Germany's Rocking Aristo

THE NEW YORK TIMES has run a wonderful article about the rock loving German aristocratic baron, Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg.
We posted a story on Germany's economic minister on July 10, 2009! Looks like we were ahead of the curve!

Heir To The 6th Baron Hindlip Fined For Smuggling Drugs In A Condom

Yes, you read the headline correctly.

Apparently, the future 7th Baron Hindlip, The Honorable Henry William Allsopp, was found guilty of trying to smuggle 16.39 grams of cannabis resin into the Bermuda. After being stopped by customs officials at the airport in Bermuda, Henry was discovered to a condom tied to his penis which contained the cannabis resin. Henry was fined $3,000 for his offense.

What a dumb ass. But hey, we'll give him points for originality. Hey, at least he didn't try to smuggle it into the American Embassy. Now that's stupid.

Just in! Aristo Caught in Drug Scandal

How we love a scandal...

The Honourable Nicholas Knatchbull (right), the godson of Prince Charles, has been caught on tape smoking a crack pipe. Classy.

The great-grandson of Earl Mountbatten is an extended member of the British royal family, but addiction knows no social divisions. Nicholas' parents, the 8th Baron Brabourne and Lady Brabourne, are close friends of Prince Charles. It'll be interesting to see how this story develops.

Nicholas stands to inherit ₤100 million. Let's just hope he doesn't blow it on crack and heroin. Now that would be a waste.

To read the full story, click here.

August's Eligible Aristo Bachelor

Our eligible aristo bachelor is:

The Honourable Nathaniel Rothschild.

Quick fact:
He is heir to the 4th Baron Rothschild & a member of the storied Rothschild banking dynasty.
Nathaniel is better known as "Nat".
The Sunday Times Rich List places his net worth at ₤330 million.
The thirty-eight year old is the co-chairman of Atticus Capital, a New York based hedge fund.
Nat has homes in New York, London, Moscow, Switzerland, and Corfu.

Swine Flu & The Aristocrat

Could it be?

The Aristo News has learned that the body of Sir Mark Sykes, 6th Baron of Sledmere may have died from an early strain of swine flu. The 6th Baron died of Spanish Flu, which is the precursor to what we know as swine flu. Although the 6th Baron died in 1919, he was buried in a lead lined coffin, which helped preserve his lungs & brain tissue. Professor John Oxford hopes that understanding the 1918 flu which killed Mark Sykes may help find a cure for swine flu.

Sir Mark Sykes is the great-grandfather of author Plum Sykes.

Germany's New Economics Minister is an Aristocrat

Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg is Germany's new economics minister, despite his aristocratic background. The Irish Times reports that he's the second most popular politician in Germany after Angela Merkel, the current chancellor.

Karl-Theodor is a baron from Franconia, which is in northern Bavaria. His full title is: Karl-Theordor Maria Nikolaus Johann Jacob Philipp Franz Joseph Sylvester, Baron from and to Guttenberg. Try saying that three times fast.

The 37 year old baron is a married father of two and it seems that the German society (or gossip) press cannot get enough of him. His approval rating is an astounding 61%. The Irish Times even alludes to the fact that his vast family wealth (which is rumored to stand between ₤600 million-₤800 million) allows the baron to think independently, without worrying about his own financial well being.

The baron lives in his family's castle in Bavaria and a mansion in Berlin. He is also a member of the distinguished noble House of Guttenberg. The House of Guttenberg dates back to 1149. His wife is Stephanie, Countess of Bismark-Schönhausen and the great-great-granddaughter of Otto von Bismark, Prince of Bismarck and Duke of Lauenburg.

Germany abolished all royal and aristocratic titles & privileges in 1919.

We'll keep you posted on Karl-Theodor.

Just in! 2nd Baron Hesketh's Trustees Sell Painting!

Just in!

No less than an hour ago, the trustees of the 2nd Baron Hesketh sold Gabriel Metsu's painting "A Woman Selling Game From A Stall" for ₤1,161,250 at Sotheby's in London. The guide price on this item was ₤1,200,000. With all of the talk surrounding a "recovery" in the art market, this comes as a bit of a surprise.

To see the item, click here.

Aristocrats Sell Items at Sotheby's

It seems the Earl of Devon isn't the only aristo with apparent financial woes...

As we've stated before, the Earl of Devon is parting with family treasures at Sotheby's July 14, 2009 sale. The Marquess of Downshire is also selling an engineering document entitled THE DRAINING OF THE FENS at this auction.
THE DRAINING OF THE FENS has a minimum guide price of ₤20,000. To see the item, click here.

Tomorrow (July 7, 2009), the trustees of the 2nd Baron Hesketh are selling Gabriel Metsu's painting entitled "A Woman Selling Game From A Stall". The minimum guide price is ₤1,200,000. Click here to see the item.

With these current sales, it makes us wonder if our aristo's are being beaten by the current financial crisis. We've heard that the art market it picking up, so maybe the aristo's are selling these items at the perfect time. We'll see.

The Aristo News won't be able to attend tomorrow's auction, but we'll keep you posted on the final sale price.

As for the July 14th auction, we'll keep you posted.

The Ten Richest Aristocrats in the UK

We have identified the ten richest aristocrats in the United Kingdom.

There is only one criteria for this list: They must have peerage in the UK.

Here is the list:

1. The Duke of Westminster (₤6.5 billion)
2. Earl Cadogan (₤ 2 billion)
3. Baroness Howard de Walden (₤1.07 billion)
4. Viscount Portman (₤950 million)
5. The Earl of Iveagh (₤750 million)
6. Viscount Cowdray (₤500 million)
7. The Duke of Devonshire (₤500 million)
8. The Duke of Bedford (₤489 million)
9. The Duke of Sutherland (₤480 million)
10. The 4th Baron Rothschild (₤360 million)

Source: The Sunday Times Rich List, 2009