Johannes von Thurn and Taxis

Johannes, 11th Prince of Thurn and Taxis
Born	Johannes Baptista de Jesus Maria Louis Miguel Friedrich Bonifazius Lamoral Template:Birth date Schloss Höfling, Regensburg, Germany
Died	December 14, 1990(1990-12-14) (aged 64) Munich-Großhadern, Germany
Occupation(s)	Entrepreneur, nobleman
Known for	Head of the House of Thurn und Taxis (1982–1990)

Johannes, 11th Prince of Thurn and Taxis (Johannes Baptista de Jesus Maria Louis Miguel Friedrich Bonifazius Lamoral; 5 June 1926 – 14 December 1990) was a German entrepreneur who led the House of Thurn und Taxis from 1982 until his passing.

Early life

Born at Schloss Höfling in Regensburg, Germany, Johannes was the son of Karl August, 10th Prince of Thurn and Taxis and Infanta Maria Anna de Braganza. His siblings included two elder sisters and a younger brother.

Marriage and family

During the 1970s, Johannes gained a reputation for hosting avant-garde social events and was publicly known as bisexual, frequently attending gay nightclubs. Prior to his marriage, his close companion was Princess Henriette von Auersperg (1933–2019).

On 31 May 1980, he wed Countess Gloria of Schönburg-Glauchau (born 1960), who also identified as bisexual. Both were related as fourth cousins twice removed, sharing descent from Karl Alexander, 5th Prince of Thurn and Taxis. The Schönburg-Glauchau family, a mediatised princely lineage, maintained substantial estates in Germany following World War I but were displaced to Africa during the Nazi era and experienced financial setbacks. Throughout the mid-1980s, the couple garnered considerable media interest due to their extravagant bohemian lifestyle within elite social circles. Princess Gloria’s vivid fashion sense earned her the moniker "Princess TNT" by Vanity Fair.

Their offspring included:

• Princess Maria Theresia Ludowika Klothilde Helene Alexandra (b. 28 November 1980, Regensburg), who married British artist Hugo Wilson in 2014; they have two daughters:
  • Mafalda Beatrix Maria Wilson (b. 21 August 2015)
  • Maya Romy Alexandra Wilson (b. 22 September 2017)
• Elisabeth Margarethe Maria Anna Beatriz (b. 24 March 1982, Regensburg)
• Albert (II.) Maria Lamoral Miguel Johannes Gabriel (b. 24 June 1983, Regensburg)

Following his father’s death in 1982, Johannes assumed leadership of the Thurn and Taxis family. He died on 14 December 1990 in Munich-Großhadern after undergoing two unsuccessful heart transplants. His passing left the family estate encumbered with debts amounting to approximately US$500 million, prompting his widow to adopt a more modest lifestyle to manage estate affairs and safeguard the family’s remaining wealth.

Dynastic honours

Awards from non-reigning royal houses:

• House of Thurn und Taxis: Sovereign Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Parfaite Amitié
• Saxon Royal Family: Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Rue Crown
• Portuguese Royal Family: Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Immaculate Conception of Vila Viçosa

National and foreign honours

• Commander of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany
• Sovereign Military Order of Malta: Bailiff Knight Grand Cross of Honour and Devotion, 3rd First Class

Sources

• Wolfgang Behringer. Thurn und Taxis: Die Geschichte ihrer Post und ihrer Unternehmen. München/Zürich: 1990.
• Martin Dallmeier and Martha Schad. Das Fürstliche Haus Thurn und Taxis, 300 Jahre Geschichte in Bildern. Regensburg: 1996.
• Bernd-Ulrich Hergemöller. Mann für Mann. page 689

External links

• Official website of the Thurn und Taxis family
• Bild: Gloria von Thurn und Taxis interview discussing religion, sin, responsibility, and relationships