Aline Countess of Romanones Message Board
Sarah posts on 6/1/2011 2:13:43 AM
Wow Anita, that would be great, thanks so much.
Anita posts on 5/31/2011 8:25:00 PM
Sarah, if you give me a few days, I have the actual name of the family you are referring to, but need to locate my paperwork. Very prominent Moroccan family. Just hope I find it.
Sarah posts on 5/31/2011 6:21:55 PM
Countess' secretary wrote to me as I was finishing my thesis (about the OSS). Finding those letters prompted me to re-read all of the books.
I just finished Spy Wore Silk and I have always wondered -- who are Salima and Fatima...? I know she tried to disguise them, and I've tried a little sleuthing but haven't really come up with anything. Does anyone know?
Anita posts on 5/17/2011 1:04:48 PM
Roseanne H.,knows more about the family than any of us, I do believe, as she has had the most contact with the Countess, and can certainly read the Spanish as she is fluent. Unfortunately,my reading the language isn't that good and I, too, am kicking myself for not studying better,when I was living in Spain. I was in my 3rd year of Spanish then, but have forgotten so much.
Angela, the photo you refer to of the boys with their father, is wonderful. They were so young, but handsome. They are really handsome men today.
I think the Countess is doing well,and I hope she will be with us longer because at this age anything can happen. Ceertainly hope that longevity runs in the Griffith family!
Roseanne, I will do that search and hopefully can filter through and read a bit of it. Thanks for sharing.
Angela posts on 5/16/2011 9:30:27 PM
Thanks, Anita, for sharing your knowledge of espionage. You have sifted through way more info. than I probably ever will in my life, so I trust your take on the Countesses books. Oh Roseanne, if only I could read Spanish! I'm missing out on so much. Every time I come across an article in Spanish, I kick myself for not studying harder to learn the language. I loved the picture of the Countesses sons in Marbella from Vogue that Edgar mentioned. My favorite picture of them is in the Pascualete book where they are young and posing with their father, looking so handsome.
Roseanne H posts on 5/16/2011 8:59:03 PM
If anyone is so inclined, and if you can read Spanish, type in La Condesa Viuda de Romanones in the search bar and read some of the interesting articles about the Countess and her sons. It seems that two of them are divorced, so I suppose that the wedding Anita refers to is a second marriage for one of them. Also, with respect to the fallout between the Countess and her eldest son Alvaro, he had sued her wanting a fair share of the family estate for himself and his brothers, after the passing of his father in 1987. According to Spanish law, the widow or widower would receive one half of the estate of the spouse, and the children would share in the other half. Alvaro had accused his mother of hiding various works of art, Goya, Velazquez, etc., and of not being truthful about her properties, including the apartment in New York. Apparently, however, the two have long since reconciled.
Anita posts on 5/16/2011 8:44:04 PM
Edgar, absolutely not...no way we would think such a thing. I appreciate your input and "your take" on events in her books.
Let me share an example with you and Angela and the other readers. I read so much espionage about WWII that even some of the authors that were in OSS and also some that were there as Resistance members, get their wires crossed on dates, time , places, and people. I have read many times where two resistence people or OSS members working on the same projects, have a different take and memory of just how something happened.
Edgar I will do a bit of research and see what I can find about the Wedding of Aline's son, in Austria. IT sounds like you have it figured out.
Edgar posts on 5/15/2011 7:41:34 PM
Thank you Angela.....and Anita. I have read this forum for years. And I finally had to just add my to cents. So much of this seems to be common sense. Again, I know there are the facts. And they ARE very important. I also respect an authors creative efforts. Especially when they state that in the preface. It's the right thing to do by the author! I hope no one here feels my comments are offensive or a direct attempt to not re-examine the truth. I'm only looking at the books as entertainment. Thanks again. E.
Angela posts on 5/15/2011 5:57:06 PM
Great sleuthing on your part, Edgar. It's nice to have an additional, knowledgeable person on the message board to help us fill in gaps and help answer our numerous questions. I wanted to point out before, even history books which are supposedly nonfiction accounts of events, can be considered biased and downright wrong, depending on which side of the fence you are on and depending on the reliability of the witnesses and reporters. Time and again, history has to be rewritten. Like you said, if you go by the very clear preface to each book by the Countess where she states her intentions and necessary exchanges of events and details, you can accept that it is still nonfiction inasmuch as it can be.
Edgar posts on 5/15/2011 5:06:30 PM
Anita, I'm so glad you are enjoying Google Earth. Something else I wanted to add. In the book, The Well Mannered Assassin, it's my belief that the Countess patterned part of this book based on the balls and parties that were held at the time of her second son to the Princess of Sayn-Wittgenstein. All of which took place in Bavaria/Austria. Research that and see what you think. Ava Gardner had to be there. Also in one of the books written by the Countess she states that her son and new daughter in law were the guests of the Duchess of Windsor in the early 70's. The Duchess had been to ill to attend the wedding but had the couple to Paris for a post honeymoon visit. I think the wedding took place in Mondsee Austria. Bavaria and Mondsee are a hop skip. Also there is a lake there as in the book by the Countess. Again, the Countess does what she does best. Hiding the truth to protect. All, I think the dates and events in the books are very mixed up. But for a reason. The Countess takes the best of the bits and put them together to the best possible way for the story she is telling. Again, that is just my opinion. Others may certainly not feel the same way. Best regards to all.
Click Here for Messages:
1 - 10
11 - 20
21 - 30
31 - 40
41 - 50
51 - 60
61 - 70
71 - 80
81 - 90
91 - 100
101 - 110
111 - 120
121 - 130
131 - 140
141 - 150
151 - 160
161 - 170
171 - 180
181 - 190
191 - 200
Note: the views expressed here are only those of the posters.
