Friday, January 6, 2012

The Coburgs return home

After living in New York City for five years, where he worked for Deutsche Bank, Hereditary Prince Hubertus of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha and his American-born wife, Kelly, have returned to Coburg to live.

On January 1, the 36-year-old prince took over from his father, Prince Andreas, the running of the  family's Coburg foundation.

It will be a change for Prince Hubertus and Princess Kelly from living in New York City, a mega metropolis, to Coburg, a much smaller town.

Prince Hubertus is happy to be back at home.  He did not return solely for the new duties.  "This is the place for me at the right time.   The prince said that his wife "loves Coburg!"  

New York was "fascinating," but for the Hereditary Princess, Coburg, a fortress city, has proved to be "incredibly charming".  There is the feel of a small town atmosphere for the couple, as they "are often greeted by name" when they walk into a local store.  "In New York, however, is of course very anonymous,"  Prince Hubertus said.

He added that it was Princess Kelly's desire to one day live in Europe, in a non-English speaking country."  She is now living in Coburg in Germany. 

The couple have also rented an apartment in Munich because most of their friends live in that city, and "we do not always want to stay at a hotel when we visit them."

Munich is also closer to Austria, where the family owns land and forests.  Prince Hubertus will also now be responsible for the Austrian properties, including Schloss Greinburg in Grein.

The primary business is timber. "I'm glad that our core business is forestry as lumber is a solid and sustainable product."

Prince Andreas won't meddle in his son's leadership role.  "Every generation has its own ideas."

http://www.infranken.de/nachrichten/lokales/coburg/Ein-Prinz-kehrt-heim-nach-Coburg;art214,238707

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