Aline Countess of Romanones Message Board
Angela posts on 5/10/2011 7:04:07 PM
Robert and Pepita, I know I don't only speak for myself when I say that I do appreciate your opinion and input. In response to your post, I can only say this- With every fiber of my being, I believe that whatever Aline has written about Edmundo, and anyone else for that matter, for whatever reason, she only had the best intentions. For privacy, for protection, for continuity of story, but never to degrade or mislead. I seriously don't think that anyone who has read her books came to the conclusion that Edmundo was anyone but a great human being, and that is the bottom line. I know that the problem you have is with the nonfiction label, but honestly, is there really such a thing as pure nonfiction? Especially in espionage?
Robert Huddleston posts on 5/10/2011 2:01:04 PM
Knowing what I say will have no impact I and my wife Pepita are compelled to respond to Roseanne's message of May 5.
In The Spy Wore Red, Aline's first fictional memoir, she writes that she first learned of Edmundo Lassalle's 1974 death in 1984 from the character Pierre. In The Spy Went Dancing published in 1987, she writes that she had teamed-up with Edmundo as CIA agents in Paris in 1966 to out a Soviet mole in NATO. This is in Chapter 26. She then shifts Edmundo's death in 1974 to 1966 brought about by the KGB. This is on page 375. As a matter of fact Pepita visited her father in New York City at that time and knows that he was not in Paris nor did he have an apartment in London as Aline states. As for Pepita not knowing that her father was a CIA agent in 1966 or at any other time, we have tried through the Freedom Of Information Act to pry this out of the CIA but to no avail. We do know,however, that the Paris caper as published by Aline just doesn't jell with available facts.
Somewhat related is that I was in Paris on official business at that time and was briefed at NATO Headquarters. My Official Passport was stamped quote Orly Airport May 1, 1966 unquote. While in Paris I had dinner with an American diplomat I had met in Washington and who later was revealed as being a CIA officer. I called him when The Spy Went Dancing came out and he noted it had no bearing on reality.
To Mark M. Mark, I'm too old to continue this but I hope you carry on the campaign for more honest memoirs.
Anita posts on 5/10/2011 10:58:12 AM
Edgar, your comments are appreciated and I believe you have got it correct about how the properties in Spain get split after the spouse is deceased.
Also, no one really wants to keep out-dated looking Jewelry pieces. They would just sit in a lock box or drawer somewhere.
My question has not been answered that I asked about in a post recently: Was the Jewelry sold through Sotheby's in Geneva? Do you happen to know?
Thanks.
Edgar posts on 5/9/2011 11:01:40 PM
It's my understanding that there has been considerable downsizing for the Countess. As is customary in Spain, when the husband dies, the property is split in half. The wife gets one half and the other half is split among the children. Throughout the years, I am not sure, but the New York apartment has been sold as well as the Marbella property. Also Centro Asegurador, the business her husband was president of, suffered several large financial setbacks. Numerous recent entries and articles on the Countess state that she spends her time between her home in Madrid and her estate, Pascualete. Certainly, I agree, she is not destitute. The jewelry that I looked I saw listed on the internet looks dated. And would be better off auctioned now rather than later. I think it's probably just a sensible house cleaning.
Anita posts on 5/9/2011 10:41:17 PM
Gee Angela you and me both, as I would not mind having one of her cigarette cases! Unfortunately I still smoke!
I think that maybe she has saved some of her fine jewelery for her grandaughters, and feels the need for whatever reasons to sell the rest. It doesn't mean she needs the money. I do know that She does have 4 residences: NYC,Madrid,Marabella,and Pascualete, plus the other fincas and other properties, plus other business interests. She has 3 sons who I suspect contribute to the maintaining of these places especially if they use them as well. The fincas probably pay for themselves plus some.
Angela posts on 5/9/2011 8:57:36 PM
I didn't know the Countess had so many properties. I guess I figured she had her flat in New York, her home in Marbella, and her ancient finca , Pascualete, but that was it. In any case, that has to be incredibly expensive to maintain. Who knows, maybe she's selling some jewelry just because she has no use for it anymore and the money isn't an issue. I would love to own a piece of her jewelry. Heck, I'd love to own anything of hers. Oooh, how about a cigarette lighter from her early spy days? Imagine the places it would have been.
Anita posts on 5/9/2011 1:55:34 PM
RYARISTO, I agree with you and Mark M.
So many families today are selling off their Jewelry and other items, valuables, etc.. Quite common nowdays. I know that the Countess has Many valuable Paintings, and suspect that these will stay in the family as she has 3 sons, and grandchildren that I am sure want them, as well as the 4 or 5 Fincas they own.
RYARISTO posts on 5/8/2011 7:55:27 PM
I am not finding fault with the Countess selling her jewels. I never once said that. As far as being silly baubles, I agree, much better to keep the land. Prime example of this is the Thurn und Taxi family. I simply brought this to the discussion forum as a point of interest to followers of the Countess. Jewels, in her books, were mentioned often. And she was shown wearing them quite often.
MarkM posts on 5/8/2011 12:21:19 AM
Conventional wisdom is that when someone publicly publishes his or her memoirs, that person is choosing to open him or herself up to public scrutiny. A published memoir (or series of memoirs) gives someone a strongly one-sided opportunity to give their side of the story, so there really is nothing wrong with the public pointing out apparent inconsistencies.
RYARISTO, it is my understanding that maintaining a large estate is quite expensive, which is why many noble families have sold off their estates, or opened them up for public use as museums or even inns. I can't fault the Countess for selling her jewels and keeping her lands; ancestral land seems more intrinsically valuable (both tangibly and intangibly) to me than some silly baubles. I'd sell family jewels before I sold family land any day.
Anita posts on 5/7/2011 2:24:04 PM
I will Google and see about the auction. But, who is running the Auction? Is it Sotheby's?
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