him Prince for short, though we should really address him by his correct title which is Prince von Meiningen of Saxony-Coburg-Gotha. I once casually inquired of him how we should properly address him and jokingly commented if we should perhaps call him “Your Excellency”? “No”, he responded quite good-naturedly, but if you really want to be correct about it, then you should call me Your Esteemed Royal Majesty”! I then learned that members of even nonreigning dynasties as well as all members of baronial families who had possessed the princely title until 1806 (Napoleon), still have the right to use the title of Prince or Princess. These are the families that have the famous “Blue Blood”. And heirs to a reigning prince as well as Crown Princes, Prince Consorts and Prince Regents all have this distinction indicating that they belong to the Noble Ranks. 

But our prince from the boatciub is an extremely affable and cooperative fellow of extraordinary stature and appearance. He may be without his RoyalCourt, although the British, just before the Russian invasion into Thuringia in mid-1945, did indeed manage to pull out in time and salvage a few truckloads full of his goods and belongings. It is interesting to note that the English Royal Family counts among his relatives. 

Our little nutcracker Prince here still manifests the splendor and majesty of old with his baggy breeches and royal crown. We feel certain that he will be cherished and held in high esteem just like our “real” prince from the boatclub.

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