Princess Josefa von Hohenzollern has revealed her heartbreak after her husband tragically died just days before they were due to welcome their first child.
German aristocrat Prince Harald von Hohenzollern, 63, is said to have died ‘unexpectedly’ due to cardiac complications, Josefa wrote on Instagram.
Josefa, 51, who is running for mayor of Leonberg, a German town in Baden-Württembergwed, wed Harald just nine months ago.
Harald tragically died during a trip in Windhoek, Namibia, where he was working in the diamond industry, according to Hello!.
Alongside a collage of images with her late husband, Josefa broke the devastating news to her Instagram followers and said she would understandably be taking a step back from campaigning.
‘Dear fellow citizens of Leonberg, today I am writing with a heavy heart,’ she began, continuing, ‘My beloved husband Harald v. Hohenzollern died completely unexpectedly of sudden cardiac death.
‘This loss hits me very deep. I need time to grieve, say goodbye and be there for our unborn child. That’s why I will be stepping back from campaigning and social media in the coming days.
‘I hope for your understanding during this time off and thank you from the bottom of my heart at this point for your condolences and support.’
German aristocrat Prince Harald von Hohenzollern, 63, is said to have died ‘unexpectedly’ due to cardiac complications, his expecting wife, Princess Josefa von Hohenzollern, said (pictured together)
While Josefa has put her campaigning duties on hold, she has previously discussed the need for female representatives among the mayors in Baden-Württemberg.
In a post earlier this week, she said, ‘Out of 105 mayors in Baden-Württemberg, only seven are women – that does not reflect our society!
‘It’s not about quotas; it’s about real parity: women make up half of the population and bring competence, experience, and new perspectives to local politics.
‘I’m running as mayor for Leonberg because I’m convinced: our cities need more female leadership. For a Leonberg, which reflects the diversity of its citizens at the top!’
It’s not known when Josefa will continue to pursue her campaign to become mayor following her loss. However, she told Stuttgarter Nachrichten that she is going to continue her candidacy journey because it would be in her late husband’s ‘best interest’.
Her late aristocratic husband Harald came from the House of Hohenzollern – a formerly royal German dynasty.
Harald was known as the ‘Diamond Prince’, thanks to his job as the head of a gemstone company, Bild claimed.
The house previously made headlines in May when a fake German prince, who had rubbed shoulders with King Charles, used a legal loophole to access high society.
Harald was reportedly working at a diamond site in Windhoek, Namibia, when he tragically died
Josefa shared a heartbreaking Instagram post where she shared the news of her husband’s passing
His Serene Highness Dr Donatus, Prince of Hohenzollern, spent the better part of two decades schmoozing with Britain’s elite.
But Donatus, who is really a 64-year-old music teacher called Markus Hänsel, was only able to do this after paying to be adopted by the House of Hohenzollern at the age of 42.
The real Prince of Hohenzollern, Karl Friedrich, the head of the House of Hohenzollern, hit out at Donatus for using his family’s name.
He told The Sun, ‘It makes me angry and frustrated, it leaves a very bitter taste in my mouth.
‘Donatus is not my blood, he is not a member of the German royal family, he is simply a non-royal name bearer. He certainly cannot use the moniker of Serene Highness.’
Donatus is connected to several music organisations and charities alongside King Charles and Prince Edward, the Duke of Kent.
He is the Chairman of the Friends of the English Chamber Orchestra and is an ambassador of The Purcell School for Young Musicians in Bushey, Hertfordshire, both of which are organisations that King Charles is a patron of.
Donatus is also a member of the International Board of Governors of the London Philharmonic Orchestra, of which the Duke of Kent is a patron and Creative Benefactor of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.
On top of this, he was previously a Principal Supporter of London’s Royal College of Music and a founding patron of the Royal College of Music Prince Consort Orchestra.
In one clip taken from his Surrey home, a photo of him and King Charles was seen on the side.
Prince Karl told The Sun that he confronted Donatus over his claim to his family’s name, and it was revealed that Katharina Feodora, Princess of Hohenzollern, adopted him in around 2003.
‘I wrote to Donatus and said I know all the members of my family, but I hadn’t heard of him. He wrote back and said, ‘Yes, I have been adopted by your aunt Katharina’.
‘I then spoke to my aunt, and she told me, ‘Yes, well, he offered me such an amount of money I couldn’t resist’. She was always short of money. There’s nothing we as a family can do,’ he added.
Three years after he was adopted, he married Dr Viola Hallman, heiress of the Theis steel business, who later became Dr Viola Christa, Princess of Hohenzollern.
The couple lived in a castle in Haelen, the Netherlands. Viola sadly died of cancer in 2012.
Donatus told The Sun in an emailed statement, written in the third person, ‘Donatus has the same legal rank and rights represented in Germany’s family law as Karl Friedrich of Hohenzollern, who does not have the authority to speak on behalf of all the members of the family.’
Prince Karl said he is now seeking legal advice on the matter, ‘We don’t like somebody bringing the family name into a bad light.
‘It’s obvious he doesn’t know me and the history of the Swabian branch of the Hohenzollerns. He’s an uninformed man. He is not a member of the royal house of Hohenzollern.’
